newyorkpost--2020-09-06--Islanders hope quick turnaround plays in their favor versus Lightning

The Islanders have strayed from reflecting on the success they ’ ve had this postseason , but with the one-day turnaround to Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals on Monday , they don ’ t have the time to reminisce even if they wanted to .
After 43 days in the Toronto bubble , the Islanders began their 2,000-plus mile trek across Canada to Edmonton on Sunday morning just a few hours removed from their Game 7 victory over the Flyers to advance to their first conference finals in 27 years .
“ When we started this , we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at a time and let ’ s see if we can get to Edmonton and then we worry about things when we get to Edmonton , ” coach Barry Trotz said on a Zoom call Sunday before the team ’ s flight .
“ I think it ’ ll be beneficial [ to change the scenery ] .
Obviously the travel , this will be a long travel day for us and a quick turnaround playing [ Saturday ] night and the emotions .
“ You usually have an emotional crash the next @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and we ’ re going to get at it [ Monday ] .
” Team captain Anders Lee admitted that it was tough to get to sleep after the Isles ’ 4-0 rout of the Flyers , but with the immediate turnaround , the team has had to quickly come down from the emotional high .
Trotz and Lee both agreed that a change of scenery could be beneficial , with Lee recalling how refreshing it was to switch hotels in Toronto after advancing to the second round in mid-August .
But the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ packing up their dominant play and bringing it with them .
In the past , long layovers between series have been the bane of the Islanders ’ existence .
The quick turnaround may just play into the Isles ’ favor .
“ Look , you can ’ t control the schedule , you can ’ t control how that all works and what gets laid out .
You roll with it , ” Lee said .
“ We ’ re going to get to Edmonton and rest up and be ready to go @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s positives to both sides , being able to rest up and be fresh .
And at the same time , coming off a Game 7 , you ’ re kind of in that mode , that game-ready mode .
You want to try and roll that into Game 1 for sure.
” After sweeping the Pittsburgh Penguins in the first round last year , the Islanders didn ’ t see game action for 10 days .
The Carolina Hurricanes then swept them in convincing fashion .
The long layoff evidently worked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ benefits that may come with jumping right back into play this postseason .
The Lightning , who finished second in the Atlantic Division , have been waiting for the Islanders-Flyers series to wrap up since knocking the Boston Bruins out of the tournament Aug. 31 .
They ’ ve had nearly a week off from game action and traveled to Edmonton on Saturday .
Knowing how much tougher the competition is about to become , the Islanders are looking ahead and preparing for more adversity than they ’ ve had to deal with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ll have to dig in , ” Trotz said .
“ This team has accepted everything that ’ s been thrown at us , from scheduling to when we play to all that stuff .
This is the new normal and we ’ ll deal with it and hopefully we ’ ll have a good game [ Monday ] .
That ’ s all we can ask .
I know our guys give you everything every night , night in and night out .
”

The Islanders have strayed from reflecting on the success they’ve had this postseason, but with the one-day turnaround to Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals on Monday, they don’t have the time to reminisce even if they wanted to.
After 43 days in the Toronto bubble, the Islanders began their 2,000-plus mile trek across Canada to Edmonton on Sunday morning just a few hours removed from their Game 7 victory over the Flyers to advance to their first conference finals in 27 years.
“When we started this, we said let’s play one series at a time and let’s see if we can get to Edmonton and then we worry about things when we get to Edmonton,” coach Barry Trotz said on a Zoom call Sunday before the team’s flight. “I think it’ll be beneficial [to change the scenery]. Obviously the travel, this will be a long travel day for us and a quick turnaround playing [Saturday] night and the emotions.
“You usually have an emotional crash the next day and then you got to regroup and we’re going to get at it [Monday].”
Team captain Anders Lee admitted that it was tough to get to sleep after the Isles’ 4-0 rout of the Flyers, but with the immediate turnaround, the team has had to quickly come down from the emotional high.
Trotz and Lee both agreed that a change of scenery could be beneficial, with Lee recalling how refreshing it was to switch hotels in Toronto after advancing to the second round in mid-August.
But the real challenge for the Islanders will be packing up their dominant play and bringing it with them. In the past, long layovers between series have been the bane of the Islanders’ existence. The quick turnaround may just play into the Isles’ favor.
“Look, you can’t control the schedule, you can’t control how that all works and what gets laid out. You roll with it,” Lee said. “We’re going to get to Edmonton and rest up and be ready to go for [Monday].
“There’s positives to both sides, being able to rest up and be fresh. And at the same time, coming off a Game 7, you’re kind of in that mode, that game-ready mode. You want to try and roll that into Game 1 for sure.”
After sweeping the Pittsburgh Penguins in the first round last year, the Islanders didn’t see game action for 10 days. The Carolina Hurricanes then swept them in convincing fashion. The long layoff evidently worked against them, giving hope to the benefits that may come with jumping right back into play this postseason.
The Lightning, who finished second in the Atlantic Division, have been waiting for the Islanders-Flyers series to wrap up since knocking the Boston Bruins out of the tournament Aug. 31. They’ve had nearly a week off from game action and traveled to Edmonton on Saturday.
Knowing how much tougher the competition is about to become, the Islanders are looking ahead and preparing for more adversity than they’ve had to deal with this entire postseason.
“We’ll have to dig in,” Trotz said. “This team has accepted everything that’s been thrown at us, from scheduling to when we play to all that stuff. This is the new normal and we’ll deal with it and hopefully we’ll have a good game [Monday]. That’s all we can ask. I know our guys give you everything every night, night in and night out.”


newyorkpost--2020-09-06--Los Angeles County records its hottest temperature on record

Two California counties — including Los Angeles County — recorded their hottest temperatures on record on Sunday , meteorologists said @ @ @ @ @ s recording-breaking temperature of 121 degrees was set in Woodland Hills , the National Weather @ @ @ @ @ .
The previous record high at the weather site was 119 degrees in July 2006 @ @ @ @ @ Obispo County also hit an all-time high temperature record with a reading of 117 degrees @ @ @ @ @ to the NWS .
California ’ s scorching temperatures come as three major wildfires continue @ @ @ @ @ .
Eight people have been killed and roughly 3,300 structures in the state have been @ @ @ @ @ the last three weeks .
Overnight Saturday , 207 people were rescued via helicopter in @ @ @ @ @ Forest from a massive blaze dubbed the Creek Fire .
The inferno sparked Friday and @ @ @ @ @ had exploded in size , jumping the San Joaquin River and cutting off the only @ @ @ @ @ Campground , said national forest spokesman Dan Tune .

Two California counties — including Los Angeles County — recorded their hottest temperatures on record on Sunday, meteorologists said.
Los Angeles County’s recording-breaking temperature of 121 degrees was set in Woodland Hills, the National Weather Service announced in a tweet. The previous record high at the weather site was 119 degrees in July 2006.
Meanwhile, San Luis Obispo County also hit an all-time high temperature record with a reading of 117 degrees at Paso Robles, according to the NWS.
California’s scorching temperatures come as three major wildfires continue to burn in the state.
Eight people have been killed and roughly 3,300 structures in the state have been destroyed in the fires over the last three weeks.
Overnight Saturday, 207 people were rescued via helicopter in California’s Sierra National Forest from a massive blaze dubbed the Creek Fire.
The inferno sparked Friday and, by Saturday afternoon, had exploded in size, jumping the San Joaquin River and cutting off the only road into the Mammoth Pool Campground, said national forest spokesman Dan Tune.
With Post wires


newyorkpost--2020-09-06--‘Not acceptable’ Yankees woes are eating at Brett Gardner

Brett Gardner admitted the obvious : The Yankees are playing poor baseball and he isn ’ t getting it done .
“ The way that we ’ ve played lately is not acceptable , ” the veteran outfielder said .
“ We just have to find a way to be better — myself included.
” With so many Yankees struggling , manager Aaron Boone inserted Gardner into the third spot in the batting order — the spot in the lineup usually reserved for a team ’ s best hitter — but it didn ’ t help .
Gardner went hitless @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 5-1 , at Camden Yards , losing for the 13th time in 18 games .
In the last 21 innings of the series at the hitter-friendly ballpark , the Yankees managed just two runs .
Like most of his teammates , Gardner is in an offensive funk , with just four hits in his last 26 at-bats , without a home run since Aug. 5 and a dismal slash line of .180/.308/.326 and a .634 OPS .
Of course , the Yankees have spent much of this shortened season without the big @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , not to mention losing key parts like Gio Urshela and Gleyber Torres for lengthy stretches .
But they dealt with a ton of injuries last year , too , and still won the AL East .
The difference was the backups thrived .
One of those players was Gardner , who homered 28 times and posted an .829 OPS , both career-highs .
He ’ s been unable to come close to that production .
He ’ s struck out 26 times this year — in just 89 at-bats — at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we ’ ve got some guys out of our lineup , and when you ’ ve got guys missing , other guys need to step up and pull their weight and try their best to fill in , ” Gardner said .
“ Obviously , I ’ ve been one of those guys I feel like [ we ’ ve ] relied on a little bit more heavily than maybe we would ’ ve thought coming into the season , and I ’ m disappointed I haven ’ t done better .
I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ done more .
It ’ s not for a lack of trying.
” The one positive Gardner has taken is that he feels healthy , and when his body feels right , results tend to follow .
He even was able to get in a lot of extra swings on Sunday before the loss , which is something he hasn ’ t always been able to do in recent years .
“ I don ’ t feel far off , ” he said .
“ Just continue to enjoy my time with my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ playing on a daily basis and try and step my game up and collectively have some better at-bats .
”

Brett Gardner admitted the obvious: The Yankees are playing poor baseball and he isn’t getting it done.
“The way that we’ve played lately is not acceptable,” the veteran outfielder said. “We just have to find a way to be better — myself included.”
With so many Yankees struggling, manager Aaron Boone inserted Gardner into the third spot in the batting order — the spot in the lineup usually reserved for a team’s best hitter — but it didn’t help.
Gardner went hitless and the Yankees fell to the Orioles, 5-1, at Camden Yards, losing for the 13th time in 18 games. In the last 21 innings of the series at the hitter-friendly ballpark, the Yankees managed just two runs.
Like most of his teammates, Gardner is in an offensive funk, with just four hits in his last 26 at-bats, without a home run since Aug. 5 and a dismal slash line of .180/.308/.326 and a .634 OPS.
Of course, the Yankees have spent much of this shortened season without the big bats of Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton, not to mention losing key parts like Gio Urshela and Gleyber Torres for lengthy stretches. But they dealt with a ton of injuries last year, too, and still won the AL East.
The difference was the backups thrived. One of those players was Gardner, who homered 28 times and posted an .829 OPS, both career-highs. He’s been unable to come close to that production. He’s struck out 26 times this year — in just 89 at-bats — at the age of 37.
“Obviously, we’ve got some guys out of our lineup, and when you’ve got guys missing, other guys need to step up and pull their weight and try their best to fill in,” Gardner said. “Obviously, I’ve been one of those guys I feel like [we’ve] relied on a little bit more heavily than maybe we would’ve thought coming into the season, and I’m disappointed I haven’t done better. I’m disappointed I haven’t done more. It’s not for a lack of trying.”
The one positive Gardner has taken is that he feels healthy, and when his body feels right, results tend to follow. He even was able to get in a lot of extra swings on Sunday before the loss, which is something he hasn’t always been able to do in recent years.
“I don’t feel far off,” he said. “Just continue to enjoy my time with my teammates, keep going out there and playing on a daily basis and try and step my game up and collectively have some better at-bats.”


newyorkpost--2020-09-06--Jacob deGrom honors Tom Seaver in chase for third Cy Young

What do you make of the fact that , in Jacob deGrom ’ s first start following the death of Tom Seaver , his ERA wound up at 1.69 ?
Even if you ’ re not the spiritual type , you must concede the obvious : It means the Mets ’ current ace possesses a good chance of matching the three Cy Young awards collected by the franchise ’ s all-time ace .
It means , buckle up for a fun September with this pitcher and this team , no matter whether they can replicate the miracle accomplished by Seaver @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The main goal is to put us in position to win , ” deGrom said Sunday , after he dominated the Phillies en route to a 14-1 Mets victory at Citi Field , “ and if I ’ m able to do that and take the ball every fifth day and put us in position , that ’ s a personal goal I feel like definitely helps the team.
” “ That ” would be the third consecutive honor given to each league ’ s best pitcher ; Seaver won his Cys in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1973 and 1975 .
DeGrom ’ s seven-inning , three-hit , one-run , two-walks , 12-strikeouts mowdown of the Phillies — featuring an incredible 35 swings and misses — placed him squarely in the mix , alongside guys like former teammate Zack Wheeler ( who will face the Mets for the Phillies on Monday ) and the Cubs ’ Yu Darvish , with three weeks and probably four more starts left ; deGrom said that he and the Mets ’ staff have been discussing a plan by which he would pitch every five @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ He should be a Hall of Famer .
He ’ s tremendous , ” Pete Alonso , who homered twice , said of his teammate , and this was not the time to explain to Alonso that a player actually must participate in 10 Major League Baseball seasons to gain consideration for Cooperstown .
Like Bluto in “ Animal House , ” Alonso was on a roll : “ He blows me away almost every single time .
He ’ s electric .
The way the ball comes out of his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ There ’ s no one I ’ ve seen that is like Jake.
” The 25-year-old Alonso naturally never saw Seaver , nor did deGrom ever meet him despite being in the organization for more than 10 years ; Seaver ’ s illness sadly kept him away from the ballpark since before deGrom ’ s 2014 arrival in the big leagues .
Not surprisingly , deGrom verbally blushed when a reporter posited that modern fans viewed him the way their predecessors did Seaver .
“ I really would ’ ve liked to have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” deGrom said .
“ But I think he ’ s going to be the all-time great here .
You look at his numbers , complete games ( 231 ) , I don ’ t think I ’ m ever reaching that and just what he did here .
Very impressive .
It ’ s an honor to be compared to somebody like Tom and what he was able to accomplish in his career.
” If the game has changed to the point where deGrom owns three career complete games , he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his time just as did Seaver .
This month provides another opportunity for deGrom to bolster his Hall of Fame résumé : Can he guide his team , winners of four of five and absolutely in this expanded playoff mix if currently not qualifying , to its first October since 2016 ( and his first since 2015 ) while capturing another individual trophy in the process ?
Pitching in the ’ 15 postseason , deGrom said , “ was the most fun I had playing baseball .
I would definitely enjoy [ going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a career 2.48 ERA for September/October ( regular season ) , his second-best month after July ( 1.79 ) .
Since 2018 , that number is a microscopic 1.52 .
“ It ’ s just unbelievable to see him pitch , ” Luis Rojas said .
“ Every outing he goes out there , his stuff , it ’ s better.
” P.S .
The guy who relieved deGrom , Brad Brach , pitched a shutout eighth inning to lower his ERA to … 1.69 , also .
Are you any more spiritual @ @

What do you make of the fact that, in Jacob deGrom’s first start following the death of Tom Seaver, his ERA wound up at 1.69?
Even if you’re not the spiritual type, you must concede the obvious: It means the Mets’ current ace possesses a good chance of matching the three Cy Young awards collected by the franchise’s all-time ace.
It means, buckle up for a fun September with this pitcher and this team, no matter whether they can replicate the miracle accomplished by Seaver and the Mets in 1969.
“The main goal is to put us in position to win,” deGrom said Sunday, after he dominated the Phillies en route to a 14-1 Mets victory at Citi Field, “and if I’m able to do that and take the ball every fifth day and put us in position, that’s a personal goal I feel like definitely helps the team.”
“That” would be the third consecutive honor given to each league’s best pitcher; Seaver won his Cys in the non-consecutive seasons of ’69, 1973 and 1975. DeGrom’s seven-inning, three-hit, one-run, two-walks, 12-strikeouts mowdown of the Phillies — featuring an incredible 35 swings and misses — placed him squarely in the mix, alongside guys like former teammate Zack Wheeler (who will face the Mets for the Phillies on Monday) and the Cubs’ Yu Darvish, with three weeks and probably four more starts left; deGrom said that he and the Mets’ staff have been discussing a plan by which he would pitch every five days rather than just every five games.
“He should be a Hall of Famer. He’s tremendous,” Pete Alonso, who homered twice, said of his teammate, and this was not the time to explain to Alonso that a player actually must participate in 10 Major League Baseball seasons to gain consideration for Cooperstown. Like Bluto in “Animal House,” Alonso was on a roll: “He blows me away almost every single time. He’s electric. The way the ball comes out of his hand, it’s different. There’s no one I’ve seen that is like Jake.”
The 25-year-old Alonso naturally never saw Seaver, nor did deGrom ever meet him despite being in the organization for more than 10 years; Seaver’s illness sadly kept him away from the ballpark since before deGrom’s 2014 arrival in the big leagues. Not surprisingly, deGrom verbally blushed when a reporter posited that modern fans viewed him the way their predecessors did Seaver.
“I really would’ve liked to have met him and talked to him some,” deGrom said. “But I think he’s going to be the all-time great here. You look at his numbers, complete games (231), I don’t think I’m ever reaching that and just what he did here. Very impressive. It’s an honor to be compared to somebody like Tom and what he was able to accomplish in his career.”
If the game has changed to the point where deGrom owns three career complete games, he has performed at an elite level for his time just as did Seaver. This month provides another opportunity for deGrom to bolster his Hall of Fame résumé: Can he guide his team, winners of four of five and absolutely in this expanded playoff mix if currently not qualifying, to its first October since 2016 (and his first since 2015) while capturing another individual trophy in the process?
Pitching in the ’15 postseason, deGrom said, “was the most fun I had playing baseball. I would definitely enjoy [going back].”
The right-hander owns a career 2.48 ERA for September/October (regular season), his second-best month after July (1.79). Since 2018, that number is a microscopic 1.52.
“It’s just unbelievable to see him pitch,” Luis Rojas said. “Every outing he goes out there, his stuff, it’s better.”
P.S. The guy who relieved deGrom, Brad Brach, pitched a shutout eighth inning to lower his ERA to … 1.69, also. Are you any more spiritual now?


newyorkpost--2020-09-06--Novak Djokovic is supposed to be the GOAT?

Novak Djokovic , world Number One and top seed at the US Open , the only one of the Big Three who didn ’ t opt out this year , was meant to bring grandeur and legacy to a competition hollowed out by the pandemic .
Instead , he got himself disqualified for hitting an older lineswoman in the throat after swatting a ball in a peevish little fit .
The lineswoman collapsed and clutched her throat , clearly struggling to breathe .
What looked like a tap clearly struck like a bullet .
Consider that Djokovic ’ s fastest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
His average backhand speed is 67.3 m.p.h .
Imagine a hard tennis ball slamming into your Adam ’ s apple with even the lesser force .
Anyone who ’ s ever had the wind knocked out of them knows the terror of gasping for air .
It ’ s worse than the hit itself .
So what did Djokovic do ?
After attempting to comfort the lineswoman — who gave him the most epic and deserved side-eye of 2020 — Djokovic argued that he should not , per the unambiguous rules , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t have to go to the hospital for this , ” he griped .
Wow .
Instead of expressing relief that she wasn ’ t more grievously injured or killed , instead of humbly taking whatever penalty was coming his way , Djokovic whined like a toddler .
Then he stood on the sidelines , head in hand , anxious over nothing but his own fate .
Djokovic ’ s swat , by the way , was out of frustration that younger player Pablo Carreño Busta , ranked world No .
30 in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Great Novak Djokovic fight to win that first ( and last ) set .
It was all too reminiscent of Serena Williams ’ series of on-court meltdowns at the 2018 US Open , her all-but-assured comeback sullied by the much younger phenom Naomi Osaka — who not only outplayed Williams but outmatched her in maturity , grace and sportsmanship .
An otherwise fearsome warrior , the cowardly Djokovic slunk out of Queens rather than face the media — another no-no that may cost him a $ 20,000 fine .
He will also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Open and will likely be fined an additional $ 250,000 , his compensation for reaching the fourth round .
In the short run , for a player of his stature and wealth , that ’ s nothing .
It ’ s the damage to his reputation — as it is , Djokovic doesn ’ t engender the respect that Roger Federer does or the exuberance that Rafael Nadal commands — that may be irreparable .
This is , after all , a guy who got the coronavirus warning and threw a mask-less @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s top tennis players , then got coronavirus .
That ’ s the other thing : Djokovic doesn ’ t seem widely liked among his peers .
When no less than one-time professional tennis villain John McEnroe says that after Sunday ’ s incident , Djokovic “ is going to be the bad guy for the rest of his career , ” you best believe it ’ s true .
“ This is obviously a stain that he ’ s not going to be able to erase , ” McEnroe continued , “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He ’ ll never be able to erase it because Djokovic only cares about Djokovic .
Let ’ s take his tone-deaf apology , delivered later Sunday evening via — what else ?
— Instagram .
“ This whole situation has left me really sad and empty .
I checked on the lines person and the tournament told me that thank God she is feeling ok.
I ’ m extremely sorry to have caused her such stress .
So unintended .
So wrong .
As for the disqualification , I need to go @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and turn this all into a lesson for my growth and evolution as a player and human being .
I apologize to the @ usopen tournament and everyone associated for my behavior .
I ’ m very grateful to my team and family for being my rock support , and my fans for always being there with me .
Thank you and I ’ m so sorry.
” To summarize : ME ME ME ME ME ME ME .
What will become of meeeeeee ?
Here ’ s one sure prediction , Novak @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a GOAT .

This is a GOAT?
Novak Djokovic, world Number One and top seed at the US Open, the only one of the Big Three who didn’t opt out this year, was meant to bring grandeur and legacy to a competition hollowed out by the pandemic.
Instead, he got himself disqualified for hitting an older lineswoman in the throat after swatting a ball in a peevish little fit.
The lineswoman collapsed and clutched her throat, clearly struggling to breathe. What looked like a tap clearly struck like a bullet.
Consider that Djokovic’s fastest serve has been clocked at 122 mph. His average backhand speed is 67.3 mph.
Imagine a hard tennis ball slamming into your Adam’s apple with even the lesser force.
Anyone who’s ever had the wind knocked out of them knows the terror of gasping for air. It’s worse than the hit itself.
So what did Djokovic do? After attempting to comfort the lineswoman — who gave him the most epic and deserved side-eye of 2020 — Djokovic argued that he should not, per the unambiguous rules, be disqualified.
“She doesn’t have to go to the hospital for this,” he griped.
Wow. Instead of expressing relief that she wasn’t more grievously injured or killed, instead of humbly taking whatever penalty was coming his way, Djokovic whined like a toddler. Then he stood on the sidelines, head in hand, anxious over nothing but his own fate.
Djokovic’s swat, by the way, was out of frustration that younger player Pablo Carreño Busta, ranked world No. 30 in men’s singles, was making the Great Novak Djokovic fight to win that first (and last) set.
It was all too reminiscent of Serena Williams’ series of on-court meltdowns at the 2018 US Open, her all-but-assured comeback sullied by the much younger phenom Naomi Osaka — who not only outplayed Williams but outmatched her in maturity, grace and sportsmanship.
An otherwise fearsome warrior, the cowardly Djokovic slunk out of Queens rather than face the media — another no-no that may cost him a $20,000 fine. He will also lose every ranking point he earned at the Open and will likely be fined an additional $250,000, his compensation for reaching the fourth round.
In the short run, for a player of his stature and wealth, that’s nothing. It’s the damage to his reputation — as it is, Djokovic doesn’t engender the respect that Roger Federer does or the exuberance that Rafael Nadal commands — that may be irreparable.
This is, after all, a guy who got the coronavirus warning and threw a mask-less party for several of the world’s top tennis players, then got coronavirus.
“Apparently there’s a pandemic …,” tweeted former tennis champ Andy Roddick.
That’s the other thing: Djokovic doesn’t seem widely liked among his peers. When no less than one-time professional tennis villain John McEnroe says that after Sunday’s incident, Djokovic “is going to be the bad guy for the rest of his career,” you’d best believe it’s true.
“This is obviously a stain that he’s not going to be able to erase,” McEnroe continued, “whether he likes it or not.”
Good.
He’ll never be able to erase it because Djokovic only cares about Djokovic. Let’s take his tone-deaf apology, delivered later Sunday evening via — what else? — Instagram.
“This whole situation has left me really sad and empty. I checked on the lines person and the tournament told me that thank God she is feeling ok. I’m extremely sorry to have caused her such stress. So unintended. So wrong. As for the disqualification, I need to go back within and work on my disappointment and turn this all into a lesson for my growth and evolution as a player and human being. I apologize to the @usopen tournament and everyone associated for my behavior. I’m very grateful to my team and family for being my rock support, and my fans for always being there with me. Thank you and I’m so sorry.”
To summarize: ME ME ME ME ME ME ME. What will become of meeeeeee?
Here’s one sure prediction, Novak: You will never truly be considered a GOAT.


newyorkpost--2020-09-06--Antifa riots may be part of Democrat power grab: Devine

A recent deep dive in The Washington Post , “ What ’ s the ...

Imagine you were at a restaurant and BLM-Antifa protesters descended on you, threw your food on the ground, broke plates, overturned chairs, tossed a potted plant into your oyster platter and forced you to leave.
That’s what happened in upstate Rochester Friday night at the Ox and Stone, and across the road at Swan Dive, when hundreds of protesters chanting “Black lives matter” chased off frightened diners.
“We’re shutting your party down,” a woman shouts in footage aired by FreedomNews TV.
The oyster-platter incident reportedly occurred at Korean steakhouse Cote in the Flatiron District. Protesters brandishing a “Death to America” anarchist banner and chanting “Every city, every town, burn the precinct to the ground” left a trail of destruction in the city Friday night.
One of those arrested for felony rioting was wealthy Upper East Side college student Clara Kraebber, 20, a member of the Young Democrats.
Whether or not all rioters are Democratic voters, they increasingly are associated with Joe Biden’s campaign in the minds of voters who fear violence is coming to their suburb.
This rolling campaign of anti-police street violence is killing Biden’s bid for the presidency — just look at private polling in crucial swing states such as Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, where law and order has become a decisive issue.
So why don’t Democratic leaders do more to condemn the violence and call for calm?
To understand their inaction, you need to step back and see street violence as one element of a coordinated “playbook” to dislodge President Trump, regardless of the outcome of the election.
This is the thesis of political theorist Dr. Darren Beattie, a former Duke University professor and White House official.
The playbook is straight from the strategies the US government has deployed in so-called “Color Revolutions” in Eastern European countries, such as Ukraine or Belarus, to remove “authoritarian” leaders deemed hostile to American interests.
In a series of articles at Revolver.news, Beattie’s thesis provides a compelling comparison between Deep State efforts to remove President Trump and techniques used by the State Department, covert agencies and allied NGOs to influence, or overturn, elections in foreign countries.
BLM-Antifa’s “mostly peaceful protests” are America’s version of Ukraine’s Orange Revolution, where civil unrest was fomented on the streets to oust a Kremlin-backed authoritarian.
In an interview, Beattie noted “strong parallels” between “color revolutions” overseas and the “sustained coordinated coup against Trump” — from the Russia collusion hoax to his impeachment over Ukraine.
“The very same regime change professionals … assigned to overthrow ‘authoritarians’ in Eastern Europe are the ones running this operation against Trump. It is the same playbook run by the same people.”
The Color Revolution playbook starts by creating the narrative of an authoritarian, illegitimate leader. Then you foment unrest on the streets, aimed at provoking an authoritarian crackdown that can be used to mobilize further unrest.
You undermine people’s faith in the election process, setting up a contested outcome that turns into street fighting.
At the same time, you wage relentless “lawfare” to contest ballots. Ultimately the military may be called upon to dislodge the incumbent.
An added twist for America is that Democrats have used the pandemic to institute mass, unsolicited mail-in ballots, which historically are open to fraud and coercion, an experiment which will leave the election result undecided on Nov. 3.
It would be easy to dismiss Beattie’s idea as a wild conspiracy theory, except anti-Trump forces are doing their best to play along.
Take the Transition Integrity Project, a bipartisan war-gaming exercise created by academics, former Clinton and Obama operatives, never-Trumper Republicans, journalists and diplomats, “out of concern that the Trump administration may seek to manipulate, ignore, undermine or disrupt the 2020 presidential election and transition process.”
Project co-founder Rosa Brooks, former special counsel at the George Soros-linked Open Society Foundations in New York, laid out four scenarios for the election: a big Biden win; a narrow Biden win; a period of extended uncertainty as in 2000; and a Trump Electoral College win but popular vote loss, as in 2016.
Only with the scenario in which Biden wins an overwhelming victory is there a “relatively orderly transfer of power,” Brooks wrote last week in the Washington Post.
“Every other scenario we looked at involved street-level violence and political crisis … massive disinformation campaigns, violence in the streets and a constitutional impasse.”
Straight out of the Color Revolution playbook.
The aim is to lay the groundwork to reject the election results if Trump wins, with the expectation that he will not concede defeat and will have to be dislodged by military means.
Again, this sounds insane, I know.
But this is the scenario posed by two retired Army officers, John Nagl and Paul Yingling, in a respectable military publication, Defense One, last month. In an open letter to Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Mark Milley, they suggested the 82nd Airborne could be used to remove Trump “by force” from the White House in January.
Hillary Clinton echoed the sentiment: “Biden should not concede under any circumstances.” Biden has said he is “absolutely convinced” the military would “escort” Trump from the White House if he refused to leave office.
The narrative grew so persistent that Milley felt compelled to issue a letter to Congress declaring the military will not help settle disputes if the election results are contested.
Attorney General Bill Barr warned on CNN last week that the Democrats’ push for unsolicited mail-in ballots is “playing with fire” in our divided country.
To put it mildly.
But, apart from complaining, what is the government going to do about it?
In defense of Assange
Julian Assange’s extradition hearing in London starts this week as he fights espionage charges in the United States.
But if Trump is considering pardoning Edward Snowden, as he suggests, the case is even stronger to go easy on the WikiLeaks founder.
Snowden was an intelligence contractor who leaked information showing the National Security Agency was spying on US citizens during the Bush and Obama administrations.
The leak was in the public interest, but Snowden betrayed his employer.
Assange, on the other hand, merely published the information he received from jailed former US Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning.
It was the same when WikiLeaks published the DNC emails that caused such a stir in the 2016 campaign. Dems insisted the Russians hacked the emails, while others suggested it was an inside leak.
“Julian has always maintained that the source of the DNC emails was not a state actor,” Assange’s mother, Christine, told me Saturday.
Given what we have learned during Russiagate about the compromised state of our intelligence agencies, Assange deserves a medal rather than jail.
That’s relief?!
It has killed 24,000 New Yorkers, thrown hundreds of thousands out of work and plunged the city into despair.
But Chirlane McCray was relieved when the pandemic erupted because she got a break from her arduous duties as the city’s first lady.
No kidding.
“I think I went from relief from not having to do the regular schedule because you know a lot of what I do, my husband does, we do events,” she said Friday at a virtual event.
How selfish do you have to be to think like that, and how tactless to admit it?
Hey, Chirlane, take a load off. The city would be better off if you and your gormless husband took a permanent break.


newyorkpost--2020-09-06--Frenchman blows up part of house while chasing fly

An elderly Frenchman blew up part of his house — while chasing a fly .
The 82-year-old was sitting down @ @ @ @ @ Dordogne in southwest France when the bug came buzzing , local outlets reported .
So @ @ @ @ @ with an electric racket designed to kill insects — not realizing that a gas canister @ @ @ @ @ .
The reaction between the racket and the gas sparked an explosion , destroying the @ @ @ @ @ roof .
Fortunately , the octogenarian sustained only a slight burn to his hand .
@ @ @ @ @ a local campsite while his family repairs his house in the Parcoul-Chenaud village , according @ @ @ @ @ The fate of the fly wasn ’ t known .

He generated quite a buzz.
An elderly Frenchman blew up part of his house — while chasing a fly.
The 82-year-old was sitting down to dinner Friday evening in Dordogne in southwest France when the bug came buzzing, local outlets reported.
So he began swatting at it with an electric racket designed to kill insects — not realizing that a gas canister was leaking in his home.
The reaction between the racket and the gas sparked an explosion, destroying the kitchen and part of the roof.
Fortunately, the octogenarian sustained only a slight burn to his hand.
He’s staying at a local campsite while his family repairs his house in the Parcoul-Chenaud village, according to news outlet Sud-Ouest.
The fate of the fly wasn’t known.


newyorkpost--2020-09-07--6-year-old shot at J’Ouvert celebration has ‘shattered’ femur, mom says

The 6-year-old boy who was hit by gunfire near a pre-dawn J ’ Ouvert celebration in Brooklyn early Monday had one of his leg bones shattered by the bullet , his mother said Monday evening .
Maxwell Cesc-Dinho was recovering from surgery at Kings County Hospital to repair a shattered femur bone after being shot at about 3 a.m. near Crown Street and Nostrand Avenue Monday morning .
Maxwell was getting out of a cab with his mother , 47-year-old Patricia Brathwaite , when they were both shot , Brathwaite said at their apartment near the scene of the shooting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ legs , ” Brathwaite said of her son ’ s injuries .
“ One leg it hit just muscle , but the other leg it shattered his bone , his femur bone.
” “ His surgery went well .
They had to give him some antibiotics and stuff , but he ’ s doing a lot better , ” she said .
Brathwaite added both her and Maxwell avoided worse injuries because the bullets did not strike any of their arteries .
“ The bullet went straight through my foot , ” she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a lack of morals among young people for the shooting — and for the uptick in violence across New York City and in her home borough .
“ Young people are at a loss .
I ’ m a Christian , and I truly believe that as adults , we need to get kids back into church and raise them with morals , ” she said .
“ That ’ s what a lot of young people don ’ t have — they don ’ t have morals , they don ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that ’ s a lot of what ’ s going on , ” she added .
Two people — a 21-year-old and a 15-year-old — were taken into custody at the scene for having guns on them , but it ’ s unclear if they were responsible for the shooting , police sources said .

The 6-year-old boy who was hit by gunfire near a pre-dawn J’Ouvert celebration in Brooklyn early Monday had one of his leg bones shattered by the bullet, his mother said Monday evening.
Maxwell Cesc-Dinho was recovering from surgery at Kings County Hospital to repair a shattered femur bone after being shot at about 3 a.m. near Crown Street and Nostrand Avenue Monday morning.
Maxwell was getting out of a cab with his mother, 47-year-old Patricia Brathwaite, when they were both shot, Brathwaite said at their apartment near the scene of the shooting.
“The bullet went through both legs,” Brathwaite said of her son’s injuries. “One leg it hit just muscle, but the other leg it shattered his bone, his femur bone.”
“His surgery went well. They had to give him some antibiotics and stuff, but he’s doing a lot better,” she said.
Brathwaite added both her and Maxwell avoided worse injuries because the bullets did not strike any of their arteries.
“The bullet went straight through my foot,” she said of her injury.
Brathwaite blamed a lack of morals among young people for the shooting — and for the uptick in violence across New York City and in her home borough.
“Young people are at a loss. I’m a Christian, and I truly believe that as adults, we need to get kids back into church and raise them with morals,” she said.
“That’s what a lot of young people don’t have — they don’t have morals, they don’t have values for life and I think that’s a lot of what’s going on,” she added.
Two people — a 21-year-old and a 15-year-old — were taken into custody at the scene for having guns on them, but it’s unclear if they were responsible for the shooting, police sources said.


newyorkpost--2020-09-07--Dustin Johnson finally wins FedEx Cup and its $15 million prize

ATLANTA — Dustin Johnson hit his stride at just the right time and it paid off in a big way .
Johnson finally won the FedEx Cup on Monday by holding his nerve , hitting just enough fairways and making a few key putts when his lead began to shrink .
He tapped in for birdie on the last hole for a 2-under 68 , giving him a three-shot victory over Justin Thomas and Xander Schauffele in the Tour Championship .
Johnson won the $ 15 million prize , the biggest in golf .
Equally important was getting his named @ @ @ @ @ @ @ alongside some of the best from his generation , starting with Tiger Woods and most recently Rory McIlroy .
“ This is a tough golf course .
No lead is safe , ” Johnson said .
“ The guys gave me a good fight today.
” He became the first No .
1 seed at the Tour Championship to win the FedEx Cup since Woods in 2009 .
Johnson was staked to a five-shot lead at 19-under par — 9 under on his own score and starting the tournament at 10 under as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ FedEx Cup .
He finished at 21 under .
Schauffele , who tends to bring his best to big moments , and Thomas each got within three shots on the front nine .
They both closed to within two shots deep on the back nine at East Lake .
Johnson gave the lightest fist pump — that ’ s big emotion for him — when he holed a 20-foot par putt on the 13th hole that kept his lead at three .
He made nothing but pars on the back nine until the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Thomas made bogey from a wild tee shot to the right on the 17th .
Schauffele also had to scramble on the 17th , escaping with par after a tee shot into the bunker .
And on the par-5 18th , Johnson unleashed a drive that started left along the pine trees and faded gently toward the middle of the fairway .
That set up a birdie from the front bunker , a hug with brother Austin , his caddie , and a trophy he long wanted .
Schauffele had the lowest score @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but without a victory this year , he started at No .
14 in the FedEx Cup , spotting the world ’ s No .
1 player seven shots .
Schauffele and Thomas tied for second , each earning $ 4.5 million .
Jon Rahm , the No .
2 seed , closed with a 66 to finish fourth and earn $ 3 million .
Scottie Scheffler , who a year ago was getting ready to start his rookie year , had a 66-65 finish and was fifth for a $ 2.5 million @ @ @ @ @ @ @ strangest season on the PGA Tour , which doesn ’ t feel like the end at all except for the $ 15 million awarded to Johnson , $ 14 million now and $ 1 million deferred .

ATLANTA — Dustin Johnson hit his stride at just the right time and it paid off in a big way.
Johnson finally won the FedEx Cup on Monday by holding his nerve, hitting just enough fairways and making a few key putts when his lead began to shrink. He tapped in for birdie on the last hole for a 2-under 68, giving him a three-shot victory over Justin Thomas and Xander Schauffele in the Tour Championship.
Johnson won the $15 million prize, the biggest in golf. Equally important was getting his named etched on that silver FedEx Cup trophy alongside some of the best from his generation, starting with Tiger Woods and most recently Rory McIlroy.
“This is a tough golf course. No lead is safe,” Johnson said. “The guys gave me a good fight today.”
He became the first No. 1 seed at the Tour Championship to win the FedEx Cup since Woods in 2009.
Johnson was staked to a five-shot lead at 19-under par — 9 under on his own score and starting the tournament at 10 under as the No. 1 seed in the FedEx Cup.
He finished at 21 under.
Schauffele, who tends to bring his best to big moments, and Thomas each got within three shots on the front nine. They both closed to within two shots deep on the back nine at East Lake.
Johnson gave the lightest fist pump — that’s big emotion for him — when he holed a 20-foot par putt on the 13th hole that kept his lead at three. He made nothing but pars on the back nine until the outcome was no longer in doubt.
Thomas made bogey from a wild tee shot to the right on the 17th. Schauffele also had to scramble on the 17th, escaping with par after a tee shot into the bunker. And on the par-5 18th, Johnson unleashed a drive that started left along the pine trees and faded gently toward the middle of the fairway.
That set up a birdie from the front bunker, a hug with brother Austin, his caddie, and a trophy he long wanted.
Schauffele had the lowest score over 72 holes at 15-under 265, but without a victory this year, he started at No. 14 in the FedEx Cup, spotting the world’s No. 1 player seven shots.
Schauffele and Thomas tied for second, each earning $4.5 million.
Jon Rahm, the No. 2 seed, closed with a 66 to finish fourth and earn $3 million. Scottie Scheffler, who a year ago was getting ready to start his rookie year, had a 66-65 finish and was fifth for a $2.5 million payoff.
And so wrapped up the strangest season on the PGA Tour, which doesn’t feel like the end at all except for the $15 million awarded to Johnson, $14 million now and $1 million deferred.


newyorkpost--2020-09-07--China accuses Indian troops of firing warning shots in border dispute

BEIJING — China accused Indian troops of violating a bilateral agreement and firing warning shots in the air during a confrontation with Chinese personnel on the disputed border on Monday , amid renewed tensions between the two countries .
Chinese border guards took “ countermeasures ” to stabilise the situation , Zhang Shuili , spokesman for the military ’ s western command theatre , said in a statement published by the military ’ s official news website early on Tuesday .
The statement did not make clear what those measures were or whether Chinese troops also fired warning shots .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to avoid using firearms on the sensitive , high altitude frontier running through the western Himalayas , though this agreement has not prevented casualties .
Twenty Indian soldiers were killed in hand-to-hand fighting in a clash in June , an incident that led to China and India deploying additional forces along the frontier .
“ We request the Indian side to immediately stop dangerous actions…and strictly investigate and punish personnel who fired shots to ensure that similar incidents do not occur again , ” Zhang said in the statement .
The Indian embassy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a Reuters request for comment outside of business hours .

BEIJING — China accused Indian troops of violating a bilateral agreement and firing warning shots in the air during a confrontation with Chinese personnel on the disputed border on Monday, amid renewed tensions between the two countries.
Chinese border guards took “countermeasures” to stabilise the situation, Zhang Shuili, spokesman for the military’s western command theatre, said in a statement published by the military’s official news website early on Tuesday.
The statement did not make clear what those measures were or whether Chinese troops also fired warning shots.
Both sides have observed a long-held protocol to avoid using firearms on the sensitive, high altitude frontier running through the western Himalayas, though this agreement has not prevented casualties.
Twenty Indian soldiers were killed in hand-to-hand fighting in a clash in June, an incident that led to China and India deploying additional forces along the frontier.
“We request the Indian side to immediately stop dangerous actions…and strictly investigate and punish personnel who fired shots to ensure that similar incidents do not occur again,” Zhang said in the statement.
The Indian embassy in Beijing did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment outside of business hours.


newyorkpost--2020-09-07--Florida corrections officer placed on leave after violent tussle with teen

A Florida corrections officer has been placed on leave after grappling with a teen inmate at a juvenile center , @ @ @ @ @ Devon Reed , 17 , was hospitalized after Sarasota County Deputy Neil Pizzo approached him @ @ @ @ @ bench with his arms tucked underneath a t-shirt , according to video footage of the @ @ @ @ @ and takes his arms out from under the garment before Pizzo lunges at his throat @ @ @ @ @ on the ground .
Pizzo can be seen raining blows down on the writhing teen @ @ @ @ @ frame and holds him down to apply handcuffs .
Several more officers arrive before Reed @ @ @ @ @ during the struggle – is removed from the holding room .
Reed had been placed @ @ @ @ @ , probation violations and contempt of court before the incident and was being uncooperative with @ @ @ @ @ Tom Knight said that Pizzo did not sufficiently de-escalate the situation and that he was @ @ @ @ @ pending an internal probe .

A Florida corrections officer has been placed on leave after grappling with a teen inmate at a juvenile center, according to TMZ.
Terrence Devon Reed, 17, was hospitalized after Sarasota County Deputy Neil Pizzo approached him as he sat on a bench with his arms tucked underneath a t-shirt, according to video footage of the incident.
Reed stands up and takes his arms out from under the garment before Pizzo lunges at his throat and begins tussling with him on the ground.
Pizzo can be seen raining blows down on the writhing teen before another officer enters the frame and holds him down to apply handcuffs.
Several more officers arrive before Reed – whose t-shirt was torn during the struggle – is removed from the holding room.
Reed had been placed under arrest for cocaine possession, probation violations and contempt of court before the incident and was being uncooperative with a police lineup.
Sheriff Tom Knight said that Pizzo did not sufficiently de-escalate the situation and that he was being placed on administrative duty pending an internal probe.


newyorkpost--2020-09-07--Logan Ryan could play anywhere in dream Giants fit

Logan Ryan showed up for sunrise workouts with dried sweat ...

First things first. If you are interested in what exact role Logan Ryan will fill with the Giants you need to wait, and then watch.
No one is going to tell you.
“Where I line up from week-to-week will definitely be a ‘G5 classified team-first, Joe Judge will tell you later’ type answer,’’ Ryan said Monday.
There might not be any perfect matches but this one comes close. The pairing of the Giants and Ryan made complete sense many months ago and finally came to be last week when the eight-year veteran defensive back signed a one-year contract worth up to $7.5 million. Given where Ryan is from, what he can do on the football field, who he knows in key positions of authority around the building and what this team needs, this union should be satisfying for all concerned.
“I truly believe this place believed in me more in free agency than any other team out there,’’ Ryan said. “For Joe Judge, for [general manager Dave] Gettleman, for [defensive coordinator] Pat Graham, I’m gonna give it my all.
“I told Joe when I signed up, ‘I’m gonna come in, I’m gonna do whatever you need me to do, whatever position that may be.’ Whether that requires leadership or practicing every play or taking every snap, I’m willing to do that for this team, this city, this place where I’m from. I’m thankful for the opportunity.’’
Ryan, wearing No. 23 instead of the No. 26 jersey he wore with the Patriots and Titans, was on the field for the first time with his new team and teammates, back in his old New Jersey stomping grounds as someone who played his high school ball at Eastern Regional in Voorhees and his college ball at Rutgers. He could be a godsend in the defensive backfield as a safety — he is listed as the backup to Julian Love on the first unofficial depth chart — at slot corner and perhaps at outside corner. He has played all three spots in his career. The starting corner opposite James Bradberry is listed as Corey Ballentine and that spot is an area of great need.
Could Ryan move in there if asked to do so?
“I’m prepared,” he said. “I played outside corner a lot of years in this league. I started as an outside corner in a Super Bowl before. So I have experience at it. I played outside corner at Rutgers for four years right down the road. If the team asks me to play that, I’ll definitely do that.’’
If there are any signs Ryan, 29, is slowing down they are difficult to detect. He started all 19 games last season for the Titans, who made it all the way to the AFC Championship game, led the team in 113 tackles and was second on the team with four interceptions. He played 99 percent of the defensive snaps in the regular season.
Judge, without offering specifics, did not hide his intention for Ryan.
“We’re going to play him in different packages all over the field,’’ Judge said.
This means Ryan could have a different role every week.
“Honestly, this is a matchup league,’’ Ryan said. “This isn’t 1980s football where you go out there and you got four positions, two safeties and two corners. I think the game is evolving a little bit and the more position flexibility you have gives you the ability to do more stuff on defense.’’
Judge embarked on his NFL career with the Patriots in 2012 and Ryan arrived a year later; the two spent four years together in New England. Graham was there for three of those years. Without these past relationships, Ryan may have landed elsewhere.
“The Giants were not the only team interested,’’ Ryan said. “Having that conversation [with Judge] on the phone definitely steered it. Pat Graham as well. We talked a lot about what I can bring and how they believe in me. One hundred percent it had a huge swing in things.’’
Without the benefit of a single rep in training camp, Ryan is behind. As he waited out his COVID-19 testing and was kept away from team, he said he “begged for an iPad’’ so he could get started relearning a system he played previously with the Patriots.
“I’ve been studying film about 20 hours a day, a variety of positions,’’ Ryan said. “My wife and kids are back home in Nashville and I’m up here by myself, got nothing to do but watch a ton of film and start preparing for the Steelers. A lack of film won’t be an issue for me.’’


newyorkpost--2020-09-07--Leonardo DiCaprio tried to hide his 1990s smoking habit from his mom

Leonardo DiCaprio — who these days is often spotted with a vape ( above ) — fretted about his image , and didn ’ t want his mom to know that he smoked when he was still an up-and-coming star , Page Six is told .
Photographer Steve Eichner — whose new book , “ In the Limelight : The Visual Ecstasy of NYC Nightlife in the ’ 90s , ” chronicles the 1990s club scene in pictures — told us that DiCaprio made a deal with him one night in 1994 at Club USA during a party for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ West.
” At Peter Gatien ’ s legendary club venue , Eichner said he got a shot of Leo — who would have been about 20 at the time and had just starred in his dramatic movie breakout , “ What ’ s Eating Gilbert Grape , ” with Johnny Depp — buying something from a “ cigarette-and-candy girl , ” but he couldn ’ t tell what .
“ [ Leo ] came over and tapped me on the shoulder and said , ‘ Hey man , can you do me a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that photo ?
You can take photos of me tonight.
’ ” When asked why he didn ’ t want the picture to go public , Eichner recalled that Leo told him , “ I was buying cigarettes , and I don ’ t want my mom to know that I smoke.
” DiCaprio is famously close with his mother , Irmelin Indenbirken .
Oddly enough , Depp corroborated Eichner ’ s claim that DiCaprio kept his smoking habit from his mom .
In 2016 , at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival @ @ @ @ @ @ @ young co-star pestering him on the set of “ What ’ s Eating Gilbert Grape.
” “ No , I will not give you a drag of my cigarette while you hide from your mother again , Leo , ” Depp recalled himself saying to the rising star .
Some ( perhaps apocryphal ) reports from many years ago have also said that DiCaprio helped Robert Pattinson quit smoking by turning him onto e-cigarettes .
Eichner ’ s book comes out Oct. 20 from Prestel .

Leonardo DiCaprio — who these days is often spotted with a vape (above) — fretted about his image, and didn’t want his mom to know that he smoked when he was still an up-and-coming star, Page Six is told.
Photographer Steve Eichner — whose new book, “In the Limelight: The Visual Ecstasy of NYC Nightlife in the ’90s,” chronicles the 1990s club scene in pictures — told us that DiCaprio made a deal with him one night in 1994 at Club USA during a party for the Nicolas Cage-Dennis Hopper thriller “Red Rock West.”
At Peter Gatien’s legendary club venue, Eichner said he got a shot of Leo — who would have been about 20 at the time and had just starred in his dramatic movie breakout, “What’s Eating Gilbert Grape,” with Johnny Depp — buying something from a “cigarette-and-candy girl,” but he couldn’t tell what. “[Leo] came over and tapped me on the shoulder and said, ‘Hey man, can you do me a favor and please don’t use that photo? You can take photos of me tonight.’ ”
When asked why he didn’t want the picture to go public, Eichner recalled that Leo told him, “I was buying cigarettes, and I don’t want my mom to know that I smoke.”
DiCaprio is famously close with his mother, Irmelin Indenbirken.
Oddly enough, Depp corroborated Eichner’s claim that DiCaprio kept his smoking habit from his mom.
In 2016, at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, Depp told an anecdote about a young co-star pestering him on the set of “What’s Eating Gilbert Grape.” “No, I will not give you a drag of my cigarette while you hide from your mother again, Leo,” Depp recalled himself saying to the rising star.
Some (perhaps apocryphal) reports from many years ago have also said that DiCaprio helped Robert Pattinson quit smoking by turning him onto e-cigarettes. Eichner’s book comes out Oct. 20 from Prestel.


newyorkpost--2020-09-07--Why London’s Underground is in better post-pandemic shape than NYC’s subways

He ’ s London ’ s “ Train Daddy ” now .
Andy Byford , the popular former ...

In both New York and London, core office districts have been empty for half a year. Both cities face a long, hard slog of recovery. But London has an edge: a more rational approach to public transportation.
Transit ridership is a fraction of what it was. In New York, subway ridership is still down 73 percent; bus ridership, 54 percent. In London, Tube ridership is down 69 percent; buses, 43 percent.
The point of reviving transit is to get people back into crowded office districts — the City of London, Midtown Manhattan. In Britain, government grasps this. Prime Minister (and former London Mayor) Boris Johnson is launching an ad campaign encouraging people to go back to work.
Mayor Sadiq Khan telegraphs the same message: “If we all stay at home working, it’s a big problem for central London,” he said last month. “Small businesses rely on your workers going to work, the café bars, the dry cleaners, the shoe-repair shops. . . . We are doing what we can to make sure London is as safe as it can be.”
The two men are hardly united — they bicker stupidly — but they get the point. A ghost-town urban core is a disaster.
Has any one of Mayor de Blasio, Gov. Cuomo or President Trump acknowledged this basic fact?
People won’t come if they don’t trust transit. As it happens, Khan recently appointed a new Transport for London chief: none other than Andy Byford, the British native who, frustrated with Cuomo’s constant interference, quit running New York’s subways and buses in January.
“I miss New York City,” Byford says, e-showing off his new view of the London Eye. “I read The Post every morning” online. But “there’s lots to do here” in London.
One London advantage: coordination. Byford’s job “is the MTA and city DOT all rolled into one.” He is in charge of trains and buses — and in charge of streets, such as where to put bus and bike lanes. If things go wrong, everyone knows whom to blame, unlike in New York, where the MTA must depend on New York City’s goodwill in creating special lanes (slow, so far, compared to London).
The second advantage is leadership. In June, before Byford’s arrival, TfL increased the congestion-pricing levy by 30 percent, to nearly $20. Increasing the charge was “controversial,” says Byford, but London “knew it cannot have a car-led recovery.”
A third advantage is money. TfL already had an edge. Thanks to a combination of a much lower health-care burden for workers and bus services that are contracted out to private operators, for example, it moves 2.1 billion passengers a year for about $8.4 billion, whereas the MTA moves 2.6 billion passengers for $13.7 billion.
COVID-19 has decimated both cities’ revenues. London’s higher congestion charge helps — but like New York, London needs national support. TfL has gotten the $2.6 billion it asked the national government for earlier this year.
Now, it is asking for another $4.6 billion — and is almost certain to get it, no congressional (parliamentary) drama involved. Boris’s main request? That TfL tie new aid to cost reform, like driverless trains, common in Paris, Lyon and Turin.
The national and local government are also cooperating on limited free trips for commuters to coax them to venture back.
Last, crime. De Blasio has sat by as a crime pandemic has accompanied the COVID-19 pandemic underground. From April through June, subway felony crime was down only 47.5 percent — meaning, with ridership down double than that most of the period, each rider was at higher risk, per capita, of becoming a victim.
Murders have more than doubled, to four, and robbery is up 5 percent. Reports of conductors being pushed to the tracks hardly win people back.
In London, “we’ve not seen an uptick,” says Byford. In fact, the opposite: April through July, crimes “against the person” in the Underground are down 67.5 percent, robbery down 52.4 percent. London’s returning commuters have one less thing to worry about.
New York and London are sister cities — twin capitals of finance, law, entertainment and tourism. Without drastic change stateside, one sibling may emerge from this crisis more radiant than the other.
Correction: Last week, I wrote erroneously that Lincoln Center’s outdoor plazas remained shuttered. Lincoln Center has reopened them during the day. The city-run Columbus Circle Park remains closed.
Nicole Gelinas is a contributing editor of City Journal. Twitter: @NicoleGelinas


newyorkpost--2020-09-07--Carl Icahn’s feud with former protégé imperils Navistar sale

Carl Icahn has been squabbling with a former protégé in negotiations to sell a truck-making giant — and investors fret that the tiff could land the deal in a ditch .
The 84-year-old billionaire is squaring off against Mark Rachesky — a hard-charging financier who worked for him for six years in the 1990s — over the asking price for Navistar , which makes the International line of big rigs , as well as buses and military vehicles , sources told The Post .
Traton , a Volkswagen subsidiary that makes the German auover to giant ’ s trucks and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ January for $ 35 a share , or $ 2.9 billion , in a deal that could enlarge VW ’ s share of the US truck market .
Navistar shares surged more than 50 percent to above the asking price , and Navistar hired bankers in February to respond .
Not long after Traton made its offer , Rachesky , a large Navistar shareholder who controls a seat on the board , told some of Navistar ’ s directors that he wanted more than $ 70 a share , sources said .
While @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agreed that Traton needed to sweeten its offer , they didn ’ t expect Traton to double it , sources said .
Talks were then stalled due to COVID-19 , but Navistar ’ s board is now scrambling to align itself before discussions resume this month , sources said .
Traton , which has seats on Navistar ’ s board , is Navistar ’ s biggest stockholder with a 17 percent stake .
Icahn and Rachesky ’ s MHR Fund Management each hold stakes of roughly 16 percent .
It couldn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but sources close to the situation say it ’ s significantly lower than $ 70 .
“ Any speculation on MHR setting a price is reckless and completely false , and only serves to create unnecessary distraction and strife , ” a Rachesky spokesman said in a statement , declining to comment specifically on whether Rachesky had floated the sky-high price to fellow directors .
Nevertheless , some investors worry that Rachesky could endanger the deal if he continues to hold out .
That ’ s despite the fact that Navistar ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID hit that brought it near $ 15 in March and April , closing at $ 37.35 on Friday .
“ Navistar was not worth what Rachesky was asking for , ” one source close to Navistar fumed .
“ Maybe if Mark had said $ 55 to the other directors .
.
.
a deal could have been had before the pandemic.
” Another source put it more bluntly : “ The rest of the board is not in love with Mark.
” A Stanford-trained medical doctor before he embarked on an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for himself since branching out on his own .
In 2012 , he and his wife , Jill , paid $ 33 million for a swanky apartment at 834 Fifth Ave. with four fireplaces and 7¹/₂ baths , according to Forbes .
But critics say his lofty demands have gotten in the way of deals before .
His second-biggest holding next to Navistar is a 58 percent stake in Loral , a satellite company he has controlled since 2005 .
In 2015 , the Ontario Teachers ’ Pension Plan had a handshake deal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 7 billion , or $ 85 a share , The Post reported at the time .
And as chairman of Loral , Rachesky walked away , apparently after not getting a desired $ 300 million fee , The Post reported .
The shares are presently trading at $ 23.13 .
While Loral has been consistently paying dividends since , they don ’ t come close to offsetting the lost , fourfold premium .
And his performance has lagged in recent years .
In 2007 , MHR raised a $ 3.5 billion fund that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ annual return .
At the end of last year , that return had fallen to 5.1 percent , according to the Oregon Employees Retirement Fund .
That places it in the lowest 25 percent of buyout funds raised at that time , according to Cambridge .
Rachesky last raised a fund in 2016 that closed on $ 2.3 billion .
That fund has generated only a 1 percent annual return as of Dec. 31 , according to the Oregon pension .
As anxiety about the Navistar deal continues to mount , longtime media @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Weinberg Partners came to Rachesky ’ s defense .
“ Mark is one of the smartest , most strategic and disciplined investors I ’ ve ever met , ” Young told The Post .
“ The record shows that when he realizes investments , he makes fortunes for his limited partners.
” Navistar , meanwhile , faces growing skepticism from analysts about its chances for a lucrative buyout .
“ Based on Traton ’ s history with buyout situations , we doubt it will raise its bid or that any competing proposal will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ levered balance sheet and currently anemic demand for commercial vehicles , ” BMO Capital Markets said in a June 4 report .

Carl Icahn has been squabbling with a former protégé in negotiations to sell a truck-making giant — and investors fret that the tiff could land the deal in a ditch.
The 84-year-old billionaire is squaring off against Mark Rachesky — a hard-charging financier who worked for him for six years in the 1990s — over the asking price for Navistar, which makes the International line of big rigs, as well as buses and military vehicles, sources told The Post.
Traton, a Volkswagen subsidiary that makes the German auto giant’s trucks and buses, offered to buy Navistar in January for $35 a share, or $2.9 billion, in a deal that could enlarge VW’s share of the US truck market. Navistar shares surged more than 50 percent to above the asking price, and Navistar hired bankers in February to respond.
Not long after Traton made its offer, Rachesky, a large Navistar shareholder who controls a seat on the board, told some of Navistar’s directors that he wanted more than $70 a share, sources said. While other board members, including Icahn, agreed that Traton needed to sweeten its offer, they didn’t expect Traton to double it, sources said.
Talks were then stalled due to COVID-19, but Navistar’s board is now scrambling to align itself before discussions resume this month, sources said. Traton, which has seats on Navistar’s board, is Navistar’s biggest stockholder with a 17 percent stake. Icahn and Rachesky’s MHR Fund Management each hold stakes of roughly 16 percent.
It couldn’t immediately be learned what price Icahn wants, but sources close to the situation say it’s significantly lower than $70.
“Any speculation on MHR setting a price is reckless and completely false, and only serves to create unnecessary distraction and strife,” a Rachesky spokesman said in a statement, declining to comment specifically on whether Rachesky had floated the sky-high price to fellow directors.
“[Navistar Chairman] Troy Clarke is running a thorough and comprehensive process to negotiate a deal with Traton that assures value for all shareholders,” the spokesman added. “He has MHR’s full support.”
Nevertheless, some investors worry that Rachesky could endanger the deal if he holds out. That’s despite the fact that Navistar’s stock has lately bounced from a COVID hit that brought it near $15 in March and April, closing at $37.35 on Friday.
“Navistar was not worth what Rachesky was asking for,” one source close to Navistar fumed.
“Maybe if Mark had said $55 to the other directors . . . a deal could have been had before the pandemic.”
Another source put it more bluntly: “The rest of the board is not in love with Mark.”
A Stanford-trained medical doctor before he embarked on an investing career, Rachesky has done well for himself since branching out on his own. In 2012, he and his wife, Jill, paid $33 million for a swanky apartment at 834 Fifth Ave. with four fireplaces and 7¹/₂ baths, according to Forbes.
But critics say his lofty demands have gotten in the way of deals before.
His second-biggest holding next to Navistar is a 58 percent stake in Loral, a satellite company he has controlled since 2005. In 2015, the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan had a handshake deal with Loral to buy it for $7 billion, or $85 a share, The Post reported at the time.
And as chairman of Loral, Rachesky walked away, apparently after refusing to pay a $300 million consent fee to a co-investor, The Post reported. The shares are presently trading at $23.13. While Loral has been consistently paying dividends since, they don’t come close to offsetting the lost, fourfold premium.
And his performance has lagged in recent years. In 2007, MHR raised a $3.5 billion fund that Forbes said was generating a 13 percent annual return. At the end of last year, that return had fallen to 5.1 percent, according to the Oregon Employees Retirement Fund. That places it in the lowest 25 percent of buyout funds raised at that time, according to Cambridge.
Rachesky last raised a fund in 2016 that closed on $2.3 billion. That fund had generated only a 1 percent annual return as of Dec. 31, according to the Oregon pension. A source close to Rachesky, however, said the fund surged 32 percent during the first half of this year, leaving it with a gross return of 16 percent.
As anxiety about the Navistar deal continues to mount, longtime media and telecom banker Woody Young of Perella Weinberg Partners came to Rachesky’s defense.
“Mark is one of the smartest, most strategic and disciplined investors I’ve ever met,” Young told The Post. “The record shows that when he realizes investments, he makes fortunes for his limited partners.”
Navistar, meanwhile, faces growing skepticism from analysts about its chances for a lucrative buyout.
“Based on Traton’s history with buyout situations, we doubt it will raise its bid or that any competing proposal will emerge, especially given Navistar’s levered balance sheet and currently anemic demand for commercial vehicles,” BMO Capital Markets said in a June 4 report.


newyorkpost--2020-09-07--50 Cent crashes Bridgehampton outdoors fitness class

The ripped rapper stopped by the session , called Torch ’ d , at Topping Rose House ’ s outdoor @ @ @ @ @ , in Bridgehampton .
A spy said , “ In the middle of the class @ @ @ @ @ do Isaac ’ s signature arm moves.
” The fitness guru ’ s regulars include @ @ @ @ @ and Vanessa Hudgens .
The night before at Topping Rose , celebrities and chefs alike @ @ @ @ @ charity dinner organized by Jean-Georges Vongerichten .
Rosanna Scotto , Michael White and Alex Guarnaschelli @ @ @ @ @ Jaret Keller and Lee Schrager , while , a spy told Page Six , “ @ @ @ @ @ Burtka created crudités platters from their personal garden for each table.
” The dinner raised @ @ @ @ @ Food Bank for NYC .

50 Cent delighted Hamptons fitness freaks Saturday morning when he crashed celeb trainer Isaac Boots’ class.
The ripped rapper stopped by the session, called Torch’d, at Topping Rose House’s outdoor fitness spot, the Clubhouse, in Bridgehampton. A spy said, “In the middle of the class, 50 Cent started to do Isaac’s signature arm moves.” The fitness guru’s regulars include Kelly Ripa, Lisa Rinna and Vanessa Hudgens.
The night before at Topping Rose, celebrities and chefs alike cooked meals for an intimate charity dinner organized by Jean-Georges Vongerichten. Rosanna Scotto, Michael White and Alex Guarnaschelli made meals for guests including Jaret Keller and Lee Schrager, while, a spy told Page Six, “Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka created crudités platters from their personal garden for each table.” The dinner raised money for City Harvest and Food Bank for NYC.


newyorkpost--2020-09-07--Journalists’ social-media snark about urban safety is grotesque gaslighting

American cities are in trouble .
In the wake of the COVID-19 lockdowns and rising crime and disorder , residents are fleeing urban areas , particularly New York City .
The continuing looting and riots , especially , have sown feelings of deep insecurity .
But some journalistic elites refuse to see reality — and are happy to mock those of us worried about recent trends .
“ I went for a belated NYC run this morning and am sorry to report that I saw very few black-clad anarchists , ” New York Times columnist Paul Krugman sarcastically wrote in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : “ Also , the city is not yet in flames.
” Because you see , Krugman ’ s anecdotal claims trump what you see on the news every night .
Crime is out of control in Gotham .
A two-week window this summer saw 205 percent more gunfire incidents than the same period last year .
With four months left to go , the city has already surpassed last year ’ s shootings total .
But fact is , the troubles are contained in only certain areas .
Of course , Krugman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ isn ’ t staining sidewalks in the kind of hood the Nobelist calls home .
Look at any Monday morning story about weekend violence .
This weekend , it happened in The Bronx , Greenpoint , Rockaway .
Krugman and members of his social class have nothing to worry about .
Their jolly experience proves nothing .
It isn ’ t just Krugman preening this way .
A new meme on Twitter has upper-middle-class journalist types lounging in parks and posting pictures of how safe it is .
CNN correspondent Josh Campbell tweeted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wonderful Portland , where the city is not under siege , and buildings are not burning to the ground.
” It didn ’ t help that the night before a riot was declared in Portland after a mob marched on the mayor ’ s home and set a fire to a nearby building .
Don ’ t believe your lying eyes , though : Josh Campbell is doing just fine .
And in DC , Washington Post journalist Dan Zak posted an idyllic scene at a park , writing : “ Washington , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Yes , it is .
Mobs are confronting diners at restaurants and yelling in their faces to support their cause ; shootings in DC are up 45 percent year on year .
But everything is OK , because Zak had a nice morning in a park .
It ’ s an intense form of gaslighting to say , in effect : Everything is fine , because I personally didn ’ t witness the bad stuff .
As many Twitter responses to Campbell and Zak pointed out , you can just as easily @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and claim there is no police brutality or racism .
“ It ’ s fine , because it isn ’ t happening to me ” has been a hallmark of the entire lockdown era .
When Nancy Pelosi gets her hair done in an otherwise closed hair salon , she gets to not notice that people aren ’ t working , and are suffering ; either way , the House speaker ’ s hair looks fabulously coiffured .
I love New York , and I ’ m not going anywhere .
When I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ New York ’ s impending demise , and Jerry Seinfeld ’ s counterblast in the Times , I ’ m more inclined to agree with the latter .
I don ’ t bet against the Big Apple .
But it ’ s hard not to notice Seinfeld wrote his “ New York will never die ” piece from the Hamptons .
It would mean a lot more if he walked New York ’ s empty streets , saw the boarded-up windows , recognized the rampant homeless problem and acknowledged that there are vast @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a debilitating crime problem .
Loving New York , or any American city you call home , can ’ t mean pretending everything is honkey-dorey .
Real love requires truth .
“ Anyway , important to realize that claims of urban anarchy are almost entirely fantasy , ” Krugman concluded his thread about his delightful run .
Yes , those claims are a fantasy — when you live in the right neighborhood and don ’ t care about those who don ’ t .

American cities are in trouble. In the wake of the COVID-19 lockdowns and rising crime and disorder, residents are fleeing urban areas, particularly New York City. The continuing looting and riots, especially, have sown feelings of deep insecurity. But some journalistic elites refuse to see reality — and are happy to mock those of us worried about recent trends.
“I went for a belated NYC run this morning and am sorry to report that I saw very few black-clad anarchists,” New York Times columnist Paul Krugman sarcastically wrote in a multi-part tweet thread. He added: “Also, the city is not yet in flames.” Because you see, Krugman’s anecdotal claims trump what you see on the news every night.
Crime is out of control in Gotham. A two-week window this summer saw 205 percent more gunfire incidents than the same period last year. With four months left to go, the city has already surpassed last year’s shootings total.
But fact is, the troubles are contained in only certain areas. Of course, Krugman isn’t threatened. The blood isn’t staining sidewalks in the kind of hood the Nobelist calls home. Look at any Monday morning story about weekend violence. This weekend, it happened in The Bronx, Greenpoint, Rockaway.
Krugman and members of his social class have nothing to worry about. Their jolly experience proves nothing.
It isn’t just Krugman preening this way. A new meme on Twitter has upper-middle-class journalist types lounging in parks and posting pictures of how safe it is.
CNN correspondent Josh Campbell tweeted about eating his breakfast burrito in “wonderful Portland, where the city is not under siege, and buildings are not burning to the ground.”
It didn’t help that the night before a riot was declared in Portland after a mob marched on the mayor’s home and set a fire to a nearby building. Don’t believe your lying eyes, though: Josh Campbell is doing just fine.
And in DC, Washington Post journalist Dan Zak posted an idyllic scene at a park, writing: “Washington, DC, is simply out of control.”
Yes, it is. Mobs are confronting diners at restaurants and yelling in their faces to support their cause; shootings in DC are up 45 percent year on year. But everything is OK, because Zak had a nice morning in a park.
It’s an intense form of gaslighting to say, in effect: Everything is fine, because I personally didn’t witness the bad stuff. As many Twitter responses to Campbell and Zak pointed out, you can just as easily post a picture of an empty park and claim there is no police brutality or racism.
“It’s fine, because it isn’t happening to me” has been a hallmark of the entire lockdown era. When Nancy Pelosi gets her hair done in an otherwise closed hair salon, she gets to not notice that people aren’t working, and are suffering; either way, the House speaker’s hair looks fabulously coiffured.
I love New York, and I’m not going anywhere. When I read James Altucher’s essay about New York’s impending demise, and Jerry Seinfeld’s counterblast in the Times, I’m more inclined to agree with the latter. I don’t bet against the Big Apple.
But it’s hard not to notice Seinfeld wrote his “New York will never die” piece from the Hamptons. It would mean a lot more if he walked New York’s empty streets, saw the boarded-up windows, recognized the rampant homeless problem and acknowledged that there are vast swaths of the city actually suffering under a debilitating crime problem.
Loving New York, or any American city you call home, can’t mean pretending everything is honkey-dorey. Real love requires truth.
“Anyway, important to realize that claims of urban anarchy are almost entirely fantasy,” Krugman concluded his thread about his delightful run. Yes, those claims are a fantasy — when you live in the right neighborhood and don’t care about those who don’t.


newyorkpost--2020-09-07--‘A.P. Bio’ creator Mike O’Brien lobbies for ‘Katie Holmes Day’ in Toledo

At least one Ohioan is calling for a holiday to be named in honor of Katie Holmes .
Mike O @ @ @ @ @ the Peacock show “ A.P .
Bio , ” grew up in the same town @ @ @ @ @ her rise to fame has become the stuff of legend there .
“ Growing up @ @ @ @ @ in Toledo , it ’ s like almost a [ holiday already ] .
Katie @ @ @ @ @ was two grades below me at my sister ’ s school , ” O ’ @ @ @ @ @ talk .
“ We were all very aware when she got ‘ Dawson ’ s @ @ @ @ @ a Katie Holmes Day in his show , and added , “ There isn ’ @ @ @ @ @ but our hope is now that there will be .
Toledoans should pick an arbitrary @ @ @ @ @ !
” Damian Holbrook of TV Guide moderated the talk and noted that there would @ @ @ @ @ Eve !
”

At least one Ohioan is calling for a holiday to be named in honor of Katie Holmes.
Mike O’Brien, who created the Peacock show “A.P. Bio,” grew up in the same town as Holmes and says that her rise to fame has become the stuff of legend there. “Growing up and going to Catholic schools in Toledo, it’s like almost a [holiday already]. Katie Holmes was revered; she was two grades below me at my sister’s school,” O’Brien said in a 92Y talk.
“We were all very aware when she got ‘Dawson’s Creek.’ ” He created a Katie Holmes Day in his show, and added, “There isn’t an actual holiday, but our hope is now that there will be. Toledoans should pick an arbitrary day and make this real!”
Damian Holbrook of TV Guide moderated the talk and noted that there would be “a Katie Holmes Eve!”


newyorkpost--2020-09-07--Democrats’ new strategy for winning the White House: Threaten riots if they lose

A recent deep dive in the Washington Post , “ What ’ s the ...

Four years ago, Hillary Clinton supporters talked a lot about then-candidate Donald Trump refusing to concede a presidential election they were certain he would lose. As it happened, they had it exactly backward: Trump wound up winning, and Democrats and their media cheerleaders have spent most of their waking moments ever since then trying to invalidate that result. They used false charges about Russian “collusion” and any other conceivable means — fair or foul — to make the bad dream of 2016 go away.
That’s the key fact to keep in mind amid the drumbeat of obsessive mainstream commentary and analysis about what Trump will do when he loses in November.
The drumbeat has been getting louder. In recent weeks, multiple mainstream outlets have pondered the same old Trump-sore-loser scenario. They are certain the president will seek to delegitimize the results and use unconstitutional means to hold onto an office from which they are sure voters will evict him.
As he did in 2016, Trump has cast doubt on the integrity of the process by talking about possible election fraud.
Only this time, his concerns have some merit. A recent Post feature related a veteran Democratic operative’s confession about how easy it is to cheat, making it clear there is reason to worry. With so many ballots being mailed this fall because of the pandemic — and with so few safeguards put in place — chaos is likely as the count drags on for days, weeks and even months after Election Day.
That has led a host of liberal pundits to openly speculate about how to stop Trump from stealing the election. Their formulas for saving democracy from him include having “principled” Republicans undermine Trump from within the government, military intervention a k a a coup and, most importantly, mass protests.
They are sure the only way to ensure a peaceful transition of power is a landslide victory for Joe Biden by a margin that not even a real estate developer from Queens could challenge.
But there is a problem with their fulminations about the evil orange man installing the authoritarian regime liberals have been warning us about ever since he started running for president.
To wit: It’s all pure projection on their part.
For all of their frightening predictions of what Trump might do if he loses, the one thing we already know is that it is the Democrats who will, as Clinton advised Biden, never concede defeat. Though some of Trump’s trolling of the media and the left is interpreted as betraying his plans to overturn the results, Democrats have already shown us outright how they react to losing.
This time, Democrats won’t be relying on conspiracy theories or politicized investigations. Instead, they are counting on a strategy intended to scare Americans into voting for Biden — even if they have misgivings about handing over the government to a confused figurehead and his radical supporters.
After a summer of (ahem) “mostly peaceful” Black Lives Matter protests that unleashed violence and looting in American cities, most recently in Rochester, is there a shred of doubt in anyone’s mind that the same combination of elite liberals, criminal thugs and Antifa Marxists would be deployed to burn and destroy the moment it appears that Trump might be winning?
Behind all that high-minded talk from pompous columnists about virtuous patriots stopping Trump from cheating is a brazen threat. They’re saying in effect: The same forces that have wreaked havoc in the name of a false charge that America is an irredeemably racist nation may well inflict even worse damage in order to ensure that Trump’s re-election is thwarted.
That’s the subtext of the talk from Biden supporters about democracy. Their ace in the hole isn’t an accurate count of the votes but the certainty that America’s cities will burn unless the electorate bows to their demands.
Aided by the devastation from the pandemic, Biden may yet win without any help from mobs. If he does, Trump will likely bow to the verdict of the people and go home.
But in what is likely to be a close election in a deeply divided country — immersed in a culture war about a largely false charge of racism — the real threat to the process isn’t a presidential spoilsport. It’s a Democratic Party that is fully prepared to unleash ruin on the nation if it loses again.
Jonathan S. Tobin is editor in chief of JNS.org.


newyorkpost--2020-09-07--Crime emerges as hot issue in Queens Borough President’s race

The underdog Republican candidate for Queens borough president is hoping voter anger over the spike in crime will give her a shot at winning the seat .
“ It ’ s common sense vs. insanity , ” said Joann Ariola , a Howard Beach resident , said .
Councilman Donovan Richards , the Democratic nominee , is the heavy favorite to capture the seat after winning the primary election in the overwhelmingly Democratic borough .
But Ariola , 62 , is vowing to put up a fierce fight , painting Richards as a hard-left , soft-on-crime and anti-police candidate at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with lawlessness amid the coronavirus pandemic .
Richards , chairman of the Council ’ s Public Safety Committee , has backed a package of police accountability laws and even voted against the city budget in July because it didn ’ t cut the NYPD ’ s funding enough or address “ racism that runs rampant in the NYPD.
” “ That was the last straw .
We can ’ t leave Queens in Donovan Richards ’ hands .
He ’ s another de Blasio .
He could be worse , ” Ariola said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump Republican believing a message of division can win in one of the most diverse counties in our country .
Queens has always been a place where residents pursue fairness and celebrate our diversity .
We anticipate Queens voters will reject our Republican opponent ’ s policies , just as they will Trump ’ s in November.
” Richards is so assured of victory that he refers to himself as “ QBP-Elect ” on his Twitter page .
Ariola said she supports President Trump ’ s re-election , which could be a troublesome @ @ @ @ @ @ @ presidential race topping the ballot .
Ariola said she would hammer Richards for supporting the closure of the Rikers ’ Island jail complex and have the city open jails across the city — including in Kew Gardens , Queens .
Ariola , a director of intergovernmental affairs at the Medisys hospital network , is stepping aside as the Queens GOP leader to run for borough president .
Richards currently represents southeast Queens and the Rockaways in the council .
The borough president ’ s office is a largely ceremonial position , though it @ @ @ @ @ @ @

The underdog Republican candidate for Queens borough president is hoping voter anger over the spike in crime will give her a shot at winning the seat.
“It’s common sense vs. insanity,” said Joann Ariola, a Howard Beach resident, said.
Councilman Donovan Richards, the Democratic nominee, is the heavy favorite to capture the seat after winning the primary election in the overwhelmingly Democratic borough.
But Ariola, 62, is vowing to put up a fierce fight, painting Richards as a hard-left, soft-on-crime and anti-police candidate at a time when residents are fed up with lawlessness amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Richards, chairman of the Council’s Public Safety Committee, has backed a package of police accountability laws and even voted against the city budget in July because it didn’t cut the NYPD’s funding enough or address “racism that runs rampant in the NYPD.”
“That was the last straw. We can’t leave Queens in Donovan Richards’ hands. He’s another de Blasio. He could be worse,” Ariola said.
Richards was unfazed.
“The only insanity is a Trump Republican believing a message of division can win in one of the most diverse counties in our country. Queens has always been a place where residents pursue fairness and celebrate our diversity. We anticipate Queens voters will reject our Republican opponent’s policies, just as they will Trump’s in November.”
Richards is so assured of victory that he refers to himself as “QBP-Elect” on his Twitter page.
Ariola said she supports President Trump’s re-election, which could be a troublesome issue in the Democratic-leaning borough with the presidential race topping the ballot.
Ariola said she would hammer Richards for supporting the closure of the Rikers’ Island jail complex and have the city open jails across the city — including in Kew Gardens, Queens.
Ariola, a director of intergovernmental affairs at the Medisys hospital network, is stepping aside as the Queens GOP leader to run for borough president.
Richards currently represents southeast Queens and the Rockaways in the council.
The borough president’s office is a largely ceremonial position, though it has say over land use matters.


newyorkpost--2020-09-07--Chuck Schumer dines at newly liquor license-less 75 Main

Click to email this to a friend ( Opens in new window ) Click to share on Twitter ( Opens @ @ @ @ @ to share on Facebook ( Opens in new window ) The governor might not be @ @ @ @ @ Hamptons hot spot 75 Main , but the state ’ s senators are still welcome @ @ @ @ @ , Gov .
Cuomo ’ s State Liquor Authority yanked the restaurant ’ s liquor @ @ @ @ @ some other transgressions .
But the place still seems to be abuzz .
We ’ @ @ @ @ @ dined there over the holiday weekend — but owner Zach Erdem had to serve him @ @ @ @ @ .

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The governor might not be the most popular guy at Hamptons hot spot 75 Main, but the state’s senators are still welcome.
As Page Six reported, Gov. Cuomo’s State Liquor Authority yanked the restaurant’s liquor license over COVID-19 violations and some other transgressions.
But the place still seems to be abuzz. We’re told Sen. Chuck Schumer dined there over the holiday weekend — but owner Zach Erdem had to serve him coffee rather than something stiffer.


newyorkpost--2020-09-07--Pam Anderson adds paid channel to social-media site Jasmin

Click to email this to a friend ( Opens in new window ) Click to share on Twitter ( Opens @ @ @ @ @ to share on Facebook ( Opens in new window ) Pamela Anderson has become the @ @ @ @ @ subscription that allows fans a glimpse into her private life .
The “ Baywatch ” @ @ @ @ @ paid channel to the social-media platform Jasmin , we ’ re told .
An insider @ @ @ @ @ big deal for her , “ especially for those who know how much she values @ @ @ @ @ s already Jasmin ’ s creative director .
Other celebs , including Cardi B and @ @ @ @ @ signed up to be creators on the more risqué subscription platform OnlyFans .

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Pamela Anderson has become the latest star to sell a subscription that allows fans a glimpse into her private life.
The “Baywatch” icon is adding her own paid channel to the social-media platform Jasmin, we’re told. An insider says it’s a big deal for her, “especially for those who know how much she values her privacy.” She’s already Jasmin’s creative director.
Other celebs, including Cardi B and Bella Thorne, have recently signed up to be creators on the more risqué subscription platform OnlyFans.


newyorkpost--2020-09-07--Restaurant workers flee Manhattan to find jobs in Hamptons

Months before a possible second wave of the coronavirus , deep-pocketed ...

Unemployed city restaurant workers are banging down doors to find work in the Hamptons as the dining scene there explodes thanks to fleeing Manhattanites.
But working in the luxurious beach hamlets also presents a unique set of hardships, especially for restaurant workers with young children and apartments in NYC.
Felix, who asked that his surname be withheld, lost his job in March as a waiter at Serafina, a trendy Italian eatery on the Upper East Side. He didn’t qualify for unemployment insurance, and it wasn’t until July that he found work again as restaurants on the Long Island shore reopened their doors. He’s now earning more than he did in the city — but at the cost of spending time with his 16-year-old son.
“I am worried that I won’t be there for him although I can help with homework on weekends,” said Felix, 46. “But I have to keep working in the Hamptons or I won’t be able to feed my son.”
On the bright side, Felix said he is earning $300 more a week at Blu Mar in Southampton than he did in the city. And Blu Mar owner Zach Erdem provides free housing for workers above the restaurant.
“That’s where I live,” said Hugo, who also pays $800 for his share of his sister’s two bedroom in Brooklyn.
Luis, who also declined to give his last name, says he was a captain at Cafe Boulud making $1,800 a week after taxes before he lost his job in March as the coronavirus stripped NYC’s once vibrant restaurant scene of everything but takeout.
Born in Mexico, Luis had not yet received his legal immigration papers, so he wasn’t getting unemployment insurance. After months of looking for new work — during which time he depleted his savings on rent and other expenses — Luis found work at Calissa in Water Mill, NY, which means he’s now apart from his four kids five days a week.
“It is very hard because I don’t get to see my family. It is like I am living in another country and I hope I don’t have the virus when I come back to see them,” Luis said.
Still, he says he is grateful for the work. “I don’t know what I would have done with my life without this job. I brought other employees here from the city. This was their only chance to work. Everyone has families and kids and they need jobs. It is far, but we are just thankful to work.”
James Mallios, who owns Calissa, says it’s just another example of how out-of-touch Mayor de Blasio was when he said City Hall’s plan for indoor dining could wait because it’s “a very optional activity” for those with money.
“This is the biggest problem that I have with de Blasio. He said eating out is an upper middle class problem,” Mallios said. “Who the f–k does he think works in these restaurants? They sure as s–t aren’t upper middle-class. They are traveling five days a week to work in the Hamptons because that’s where the jobs are.
“These are people with families. How can they manage working in the Hamptons and putting their kids to school in the city? How can you keep schools open but not restaurants?” said Mallios, who is also providing housing for around 35 city-based workers who are currently commuting to the Hamptons.