newyorkpost--2020-06-26--Florida coronavirus spike affects drinking in bars, Miami beaches for July Fourth

Florida has joined Texas in banning drinking in bars , while Miami has moved to close beaches and parks — all just in time for the Fourth of July holiday weekend , officials announced Friday .
The drastic measures come as Florida ’ s coronavirus cases continue to soar .
Under the bar ban , businesses that rake in more than half of their sales from alcohol can still sell booze to go .
The Florida bar ban comes just three weeks after the businesses were allowed to reopen .
But Florida confirmed almost 9,000 coronavirus cases in a single @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Miami Herald reported .
Texas , meanwhile , ordered bars closed earlier Friday .
This week , coronavirus cases in the state topped 5,000 in a single day for the first time .
“ Effective immediately , the Department of Business and Professional Regulation is suspending on premises consumption of alcohol at bars statewide , ” Halsey Beshears , the department ’ s secretary , tweeted Friday morning .
Beshears added under the order “ nothing changes for restaurants ” where the majority of sales come from food sales .
Miami Mayor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for blatantly flouting coronavirus safety measures has he announced the holiday closures later in the day .
“ As we continue to see more COVID-19 positive test results among young adults and rising hospitalizations , I have decided that the only prudent thing to do to tamp down this recent uptick is to crack down on recreational activities that put our overall community at higher risk , ” Gimenez said in a statement .
The order , which extends to the entire Miami-Dade County , comes while the state grapples with a dramatic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and broke single-day records for new cases twice this week after reporting two straight days with at least 5,000 positive test results .
Gimenez in his stern statement said there were clearly “ too many ” businesses and people ignoring rules requiring masks inside public establishments or outside when 6 feet of social distancing is not an option .
“ If people are not going to be responsible and protect themselves and others from this pandemic , then the government is forced to step in and restore common sense to save lives , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bans any gatherings in the county of more than 50 people .
Fireworks displays planned for the weekend will only be viewable from home or parked cars .
The drastic measures could be stretched out farther than just the weekend , the mayor warned .
“ The closure may be extended if conditions do not improve and people do not follow New Normal rules requiring masks to be worn always inside commercial establishments and outdoors when social distancing of at least 6 feet is not possible , ” Gimenez said .

Florida has joined Texas in banning drinking in bars, while Miami has moved to close beaches and parks — all just in time for the Fourth of July holiday weekend, officials announced Friday.
The drastic measures come as Florida’s coronavirus cases continue to soar. Under the bar ban, businesses that rake in more than half of their sales from alcohol can still sell booze to go.
The Florida bar ban comes just three weeks after the businesses were allowed to reopen.
But Florida confirmed almost 9,000 coronavirus cases in a single day on Friday — a record — the Miami Herald reported.
Texas, meanwhile, ordered bars closed earlier Friday. This week, coronavirus cases in the state topped 5,000 in a single day for the first time.
“Effective immediately, the Department of Business and Professional Regulation is suspending on premises consumption of alcohol at bars statewide,” Halsey Beshears, the department’s secretary, tweeted Friday morning.
Beshears added under the order “nothing changes for restaurants” where the majority of sales come from food sales.
Miami Mayor Carlos Gimenez, meanwhile, condemned beachgoers for blatantly flouting coronavirus safety measures has he announced the holiday closures later in the day.
“As we continue to see more COVID-19 positive test results among young adults and rising hospitalizations, I have decided that the only prudent thing to do to tamp down this recent uptick is to crack down on recreational activities that put our overall community at higher risk,” Gimenez said in a statement.
The order, which extends to the entire Miami-Dade County, comes while the state grapples with a dramatic uptick in COVID-19 cases. Florida set and broke single-day records for new cases twice this week after reporting two straight days with at least 5,000 positive test results.
Gimenez in his stern statement said there were clearly “too many” businesses and people ignoring rules requiring masks inside public establishments or outside when 6 feet of social distancing is not an option.
“If people are not going to be responsible and protect themselves and others from this pandemic, then the government is forced to step in and restore common sense to save lives,” he added.
The order also bans any gatherings in the county of more than 50 people. Fireworks displays planned for the weekend will only be viewable from home or parked cars.
The drastic measures could be stretched out farther than just the weekend, the mayor warned.
“The closure may be extended if conditions do not improve and people do not follow New Normal rules requiring masks to be worn always inside commercial establishments and outdoors when social distancing of at least 6 feet is not possible,” Gimenez said.


newyorkpost--2020-06-26--Masahiro Tanaka set for return to uncharted Yankees contract waters

When spring training was knocked out by the coronavirus on ...

Masahiro Tanaka is arriving in New York this weekend from Japan ahead of the Yankees holding a second spring training at Yankee Stadium which starts Wednesday.
Since signing a seven-year deal for $155 million that didn’t include a $20 million posting fee to the Rakuten Golden Eagles, this will be Tanaka’s seventh trip to a Yankees spring training. This year he will make the long trek twice, thanks to the coronavirus shutting down spring training on March 12. Shortly after that, Tanaka traveled home to Japan.
Because of COVID-19, it is difficult to predict what a 60-game season will look like. Can MLB navigate the upcoming hurdles? What will the level of play be? How may a short second spring training lead to injuries?
And here is another one nobody knows the answer to: Will Tanaka make an eighth trip from Japan to the Yankees’ spring training home in Tampa next February?
After six very good years in pinstripes, the 31-year-old right-hander can be a free agent whenever the upcoming season ends or isn’t played.
Tanaka remaining a Yankee is the smart play, but baseball’s financial landscape following this year will be scorched and that includes Hal Steinbrenner’s club.
With starters James Paxton and J.A. Happ eligible for free agency along with infielder DJ LeMahieu, will there be enough money to go around? Not likely.
Because the Yankees have affordable arms in Mike King, Domingo German, Jonathan Loaisiga, Luis Cessa, Clarke Schmidt and Deivi Garcia, they could let two of the three free-agent starters go.
Respected in the clubhouse for his professionalism, work ethic and an easy smile, this will be Tanaka’s second chance to split The Bronx. Following the 2017 season in which Tanaka went 13-12 with a 4.74 ERA in 30 starts, he could have opted out of the final three years of the contract and left $67 million on the floor, however he stayed.
That was his call. This time, the Yankees could decide Tanaka’s future and allow him to walk into an unknown free-agent market.
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Should Tanaka leave he will be missed on the mound and in the clubhouse. After inking a nine-year deal for $324 million, Gerrit Cole went to Tanaka for advice about pitching in New York.
“How can you not?” Cole told The Post’s Dan Martin during spring training. “He’s been the quintessential professional here in New York for his entire stay. He dealt with a lot of challenges coming from Japan in the middle of his career to a completely different side of the world. There’s probably some perspective to be gained there.”
Like a lot of teams, the Yankees have missed on some long-term deals. Jacoby Ellsbury’s seven-year, $153 million deal is on top of the list. Carl Pavano’s four-year pact for $40 million was a mistake. Ditto the five-year contract for $20 million for Kei Igawa that had an additional $26 million posting fee to the Hanshin Tigers.
On the other side is Tanaka.
In 164 games (163 starts), Tanaka is 75-43 with a 3.75 ERA as a Yankee and 5-3 with a 1.76 ERA in eight postseason starts.
Though Tanaka has never matched the 12-4 start, with a 2.51 ERA, to his Yankees career in 2014 that was interrupted by a small tear of the UCL in the right elbow that didn’t require surgery, he has been a very valuable part of the Yankees’ rotation, even with last year’s 11-9 record and 4.45 ERA in 32 games (31 starts). He also gave up 28 homers, which was his second-highest as a Yankee.
“He was tough to read last season,” an AL scout said of Tanaka, who relied more on the slider than the signature splitter. “He’s got a good track record even with that, so it’s not like he has to prove himself like some other guys do in similar positions, but it would be interesting to find out how much of what happened to him was because of the [tighter] ball.”
The smart money says Tanaka stays, but how he pitches and what the market looks like will speak louder.


newyorkpost--2020-06-26--NHL lottery leaves No. 1 pick to be decided in next drawing

So if the Rangers lose their qualifying round to the Hurricanes , they will have a 12.5 percent chance of selecting first overall in the NHL draft and bringing Rimouski left winger Alexis Lafreniere to Broadway .
Yes , folks , there will be a Phase 2 of the NHL draft lottery after Friday ’ s Phase 1 ended with a Qualifying Round Loser To Be Named Later having won the first-overall pick .
All eight qualifying-round losers will be entered in this second lottery that will be held between the end of the qualifiers and the first round of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ losers will have a 12.5 percent chance of winning the right to draft Lafreniere , who has separated himself from a very strong field .
The Red Wings , whose .275 win percentage was the worst in the NHL since the Thrashers ’ .238 in 1999-2000 , slipped to the fourth-overall slot .
The Senators , who had a 25 percent chance of claiming the top spot by virtue of also owning the Sharks ’ selection , will pick third and fifth .
The Kings , who had the league ’ s fourth-worst @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sabres , out of the playoffs for the ninth straight season , will draft eighth-overall .
The Rangers also will get the later of Carolina or Toronto ’ s first-rounder as the deadline return from the Hurricanes for Brady Skjei .
As for the Devils , they were bumped down one pick by the Unknown Team to seventh-overall with their own pick , so they might have at least an outside shot at Erie defenseman Jamie Drysdale .
The status of the conditional first-rounder New Jersey acquired from Arizona in the Taylor Hall @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Coyotes lose to Nashville in the qualifiers and become the Lucky Loser to claim first-overall , they would keep the pick and the Devils would instead receive Arizona ’ s first-rounder next year without condition .
The Islanders , too , are living in the land of the unknowing .
Their first-rounder is ticketed to Ottawa per the deadline deal for Jean-Gabriel Pageau — unless Lou Lamoriello ’ s squad loses to Florida and gets the first-overall .
In that case , the Islanders owe the Senators their first-rounder next season , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whether the NHL has a contingency plan for the lottery if the virus prohibits the completion of the qualifying round , assuming , of course , that the NHL and NHLPA reach an agreement on a Return to Play Package that would include a CBA extension .
The qualifiers are tentatively scheduled to commence on July 30 .
That is a mystery … as is Lafreniere ’ s destination , at least for another six or seven weeks .

So if the Rangers lose their qualifying round to the Hurricanes, they will have a 12.5 percent chance of selecting first overall in the NHL draft and bringing Rimouski left winger Alexis Lafreniere to Broadway.
Yes, folks, there will be a Phase 2 of the NHL draft lottery after Friday’s Phase 1 ended with a Qualifying Round Loser To Be Named Later having won the first-overall pick. All eight qualifying-round losers will be entered in this second lottery that will be held between the end of the qualifiers and the first round of the 16-team playoffs. Each of the losers will have a 12.5 percent chance of winning the right to draft Lafreniere, who has separated himself from a very strong field.
The Red Wings, whose .275 win percentage was the worst in the NHL since the Thrashers’ .238 in 1999-2000, slipped to the fourth-overall slot. The Senators, who had a 25 percent chance of claiming the top spot by virtue of also owning the Sharks’ selection, will pick third and fifth. The Kings, who had the league’s fourth-worst record, will choose second. The Sabres, out of the playoffs for the ninth straight season, will draft eighth-overall.
The Rangers also will get the later of Carolina or Toronto’s first-rounder as the deadline return from the Hurricanes for Brady Skjei.
As for the Devils, they were bumped down one pick by the Unknown Team to seventh-overall with their own pick, so they might have at least an outside shot at Erie defenseman Jamie Drysdale.
The status of the conditional first-rounder New Jersey acquired from Arizona in the Taylor Hall deal remains in suspended animation. If the Coyotes lose to Nashville in the qualifiers and become the Lucky Loser to claim first-overall, they would keep the pick and the Devils would instead receive Arizona’s first-rounder next year without condition.
The Islanders, too, are living in the land of the unknowing. Their first-rounder is ticketed to Ottawa per the deadline deal for Jean-Gabriel Pageau — unless Lou Lamoriello’s squad loses to Florida and gets the first-overall. In that case, the Islanders owe the Senators their first-rounder next season, also without condition.
It is unclear whether the NHL has a contingency plan for the lottery if the virus prohibits the completion of the qualifying round, assuming, of course, that the NHL and NHLPA reach an agreement on a Return to Play Package that would include a CBA extension. The qualifiers are tentatively scheduled to commence on July 30.
That is a mystery … as is Lafreniere’s destination, at least for another six or seven weeks.


newyorkpost--2020-06-27--NYC mom killed in trash-chute fall was buried in debt, her lawyers say

The woman who drunkenly fell to her death down her ...

The nasty divorce of a Manhattan mom and her wealthy husband is still playing out — nearly two years after she mysteriously plunged to her death down a trash chute.
Lawyers who represented Lara Prychodko, 48, in divorce proceedings are now seeking $321,629 plus interest and fees from David Schlachet, who they claim pocketed all the couple’s assets and hasn’t made good on her debts.
The money was in Prychokdo’s IRA account — her only asset when she died in July 2018 — and would go toward paying off her creditors, according to a lawsuit filed in Manhattan Supreme Court.
Schalchet did not return The Post’s request for comment.
Her attorneys maintain Schlachet illegally transferred the money to their son’s beneficiary account, which he administers.
“As a result of the IRA transfer, Ms. Prychodko’s estate has no meaningful assets to distribute to her creditors, and to date no distribution has been made,” according to court papers, which also allege Schlachet moved the money because he knew his wife owed “substantial attorneys’ fees” and wanted to “hinder, delay or defraud” her legal team.
Prychodko’s death was ruled an accident by police, but a private autopsy by Michael Baden, the city’s former chief medical examiner, suggested she may have been strangled before the 27-floor fall.
Prychodko had been laid off in 2013 from her job at WebMD — her boyfriend, Wayne Gattinella, was CEO until 2012 — and “had no meaningful income” other than the $4,375-a-month Schlachet had been ordered to pay her during their divorce proceedings, court papers allege.
Less than five months before her death, a judge also ordered Schlachet to fork over $30,000 in attorney fees as part of the divorce negotiations.


newyorkpost--2020-06-27--Bryson DeChambeau’s bid to overpower golf is a must-watch

CROMWELL , Conn. — Phil Mickelson ’ s attempt to become the first ...

CROMWELL, Conn. — If you’re wondering why I’m writing about Bryson DeChambeau again, I’ll tell you why: Because I can’t take my eyes off of him.
This isn’t a man-crush. It’s pure fascination. The guy is five hours of theater every time he tees it up now.
With due respect to Lee Majors, the 26-year-old DeChambeau has turned himself into a modern-day “$6 Million Man’’ (not including inflation).
He’s transformed his old self (which was pretty damned good considering his five PGA Tour victories from 2017-19) into this new, bulked-up being that looks like it can leap tall buildings in a single bound. With his biceps bulging through his sleeves, he’s Popeye in a golf shirt.
The new DeChambeau, with his 25 pounds of added muscle, has not yet won. But he’s vaulted himself front-and-center as one of the most entertaining stories in golf since the PGA Tour restarted its season three weeks ago at Colonial Country Club.
DeChambeau, whose added length off the tee made even Rory McIlroy, one of the longest hitters in the game, blush as he watched DeChambeau air-mail tee shots past his at the Charles Schwab Challenge.
DeChambeau finished tied for third at Colonial. Then he finished tied for eighth at the RBC Heritage last week at Hilton Head.
Now, as the Travelers Championship enters its final round Sunday at TPC River Highlands, DeChambeau is in contention to win yet again, having shot a 5-under 65 in Saturday’s third round to stand at 13-under.
That has him five shots behind leader Brendon Todd, whose 9-under 61 on Saturday got him to 18-under with a two-shot lead over Dustin Johnson.
It’s likely going to take a career round for DeChambeau to win Sunday. So, for the third consecutive week, for all of the progress he’s made, it’s likely DeChambeau again will go home without a trophy, the big check and bonus FedExCup points.
The previous two weeks, he let one round derail his chancing of winning. They both were Saturday 70s. He bettered that number by five shots Saturday, but believed it should have been considerably lower — just as he believed the previous two rounds should have been, too.
This is a central part of what draws you to DeChambeau: He wears his emotions so prominently on his sleeve that, when a shot doesn’t go exactly where his analytical brain was willing it to go, he looks utterly dumbfounded.
DeChambeau, who is a cumulative 44-under in the 11 rounds he has played since the PGA Tour restart, expects every shot to be perfect. And when it isn’t, his expression tells you he believes he’s been wronged.
“There were plenty of shots where I had these massive jumpers and I don’t understand them one bit,’’ DeChambeau said, sounding like a scientist who’s been left in the lab perplexed by an experiment gone sideways. “They come out randomly. Those are things that kind of dumbfound me, and that’s golf. If I could figure that out, I’d be that much closer to figuring out the game. That will never happen.’’
That, of course, won’t deter him in his pursuit of perfection.
“I’m right on the cusp of doing something really fun,’’ DeChambeau said, sounding stoked by the thought.
“Fun’’ equates to winning. But he insists he’s not obsessing on the result at the moment, rather on his path.
“I’m not even worried about that,’’ DeChambeau said. “That’s one of those things that when everything lines up and comes into play, that’ll take care of itself. What I have to do is imagine that I’m like the casino and just keep playing.’’
There will come a time, though, when not winning will wear on DeChambeau’s psyche. If that win doesn’t come Sunday, how long until it does? And, how long does DeChambeau stay sane without his hard work rewarded with a win or three?
“I think I already am feeling the rewards of it,’’ he said. “I’m plus-33 strokes gained off the tee since February 10th. That’s pretty good. Iron play has been good, putting has been decent. Chipping around the greens is something I need to improve on. I don’t feel like it’s that bad, it just isn’t great.’’
DeChambeau, though, believes “great’’ is waiting for him on the next tee box.
“I’ve had a chance to shoot 63 every single day out here and haven’t done it,’’ he said. “I think that’s in play [Sunday]. And if I go out and birdie the first couple holes and give myself a chance on [numbers] 3 and 4, it’s ‘Watch out.’ ’’
A common analogy DeChambeau has been using of late has been about “playing the casino.’’ Asked if he’s referring to himself as a player or the house, he said, “I’m definitely trying to be the house.’’
The house, of course, always wins.


newyorkpost--2020-06-27--What it was like growing up in Action Park, the world’s most dangerous theme park

Make him earn it .
By all means , provide Andrew Thomas ...

The Cannonball Loop was Gene Mulvihill’s white whale.
The enclosed water slide, which ended with a disorienting vertical loop, was — as Gene’s son Andy, 58, told The Post — “a ride to survive, not a ride for fun.”
That often seemed to be the case at Gene’s Action Park — a water park in Vernon, NJ, nicknamed “Traction Park” because of countless injuries incurred there.
Now, Andy tells his family’s wild story in “Action Park: Fast Times, Wild Rides and the Untold Story of Americas Most Dangerous Amusement Park” (Penguin Books), out Tuesday. The book offers an unvarnished history of the park, which was open from 1978 to 1996, as well as a portrait of his eccentric father — and an ode to a seatbelts-optional era.
“I grew up in an amusement park. There was a lot of funny stuff that happened,” said Andy.
He owns the claim to fame of being the first-ever human to try out the Cannonball Loop — after a homemade test dummy was decapitated. Andy emerged unscathed, thanks to the hockey equipment he wore. Park employees who followed him lost teeth and blood, but earned $100 from Gene, who was known to slip workers cash for giving the unproven ride a whirl.
“Like a pharmaceutical drug with serious side effects, the Loop’s human trials had not been encouraging,” Andy writes.
Gene spent years trying to get the slide safe enough for visitors. Workers tried shortening the loop and Gene even had a priest bless the ride. It finally opened in 1985 — only for state authorities to shut it down a month later.
Mulvihill had built Action Park as part of a ski resort he owned, hoping to make a buck in the offseason. The entrepreneur, who’d had a successful stint on Wall Street, didn’t simply want rides — he wanted adrenaline-pumping “sporting attractions” where park-goers could control and heighten the risk, at their own peril.
There was a skydiving simulator called the Aerodium, Battle Action Tanks where riders shot tennis balls at each other, and a Tarzan swing — with crowds jeering as people leapt into cold water
“There was all of this bravado at Action Park. It wasn’t just going on the ride, it was about showing off, competing,” said Andy.
All this, and beer was served, too. Not surprisingly, scrapes, bumps and bruises were frequent.
Some of the wackiest rides at New Jersey’s old Action Park
Previous 1 of 6 Next Advertisement CANNONBALL LOOP: This ride -- a water slide with a vertical loop, complete with an escape hatch for stuck riders -- was open for only a month before the state shut it down. Action Park ROLLIN' ON THE RIVER RIDE: According to Andy Mulvihill's new book, human clogs were not uncommon on the plunging raft adventure that employees referred to as "The Toilet Bowl." Action Park Advertisement ALPINE SLIDE: Skin-burning wipeouts were not uncommon on this downhill ride. Tragically, one park employee died when the sled jumped the track. Action Park BAILEY BALL: Meant to tumble 360 degrees down a mountain track, this ride never opened to the public after it fell apart while an employee was inside. Action Park Advertisement
Many were attributed to the Alpine Slide: Rudimentary sleds, controlled by joysticks, descended a 2,700-foot concrete track, often at warp speed.
“I had my fair share of wipeouts — you would get a bad burn,” Andy recalled. “The surface of the track scraped off your flesh.” On busy days, he added, the park could look like a leper colony.
And then there was the Bailey Ball: a giant plastic globe, covered in caster wheels, that tumbled downhill — with a human inside. It was built by Ken Bailey, who Andy said was a custodian at the park.
Mulvihill paid an employee named Frank $100 to test it. But the summer heat melted the glue that held together the PVC-pipe interior skeleton, sending the ball — and Frank — hurdling off the track and down the mountain, while a state inspector looked on in horror.
“The man in the ball was probably the most treacherous thing that ever happened. It rolled across a street!” says Andy. “We can laugh at it now because Frank only sprained his arm.” The Bailey Ball ultimately rolled into some woods, where it remained for some time.
Tragically, there were six deaths at the park, including drownings and an accident in which an employee hit his head after his Alpine Slide sled jumped the track.
The business started to unravel after Gene pleaded guilty to insurance fraud. Faced with mounting lawsuits and debt, he closed the park in 1996. Years later, Mountain Creek Waterpark — a much more family-friendly place — was opened on the Action Park grounds.
Gene passed away in 2012, but his renegade spirit lives on — especially with the announcement last week that Hulu is developing a comedy series based on Andy’s book, co-written by Jake Rossen.
As Andy said: “[Action Park] was Gene’s approach to life: individualism and the ability to express yourself and have fun.”


newyorkpost--2020-06-27--Giants gifting Andrew Thomas left tackle job would be mistake

The “ Pay Saquon Barkley ” bandwagon has a new passenger in ...

Make him earn it.
By all means, provide Andrew Thomas immediate access to compete for a starting job as a rookie. Anything short of Thomas lining up with the first team for the Giants on opening day will be a disappointment for the first-round pick.
Get Thomas ready to play, the sooner, the better, preferably Week 1 against the Steelers on “Monday Night Football’’ — if the NFL starts up as scheduled. Just make sure he embarks on his NFL career at right tackle, even though he was selected to be the left tackle of the future.
Something earned is always more meaningful than something given. If the Giants did not already have an incumbent left tackle, putting Thomas as the marquee spot on the offensive line makes some sense. After all, he spent the past two seasons at Georgia at left tackle after playing right tackle in his freshman year. His body type, long arms and wonderfully developed technique all scream “natural left tackle.’’ This ascension, though, can wait.
“Very solid kid, hungry kid, he doesn’t even feel like he’s arrived,’’ Shaun O’Hara, former Giants center and currently an NFL Network analyst, told The Post. “It’s good for a guy like him to come in and, ‘No, you’re not going to left tackle, you’re playing right tackle.’ You got to earn left tackle.’’
Nate Solder enters his 10th NFL season, and third with the Giants. He spent the past eight years starting at left tackle. It makes no sense to take a 32-year old veteran entrenched on the left side and move him to the right in order to accommodate a 21-year old. Solder needs to pick up the pace in order to resuscitate a career that took a large step backward in 2019 — when he again started all 16 games but in 1,011 snaps allowed 11 sacks, according to Pro Football Focus, ranking as the No. 45 offensive tackle in the league.
Solder late last season said, “I’ll do whatever it takes to be successful on this team’’ in response to making a move to right tackle. “If they ask me to spin a hula hoop around my head, I’ll do that.’’
Attitude and compliance is never an issue with Solder; performance is what the Giants need from him now.
Will Hernandez is entering his third NFL season, and what he gained playing alongside Solder for 32 games should continue, not be interrupted by moving Solder away. At least some of Solder’s struggles the past two years can be traced to helping Hernandez learn the ropes. The more they line up next to each other, the better, for both of them.
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Putting Thomas at right tackle allows him to break in next to Kevin Zeitler — a 30-year old, 330-pound block of granite. Zeitler is as steady as they come, and Thomas will benefit from all the veteran has to offer.
Ereck Flowers — despite severe deficiencies with his technique, especially the way he positioned and used his hands — started from Day 1 as a rookie in 2015, at left tackle. Flowers won the job in training camp, but in actuality there was no real competition. Flowers was in by default, ready or not.
“I hate bringing up his name because it brings back bad memories, but the worst thing to happen to Ereck Flowers is he started as a rookie at left tackle,’’ O’Hara said. “Once you start as a rookie, that first year you couldn’t tell him anything, because he had already played. That’s it. He wasn’t listening to anybody. It’s good you got a guy in Andrew Thomas that’s still hungry.’’
It is not where you start, it is where you finish. Hall of Famer Jonathan Ogden, the No. 4-overall draft pick in 1996, actually began his NFL career with the Ravens at left guard before moving to left tackle in his second season. Tyron Smith, the No. 9 pick in 2011, started at right tackle as a rookie — Jason Garrett, the Giants offensive coordinator, was Smith’s head coach with the Cowboys — before becoming a seven-time Pro Bowl left tackle.
First-year Giants coach Joe Judge said Thomas, and all the tackles, will compete on both sides.
“This is not the finish line, this is a starting point,’’ Judge said.
Former Giants guard Chris Snee, a member of the team’s Ring of Honor, scouted and studied Thomas in a former role as an offensive line analyst for the Jaguars.
“I like Thomas a lot,’’ Snee said. “The safest pick. Technically sound player, power, will fit in any scheme, he played in the toughest league. As far as technique goes, he is what you are looking for from the left tackle position.’’
Thomas will eventually make his way over to the left side. Good things come to those who wait.


newyorkpost--2020-06-27--The best star snaps of the week: Ciara, Demi Lovato and Ariana Grande

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Marisa Dellatto, Jesaca Lin, Donna Grace

BETTER TOGETHER In Miami, Jennifer Lopez and her children Max and Emme (front), 12, and Alex Rodriguez and his daughters Natasha, 15 (back left) and Ella, 12, take a selfie of their blended family on the beach.


newyorkpost--2020-06-27--Rangers prospect Nils Lundkvist signs deal with Swedish team

So Nils Lundkvist , the righty defenseman selected 28th-overall in the 2018 entry draft , won ’ t be available to the Rangers until either after Lulea ends its season in the Swedish League or the 2021 World Championships are completed if the 19-year-old is reserved for Team Sweden ’ s roster .
That is because Lundkvist , whose entry-level contract signing with the Blueshirts had been anticipated , instead signed a one-year extension to remain with Lulea on Saturday , perhaps influenced to a certain degree by uncertainty in the U.S. created by the pandemic .
Lundkvist had been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Blueshirts ’ depth chart behind Jacob Trouba , Adam Fox and Tony DeAngelo , assuming that DeAngelo — who will be a restricted free agent with arbitration rights this offseason — is not dealt .
The contract certainly could have included an assignment clause under which Lundkvist would have been loaned to Lulea rather than sent to AHL Hartford if he didn ’ t crack the NHL as a teenager .
All that might have been rendered moot , anyway , for the Swedish Hockey League seems set on opening next season on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not expected to start until late December , at the earliest .
So Lundkvist theoretically could have played the entire season ( plus playoffs ) in Sweden and joined the Blueshirts , say , in May , for the final weeks of the regular season plus the playoffs .
Not now , though , if he is reserved by Sweden for the World Hockey Championship .

So Nils Lundkvist, the righty defenseman selected 28th-overall in the 2018 entry draft, won’t be available to the Rangers until either after Lulea ends its season in the Swedish League or the 2021 World Championships are completed if the 19-year-old is reserved for Team Sweden’s roster.
That is because Lundkvist, whose entry-level contract signing with the Blueshirts had been anticipated, instead signed a one-year extension to remain with Lulea on Saturday, perhaps influenced to a certain degree by uncertainty in the U.S. created by the pandemic.
Lundkvist had been expected to line up fourth on the Blueshirts’ depth chart behind Jacob Trouba, Adam Fox and Tony DeAngelo, assuming that DeAngelo — who will be a restricted free agent with arbitration rights this offseason — is not dealt.
The contract certainly could have included an assignment clause under which Lundkvist would have been loaned to Lulea rather than sent to AHL Hartford if he didn’t crack the NHL as a teenager.
All that might have been rendered moot, anyway, for the Swedish Hockey League seems set on opening next season on schedule while the NHL 2020-21 season is not expected to start until late December, at the earliest. So Lundkvist theoretically could have played the entire season (plus playoffs) in Sweden and joined the Blueshirts, say, in May, for the final weeks of the regular season plus the playoffs.
Not now, though, if he is reserved by Sweden for the World Hockey Championship.


newyorkpost--2020-06-27--FDNY Marshals arrest 2 for having $4,500 worth of illegal fireworks

Two men were arrested in Manhattan Saturday for allegedly possessing a heap of illegal fireworks , the FDNY said .
The confiscated packages were emblazoned with names including “ American Badass ” and “ Uproar.
” Fire Marshals nabbed Anthony Quezada , 28 , and Hugo Figueroa , 30 , during an investigation into the aural mayhem that has plagued Gotham streets nightly this month .
Quezada and Figueroa are charged with reckless endangerment and the unlawful dealing of fireworks , the department said .
Photos released by the FDNY showed dozens of boxes of explosives in the back of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ valued at $ 4,500 , officials said .
Two men were arrested on Staten Island Tuesday for allegedly possessing a $ 6,000 trove of illegal fireworks , the FDNY said .
Disgusted drivers honked their car horns near Gracie Mansion Monday night to send Mayor Bill de Blasio a message regarding the pyrotechnic outlaws .
The following day , the mayor announced the formation of a task force — that doesn ’ t target the pyromaniacs — but focuses on suppliers and distributors of fireworks .
A whopping 8,967 gripes about the fiery @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s 311 system from June 1 through June 21 , compared to just 28 recorded the previous year .
The FDNY urges all New Yorkers to call 311 to anonymously report the use , delivery or sale of fireworks .
If you see something dangerous , call 911 .

Two men were arrested in Manhattan Saturday for allegedly possessing a heap of illegal fireworks, the FDNY said.
The confiscated packages were emblazoned with names including “American Badass” and “Uproar.”
Fire Marshals nabbed Anthony Quezada, 28, and Hugo Figueroa, 30, during an investigation into the aural mayhem that has plagued Gotham streets nightly this month.
Quezada and Figueroa are charged with reckless endangerment and the unlawful dealing of fireworks, the department said.
Photos released by the FDNY showed dozens of boxes of explosives in the back of a vehicle. The cache was apparently valued at $4,500, officials said.
Two men were arrested on Staten Island Tuesday for allegedly possessing a $6,000 trove of illegal fireworks, the FDNY said.
Disgusted drivers honked their car horns near Gracie Mansion Monday night to send Mayor Bill de Blasio a message regarding the pyrotechnic outlaws.
The following day, the mayor announced the formation of a task force — that doesn’t target the pyromaniacs — but focuses on suppliers and distributors of fireworks.
A whopping 8,967 gripes about the fiery racket were reported to the city’s 311 system from June 1 through June 21, compared to just 28 recorded the previous year.
The FDNY urges all New Yorkers to call 311 to anonymously report the use, delivery or sale of fireworks. If you see something dangerous, call 911.


newyorkpost--2020-06-27--NWSL teams kneel during national anthem

NWSL teams kneel during national anthem

Players for the Portland Thorns and the North Carolina Courage knelt during the national anthem Saturday when the National Women ’ s Soccer League opened the Challenge Cup tournament in Utah .
The players and coaches wore Black Lives Matter T-shirts in warmups before the game , which was nationally televised on CBS .
The players also knelt during a moment of silence before kickoff .
“ We took a knee today to protest racial injustice , police brutality and systemic racism against Black people and people of color in America .
We love our country and we have taken @ @ @ @ @ @ @ higher standard .
It is our duty to demand that the liberties and freedoms this nation was founded upon are extended to everyone , ” the Thorns and Courage said in a joint statement released before the game .
The league said Friday that it would play the national anthem before the Challenge Cup games and that it would support the players in whatever they chose to do .
The NWSL is the first professional team sport in the United States to return amid the coronavirus outbreak .
The monthlong Challenge Cup opened @ @ @ @ @ @ @ without fans at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman , Utah .
The Courage defeated the Thorns 2-1 in Saturday ’ s opening match .
The Chicago Red Stars play the Washington Spirit in the late game .
“ Today , hopefully , it was a powerful statement , ” Courage midfielder Sam Mewis said .
“ It was an emotional time and I hope that both teams ’ message comes through clearly.
” Thorns defender Becky Sauerbrunn said : “ The ( players ’ association ) has been about collaborating with teams on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sustain the conversation around racial injustice in this country .
“ We made a strong statement and we wanted to kind of maintain that momentum that has been happening and to show official commitment to the cause , ” she added .
Megan Rapinoe , who plays for OL Reign but opted out of the Challenge Cup , was criticized when she knelt at an NWSL game and a pair of U.S. national team games in 2016 .
She said she wanted to express solidarity with former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anthem to bring attention to racial inequality .
In response , U.S. Soccer adopted a rule that required players to stand .
But that rule was repealed earlier this month amid nationwide protests over the death of George Floyd and racial inequity .
Rapinoe voiced her support for the NWSL players Saturday on social media : “ You love to see these women using their voice , demanding better for America , and for black people and people of color.
” Mewis said the teams plan to keep calling attention to racial injustice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ keep this momentum and keep the attention on the Black Lives Matter movement throughout this tournament , ” she said .

Players for the Portland Thorns and the North Carolina Courage knelt during the national anthem Saturday when the National Women’s Soccer League opened the Challenge Cup tournament in Utah.
The players and coaches wore Black Lives Matter T-shirts in warmups before the game, which was nationally televised on CBS. The players also knelt during a moment of silence before kickoff.
“We took a knee today to protest racial injustice, police brutality and systemic racism against Black people and people of color in America. We love our country and we have taken this opportunity to hold it to a higher standard. It is our duty to demand that the liberties and freedoms this nation was founded upon are extended to everyone,” the Thorns and Courage said in a joint statement released before the game.
The league said Friday that it would play the national anthem before the Challenge Cup games and that it would support the players in whatever they chose to do.
The NWSL is the first professional team sport in the United States to return amid the coronavirus outbreak. The monthlong Challenge Cup opened Saturday with a pair of games played without fans at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman, Utah.
The Courage defeated the Thorns 2-1 in Saturday’s opening match. The Chicago Red Stars play the Washington Spirit in the late game.
“Today, hopefully, it was a powerful statement,” Courage midfielder Sam Mewis said. “It was an emotional time and I hope that both teams’ message comes through clearly.”
Thorns defender Becky Sauerbrunn said: “The (players’ association) has been about collaborating with teams on what we can do to maintain and sustain the conversation around racial injustice in this country.
“We made a strong statement and we wanted to kind of maintain that momentum that has been happening and to show official commitment to the cause,” she added.
Megan Rapinoe, who plays for OL Reign but opted out of the Challenge Cup, was criticized when she knelt at an NWSL game and a pair of U.S. national team games in 2016. She said she wanted to express solidarity with former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who took a knee during the anthem to bring attention to racial inequality.
In response, U.S. Soccer adopted a rule that required players to stand. But that rule was repealed earlier this month amid nationwide protests over the death of George Floyd and racial inequity.
Rapinoe voiced her support for the NWSL players Saturday on social media: “You love to see these women using their voice, demanding better for America, and for black people and people of color.”
Mewis said the teams plan to keep calling attention to racial injustice.
“I think we want to keep this momentum and keep the attention on the Black Lives Matter movement throughout this tournament,” she said.


newyorkpost--2020-06-27--The statue-smashers are assaulting democracy and civilization

President Trump on Friday signed an executive order that he ...

“Every record has been destroyed or falsified, every book rewritten, every picture has been repainted, every statue and street building has been renamed, every date has been altered. And the process is continuing day by day and minute by minute. History has stopped.”
Rarely has that passage from George Orwell’s “1984” seemed more apt.
Protests that initially focused on George Floyd’s death at the hands of Minneapolis police have spun into attacks on “systemic racism” — which often boils down to an assault on America itself, as the statue-smashers move beyond Confederate monuments to pretty much everything.
Marching for a cause is a time-honored form of peaceful protest. But spray-painting monuments is simply vandalism — and toppling statues is mob rule. And these mobs are increasingly mindless.
In San Francisco, they toppled a statue of Ulysses S. Grant — who defeated the South as the Union’s best general and then as president pushed through the Fifteenth Amendment, enforced Reconstruction, signed the first-of-its-kind Civil Rights Act of 1875 and prosecuted the Ku Klux Klan.
In Whittier, Calif., vandals tagged a statute of John Greenleaf Whittier, the city’s namesake and a poet who dedicated his life to the anti-slavery cause, with “BLM” and “F - - k Slave Owners.”
In Philadelphia, they defaced the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier of the American Revolution with the words “committed genocide.” In Portland, Ore., mobs brought down statues of George Washington and Thomas Jefferson.
The Army deployed 400 National Guard in Washington, DC, after another mob targeted the statue of Andrew Jackson near the White House.
Radicals there also vow to remove a monument to Abraham Lincoln that includes a freed slave. Freed slaves raised all the funds for the monument, whose dedication was attended by Grant and Frederick Douglass.
In Madison, Wisc., a mob of 200-plus got a towing vehicle and tore down two monuments on the statehouse grounds. They beheaded the statue of Hans Christian Heg — a Norwegian immigrant who led a militia that went after slave catchers, and was later killed as a colonel in the Union Army in the 1863 Battle of Chickamauga.
The vandals also pulled down “Forward,” an allegorical statue of a woman clutching an American flag dedicated to the progress of women by its female sculptor — with some “explaining” that the state isn’t really moving forward.
These mobs aren’t trying to effect change; they’re flaunting their power. And their violence is growing: The Madison “protesters” kicked and punched state Sen. Tim Carpenter after he photographed their actions. “Sad thing I’m on their side for peaceful demonstrations — am a Gay Progressive Dem Senator served 36 years in the legislature,” he lamented.
But many progressives are cheering them on. When a Post article tied the riots to her 1619 Project, The New York Times’ Nikole Hannah-Jones called it “an honor.” Of course, she has ignored the extensive debunking of her claims by America’s top historians — and gotten away with it, even winning a Pulitzer. She promotes lies, so of course she cheers ignorant vandals.
Few on the left, no matter their past defenses of free speech and toleration, dare speak out against mob action — for fear, perhaps, of becoming the mob’s next target, or at least of getting fired after a social-media assault. At best, they’re hoping these passions burn out or are bought off with the sacrifice of the odd Teddy Roosevelt statue.
The real lesson of history, though, is that appeasing the mob only inspires it to look for more to destroy. We’re still a long way from “1984″ but getting closer.


newyorkpost--2020-06-27--Yankees and Mets with most on line in 2020 MLB season: Sherman

If it all goes well , then Opening Day for Major ...

Clint Frazier would have received a shot, and really, when it comes to his life as a Yankee, what more could he have asked for?
The outfielding Aarons, Hicks and Judge, were going to be out months if the 2020 season had started on time, and Giancarlo Stanton likely would have begun the year on the injured list as well. The Yankees were looking at a regular outfield to begin the season of Frazier, Brett Gardner and Mike Tauchman, with Miguel Andujar thrown in if he had proven capable of adjusting away from third base.
Frazier could have forced the Yanks to start him more even as healthy players returned. He could have re-established his value to become more desirable in a trade so he could liberate himself from New York’s bat glut and truly start his career.
Now, Yankees camp will open Wednesday with Hicks and Stanton expected to be full goes and Judge trending toward being ready for the 60-game sprint. All three are fragile — then again, so is Frazier. At this moment, Frazier’s path is blocked not just for starting time, but backup play. The Yanks will have an outfield/DH overflow with Gardner, Hicks, Judge, Stanton, Tauchman, Andujar, Mike Ford and Luke Voit.
Frazier doesn’t play first or third (like Andujar) and, thus, even with 30-man rosters for the first few weeks, the righty might not even make the team. Three months ago — especially because he was hitting so well in the exhibition season — a case could have been made that for no Yankee (perhaps no New York player) was starting well more vital. Now, he is looking at being on a taxi squad earning no major league at-bats or service time.
With just 60 games (if MLB is fortunate), the start of the season is kind of the season. So who is it most important for in New York?
1. Yoenis Cespedes: If the season broke wrong for Frazier, it has broken ideally for Cespedes. He would not have started a standard season healthy. Now, he is a full go and the NL will have the DH. Perhaps, having made $130 million-plus, he will not find motivation. But he actually now has a chance to demonstrate worth for 2021 if he can still be an impact hitter. It will be fascinating to see what he has after so much time away.
2. James Paxton: See Cespedes. He would not have started the season healthy with free agency looming. With the financial hit on the industry this season, teams are expecting that the upcoming market is going to be tougher for even a great player such as Mookie Betts. Can the fragile Paxton stay healthy for 12 starts (plus postseason if the Yanks get there) to improve his value? Masahiro Tanaka and likely J.A. Happ also will be free agents out of the Yankees’ rotation.
3. Brodie Van Wagenen: There is a strong sense that a new owner is coming for the Mets. Will he want to keep his inherited GM? Luis Rojas has yet to manage a game and would be on the clock too in this scenario.
4. Gerrit Cole: He has a much smaller window to make a strong first impression. The Yanks’ magic number to win the AL East dwindles with 12 elite starts from Cole.
5. Edwin Diaz: In a 60-game season, each game is equivalent of roughly 2.7 games of a normal schedule. So imagine blowing one of them when you already are starting so far behind with the fan base. Empty stadiums will eliminate the booing, not the pressure.
6. DJ LeMahieu: The industry did not fully understand his value out of Colorado after the 2018 season, and he wound up with a two-year, $24 million pact. He was looking at way more than that after this season in a pandemic-free world. Now?
7. Jacob deGrom: Due to a late start in his career age-wise, deGrom’s Hall of Fame chances are not going to be about accumulation. He essentially needs six more seasons as good as his first six. A third straight Cy Young would be huge. Here is my favorite scenario: He does that by going 12-0 this year, giving him more wins in a 60-game season than in either of his two Cy Young campaigns.
8. Gary Sanchez: Through 60 games last year he was tied for the AL home run lead. But he has been on the injured list four times in the past two seasons, all for lower-body problems. The Yanks do not have the steady comfort of Austin Romine as his backup any longer. Can Kyle Higashioka handle the workload if Sanchez misses time? Missing, for example, 15 games now is 25 percent of the season. Will he ever prove to be a sturdy, steady excellent performer?
9. Marcus Stroman: Another guy who is going to have to find his way in the upcoming tighter free-agent market, like teammates Rick Porcello and Michael Wacha. Stroman and Paxton could be looking at the same suitors. Their past three years: Stroman has a 3.65 ERA and 10 Wins Above Replacement, Paxton is 3.54 and 9.3. Who handles the shortened season better?
10. Deivi Garcia: For the Yankees, put Mike King, Jonathan Loaisiga and Clarke Schmidt into this as well. The Yanks are unlikely to bring back all from Happ, Paxton and Tanaka next year (if I were a betting man, I’d go with Tanaka as the most probable return). They will be looking for cheap rotation alternatives to join Cole, and the Yanks are hoping for a combination of Domingo German, Jordan Montgomery and Luis Severino. Who from the Yanks’ group of interesting young arms receive innings and make the most of it to prove they belong for 2021?


newyorkpost--2020-06-27--Stream It Or Skip It: ‘Doctor Sleep’ on HBO, in Which a Sequel We Didn’t Need Becomes a Sequel We Ne

Stream It Or Skip It: ‘Doctor Sleep’ on HBO, in Which a Sequel We Didn’t Need Becomes a Sequel We Need to See

Now on HBO , Doctor Sleep Director ’ s Cut offers nearly 30 minutes of material not in the theatrical version , clocking in at a hair over three hours .
If that isn ’ t tough enough to swallow , it ’ s a sequel to The Shining , one of the most terrifying films ever made ; the only person who doesn ’ t like it is Stephen King , who wrote the novel and rightly finds it impossible to divorce himself from his perspective .
He also wrote the novel Doctor Sleep , which was probably more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ classic film .
So was horror director Mike Flanagan ’ s task of adapting King ’ s sequel a worthy one , or is it just doomed to forever pale in comparison ?
DOCTOR SLEEP ( DIRECTOR ’ S CUT ) : STREAM IT OR SKIP IT ?
The Gist : Never forget : Danny Torrance ’ s father tried to kill him and his mother .
He didn ’ t speak for a long time after that traumatic incident at the Overlook Hotel , when he also learned he was telepathic — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as they say .
Thirty years later , Danny is now just Dan ( Ewan McGregor ) , an alcoholic at rock bottom .
After a bar fight and a disheartening one-night-stand , he steals a few bucks from his overnight host and buys a bus ticket to wherever it ’ ll take him .
He ends up in Frazier , New Hampshire , far from the Overlook ’ s snowy Colorado locale ; far from Florida where his mother continued to raise him but could never really look him in the eye @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , drunken father and the things that haunted them in the hotel .
Fresh off the bus , he ’ s approached by Billy ( Cliff Curtis ) , a kind man who recognizes the face of a fellow addict .
Billy finds Dan a place to stay , brings him to an AA meeting and gets a job mopping floors in a hospice , where Dan is nicknamed Doctor Sleep by a dying man comforted by Dan ’ s soothing voice inside his head .
Jump forward another eight years , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ keeping the Overlook ’ s ghosts locked in boxes in his mind ( and that ’ s perhaps more literal than you think ) .
Elsewhere .
A group of sinister Near Darkish nomads encircle a little girl with the intent to abduct and , we soon learn , consume her .
They ’ re known as the True Knot , led by Rose ( Rebecca Ferguson of the last two Mission : Impossibles ) , a confidently evil hippie-witch who wears the hell out of a Babadook hat and knows the key @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” or breath , of dying children with the shine .
They travel the country , hunting telepathic kids to satiate their eternal hunger and prolong their lives .
Elsewhere again .
Kyliegh Curran plays Abra — as in “ cadabra ” — who ’ s been frightening her parents since she was five , remotely playing the piano from the floor above .
Now she ’ s 13 , and sensing other psychically gifted kids across the country and , most notably , detecting when Rose and co. take another victim @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the ether , her communications manifesting on his chalkboard .
Rose senses Abra is more powerful than most .
Danger is nigh .
Danny tells Abra to be safe and not use her gifts , as he did for so long .
It ’ s bad advice , because the Knot must be stopped .
And was there ever any doubt we ’ d go back to the Outlook before this plot reaches its end ?
What Movies Will It Remind You Of ?
: In the realm of probably unnecessary high-profile sequels @ @ @ @ @ @ @ between the middling 2010 : The Year We Make Contact and near-neo-classic Blade Runner 2049 .
Performance Worth Watching : It ’ s fair to say the chill in the air of Doctor Sleep would be considerably mitigated without Ferguson ’ s charismatic cocky-nasty characterization of Rose .
Memorable Dialogue : “ We ’ re all dying .
The world is one big hospice with fresh air.
” — adult Dan Torrance ’ s realist/fatalist worldview Sex and Skin : It ’ s not too much of a spoiler to say we ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ via the old desiccated bathtub woman .
Our Take : Disclosure : I ’ ve only seen the director ’ s cut of Doctor Sleep .
Full disclosure : I consider The Shining one of the greatest films ever made .
Fuller disclosure : I ’ m among the portion of moviegoers who reluctantly sat watching a nearly indefensible sequel to a perfect film , my arms crossed , scowling , waiting to be impressed by the guy who directed Ouija : Origin of Evil .
Fullest disclosure : I ’ m big @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unwarranted cynicism .
Doctor Sleep Director ’ s Cut is shockingly good , rich with psychological depth , meaningful characters , an exquisitely modulated tone and a few moments of riveting terror .
Its callbacks to The Shining range from casting Jack Nicholson and Shelley Duvall lookalikes to restaging archetypal scenes and bringing back iconic ghosts to stand on That Carpet — all the type of stuff that should inspire diehards to burn it down like the Wicker Man .
But crucially , Doctor Sleep doesn ’ t lean on that stuff , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at an unwieldy three hours , the film is engrossing and consistent , a tight weave of three storylines — the Knot , Abra and Dan — into a narrative that ’ s ruminating and propulsive exactly when it needs to be , and studded with sequences of memorably disturbing horror .
It doesn ’ t just make you yearn for the original ; it very remarkably , very nearly stands on its own .
Our Call : STREAM IT .
Doctor Sleep ‘ s deep psychological metaphors and thoughtful subtext — about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allow them to help you bear your burdens — more than make up for its attempts to reanimate the old demons we love so very much because they ’ re so very scary .
John Serba is a freelance writer and film critic based in Grand Rapids , Michigan .
Read more of his work at johnserbaatlarge.com or follow him on Twitter : @ johnserba .

Now on HBO, Doctor Sleep Director’s Cut offers nearly 30 minutes of material not in the theatrical version, clocking in at a hair over three hours. If that isn’t tough enough to swallow, it’s a sequel to The Shining, one of the most terrifying films ever made; the only person who doesn’t like it is Stephen King, who wrote the novel and rightly finds it impossible to divorce himself from his perspective. He also wrote the novel Doctor Sleep, which was probably more justifiable than a sequel to a hands-down classic film. So was horror director Mike Flanagan’s task of adapting King’s sequel a worthy one, or is it just doomed to forever pale in comparison?
DOCTOR SLEEP (DIRECTOR’S CUT): STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?
The Gist: Never forget: Danny Torrance’s father tried to kill him and his mother. He didn’t speak for a long time after that traumatic incident at the Overlook Hotel, when he also learned he was telepathic — he has “the shining,” as they say. Thirty years later, Danny is now just Dan (Ewan McGregor), an alcoholic at rock bottom. After a bar fight and a disheartening one-night-stand, he steals a few bucks from his overnight host and buys a bus ticket to wherever it’ll take him.
He ends up in Frazier, New Hampshire, far from the Overlook’s snowy Colorado locale; far from Florida where his mother continued to raise him but could never really look him in the eye again; but forever near his crazed, drunken father and the things that haunted them in the hotel. Fresh off the bus, he’s approached by Billy (Cliff Curtis), a kind man who recognizes the face of a fellow addict. Billy finds Dan a place to stay, brings him to an AA meeting and gets a job mopping floors in a hospice, where Dan is nicknamed Doctor Sleep by a dying man comforted by Dan’s soothing voice inside his head. Jump forward another eight years, and Dan’s clean and together, keeping the Overlook’s ghosts locked in boxes in his mind (and that’s perhaps more literal than you think).
Elsewhere. A group of sinister Near Darkish nomads encircle a little girl with the intent to abduct and, we soon learn, consume her. They’re known as the True Knot, led by Rose (Rebecca Ferguson of the last two Mission: Impossibles), a confidently evil hippie-witch who wears the hell out of a Babadook hat and knows the key to immortality: inhaling the “steam,” or breath, of dying children with the shine. They travel the country, hunting telepathic kids to satiate their eternal hunger and prolong their lives.
Elsewhere again. Kyliegh Curran plays Abra — as in “cadabra” — who’s been frightening her parents since she was five, remotely playing the piano from the floor above. Now she’s 13, and sensing other psychically gifted kids across the country and, most notably, detecting when Rose and co. take another victim. She reaches out to Dan through the ether, her communications manifesting on his chalkboard. Rose senses Abra is more powerful than most. Danger is nigh. Danny tells Abra to be safe and not use her gifts, as he did for so long. It’s bad advice, because the Knot must be stopped. And was there ever any doubt we’d go back to the Outlook before this plot reaches its end?
What Movies Will It Remind You Of?: In the realm of probably unnecessary high-profile sequels to classic movies, Doctor Sleep exists between the middling 2010: The Year We Make Contact and near-neo-classic Blade Runner 2049.
Performance Worth Watching: It’s fair to say the chill in the air of Doctor Sleep would be considerably mitigated without Ferguson’s charismatic cocky-nasty characterization of Rose.
Memorable Dialogue: “We’re all dying. The world is one big hospice with fresh air.” — adult Dan Torrance’s realist/fatalist worldview
Sex and Skin: It’s not too much of a spoiler to say we’re privy to further full frontal bleccch via the old desiccated bathtub woman.
Our Take: Disclosure: I’ve only seen the director’s cut of Doctor Sleep. Full disclosure: I consider The Shining one of the greatest films ever made. Fuller disclosure: I’m among the portion of moviegoers who reluctantly sat watching a nearly indefensible sequel to a perfect film, my arms crossed, scowling, waiting to be impressed by the guy who directed Ouija: Origin of Evil.
Fullest disclosure: I’m big enough to admit to the crime of unwarranted cynicism. Doctor Sleep Director’s Cut is shockingly good, rich with psychological depth, meaningful characters, an exquisitely modulated tone and a few moments of riveting terror. Its callbacks to The Shining range from casting Jack Nicholson and Shelley Duvall lookalikes to restaging archetypal scenes and bringing back iconic ghosts to stand on That Carpet — all the type of stuff that should inspire diehards to burn it down like the Wicker Man.
But crucially, Doctor Sleep doesn’t lean on that stuff, at least not too heavily. Even at an unwieldy three hours, the film is engrossing and consistent, a tight weave of three storylines — the Knot, Abra and Dan — into a narrative that’s ruminating and propulsive exactly when it needs to be, and studded with sequences of memorably disturbing horror. It doesn’t just make you yearn for the original; it very remarkably, very nearly stands on its own.
Our Call: STREAM IT. Doctor Sleep‘s deep psychological metaphors and thoughtful subtext — about the human need to embrace others and allow them to help you bear your burdens — more than make up for its attempts to reanimate the old demons we love so very much because they’re so very scary.
John Serba is a freelance writer and film critic based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Read more of his work at johnserbaatlarge.com or follow him on Twitter: @johnserba.
Stream Doctor Sleep (Director's Cut) on HBO


newyorkpost--2020-06-27--Liverpool slams fire-setting, out-of-control fan celebrations: ‘Wholly unacceptable’

Liverpool fans had to wait 30 years for an English Premier League title and they seem to have gotten carried away .
The championship was followed by two nights of raucous celebrations that included fireworks and flares and ignoring social distancing regulations .
It has gotten so bad , the team condemned the acts .
There was even a fire that had to be put out .
“ Throughout the last week , we have worked together to consistently remind people that the region is still disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and ask people to celebrate LFC ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Liverpool Football Club , in conjunction with Merseyside Police , Liverpool City Council and Spirit of Shankly supporters group , said in a statement .
“ Several thousand people turned up at the Pier Head on Friday June 26 and some chose to ignore the social distancing guidance and risk public safety .
Our city is still in a public health crisis and this behavior is wholly unacceptable.
” The United Kingdom has been hardest by the novel coronavirus pandemic and the team doesn ’ t want to see its fans creating further @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it clear this week that if people continue to ignore guidelines around mass gatherings , whether they be at beaches or beauty spots , or for celebrations like we saw last night and the night before in Liverpool , then they have the ability to close down public spaces and will close areas if necessary , ” the team said .
“ We all understand that fans want to celebrate , but now is not the time .
We need to get through this first , and know that it is safe , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Liverpool fans had to wait 30 years for an English Premier League title and they seem to have gotten carried away .
The championship was followed by two nights of raucous celebrations that included fireworks and flares and ignoring social distancing regulations .
It has gotten so bad , the team condemned the acts .
There was even a small fire that had to be put out .
On Friday night , Merseyside Police issued a dispersal order for Liverpool city center .
This allowed police to disperse crowds who gathered on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Liver Building caught fire amid the wild celebrations despite the coronavirus pandemic .
Videos circulating on social media showed a firework hitting the distinctive building , which is partly owned by Everton majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri .
“ Throughout the last week , we have worked together to consistently remind people that the region is still disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and ask people to celebrate LFC ’ s Premier League title win safely , ” Liverpool Football Club , in conjunction with Merseyside Police , Liverpool City Council and Spirit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a statement .
“ Several thousand people turned up at the Pier Head on Friday June 26 and some chose to ignore the social distancing guidance and risk public safety .
Our city is still in a public health crisis and this behavior is wholly unacceptable.
” The United Kingdom has been hardest by the novel coronavirus pandemic , and the team doesn ’ t want to see its fans creating further problems .
“ The government has made it clear this week that if people continue to ignore guidelines around mass gatherings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ beauty spots , or for celebrations like we saw last night and the night before in Liverpool , then they have the ability to close down public spaces and will close areas if necessary , ” the team said .
“ We all understand that fans want to celebrate , but now is not the time .
We need to get through this first , and know that it is safe , before any victory parade can go ahead.
” On Friday night , four fire engines were sent to the Liver Building @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a balcony , a Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service spokeswoman said .
The floor of the balcony was damaged .
Merseyside Police Assistant Chief Constable Jon Roy said two officers needed medical treatment for injuries to their backs after bottles were thrown at them as they went to help an assault victim in a crowd of supporters at the Pier Head .
He said later a group of about 100 people threw glasses and bottles at riot police as they tried to stop them committing acts of disorder in the city center .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of really violent , absolutely unacceptable , incidents of violence and disorder throughout the city center.
” Fifteen people have been arrested for public order offences and one man was arrested on suspicion of assault , he said .

Liverpool fans had to wait 30 years for an English Premier League title and they seem to have gotten carried away.
The championship was followed by two nights of raucous celebrations that included fireworks and flares and ignoring social distancing regulations. It has gotten so bad, the team condemned the acts. There was even a fire that had to be put out.
“Throughout the last week, we have worked together to consistently remind people that the region is still disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and ask people to celebrate LFC’s Premier League title win safely,” Liverpool Football Club, in conjunction with Merseyside Police, Liverpool City Council and Spirit of Shankly supporters group, said in a statement. “Several thousand people turned up at the Pier Head on Friday June 26 and some chose to ignore the social distancing guidance and risk public safety. Our city is still in a public health crisis and this behavior is wholly unacceptable.”
The United Kingdom has been hardest by the novel coronavirus pandemic and the team doesn’t want to see its fans creating further problems.
“The government has made it clear this week that if people continue to ignore guidelines around mass gatherings, whether they be at beaches or beauty spots, or for celebrations like we saw last night and the night before in Liverpool, then they have the ability to close down public spaces and will close areas if necessary,” the team said. “We all understand that fans want to celebrate, but now is not the time. We need to get through this first, and know that it is safe, before any victory parade can go ahead.”Liverpool fans had to wait 30 years for an English Premier League title and they seem to have gotten carried away.
The championship was followed by two nights of raucous celebrations that included fireworks and flares and ignoring social distancing regulations. It has gotten so bad, the team condemned the acts. There was even a small fire that had to be put out.
On Friday night, Merseyside Police issued a dispersal order for Liverpool city center. This allowed police to disperse crowds who gathered on the Pier Head, after part of the Liver Building caught fire amid the wild celebrations despite the coronavirus pandemic. Videos circulating on social media showed a firework hitting the distinctive building, which is partly owned by Everton majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri.
“Throughout the last week, we have worked together to consistently remind people that the region is still disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and ask people to celebrate LFC’s Premier League title win safely,” Liverpool Football Club, in conjunction with Merseyside Police, Liverpool City Council and Spirit of Shankly supporters group, said in a statement. “Several thousand people turned up at the Pier Head on Friday June 26 and some chose to ignore the social distancing guidance and risk public safety. Our city is still in a public health crisis and this behavior is wholly unacceptable.”
The United Kingdom has been hardest by the novel coronavirus pandemic, and the team doesn’t want to see its fans creating further problems.
“The government has made it clear this week that if people continue to ignore guidelines around mass gatherings, whether they be at beaches or beauty spots, or for celebrations like we saw last night and the night before in Liverpool, then they have the ability to close down public spaces and will close areas if necessary,” the team said. “We all understand that fans want to celebrate, but now is not the time. We need to get through this first, and know that it is safe, before any victory parade can go ahead.”
On Friday night, four fire engines were sent to the Liver Building, where they extinguished a blaze on a balcony, a Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service spokeswoman said. The floor of the balcony was damaged.
Merseyside Police Assistant Chief Constable Jon Roy said two officers needed medical treatment for injuries to their backs after bottles were thrown at them as they went to help an assault victim in a crowd of supporters at the Pier Head.
He said later a group of about 100 people threw glasses and bottles at riot police as they tried to stop them committing acts of disorder in the city center. Roy said there was “a number of really violent, absolutely unacceptable, incidents of violence and disorder throughout the city center.”
Fifteen people have been arrested for public order offences and one man was arrested on suspicion of assault, he said.
— with AP


newyorkpost--2020-06-27--Disgraced Riverside Church ‘sex toy’ pastor Amy Butler turns up in D.C.

Disgraced Riverside Church Rev .
Dr. Amy Butler has taken her sex toys to Washington , DC , according to @ @ @ @ @ elusive ousted cleric known to her flock as Pastor Amy has resurfaced at tiny scandal-scarred @ @ @ @ @ “ I am excited to share the news that I ’ ll be leading the @ @ @ @ @ Church through their interim period , ” the minister posted to Instagram .
“ During @ @ @ @ @ pain and unrest in our country , National City is poised to speak up and @ @ @ @ @ , The Post revealed the 49-year-old exited her job amid complaints she brought two assistant @ @ @ @ @ a sex toy-shopping spree in Minneapolis , and then gave one of them an unwanted @ @ @ @ @ Butler could not be reached for comment .

Disgraced Riverside Church Rev. Dr. Amy Butler has taken her sex toys to Washington, DC, according to her social media.
The elusive ousted cleric known to her flock as Pastor Amy has resurfaced at tiny scandal-scarred National City Christian Church.
“I am excited to share the news that I’ll be leading the community at National City Christian Church through their interim period,” the minister posted to Instagram.
“During this difficult time of extreme pain and unrest in our country, National City is poised to speak up and speak out.”
Last July, The Post revealed the 49-year-old exited her job amid complaints she brought two assistant ministers and a congregant on a sex toy-shopping spree in Minneapolis, and then gave one of them an unwanted vibrator as a gift.
Butler could not be reached for comment.


newyorkpost--2020-06-27--Uncle of dead North Carolina girl says alleged killer targeted wrong car

An uncle of a 7-year-old North Carolina girl who was fatally shot thinks her alleged killer — released from jail just three hours before — targeted the wrong vehicle .
Shaquille Marshon Francis , 26 , is accused of firing the shot that struck Aaliyah Norris in the head Tuesday as she sat in a car in Forest City .
“ Today my niece Aaliyah Grace Norris was shot and is in critical condition in Spartanburg hospital .
This is something that ￼has broke my heart because they shot into the wrong car , ” LJ Miller wrote on Facebook @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He shot at the wrong car , it was a car that ’ s was full of kids .
Now look a sweet beautiful little girl that done nothing wrong got shot because of stupid people with guns.
” “ A case of mistaken identity has cost an innocent child her life.. it has cost a mother her child , a grandfather his princess , a little girl and a little boy their sister.. a father his daughter.. Aunts and uncles their Niece.. a case of mistaken identity has caused a war , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Aaliyah died Thursday , two days after the shooting .
Community members tipped off police that Francis , of Forest City , was the suspect .
He was arrested Wednesday .
Francis had been released from jail just three hours before he allegedly shot Aaliyah , Forest City Police Chief Chris LeRoy told WLOS .
He was reportedly arrested that day for assault by pointing a gun , according to the Daily Mail , citing arrest records from Rutherford County .

An uncle of a 7-year-old North Carolina girl who was fatally shot thinks her alleged killer — released from jail just three hours before — targeted the wrong vehicle.
Shaquille Marshon Francis, 26, is accused of firing the shot that struck Aaliyah Norris in the head Tuesday as she sat in a car in Forest City.
“Today my niece Aaliyah Grace Norris was shot and is in critical condition in Spartanburg hospital. This is something that ￼has broke my heart because they shot into the wrong car,” LJ Miller wrote on Facebook, the Daily Mail reported.
“He shot at the wrong car, it was a car that’s was full of kids. Now look a sweet beautiful little girl that done nothing wrong got shot because of stupid people with guns.”
A family friend also echoed Miller’s thoughts.
“A case of mistaken identity has cost an innocent child her life.. it has cost a mother her child, a grandfather his princess, a little girl and a little boy their sister.. a father his daughter.. Aunts and uncles their Niece.. a case of mistaken identity has caused a war,” Bethany Mae wrote on Facebook.
Aaliyah died Thursday, two days after the shooting.
Community members tipped off police that Francis, of Forest City, was the suspect. He was arrested Wednesday.
Francis had been released from jail just three hours before he allegedly shot Aaliyah, Forest City Police Chief Chris LeRoy told WLOS. He was reportedly arrested that day for assault by pointing a gun, according to the Daily Mail, citing arrest records from Rutherford County.


newyorkpost--2020-06-27--Artist Scott Lobaido celebrates 25 years of patriotic home makeovers

Come summer , artist Scott LoBaido requires a pretty simple palette : just red , white and blue .
For 25 years , the Staten Islander has been decorating houses , businesses and restaurants in the motif of the American flag .
“ There are artists who sit around and do landscapes .
I ’ m doing portraits of America , ” said LoBaido , 55 , who estimates he has painted some 1,000 flags on buildings — sometimes on a roof , sometimes covering the entire façade .
Days ago , he put the finishing touches on Joan Brodick @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just in time for the Fourth of July .
LoBaido ’ s patriotic mission began when he was just getting started in the art world in the 1990s , and he saw an exhibit at the School of the Art Institute that had a flag on the floor .
“ I saw the disgusting hatred for everything American .
I didn ’ t want any part of it , ” he told The Post .
By the mid- ’ 90s he began painting giant flags on any surface he could , including cars @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nobody wanted it , ” he said .
He would go door to door around Staten Island , begging people to let him paint , free of charge , their shop , home or garage in a flag motif .
Eventually he convinced a few .
Then in 2001 , things changed .
“ Right after 9/11 , everyone became patriotic .
It was , ‘ Get the flag guy !
’ ” said LoBaido , who has even painted Old Glory on city firehouses and still does not charge for his work @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mural .
I was beyond booked.
” Brodick , a 67-year-old great-grandma , is thrilled with the new flag mural decorating her home , and said it has already attracted major attention .
“ Everyone ’ s beeping their horns — it ’ s beautiful , ” said Brodick , adding that her late husband , Paul , a 50-year Navy veteran , would be “ so proud .
“ People die for this flag , they give up everything so we could have freedom .
I believe in and love this country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it.
” But not everyone is a fan of LoBaido ’ s outspokenness .
He has been arrested 12 times , he said , including in 1999 when he hurled horse manure at the Brooklyn Museum in protest of an exhibit in which one of the Virgin Mary ’ s breasts was formed from elephant dung .
He was also arrested in December 2001 , when he painted a flag outside an Upper West Side school to protest the district board axing the Pledge of Allegiance in the classroom .
Earlier this month @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to remove a sculpture — “ two white figures and two black figures helping each other push a ladder up so they can reach a peace sign ” — he had installed in front of Staten Island ’ s Borough Hall .
LoBaido , who described it as “ apolitical , ” said other local artists “ lost their noodle ” because he ’ s a Trump supporter and they threatened to vandalize his work .
He also claims someone created a Facebook group entitled “ Exposing Staten Island Racists , ” with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the list .
“ It was a very emotional piece and I did not want anyone to get hurt emotionally by seeing it desecrated , ” he said of the decision to remove the sculpture .
But nothing , he said , will stop him from painting flags on houses .
“ The art world has ripped the s–t out of me , ” he said .
“ But my artwork isn ’ t hoity-toity .
I ’ m the working man ’ s artist , ” he said .

Come summer, artist Scott LoBaido requires a pretty simple palette: just red, white and blue.
For 25 years, the Staten Islander has been decorating houses, businesses and restaurants in the motif of the American flag.
“There are artists who sit around and do landscapes. I’m doing portraits of America,” said LoBaido, 55, who estimates he has painted some 1,000 flags on buildings — sometimes on a roof, sometimes covering the entire façade.
Days ago, he put the finishing touches on Joan Brodick’s Midland Beach two-story home, just in time for the Fourth of July.
LoBaido’s patriotic mission began when he was just getting started in the art world in the 1990s, and he saw an exhibit at the School of the Art Institute that had a flag on the floor.
“I saw the disgusting hatred for everything American. I didn’t want any part of it,” he told The Post. By the mid-’90s he began painting giant flags on any surface he could, including cars. “People laughed at me, nobody wanted it,” he said.
He would go door to door around Staten Island, begging people to let him paint, free of charge, their shop, home or garage in a flag motif. Eventually he convinced a few. Then in 2001, things changed.
“Right after 9/11, everyone became patriotic. It was, ‘Get the flag guy!’ ” said LoBaido, who has even painted Old Glory on city firehouses and still does not charge for his work. “Suddenly everyone wanted a flag mural. I was beyond booked.”
Brodick, a 67-year-old great-grandma, is thrilled with the new flag mural decorating her home, and said it has already attracted major attention.
“Everyone’s beeping their horns — it’s beautiful,” said Brodick, adding that her late husband, Paul, a 50-year Navy veteran, would be “so proud.
“People die for this flag, they give up everything so we could have freedom. I believe in and love this country, and I want people to know it.”
But not everyone is a fan of LoBaido’s outspokenness. He has been arrested 12 times, he said, including in 1999 when he hurled horse manure at the Brooklyn Museum in protest of an exhibit in which one of the Virgin Mary’s breasts was formed from elephant dung. He was also arrested in December 2001, when he painted a flag outside an Upper West Side school to protest the district board axing the Pledge of Allegiance in the classroom.
Earlier this month, he said, he was pressured to remove a sculpture — “two white figures and two black figures helping each other push a ladder up so they can reach a peace sign” — he had installed in front of Staten Island’s Borough Hall. LoBaido, who described it as “apolitical,” said other local artists “lost their noodle” because he’s a Trump supporter and they threatened to vandalize his work. He also claims someone created a Facebook group entitled “Exposing Staten Island Racists,” with his name and address at the top of the list.
“It was a very emotional piece and I did not want anyone to get hurt emotionally by seeing it desecrated,” he said of the decision to remove the sculpture.
But nothing, he said, will stop him from painting flags on houses.
“The art world has ripped the s–t out of me,” he said. “But my artwork isn’t hoity-toity. I’m the working man’s artist,” he said.


newyorkpost--2020-06-27--Trader Joe’s ‘Karen’ goes berserk after being asked to wear face mask

A Trader Joe ’ s shopper who was kicked out of a store in North Hollywood , CA , for not wearing a mask screamed at employees , calling them “ Democratic pigs.
” The popular grocery chain opened a massive 16,000-square foot store at 6150 Laurel Canyon Boulevard Friday , but the grand opening soured when the woman claimed she was “ harassed ” by workers and shoppers alike because she refused to wear a face covering , Newsweek reported .
Cell-phone videos taken by other customers show the Los Angeles-area woman throwing down her shopping basket , screaming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doctor will not let her wear a mask to protect herself and others from infection .
One Twitter user , D Giles , refers to the woman as “ Karen of the San Fernando Valley , ” and quotes her as saying “ F–k you ” to the fellow shoppers confronting her .
“ That man harassed me for not wearing a mask , ” the woman tells a fellow shoppers recording the incident .
“ I have a breathing problem , my doctor will not let me wear a mask .
So @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , you guys are violating federal law .
Did you get that ?
Get that on camera.
” The woman was ultimately escorted from the store .
At one point in the video , she could be seen slamming her plastic shopping basket on the ground and angrily brushing off store employees .
A South Carolina physician , Dr. Megan Hall , produced a video shared on social media that refutes the claim masks inhibit oxygen intake .
“ Though it maybe inconvenient for some , you can still breathe , ” Hall @ @

A Trader Joe’s shopper who was kicked out of a store in North Hollywood, CA, for not wearing a mask screamed at employees, calling them “Democratic pigs.”
The popular grocery chain opened a massive 16,000-square foot store at 6150 Laurel Canyon Boulevard Friday, but the grand opening soured when the woman claimed she was “harassed” by workers and shoppers alike because she refused to wear a face covering, Newsweek reported.
Cell-phone videos taken by other customers show the Los Angeles-area woman throwing down her shopping basket, screaming at store employees, and saying her doctor will not let her wear a mask to protect herself and others from infection.
One Twitter user, D Giles, refers to the woman as “Karen of the San Fernando Valley,” and quotes her as saying “F–k you” to the fellow shoppers confronting her.
“That man harassed me for not wearing a mask,” the woman tells a fellow shoppers recording the incident. “I have a breathing problem, my doctor will not let me wear a mask. So anyone harassing me to wear a mask, you guys are violating federal law. Did you get that? Get that on camera.”
The woman was ultimately escorted from the store. At one point in the video, she could be seen slamming her plastic shopping basket on the ground and angrily brushing off store employees.
A South Carolina physician, Dr. Megan Hall, produced a video shared on social media that refutes the claim masks inhibit oxygen intake.
“Though it maybe inconvenient for some, you can still breathe,” Hall concludes.


newyorkpost--2020-06-27--Washington Square Park squatting ‘Jesus’ strips for naked rain shower

The homeless man who has taken up residence in Washington ...

Maybe it was his baptism.
The homeless man who calls himself the “Son of God Lord Saviour Jesus Christ,” and has taken up residence in Washington Square Park’s fountain, stripped naked for a cooling shower in the rain on Saturday.
While stunned parkgoers gawked, city officials once again looked the other way.
Cops and city Parks Department workers have kept their distance all week from Matthew Mishefski and his new home inside the Greenwich Village landmark.
But the hands-off approach seems to have emboldened Mishefski’s clothes-off philosophy.
The shower scene occurred as demonstrators gathered at a Black Lives Matter rally just beyond the fountain.
Afterwards, he munched on an apple and donned a sarong, remaining shirtless.
Then he walked on the fountain’s rim, but didn’t make it all around because a Black Lives Matter organizer stopped him from passing by the stage.
Mishefski has continued squatting despite visits from numerous NYPD officers, Parks Department employees and homeless-outreach coordinators who have done little about his presence, The Post reported.
“Bulls-–t,” Mishefski said when asked what support the homeless services outreach workers offered him.
The 25-year-old from the Wyoming Valley in Pennsylvania says he’s autistic and has spent time in psych wards.
He has been squatting at the drained fountain since May, in a makeshift home that now includes a table, six chairs, a pink recliner, a box of clothes and a beach umbrella.
A unicorn stuffed animal doubles as companion and a pillow.


newyorkpost--2020-06-27--‘Opportunist’ Corey Johnson turns on cops after long history as ally

City Council Speaker Corey Johnson ’ s plan to slash a billion dollars from the NYPD budget — after he voted to expand the force in 2015 — has left a key law-enforcement ally feeling hurt and betrayed .
“ He ’ s an opportunist is what I would call him .
He ’ s jumping on the bandwagon , ” fumed Paul DiGiacomo , president of the Detectives ’ Endowment Association , to The Post , saying he felt Johnson was motivated by his mayoral ambitions rather than sound public policy .
“ Corey Johnson enjoys the expertise of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his security for him and his family and keep him safe , ” DiGiacomo added , referring to Johnson ’ s eight-cop security detail .
“ If we ’ re so bad , why do you need us ?
Walk around by yourself.
” The union boss said he and Johnson previously enjoyed warm relations .
“ We ’ ve spoken over the years on many issues , ” said DiGiacomo .
“ We feel abandoned by every elected official to be honest.
” Before his about-face on policing this month , Johnson @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Between 2008 and 2010 , when Johnson worked as director of government relations and community affairs for the real estate firm GFI Development , he regularly partnered with New York ’ s Finest .
“ I did community outreach and relations with the NYPD to get drug dealers and peddlers off the streets , ” he told the New York Times during his first campaign in 2013 .
In a questionnaire for the Urban Justice Center in that same city council race , Johnson said preventing reductions in fire and police protection @ @ @ @ @ @ @ priorities .
Johnson yukked it up with officers in February 2015 when he attended his local precinct ’ s Cop of the Month Awards , a few months before his vote to expand the police force by nearly 1,300 new uniformed cops .
When he ran for re-election in 2017 , he won the endorsement of the city ’ s Police Benevolent Association .
In the last month , however , Johnson has used his Twitter feed to repeatedly condemn police violence .
“ Racism and police brutality are public health emergencies , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In another he called out officers ’ “ unnerving violence ” in response to Black Lives Matter protesters .
Johnson has demanded an independent investigation of “ the NYPD mishandling of these protests.
” But in 2018 , he had a much different view .
Back then he showered the NYPD with praise .
When The Post published video in 2018 of a man heckling several NYPD officers in Brooklyn , Johnson unleashed .
“ I want everyone in the NYPD to know that the vast , vast majority of New Yorkers have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ department .
You put your lives on the line every day , and I think I speak for most New Yorkers when I say I am incredibly grateful for your heroism and sacrifice , ” Johnson tweeted .
As recently as March , CoJo was urging New Yorkers to thank cops for continuing to work during the city ’ s COVID-19 crisis .
Posts like this have fallen off markedly in recent weeks .
A review of Johnson ’ s social media from earlier years does reveal a more nuanced picture , with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of police misconduct , including the fatal takedown of Eric Garner by officer Daniel Pantaleo — whose termination Johnson repeatedly demanded .
“ This is a distortion of what the Speaker has always stood for , ” Johnson ’ s office said in a statement .
“ He has always had tremendous respect for the women and men of the NYPD who risk their lives for New Yorkers .
But he has also always spoken out about the need for police accountability and criminal justice reform .
”

City Council Speaker Corey Johnson’s plan to slash a billion dollars from the NYPD budget — after he voted to expand the force in 2015 — has left a key law-enforcement ally feeling hurt and betrayed.
“He’s an opportunist is what I would call him. He’s jumping on the bandwagon,” fumed Paul DiGiacomo, president of the Detectives’ Endowment Association, to The Post, saying he felt Johnson was motivated by his mayoral ambitions rather than sound public policy.
“Corey Johnson enjoys the expertise of New York City police detectives that are his security for him and his family and keep him safe,” DiGiacomo added, referring to Johnson’s eight-cop security detail. “If we’re so bad, why do you need us? Walk around by yourself.”
The union boss said he and Johnson previously enjoyed warm relations.
“We’ve spoken over the years on many issues,” said DiGiacomo. “We feel abandoned by every elected official to be honest.”
Before his about-face on policing this month, Johnson spent years boasting of his pro-police bonafides.
Between 2008 and 2010, when Johnson worked as director of government relations and community affairs for the real estate firm GFI Development, he regularly partnered with New York’s Finest.
“I did community outreach and relations with the NYPD to get drug dealers and peddlers off the streets,” he told the New York Times during his first campaign in 2013.
In a questionnaire for the Urban Justice Center in that same city council race, Johnson said preventing reductions in fire and police protection would be among his top three budget priorities.
Johnson yukked it up with officers in February 2015 when he attended his local precinct’s Cop of the Month Awards, a few months before his vote to expand the police force by nearly 1,300 new uniformed cops.
When he ran for re-election in 2017, he won the endorsement of the city’s Police Benevolent Association.
In the last month, however, Johnson has used his Twitter feed to repeatedly condemn police violence.
“Racism and police brutality are public health emergencies,” he said in one post. In another he called out officers’ “unnerving violence” in response to Black Lives Matter protesters. Johnson has demanded an independent investigation of “the NYPD mishandling of these protests.”
But in 2018, he had a much different view.
Back then he showered the NYPD with praise. When The Post published video in 2018 of a man heckling several NYPD officers in Brooklyn, Johnson unleashed.
“I want everyone in the NYPD to know that the vast, vast majority of New Yorkers have the utmost respect and pride in the department. You put your lives on the line every day, and I think I speak for most New Yorkers when I say I am incredibly grateful for your heroism and sacrifice,” Johnson tweeted.
As recently as March, CoJo was urging New Yorkers to thank cops for continuing to work during the city’s COVID-19 crisis.
Posts like this have fallen off markedly in recent weeks.
A review of Johnson’s social media from earlier years does reveal a more nuanced picture, with posts calling out individual officers and instances of police misconduct, including the fatal takedown of Eric Garner by officer Daniel Pantaleo — whose termination Johnson repeatedly demanded.
“This is a distortion of what the Speaker has always stood for,” Johnson’s office said in a statement.
“He has always had tremendous respect for the women and men of the NYPD who risk their lives for New Yorkers. But he has also always spoken out about the need for police accountability and criminal justice reform.”


newyorkpost--2020-06-27--Joe Biden vows to finally release campaign staff diversity data

She ’ s the white choice at the wrong time .
Sen Elizabeth ...

Joe Biden pledged to immediately release internal campaign statistics on the diversity of his campaign staff — information he has resisted disclosing for months — at a virtual town hall Saturday.
“I will release staff diversity data to you today, as soon as we get off this call,” he promised moderator Amna Nawaz of “PBS Newshour,” who pushed him on the question at a forum on Asian American and Pacific Islander issues.
He addressed his team directly — who, he said, were listening in — and instructed them to “pick up the phone and call her.”
“My administration is going to look like America,” he promised. “It’s going to be a reflection of who we are as a nation.”
Biden has long boasted of minority representation within his campaign. “I have the most diverse staff of anybody running. I’ve always done that,” he insisted in an NPR interview last December.
But unlike Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders in 2016 and most of his 2020 rivals, Biden has never backed up that claim with proof, Buzzfeed News reported this week — and the former veep is under increasing pressure to choose a minority female running mate.
In Saturday’s forum, Biden pledged to reverse President Trump’s restrictive immigration policies, promising to increase caps on legal immigrants to 125,000 a year, to let at least 95,000 refugees into the US annually and to end Trump’s recent clampdown on employment-based H1B visas.
“People on these visas built this country,” he said.
And he took a dig at his GOP rival when asked whether he should emerge from coronavirus seclusion in his Delaware home as the election season heats up.
“The more Donald Trump is out there, the worse he does,” Biden said. “I think it’s wonderful that he’s gone out … his numbers have dropped through the floor.”
Trump did not participate in the virtual forum, instead sending campaign surrogate Eddie Baza Calvo, the former governor of Guam, who defended Trump against accusations of racism sparked by his jocular use of the term “Kung Flu” to describe COVID-19.
“I’ve got to tell you, my president is unorthodox with his words,” Calvo said — adding that the term had first emerged in 2015, with a local Veterans Administration campaign urging vets to get flu shots.
“If you take a look at history, that Kung Flu comment even came from the Obama administration,” he said.