newyorkpost--2020-08-28--Why we felt called to open our Catholic schools full-time, in-person amid COVID-19

While the city ’ s public schools are still fumbling with a ...

I am a member of a community of Catholics that has thought for months on whether to reopen our diocese schools this fall. As with any decision that relates to health and safety during the pandemic, it was not an easy one.
But in the end, the diocese chose the path that was true to its purpose: The church exists to serve the community and minister to its needs. We do this in many ways. We operate institutions of healing — there are roughly 600 church-sponsored hospitals nationwide and 1,400 long-term care facilities. And during this pandemic, they have sought to save lives.
We also operate 7,500 schools for 2.3 million students. During this pandemic, they must teach.
The greatest work of the faithful is done when the moment is most perilous. Feeding the hungry, reaching out to the lonely, healing the sick, protecting the most vulnerable, whether at life’s beginning or life’s end — this is the faithful’s calling. In the words of Pope John Paul II, our faith teaches us: Be not afraid.
And that applies especially to the pandemic that afflicts America today. It is a dangerous moment, and it’s no wonder many are opposed to reopening until a vaccine for COVID-19 is widely available. Schools can’t prevent students from contracting the virus at a birthday party or a gathering or from a relative living under their roof. Yet schools will be blamed if there’s an outbreak.
This may seem unfair. However, it’s also not fair to turn this fear into a campaign against religious and private schools that wish to reopen.
Catholic and other parochial schools are used to being considered a direct challenge to public schools. When students succeed in Catholic schools where they struggled in public ones, there is an implicit comparison — and a judgment.
This is a matter of our unique mission, whether in operating schools or hospitals, to combine the dignified work of faithful hearts with the inspiring achievements of the human mind and science. God has granted us the power to think, but that requires that we develop, nurture, reward and sacrifice for it. So we must teach — even when others think it’s dangerous.
The work of the faithful — teachers, administrators, school nurses, donors and students themselves — cannot be attempted without sacrifice. But our faith and our calling leave us no other choice but to teach our children in-person.
The church is hardly alone in seeing this as a moment of spiritual testing. Other faith-based institutions have also risen to the challenge. Campus faith-based groups like Hillel continue to meet the spiritual needs of students. Sikh communities are delivering food to health-care workers and prescriptions to seniors isolated by COVID.
The work we have sought to do — feeding the body or the soul, helping people end the grip of drug abuse, returning former inmates to society and lives of purpose — must continue. And it’s not just for the benefit of society, but also for the benefit of those who do the work.
The American Catholic Church, tarnished by scandal, has no other path. It must return to its roots of service. This is the church’s moment. Surrendering these responsibilities is not acceptable. That would deny something to students — and something else to those who teach.
We must make accommodations for safety, of course. We can be cautious, responsible and protect those in our school buildings. If we are able to do so and demonstrate extreme care, we may begin the hard work of rebuilding trust in the church as an institution.
In so doing, we may also be able to set an example for other institutions — both civic and faith-based. Keep in mind that the success of such faith-based missions is enabled by our Constitution, which limits governmental meddling, as opposed to with public schools.
Let’s inscribe on our hearts the words of scripture, the wonder-working words of our faiths, that call on us to do the hard thing, even when it’s dangerous, even when we could lose something. Because if we give into fear, we lose something far greater.
Thomas Chiapelas serves on the board of trustees at De Smet Jesuit High School in St. Louis, Mo.


newyorkpost--2020-08-28--Mavericks lose Kristaps Porzingis to knee injury for rest of first round

LAKE BUENA VISTA , Fla. — Kristaps Porzingis will miss the rest of the Dallas Mavericks ’ series against the @ @ @ @ @ a torn ligament in his right knee .
The Mavericks said Friday that Porzingis has @ @ @ @ @ injury , which he sustained in Game 1 of the series .
They added that @ @ @ @ @ explored and he wouldn ’ t be medically cleared the rest of the series .
@ @ @ @ @ two games .
He finished with averages of 23.7 points and 8.7 rebounds in his @ @ @ @ @ playoff action of his career .
The Mavericks acquired the 7-foot-3 forward from Latvia last @ @ @ @ @ Knicks .
It was while there that he tore the ACL in his other knee @ @ @ @

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — Kristaps Porzingis will miss the rest of the Dallas Mavericks’ series against the Los Angeles Clippers because of a torn ligament in his right knee.
The Mavericks said Friday that Porzingis has been receiving treatment for the injury, which he sustained in Game 1 of the series. They added that further treatment options are being explored and he wouldn’t be medically cleared the rest of the series.
The seventh-seeded Mavericks trail the Clippers 3-2.
Porzingis had missed the last two games. He finished with averages of 23.7 points and 8.7 rebounds in his three appearances, the first playoff action of his career.
The Mavericks acquired the 7-foot-3 forward from Latvia last year from the New York Knicks. It was while there that he tore the ACL in his other knee in February 2018.


newyorkpost--2020-08-28--Trump says Democrats are trying to hijack football season for political reasons

The Big Ten may end up playing football in the ...

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President Trump accused Democrats of trying to keep football shutdown for political reasons in a Friday evening tweet where he declared, “I want Big Ten, and all other football, back — NOW.”
His missive followed reports that the Big Ten athletic conference was considering a last-minute Thanksgiving week save after cancelling the entire 2020 college football season amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
“No, I want Big Ten, and all other football, back – NOW. The Dems don’t want football back, for political reasons, but are trying to blame me and the Republicans. Another LIE, but this is what we are up against!” Trump wrote. “They should also open up all of their Shutdown States.”
The shutdown of the sports world has angered Trump, particularly as the football season’s traditional September kick-off approaches.
The president wants both the economy and schools to reopen following a months-long lockdown since the virus arrived on US shores in February.
Joe Biden’s campaign ripped the president’s patriotism in a football-themed video where they accused Trump of putting the nation “on the sidelines.”
The minute-long clip shows sweeping drone footage of empty stadiums as an announcer calls for a non-existent crowd to be upstanding for the national anthem.
“Donald Trump put our nation on the sidelines. Let’s get back in the game,” a tweet accompanying the clip said.
Trump’s tweet appeared to be a response to the Biden campaign’s video after the president fired it off just over an hour after it appeared online.
The virus has so far killed 180,000 people in the US and infected 5.9 million.


newyorkpost--2020-08-28--NJ teen billed for police overtime by mayor after holding BLM rally

So much for free speech !
A New Jersey teen organized a Black Lives Matter rally that lasted 90-minutes — and days later , was handed a bill from the mayor for $ 2,500 to cover “ police overtime , ” reports say Emily Gil set up the peaceful protest for late July in Englewood Cliffs to bring attention to the lack of affordable housing in the North Jersey town , according to The Bergen Record .
“ Racial inequality didn ’ t start the day George Floyd was murdered .
In fact , by skirting affordable housing requirements for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ problem in your own town , ” Gil wrote online on June 24 .
The 18-year-old reached out to borough officials to schedule a demonstration but a meeting never materialized after Mayor Mario Kranjac insisted on a face-to-face meeting during the pandemic , according to the report .
The rally went ahead — with Gil , a borough resident , speaking with the police chief just before the July 25 event — and drew less than three dozen attendees , the report says .
Four days later , she got a bill for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when I read the letter , ” she told ABC7 .
“ I felt a little disrespected because the tone of the letter was kind of condescending.
” The activist added that police were barely visible during the rally and the letter penned by Kranjac was “ weird , ” which suggested Gil volunteer at the local food bank .
Kranjac , elected last year as the first Republican borough mayor in 40 years , wrote , “ Given that you are now an active member of our community , I call to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Office of Concern Food Pantry in Englewood.
” The letter cites a “ lack of notice ” giving officials “ little time to prepare.
” The mayor called the bill routine , despite it not even explaining how to pay the fees , The Record reported .
The police chief was even unaware of the letter requesting payment for overtime costs , reports say .

So much for free speech!
A New Jersey teen organized a Black Lives Matter rally that lasted 90-minutes — and days later, was handed a bill from the mayor for $2,500 to cover “police overtime,” reports say
Emily Gil set up the peaceful protest for late July in Englewood Cliffs to bring attention to the lack of affordable housing in the North Jersey town, according to The Bergen Record.
“Racial inequality didn’t start the day George Floyd was murdered. In fact, by skirting affordable housing requirements for decades, you’ve worsened the problem in your own town,” Gil wrote online on June 24.
The 18-year-old reached out to borough officials to schedule a demonstration but a meeting never materialized after Mayor Mario Kranjac insisted on a face-to-face meeting during the pandemic, according to the report.
The rally went ahead — with Gil, a borough resident, speaking with the police chief just before the July 25 event — and drew less than three dozen attendees, the report says.
Four days later, she got a bill for $2,500.
“I was shocked when I read the letter,” she told ABC7. “I felt a little disrespected because the tone of the letter was kind of condescending.”
The activist added that police were barely visible during the rally and the letter penned by Kranjac was “weird,” which suggested Gil volunteer at the local food bank.
Kranjac, elected last year as the first Republican borough mayor in 40 years, wrote, “Given that you are now an active member of our community, I call to your attention our community charity project, the Office of Concern Food Pantry in Englewood.”
The letter cites a “lack of notice” giving officials “little time to prepare.”
The mayor called the bill routine, despite it not even explaining how to pay the fees, The Record reported.
The police chief was even unaware of the letter requesting payment for overtime costs, reports say.


newyorkpost--2020-08-28--Rand Paul’s wife describes ‘harrowing’ clash with BLM activists

Video posted on social media showed the Kentucky Republican and ...

WASHINGTON — Kelley Paul, the wife of Sen. Rand Paul, said she felt like she was living in a “terrifying dystopian novel” when a mob of militant Black Lives Matter demonstrators surrounded the couple and their friends outside the White House on Thursday night.
The Kentucky Republican earlier Friday said he feared for their lives during the confrontation and lashed the demonstrators who chanted Breonna Taylor’s name without realizing he had authored a bill in her honor.
In a opinion piece in the Washington Examiner, Kelley Paul said she tried in vain to explain to the group that her husband had worked in Congress to advance their cause.
“Thursday night felt like being in a terrifying dystopian novel,” she wrote, calling it the most harrowing night of her life and lashing the media and Democrats for being silent on the violence.
“At first, I attempted to meet the eyes of one of the protesters and tried to explain that Rand authored the Justice for Breonna Taylor Act, but it seemed to just infuriate them more, as they called me a ‘b—-‘ and ‘racist wh—‘ alongside an endless torrent of ‘f— yous,'” Kelley continued.
“Mobs are terrifying. They looked at us with no humanity — just a vicious and righteous zeal. After that, I just kept my eyes down and prayed,” she recounted of the attack.
“All I could think of was the driver who was pulled from his car, viciously kicked in the head and left lying in his own blood in Portland, Oregon, last week.”
The violent scene was just one of many across Washington on Thursday evening as demonstrators took to the streets around the White House to protest Trump’s acceptance speech and harass attendees as they were leaving.
Violent protests also continue to roil the streets of Kenosha, Wisconsin following the shooting of Jacob Blake at the hands of police, while rioters continue to try to torch buildings in Portland after months of chaos.


newyorkpost--2020-08-29--6 portable projectors that will upgrade your at-home theater experience

Discover the highlights of our NY Post Store , from our partner StackCommerce .
NY Post may be compensated and/or receive an affiliate commission if you buy through our links .
If your favorite part of the season is enjoying summer blockbusters from the comfort of a red , velvet chair , then you have likely been frustrated by the movie theater closures across the country due to COVID-19 .
To help you make the most of the season while staying safe at home , we rounded up seven projectors that are perfect for getting that theater experience while inside @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Projector , now on sale for $ 339 ( 57 % off ) Connect wirelessly to your favorite devices—or directly via HDMI or USB—with this awesome mini projector .
Featuring a crystal clear 4K and 1080P resolution , you will enjoy stunning clarity both day and night .
4K HD DLP Pocket Projector , now on sale for $ 299.99 ( 39 % off ) This mini projector casts whatever is on your phone , laptop , or tablet into a whopping 120″ display—it even supports 3D viewing !
For easy control , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the included remote .
CINEMOOD 360 Bundle : First Interactive Projector with 360 Motion Capability Plus Free Cover , now on sale for $ 328.99 ( 34 % off ) Immerse yourself in a virtual reality with this 360° capable pocket-sized projector .
Not only does it feature built-in access to Netflix , Amazon Prime Videos , and Youtube , but it also features interactive motion games that will keep your little ones entertained through quarantine .
EPSON® EX3260 SVGA 3LCD Projector ( Renewed ) , now on sale for $ 259 ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of colors , this projector delivers vibrant , clear images like no other .
The best part ?
It is super easy to set up—you ’ ll be up and running in no time with easy image adjustments and super convenient controls .
Prima 1080p HD Pocket Projector , now on sale for $ 799 This projector , which is no larger than an iPhone 7 Plus , allows you to cast a 200″ , cinema-quality image onto just about any surface .
You can even sync the device to your phone or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ media .
AAXA S1 Mini Projector for Nintendo Switch , now on sale for $ 289.99 ( 7 % off ) Immerse yourself in gameplay with this ultra-portable projector that transforms your 6″ Nintendo Switch screen into a 120″ multi-player display .
Plus , thanks to the included twin speakers , you can fill your room with game-changing sound effects as you play .

Discover the highlights of our NY Post Store, from our partner StackCommerce. NY Post may be compensated and/or receive an affiliate commission if you buy through our links.
If your favorite part of the season is enjoying summer blockbusters from the comfort of a red, velvet chair, then you have likely been frustrated by the movie theater closures across the country due to COVID-19.
To help you make the most of the season while staying safe at home, we rounded up seven projectors that are perfect for getting that theater experience while inside.
Lenso Space Pocket Size 4K 32GB Projector, now on sale for $339 (57% off)
Connect wirelessly to your favorite devices—or directly via HDMI or USB—with this awesome mini projector. Featuring a crystal clear 4K and 1080P resolution, you will enjoy stunning clarity both day and night.
4K HD DLP Pocket Projector, now on sale for $299.99 (39% off)
This mini projector casts whatever is on your phone, laptop, or tablet into a whopping 120″ display—it even supports 3D viewing! For easy control, you can use either the touchpad or the included remote.
CINEMOOD 360 Bundle: First Interactive Projector with 360 Motion Capability Plus Free Cover, now on sale for $328.99 (34% off)
Immerse yourself in a virtual reality with this 360° capable pocket-sized projector. Not only does it feature built-in access to Netflix, Amazon Prime Videos, and Youtube, but it also features interactive motion games that will keep your little ones entertained through quarantine.
EPSON® EX3260 SVGA 3LCD Projector (Renewed), now on sale for $259 (7% off)
Featuring 3,300 lumens of colors, this projector delivers vibrant, clear images like no other. The best part? It is super easy to set up—you’ll be up and running in no time with easy image adjustments and super convenient controls.
Prima 1080p HD Pocket Projector, now on sale for $799
This projector, which is no larger than an iPhone 7 Plus, allows you to cast a 200″, cinema-quality image onto just about any surface. You can even sync the device to your phone or laptop in order to easily control your media.
AAXA S1 Mini Projector for Nintendo Switch, now on sale for $289.99 (7% off)
Immerse yourself in gameplay with this ultra-portable projector that transforms your 6″ Nintendo Switch screen into a 120″ multi-player display. Plus, thanks to the included twin speakers, you can fill your room with game-changing sound effects as you play.


newyorkpost--2020-08-29--39 of the best things that are on sale this weekend for up to 68% off

Discover the highlights of our NY Post Store , from our partner StackCommerce .
NY Post may be compensated and/or receive an affiliate commission if you buy through our links .
Right now on The New York Post Store , there are so many amazing deals that it can be hard to narrow down which items to add to your cart .
To help you navigate the incredible discounts on our site , we rounded up 39 of our absolute favorites—with savings of up to 68 % off !
As you scroll , you will find awesome deals on everything @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to green tea infused pillows and electrolyte infused popcorn .
Now , hurry , because these sales aren ’ t going to last long .
2-Layer Knit Jersey Face Mask – Adult , Assorted Colors ( 5-Pack ) , now on sale for $ 24.99 ( 37 % off ) Score a 5-pack of these super comfortable jersey masks that are perfect for all-day wear .
Premium Everyday Face Mask , now on sale for $ 11.99 ( 7 % off ) Featuring adjustable ear loops , this face mask is designed with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Portable Multifunctional ePump , now on sale for $ 34.99 ( 22 % off ) Perfect for camping trips and beach days , this portable pump can inflate ( or deflate ! )
an airbed up to 45 times on a single charge .
Down Alternative Reversible Comforter Set ( Gray & Light Gray/Queen ) , now on sale for $ 45 ( 62 % off ) This reversible comforter is 100 % hypoallergenic so you can stay as cozy as possible even during allergy season .
Honeycomb Breathable Sitting Gel Cushion , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 19 % off ) MIssing your ergonomic office chair ?
Made from elastic silicone gel , this cushion will transform your dining room chair into the perfect WFH seat .
VENQUE® NY Daypack ( Black ) , now on sale for $ 118.99 ( 14 % off ) Not only is this daypack super cute , but it has enough pockets to keep all your belongings safe and secure .
Johnny Fly™ Figure Sunglasses , now on sale for $ 108 ( 20 % off ) Summer might be coming to an end @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to and from every season .
GoFish Cam Wireless Underwater Fishing Camera , now on sale for $ 149.99 This Wi-Fi enabled , underwater fishing camera allows you to see the action up close .
Motorola Smart Safe with Secure Wall Mounting , now on sale for $ 109.99 ( 14 % off ) This smart safe features a water-resistant keypad , humidity and odor control system , remote open capability , and an intelligent reminder system to keep your most important items safe and secure .
Screen Mom™ Screen Cleaning Super Bundle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( 20 % off ) Keep all your screens squeaky clean with this cleaning potion and microfiber towel bundle .
Ocushield Anti-Blue Light Screen Protector for iPhone 11 Pro/X/XS , now on sale for $ 29.99 ( 36 % off ) Rated 4.3/5-stars on Amazon , this screen protector effectively blocks up to 99 % of harmful blue light emissions in order to eliminate headaches , eye irritation , and fatigue , MagicLight Smart Colorful LED Light Bulbs : 2-Pack , now on sale for $ 17.99 ( 14 % off ) Choose @ @ @ @ @ @ @ million colors in order to create an ambiance that fits your mood .
Power Plate® DualSphere : Targeted Vibration Massager , now on sale for $ 99 Use this targeted vibration massager after working out to relax and rejuvenate tight and sore muscles .
AXIS Gear : Smart Blinds Controller , now on sale for $ 199.99 ( 19 % off ) Use your phone to open and close your blinds with this easy-to-install , Indiegogo-funded smart device .
nOcean Wearable Reuseable Silicone Straw , now on sale for $ 15.99 ( 20 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on your wrist so that you have a reusable straw whenever you need it .
Slant Board Calf Stretcher , now on sale for $ 56.99 ( 43 % off ) Rated 4.7/5-stars on Amazon , this inclined board can be used to relieve a variety of health problems , from tight hamstrings to Achilles Tendonitis .
Go.C Bundle : 2 Wearable Dispensers + 8Oz Hand Sanitizer , now on sale for $ 17.99 ( 40 % off ) Successfully funded on Kickstarter at $ 94,969 , this wearable attaches to your belt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you always have hand sanitizer when you need it .
Fusion Skin Hot & Cold Dual Facial Massager , now on sale for $ 57.99 ( 34 % off ) Rated 4.5/5-stars on Amazon , this anti-aging device uses sonic vibration , hot/cold massage , and light therapy to improve the appearance of skin .
FrankOne™ Brewer + FrankCoffee , now on sale for $ 99.99 ( 21 % off ) This coffee maker uses a vacuum to pull water through your coffee grounds in order to extract maximum flavor in a short @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , now on sale for $ 24.99 ( 44 % off ) Never run out of a clean face-covering again with this 12-pack of washable masks .
Mountie Plus : Second Display Grip , now on sale for $ 31.99 ( 8 % off ) Rated 5/5-stars on Product Hunt , this display grip allows you to experience a dual-screen set up with total ease .
LUFT Cube Portable Filterless Air Purifier , now on sale for $ 99.99 ( 32 % off )

Discover the highlights of our NY Post Store, from our partner StackCommerce. NY Post may be compensated and/or receive an affiliate commission if you buy through our links.
Who doesn’t love a good sale?
Right now on The New York Post Store, there are so many amazing deals that it can be hard to narrow down which items to add to your cart. To help you navigate the incredible discounts on our site, we rounded up 39 of our absolute favorites—with savings of up to 68% off!
As you scroll, you will find awesome deals on everything from wearable straws and innovative coffee makers to green tea infused pillows and electrolyte infused popcorn. Now, hurry, because these sales aren’t going to last long.
2-Layer Knit Jersey Face Mask – Adult, Assorted Colors (5-Pack), now on sale for $24.99 (37% off)
Score a 5-pack of these super comfortable jersey masks that are perfect for all-day wear.
Premium Everyday Face Mask, now on sale for $11.99 (7% off)
Featuring adjustable ear loops, this face mask is designed with two, ultra-breathable cotton layers.
Coolado Portable Multifunctional ePump, now on sale for $34.99 (22% off)
Perfect for camping trips and beach days, this portable pump can inflate (or deflate!) an airbed up to 45 times on a single charge.
Down Alternative Reversible Comforter Set (Gray & Light Gray/Queen), now on sale for $45 (62% off)
This reversible comforter is 100% hypoallergenic so you can stay as cozy as possible even during allergy season.
Honeycomb Breathable Sitting Gel Cushion, now on sale for $71.99 (19% off)
MIssing your ergonomic office chair? Made from elastic silicone gel, this cushion will transform your dining room chair into the perfect WFH seat.
VENQUE® NY Daypack (Black), now on sale for $118.99 (14% off)
Not only is this daypack super cute, but it has enough pockets to keep all your belongings safe and secure.
Johnny Fly™ Figure Sunglasses, now on sale for $108 (20% off)
Summer might be coming to an end, but these sunnies will transition you to and from every season.
GoFish Cam Wireless Underwater Fishing Camera, now on sale for $149.99
This Wi-Fi enabled, underwater fishing camera allows you to see the action up close.
Motorola Smart Safe with Secure Wall Mounting, now on sale for $109.99 (14% off)
This smart safe features a water-resistant keypad, humidity and odor control system, remote open capability, and an intelligent reminder system to keep your most important items safe and secure.
Screen Mom™ Screen Cleaning Super Bundle, now on sale for $23.99 (20% off)
Keep all your screens squeaky clean with this cleaning potion and microfiber towel bundle.
Ocushield Anti-Blue Light Screen Protector for iPhone 11 Pro/X/XS, now on sale for $29.99 (36% off)
Rated 4.3/5-stars on Amazon, this screen protector effectively blocks up to 99% of harmful blue light emissions in order to eliminate headaches, eye irritation, and fatigue,
MagicLight Smart Colorful LED Light Bulbs: 2-Pack, now on sale for $17.99 (14% off)
Choose from a color palette of over 16 million colors in order to create an ambiance that fits your mood.
Power Plate® DualSphere: Targeted Vibration Massager, now on sale for $99
Use this targeted vibration massager after working out to relax and rejuvenate tight and sore muscles.
AXIS Gear: Smart Blinds Controller, now on sale for $199.99 (19% off)
Use your phone to open and close your blinds with this easy-to-install, Indiegogo-funded smart device.
nOcean Wearable Reuseable Silicone Straw, now on sale for $15.99 (20% off)
Wear this silicone bracelet on your wrist so that you have a reusable straw whenever you need it.
Slant Board Calf Stretcher, now on sale for $56.99 (43% off)
Rated 4.7/5-stars on Amazon, this inclined board can be used to relieve a variety of health problems, from tight hamstrings to Achilles Tendonitis.
Go.C Bundle: 2 Wearable Dispensers + 8Oz Hand Sanitizer, now on sale for $17.99 (40% off)
Successfully funded on Kickstarter at $94,969, this wearable attaches to your belt, pocket, or bag so that you always have hand sanitizer when you need it.
Fusion Skin Hot & Cold Dual Facial Massager, now on sale for $57.99 (34% off)
Rated 4.5/5-stars on Amazon, this anti-aging device uses sonic vibration, hot/cold massage, and light therapy to improve the appearance of skin.
FrankOne™ Brewer + FrankCoffee, now on sale for $99.99 (21% off)
This coffee maker uses a vacuum to pull water through your coffee grounds in order to extract maximum flavor in a short timeframe.
Washable 3D Masks: 12-Pack, now on sale for $24.99 (44% off)
Never run out of a clean face-covering again with this 12-pack of washable masks.
Mountie Plus: Second Display Grip, now on sale for $31.99 (8% off)
Rated 5/5-stars on Product Hunt, this display grip allows you to experience a dual-screen set up with total ease.
LUFT Cube Portable Filterless Air Purifier, now on sale for $99.99 (32% off)


newyorkpost--2020-08-29--President Trump heads to Louisiana as Hurricane Laura cleanup begins

LAKE CHARLES , La.— The angry storm surge has receded and the clean up has begun from Hurricane Laura , but officials along this shattered stretch of Louisiana coast are warning returning residents they will face weeks without power or water amid the hot , stifling days of late summer .
The US toll from the Category 4 hurricane stood at 14 deaths , with more than half of those killed by carbon monoxide poisoning from the unsafe operation of generators .
President Donald Trump plans on Saturday to tour the damage in Louisiana and neighboring Texas .
He told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ speech accepting the Republican Party ’ s nomination for reelection because of the storm .
But he said that , as “ it turned out , we got a little bit lucky .
It was very big , it was very powerful , but it passed quickly .
” Across southwestern Louisiana , people were cleaning up from the destructive hurricane that roared ashore early Thursday , packing 150-mph winds .
Many were deciding whether they wanted to stay in miserable conditions or wait until basic services are finally restored .
Lauren Sylvester @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Friday after heeding a mandatory evacuation order and staying with her mother in a city about 95 miles away .
The inside of her unit was not directly damaged , but the roof lost shingles .
Around her home , it was a different story .
Power lines and trees were down .
“ It ’ s still an incredible amount of damage , ” said Sylvester , who was heading back to her mother ’ s house as soon as she finished cleaning up .
Simply driving was a feat in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ residents hit head-on by the hurricane ’ s eye .
Power lines and trees blocked paths or created one-lane roads that drivers had to navigate with oncoming traffic .
Street signs were snapped off their posts or dangling .
No stoplights worked , making it an exercise in trust with other motorists sharing the roads .
Mayor Nic Hunter cautioned that there was no timetable for restoring electricity and that water-treatment plants “ took a beating , ” leaving barely a trickle of water coming out of most faucets .
“ If you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , make sure you understand the above reality and are prepared to live in it for many days , probably weeks , ” Hunter wrote on Facebook .
Caravans of utility trucks were met Friday by thunderstorms in the sizzling heat , complicating recovery efforts .
The Louisiana Department of Health estimated that more than 220,000 people were without water .
Restoration of those services could take weeks or months , and full rebuilding could take years .
Forty nursing homes were relying on generators , and assessments were underway to determine if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that had been evacuated could return .
The much weaker remnants of the hurricane continued to move across the Southern U.S. , unleashing heavy rain and isolated tornadoes .
North Carolina and Virginia could get the brunt of the worst weather Saturday , forecasters said .
When the storm moves back over the Atlantic Ocean , forecasters said it could become a tropical storm again and threaten Newfoundland , Canada .
Louisiana Gov .
John Bel Edwards called Laura the most powerful hurricane to strike Louisiana , meaning it surpassed even Katrina , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it hit in 2005 .
He said Friday that officials now believe the surge was as high as 15 feet .
The hurricane also killed nearly two dozen people in Haiti and the Dominican Republic en route to the Gulf Coast .
In Lake Charles , chainsaws buzzed and heavy machinery hauled tree limbs in the front lawn of Stanley and Dominique Hazelton , who rode out the storm on a bathroom floor .
A tree punctured the roof not far from where the couple was taking cover .
“ There ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
“ So it was dumb .
We ’ ll never do it again .
We ’ ll never stay through another hurricane again .
”

LAKE CHARLES, La.— The angry storm surge has receded and the clean up has begun from Hurricane Laura, but officials along this shattered stretch of Louisiana coast are warning returning residents they will face weeks without power or water amid the hot, stifling days of late summer.
The US toll from the Category 4 hurricane stood at 14 deaths, with more than half of those killed by carbon monoxide poisoning from the unsafe operation of generators.
President Donald Trump plans on Saturday to tour the damage in Louisiana and neighboring Texas. He told reporters he considered delaying his Thursday night speech accepting the Republican Party’s nomination for reelection because of the storm. But he said that, as “it turned out, we got a little bit lucky. It was very big, it was very powerful, but it passed quickly. ”
Across southwestern Louisiana, people were cleaning up from the destructive hurricane that roared ashore early Thursday, packing 150-mph winds. Many were deciding whether they wanted to stay in miserable conditions or wait until basic services are finally restored.
Lauren Sylvester returned to her townhouse in Lake Charles on Friday after heeding a mandatory evacuation order and staying with her mother in a city about 95 miles away.
The inside of her unit was not directly damaged, but the roof lost shingles. Around her home, it was a different story. Power lines and trees were down.
“It’s still an incredible amount of damage,” said Sylvester, who was heading back to her mother’s house as soon as she finished cleaning up.
Simply driving was a feat in Lake Charles, a city of 80,000 residents hit head-on by the hurricane’s eye. Power lines and trees blocked paths or created one-lane roads that drivers had to navigate with oncoming traffic. Street signs were snapped off their posts or dangling. No stoplights worked, making it an exercise in trust with other motorists sharing the roads.
Mayor Nic Hunter cautioned that there was no timetable for restoring electricity and that water-treatment plants “took a beating,” leaving barely a trickle of water coming out of most faucets. “If you come back to Lake Charles to stay, make sure you understand the above reality and are prepared to live in it for many days, probably weeks,” Hunter wrote on Facebook.
Caravans of utility trucks were met Friday by thunderstorms in the sizzling heat, complicating recovery efforts.
The Louisiana Department of Health estimated that more than 220,000 people were without water. Restoration of those services could take weeks or months, and full rebuilding could take years.
Forty nursing homes were relying on generators, and assessments were underway to determine if more than 860 residents in 11 facilities that had been evacuated could return.
The much weaker remnants of the hurricane continued to move across the Southern U.S., unleashing heavy rain and isolated tornadoes. North Carolina and Virginia could get the brunt of the worst weather Saturday, forecasters said.
When the storm moves back over the Atlantic Ocean, forecasters said it could become a tropical storm again and threaten Newfoundland, Canada.
Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards called Laura the most powerful hurricane to strike Louisiana, meaning it surpassed even Katrina, which was a Category 3 storm when it hit in 2005. He said Friday that officials now believe the surge was as high as 15 feet.
The hurricane also killed nearly two dozen people in Haiti and the Dominican Republic en route to the Gulf Coast.
In Lake Charles, chainsaws buzzed and heavy machinery hauled tree limbs in the front lawn of Stanley and Dominique Hazelton, who rode out the storm on a bathroom floor. A tree punctured the roof not far from where the couple was taking cover.
They regretted staying.
“There’s people without homes,” Stanley Hazelton said. “So it was dumb. We’ll never do it again. We’ll never stay through another hurricane again.”


newyorkpost--2020-08-29--Yankees’ Gary Sanchez still can’t get untracked

Injuries and Aaron Hicks have gotten in the way of ...

With Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, Gleyber Torres and DJ LeMahieu on the injured list, the Yankees have needed Gary Sanchez to shake a season-long slump.
Judging by the numbers, that hasn’t happened.
Sanchez’s frustrating year continued Friday when he went hitless in five at-bats in the Mets’ Subway Series doubleheader sweep of the Yankees in The Bronx.
Sanchez went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts in the opener, when he whiffed with the bases loaded in fourth and stranded two in the sixth. In the second game, Sanchez drew a bases-loaded walk in the third inning, but went 0-for-2 and struck out with runners on second and third and one out in the fifth.
“Little bit of pitch recognition,’’ Aaron Boone said of Sanchez, who caught the first game and was the DH in the nightcap. “Falling back into that where his timing is a little bit off. Not recognizing the ball well enough early to really make quality swings.’’
Sanchez is in a 6-for-38 (.158) funk and hitting .130 (10-for-77) for the season.
LeMahieu faced live pitching Friday at the alternate site in Moosic, Pa., and is on track to rejoin the Yankees
“I know it went really well [Friday] so we will see where we are at going into [Saturday],’’ Boone said of the second baseman, who is on the IL with a sprained left thumb suffered on Aug. 15.
Jackie Robinson Day normally is celebrated by MLB on April 15. Of course no one played on that date this year, so MLB designated Friday the day to celebrate what Robinson meant to baseball.
After wearing their numbers in the first game all players wore No. 42 in the nightcap. Chadwick Boseman, who portrayed Robinson in 2013’s “42,” died of colon cancer on Friday.
Submit your Yankees questions here to be answered in an upcoming Post mailbag
With Jordy Mercer promoted from the alternate site on Friday, it didn’t take Boone long to put him in the starting lineup for the second game of the doubleheader where he went 1-for-2 with a walk and scored a run.
The 34-year-old has played in 898 big league games and 831 have been at shortstop. He was a Pirate from 2012 to 2018, spent 2019 with the Tigers and appeared in three games for them this year before being released.
Mercer entered the first game of the twin bill in the fifth and struck out in the ninth.
With LeMahieu on the IL and Boone not wanting to play Hicks in two games in one day, Luke Voit hit leadoff for the second and third time this season.
Voit entered the first game with 11 homers and six in his past six games and went 3-for-4. His soft single off first baseman Pete Alonso’s glove in the first inning led to a 2-0 Yankees lead. His two-out, bases-empty double preceded Clint Frazier’s opposite-field home run to right that increased the advantage to 4-0.
Voit went 0-for-3 in the second game.
Brett Gardner started the day in a 3-for-24 (.125) funk, but reached base with a bunt single in first inning, was hit by a pitch in the fourth and walked in the sixth of the first game.


newyorkpost--2020-08-29--Breaking down Mets-Steve Cohen sale drama timeline

Cash won — for now .
Steve Cohen once again has ...

Friday night, The Post confirmed billionaire hedge fund manager Steve Cohen had won the bidding and entered into exclusive negotiating rights to purchase the Mets from the Wilpon and Katz families, likely ending a roller-coaster process that began with him agreeing to $2.6 billion deal earlier this year only to back out and later return to the negotiating table. Here’s a timeline of the sale:
Dec. 4, 2019: The Mets release a statement that they are negotiating to sell a majority stake in the team to Cohen, a limited partner in the ownership group that controls the franchise. Under the agreement that is worth $2.6 billion, Cohen would receive up to 80 percent of the team. The deal would allow Fred Wilpon to remain as CEO and Jeff Wilpon as COO for five years.
Feb. 4: Cohen decides to end negotiations with the Wilpons over a disagreement about how the power structure would work. The Post reports there is a disagreement over the long-term status of SNY and the Wilpons pushed late to maintain some control of the franchise beyond the five-year window.
Feb. 6: The Wilpons announce they still plan to sell the team and will use investment bank Allen & Company to manage the deal. In a statement, Cohen says: “I’m very disappointed we couldn’t work out a deal. But as an 8% holder I’m looking forward to a higher bid for the team.”
Feb. 14: Alex Rodriguez, the former Yankees superstar, is “kicking the tires” on the idea of getting into an upcoming auction for the team, The Post reports.
April 20: Rodriguez and fiancée Jennifer Lopez retain JPMorgan Chase to raise capital for a possible bid to purchase the Mets. “It’s real,” a source tells The Post.
June 8: Private equity billionaires Josh Harris and David Blitzer join the fray. The two already own the 76ers and Devils.
June 22: The Rodriguez/Lopez group receives a boost as Vitamin Water co-founder and St. John’s grad Mike Repole joins them.
July 6: The Post reports Cohen will place a bid on the team, months after his bid to purchase the club fell apart.
July 9: The first round of bids are due, with Cohen placing the largest bid at $2 billion. The Rodriguez/Lopez team offered a bid of $1.7 billion, The Post reports. Harris and Blitzer had a similar bid.
Aug. 17: With final bids due in two weeks, sources say Cohen’s hopes of purchasing the team may be hurt by Jeff Wilpon’s dislike for him. “Jeff Wilpon hates Steve Cohen,” a source close to the bid says. “He wants A-Rod to come away with the team or make Cohen pay double the nearest offer.”
Aug. 28: Hours after The Post reports Jeff Wilpon is not involved in the sale, it is reported that Cohen has won the bidding.


newyorkpost--2020-08-29--Giants still may regret not making run at Logan Ryan

The Giants ’ already-decimated secondary took another significant hit Wednesday when ...

There are no more dots left to connect leading the Giants to Logan Ryan, but it’s still a puzzle.
It made sense for the Giants to pursue Ryan …
At the start of free agency, when he was a cornerback coming off a career year, capable of addressing a major area of need, with experience playing under coach Joe Judge, and a chance to come home to New Jersey …
In May, when DeAndre Baker was arrested, and again in July when Baker was placed on the Commissioner’s Exempt List …
Earlier this month, when Sam Beal exercised the COVID-19 opt-out clause, taking away a second cornerback.
Then it was revealed Ryan’s agent is marketing his client to teams as an elite safety. Well, after a brief moment of understanding the reason for not uniting, it makes sense again for the Giants to pursue Ryan because safety Xavier McKinney underwent foot surgery that could sideline him until November.
It’s not that the Giants don’t recognize a need for secondary help: Since a deal fell through with veteran cornerback Ross Cockrell at the start of camp, the Giants signed Prince Smith and are expected to add Brandon Williams.
This is equivalent to shopping at Dollar General instead of Target, putting a lot of pressure on defensive coordinator Patrick Graham to repeat the in-season improvement he created with the young Miami Dolphins last season.
But the results in Friday’s scrimmage were encouraging — only two completions for 12 yards in the first half — and the secondary’s best friend could be the fierce pass rush provided by Lorenzo Carter, Markus Golden and Leonard Williams.
“I’ve seen [Graham] play with practice squad players and get them to the level of being NFL, on-the-field game-day players and beat us,” Judge said, referencing the Patriots losing to the Dolphins last December. “That’s important to me.”
The roster includes just three cornerbacks with NFL game experience, two of whom (Corey Ballentine and Grant Haley) remain unproven. Four safeties have game experience, but it’s a similar boat for Julian Love, Montre Hartage and Sean Chandler.
In other words, after James Bradberry and Jabrill Peppers, the Giants’ secondary is a collection of first-, second- and third-year players who entered the league as late-round picks or undrafted.
“It’s all about what you do going forward and how we can develop you and get the best out of you,” Judge said. “We have a lot of young guys who are all working hard. They are developing and pushing ahead through competition. We’re letting the process of training camp develop every day for us.”
A career 85-game starter, Ryan played 395 special teams snaps over his first three years with Judge as a special teams coach for the Patriots. Judge favors cross-training positions, and Ryan, 29, can play in the box, roam deep or lock into a one-on-one slot matchup.
The Giants’ reasoning for staying pat makes sense: With the NFL salary cap potentially dropping by 11.6 percent to $175 million per team in 2021, there is value in rolling over unused 2020 space (currently $25.6 million) to soften the blow when the team is more competitive. Ryan was willing to take a one-year, $10 million contract to return to the Tennessee Titans and initially wanted at least that annual salary to change teams.
If the Rutgers product — one of two players in the NFL, along with Tyrann Mathieu, who has more than 60 passes defended, 15 interceptions and five sacks since 2013 — is (generously) worth one or two wins, the Giants likely still are not a playoff team. This is not the case of a contender stretching to go over the top.
But the Giants risk misreading their fan base’s patience and repeating a familiar mistake. It was obvious last summer that the secondary was under-talented, but the Giants stuck to a plan.
Dak Prescott had a perfect passer rating and four touchdowns in Week 1 against the Giants, setting the tone for the NFL’s fifth-worst passing defense. Now a season’s worth of time invested in development could be for naught if Baker and Beal never play for the Giants again.
“I don’t care if it’s a first-year player or a 10th-year player,” Judge said. “We’re looking for good players who can help build this program. To answer that question pretty directly, is it a priority to have a veteran? No, it’s not.”
Changing tunes in Week 2 might be too late. Again.


newyorkpost--2020-08-29--Aroldis Chapman’s failure latest Yankees’ bullpen implosion

The Yankee Stadium rest rooms are shut because there is nobody to use them , but that didn ’ t muffle the sound of leads being flushed twice by the Yankees ’ bullpen Friday .
After Chad Green gave up three homers and help the Yankees let a three-run lead slip away in the first game of a Subway Series doubleheader that resulted in a 6-4 defeat , the Mets tagged Aroldis Chapman with a loss in the nightcap when pinch-hitter Amed Rosario hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the seventh to lift the visitors to a 4-3 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stretched the Yankees ’ losing streak to a season-high seven games and dropped them four lengths back of the AL East-leading Rays .
The Yankees held a 4-0 lead after two innings in the first game and watched Green give up three homers in the sixth including a three-run blast to Pete Alonso that tied the score and back-to-back blasts to Dominic Smith and Jake Marisnick .
If that wasn ’ t bad enough Chapman was asked to protect a one-run lead in the seventh and didn ’ t retire either of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ drew a 3-2 walk , pinch-runner Billy Hamilton stole second base on a pickoff throw to first and Rosario launched a 2-0 pitch into the left-field seats to stun the Yankees .
“ Obviously , get the ball to Chappy , you feel good about that and getting a split today , ’ ’ Boone said of his closer who hadn ’ t pitched since Aug. 17 and made his second appearance of the season .
“ You got to turn the page quickly here .
Obviously a tough stretch for us right @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Adam Ottavino , Nick Nelson and Luis Cessa but admitted letting leads slip away has to stop .
“ We have to start finishing some games off now , ’ ’ Boone said .
With the Yankees leading by three runs in the sixth inning of a seven-inning tilt in the opener the first two Mets reached on singles against lefty Jordan Montgomery who had thrown 68 pitches .
That brought the right-handed hitting Alonso to the plate and Boone immediately called for the right-handed Green .
Alonso drove a full-count homer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , after Green got two outs , Smith and Marisnick hit back-to-back homers .
It was Green ’ s second blown save of the year and second in as many outings .
“ I like Green in just about any [ situation ] , ’ ’ Boone said .
“ I had a lot of confidence in Green at that point .
Alonso had a great good swing on a 3-2 count .
’ ’

The Yankee Stadium rest rooms are shut because there is nobody to use them, but that didn’t muffle the sound of leads being flushed twice by the Yankees’ bullpen Friday.
After Chad Green gave up three homers and help the Yankees let a three-run lead slip away in the first game of a Subway Series doubleheader that resulted in a 6-4 defeat, the Mets tagged Aroldis Chapman with a loss in the nightcap when pinch-hitter Amed Rosario hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the seventh to lift the visitors to a 4-3 victory and a sweep.
The losses stretched the Yankees’ losing streak to a season-high seven games and dropped them four lengths back of the AL East-leading Rays.
The Yankees held a 4-0 lead after two innings in the first game and watched Green give up three homers in the sixth including a three-run blast to Pete Alonso that tied the score and back-to-back blasts to Dominic Smith and Jake Marisnick.
If that wasn’t bad enough Chapman was asked to protect a one-run lead in the seventh and didn’t retire either of the two batters he faced. Jeff McNeill drew a 3-2 walk, pinch-runner Billy Hamilton stole second base on a pickoff throw to first and Rosario launched a 2-0 pitch into the left-field seats to stun the Yankees.
“Obviously, get the ball to Chappy, you feel good about that and getting a split today,’’ Boone said of his closer who hadn’t pitched since Aug. 17 and made his second appearance of the season. “You got to turn the page quickly here. Obviously a tough stretch for us right now.’’
Boone praised Jonathan Loaisiga, Adam Ottavino, Nick Nelson and Luis Cessa but admitted letting leads slip away has to stop.
“We have to start finishing some games off now,’’ Boone said.
With the Yankees leading by three runs in the sixth inning of a seven-inning tilt in the opener the first two Mets reached on singles against lefty Jordan Montgomery who had thrown 68 pitches. That brought the right-handed hitting Alonso to the plate and Boone immediately called for the right-handed Green.
Alonso drove a full-count homer to center that tied the score and, after Green got two outs, Smith and Marisnick hit back-to-back homers. It was Green’s second blown save of the year and second in as many outings.
“I like Green in just about any [situation],’’ Boone said. “I had a lot of confidence in Green at that point. Alonso had a great good swing on a 3-2 count.’’


newyorkpost--2020-08-29--Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving won’t be only Nets to have input on next coach

All throughout the NBA restart in Orlando — both before ...

As Nets general manager Sean Marks begins his coaching search in earnest, superstars Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving will be consulted. But they apparently won’t be the only ones.
Marks is expected to pick the brains of several Nets above and beyond his two superstars. Multiple sources have indicated he will likely touch base with other players Brooklyn has invested in long term, including DeAndre Jordan and Spencer Dinwiddie. One source suggested Caris LeVert as well.
“Yeah, I would say it would totally be not incredibly smart of us if we did not involve some of these key players in this decision. And that not only goes for Kevin,” Marks said earlier. “Kevin, Kyrie; we’re going to pick their brains on what they’re looking for in a leader, what they want in a coach, what they need. The guys have been brutally honest so far.”
The honesty may not be limited to that duo.
The Nets job — currently held by Jacque Vaughn, a solid 7-3 as the interim coach — will be one of the more plum positions available, thanks to the expected debut of Durant, the emergence of LeVert, and return of Irving and Dinwiddie.
Nets owner Joe Tsai has invested heavily. Durant and Irving started four-year deals last summer, paying $164 million and $136 million respectively. In the star-driven NBA, seeking their input was always a given. But they arrived as a package deal with close friend Jordan, who got a fully guaranteed four-year, $40 million pact.
Dinwiddie — who helped recruit Irving — began a three-year, $34 million pact, while LeVert’s three-year, $52 million extension kicks in next season. It would be unwise to invest in their play but not their knowledge; and several of those players have experience with coaches believed to be on Brooklyn’s radar.
“[Durant] continues to be a very loud voice in terms of where we’re going in the future and what we’re doing,” Marks said. “And I involve him — like the other players — on how we’ll continue to build this team and how we move forward.”
Vaughn has worked with Marks three times dating back to 2011 in San Antonio, and is considered a strong candidate to hold onto the job full-time. And the other perceived early favorite is Clippers assistant Tyronn Lue, who coached Irving to his greatest success in Cleveland.
Lue was 128-83 with the Cavs, promoted to head coach on Jan. 22, 2016 and fired on Oct. 28, 2018. Between then he reached three NBA Finals, won a 2016 title on Irving’s iconic shot, and saw the guard average 25.2 points a year later, his best for a full season.
There is believed to be mutual interest from both Irving and Lue in a reunion. The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that Lue is a candidate for the Sixers and Pelicans, seeking $7 million annually but possibly willing to accept $5 million or $6 million. Joe Harris also played under Lue in Cleveland, with Harris telling The Post that Lue was “an excellent coach.”
Spurs coach Gregg Popovich has also been linked to Brooklyn, as has Jason Kidd, Jeff Van Gundy, Mark Jackson and Sixers assistant Ime Udoka.
Popovich is a mentor to Marks, and his credentials are impeccable with a ring for every finger on his hand. The 71-year-old is held in high regard by Durant, who played under him in several All-Star games. Irving put San Antonio on his list of preferred destinations when he asked to be traded.
Durant’s camp is also reportedly fond of Jackson. Kidd — whose final year at Cal was Marks’ redshirt freshman season — is also on the 76ers’ radar, according to the Inquirer.


newyorkpost--2020-08-29--Mets’ ‘inspirational’ Dom Smith leading with play on field, too

On Wednesday , Dominic Smith poured his heart out .
The next day , he was part of a peaceful protest across professional sports against racial injustice and police brutality , as the Mets and Marlins chose not to play their scheduled game .
And on Friday , he hit the game-winning home run in a rousing come-from-behind , 6-4 victory over the Yankees to begin the Subway Series and added two doubles and an RBI to cap a doubleheader sweep and 4-3 win in the nightcap .
“ For him having a couple of emotional days and to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in , to go out there , compete and give at-bats like that in situations like that , it shows how professional he is and the will he has , ” Mets manager Luis Rojas said via Zoom .
“ He ’ s a kid that ’ s [ gone ] from not playing every day to playing every day , and he ’ s always stayed locked in .
His level of concentration , his routine , his preparation is definitely something special.
” It was a range of emotions , from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ night press conference about the injustice he sees against his race to his sixth-inning drive off Chad Green that keyed a win in the opener of a doubleheader .
Following Pete Alonso ’ s game-tying three-run shot , Smith turned around an 0-2 , 97-mph Green fastball and deposited it over the right-center-field fence for his team-leading seventh homer of the season .
Smith , batting .333/.419/.744 with an 1.163 OPS , has arguably been the Mets ’ best player this year , finally getting to play every day once Yoenis Cespedes opted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Smith spoke out Wednesday after taking a knee during the national anthem for the first time , describing how he felt during these racially charged times .
There had already been postponements in the NBA , WNBA , MLS and MLB after players refused to play following the shooting of an African-American man , Jacob Blake , by police in Kenosha , Wis. On Thursday , seven more baseball games weren ’ t played , including the Mets-Marlins contest .
The two teams , dressed in their uniforms , shared 42 seconds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , waved goodbye to each other and left a Black Lives Matter T-shirt across home plate .
“ It made me feel really good and made me feel we are on the right path to change , ” Smith said after the protest .
“ We showed tonight we ’ re not just going to shut up and dribble , shut up and play ball .
We stand up for what we believe in .
… This is way bigger than baseball .
This is life .
This is humanity.
” Mets newcomer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and described him as “ inspirational.
” “ Dom , just a great human being , man , ” Wacha said .
“ Very passionate and just loves this game more than anything .
One of the best teammates I ’ ve been around .
“ I ’ ve just learned so much from him .
It ’ s an honor to be around him and to be one of his teammates for sure .
”

On Wednesday, Dominic Smith poured his heart out.
The next day, he was part of a peaceful protest across professional sports against racial injustice and police brutality, as the Mets and Marlins chose not to play their scheduled game.
And on Friday, he hit the game-winning home run in a rousing come-from-behind, 6-4 victory over the Yankees to begin the Subway Series and added two doubles and an RBI to cap a doubleheader sweep and 4-3 win in the nightcap.
“For him having a couple of emotional days and to be able to bounce back and stay locked in, to go out there, compete and give at-bats like that in situations like that, it shows how professional he is and the will he has,” Mets manager Luis Rojas said via Zoom. “He’s a kid that’s [gone] from not playing every day to playing every day, and he’s always stayed locked in. His level of concentration, his routine, his preparation is definitely something special.”
It was a range of emotions, from bawling his eyes out during a Wednesday night press conference about the injustice he sees against his race to his sixth-inning drive off Chad Green that keyed a win in the opener of a doubleheader.
Following Pete Alonso’s game-tying three-run shot, Smith turned around an 0-2, 97-mph Green fastball and deposited it over the right-center-field fence for his team-leading seventh homer of the season. Smith, batting .333/.419/.744 with an 1.163 OPS, has arguably been the Mets’ best player this year, finally getting to play every day once Yoenis Cespedes opted out of the season on Aug. 2.
Smith spoke out Wednesday after taking a knee during the national anthem for the first time, describing how he felt during these racially charged times. There had already been postponements in the NBA, WNBA, MLS and MLB after players refused to play following the shooting of an African-American man, Jacob Blake, by police in Kenosha, Wis. On Thursday, seven more baseball games weren’t played, including the Mets-Marlins contest. The two teams, dressed in their uniforms, shared 42 seconds of silence in honor of Jackie Robinson, waved goodbye to each other and left a Black Lives Matter T-shirt across home plate.
“It made me feel really good and made me feel we are on the right path to change,” Smith said after the protest. “We showed tonight we’re not just going to shut up and dribble, shut up and play ball. We stand up for what we believe in. … This is way bigger than baseball. This is life. This is humanity.”
Mets newcomer Michael Wacha has gotten to know Smith and described him as “inspirational.”
“Dom, just a great human being, man,” Wacha said. “Very passionate and just loves this game more than anything. One of the best teammates I’ve been around.
“I’ve just learned so much from him. It’s an honor to be around him and to be one of his teammates for sure.”


newyorkpost--2020-08-29--Taking stock of these Giants midway through training camp

The promising news for the Giants is that linebacker Lorenzo ...

No true opponent, no live television broadcast, no change for the Giants.
The Giants kept a vanilla offensive script — like you are accustomed to seeing in a preseason game — and so there was no hand-wringing after the defense got the better end of play in an intrasquad scrimmage for the second time in as many weeks.
“There were a lot of guys we had to evaluate,” coach Joe Judge said, “so we wanted to make sure they got maximum reps.”
Here’s a look at whose collective stock is rising and falling after two weeks of camp, including some statistics from a live scrimmage without tackling to the ground:
Stock up
WR David Sills: Even with three entrenched starters, Sills is getting plenty of first-team reps as he battles Corey Coleman to become No. 4. He spent his rookie season on the Giants practice squad, but he adds a missing size element (6-foot-3), which makes him a favorite red-zone target. He’s a “rep stealer” when others need a break.
C Nick Gates: Judge called the center competition “scratch even” earlier this week. But, with Spencer Pulley sidelined, the path is clear for this “alpha male” fresh off a two-year contract extension. If Gates is the Week 1 starter, it will be his fourth career NFL start at his third different position, after right tackle and right guard.
FS Julian Love: Love was buried on the depth chart until late October but then out-performed fellow first-year contributors DeAndre Baker, Sam Beal and Corey Ballentine, showing good ball skills. He was in line for a prominent role in three-safety packages before Xavier McKinney’s foot surgery. He is a starter now.
QB Colt McCoy: If you expected a three-way race to be Daniel Jones’ backup, forget it. The job belongs to McCoy, who was 12-for-18 passing. His experience reading coverages in different systems is a bonus.
TE Evan Engram: No doubts about the health of his foot after season-ending surgery. He is having the most tantalizing camp of his four-year career, but he did not play in the scrimmage as a precaution.
OLB Lorenzo Carter: Had 4.5 sacks in the first half of the scrimmage. Ignoring what that means for the first-team offensive tackles, it’s a sign that an athlete with speed and tree-length arms might be putting it all together in Year 3.
RB Wayne Gallman: Best moments have been running hard in the two scrimmages, including a 43-yard touchdown burst and 5-yard touchdown catch. Judge noted Gallman has flashed potential throughout his career.
K Graham Gano: Went 3-for-3 on field goals, including one on the final play of the scrimmage to give the offense a 23-22 win. Oh, the excitement!
Stock down
QB Daniel Jones: No need for alarm bells. He was 8-for-11 for 88 yards under constant duress, including a strip fumble on one of five sacks. There haven’t been many dazzling days from Jones in camp. In fairness, Eli Manning had few, too.
ILB Ryan Connelly: The rookie had two interceptions and a sack in four games last season and Giants fans were ready to put him in the Ring of Honor. Connelly has been slow to return from season-ending ACL surgery (five missed practices) as Devante Downs gained a leg up to start next to Blake Martinez.
DL B.J. Hill: A quiet training camp is a continuation of a quiet second season for Hill, who lost snaps to Leonard Williams after a midseason trade and could lose more to free-agent signing Austin Johnson. His best bet for survival is to recapture some of the pass-rush ability he showed as a rookie in 2018. There are enough run-stuffers.
CB James Bradberry: The top free-agent signing hasn’t looked the part of a shutdown corner yet, losing one-on-one reps to lesser players. Bradberry has had his wins — knocking a touchdown catch out of Sterling Shepard’s hands, for example — but the Giants need a career year to make up for uncertainty across the field.
LT Andrew Thomas: Maybe his brief rotation off the first team and some cross-training between sides of the line messed with Thomas, who allowed three sacks to Carter on the first two offensive series.
WR C.J. Board: Muffed a punt. That’s not going to sit well with an ex-special teams coach.


newyorkpost--2020-08-29--Mets place Corey Oswalt on IL in latest rotation setback

Michael Wacha and David Peterson are back, but the Mets encountered another pitching injury Friday, as they placed Corey Oswalt on the 10-day injured list with right biceps tendinitis.
Oswalt last pitched Tuesday, when he threw four scoreless innings in a loss to Miami.
Manager Luis Rojas said the right-hander began feeling discomfort Wednesday and did not throw. Oswalt received treatment, and after speaking with Rojas on Thursday, the roster move was made.
It was one of several made by the Mets prior to their doubleheader sweep of the Yankees.
To make room for Peterson, who started Game 2 against the Yankees, they designated Walker Lockett for assignment.
Andres Gimenez (undisclosed) and Jake Marisnick (left hamstring strain) were activated from the IL and Marisnick started in center field in Game 1 of the doubleheader in The Bronx.
To make room for Marisnick, the Mets designated Juan Lagares for assignment.
Additionally, the Mets recalled catcher Pat Mazeika as the team’s 29th man for the twin bill and also added infielder Brett Baty to the 60-man player pool and assigned him to their alternate site in Brooklyn. The 20-year-old Baty was the 12th-overall pick by the Mets in the 2019 draft. In 51 games last season between Brooklyn, Kingsport and the GCL Mets, Baty hit .234/.368/.452 with 37 runs, 16 doubles, two triples, seven home runs and 33 RBI.
The Mets also claimed outfielder Guillermo Heredia off waivers from the Pirates. Heredia was optioned to the team’s alternate site. Heredia, 29, appeared in eight games for Pittsburgh this season. He was 3-for-16 with two runs scored. He’s played with the Pirates, Mariners and Reds over parts of five seasons.
Dellin Betances faced his old team for the first time on Friday, pitching out of some trouble in a scoreless sixth of the Mets’ 6-4 win in Game 1.
After missing almost all of last season with arm injuries and a torn Achilles, Betances has struggled in 2020. He entered Friday’s doubleheader having allowed six earned runs in nine innings over 11 innings. He’d also given up nine hits and five walks, with seven strikeouts, as his velocity remains lower than it’s been for most of his career. According to Fangraphs, his average fastball velocity is 93.5 mph this season. In 2018, it was 97.9 mph.
“For me, I’ve got to find a way to make it work,’’ Betances said. “My pitches are cutting more this year than in the past and I have to use that as an advantage.”
He also wants to get his strikeout rate up.
“I’ve gotten guys to two strikes, but I haven’t been able to put them away like I used to with a lot of strikeouts,’’ the right-hander said. “I’ve got to learn to pitch with what I have right now.”
Betances was followed by Edwin Diaz, who earned his first save since the opening game of the season.
“He’s throwing the ball well,’’ Rojas said. “Personally, I don’t look at those stats [like saves]. It’s about how they are throwing the ball. [Diaz] has been throwing the ball really well. He’s been consistent with both of his pitches in the zone.”
Rojas said Robert Gsellman would start Saturday. … Bench coach Hensley Meulens was back with the Mets for Friday’s games. He returned Thursday, before the game against the Marlins was postponed after both teams opted not to play to protest racial injustice. That game will be made up on Monday at 1:10 p.m. at Citi Field. … Catcher Ali Sanchez got his first MLB hit in the second game.


newyorkpost--2020-08-29--Giants, Lorenzo Carter tackle racial divide in United States

The Giants weren’t among the various NFL teams to cancel a practice this week following the police shooting of Jacob Blake in Wisconsin, but they unveiled a new initiative and showed a sign of solidarity before Friday night’s Blue-White scrimmage at MetLife Stadium.
Players and coaches assembled in two lines across from each other at midfield, locked arms and held a lengthy moment of silence after a video featuring owner John Mara played on the scoreboard explaining the purpose of their “Together Blue” campaign for the 2020 season.
“The state of this country, I’m not comfortable. Nobody is comfortable. … My teammates, we’re not comfortable,” linebacker Lorenzo Carter said afterward, bypassing an initial question about the scrimmage. “And this isn’t OK, whatever is going on.
“I just feel like this country is divided and we have to use our platforms and our voices as black men and as athletes and influencers. Anybody that has a voice needs to use it, not just black, not just white, Latino, everybody. We have to come together.”
Carter, who unofficially had 4.5 sacks of Daniel Jones in dominating the first half of Friday’s scrimmage, added that he “honestly can’t even think about football right now.”
Instead, the third-year pro out of Georgia said he spent “the whole day” thinking about Friday being the 57th anniversary of Martin Luther King’s “I Have A Dream” speech.
“We’re still dealing with the same things, and that’s not right,” Carter said. “We should be further ahead as a country, we should be further ahead as a people. … I just know this team, these people, these men, we’re gonna do everything within our power to make sure that we bring about real change. We’re not gonna stop. Locking arms at the 50-yard before a scrimmage, that’s not it, that’s a small gesture. We have a lot more to do, a lot more work.
“We’re doing more than just talking. We stand with the NBA, with MLB, with MLS, we stand with all professional athletes that are making their voice heard and using their platform for positive change and for peace and for justice.”
Carter, 24, also stressed he doesn’t “want to be in the same situation my father was in, my grandfather was in” before and during his childhood in Georgia.
“I’m tired of it. Enough is enough,” Carter said. “We can’t let fear and division continue to manifest itself in this country. … We’ve got to come together and we’ve got to do it together.”
Evan Engram, Saquon Barkley, Sterling Shepard, Daniel Jones, Dalvin Tomlinson and Nate Ebner appeared in the Giants’ video message, which concluded with Mara saying “together we make a difference.”
The Giants said the purpose of their community-outreach campaign — which breaks the team into nine groups involving nine local organizations — is “to unify and reinforce how togetherness will be collective and unwavering among Giants fans, players, coaches and the front office this season.”
The nine partner organizations will be United Way of NYC, Far Rockaway Colts (NYPD), New York City Police Foundation, RISE, Bronx Defenders, Eva’s Village, East Orange Mayor’s Office, My Sisters’ Place and Covenant House.
The players also wore a helmet decal Friday of the community group they are working with as part of the Together Blue program.


newyorkpost--2020-08-29--California moves to open movie theaters with strict social distancing guidelines

California Governor Galvin Newsom unveiled a new online color-coded map that will track when indoor businesses such as restaurants and @ @ @ @ @ on the county-by-county numbers of new coronavirus cases and positive test results .
The guidelines @ @ @ @ @ 31 , the Sacramento Bee reported .
Currently , 38 out of 58 counties are @ @ @ @ @ “ widespread ” tier .
There are also nine counties in the “ Red ” @ @ @ @ @ spread category According to the new rules , each county can only move down to @ @ @ @ @ there is a decrease in COVID-19 numbers .
“ COVID-19 will be with us for @ @ @ @ @ need to adapt , ” said Newsom .
Counties in the Red Tier will be @ @ @ @ @ theatres with 25 % of its normal capacity .
Counties in the orange tier can @ @ @ @ @ The map will be updated every Tuesday .

California Governor Galvin Newsom unveiled a new online color-coded map that will track when indoor businesses such as restaurants and movie theaters can re-open based on the county-by-county numbers of new coronavirus cases and positive test results.
The guidelines go into effect on August 31, the Sacramento Bee reported.
Currently, 38 out of 58 counties are in the purple or the “widespread” tier. There are also nine counties in the “Red” or “substantial” disease spread category
According to the new rules, each county can only move down to a less restrictive tier if there is a decrease in COVID-19 numbers.
“COVID-19 will be with us for a long time and we need to adapt,” said Newsom.
Counties in the Red Tier will be allowed to begin operating movie theatres with 25% of its normal capacity. Counties in the orange tier can operate at 50%.
The map will be updated every Tuesday.


newyorkpost--2020-08-29--Barry Trotz trusts Islanders can shift focus back to Flyers

The focus will be on the task at hand when ...

And so, following two days where their heads were somewhere else, the Islanders have a game to play on Saturday. A relatively important one, too, this Game 3 of this second-round series against the Flyers that is knotted at a game apiece.
“The games are going to be just as intense,” Scott Mayfield said via a Zoom call that followed the team’s practice. “We’re professional athletes, we go out there to win.”
The schedule has changed. Instead of a pair of potential back-to-backs (Games 2 and 3, and then an if-necessary Games 6 and 7), there is only one set — Saturday’s Game 3, followed by Sunday’s Game 4.
The Islanders and Flyers had both held their morning skates before Thursday’s game was postponed and they both had ice time on Friday. Play should not be impacted. Neither should the Islanders’ preparation.
“There’s a lot of trust that goes into that,” said Barry Trotz, whose team lost a 4-3 overtime Game 2 after having taken the opener 4-0. “That’s dialogue. That’s dialogue with the group, that’s dialogue with your leadership.
“As I’ve said, I have a lot of faith and trust in this group that they understand that you have to park certain things. Obviously the social issues are up front but we are in the bubble to try and win a Stanley Cup.
“So [it’s about] getting the players to understand [they’ve] got to park it for the three, four or five hours, or whatever it is, get the job done, and then get back on task on the issues at hand,” he said. “It’s learning to be in the moment and the moment calls you to play hockey, you play hockey. [When] the moment calls you to stand strong for a social issue, that moment they stand strong.”
Islanders have loaned Simon Holmstrom, their 2019 first-round, 23rd overall selection, to Vita Hasten HC of the SHL’s second division. The 6-foot-1 winger, who had an impressive September training camp, spent the season with AHL Bridgeport, recording 15 points (8-7) in 46 games. The Islanders have the right to recall Holmstrom when North American pro leagues are ready to go for 2020-21.
Remainder of the revised schedule: Game 3, Saturday at 7 p.m.; Game 4, Sunday at 8 p.m.; Game 5, Tuesday at 7 p.m.; Game 6 (if necessary), Thursday, TBD; Game 7 (if necessary), Saturday, Sept. 5, TBD.


newyorkpost--2020-08-29--Fantasy owners shouldn’t rush to sell Lucas Giolito

Dealing with fantasy baseball injuries or bad performances is part ...

When White Sox starter Lucas Giolito grooved a fastball on an 0-2 count to Pirates shortstop Erik Gonzalez in the top of the ninth, you could hear the entire South Side of Chicago gasp and hold their collective breath. Adam Engel made an easy catch and Giolito’s first career no-hitter was complete.
Once a highly touted prospect in the Nationals’ system, Giolito struggled early to find his footing. He was traded to Chicago in 2017, but has been a dynamic starter for the White Sox dating back to last season. Tossing a no-hitter becomes an impressive feather in the cap.
Though White Sox fans continue to celebrate, those who roster Giolito in fantasy baseball now have a very important decision to make. From a trade standpoint, Giolito’s value may never be higher, and those desperate for starting pitching may be willing to part with a variety of players in exchange for the White Sox ace. To trade or not to trade, that is the question.
One of the early draft-strategy debates heading into this shortened season was whether or not to draft high-end starting pitching early or to load up on bats, since none of the starters was expected to get more than a dozen starts. The fantasy industry seemed fairly split, but now roughly halfway through the season, we seem to have some clarity. Strong starting pitching is coming out ahead of strong hitting, which means when you have an ace of Giolito’s caliber, you hold tight and never let go, unless you have two or three more just like him on your roster.
Of 100 fantasy baseball mixed leagues surveyed by Fantasy Alarm, the average ERA for leagues between 12-14 teams is currently sitting at 4.04. A look at all the teams with an ERA mark lower than the average reveals a strong 76 percent sitting inside the top five of their league standings. Those teams also find themselves in the top half of their league standings in categories such as wins, strikeouts and WHIP. With the rash of injuries and COVID-19 cases witnessed around MLB, it would appear that quality replacement pitching is much more difficult to find than replacement hitting.
Even a quick glance at the MLB ERA leaderboard will tell you to hold tight to your pitching studs. Players like Giolito, Jacob deGrom, Shane Bieber and Yu Darvish are dominating as you would expect. We’ve also seen some intriguing names like Framber Valdez and Spencer Turnbull excel as well. But as the sample size grows and players start to regress to the mean, your trust should remain in those with the pedigree and track record.
Baseball offers no guarantees, but given how little time is left in the regular season, playing it safe and holding onto high-end starters seems to be the path to victory.
Howard Bender is the VP of operations and head of content at Fantasy-Alarm.com. Follow him on Twitter @rotobuzzguy and catch him on the award-winning “Fantasy Alarm Radio Show” on the SiriusXM fantasy sports channel weekdays from 6-8 p.m. Go to FantasyAlarm.com for all your fantasy baseball advice.


newyorkpost--2020-08-29--Nets, Liberty and St. John’s start law course for HS students

With much of the country saying home due to the ...

All throughout the NBA restart in Orlando — both before and after this week’s boycotts — player leaders from LeBron James to Garrett Temple warned that real change isn’t enacted by mere talk, but by action.
For players, action meant boycotting playoff games in response to a police officer shooting another unarmed black man, Jacob Blake. For the Nets and Liberty, it has meant backing up their words not only with their wealth but their work.
Even before team owners Joe and Clara Wu Tsai vowed $50 million to social justice causes, parent company BSE Global partnered with St. John’s School of Law on a program for underserved high school students, teaching about civil rights and sports law to show minority youth there’s actually a path for them through law.
“My intent — and it’s been the intent of the Long Island Nets — was how do we make an impact in the community? How do we become a community asset? … It’s something I thought would have sustainability for years to come,” said Alton Byrd, the G-League Long Island Nets’ vice president of business operations. “This is a way to really get folks educated about the challenges we face as a race of people, as a country.”
Only 5 percent of lawyers in the U.S. are black, a similar amount Latino. Hence the summer program.
“Here’s how we get people more educated about the law and civil rights at a young age, where they can really get in with hands and feet and ask questions, challenge each other and challenge us,” Byrd told The Post. “They learn about life, about liberty — or lack thereof — and about how to build a potential career around it.”
What started as a small two-week program this month will grow in the future, in terms of length, students and scope.
“We thought let’s provide something virtual but meaningful,” said St. John’s law professor Elaine M. Chiu. “That was the genesis: Saving kids’ COVID summers, and getting to do innovative substantive stuff we’d been thinking about already.”
Kamille Dean — St. John’s School of Law’s director of diversity and inclusion — and her husband are Long Island Nets season-ticket holders. She spoke with Byrd at a game in February, pitching a sports mock law program for high school students.
“There’s a crisis when we talk about African Americans in particular entering law school,” Dean told The Post. “We’re not seeing numbers equivalent to the African-American population matriculate into law school. There are lots of reasons why: Some of its gatekeeping, and some is systemic racism.
“There’s a serious problem when we talk about injustice in the criminal justice system that happens to disproportionately burden African-American families, and in particular black men. … This is part of expanding the pipeline to make sure we’re not losing talented young people, but keeping an eye out for the black men in particular that we’re losing to the school-to-prison pipeline.”
Students were paired with BSE Global staff as mentors, and got hours of virtual visits from sports and social justice law practitioners such as American University law professor Jeremi Duru and Stanford law professor Robert Weisberg, BSE’s chief legal officer Jeff Gewirtz and Nets assistant general counsel Russell Yavner.
But it was the Zoom guest on the program’s final day that had the students buzzing. Temple — who started the entire playoff series versus Toronto, donning Education Reform on his jersey — is studying for the LSAT with an eye toward law school.
And after Temple spoke about the wealth gap — black families having just one-tenth the net wealth white families enjoy, according to the U.S. Federal Reserve — one student said he was inspired to attend law school.
“In the country we live in — the world we live in — we need to see as many diverse faces in the judicial process as we can to help change the marginalization of people that look like us in this country,” Temple told the students. “The Black Lives Matter movement has been amazing, but this started far before Trayvon Martin’s tragic death, Eric Garner’s tragic death.”
And George Floyd’s. And Breonna Taylor’s. And now Blake, who is paralyzed from the waist down after being shot seven times in the back.
“What I’m doing right now is a long-term play,” Temple said. “Unfortunately the things we want to see changed policy-wise, some of them are long-term plays.”


newyorkpost--2020-08-29--Eligibility for the 2020 Tony Awards have been announced

Though the coronavirus pandemic has kept Broadway shuttered for the better part of the 2019-2020 season , the Tony Awards show must go on — virtually — and with far fewer productions qualifying for consideration .
Only 18 shows and plays qualified for this year ’ s award show , a significant drop from last year ’ s 34 eligible productions , and so many of the categories have shrunken according to TimeOut .
“ Due to the COVID-19 pandemic , the rules have been adjusted for one-time only to ensure broad recognition of excellent work that occurred during the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ integrity of the Award , ” the Tony Awards Attendance Committee explained in a statement .
Performance and creative categories will be handled in a similar manner to how show categories have been handled in the past few years.
” Normally , each category would have four to five nominees , but due to the fact that many shows did not get a chance to open the committee will be capping the category at three .
The only shows that are eligible for the 2020 Tony Awards are : • Frankie and Johnny @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Height of the Storm • My Name is Lucy Barton Such shows as “ Six ” and “ West Side Story , ” which under normal circumstances would have been considered , were not seen by enough Tony committee members and therefore were not eligible to compete .

Though the coronavirus pandemic has kept Broadway shuttered for the better part of the 2019-2020 season, the Tony Awards show must go on — virtually — and with far fewer productions qualifying for consideration.
Only 18 shows and plays qualified for this year’s award show, a significant drop from last year’s 34 eligible productions, and so many of the categories have shrunken according to TimeOut.
“Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the rules have been adjusted for one-time only to ensure broad recognition of excellent work that occurred during the abbreviated Broadway season while also protecting the integrity of the Award,” the Tony Awards Attendance Committee explained in a statement.
Performance and creative categories will be handled in a similar manner to how show categories have been handled in the past few years.”
Normally, each category would have four to five nominees, but due to the fact that many shows did not get a chance to open the committee will be capping the category at three.
The only shows that are eligible for the 2020 Tony Awards are:
Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune
Moulin Rouge! The Musical
Sea Wall/A Life
Betrayal
The Height of the Storm
The Great Society
Slave Play
Linda Vista
The Rose Tattoo
The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical
The Sound Inside
Tina – The Tina Turner Musical
The Inheritance
A Christmas Carol
Jagged Little Pill
My Name is Lucy Barton
A Soldier’s Play
Grand Horizons
Such shows as “Six” and “West Side Story,” which under normal circumstances would have been considered, were not seen by enough Tony committee members and therefore were not eligible to compete.


newyorkpost--2020-08-29--Celebrities grieve the death of Chadwick Boseman

Click to email this to a friend ( Opens in new window ) Click to share on Twitter ( Opens in new window ) Click to share on Facebook ( Opens in new window ) Celebrities , athletes and institutions came together Friday night in mourning the death of actor Chadwick Boseman .
The “ Black Panther ” star died in his Los Angeles-area home at age 43 after a private , four-year battle with colon cancer , his family announced .
“ Showing us all that Greatness in between surgeries and chemo .
The courage , the strength , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
This is what Dignity looks like.
” “ THANK YOU @ chadwickboseman for all you gave us .
We needed it & will always cherish it !
” Samuel Jackson tweeted .
“ A talented & giving artist & brother who will be sorely missed🙏🏿 RIP.
” Democratic veep contender and California Sen. Kamala Harris tweeted , “ Heartbroken , ” alongside a photo of the two together at a pro-immigration event .
“ Tears overflowing .
You will forever be mighty and beloved , ” Rosario Dawson tweeted .
“ Thank @ @ @ @ @ @ @ beautifully and generously in this lifetime .
We were lucky to have so much of you .
Praying and sending love and many blessings to your family.
” Meanwhile , Disney chief Bob Iger tweeted that Boseman was “ one of the most gentle and giving souls I have ever met , ” and The NFL , NBA and MLB also posted tributes to the late actor .
Many noted Boseman passed away on the same day that Major League Baseball celebrated Jackie Robinson Day .
“ We are devastated by the tragic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wrote in a statement .
“ His transcendent performance in ’ 42 ’ will stand the test of time and serve as a powerful vehicle to tell Jackie ’ s story to audiences for generations to come.
” Those who worked with Boseman heaped praises on the star as an artist and individual .
“ All I have to say is the tragedies amassing this year have only been made more profound by the loss of # ChadwickBoseman , ” tweeted Mark Ruffalo , who plays the Hulk in the Marvel Cinematic Universe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what an immense talent , ” Ruffalo went on .
“ Brother , you were one of the all-time greats and your greatness was only beginning .
Lord love ya .
Rest in power , King.
” Viola Davis tweeted that it was an “ honor to work alongside ” Boseman during their performances in “ Ma Rainey ’ s Black Bottom.
” “ Chadwick…..no words to express my devastation of losing you , ” Davis wrote .
“ Your talent , your spirit , your heart , your authenticity……..It was an honor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you … Rest well , prince … May flights of angels sing thee to thy heavenly rest .
I love you !
” Boseman had not publicly disclosed his illness and his family said he filmed some of his best performances between surgeries and chemotherapy treatments .
“ I am absolutely stunned .
He was so , so young , ” Bette Midler tweeted .
“ My deepest sympathies to his family and friends , those near and dear to him who loved and supported him throughout his brief time on earth .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Legend said he was “ shocked and heartbroken ” by the news .
“ He brought grace , elegance and power to everything he did .
He always seemed to carry our ancestors with him , ” Legend tweeted .
“ And now he joins them far too soon.
” Activists spoke to his roles and how inspiring they were for children around the world .
“ Chadwick Boseman brought history to life on the silver screen , from Jackie Robinson , James Brown and Thurgood Marshall , ” Martin Luther King III @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he was also a superhero to many .
And despite his 4 year-long battle with cancer , he kept fighting and he kept inspiring .
He will be missed .
”

Celebrities, athletes and institutions came together Friday night in mourning the death of actor Chadwick Boseman.
The “Black Panther” star died in his Los Angeles-area home at age 43 after a private, four-year battle with colon cancer, his family announced.
“What a gentle gifted SOUL,” tweeted Oprah Winfrey.
“Showing us all that Greatness in between surgeries and chemo. The courage, the strength, the Power it takes to do that. This is what Dignity looks like.”
“THANK YOU @chadwickboseman for all you gave us. We needed it & will always cherish it!” Samuel Jackson tweeted. “A talented & giving artist & brother who will be sorely missed🙏🏿 RIP.”
Democratic veep contender and California Sen. Kamala Harris tweeted, “Heartbroken,” alongside a photo of the two together at a pro-immigration event.
“Tears overflowing. You will forever be mighty and beloved,” Rosario Dawson tweeted.
“Thank you for sharing yourself so powerfully, beautifully and generously in this lifetime. We were lucky to have so much of you. Praying and sending love and many blessings to your family.”
Meanwhile, Disney chief Bob Iger tweeted that Boseman was “one of the most gentle and giving souls I have ever met,” and
The NFL, NBA and MLB also posted tributes to the late actor.
Many noted Boseman passed away on the same day that Major League Baseball celebrated Jackie Robinson Day.
“We are devastated by the tragic loss of Chadwick Boseman,” MLB wrote in a statement.
“His transcendent performance in ’42’ will stand the test of time and serve as a powerful vehicle to tell Jackie’s story to audiences for generations to come.”
Those who worked with Boseman heaped praises on the star as an artist and individual.
“All I have to say is the tragedies amassing this year have only been made more profound by the loss of #ChadwickBoseman,” tweeted Mark Ruffalo, who plays the Hulk in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
“What a man, and what an immense talent,” Ruffalo went on.
“Brother, you were one of the all-time greats and your greatness was only beginning. Lord love ya. Rest in power, King.”
Viola Davis tweeted that it was an “honor to work alongside” Boseman during their performances in “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.”
“Chadwick…..no words to express my devastation of losing you,” Davis wrote.
“Your talent, your spirit, your heart, your authenticity……..It was an honor working beside you, getting to know you … Rest well, prince … May flights of angels sing thee to thy heavenly rest. I love you!”
Boseman had not publicly disclosed his illness and his family said he filmed some of his best performances between surgeries and chemotherapy treatments.
“I am absolutely stunned. He was so, so young,” Bette Midler tweeted. “My deepest sympathies to his family and friends, those near and dear to him who loved and supported him throughout his brief time on earth. It’s so unfair.”
John Legend said he was “shocked and heartbroken” by the news.
“He brought grace, elegance and power to everything he did. He always seemed to carry our ancestors with him,” Legend tweeted. “And now he joins them far too soon.”
Activists spoke to his roles and how inspiring they were for children around the world.
“Chadwick Boseman brought history to life on the silver screen, from Jackie Robinson, James Brown and Thurgood Marshall,” Martin Luther King III tweeted.
Barack Obama shared “Chadwick came to the White House to work with kids when he was playing Jackie Robinson. You could tell right away that he was blessed. To be young, gifted, and Black; to use that power to give them heroes to look up to; to do it all while in pain — what a use of his years.”
Denzel Washington wrote, “Words can’t begin to describe the pain that many of us, especially his family are feeling right now. Had to imagine the quiet pain and struggle you went thru all these years, yet still you shined and motivated us all. Live like a Superhero die like a Legend. Rest In Power KING 🙌🏿✊🏿 #chadwickboseman #denzelwashington”
“As Black Panther, he was also a superhero to many. And despite his 4 year-long battle with cancer, he kept fighting and he kept inspiring. He will be missed.”
“Black Panther” co-star Angela Bassett also sent out a heartfelt tribute: “It was meant to be for Chadwick and me to be connected, for us to be family. … So I pay tribute to a beautiful spirit, a consummate artist, a soulful brother…”thou aren’t not dead but flown afar…”. All you possessed, Chadwick, you freely gave. Rest now, sweet prince.!”
Fellow on-screen superhero Chris Evans wrote on Twitter “I’m absolutely devastated. This is beyond heartbreaking. Chadwick was special. A true original. He was a deeply committed and constantly curious artist. He had so much amazing work still left to create. I’m endlessly grateful for our friendship. Rest in power, King💙”
“Just when you thought 2020 couldn’t get any worse… A deeply gifted man is gone too soon. His memory will blaze on fiercely… from here to eternity,” wrote Mark Hamill on Twitter.
Lastly, The Jackie Robinson Foundation had this to say about the “42” star on Twitter: “It is with tremendous sadness that the Jackie Robinson Foundation mourns the loss of actor, screenwriter and philanthropist Chadwick Boseman. … Having channelled the depth and diversity of our beloved Jackie Robinson in the 2013 critically acclaimed Legendary Entertainment film “42,” Chadwick was a dear friend of the Foundation, lending his time and visibility to help advance our mission.”


newyorkpost--2020-08-29--Federal Judge finds Texas guilty of violating vote registration law for a second time

A federal judge has found the state of Texas guilty of violating the National Voter Registration Act for a second time by not allowing residents to register to vote when they update their driver ’ s license information online .
A 68-page ruling by U.S. District Judge Orlando Garcia ruled that the state is legally obligated to let voters register to vote any time they renew their license or register a new address .
The ruling comes after Texas resident Jarrod Stringer , a former English professor , was denied the right to register to vote while renewing his drivers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Stringer originally thought that he had registered back in 2014 , and sued the state after being turned away at the polls when he went to vote at the University of Austin in San Antonio .
In 2018 , Garcia ruled that the State of Texas violated the National Voter Registration Act , which requires states to let residents reregister when they renew or apply for a drivers license , and also violated the Constitution ’ s guarantee of equal protection .
Garcia ordered the state to create its first online voter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ overturned in 2019 when another judge said that since Stringer and other plaintiffs had ultimately re-registered to vote , the case was moot .
Then , in January , Stringer filed a second lawsuit when he wasn ’ t able to update his information with his Houston address .
Garcia , once again presiding over the case , said “ DPS encourages Texans to use its online services to renew their driver ’ s license and change their address because it is easier and more convenient .
“ It can not , at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ registration applications when those online services are used.
” As of Friday , Garcia ruled that the State of Texas “ offered no factual or legal argument that would justify denying the simultaneous voter registration to which Mr. Stringer is legally entitled .
”

A federal judge has found the state of Texas guilty of violating the National Voter Registration Act for a second time by not allowing residents to register to vote when they update their driver’s license information online.
A 68-page ruling by U.S. District Judge Orlando Garcia ruled that the state is legally obligated to let voters register to vote any time they renew their license or register a new address.
The ruling comes after Texas resident Jarrod Stringer, a former English professor, was denied the right to register to vote while renewing his drivers license online, reports the Texas Tribune.
Stringer originally thought that he had registered back in 2014, and sued the state after being turned away at the polls when he went to vote at the University of Austin in San Antonio.
In 2018, Garcia ruled that the State of Texas violated the National Voter Registration Act, which requires states to let residents reregister when they renew or apply for a drivers license, and also violated the Constitution’s guarantee of equal protection.
Garcia ordered the state to create its first online voter registration system, but his ruling was overturned in 2019 when another judge said that since Stringer and other plaintiffs had ultimately re-registered to vote, the case was moot.
Then, in January, Stringer filed a second lawsuit when he wasn’t able to update his information with his Houston address.
Garcia, once again presiding over the case, said “DPS encourages Texans to use its online services to renew their driver’s license and change their address because it is easier and more convenient.
“It cannot, at the same time, deny simultaneous voter registration applications when those online services are used.”
As of Friday, Garcia ruled that the State of Texas “offered no factual or legal argument that would justify denying the simultaneous voter registration to which Mr. Stringer is legally entitled.”