newyorkpost--2020-08-01--Rangers vs. Hurricanes: Breaking down matchups and a prediction

The last time the Rangers competed in the postseason was ...

So maybe this series against the Candy Canes isn’t officially recognized as a playoff round, but it is the postseason — the postseason! — and the rebuilding Rangers are playing hockey. Raise your hand if you envisioned that as a possibility when The Letter went out on Feb. 8, 2018. You in the back row, put it down, you’re fibbing,
The Blueshirts are back and are still rebuilding, not yet quite rebuilt. But the course of franchise history was altered 29 months ago when the commitment was made to strip it down to the bare bones and organically construct a Stanley Cup contender built to last.
Of course, there was some cash set aside for people like Artemi Panarin and Jacob Trouba to help accelerate the process and — Shazam! — here they are, three-out-five to qualify for the playoffs after just two years out.
But this was no magic trick. The Rangers have approached with a plan, and so has David Quinn. One step at a time, two steps (OK, four) if you count Panarin. The next step presents itself against a Carolina team that had missed the playoffs nine straight seasons before advancing to the conference finals a year ago.
You may not realize this, but the Rangers went 4-0 against Carolina this year. No, I know. Everyone realizes this.
The matchups
Goaltending
I’m old enough to remember the second round of the 1996 playoffs when the Rangers with Mike Richter were expected to have a significant edge in nets against the Penguins’ Ken Wregget. Except that Wregget outplayed Richter, and the Blueshirts were buried in five games.
That disclaimer aside, the Blueshirts seem to have a substantial advantage here. Igor Shesterkin not only stops pucks, he swallows them to prevent rebounds and moves them out of harm’s way to relieve defensive-zone pressure. That’s a critical asset in playing against a forecheck-mad, puck-possession club like the Hurricanes. The lightning quick netminder may be a novice to NHL postseason play, but at the age of 24, he has 16 KHL playoff games and a Gagarin Cup on his résumé.
If Shesterkin runs into difficulty, Henrik Lundqvist — who has exhibited career-long mastery over Carolina that extended to 3-0/.947/2.33 this season and who had an excellent summer camp — will be ready.
Petr Mrazek, who went 5-5 in 11 starts in the playoffs a year ago, is an extremely aggressive netminder capable of spectacular saves but whose stability is an issue. Mrazek, who missed nearly three weeks just before the pause recovering from a concussion, recorded just a .912 save percentage at even-strength that ranked 18th among the 21 goaltenders with at least 1,800 minutes (according to Naturalstattrick.com). James Reimer is Mrazek’s backup.
Edge: Rangers
Forwards
The Rangers have the two best forwards entering the series in Panarin, a Hart Trophy finalist, and Mika Zibanejad. Splitting up the game-breakers, as the Rangers did essentially all season, creates Quinn’s greatest pick-your-poison matchup advantage. But the strength of the top two lines is offset to a degree by the lack of support/production from the bottom six. If the summer camp work of Kaapo Kakko and Fil Chytil translates to the tournament, that would alter the dynamic.
Opposites here, because though the ’Canes can’t quite match Panarin and Zibanejad, they’re loaded through their top nine and use their fourth line to advantage, as well. No candy here, they come hard and generate an enormous number of shots, looking always to funnel the play to the front. The Andrei Svechnikov-Sebastian Aho-Teuvo Teravainen top unit is shifty and talented, the second line with Jordan Staal between Ryan Dzingel and Justin Williams (Mr. Game 7 in a best-of-five?) is difficult to handle, and the third line bolstered by Vincent Trocheck’s deadline acquisition is very dangerous.
Edge: Hurricanes
Defense
The Blueshirts’ mettle and structure will be tested from the get-go. The puck-movers will have to be efficient with the first pass and intelligent with decision-making under pressure. The Rangers were actually a better team defending in their own end than in coping with the rush. The Ryan Lindgren-Adam Fox pair emerged as the team’s matchup tandem, but expect the Brendan Smith-Jacob Trouba pair to do some heavy lifting here. This too: Fox and Tony DeAngelo can create loads of offense from the back.
The ’Canes greatest strength, depth on defense, has been diluted by injuries to Dougie Hamilton and Brett Pesce, so that means that deadline acquisitions Brady Skjei and Sami Vatanen move up into more prominent roles. Carolina’s backline is generally more dependable than flashy.
Edge: Hurricanes.
Special teams
The Rangers’ power play can be explosive, the unit clicking at nearly 30 percent (29-for-99) in the 34 games since Christmas. Chris Kreider is the net-front presence, with Zibanejad and Panarin both zinging one-timers with Ryan Strome facilitating and DeAngelo running it creatively from the top. The second unit generally gets leftover scraps of time.
The Blueshirts’ penalty kill has not been especially effective for years, so any wrinkles suggested by assistant coach Gord Murphy, elevated from Hartford in conjunction with Lindy Ruff’s hiring by the Devils, would be welcome. The team finished 23rd at 77.4 percent.
Carolina came in at 22.3 percent with the man-advantage, just behind New York’s 22.9, but will have to cope with Hamilton’s absence. Actually, the ’Canes did that, going the exact same 22.3 percentage without Hamilton in the season’s final 21 games he missed with a broken leg. The very aggressive penalty-kill unit finished fourth in the NHL at 84 percent.
Edge: Hurricanes.
Coaching
Quinn’s first NHL playoff-type experience, Rod Brind’Amour’s second. Each has the pulse of his team.
Edge: Even.
Prediction
Quality vs. quantity here. There is a load on Panarin, Zibanejad and, of course, Shesterkin (Lundqvist?). The ’Canes are stronger 1-through-uh-31, but the cream at the top and the superiority in nets elevates the Blueshirts.
Rangers in five.


newyorkpost--2020-08-01--Joe Judge is the Giants’ man with multiple plans

This is a battle unlike anything Joe Judge , or anyone ...

Joe Judge is A Man With A Plan.
A Plandemic, as it were.
He brings to his first NFL head coaching job a precocious Belichickian unflappability, thoroughness and leadership that requires a plan for the possibility of him testing positive, for Daniel Jones testing positive, for Saquon Barkley testing positive, for Next Man Up anywhere and everywhere.
“We have succession plans for the coaching staff,” Judge said on a Zoom call. “Once we get a depth chart in place at the end of the roster development, we’ll have plans for every player on the team, who the next man up would be …
“We started talking back in the spring in terms of if any one coach, myself included, couldn’t come to work that day for any period of time, how would we address meetings, practice on the field, the game? We have to make sure we have a plan.”
Joe Judge’s Plandemic: Survival of the Fittest.
“Part of our culture is doing what’s necessary to be successful and at this time, to be successful we have to stay healthy,” Judge said.“The healthiest team has an advantage, and we’re gonna do our part to stay healthy.”
Joe Judge’s Plandemic: No excuses.
“We’re just not going to make any excuses for anything that comes up this season,” Judge said. “We’re all here to play and coach football, we’re here to do it well, and we’re going to put everything into it.”
In six mostly virtual football months, Judge has provided enough evidence that he can be that long-lost CEO the Giants have needed and wanted. Not an offensive coordinator/play-caller disguised as a head coach. The chief executive officer of a football team trying to get back up off the mat under sobering, frightening and unimaginable circumstances where one false step by one Giant, coach or player or staff member, can turn them into the baseball Marlins and imperil the NFL experiment.
The football gods have thrown the kitchen sink at Joe Judge … this merciless, relentless pandemic … the Black Lives Matter movement … the troubling legal charges against DeAndre Baker and ex-Giant Aldrick Rosas … and he refuses to blink.
The old Bill Parcells credo: Four or five things happen in pro football every day that you wish wouldn’t happen. If you can’t handle those, you need to get another job.
Joe Judge doesn’t need to get another job.
“I think that my job is to make sure that we’re preparing for all the possible scenarios that could come up throughout the season,” Judge said. “It’s not only things we’ve thought of already, but things that pop up as we go. ‘OK, what if this happens? What’s our plan in place?’ Now you do that as a football team anyway. This year, you just take into a different account with COVID and how that may affect our team or other teams as well …
“Right now, we have all plans for practice that will look as normal as can be. If that changes at some point, we’ll figure it out and we’ll adjust and we’ll keep on moving.”
The Giants Way won’t be unlike the Patriots Way in this way: Players will be cross-trained.
“We are going to play all of our offensive linemen at multiple positions right and left,” Judge said. “We are going to have a competition for every position. We are going to have multiple guys playing inside at center and outside at tackle. We are going to play all of our tackles at right and left to start camp and see who fits best.”
Joe Judge’s Plandemic: Better safety than sorry.
“It’s not just where I go, I know I’m at the stadium or driving to my house. … I have to be conscious of where my wife and children are,” he said. “Who are they around on a daily basis? What am I bringing back to the team? There are some sacrifices we have to make. If the biggest thing we have to do is for half a year wear masks around each other, distance a little bit and when we go home, be home, I think it’s a pretty fair trade-off to be a part of the National Football League.”
Right man at the right time.


newyorkpost--2020-08-01--The return of baseball to Yankee Stadium: ‘Quite a journey’

Those who grow up a Yankee understand the day for ...

Home, FINALLY.
Home, triumphantly.
Yes, we all know that Major League Baseball, mirroring the United States of America, is teetering on the verge of cancellation, too many participants and practitioners not respecting the novel coronavirus’ obvious danger. Friday brought three COVID postponements, not quite how Rob Manfred and Tony Clark drew it up.
Yet if the Yankees’ formal return to Yankee Stadium Friday night, defeating the rival Red Sox, 5-1, in their home opener, didn’t serve as cause for baseball to celebrate, it sure as heck created an opportunity for New York, city and state, to take a well-deserved bow. It did just that in style, with Aaron Judge slamming his third homer in three days (and second game-winning blast in two days).
“It’s been quite a journey,” Paul Lee, the Yankees’ head team internist said.
Lee took part in magnificent pregame festivities that honored medical personnel on the front lines. With each introduction of a pandemic hero, the Yankees and Red Sox players banged metal lids, replicating the sound that became synonymous with nightly tributes — at 7 p.m., right around the time of this salute — to these folks who served the greater good when the Big Apple served as the epicenter for this horrible disease.
“It reminds me of coming home, leaving the hospital at 7 o’clock and hearing the city,” Lee said. “It feels like the unity. You feel like you have everybody supporting you.”
Throw in a beautiful rendition of the national anthem by Yankees radiocaster Suzyn Waldman and a moment of silence for late Yankees owner Hank Steinbrenner, and it made you wish there were fans here to appreciate the return of baseball to The Bronx; the Mets already have hosted five games at Citi Field.
“I was sitting on the bench talking to DJ [LeMahieu], saying how rocking this place would’ve been: Home opener, Red Sox-Yankees. It would’ve been packed,” Judge said. “It doesn’t change. The game still goes on. Life goes on.
Back in late March, did you ever envision a ballgame taking place anywhere close to New York City? I sure as heck didn’t.
“Maybe a little naively, I was optimistic [in March],” Aaron Boone said.
Yet here we were, the Yankees returning home two days later than scheduled after the Marlins’ outbreak created a snowball effect that sent the Yankees to Baltimore at the last minute Wednesday and Thursday. New York, by the way in which it shut down firmly and then carefully opened back up, stands as a role model for other states to follow.
Friday night turned out to be “bittersweet,” as Kyle Higashioka put it, and not only because of the empty seats. The Yankees learned that they likely have lost valuable reliever Tommy Kahnle to Tommy John surgery on his right elbow, a tough break for their bullpen. They have the depth to withstand the loss, however. So far, the Yankees have backed up their preseason words that they’re well-equipped to handle the adversity of the coronavirus as well as the challenge of playing without fans.
“I think once we get rolling, I think our guys will be excited to put the pinstripes on and know what we’re playing for,” Boone said prior to the game, a good call (especially against a Red Sox team that seems checked out).
They should play for all whom we have lost to COVID. For those frontline workers. For their fans who wish they could join them and instead derive joy from watching them on TV and listening to them on the radio (and streaming, too, keeping us current).
They should play for New York, which worked so hard to get out from under this horror and must stay diligent. Rarely has there been a prouder time to represent us.


newyorkpost--2020-08-01--Islanders vs. Panthers: Breaking down matchups and a prediction

Cal Clutterbuck and Ryan Pulock had their doubts about whether ...

The last time they played a game that counted — 144 days ago — the Islanders had just recently slipped out of the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
Saturday, they will jump right into the NHL’s 24-team tournament with a new lease on life.
In a rematch of the 2016 Eastern Conference first round, the Islanders will meet the Panthers on Saturday inside the Toronto bubble to begin a best-of-five series in the Stanley Cup qualifiers. Barry Trotz’s club will do so with a healthier lineup than the last time they took the ice, a March 10 shootout loss to the Canucks before COVID-19 suspended the regular season.
After making a surprise run to the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs last year, the Islanders are back looking for more with a veteran group in tow. Though they swept the Panthers during the regular-season series, 3-0, their next meetings will be a challenge unlike any either side has faced before.
The matchups
Goaltending
The Islanders were reportedly interested in Sergei Bobrovsky last offseason, only to see him sign a seven-year, $70 million contract with the Panthers. They then pivoted to land Semyon Varlamov on a four-year, $20 million deal. Now the two will face off with more than bragging rights on the line.
Varlamov is expected to get the start in Game 1, after playing the first two periods of Wednesday’s exhibition against the Rangers. He was solid in his first season with the Islanders, posting a 2.62 goals-against average and a .914 save percentage — numbers that were even better before a rough five-game stretch ahead of the stoppage. Should Trotz opt to use both goalies, Thomas Greiss (2.74 GAA, .913 save percentage) was nearly just as steady this season.
At the other end, which Bobrovsky shows up? The one who became one of the league’s top goalies and was in net for the Blue Jackets during their stunning sweep of the Lightning last postseason, or the one who put up career-worst numbers (3.23 GAA, .900 save percentage) in 48 starts this season? The answer could go a long way in tilting the series.
Edge: Islanders
Defense
The Islanders got a big boost in this category thanks to the delayed postseason. Had COVID-19 not interrupted the season, it’s unlikely Adam Pelech would have been available for the playoffs. Instead, he is back from a torn Achilles and ready to slot back into the top pair with Ryan Pulock with the critical task of trying to contain the Panthers’ top weapons.
Pelech’s presence gives the Islanders depth on the blue line, leaving Trotz with some difficult choices regarding his six defensemen — or possibly seven, as the coach left the door open to going with 11 forwards and seven defenseman. Playoff veteran Johnny Boychuk is also back after recovering from taking a skate to the eyelid shortly before the season was paused.
The Panthers get big minutes from their top defensive pair of Aaron Ekblad and MacKenzie Weegar. Ekblad (36 assists) and Keith Yandle (40 assists) also contribute offensively, with another former Ranger, Anton Stralman, anchoring the second pair. But on the whole, the Panthers defense was one of the most porous this season — allowing 179 even-strength goals in 69 games.
Edge: Islanders
Forwards
All season, the Islanders tried to find a scoring punch from any of their forwards. They added another option at the trade deadline, bringing in J-G Pageau from the Senators, though he didn’t immediately click in seven games before the season was suspended. Having more time to practice in Trotz’s system during the Phase 3 training camp could benefit him as he tries to provide stability to an uneven third line.
The top line of Anders Lee, Mathew Barzal and Jordan Eberle will look to keep its chemistry intact, but the reunion of the Islanders’ fourth line cannot be overlooked. Matt Martin, Casey Cizikas and Cal Clutterbuck — the “Identity Line” — are back together after Cizikas had been sidelined in February with a leg laceration.
The Panthers certainly have more dangerous weapons up top, with left wing Jonathan Huberdeau (23 goals, 55 assists), center Aleksander Barkov (20 goals, 42 assists) and center Mike Hoffman (29 goals, 30 assists) leading the way. They were near the top of the league, averaging 3.3 goals per game (including 2.59 at even strength), while the Islanders were closer to the bottom with 2.78 goals per game (2.26 at even strength).
Edge: Panthers
Special Teams
The Panthers showed a more dangerous power play during the regular season, converting at a 21.33 percent clip, which was 10th-best unit in the league. The man-advantage allowed their skill to show off, with Hoffman and Evgenii Dadonov scoring 11 power-play goals apiece.
What the Islanders lacked in power-play punch (17.26 percent) they made up for on the penalty kill, killing off 80.68 percent of penalties successfully. Having Pelech and Cizikas healthy again should only help that cause.
The Panthers’ penalty kill was not far behind at 78.49 percent, though, giving them the nod in this one.
Edge: Panthers
Coaching
Talk about a powerhouse matchup. There will be no lack of experience — especially of the playoff variety — behind the benches with Trotz squaring off against Joel Quenneville. The veteran duo have combined to coach 336 career playoff games.
After guiding the Capitals to a Stanley Cup in 2018, Trotz immediately gave the Islanders a sound structure last season and it bought them an unexpected ticket to the playoffs. He has them back at it again this season, leaning on their system over individual talent to have success.
Quenneville, meanwhile, led the Blackhawks to Stanley Cups in 2010, 2013 and 2015 before joining the Panthers this season and bringing them to the postseason for just the third time since 2000.
Edge: Even
Prediction
The Islanders will benefit from having Pelech back, and if he can help them slow down the Panthers’ top offensive threats, Trotz’s system should win out. Islanders in five.


newyorkpost--2020-08-01--Yankees’ CC Sabathia: I would be ‘bad teammate’ right now

“ I ’ d be such a bad teammate right now , ” CC Sabathia , a Hall of Fame teammate throughout his 19 years in Major League Baseball , said Friday evening while laughing.
” I would be complaining about everything .
It ’ s almost good in a way that I ’ m not in there right now just because of everything that ’ s going on.
” The slimmed-down lefty is still here right now , though , just not full-time .
The Yankees ’ special advisor , who retired at the end of last season , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the team ’ s home-opening 5-1 win over the Red Sox at the Stadium .
And he ’ s still acting like a teammate , counseling the players as they receive more institutional support to make statements about social justice .
Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Hicks both knelt during the national anthem before the Yankees ’ July 25 game at Washington .
“ I talk to a lot of guys across the league , from Mookie Betts to Tim Anderson to Dexter Fowler to Hicksy and G , ” said Sabathia , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Players Alliance public-service announcement .
“ So I ’ m pretty involved .
It ’ s been awesome to be a part of what these guys have going on .
I think the time is right to make a stand and try to make some change .
Anything that they want to get together and do with peaceful protest , I think we ’ re all for .
So it ’ s just been fun to be in some of those conversations.
” The coronavirus has limited the scope of Sabathia ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ having a minor-league season kind of hurts whatever I was going to do , trying to go down and help guys and see the guys , ” he said .
“ So I look forward to picking that up whenever everything resumes and gets back to whatever normal ’ s going to be.
” This current brand of normal , as Sabathia indicated , would not appeal to him .
“ So I commend these guys for going out and playing obviously during this pandemic , ” he said , “ but I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be for me .
So it ’ s best that I ’ m in the role that I ’ m in.
” He confirmed that with his actions as well as his words .
Sabathia ’ s first pitch bounced before reaching his catcher Gerrit Cole .
“ That ’ s the furthest I ’ ve thrown a ball since that playoff game , ” Sabathia said referring to Game 4 of last year ’ s American League Championship Series at Yankee Stadium , when he walked off the mound in agony after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ m not ready to throw from a mound yet , so it reinforces my decision to retire .
”

“I’d be such a bad teammate right now,” CC Sabathia, a Hall of Fame teammate throughout his 19 years in Major League Baseball, said Friday evening while laughing.” I would be complaining about everything. It’s almost good in a way that I’m not in there right now just because of everything that’s going on.”
The slimmed-down lefty is still here right now, though, just not full-time. The Yankees’ special advisor, who retired at the end of last season, threw out the ceremonial first pitch before the team’s home-opening 5-1 win over the Red Sox at the Stadium. And he’s still acting like a teammate, counseling the players as they receive more institutional support to make statements about social justice. Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Hicks both knelt during the national anthem before the Yankees’ July 25 game at Washington.
“I talk to a lot of guys across the league, from Mookie Betts to Tim Anderson to Dexter Fowler to Hicksy and G,” said Sabathia, who appeared with these players and others in The Players Alliance public-service announcement. “So I’m pretty involved. It’s been awesome to be a part of what these guys have going on. I think the time is right to make a stand and try to make some change. Anything that they want to get together and do with peaceful protest, I think we’re all for. So it’s just been fun to be in some of those conversations.”
The coronavirus has limited the scope of Sabathia’s new gig. “Obviously not having a minor-league season kind of hurts whatever I was going to do, trying to go down and help guys and see the guys,” he said. “So I look forward to picking that up whenever everything resumes and gets back to whatever normal’s going to be.”
This current brand of normal, as Sabathia indicated, would not appeal to him. “So I commend these guys for going out and playing obviously during this pandemic,” he said, “but I don’t know if it would be for me. So it’s best that I’m in the role that I’m in.”
He confirmed that with his actions as well as his words. Sabathia’s first pitch bounced before reaching his catcher Gerrit Cole.
“That’s the furthest I’ve thrown a ball since that playoff game,” Sabathia said referring to Game 4 of last year’s American League Championship Series at Yankee Stadium, when he walked off the mound in agony after injuring his arm. “Obviously I’m not ready to throw from a mound yet, so it reinforces my decision to retire.”


newyorkpost--2020-08-01--David Quinn’s young Rangers eyeing a historic run

The Rangers are hoping to continue riding as the dark horse through the 2020 playoffs.
As the team that never stopped discovering its identity, the team that found a way to give itself a chance every game and the team that surprised so many people with its end-of-the-season haul for a chance to compete in the postseason.
They’re now all saddled up for Game 1 of a best-of-five qualifying play-in series with the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday. The race is on and the Rangers are betting on themselves.
“You don’t want to leave any regrets out there,” Ryan Strome said on a Zoom call Friday. “As a young group, moving forward, just embrace the opportunity here and let the chips fall where they may. I feel like if we play like we can and we play like we did during the year, hopefully we can surprise some people. You never know what could happen with our group.”
But that’s exactly what the Rangers have done throughout the 2019-20 season: surprise people.
The Rangers were able to take a drastically different — and younger — looking roster than they had just one season prior and worked through the growing pains to create a cohesive team. A team that, when faced with adversity, has shown that it can rise to the occasion.
Although most will point to their youth and inexperience as to why the Rangers will struggle in the postseason, forward Ryan Strome knows that within this bizarre 24-team tournament there is a path to the Stanley Cup.
There is still an opportunity for the Rangers to shock the masses even more than they already have.
“I just think the only message from myself is just don’t take an opportunity for granted,” Strome said. “No matter how unique the situation is, it’s hard to make the playoffs in this league, which I’ve said before. Although it’s a unique year with unique circumstances, I think it’s a great opportunity.
“Your career flies by and these opportunities seem to go by pretty quickly. You miss the playoffs for a few years and all of a sudden you wish you had that one back.”
Like nine of his players on the ice, head coach David Quinn will be behind the bench Saturday for the first NHL playoff game of his career. Maybe he’ll feel differently Saturday, he said, but on Friday he said it feels like his usual game preparation of putting his team in the best position to win.
“It’s nothing that you really need to work on in practice,” he said. “It’s things we’ve been talking about, harping on seven months, eight months now. Really, to me, it’s more of a choice. It’s more of how we’re going to approach the game.”
But Quinn has been in do-or-die mode since March. Now that the Rangers are on the doorstep of where they’ve been working toward all season long, Quinn is looking for his team to rise to the occasion.
“The stakes are high for sure, but the stakes were pretty high for us when the season got shut down,” Quinn said. “The thing we certainly felt good about as an organization, I thought our young players responded to those circumstances. We expect them to respond again [Saturday].”


newyorkpost--2020-08-01--Mets’ Edwin Diaz has solution for ending his pitching troubles

ATLANTA — Meet the Mess , 2020 version .
Just over a ...

ATLANTA — Edwin Diaz’s solution to resurrecting his season and Mets career is to pitch more often.
During a meeting Friday with manager Luis Rojas, pitching coach Jeremy Hefner and assistant pitching coach Jeremy Accardo, the reliever blamed his poor performance the previous night against the Red Sox on rustiness. His message to the group was he needs to pitch more, not less.
“It had been five days since I last threw, so I felt I didn’t have my mechanics in order,” Diaz said before the Mets suffered a crushing 11-10 loss to the Braves. “I felt like my body just wasn’t in sync and I felt like I was trying to overpower the pitches too much at that point.
“Five days without pitching isn’t the same when you are more and more accustomed to pitching three days in a row or sometimes one day and then two days after. It’s a little bit different when you have that much of a layoff.”
Diaz, who did not pitch Friday, faced five batters Thursday and allowed four of them to reach base after entering in the ninth inning. Included were two walks and a hit batsman.
As much as Diaz’s results were troubling to Rojas, so too was the manner in which the pitcher unraveled emotionally if he didn’t get a call or execute a pitch as he had planned.
“The stuff is there, obviously,” Rojas said. “We talked a little bit about the emotional part. During the inning he was aware of it as well, so it was a really good conversation among coaches and player just to get things back on track where they can be.”
It was a contrast to Diaz’s performance last Saturday, when one pitch — which Marcell Ozuna belted over the right-field fence with two outs in the ninth inning at Citi Field — defined his outing in a blown save against the Braves.
The Mets have other high-upside options in the late innings, with Seth Lugo, Dellin Betances, Jeurys Familia and Justin Wilson available, so it’s possible Diaz could be bumped into a lower-leverage role to get on track. But Rojas wasn’t about to say if he’s planning a change for Diaz.
“I’m open to pitching whenever, so that doesn’t matter to me,” Diaz said. “It’s just one of those things where I would like to pitch more frequently as opposed to having those longer layoffs.”
Rojas was removed from the closer’s role last year during a disastrous first season with the Mets. He returned to the closer’s role on Opening Day this season, but now his hold on the job appears tenuous. He was asked if he still considers himself as the Mets closer.
“I feel like I have the stuff to be a closer,” Diaz said. “I have proven over the last four or five years that I have the stuff and I can be the closer because I have done it before. Whether it’s here or wherever I think I am a closer.”
Marcus Stroman’s session throwing to hitters Friday at the Mets’ alternate training site in Brooklyn included fielding drills.
The right-hander pitched four innings, according to Rojas, but Stroman’s return to the Mets from a left calf tear hinges largely on his ability to move off the mound to field his position.
“He’s been going full tilt with his sides and now facing hitters,” Rojas said. “The report is he did real good and he did some [pitchers fielding practice] drills to test coming off the mound and covering first and doing some fielding. I heard it was a very productive day for us.”
Rojas would not place a timetable on Stroman’s possible return to the rotation. David Peterson, who replaced Stroman in the rotation, is scheduled to start Sunday against the Braves after giving the Mets a solid performance against the Red Sox in his MLB debut on Tuesday to earn the victory.
The Mets placed catcher Rene Rivera on the injured list with a hyperextended left elbow and recalled pitcher Franklyn Kilome from their alternate training site.
Jeff McNeil said the first team flight since the coronavirus outbreak was “different” — beyond the fact the Mets incurred a weather delay in New York that kept them from arriving to their hotel until about 5 a.m. on Friday.
“We were on the big plane that we normally take in September [with expanded rosters],” McNeil said. “Everyone kind of had assigned seats so we could be as socially distanced as possible. It went well.”
McNeil was asked about a report that commissioner Rob Manfred is threatening to end the season if players don’t stick to health protocols.
“I know our team is doing a pretty good job of following protocols and making sure everyone is safe,” McNeil said. “I haven’t worried too much about us. We’re doing everything we need to do to stay on the field. Hopefully other teams are as well.”


newyorkpost--2020-08-01--These NHL playoffs will be different in so many ways

The hardest trophy to win in professional sports — that’s the Stanley Cup, by the way, or haven’t you been paying attention for the last century? — had become more a test of attrition and stamina than talent.
Yes, we grew up on the legend of Bob Baun scoring an overtime goal while playing on a broken leg to save his Maple Leafs from extinction in Game 6 of the 1964 finals before Toronto would then capture the chalice in Game 7, and we all kind of marveled when Gregory Campbell remained on the ice for at least one minute and finished his shift after breaking his leg by blocking an Evgeni Malkin drive in Game 3 of the 2013 conference finals.
But those acts of hockey courage should be exceptions and not the rules they have become, and was it honestly wise at all for Patrice Bergeron to play Game 6 of the 2013 finals against Chicago with a broken rib, separated shoulder and a small puncture in his lung?
It was inspirational, but more than that, it was playoff hockey personified. But, and though Bergeron’s case was an extreme one, four rounds of best-of-seven played under Macho Rules that follow an 82-game grind of a marathon regular season not only depresses the value of talent, but at the end we are generally left with two exhausted, battered teams hanging on like Ali and Frazier in Manila.
But this 2020 Extravaganza that includes 24 teams, best-of-five qualifying rounds and rinks turned into TV studios in spectator-free buildings in Toronto and Edmonton will be different. But not only will it be different in every way, with teams beginning from a standing start following a four-month hiatus, no one should be unduly fatigued as the tournament evolves.
And perhaps Alanis Morissette can help me out here, but isn’t it ironic that in the midst of a pandemic, NHL teams have never been healthier entering the playoffs/play-ins?
We can’t know how the lack of fans and crowd noise will affect teams, but of equal importance, we can’t know how the officiating will be impacted without that variable. No referee will raise his arm five seconds after the fact because of a crowd reaction. Yes, that happens sometimes.
How many times can we say, we don’t know what to expect? Probably not enough times to fill this space. Not only don’t we know what to expect, there is no empirical evidence with which to inform. Yes, there was the 68-71-game regular season to provide clues, but that kind of was last year, wasn’t it?
There are probably teams that don’t belong here and there are at least a couple of these teams that never would have made it to the tournament had the season proceeded uninterrupted to the finish line. But they’re here, and specifically Chicago and Montreal are here, and though neither is likely to come anywhere close to winning the requisite 19 games to capture the Cup, both are capable of winning three out of five.
But if either team somehow does prevail in the qualifier, the Blackhawks facing the Oilers and the Canadiens hooking up against the Penguins, it will be no more or less a statement about the format than the Blue Jackets’ upset of the Lightning in last year’s first round. There may be no form to this year’s event, but didn’t we celebrate when the 63-point Kings defeated the 111-point Oilers in the 1982 Miracle on Manchester series?
The teams with the four best records in each conference will play a round robin for seeding that is certain to lack the juice of the qualifying best-of-five. A seeded team might get caught flatfooted early in the official first round of the playoffs against an opponent that has built momentum off its qualifying-round victory, but there are always anomalies in the playoffs, when one team has zero rest after winning in seven while its opponent has been sitting for a week following a sweep.
So, no excuses.
The absence of crowds and the soundtrack that emits urgency will force teams to generate their own energy and probably will minimize the experience factor, for no one has experience with anything like this. Let’s agree to hope that this is a once-in-a-lifetime event that will produce a Stanley Cup champion.
And the champion will be a worthy one, as legit as the 2012 Kings and as legit as the reigning champion Blues, who won last year’s Cup after finishing with the NHL’s 12th-best record during the season.
Of course a team coming out of the qualifiers could win the Cup … if that team is called the Penguins. I could envision the Toronto-Columbus winner becoming a very difficult out and the same for the ’Canes if they can get by the Rangers. It might be my own myopia, but I just don’t believe any of the eight Western qualifiers — almost indistinguishable beyond Edmonton and Chicago — have the goods to make meaningful noise throughout the tournament.
There are nearly as many potential first-round matchups as there were possibilities entering the entry-draft lottery drawing, and hoo boy, let’s not forget that Alexis Lafreniere awaits the lucky loser of the qualifier.
But before we get to that, let’s go. In the East: PENGUINS over CANADIENS in 3; RANGERS over ’CANES in 5; ISLANDERS over PANTHERS in 4; MAPLE LEAFS over BLUE JACKETS in 4. In the West: BLACKHAWKS over OILERS in 4; PREDATORS over COYOTES in 5; WILD over CANUCKS in 4; JETS over FLAMES in 5.
Of course, the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Bruins, who have been sniffing around that second Cup pretty much annually since their last triumph in 2011, are extremely formidable. So are the Lightning, in a different spot but with the same expectations as last year, and so are the defending champ Blues. I’d honor all of them.
But sight unseen, I expect the Flyers to mount a serious run after having taken to Alain Vigneault’s refreshing style in his first season behind the bench. Carter Hart may not be Bernie Parent — who is? — but as long as he’s not Roman Cechmanek, the Flyers are fine in nets, which is a phrase not so often repeated during the franchise’s ongoing 44-year drought.
And on the other side, Vegas sure looks like a pretty good bet, presenting depth throughout the roster; a potential Conn Smythe breakout contender in defenseman Shea Theodore; and a goaltending tandem of Marc-Andre Fleury and Robin Lehner.
Don’t pin me down on this because the first round won’t begin until Aug. 11. More relevant information will be available at that point. But it won’t surprise me if the Eastern finalist comes from Pennsylvania and the West is represented by the Golden Knights. Won’t surprise me, at all.
That will be then. But it starts now. Once in a lifetime for the Stanley Cup.


newyorkpost--2020-08-01--Yankees could be seeing a lot of the Phillies soon

Looking three days ahead where the big-league schedule is concerned can be a waste of thinking with the way the map changes almost daily due to positive tests for COVID-19 by major leaguers and staff members .
So , while the Yankees playing the Phillies four times next week — two in The Bronx and two in South Philly — is a strong possibility it wasn ’ t officially on the docket Friday evening .
The Phillies haven ’ t played since last Sunday when they played host to the COVID-19 infected Marlins and won ’ t play this weekend @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anything for certain yet , ’ ’ said Aaron Boone , whose team was supposed to face the Phillies in Philly this past Monday and Tuesday before the games were postponed .
“ I know there is some optimism there , but it is still too early to know one way or another.
’ ’ Four games against the Phillies would force the Yankees and Rays to play four in three days in St. Petersburg starting Friday .
Two of those games would require a pair of seven-inning games in a doubleheader .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a twin bill is understandable for this strange season .
“ I am OK with that , I think there is some wisdom with that , ’ ’ Boone said .
“ Those situations are now going to arise as we see teams having to postpone games and stuff it looks like , if we are able to do this , doubleheaders are going to be very much part of the thing .
This year I think it is wise to shorten things .
It wouldn ’ t be how you draw it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ’ Boone put Gleyber Torres in the lineup for Friday night ’ s 5-1 win over the Red Sox at Yankee Stadium , but he reserved the right to remove the shortstop if his right elbow wasn ’ t right during indoor batting practice or if he had a problem throwing .
But it wasn ’ t necessary .
Torres , who hit third and went 2-for-4 , was hit by a pitch on the elbow Thursday night in the first inning and left the game in the fourth .
X-rays were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lineup based on a conversation that I had with him , ’ ’ Boone said of his shortstop who hit third and went 2-for-4 .
“ He felt pretty good [ Friday ] .
He is in the lineup for now.
’ ’ A slimmed-down CC Sabathia , who is now a current special adviser in the Yankees ’ front office , threw out Friday night ’ s ceremonial first pitch .
Hal Steinbrenner watched the home opener from the owner ’ s box .
His late brother , Hank , was honored @ @ @ @ @ @ @ center-field screen .
The Yankees had blue tarps with no advertising on them covering the seats in the lower bowl for their home opener .
Other teams have used cardboard cutouts of fans .
The Yankees did pipe in artificial crowd noise during the game .
Yankees radio broadcaster Suzyn Waldman sang the national anthem from the booth prior to the game .
Boston ’ s Jackie Bradley Jr. and Alex Verdugo each took a knee along the third baseline while Waldman sang .
The Yankees and Red Sox banged tin can-like lids @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hospitals as they were introduced before the game .
The group included Dr. Paul Lee , the Yankees ’ internist .
Geritt Cole has pitched well in two starts , James Paxton got rocked in his start and J.A .
Happ was hurt by the home run ( two on Thursday night vs. the Orioles ) .
As Masahiro Tanaka will do Saturday , Jordan Montgomery made his initial appearance of the young — but getting old quickly — season Friday night .

Looking three days ahead where the big-league schedule is concerned can be a waste of thinking with the way the map changes almost daily due to positive tests for COVID-19 by major leaguers and staff members.
So, while the Yankees playing the Phillies four times next week — two in The Bronx and two in South Philly — is a strong possibility it wasn’t officially on the docket Friday evening.
The Phillies haven’t played since last Sunday when they played host to the COVID-19 infected Marlins and won’t play this weekend.
“I don’t know anything for certain yet,’’ said Aaron Boone, whose team was supposed to face the Phillies in Philly this past Monday and Tuesday before the games were postponed. “I know there is some optimism there, but it is still too early to know one way or another.’’
Four games against the Phillies would force the Yankees and Rays to play four in three days in St. Petersburg starting Friday. Two of those games would require a pair of seven-inning games in a doubleheader.
Boone said the reduction of innings for a twin bill is understandable for this strange season.
“I am OK with that, I think there is some wisdom with that,’’ Boone said. “Those situations are now going to arise as we see teams having to postpone games and stuff it looks like, if we are able to do this, doubleheaders are going to be very much part of the thing. This year I think it is wise to shorten things. It wouldn’t be how you draw it up normally, but I totally understand.’’
Boone put Gleyber Torres in the lineup for Friday night’s 5-1 win over the Red Sox at Yankee Stadium, but he reserved the right to remove the shortstop if his right elbow wasn’t right during indoor batting practice or if he had a problem throwing. But it wasn’t necessary.
Torres, who hit third and went 2-for-4, was hit by a pitch on the elbow Thursday night in the first inning and left the game in the fourth. X-rays were negative.
“He is in the lineup based on a conversation that I had with him,’’ Boone said of his shortstop who hit third and went 2-for-4. “He felt pretty good [Friday]. He is in the lineup for now.’’
A slimmed-down CC Sabathia, who is now a current special adviser in the Yankees’ front office, threw out Friday night’s ceremonial first pitch.
Hal Steinbrenner watched the home opener from the owner’s box. His late brother, Hank, was honored with a video display on the big center-field screen.
The Yankees had blue tarps with no advertising on them covering the seats in the lower bowl for their home opener. Other teams have used cardboard cutouts of fans. The Yankees did pipe in artificial crowd noise during the game.
Yankees radio broadcaster Suzyn Waldman sang the national anthem from the booth prior to the game. Boston’s Jackie Bradley Jr. and Alex Verdugo each took a knee along the third baseline while Waldman sang.
The Yankees and Red Sox banged tin can-like lids to honor health care workers from area hospitals as they were introduced before the game. The group included Dr. Paul Lee, the Yankees’ internist.
Geritt Cole has pitched well in two starts, James Paxton got rocked in his start and J.A. Happ was hurt by the home run (two on Thursday night vs. the Orioles). As Masahiro Tanaka will do Saturday, Jordan Montgomery made his initial appearance of the young — but getting old quickly — season Friday night.


newyorkpost--2020-08-01--Trump hotel and resort properties saw mixed income fortunes in 2019

President Trump ’ s hotels and golf courses made roughly the same in 2019 as in the previous year , @ @ @ @ @ .
At some properties , revenue was a little higher than in 2018 — including @ @ @ @ @ Trump National Doral golf resort in Miami , which took in $ 77.2 million compared @ @ @ @ @ million earned in 2018 , Politico reported .
The president ’ s golf club in @ @ @ @ @ he frequently spends summer weekends , reported a 13 percent increase ; his clubs in @ @ @ @ @ , N.C. also saw jumps in revenue last year .
Revenue stayed essentially the same @ @ @ @ @ in Washington , at $ 40.5 million compared to $ 40.8 million the previous year @ @ @ @ @ the so-called Winter White House , revenue dipped to $ 21.4 million , a 5 @ @ @ @ @ 22.6 million the property earned in 2018 .
The revenues don ’ t reflect the @ @ @ @ @ and resort industry sustained this year due to the coronavirus pandemic .

President Trump’s hotels and golf courses made roughly the same in 2019 as in the previous year, new self-reported revenue disclosures show.
At some properties, revenue was a little higher than in 2018 — including his most successful, the Trump National Doral golf resort in Miami, which took in $77.2 million compared to just under $76 million earned in 2018, Politico reported.
The president’s golf club in Bedminister, NJ, where he frequently spends summer weekends, reported a 13 percent increase; his clubs in Jupiter, Fla. and Charlotte, N.C. also saw jumps in revenue last year.
Revenue stayed essentially the same at the Trump International Hotel in Washington, at $40.5 million compared to $40.8 million the previous year.
But at Mar-a-Lago, the so-called Winter White House, revenue dipped to $21.4 million, a 5 percent drop from the $22.6 million the property earned in 2018.
The revenues don’t reflect the big hit that the hotel and resort industry sustained this year due to the coronavirus pandemic.


newyorkpost--2020-08-01--Rangers’ Tony DeAngelo will be game-time call vs. Hurricanes

Rangers defenseman Tony DeAngelo did not practice with the team Friday and is expected to be a game-time decision going into Game 1 of the qualifying round against the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday.
Asked if he would be more inclined to slot in a right-handed defenseman to replace DeAngelo, who is also a righty, coach David Quinn said his decision wouldn’t be based on the shot. It’s likely that defenseman Libor Hajek will step in should DeAngelo be unavailable Saturday.
Darren Radysh, who is coming off his first season with the team’s AHL affiliate, is the right-handed option. He is yet to make his NHL debut.
The 22-year-old Hajek, who has just 33 NHL games under his belt, was an addition to the Rangers expanded playoff roster during training camp. Hajek made the Rangers’ roster out of training camp in October but a knee injury kept him out of the lineup for over a month. He was sent down to AHL Hartford in mid-January and wasn’t called back up for the rest of the regular season.
“It’s like anything, if a guy doesn’t play or a guy gets injured during a game, you have to adjust,” Marc Staal said on a Zoom call Friday. “It’ll be no different throughout this playoff series. We’re always ready for anything, it’ll be no different come game time tomorrow.”
Additionally, Staal — who left Wednesday exhibition game with the Islanders for an undisclosed reason — is expected to play Saturday. Quinn had said that keeping Staal out in the third period Wednesday was “cautionary.”
“No issues, I felt really good today. I’ll be ready tomorrow,” Staal said.
Hajek recorded five assists in 28 games with the Rangers this season.
The Rangers announced that they agreed to terms on an entry-level contract with Morgan Barron Friday.
Barron, 21, spent the last three seasons playing for Cornell in the NCAA. He was appointed captain before the 2019-20 season before going on to tally 14 goals and 18 assists in 29 games, bringing his career total to 84 points in three years with the Big Red.
“I’m very happy to be joining the Rangers organization at such a exciting time,” Barron said in a statement to The Post. “It was definitely a difficult decision because of how much I enjoyed my time at Cornell, but at the end of the day, I felt like it was time to take the next step. I’m really looking forward to getting to training camp, whenever that may be.”
Barron was also a top 10 finalist for the Hobey Baker Memorial Award, given to the top player in college hockey, and was named EAC Hockey Player of the Year following the 2019-20 season.
The coronavirus pandemic suspended the final stretch of Barron’s junior season at Cornell, making his decision on whether to stay or go pro that much more difficult. But it appears Barron will be foregoing his senior year to sign with the Rangers.
The Rangers will take the ice for Game 1 without forward Brendan Lemieux as he serves a two-game suspension for a hit on Avalanche forward Joonas Donskoi in March.
Rangers forward Ryan Strome said Lemieux’s presence to be missed, but is anticipating a significant boost once he returns to the lineup for Game 3.
“That’s ultimately something we can’t control, I think the first two games are important to feel out the series and then I’m sure if he gets back in the lineup he’ll definitely provide that spark or uptick,” Strome said. “Just his personality, you can always hear him, runs around not afraid of anybody, a playoff-hockey-type player.”
Both Strome and Staal said they were pleasantly surprised with the ice conditions during Wednesday’s exhibition game.
“I thought it was going to be horrible and it wasn’t too bad,” Staal said. “First 10 minutes were actually pretty clean and the last 10 it gets a bit choppy. I thought they did a pretty good job.”
Quinn said he wouldn’t make the starting goaltender announcement until before Game 1 Saturday.


newyorkpost--2020-08-01--Hurricane Isaias lashes Bahamas while Florida prepares for impact

Hurricane Isaias ripped shingles off roofs and blew over trees as it carved its way through the Bahamas early Saturday and headed toward the Florida coast , where officials in Miami said they were closing beaches , marinas and parks .
Miami Mayor Carlos Giménez said Friday that 20 evacuation centers were on standby that could be set up with COVID-19 safety measures .
“ We still don ’ t think there is a need to open shelters for this storm , but they are ready , ” he said .
Authorities in North Carolina ordered the evacuation of Ocracoke @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year ’ s Hurricane Dorian , starting Saturday evening .
Meanwhile , officials in the Bahamas evacuated people on Abaco island , who have been living in temporary structures since Dorian .
People living in the eastern end of Grand Bahama were also being moved .
Isaias had maximum sustained winds of 85 mph early Saturday and some strengthening was possible later Saturday , the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said .
The storm was centered about 115 miles south-southeast of Nassau in the Bahamas and was moving northwest at 14 mph @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the Bahamas , told The Associated Press that while the islands can normally withstand strong hurricanes , some have been destabilized by the coronavirus pandemic and the damage caused by Dorian .
“ With everything not quite shored up , property not secured , home not prepared , even a Category 1 will be enough to set them back , ” she said .
A hurricane warning was in effect for Florida ’ s east coast from Boca Raton , just north of Miami , about 150 miles north to the Volusia-Brevard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in effect from Hallandale Beach to south of Boca Raton .
Florida Gov .
Ron DeSantis said the state was “ fully prepared for this and any future storm during this hurricane season , ” with stockpiles of personal protective equipment , generators , bottled water and meals ready to be distributed .
But he urged people to have seven days of food , water and medication on hand and said state-run coronavirus testing sites in the areas where the storm could hit would be closed .
“ Our sites , because they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it were to get 40- , 50-mile-per-hour winds , it would just collapse , ” he said .
“ Safety is paramount for that.
” Miami ’ s mayor said that social-distancing measures prompted by COVID-19 meant each person in shelters needed to have 40 square feet and no more cafeteria-style dining would be allowed .
People who are infected with the new coronavirus and need to evacuate will be isolated in classrooms separate them from the general population , Giménez said .
In Daytona Beach and Polk County , authorities distributed sandbags @ @ @ @ @ @ @ emergency provisions at home sufficient for three to seven days .
A hurricane warning was in effect for northwest and central Bahamas .
“ Continue to hunker down , ” said Trevor Basden , director of the Bahamas meteorology department .
Two of those islands , Abaco and Grand Bahama , were battered by Dorian , a Category 5 storm that hovered over the area for two days and killed at least 70 people , with more than 280 reported missing .
People are still living in tents on both islands , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ debris ahead of Isaias .
Prime Minister Hubert Minnis relaxed a coronavirus lockdown as a result of the storm , but imposed a 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew .
He said supermarkets , pharmacies , gas stations and hardware stores would be open as long as weather permitted .
The Bahamas has reported more than 570 confirmed COVID-19 cases and at least 14 deaths .
It recently barred travelers from the U.S. following a surge in cases after it reopened to international tourism .
On Thursday , while still a tropical storm @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and caused widespread flooding and small landslides in the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico , where hundreds of thousands of people were left without power and water .
Officials reported that a man died in the Dominican Republic when he was electrocuted by a fallen electrical cable .
More than 5,000 people were evacuated , and more than 130 communities remained cut off by floodwaters .
In Puerto Rico , the National Guard rescued at least 35 people from floodwaters that swept away one woman who remained missing .
Isaias was expected to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rain in the Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands .

Hurricane Isaias ripped shingles off roofs and blew over trees as it carved its way through the Bahamas early Saturday and headed toward the Florida coast, where officials in Miami said they were closing beaches, marinas and parks.
Miami Mayor Carlos Giménez said Friday that 20 evacuation centers were on standby that could be set up with COVID-19 safety measures.
“We still don’t think there is a need to open shelters for this storm, but they are ready,” he said.
Authorities in North Carolina ordered the evacuation of Ocracoke Island, which was slammed by last year’s Hurricane Dorian, starting Saturday evening. Meanwhile, officials in the Bahamas evacuated people on Abaco island, who have been living in temporary structures since Dorian. People living in the eastern end of Grand Bahama were also being moved.
Isaias had maximum sustained winds of 85 mph early Saturday and some strengthening was possible later Saturday, the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said. The storm was centered about 115 miles south-southeast of Nassau in the Bahamas and was moving northwest at 14 mph.
Paula Miller, Mercy Corps director for the Bahamas, told The Associated Press that while the islands can normally withstand strong hurricanes, some have been destabilized by the coronavirus pandemic and the damage caused by Dorian.
“With everything not quite shored up, property not secured, home not prepared, even a Category 1 will be enough to set them back,” she said.
A hurricane warning was in effect for Florida’s east coast from Boca Raton, just north of Miami, about 150 miles north to the Volusia-Brevard county line. A hurricane watch was in effect from Hallandale Beach to south of Boca Raton.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said the state was “fully prepared for this and any future storm during this hurricane season,” with stockpiles of personal protective equipment, generators, bottled water and meals ready to be distributed.
But he urged people to have seven days of food, water and medication on hand and said state-run coronavirus testing sites in the areas where the storm could hit would be closed.
“Our sites, because they’re outdoors with tents, if it were to get 40-, 50-mile-per-hour winds, it would just collapse,” he said. “Safety is paramount for that.”
Miami’s mayor said that social-distancing measures prompted by COVID-19 meant each person in shelters needed to have 40 square feet and no more cafeteria-style dining would be allowed. People who are infected with the new coronavirus and need to evacuate will be isolated in classrooms separate them from the general population, Giménez said.
In Daytona Beach and Polk County, authorities distributed sandbags and other officials advised people to have emergency provisions at home sufficient for three to seven days.
A hurricane warning was in effect for northwest and central Bahamas.
“Continue to hunker down,” said Trevor Basden, director of the Bahamas meteorology department.
Two of those islands, Abaco and Grand Bahama, were battered by Dorian, a Category 5 storm that hovered over the area for two days and killed at least 70 people, with more than 280 reported missing. People are still living in tents on both islands, and officials said crews tried to remove leftover debris ahead of Isaias.
Prime Minister Hubert Minnis relaxed a coronavirus lockdown as a result of the storm, but imposed a 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew. He said supermarkets, pharmacies, gas stations and hardware stores would be open as long as weather permitted.
The Bahamas has reported more than 570 confirmed COVID-19 cases and at least 14 deaths. It recently barred travelers from the U.S. following a surge in cases after it reopened to international tourism.
On Thursday, while still a tropical storm, Isaias toppled trees, destroyed crops and caused widespread flooding and small landslides in the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico, where hundreds of thousands of people were left without power and water.
Officials reported that a man died in the Dominican Republic when he was electrocuted by a fallen electrical cable. More than 5,000 people were evacuated, and more than 130 communities remained cut off by floodwaters.
In Puerto Rico, the National Guard rescued at least 35 people from floodwaters that swept away one woman who remained missing.
Isaias was expected to drop from 4 to 8 inches of rain in the Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands.


newyorkpost--2020-08-01--Nets’ flop in restart opener a concerning sign of things to come

So if you happened upon the Nets early in their return game Friday , you had to like what you saw .
There was plenty of crisp ball movement .
There were five engaged players , notably Jarrett Allen , who looked as if he ’ d been locked in a basement for four months and had energy to spare .
It was Nets 16 , Magic 8 before most of the virtual fans had even figured out how to properly cheer .
If you happened to get there late in the game , you probably liked what you saw @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 18-0 run ?
Who doesn ’ t like to see a team completely melt down and another team completely seize the moment , especially in a fourth quarter ?
Good times all around !
The problem , of course , was the 36 or so minutes in between .
That was a different story .
That , in truth , was the only story .
The Magic obliterated the Nets the rest of the way , and the final score was 128-118 , and every part of this 48-minute return to play underlined @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his team will have to face for however long their stay in the Orlando bubble lasts .
They are overmatched .
They are outnumbered .
They bear little resemblance to what their A-lineup was going to be if the world hadn ’ t turned upside down .
They lack size .
They are not quite makeshift , but they are only a few paces ahead of that .
It is what it is and they are what they are , and all of that was on display Friday afternoon .
“ We need @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Vaughn said of the Nets ’ need to be scrappy grinders , since there are few other options available for them .
“ We ’ ll have to be extremely gritty , put a body on someone every single possession .
That gave us more than 40 opportunities to shoot 3s and when teams do that you have to make them pay.
” The Nets didn ’ t make the Magic pay .
They missed 29 of those 42 3s , and while there were some bright spots — specifically Caris @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) and Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot ( 24 points , 5-for-8 from 3 ) — they couldn ’ t sustain what they started — and they only way this stay in Orlando won ’ t be a complete unwatchable mess is if the are able to sustain .
“ The first few minutes , that ’ s how we really want to play , ” said Allen , who had 14 points in 27 solid minutes .
“ After that , they dictated the way the game was going to go and when a team @ @ @ @ @ @ @ let them do it.
” This was always going to be a unique task for the Nets and especially for Vaughn , who had gotten off to a pretty terrific start with his new team , winning both games after Kenny Atkinson was dismissed and before the league was shut down .
The last memory of the Nets , you may recall , was a 104-102 win over the Lakers , in Los Angeles .
That game felt like a nice memory to go out on if play never resumed , sort of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you ’ ll make a tee time as soon as possible even if the 107 strokes that came before weren ’ t quite as enjoyable .
But it may be something else now , instead .
Because the Nets now sit in the eighth slot in the East , with the Magic having slipped ahead of them .
They still sit 5 ½ games ahead of the Wizards — whom they play next in Orlando , Sunday at 2 p.m .
If the Wizards can creep within four games of the Nets by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ll force a play-in .
Now , yes : all that would do would ensure a first-round pairing with the mighty Bucks , and that would certainly be a quick and painless duty , even when Jamal Crawford arrives to add a little spice and dash to the Nets ’ daily regimen .
But if you ’ re going to go to Orlando in the first place , you probably want to take part in the playoffs .
And assuming both the Nets and the Wizards might be in for some hard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ might be vital .
And so will Sunday .
“ We need to get better , ” Vaughn said .
“ I believe we will be .
”

So if you happened upon the Nets early in their return game Friday, you had to like what you saw. There was plenty of crisp ball movement. There were five engaged players, notably Jarrett Allen, who looked as if he’d been locked in a basement for four months and had energy to spare.
It was Nets 16, Magic 8 before most of the virtual fans had even figured out how to properly cheer.
If you happened to get there late in the game, you probably liked what you saw because who doesn’t like an 18-0 run? Who doesn’t like to see a team completely melt down and another team completely seize the moment, especially in a fourth quarter? Good times all around!
The problem, of course, was the 36 or so minutes in between.
That was a different story. That, in truth, was the only story. The Magic obliterated the Nets the rest of the way, and the final score was 128-118, and every part of this 48-minute return to play underlined the extraordinary challenges that Jacque Vaughn and his team will have to face for however long their stay in the Orlando bubble lasts.
They are overmatched. They are outnumbered. They bear little resemblance to what their A-lineup was going to be if the world hadn’t turned upside down. They lack size. They are not quite makeshift, but they are only a few paces ahead of that. It is what it is and they are what they are, and all of that was on display Friday afternoon.
“We need to embrace that stuff a little bit,” Vaughn said of the Nets’ need to be scrappy grinders, since there are few other options available for them. “We’ll have to be extremely gritty, put a body on someone every single possession. That gave us more than 40 opportunities to shoot 3s and when teams do that you have to make them pay.”
The Nets didn’t make the Magic pay. They missed 29 of those 42 3s, and while there were some bright spots — specifically Caris LeVert (17 points, seven assists) and Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot (24 points, 5-for-8 from 3) — they couldn’t sustain what they started — and they only way this stay in Orlando won’t be a complete unwatchable mess is if the are able to sustain.
“The first few minutes, that’s how we really want to play,” said Allen, who had 14 points in 27 solid minutes. “After that, they dictated the way the game was going to go and when a team does that we can’t just let them do it.”
This was always going to be a unique task for the Nets and especially for Vaughn, who had gotten off to a pretty terrific start with his new team, winning both games after Kenny Atkinson was dismissed and before the league was shut down. The last memory of the Nets, you may recall, was a 104-102 win over the Lakers, in Los Angeles.
That game felt like a nice memory to go out on if play never resumed, sort of the 40-foot putt on 18 that ensures you’ll make a tee time as soon as possible even if the 107 strokes that came before weren’t quite as enjoyable. But it may be something else now, instead.
Because the Nets now sit in the eighth slot in the East, with the Magic having slipped ahead of them. They still sit 5 ½ games ahead of the Wizards — whom they play next in Orlando, Sunday at 2 p.m. If the Wizards can creep within four games of the Nets by the end of seeding play, they’ll force a play-in.
Now, yes: all that would do would ensure a first-round pairing with the mighty Bucks, and that would certainly be a quick and painless duty, even when Jamal Crawford arrives to add a little spice and dash to the Nets’ daily regimen. But if you’re going to go to Orlando in the first place, you probably want to take part in the playoffs. And assuming both the Nets and the Wizards might be in for some hard times coming up, that Lakers game might be vital.
And so will Sunday.
“We need to get better,” Vaughn said. “I believe we will be.”


newyorkpost--2020-08-01--Epstein Lawyer demands apology after Jeffrey Epstein episode of ‘The Good Fight’

Former Harvard Law professor Alan Dershowitz is planning to sue ViacomCBS and the producers of “ The Good Fight ” after the legal drama called him a “ shyster ” and implied he had participated in illicit sexual conduct during the season four finale on the Jeffrey Epstein case , according to a report .
On July 17th , Dershowitz ’ s lawyers sent a letter to “ The Good Fight ” showrunners demanding they remove the content and issue a public apology , according to Variety .
In the letter , Dershowitz ’ s attorney , Imran Ansari , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ titled , “ The Gang Discovers Who Killed Jeffrey Epstein : “ Clearly , the dialogue and the context in which it is made , with words loaded with innuendo such as ‘ massage , ’ ‘ Epstein , ’ the ‘ Virgin Islands , ’ in combination with the word ‘ shyster , ’ falsely suggests that Professor Dershowitz engaged in sexual conduct , i.e .
a ‘ massage , ’ with an underage girl associated with Epstein , and is crooked , unscrupulous and lying about it , i.e .
a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ general counsel to ViacomCBS , fired back with a July 28 letter saying the series is fictional .
People “ don ’ t watch the Series for factual information about Professor Dershowitz or anyone else , ” he wrote .
Still , the episode referred to Dershowitz by name .
Dershowitz told Variety , “ The idea that a fictional character can get away with defaming somebody is really a new one .
You either have to have an entirely fictional account in which they make up the names of everybody or a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mix the genres .
When you do mix the genres , the law of defamation applies.
” By Friday , CBS had neither taken the episode down nor issued an apology .
The dialogue Ansari referred to was between fictional lawyer Benjamin Dafoe ( David Alford ) , Diane Lockhart ( Christine Baranski ) and Liz Reddick ( Audra McDonald ) .
On Friday , Dershowitz again defended his name in connection to Epstein , after his name appeared in a document dump relating to a defamation case involving the pedophile ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @

Former Harvard Law professor Alan Dershowitz is planning to sue ViacomCBS and the producers of “The Good Fight” after the legal drama called him a “shyster” and implied he had participated in illicit sexual conduct during the season four finale on the Jeffrey Epstein case, according to a report.
On July 17th, Dershowitz’s lawyers sent a letter to “The Good Fight” showrunners demanding they remove the content and issue a public apology, according to Variety.
In the letter, Dershowitz’s attorney, Imran Ansari, wrote of the May 28 finale — titled, “The Gang Discovers Who Killed Jeffrey Epstein:
“Clearly, the dialogue and the context in which it is made, with words loaded with innuendo such as ‘massage,’ ‘Epstein,’ the ‘Virgin Islands,’ in combination with the word ‘shyster,’ falsely suggests that Professor Dershowitz engaged in sexual conduct, i.e. a ‘massage,’ with an underage girl associated with Epstein, and is crooked, unscrupulous and lying about it, i.e. a ‘shyster.’ ”
Jonathan Anschell, general counsel to ViacomCBS, fired back with a July 28 letter saying the series is fictional. People “don’t watch the Series for factual information about Professor Dershowitz or anyone else,” he wrote.
Still, the episode referred to Dershowitz by name.
Dershowitz told Variety, “The idea that a fictional character can get away with defaming somebody is really a new one. You either have to have an entirely fictional account in which they make up the names of everybody or a truthful account. You can’t mix the genres. When you do mix the genres, the law of defamation applies.”
By Friday, CBS had neither taken the episode down nor issued an apology.
The dialogue Ansari referred to was between fictional lawyer Benjamin Dafoe (David Alford), Diane Lockhart (Christine Baranski) and Liz Reddick (Audra McDonald).
On Friday, Dershowitz again defended his name in connection to Epstein, after his name appeared in a document dump relating to a defamation case involving the pedophile’s accused madam, Ghislaine Maxwell.


newyorkpost--2020-08-01--Southern California wildfire forces evacuation of nearly 8,000

One home was destroyed and nearly 8,000 people have been forced to evacuate after a wildfire in Southern California grew @ @ @ @ @ .
The blaze was first reported Friday evening in the Cherry Valley area , about @ @ @ @ @ Bernardino .
By Saturday , the fire had nearly doubled in size to encompass an @ @ @ @ @ , according to a report .
New evacuation orders were being issued for San Bernardino @ @ @ @ @ Saturday evening , about 7,800 people were being told to leave the area .
The @ @ @ @ @ roughly 4,100 acres , comes amid a heat wave that has brought temperatures as high @ @ @ @

One home was destroyed and nearly 8,000 people have been forced to evacuate after a wildfire in Southern California grew dramatically Saturday, officials said.
The blaze was first reported Friday evening in the Cherry Valley area, about 30 minutes east of San Bernardino.
By Saturday, the fire had nearly doubled in size to encompass an area of three square miles, according to a report.
New evacuation orders were being issued for San Bernardino County, and as of Saturday evening, about 7,800 people were being told to leave the area.
The wildfire, which is now roughly 4,100 acres, comes amid a heat wave that has brought temperatures as high as 105 degrees.


newyorkpost--2020-08-01--Yankees’ Giancarlo Stanton kneels during anthem for second time

After the entire Yankees roster knelt before the national anthem ...

After Giancarlo Stanton knelt during the national anthem before the second game of the Yankees’ season, the slugger said he intended to keep up the protest throughout the season.
He did so again before Saturday night’s game against the Red Sox at Yankee Stadium.
Stanton was joined by Aaron Hicks the first time, with the pair saying they were protesting racial inequality. Hicks was out of the lineup Saturday and not on the field before the game.
Explaining his decision on July 25 in Washington, D.C., Stanton said he took a knee “just to show that we’re still in this fight. [I] just wanted to reiterate that it can’t be lost. It’s important to keep this movement forward with a simple message, [then] go out and play. I thought it was the right thing to do.”
Saturday was the first time Stanton or any other Yankee did so again.
“A lot of my teammates haven’t experienced some of the things that I have,’’ Stanton said last weekend. “Some have. [I] just give them a little insight on the daily lives that we’ve gone through growing up. I would say it’s a little different now because we’re popular, more aware but at the same time, you can’t forget how things got here.”
Stanton also added he wanted to “take the heat” going forward — and not his teammates.


newyorkpost--2020-08-01--NYC’s elite Stuyvesant High School names new principal

A city Department of Education official and former high school principal will now head Stuyvesant HS , The Spectator reported @ @ @ @ @ is the DOE ’ s senior executive director of the Office of Postsecondary Readiness .
@ @ @ @ @ 2017 , he was founding principal for seven years at the Academy for Software Engineering @ @ @ @ @ Union Square .
Yu ’ s appointment comes as Stuyvesant grapples with how to handle @ @ @ @ @ year amid the coronavirus outbreak .

A city Department of Education official and former high school principal will now head Stuyvesant HS, The Spectator reported on Saturday.
Seung Yu is the DOE’s senior executive director of the Office of Postsecondary Readiness.
Before taking that job in 2017, he was founding principal for seven years at the Academy for Software Engineering, a high school in Union Square.
Yu’s appointment comes as Stuyvesant grapples with how to handle the fall’s academic year amid the coronavirus outbreak.
The specialized high school’s previous principal, Eric Contreras, resigned on Friday.


newyorkpost--2020-08-01--Thousands of maskless Germans protest COVID-19 rules in Berlin

Sign up for our special edition newsletter to get a daily update on the coronavirus pandemic .
BERLIN — Thousands protested Germany ’ s coronavirus restrictions Saturday in a Berlin demonstration marking what organizers called “ the end of the pandemic ” — a declaration that comes just as authorities are voicing increasing concerns about an uptick in new infections .
With few masks in sight , a dense crowd marched through downtown Berlin from the Brandenburg Gate .
Protesters who came from across the country held up homemade signs with slogans like “ Corona , false alarm , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a muzzle , ” “ Natural defense instead of vaccination ” and “ We are the second wave.
” They chanted , “ We ’ re here and we ’ re loud , because we are being robbed of our freedom !
” Police used bullhorns to chide participants to adhere to social distancing rules and to wear masks , apparently with little success .
They tweeted that they drew up a criminal complaint against the rally ’ s organizer for failing to enforce hygiene rules , then said shortly afterward that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ estimated about 17,000 people turned out .
The demonstrators were kept apart from counter protesters , some of whom chanted “ Nazis out !
” Protesters continued to a subsequent rally on a boulevard running through the city ’ s Tiergarten park , which police estimated drew 20,000 people .
Police declared that event over as organizers again failed to get demonstrators to wear masks or keep their distance .
Protests against anti-virus restrictions in Germany have drawn a variety of attendees , including conspiracy theorists and right-wing populists .
Unlike the U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s government has been praised worldwide for its management of the pandemic .
The country ’ s death toll — just over 9,150 people out of more than 210,670 confirmed virus cases as of Saturday — is five times less than Britain ’ s , which has a smaller population .
The German government has been easing lockdown measures since late April but social distancing rules remain , as does a requirement to wear masks on public transit and in shops .
Officials have been warning against complacency as the number of new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Amid concerns about residents bringing home infections from summer trips abroad , officials introduced free tests for people entering the country .
“ Thousands of # covidiots are celebrating themselves in Berlin as ‘ the second wave , ’ without distancing , without masks , ” tweeted Saskia Esken , a co-leader of the Social Democrats , the junior party in Germany ’ s governing coalition .
“ They are not just endangering our health , they are endangering our success against the pandemic and for the revival of the economy , education @ @ @ @ @ @

Sign up for our special edition newsletter to get a daily update on the coronavirus pandemic.
BERLIN — Thousands protested Germany’s coronavirus restrictions Saturday in a Berlin demonstration marking what organizers called “the end of the pandemic” — a declaration that comes just as authorities are voicing increasing concerns about an uptick in new infections.
With few masks in sight, a dense crowd marched through downtown Berlin from the Brandenburg Gate.
Protesters who came from across the country held up homemade signs with slogans like “Corona, false alarm,” “We are being forced to wear a muzzle,” “Natural defense instead of vaccination” and “We are the second wave.”
They chanted, “We’re here and we’re loud, because we are being robbed of our freedom!”
Police used bullhorns to chide participants to adhere to social distancing rules and to wear masks, apparently with little success. They tweeted that they drew up a criminal complaint against the rally’s organizer for failing to enforce hygiene rules, then said shortly afterward that the organizer had ended the march.
Police estimated about 17,000 people turned out. The demonstrators were kept apart from counter protesters, some of whom chanted “Nazis out!”
Protesters continued to a subsequent rally on a boulevard running through the city’s Tiergarten park, which police estimated drew 20,000 people. Police declared that event over as organizers again failed to get demonstrators to wear masks or keep their distance.
Protests against anti-virus restrictions in Germany have drawn a variety of attendees, including conspiracy theorists and right-wing populists.
Unlike the U.S., Brazil and Britain, Germany’s government has been praised worldwide for its management of the pandemic. The country’s death toll — just over 9,150 people out of more than 210,670 confirmed virus cases as of Saturday — is five times less than Britain’s, which has a smaller population.
The German government has been easing lockdown measures since late April but social distancing rules remain, as does a requirement to wear masks on public transit and in shops.
Officials have been warning against complacency as the number of new COVID-19 cases has crept up recently. Amid concerns about residents bringing home infections from summer trips abroad, officials introduced free tests for people entering the country.
Germany’s national disease control center registered 955 new cases Friday, a high figure by recent standards.
“Thousands of #covidiots are celebrating themselves in Berlin as ‘the second wave,’ without distancing, without masks,” tweeted Saskia Esken, a co-leader of the Social Democrats, the junior party in Germany’s governing coalition.
“They are not just endangering our health, they are endangering our success against the pandemic and for the revival of the economy, education and society. Irresponsible!”


newyorkpost--2020-08-01--Sandro Mamukelashvili returning to Seton Hall after NBA draft interest

Waiting is not the best policy in this situation , Kevin ...

The more Zoom video sessions with NBA teams he had, the more convinced Sandro Mamukelashvili was that the professional route was his likely destination. Teams were interested in Seton Hall’s versatile and multi-talented 6-foot-11 southpaw forward, far more than he expected. Two teams even promised him they would take him early in the second round.
Then, on July 20, he returned to school at Seton Hall, began working out with teammates and coaches for the first time in four months. He was no longer on the fence.
“Going back, just seeing the love we have for each other, and the chemistry, it was harder to leave,” the rising senior forward told The Post in a phone interview ahead of his announcement to come back to school.
“I feel if I show everybody what I got,” he added, “I can be a first rounder.”
And so despite the interest from the NBA, he’s putting his dream on hold, returning to Seton Hall for one more year two days before the deadline to make a decision, following the path set by former star teammate Myles Powell, who tested the draft waters last year only to come back for his senior season.
“It was really hard, I’ll be honest with you,” Mamukelashvili said. “I just want to leave my mark on Seton Hall and show everybody what I have, being a leader and accomplishing what we couldn’t last year.
The Pirates shared the Big East regular-season crown for the first time since 1992-93 last year, but never got to play a postseason game due to the novel coronavirus pandemic. It was an adversity-filled season for Mamukelashvili, who fractured his right wrist in early December and missed 10 games. After knocking off the rust, he thrived, finishing his junior year averaging 11.9 points, 6.0 rebounds and shooting 54 percent from the field.
Now, his role will expand, as one of the faces of the program. While Seton Hall loses Powell and fellow starters Quincy McKnight and Romaro Gill, it does add Harvard grad transfer Bryce Aiken, an explosive scoring guard, and brings back quality pieces in Jared Rhoden, Myles Cale, Shavar Reynolds, Tyrese Samuel and Ike Obiagu.
“Definitely we lost a lot of great players, but I’ll guarantee you this right now: There will be a lot of guys stepping up this year,” he said. “We really are in the gym every day with Coach [Kevin] Willard trying to work on our game. You guys are going to see how much talent we have left. I’m feeling really good. I can’t wait to play.”
Mamukelashvili has big goals, not only for himself, but his teammates. He wants to repeat as Big East champions, play deep into March, be the league’s Player of the Year and win the Karl Malone Award, given to the nation’s top power forward.
“Going into next year, I feel like I’ve learned a lot from earlier seniors and Myles,” he said. “Being a leader, I feel confident and I can make guys a lot better. These are new challenges for me and I’m ready to face them.”
Of course, there is a question of what kind of season it will be because of the virus. Mamukelashvili is encouraged that at worst they will play conference games. He hasn’t considered the alternative.
“Everything is a risk in life,” he said. “I just want to spend one more year with my guys.”


newyorkpost--2020-08-01--Trump to accept GOP nomination without press, RNC official says

If things had proceeded according to schedule , we ’ d be checking ...

WASHINGTON (AP) — The vote to renominate President Donald Trump is set to be conducted in private later this month, without members of the press present, said a spokeswoman for the Republican National Convention, citing the coronavirus.
While Trump called off the public components of the convention in Florida last month, citing spiking cases of the virus across the country, 336 delegates are scheduled to gather in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Aug. 24 to formally vote to make Trump the GOP standard-bearer once more.
Nominating conventions are traditionally meant to be media bonanzas, as political parties seek to leverage the attention the events draw to spread their message to as many voters as possible. If the GOP decision stands, it will mark the first party nominating convention in modern history to be closed to reporters.
“Given the health restrictions and limitations in place within the state of North Carolina, we are planning for the Charlotte activities to be closed press Friday, Aug. 21 – Monday, Aug. 24,” a convention spokeswoman said. “We are happy to let you know if this changes, but we are working within the parameters set before us by state and local guidelines regarding the number of people who can attend events.”
Privately, some GOP delegations have raised logistical issues with traveling to either city, citing the increasing number of jurisdictions imposing mandatory quarantine orders on travelers returning from states experiencing surges in the virus.
The subset of delegates in Charlotte will be casting proxy votes on behalf of the more than 2,500 official delegates to the convention. Alternate delegates and guests have already been prohibited.


newyorkpost--2020-08-01--Plague of homeless encampments show failure of NYC’s ‘soft love’ approach

Fire burned down a homeless encampment in Chelsea , leaving one ...

With the pandemic emptying out the city’s streets, and the NYPD focused elsewhere, foul and filthy homeless encampments are popping up across the city — exposing the impotence of the vast social-service system that’s supposed to prevent such horrors.
One shantytown sprawls under the FDR Drive in lower Manhattan, stretching south from Catherine Slip to Pier 11, in what one resident called “a scene out of a zombie movie.”
Security guard Jesse Alberio, 56, who lives nearby, says, “It gets real intimidating! I won’t come out here at night,” adding that some of the vagrants sneak into his building “and s - - t in the stairwells.”
And they’re stubborn. Sanitation workers last Sunday rooted out an East Village camp on Second Avenue between Seventh and Eighth streets — but the “residents” were back in under a day.
Locals say the “campers” just went across the street, waited under the marquee of the Orpheum Theater, then returned once the city workers left.
They even kept their amenities: a desk, a large headboard, a mattress — along with access to a city phone-charging kiosk.
“We had a blissful 12 hours of peace,” neighbor Vanessa Valdes said in an email to The Post. “They are back and rebuilding structures again. . . . What can be done?”
Mike Tarabih, 45, a cook at the nearby B&H Restaurant, says: “It’s too much. The blankets, the beds, the furniture. They make apartments on the sidewalk. Customers say, ‘No, I go somewhere else.’ ”
The day after cops finally broke up and cleared out the “Occupy City Hall” homeless camp, Mayor de Blasio declared he had a “zero tolerance” policy; “Anyone who tells us about an encampment, we’re going to have it addressed right away by Homeless Services, Sanitation, PD. Whatever it takes.”
And yet the shantytowns remain (or return after a brief pause), making New Yorkers feel unsafe in their own homes and ’hoods.
City and city-paid nonprofit workers either can’t or won’t do what’s needed. As long as the mayor refuses to see that tough love is the only answer, “zero tolerance” will continue to look more like “throw-up-your-hands acceptance.”


newyorkpost--2020-08-01--To give NYC a chance to grow, face down the lunatic barriers to new development

The announcement from City Hall on Wednesday comes after The ...

New York City faces its greatest economic challenge in a century, worse than the Great Recession, 9/11 and the ’70s fiscal crisis. So it’s urgent to avoid discouraging investment and development — yet many politicians are still stuck in the pre-crisis past.
One longstanding barrier is the city’s cumbersome Uniform Land Use Review Procedure, or ULURP — a multistep public-review process that delays even affordable-housing projects, with a series of hoops that can derail even no-brainer change. The lockdown has frozen all ULURP action, with no clear restart set.
Yet some progress may be completely stamped out. City Councilman Carlos Menchaca (D-Brooklyn) last week announced his intent to kill the Industry City rezoning and its promised 20,000 jobs, new affordable housing and so on.
The developers seek to preserve manufacturing and attract some $2 billion in private investment — without the expenditure of any public funds — as well as generate hundreds of millions of dollars in badly needed tax revenue. But Menchaca treats it as some mass violation of human rights in Sunset Park. Is defunding the police the sum total of his idea for protecting his constituents’ future?
In theory, rezoning requires only a majority vote by the City Council, but tradition gives members a veto over changes in their individual districts, making it near-impossible to create any rational citywide development plan. And that’s something a city on its knees can’t afford.
The courts pose an added threat: Judges of late have intervened against development even when the politicians go along, overriding the discretion legally granted to city officials. In December, for example, a judge tossed out the city’s rezoning of Inwood — bowing to local activists determined to keep change out of their neighborhood.
Last month, an appellate court tossed that ruling, with all five judges agreeing the rezoning should go ahead. But opponents plan to appeal, and the delay can only add risks at a time when the city needs all the growth it can achieve.
Meanwhile, the city and another set of developers are awaiting a similar ruling in the case of Two Bridges — three projects along the East River in lower Manhattan that promise 2,275 new housing units (including 694 affordable ones). It complies with current zoning, so it has no need for ULURP. Instead, opponents made an issue of the heights of its towers — and got a court to annul the City Planning Department’s approval last August.
The judge actually said: “You can’t just do this because the zoning allows it.” But that’s what zoning means. Such judicial activism, if unchecked, will undermine any chance the city has of emerging from pandemic-induced economic crisis.
Meanwhile, a host of other projects are on hold, such as 510 Broadway, an affordable housing project, as well as rezonings in Soho and Gowanus — plus a waterfront rezoning in Long Island City’s Anable Basin that would bring up to 12 million square feet of commercial, residential and open space.
All are in limbo until City Hall figures out how to get ULURP moving again — say, by converting in-person meetings to a remote system.
The mayor’s minions say they hope to resume the process by early fall. If the city is to have any hope of an economic recovery, they need to do a lot more than hope.


newyorkpost--2020-08-01--Wild’s Matt Dumba becomes first NHL player to kneel for national anthem

Drew Brees still plans to stand for the national anthem , ...

Minnesota’s Matt Dumba became the first NHL player to kneel during the U.S. national anthem when he did so before the opening playoff game between the Oilers and Blackhawks in Edmonton, Alberta.
Dumba knelt at center ice on Saturday while fellow Black players Malcolm Subban of Chicago and Darnell Nurse of Edmonton each stood with a hand on one of his shoulders. Several teams this week stood together during the U.S. and Canadian anthems, with some players locking arms to show solidarity.
With the message “END RACISM” on the video screens around him, the Wild defenseman made a passionate speech about racial injustice on behalf of the league and the Hockey Diversity Alliance.
Dumba and a handful of other Black hockey players formed the organization in June in the aftermath of the death of George Floyd in policy custody in Minnesota.
“Racism is everywhere, and we need to fight against it,” Dumba said. “We will fight against injustice and fight for what is right. I hope this inspires a new generation of hockey players and hockey fans because black lives matter, Breonna Taylor’s life matters. Hockey is a great game, but it could be a whole lot greater, and it starts with all of us.”
Dumba, who is Filipino-Canadian, wore a Hockey Diversity Alliance sweatshirt while making the speech and kneeling. Afterward, he received support from around the hockey community.
“I think everyone in the league stands with those guys,” Colorado forward Matt Nieto said. “There’s just no room for racism in our sport or any sports or just in general for that matter.”
J.T. Brown, who raised his right fist during the anthem prior to a game in 2017 when with the Tampa Bay Lightning, said on Twitter he applauded “this great start” from Dumba.
“Moving forward, teammates shouldn’t let teammates fight this battle alone,” Brown tweeted. “We always show up for each other on the ice, this shouldn’t be any different.”
Earlier this week, Avalanche center Nazem Kadri said standing together with Minnesota players prior to an exhibition game was a good sign of solidarity, but he called for more than just gestures.
“We’re trying to make the game more diverse, and the diversity in the game doesn’t happen with racism still going on, so that’s an important thing for us to address,” Kadri said. “As players we have addressed that. From a league standpoint, I think we’d maybe like to see a little more acknowledgement and having them address the situation and know that they stand with their players.”
Asked about Kadri’s comments, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman told The Associated Press on Friday, “We’re in complete agreement as to the ultimate goal.”
The league is made up of over 95 percent white players and has no people of color as coaches or general managers. The recent national debate on racism caused many of those white players to speak out about the subject.
“I’ve said how I feel, and other players are getting comfortable to say how they feel, as well,” said Stars forward Tyler Seguin, who marched in a peaceful protest in Dallas.
When the playoffs began Saturday, one banner in Toronto’s Scotiabank Arena read, “#WeSkateFor Black Lives.” Arizona coach Rick Tocchet said he received a call from Vegas forward Ryan Reaves prior to the exhibition game between the Coyotes and Golden Knights about players locking arms and is glad to see the league prioritizing diversity.
“I’m all in on that stuff,” Tocchet said. “I thought it was terrific. I watched all the other teams do different things. To show that awareness is terrific.”
Reaves wanted to do something to bring awareness during the anthem, and teammates told him they’d be supportive. He chose not to kneel because he wanted to do something the entire team could be a part of.
“For a lot of guys, kneeling isn’t the way they would want to show support, and if we wanted to do something as a team, my big thing was I didn’t want anybody to feel uncomfortable in what they wanted to do,” Reaves said. “I know that if I said I wanted everybody to kneel, at least one guy was going to feel uncomfortable and I didn’t want that. So I think this was the best way to be able to include everybody in it and have everybody comfortable with what we were doing.”