newyorkpost--2020-10-14--Smoking-gun email reveals how Hunter Biden introduced Ukrainian businessman to VP dad

Hunter Biden discussed leveraging his connection to his father in ...

Hunter Biden introduced his father, then-Vice President Joe Biden, to a top executive at a Ukrainian energy firm less than a year before the elder Biden pressured government officials in Ukraine into firing a prosecutor who was investigating the company, according to emails obtained by The Post.
The never-before-revealed meeting is mentioned in a message of appreciation that Vadym Pozharskyi, an adviser to the board of Burisma, allegedly sent Hunter Biden on April 17, 2015, about a year after Hunter joined the Burisma board at a reported salary of up to $50,000 a month.
“Dear Hunter, thank you for inviting me to DC and giving an opportunity to meet your father and spent [sic] some time together. It’s realty [sic] an honor and pleasure,” the email reads.
An earlier email from May 2014 also shows Pozharskyi, reportedly Burisma’s No. 3 exec, asking Hunter for “advice on how you could use your influence” on the company’s behalf.
The blockbuster correspondence — which flies in the face of Joe Biden’s claim that he’s “never spoken to my son about his overseas business dealings” — is contained in a massive trove of data recovered from a laptop computer.
The computer was dropped off at a repair shop in Biden’s home state of Delaware in April 2019, according to the store’s owner.
Catch up on Twitter’s censorship of The Post’s Hunter Biden laptop story
Other material extracted from the computer includes a raunchy, 12-minute video that appears to show Hunter, who’s admitted struggling with addiction problems, smoking crack while engaged in a sex act with an unidentified woman, as well as numerous other sexually explicit images.
The customer who brought in the water-damaged MacBook Pro for repair never paid for the service or retrieved it or a hard drive on which its contents were stored, according to the shop owner, who said he tried repeatedly to contact the client.
The shop owner couldn’t positively identify the customer as Hunter Biden, but said the laptop bore a sticker from the Beau Biden Foundation, named after Hunter’s late brother and former Delaware attorney general.
Photos of a Delaware federal subpoena given to The Post show that both the computer and hard drive were seized by the FBI in December, after the shop’s owner says he alerted the feds to their existence.
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But before turning over the gear, the shop owner says, he made a copy of the hard drive and later gave it to former Mayor Rudy Giuliani’s lawyer, Robert Costello.
Steve Bannon, former adviser to President Trump, told The Post about the existence of the hard drive in late September and Giuliani provided The Post with a copy of it on Sunday.
Less than eight months after Pozharskyi thanked Hunter Biden for the introduction to his dad, the then-vice president admittedly pressured Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko and Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk into getting rid of Prosecutor General Viktor Shokin by threatening to withhold a $1 billion US loan guarantee during a December 2015 trip to Kiev.
“I looked at them and said: I’m leaving in six hours. If the prosecutor is not fired, you’re not getting the money,” Biden infamously bragged to the Council on Foreign Relations in 2018.
“Well, son of a bitch. He got fired.”
Shokin has said that at the time of his firing, in March 2016, he’d made “specific plans” to investigate Burisma that “included interrogations and other crime-investigation procedures into all members of the executive board, including Hunter Biden.”
Joe Biden has insisted that the US wanted Shokin removed over corruption concerns, which were shared by the European Union.
Meanwhile, an email dated May 12, 2014 — shortly after Hunter Biden joined the Burisma board — shows Pozharskyi attempting to get him to use his political leverage to help the company.
The message had the subject line “urgent issue” and was also sent to Hunter Biden’s business partner, Devon Archer, who also sat on the Burisma board at the time.
Pozharskyi said that “the representatives of new authorities in power tend to quite aggressively approach N. Z. unofficially with the aim to obtain cash from him.”
N.Z. isn’t identified in the email but appears to be a reference to Burisma founder Mykola Zlochevsky, whose first name is a Ukrainian version of “Nicholas.”
When the alleged shakedown failed, “they proceeded with concrete actions” in the form of “one or more pretrial proceedings,” Pozharskyi wrote.
“We urgently need your advice on how you could use your influence to convey a message / signal, etc .to stop what we consider to be politically motivated actions,” he added.
Vadym Pozharskyi and Hunter Biden Yalta European Strategy / Getty Images
Hunter Biden responded by saying he was with Archer in Doha, Qatar, and asked for more information about “the formal (if any) accusations being made against Burisma.”
“Who is ultimately behind these attacks on the company? Who in the current interim government could put an end to such attacks?” he added.
The exchange came the same day that Burisma announced it had expanded its board of directors by adding Hunter Biden, who was put in charge of its “legal unit and will provide support for the Company among international organizations,” according to a news release that’s since been scrubbed from Burisma’s website.
Hunter Biden actually joined the board in April 2014, according to multiple reports.
His lawyer said last year that Hunter was “not a member of the management team,” adding, “At no time was Hunter in charge of the company’s legal affairs.”
About four months after Hunter Biden’s correspondence with Pozharskyi, Archer forwarded Hunter Biden an email chain with the subject line “tax raise impact on Burisma production,” which included Pozharskyi saying that the Ukrainian cabinet had submitted new tax legislation to the country’s parliament.
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“If enacted, this law would kill the entire private gas production sector in the bud,” Pozharskyi wrote.
In the Sept. 24, 2014, email, Pozharskyi also said he was “going to share this information with the US embassy here in Kyiv, as well as the office of Mr Amos Hochstein in the States.”
At the time, Hochstein was the State Department’s newly appointed special envoy and coordinator for international energy affairs.
Devon Archer Patrick McMullan via Getty Image
In December 2017, the Naftogaz Group, Ukraine’s state-owned energy company, announced that Hochstein had joined the company as an independent director, but on Monday he announced his resignation.
“The company has been forced to spend endless amounts of time combating political pressure and efforts by oligarchs to enrich themselves through questionable transactions,” Hochstein wrote in an op-ed published by the Kyiv Post.
In addition to denying that’s he’s spoken to Hunter Biden about his overseas business dealings, Joe Biden has repeatedly denied any conflict of interest or wrongdoing by either of them involving Burisma.
Last February, he got testy during an appearance on NBC’s “Today” show when co-host Savannah Guthrie questioned whether it was “wrong for [Hunter] to take that position, knowing that it was really because that company wanted access to you.”
“Well, that’s not true. You’re saying things you do not know what you’re talking about,” the elder Biden responded.
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Last December, Joe Biden also lashed out during a Democratic primary town hall event in Iowa, where a man accused him of sending Hunter to Ukraine “to get a job and work for a gas company, he had no experience with gas or nothing, in order to get access to . . . the president.”
“You’re a damn liar, man. That’s not true and no one has ever said that,” Biden fumed.
Biden then continued berating the man as he stepped forward, called the man “fat” and challenged him to “do push-ups together, man.”
The FBI referred questions about its seizure of the laptop and hard drive to the Delaware US Attorney’s Office, where a spokesperson said, “My office can neither confirm nor deny the existence of an investigation.”
Hunter Biden’s lawyer refused to comment on the specifics but instead attacked Giuliani.
“He has been pushing widely discredited conspiracy theories about the Biden family, openly relying on actors tied to Russian intelligence,” the lawyer, George R. Mesires, said of Giuliani.
Pozharskyi and the Joe Biden campaign did not return requests for comment. Hochstein could not be reached.
Additional reporting by Ebony Bowden


newyorkpost--2020-10-14--Hunter Biden emails show leveraging connections with his father to boost Burisma pay

The Vatican ’ s swirling corruption investigation has taken a mysterious new ...

Hunter Biden discussed leveraging his connection to his father in a bid to boost his pay from a Ukrainian natural gas company, according to an email he sent around the time he joined the firm’s corporate board.
In a lengthy memo to his then-business partner, Devon Archer, who already sat on the Burisma board, Biden repeatedly mentioned “my guy” while apparently referring to then-Vice President Joe Biden.
Under President Barack Obama, the elder Biden was the point person for US policy toward Ukraine, and he held a press conference there with Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk on April 22, 2014.
Hunter Biden’s email to Archer is dated a little more than a week earlier.
“The announcement of my guys [sic] upcoming travels should be characterized as part of our advice and thinking- but what he will say and do is out of our hands,” Hunter Biden wrote on April 13, 2014.
“In other words it could be a really good thing or it could end up creating too great an expectation. We need to temper expectations regarding that visit.”
Catch up on Twitter’s censorship of The Post’s Hunter Biden laptop story
The email, labeled from Robert Biden — Hunter’s first name — is among a trove of messages, documents, photos and videos purportedly recovered from a MacBook Pro laptop that a Delaware computer shop owner told The Post was brought in for repair in April 2019 and never picked up.
In the email, Hunter Biden wrote to Archer, “We need to ask for long term agreement and across the board participation. This is a huge step for us that could easily become very complicated. And if we are not protected financially regardless of the outcome we could find ourselves frozen out of a lot of current and future opportunities.
“The contract should begin now- not after the upcoming visit of my guy.
“That should include a retainer in the range of 25k p/m w/ additional fees where appropriate for more in depth work to go to BSF for our protection. Complete separate from our respective deals re board participation.”
It’s unclear if Hunter Biden or Archer got any of the $25,000 a month mentioned.
Hunter Biden was reportedly paid as much as $50,000 a month by Burisma before his lawyer has said he “stepped off” the board in April 2019.
That move came amid increasing scrutiny about potential conflicts of interest involving his dad, who announced his candidacy for president that same month.
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“BSF” appears to refer to the high-profile law firm Boies, Schiller, Flexner, which represented Al Gore during the US Supreme Court battle over the results of the presidential 2000 election, which was won by George W. Bush.
Hunter Biden, a graduate of Yale Law School, was “of counsel” to the firm when he was asked to join the Burisma board in April 2014, according to a statement posted by his lawyer, George Mesires, on the website Medium in October.
The email to Archer contained 22 bullet points and bore the subject line “Tmrw.”
In No. 22, Hunter Biden told Archer, “Buy a cell phone from a 7/11 or CVS tmrw and ill do the same.”
Following the bullet points, Hunter Biden wrote, “This could be the break we have been waiting for if they really are smart enough to understand our long term value. If they are looking to just use us until the storm passes then we risked far too much for far too little.
“Finally, we need to have a plan on how we develop a corporate entity or LLP that allows us to draw on funds generated here to free us from existing (under-producing current commitments) and to build our own investment and expansion strategy. Maintaining the status quo is not an option,” he added.
“We can preserve our interest in the areas where minimal involvement is appropriate but should not get greedy and try to keep all the balls in the air that exist today.”
Hunter Biden then used a series of initials — RCP, RSTP and BHRT — to apparently refer to the men’s other business interests that “all make sense and can co-exist and progress without our day to day oversight.”
“But Advisors and the BD need a transition plan,” he added.
The email wrapped up with Hunter Biden saying, “We should also find a highly credible and discreet firm to perform due diligence and deep information for us on an ongoing basis. The kind of people that can get us information that’s not available through a google search and some phone calls.”
“We can use our own funds to pay for it and I’m sure your buddies down in Little Creek have some trusted independent contacts that do that sort of work,” he added.
The reference to Little Creek is unclear, but there is a US Navy station located in Virginia Beach, Va., that’s called Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story.
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In 2018, Archer was convicted in an unrelated Manhattan federal court case involving a scheme that defrauded the Oglala Sioux Indian tribe and multiple pension funds through the sale of $60 million worth of tribal bonds.
His conviction was later overturned by the presiding judge, who cited an “unwavering concern that Archer is innocent,” but reinstated this month by a Manhattan federal appeals court.
Archer faces a maximum of 25 years in prison at his scheduled sentencing in January.
Hunter Biden’s lawyer refused to comment on the specifics but instead attacked Rudy Giuliani.
“He has been pushing widely discredited conspiracy theories about the Biden family, openly relying on actors tied to Russian intelligence,” the lawyer, George R. Mesires, said of Giuliani.
The Joe Biden campaign did not return requests for comment.
Additional reporting by Ebony Bowden


newyorkpost--2020-10-14--Woman close to Vatican cardinal arrested in corruption probe

The Vatican ’ s swirling corruption investigation has taken a mysterious new twist with the arrest on an international warrant of a Sardinian woman said to be close to one of the Holy See ’ s most powerful cardinals before his downfall .
Italy ’ s financial police said Wednesday that Cecilia Marogna had been arrested in Milan late Tuesday on a warrant issued by the Vatican City State .
An official of the Guardia di Finanza , speaking on condition of anonymity , said the agency had no further information since officers merely executed the warrant on behalf of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Italian newspapers in recent weeks have reported that Cardinal Angelo Becciu , the onetime No .
2 in the Vatican secretariat of state , had wired hundreds of thousands of euros in Holy See funds to Marogna ’ s Slovenian-based consulting firm , purportedly for humanitarian operations in Africa and Asia .
The reports , including interviews with Marogna herself , have identified the 39-year-old as a political analyst and intelligence expert who reached out to Becciu in 2015 with concerns about security for Vatican embassies in hotspots and was quickly brought into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Marogna told Corriere della Sera that over four years , Becciu wired her 500,000 euros as compensation , travel reimbursements and consultancy fees .
She defended some luxury expenditures — designer pocketbooks for example — as being “ maybe for the wife of a Nigerian friend who was in a position to talk to the president of Burkina Faso.
” Becciu , who was sacked by Pope Francis last month after admitting he sent 100,000 euros in Vatican money to a charity headed by his brother , has insisted that his dealings with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 7 statement issued by his lawyer , Becciu said “ the contacts with Cecilia Marogna strictly pertains to institutional affairs.
” Marogna ’ s arrest was believed to be part of a sprawling corruption investigation launched last year by Vatican prosecutors into the Holy See ’ s 350 million euro investment into a London real estate venture , much of it funded by donations from the faithful .
Vatican prosecutors are investigating a handful of Italian middlemen who are accused of having fleeced the Holy See of tens of millions of euros in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ money managers stood by .
Vatican prosecutors haven ’ t indicted anyone yet , and their case seems rife with holes and potential conflicts , given the Holy See ’ s superiors approved the contracts with the middlemen that ceded them voting rights in the deal and provided them with huge management fees .
To that extent , it ’ s not immediately clear what charges Marogna could face if she was merely on the receiving end of consulting fees approved by Becciu , who had been given broad discretionary authority to manage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by none other than the secretary himself , Cardinal Pietro Parolin .
Becciu was the “ substitute ” in the secretariat of state from 2011-2018 , during which time at the original real estate investment was made .
But his replacement and the current No .
2 actually signed off on the last phase of the deal that has cost the Vatican so much money .
Neither Becciu nor his replacement have been formally identified as suspects in the case , though when Francis fired Becciu last month , he also revoked his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meaning he could eventually be judged by Vatican magistrates .
Becciu , who , like Marogna , is from Sardinia , has denied wrongdoing and defended the original investment as sound .

The Vatican’s swirling corruption investigation has taken a mysterious new twist with the arrest on an international warrant of a Sardinian woman said to be close to one of the Holy See’s most powerful cardinals before his downfall.
Italy’s financial police said Wednesday that Cecilia Marogna had been arrested in Milan late Tuesday on a warrant issued by the Vatican City State. An official of the Guardia di Finanza, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the agency had no further information since officers merely executed the warrant on behalf of a foreign country, the Vatican.
Italian newspapers in recent weeks have reported that Cardinal Angelo Becciu, the onetime No. 2 in the Vatican secretariat of state, had wired hundreds of thousands of euros in Holy See funds to Marogna’s Slovenian-based consulting firm, purportedly for humanitarian operations in Africa and Asia.
The reports, including interviews with Marogna herself, have identified the 39-year-old as a political analyst and intelligence expert who reached out to Becciu in 2015 with concerns about security for Vatican embassies in hotspots and was quickly brought into the cardinal’s inner circle.
Marogna told Corriere della Sera that over four years, Becciu wired her 500,000 euros as compensation, travel reimbursements and consultancy fees. She defended some luxury expenditures — designer pocketbooks for example — as being “maybe for the wife of a Nigerian friend who was in a position to talk to the president of Burkina Faso.”
Becciu, who was sacked by Pope Francis last month after admitting he sent 100,000 euros in Vatican money to a charity headed by his brother, has insisted that his dealings with Marogna were legitimate.
In an Oct. 7 statement issued by his lawyer, Becciu said “the contacts with Cecilia Marogna strictly pertains to institutional affairs.”
Marogna’s arrest was believed to be part of a sprawling corruption investigation launched last year by Vatican prosecutors into the Holy See’s 350 million euro investment into a London real estate venture, much of it funded by donations from the faithful.
Vatican prosecutors are investigating a handful of Italian middlemen who are accused of having fleeced the Holy See of tens of millions of euros in fees while the Vatican’s incompetent money managers stood by.
Vatican prosecutors haven’t indicted anyone yet, and their case seems rife with holes and potential conflicts, given the Holy See’s superiors approved the contracts with the middlemen that ceded them voting rights in the deal and provided them with huge management fees.
To that extent, it’s not immediately clear what charges Marogna could face if she was merely on the receiving end of consulting fees approved by Becciu, who had been given broad discretionary authority to manage the secretariat of state’s assets by none other than the secretary himself, Cardinal Pietro Parolin.
Becciu was the “substitute” in the secretariat of state from 2011-2018, during which time at the original real estate investment was made. But his replacement and the current No. 2 actually signed off on the last phase of the deal that has cost the Vatican so much money.
Neither Becciu nor his replacement have been formally identified as suspects in the case, though when Francis fired Becciu last month, he also revoked his rights and privileges as a cardinal, meaning he could eventually be judged by Vatican magistrates.
Becciu, who, like Marogna, is from Sardinia, has denied wrongdoing and defended the original investment as sound.


newyorkpost--2020-10-14--Students may have intentionally contracted COVID-19 to sell plasma: University

Brigham Young University-Idaho is investigating reports that some students are intentionally contracting coronavirus in order to sell their plasma containing @ @ @ @ @ shared the development in a Monday statement posted on its website .
“ BYU-Idaho is @ @ @ @ @ individuals who have intentionally exposed themselves or others to COVID-19 , with the hope of @ @ @ @ @ paid for plasma that contains COVID-19 antibodies , ” the school ’ s statement said @ @ @ @ @ this behavior and is actively seeking evidence of any such conduct among our student body.
@ @ @ @ @ student found guilty of such behavior will face an immediate suspension .
According to the @ @ @ @ @ school , 109 BYU-Idaho students have coronavirus .
BYU-Idaho also warned that if coronavirus trends @ @ @ @ @ county , the school may be forced to transition to full-time remote learning .

Brigham Young University-Idaho is investigating reports that some students are intentionally contracting coronavirus in order to sell their plasma containing COVID-19 antibodies.
The university shared the development in a Monday statement posted on its website.
“BYU-Idaho is deeply troubled by accounts of individuals who have intentionally exposed themselves or others to COVID-19, with the hope of getting the disease and being paid for plasma that contains COVID-19 antibodies,” the school’s statement said.
“The university condemns this behavior and is actively seeking evidence of any such conduct among our student body.”
The school said any student found guilty of such behavior will face an immediate suspension.
According to the latest numbers provided by the school, 109 BYU-Idaho students have coronavirus.
BYU-Idaho also warned that if coronavirus trends continue in the state and county, the school may be forced to transition to full-time remote learning.


newyorkpost--2020-10-14--Former Wing CEO Audrey Gelman apologizes to ex-staffers

Audrey Gelman — who resigned as CEO of women-only club the Wing in June amid accusations that the feminist networking space treated black and brown employees poorly — has put out a public apology to a group of former staffers , called Flew the Coop , admitting the organization was “ continuing to inflict ” the problems it sought to solve .
Gelman writes in the letter , posted on Instagram , “ Many felt they were sold a false vision and lost trust in us.
” She acknowledges , “ Members ’ needs came first , and those members @ @ @ @ @ @ @ afford the Wing ’ s membership dues … This came at the expense of employees , who experienced mistreatment and harm from members , and who felt unprotected by management and ultimately unprotected by me … We billed ourselves as an answer to a problem while failing to recognize that we were continuing to inflict it.
” Gelman , a Vogue fixture , founded the upscale New York club with Lauren Kassan in 2016 .
It saw speakers such as Hillary Clinton , Kirsten Gillibrand and Marianne Williamson , expanded to locations in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ own magazine , No Man ’ s Land .
Gelman and Kassan raised more than $ 100 million from investors including Mindy Kaling , Valerie Jarrett and Megan Rapinoe .
But in March , a number of employees came forward about unfair treatment , poor pay and alleged racist incidents in a New York Times piece titled “ The Wing Is a Women ’ s Utopia .
Unless You Work There.
” One worker said , “ I ’ ve been made to feel small , insignificant , stupid.
” Gelman — who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and senior VPs Celestine Maddy and Ashley Peterson — concedes in her letter , “ I sought to gain personal financial success , stature , and the self-worth associated with scaling a start-up so fast and so well … Unfortunately , this came at the expense of a sustainable and healthy culture.
” She also stepped down from the board .

Audrey Gelman — who resigned as CEO of women-only club the Wing in June amid accusations that the feminist networking space treated black and brown employees poorly — has put out a public apology to a group of former staffers, called Flew the Coop, admitting the organization was “continuing to inflict” the problems it sought to solve.
Gelman writes in the letter, posted on Instagram, “Many felt they were sold a false vision and lost trust in us.” She acknowledges, “Members’ needs came first, and those members were often white and affluent enough to afford the Wing’s membership dues … This came at the expense of employees, who experienced mistreatment and harm from members, and who felt unprotected by management and ultimately unprotected by me … We billed ourselves as an answer to a problem while failing to recognize that we were continuing to inflict it.”
Gelman, a Vogue fixture, founded the upscale New York club with Lauren Kassan in 2016. It saw speakers such as Hillary Clinton, Kirsten Gillibrand and Marianne Williamson, expanded to locations in Los Angeles and London and launched its own magazine, No Man’s Land. Gelman and Kassan raised more than $100 million from investors including Mindy Kaling, Valerie Jarrett and Megan Rapinoe.
But in March, a number of employees came forward about unfair treatment, poor pay and alleged racist incidents in a New York Times piece titled “The Wing Is a Women’s Utopia. Unless You Work There.” One worker said, “I’ve been made to feel small, insignificant, stupid.”
Gelman — who was replaced as CEO by COO Kassan and senior VPs Celestine Maddy and Ashley Peterson — concedes in her letter, “I sought to gain personal financial success, stature, and the self-worth associated with scaling a start-up so fast and so well … Unfortunately, this came at the expense of a sustainable and healthy culture.” She also stepped down from the board.


newyorkpost--2020-10-14--NBC faces backlash for booking Trump town hall against ABC’s Biden talk

NBC is facing backlash on Twitter and from staffers after booking Donald Trump for a town hall event on Thursday that will go head-to-head on-air with Joe Biden ’ s town hall with rival network ABC .
Insiders told Page Six the last-minute decision is causing “ a great deal of internal consternation ” at NBC .
“ People saw the backlash coming , and bosses went ahead with the scheduling anyway because they thought it would get the best ratings , ” an insider told Page Six .
Last week , ABC booked Biden for Oct. 15 , originally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which was canceled after Trump tested positive for COVID-19 and refused to participate in a virtual format .
Then on Wednesday , NBC announced their presidential get , with “ Today ” anchor Savannah Guthrie moderating outdoors in Miami .
But NBC is pushing back on claims that the Trump town hall is an aggressive ratings ploy .
“ Ratings were the last on a long list of concerns after public health and [ NBC ’ s ] public responsibility to inform viewers .
The event is taking place on Thursday because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and NBC offered 8 p.m. because it ’ s the same time slot that was offered to Joe Biden last week , ” a rep said .

NBC is facing backlash on Twitter and from staffers after booking Donald Trump for a town hall event on Thursday that will go head-to-head on-air with Joe Biden’s town hall with rival network ABC.
Insiders told Page Six the last-minute decision is causing “a great deal of internal consternation” at NBC. “People saw the backlash coming, and bosses went ahead with the scheduling anyway because they thought it would get the best ratings,” an insider told Page Six.
Last week, ABC booked Biden for Oct. 15, originally the date of the second presidential debate, which was canceled after Trump tested positive for COVID-19 and refused to participate in a virtual format. Then on Wednesday, NBC announced its presidential get, with “Today” anchor Savannah Guthrie moderating outdoors in Miami.
But NBC is pushing back on claims that the Trump town hall is an aggressive ratings ploy. “Ratings were the last on a long list of concerns after public health and [NBC’s] public responsibility to inform viewers. The event is taking place on Thursday because that night is available for both candidates, and NBC offered 8 p.m. because it’s the same time slot that was offered to Joe Biden last week,” a rep said.


newyorkpost--2020-10-14--Struggling Daniel Jones has the support that Dwayne Haskins doesn’t

Man alive , does this guy need to win a game ... .

Two second-year quarterbacks, both drafted in the first round, both playing under their second head coach.
One benched for too much losing. One with an unshakeable grip on starting despite too much losing.
These are the divergent paths of the Giants’ Daniel Jones and Washington’s Dwayne Haskins, who were drafted No. 6 and No. 15, respectively. They would be squaring off Sunday for the third time, but Haskins was demoted to third-string after a 1-3 start dropped his career record to 3-10 with 11 touchdown passes and 10 interceptions.
“We didn’t have the offseason you would’ve liked to have had in terms of his chance to develop,” Washington first-year coach Ron Rivera said. “We gave him every rep with the [starters] for several weeks, and then we gave him a chance to play four straight games. We didn’t see the growth that we thought you needed.”
Debate raged 18 months ago over whether the Giants should take a quarterback at No. 6 or go pass rusher and grab a quarterback later in the first round. Scouts and analysts were split on whether Jones, a three-year starter for mediocre Duke, or Haskins, a one-year record-setter at powerhouse Ohio State, was the better prospect.
The jury still is out on Jones, who is 3-15 as a starter, has committed a turnover in all but one of 18 career games and hasn’t thrown a touchdown pass in four straight games. But the early verdict suggests the Giants — aware of some immaturity red flags in Haskins’ background that have manifested in the NFL — were right to favor Jones.
As Washington is reported to be shopping Haskins for a trade, while he misses practices with an unspecified illness, and possibly preparing to head back to the quarterback-draft sweepstakes, Joe Judge and Giants assistant coaches are doubling down on full confidence in the inherited Jones.
“I certainly appreciate their support,” Jones said. “I’m certainly working as hard as I can to improve and take coaching and help this offense move forward.”
The timing of Rivera’s decision to promote Kyle Allen — who learned Rivera’s offensive playbook during two years together with the Panthers — and veteran Alex Smith ahead of Haskins was linked to the schedule: Four of the next six games are against division opponents, with a chance to make a move in the lowly NFC East.
Similarly, the Giants are playing the second of five games in a six-week stretch against division opponents. Yet they made no change — and Rivera understands why from afar.
“Especially if you watch last week, the young man is progressing,” Rivera said. “And it’s a new system and it’s probably a system that’s a little bit more demanding, too, for him. I like who he is, I like the way he plays. The philosophy of, ‘You’ve got to protect him and put good players around him,’ I think that’s where the Giants are headed.”
Rivera subscribes to the theory that 5,000 reps is the point at which things should click for a young player. Judge simply believes in the power of repetition for Jones correcting mistakes.
“This guy is still a young guy,” Judge said. “We’re working on getting him really comfortable within the scheme, handling different situations. But I’ve seen a lot of progress from Daniel. I’m pleased with the way he’s played for the most part to this point.”


newyorkpost--2020-10-14--Report: John Cena weds Shay Shariatzadeh in Florida

Click to email this to a friend ( Opens in new window ) Click to share on Twitter ( Opens in new window ) Click to share on Facebook ( Opens in new window ) Apparently , she can see him .
John Cena has married Shay Shariatzadeh in Florida , TMZ is reporting .
The two made their red carpet debut in October 2019 after getting together in March , following Cena ’ s well-covered 2018 split from ex-fiancée Nikki Bella .
TMZ notes that the two filed for a marriage certificate early in October and wed on Oct. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Iran-born Shariatzadeh is a Canadian citizen and works for a tech company in Vancouver .
The marriage is Cena ’ s second : He was previously wedded to Elizabeth Huberdeau from 2009 to 2012 .
He went on to date Bella for about 6 years before they canceled their wedding in April 2018 , eventually parting for good in July .
Bella , for her part , has since moved on with “ Dancing With the Stars ” pro Artem Chigvintsev .
The couple got engaged in November 2019 and welcomed a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

Apparently, she can see him.
John Cena has married Shay Shariatzadeh in Florida, TMZ is reporting. The couple made their red carpet debut in October 2019 after getting together in March, following Cena’s well-covered 2018 split from ex-fiancée Nikki Bella.
TMZ notes that the two filed for a marriage certificate early in October and wed on Oct. 12 in Tampa. The outlet adds that Iran-born Shariatzadeh is a Canadian citizen and works for a tech company in Vancouver.
The marriage is Cena’s second: He was previously married to Elizabeth Huberdeau from 2009 to 2012. He went on to date Bella for about six years before they canceled their wedding in April 2018, eventually parting for good in July of that year.
Bella, for her part, has since moved on with “Dancing With the Stars” pro Artem Chigvintsev. The couple got engaged in November 2019 and welcomed a baby boy this past summer.


newyorkpost--2020-10-14--Twitter CEO admits handling of blocked Post article was ‘unacceptable’

Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey said it was “ unacceptable ” that the social media giant blocked users from sharing a Post exposé about Hunter Biden ’ s emails without providing a clear message as to why it was taking the action .
Dorsey released his statement in a tweet Wednesday night — hours after a number of high-profile Republicans , including Sen. Josh Hawley , blasted the social media giant for blocking the stories from being shared on the platform .
“ Our communication around our actions on the @ nypost article was not great .
And blocking URL sharing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as to why we ’ re blocking : unacceptable , ” Dorsey wrote in the tweet .
Twitter blocked users from sharing an article that indicated Hunter Biden introduced his father Joe to a Ukranian businessman — charging that “ hacked materials ” were used in the story .
The company also locked the Post ’ s main Twitter account , which is still inactive , hours after it went dark Wednesday afternoon .
Social media giant Facebook also said it would limit the spread of the article , pending a review by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ move , Sen. Hawley sent letters to both companies , demanding answers as to why the platforms “ censored ” the stories .
“ @ Twitter @ jack this is not nearly good enough .
In fact , it ’ s a joke .
It ’ s downright insulting .
I will ask you – and @ Facebook– to give an explanation UNDER OATH to the Senate subcommittee I chair .
These are potential violations of election law , and that ’ s a crime , ” he wrote in a tweet .

Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey said it was “unacceptable” that the social media giant blocked users from sharing a Post exposé about Hunter Biden’s emails without providing a clear message as to why it was taking the action.
Dorsey released his statement in a tweet Wednesday night — hours after a number of high-profile Republicans, including Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), blasted the social media giant for blocking the stories from being shared on the platform.
“Our communication around our actions on the @nypost article was not great. And blocking URL sharing via tweet or DM with zero context as to why we’re blocking: unacceptable,” Dorsey wrote in the tweet.
Twitter blocked users from sharing an article that indicated Hunter Biden introduced his father, Joe, to a Ukrainian businessman — charging that “hacked materials” were used in the story.
The company also locked The Post’s main Twitter account, which is still inactive, hours after it went dark Wednesday afternoon.
Social media giant Facebook also said it would limit the spread of the article, pending a review by independent fact-checkers.
Incensed by the move, Hawley sent letters to both companies, demanding answers as to why the platforms “censored” the stories.
“@Twitter @jack this is not nearly good enough. In fact, it’s a joke. It’s downright insulting. I will ask you – and @Facebook– to give an explanation UNDER OATH to the Senate subcommittee I chair. These are potential violations of election law, and that’s a crime,” he wrote in a tweet.


newyorkpost--2020-10-14--Puppy set on fire at an Ohio park, suspect still on the loose

A puppy inside a cage at an Ohio park was set on fire last weekend — and investigators are still @ @ @ @ @ the heartless act .
The dog , who survived the horrifying ordeal , was found @ @ @ @ @ Park in Columbus just after noon on Sunday , authorities said .
When members of @ @ @ @ @ first arrived , they noticed the burning remnants of a plastic cage underneath a tree @ @ @ @ @ the dog running around the park .
The pooch had black plastic melted onto her @ @ @ @ @ The puppy was treated , and subsequently adopted , by staff at the Diley Hill @ @ @ @ @ is doing remarkably well , ” according to the Columbus Division of Fire .

A puppy inside a cage at an Ohio park was set on fire last weekend — and investigators are still looking for those responsible for the heartless act.
The dog, who survived the horrifying ordeal, was found by firefighters at Walnut Hill Park in Columbus just after noon on Sunday, authorities said.
When members of the Columbus Division of Fire first arrived, they noticed the burning remnants of a plastic cage underneath a tree.
The firefighters then spotted the dog running around the park. The pooch had black plastic melted onto her back, authorities said.
The puppy was treated, and subsequently adopted, by staff at the Diley Hill Animal Medical Center and “is doing remarkably well,” according to the Columbus Division of Fire.


newyorkpost--2020-10-14--Promoter of The Chainsmokers concert in the Hamptons fined $20K

Click to email this to a friend ( Opens in new window ) The promoter of the The Chainsmokers concert in the Hamptons that devolved into a crowded affair with a lack of social distancing was fined $ 20,000 for violating public health law , Gov .
Andrew Cuomo announced Wednesday .
The governor said luxury services provider In The Know Experiences also violated an executive order over the July 25 bash , billed as a drive-in fundraiser , in the ritzy hamlet of Water Mill .
“ As I said immediately following reports of this event , it was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health measures we have had in place since the beginning of this pandemic to protect New Yorkers from COVID-19 , ” Cuomo said in a statement .
The event was meant to have “ safe zones ” for cars with up to six people .
But viral social media posts showed gaggles of fans leaving their cars and gathering in front of the stage without masks .
An investigation by the state health department into the concert found more than 2,150 people attended , more than allowed by the permit , which was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The promoters also neglected to include in their permit the existence of a “ friends and family , ” section , Cuomo said , where concertgoers could crowd together without the enforcement of mask-wearing .
Cuomo also announced Wednesday that the Town of Southampton will now need state approval to approve permits for group gatherings .

The promoter of the The Chainsmokers concert in the Hamptons that devolved into a crowded affair with a lack of social distancing was fined $20,000 for violating public health law, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Wednesday.
The governor said luxury services provider In The Know Experiences also violated an executive order over the July 25 bash, billed as a drive-in fundraiser, in the ritzy hamlet of Water Mill.
“As I said immediately following reports of this event, it was an egregious violation of the critical public health measures we have had in place since the beginning of this pandemic to protect New Yorkers from COVID-19,” Cuomo said in a statement.
The event was meant to have “safe zones” for cars with up to six people. But viral social media posts showed gaggles of fans leaving their cars and gathering in front of the stage without masks.
An investigation by the state health department into the concert found more than 2,150 people attended, more than allowed by the permit, which was issued by the Town of Southampton.
The promoters also neglected to include in their permit the existence of a “friends and family,” section, Cuomo said, where concertgoers could crowd together without the enforcement of mask-wearing.
Cuomo also announced Wednesday that the Town of Southampton will now need state approval to approve permits for group gatherings.


newyorkpost--2020-10-14--Flight crew reports man flying in jet pack above Los Angeles for second time

A man flying in a jet pack has been spotted for the second time in two months hovering thousands of @ @ @ @ @ Los Angeles International Airport , authorities said Wednesday .
The unidentified flying man was spotted @ @ @ @ @ Airlines flight crew floating some 6,000 feet above the ground near the airport , the @ @ @ @ @ .
The flight crew saw him about seven miles northwest of the airport at about @ @ @ @ @ added .
In September , the flight crew of an American Airlines flight saw a @ @ @ @ @ hovering about 3,000 feet above the ground near the airport , according to CNN .
@ @ @ @ @ the September incident and the sighting on Wednesday , the Los Angeles Times reported .
@ @ @ @ @ they had also contacted local law enforcement and will investigate the sighting .

A man flying in a jet pack has been spotted for the second time in two months hovering thousands of feet above the ground near Los Angeles International Airport, authorities said Wednesday.
The unidentified flying man was spotted Wednesday afternoon by a China Airlines flight crew floating some 6,000 feet above the ground near the airport, the FAA said in a statement.
The flight crew saw him about seven miles northwest of the airport at about 1:45 p.m., the FAA added.
In September, the flight crew of an American Airlines flight saw a man in a jet pack hovering about 3,000 feet above the ground near the airport, according to CNN.
The FBI is investigating both the September incident and the sighting on Wednesday, the Los Angeles Times reported.
The FAA said Wednesday that they had also contacted local law enforcement and will investigate the sighting.


newyorkpost--2020-10-14--Yankees hitting coach Marcus Thames interviews for Tigers’ managerial job

After the Yankees were eliminated Friday night , Giancarlo Stanton called ...

Hitting coach Marcus Thames interviewed for the Tigers’ managerial job, according to MLB.com.
On Wednesday, Brian Cashman and Aaron Boone both said they didn’t anticipate making any moves to the Yankees coaching staff, but Thames’ leaving would obviously change that.
Luke Voit was bothered by plantar fasciitis for much of the season and received PRP treatment — which the Yankees hope will take care of the issue, rather than another more extensive procedure.
And Gio Urshela, who dealt with bone spurs in his right elbow, does not need surgery, according to Cashman.
After Steinbrenner said it was “just a fact” that Boone would be back next season, the manager said he didn’t spend much time thinking about the team option he has for 2021, the final year on his deal with the Yankees.
“Honestly, I never worried about my status, year-by-year, moving forward,’’ Boone said. “I kind of feel like it will all take care of itself. I can’t wait to get back to work.”
Boone said DJ LeMahieu was at Yankee Stadium on Wednesday. LeMahieu is one of several key free agents the Yankees risk losing. He is in line for a sizable raise after being one of the top hitters in the game in each of his two seasons in The Bronx — after signing a two-year, $24 million deal prior to the 2019 season.
Cashman said he hasn’t spoken with ownership about LeMahieu, or other potential free agents like Masahiro Tanaka or Zack Britton, who will either have a two-year team option kick in or hit the open market.
Giancarlo Stanton’s future is likely as a full-time DH.
“Given the injuries we experienced with him thus far, the safe bet is for him to focus at DH,’’ Cashman said. “Just this postseason, you could see what he’s capable of doing. Whenever he’s healthy, he seems to hit.”
Stanton is expected to decline the opt-out he has in his contract which would allow him to become a free agent since he has seven years and $218 million remaining on the deal he signed with the Marlins.
After the minor league season was canceled because of COVID-19, Cashman said some of the organization’s minor leaguers will play winter ball in Latin America, but the Yankees won’t have instructional leagues. Coaches will be deployed around the country to work with individual players, as well as working with them remotely.


newyorkpost--2020-10-14--Melania Trump’s ex-pal hits back against Justice Department after lawsuit

The former best friend of First Lady Melania Trump , Stephanie Winston Wolkoff is fighting back after the Justice Department @ @ @ @ @ violated a non-disclosure agreement by revealing confidential information .
Wolkoff , who released “ Melania @ @ @ @ @ and Fall of My Friendship With the First Lady ” last month , said in @ @ @ @ @ , “ The President and First Lady ’ s use of the US Department of @ @ @ @ @ a violation of my First Amendment Rights and a blatant abuse of the government to @ @ @ @ @ and goals … I will not be deterred by these bullying tactics.
” The DOJ @ @ @ @ @ from the book to a government trust .
Reached for comment , Gallery Books/Simon & @ @ @ @ @ The Department of Justice ’ s action is a transparent attempt to use the government @ @ @ @ @ against authors .
We stand behind our author Stephanie Winston Wolkoff , and her right @ @ @ @ @ ”

The former best friend of First Lady Melania Trump, Stephanie Winston Wolkoff is fighting back after the Justice Department sued her, claiming she violated a non-disclosure agreement by revealing confidential information.
Wolkoff, who released “Melania and Me: The Rise and Fall of My Friendship With the First Lady” last month, said in a statement to Page Six, “The President and First Lady’s use of the US Department of Justice to silence me is a violation of my First Amendment Rights and a blatant abuse of the government to pursue their own personal interests and goals … I will not be deterred by these bullying tactics.”
The DOJ lawsuit demands Wolkoff surrender profits from the book to a government trust.
Reached for comment, Gallery Books/Simon & Schuster told us, “The Department of Justice’s action is a transparent attempt to use the government as a means of intimidation against authors. We stand behind our author Stephanie Winston Wolkoff,and her right to tell her story.”


newyorkpost--2020-10-14--If ‘unreliable’ is the issue, why did social media never block anti-Trump stories?

This is what totalitarianism looks like in our century : not men in darkened cells driving screws under the fingernails of dissidents , but Silicon Valley dweebs removing from vast swaths of the Internet a damaging exposé on their preferred presidential candidate .
That ’ s what Facebook and Twitter did to the New York Post ’ s bombshell report on Hunter Biden , revealing why the illustrious vice-presidential son was hired by a shady Ukrainian energy firm in exchange for at least $ 50,000 a month .
According to e-mails obtained by The Post , Hunter introduced the firm @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just when Joe Biden was the second-most powerful man on earth , with outsize influence over the fate of the embattled Eastern European country .
That information is squarely in the public interest as we head into an election , right ?
Yes , but it ’ s also extremely embarrassing for President Trump ’ s opponent , and so social-media executives went into action .
Andy Stone , a member of Facebook ’ s p.r .
team , said , “ We are reducing [ the Post story ’ s ] distribution @ @ @ @ @ @ @ social-media giant , Stone worked for Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee , yet he insisted that Facebook ’ s action was “ part of our standard process to reduce the spread of misinformation.
” Right .
Then , Twitter began blocking users from posting the story , with a spokesman telling a Washington Examiner scribe that the move was prompted by “ the lack of authoritative reporting on the origins of the materials included ” in the report .
Misinformation ?
Lack of authoritative reporting ?
The story @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and the supporting evidence .
Yet the past four years have seen left-of-center outlets devote millions of column inches to anti-Trump stories that turned out to be utter bunk — yet neither Facebook nor Twitter took similar action as part of any “ standard process ” : • Remember when four CNN reporters claimed , in June 2017 , that James Comey was about to dispute in congressional testimony Trump ’ s claim that the FBI director had reassured the president he wasn ’ t under investigation ?
Comey did no such @ @ @ @ @ @ @ censor the story ?
Nope .
• Or recall when The Guardian newspaper concocted a story , seemingly out of thin air , about Trump campaign chief Paul Manafort and WikiLeaks ’ Julian Assange meeting at Ecuador ’ s embassy in London ?
There was no such meeting , as the special counsel ’ s report confirmed .
So did Facebook or Twitter block that story ?
Nope , you can still post the debunked nonsense on either platform .
• Or remember when The Atlantic published a several-thousand-word story suggesting that then-Sen. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he didn ’ t meet the Russian ambassador as a Team Trump surrogate , but as a routine matter ?
The Mueller report debunked The Atlantic decisively with its finding that the meeting in question didn ’ t “ include any more than a passing mention of the presidential campaign.
” So is The Atlantic story blocked as misinformation ?
Nope .
• Or how about when the McClatchy news agency claimed that Trump attorney Michael Cohen had secretly traveled to Prague to meet with his Kremlin handlers ?
“ Cohen had never @ @ @ @ @ @ @ report found .
So is the McClatchy report blocked ?
You know the answer — of course it isn ’ t .
• Then there was BuzzFeed ’ s big bombshell that fizzled : a major story claiming that Trump had ordered Cohen to lie to Congress .
The Mueller report ’ s verdict : “ The president did not direct [ Cohen ] to provide false testimony .
Cohen also said he did not tell the president about his planned testimony.
” Did Facebook and Twitter block the link or otherwise “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ course not .
You can still post the lies freely .
• Then there was the biggest of whopper of all : the salacious — and utterly discredited — Steele dossier , first reported by David Corn of Mother Jones and later published by BuzzFeed .
Blocked by Big Tech ?
Ha !
The Post will continue to chase the truth wherever it takes us .
But this episode should alarm every American .
A very few people can unaccountably shape what you read .
This is how freedom dies .

This is what totalitarianism looks like in our century: not men in darkened cells driving screws under the fingernails of dissidents, but Silicon Valley dweebs removing from vast swaths of the Internet a damaging exposé on their preferred presidential candidate.
That’s what Facebook and Twitter did to the New York Post’s bombshell report on Hunter Biden, revealing why the illustrious vice-presidential son was hired by a shady Ukrainian energy firm in exchange for at least $50,000 a month.
According to e-mails obtained by The Post, Hunter introduced the firm’s executives to his father — just when Joe Biden was the second-most powerful man on earth, with outsize influence over the fate of the embattled Eastern European country.
That information is squarely in the public interest as we head into an election, right? Yes, but it’s also extremely embarrassing for President Trump’s opponent, and so social-media executives went into action.
Andy Stone, a member of Facebook’s p.r. team, said, “We are reducing [the Post story’s] distribution on our platform.” Before joining the social-media giant, Stone worked for Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, yet he insisted that Facebook’s action was “part of our standard process to reduce the spread of misinformation.” Right.
Then, Twitter began blocking users from posting the story, with a spokesman telling a Washington Examiner scribe that the move was prompted by “the lack of authoritative reporting on the origins of the materials included” in the report.
Misinformation? Lack of authoritative reporting? The story explained exactly The Post got the material, and the supporting evidence. Yet the past four years have seen left-of-center outlets devote millions of column inches to anti-Trump stories that turned out to be utter bunk — yet neither Facebook nor Twitter took similar action as part of any “standard process”:
Remember when four CNN reporters claimed, in June 2017, that James Comey was about to dispute in congressional testimony Trump’s claim that the FBI director had reassured the president he wasn’t under investigation? Comey did no such thing, but did Twitter and Facebook censor the story? Nope.
Or recall when The Guardian newspaper concocted a story, seemingly out of thin air, about Trump campaign chief Paul Manafort and WikiLeaks’ Julian Assange meeting at Ecuador’s embassy in London? There was no such meeting, as the special counsel’s report confirmed. So did Facebook or Twitter block that story? Nope, you can still post the debunked nonsense on either platform.
Or remember when The Atlantic published a several-thousand-word story suggesting that then-Sen. Jeff Sessions had lied when he said he didn’t meet the Russian ambassador as a Team Trump surrogate, but as a routine matter? The Mueller report debunked The Atlantic decisively with its finding that the meeting in question didn’t “include any more than a passing mention of the presidential campaign.” So is The Atlantic story blocked as misinformation? Nope.
Or how about when the McClatchy news agency claimed that Trump attorney Michael Cohen had secretly traveled to Prague to meet with his Kremlin handlers? “Cohen had never traveled to Prague,” the Mueller report found. So is the McClatchy report blocked? You know the answer — of course it isn’t.
Then there was BuzzFeed’s big bombshell that fizzled: a major story claiming that Trump had ordered Cohen to lie to Congress. The Mueller report’s verdict: “The president did not direct [Cohen] to provide false testimony. Cohen also said he did not tell the president about his planned testimony.” Did Facebook and Twitter block the link or otherwise “reduce distribution” pending fact-checking? Of course not. You can still post the lies freely.
Then there was the biggest of whopper of all: the salacious — and utterly discredited — Steele dossier, first reported by David Corn of Mother Jones and later published by BuzzFeed. Blocked by Big Tech? Ha!
The Post will continue to chase the truth wherever it takes us. But this episode should alarm every American. A very few people can unaccountably shape what you read.
This is how freedom dies.
Sohrab Ahmari is The Post’s op-ed editor. Twitter: @SohrabAhmari


newyorkpost--2020-10-14--Adam Gase’s rocky history with top players carries over to Jets

Jets coach Adam Gase had little to say Wednesday about ...

Adam Gase looked down on Wednesday.
He had the look of a beaten-down coach who’s 0-5 and certain he’s going to lose his job — whether it’s before the season ends (which he’d probably prefer) or as soon as it’s over.
But there was something else to the glum look.
It was pretty clear the Jets coach, sitting in front of a camera for a Zoom call with reporters, wanted no part of the conversation as it pertained to running back Le’Veon Bell, whom the team released on Tuesday night.
As he was being peppered with questions about why Bell — the Jets’ best offensive skill-position player on a roster that has as many of them as MetLife Stadium has fans on game days in this COVID-19 era — was let go and what part he played in it, Gase looked ashen.
Gase delivered no transparent answers, and he did his best Bill Belichick impersonation, trying to deflect the questions with lines about moving on and channeling all of his focus on Sunday’s game against the Dolphins.
But the Bell release drew attention to a concerning issue that has followed Gase from Miami to New Jersey — an issue about his sometimes-turbulent relationships with his players, particularly star players.
Though there are two sides to every story and every situation is different — whether it’s financial, game-use-related or personal — there were some high-profile players Gase coached in Miami who turned on him very publicly.
And now, with Bell gone for no compensation, he becomes the second high-profile Jets player to force his way off the team this season — joining safety Jamal Adams, who was traded to Seattle.
It this all Gase’s fault? No.
Bell is culpable for coming into last season heavier than his usual playing weight, and his production was pedestrian for a player who’d been given a four-year, $52 million contract. The porous offensive line could be blamed for some of that, but Bell is accountable, too.
For all that money the Jets invested, they got 863 rushing yards, 3.3-yards per carry, three rushing touchdowns and one receiving TD in 17 games.
Of course, there was the word that quickly leaked out about Gase never wanting then-GM Mike Maccagnan to spend all that money on a running back. Neither Gase nor Bell, despite the smiling public images they portrayed, never got over that.
To Bell’s credit, he bit his tongue for the better part of last season about the way he was being utilized, which was not a way that best suited his skill set. I publicly supported Bell, a popular figure in the locker room, for the way he conducted himself in 2019.
After Sunday’s loss to the Cardinals, against whom he had one pass thrown to him and carried the ball 13 times, Bell “liked’’ a couple tweets from people criticizing Gase for his utilization of him and saying the Jets should trade him.
That kind of passive-aggressive action, I did not condone. As it turned out, it became the last straw for Gase and general manager Joe Douglas.
And, just like Adams, Bell got his way and escaped the Jets and their losing culture — like Adams, surely hoping to land with a winner.
Where there’s smoke, more often than not, there’s fire.
And, based on Gase’s past issues with some of his Dolphins players (see: receivers DeVante Parker and Jarvis Landry, defensive tackle Jordan Phillips) and problems with the Jets last year (see: receiver Quincy Enunwa and offensive lineman Keleche Osemele), there appears to be a sizable fire burning at Gase’s feet.
Asked on Wednesday why he quit on Bell and why there’s a “stigma’’ developing regarding his relationship issues with players, Gase said, “For whatever reason, it didn’t work out. Moving onto Miami. That’s the No. 1 concern for us right now.’’
Are the Jets a better team against Miami without Bell? Of course not.
Asked if he believes his perceived misuse of Bell was the cause of it not working out, Gase said, “It’s irrelevant at this point.’’
Wrong answer. It is, in fact, highly relevant.
“It didn’t work out,’’ Gase said, “and we’re going to focus on this game right now.’’
The question for Gase at this point is how many more games he’ll have to focus on before it’s finally — mercifully — over for him with the Jets.


newyorkpost--2020-10-14--Trump: ‘Biden family treated the vice presidency as a for-profit corporation’

Both Twitter and Facebook took extraordinary censorship measures against The ...

President Trump on Wednesday slammed Joe Biden as “corrupt” following The Post’s bombshell exposé on Hunter Biden’s alleged hard drive and emails linking the Democratic presidential candidate to his son’s job at a Ukrainian energy company.
“Vice President Biden, you owe the people of America an apology because it turns out you are a corrupt politician,” Trump told a rally crowd in Des Moines, Iowa.
“The Biden family treated the vice presidency as a for-profit corporation, flying around the globe, collecting millions of dollars from China and Ukraine and Russia and other countries.”
An alleged 2015 email from Burisma energy executive Vadym Pozharskyi, reported by The Post, thanks Hunter Biden for “giving an opportunity to meet your father” — appearing to debunk Biden’s claim he didn’t speak with his son about his “overseas business dealings.”
Biden’s campaign said Wednesday in a carefully worded statement there were no meetings with Pozharskyi on the former vice president’s “official schedules.”
Trump said the reporting indicates, however, that “Joe Biden has been blatantly lying about his involvement in his son’s corrupt business dealings.”
“These emails show that Biden’s repeated claim that he has never spoken to Hunter about his business dealings were a complete lie,” Trump said. “He’s trying to cover up a massive pay for play scandal at the heart of his vice presidency.”
“Hunter was being paid for access to his vice-president father, who was specifically put in charge of Ukraine and Russia,” Trump said. “It’s a corrupt family. Joe Biden personifies the selfish and corrupt globalists who got rich and powerful at your expense.”
Trump slammed Twitter for locking down White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany’s account for sharing the article and said social networks are taking down negative stories about Biden “almost before they even go up.”
Trump said there was a double standard. He said the social networks never removed disputed stories about his alleged links to Russia.
“False and libelous stories, every day, false and libelous stories, and they knew they were false, too… they were never taken down by Twitter or Facebook,” Trump said.
From Air Force One before the rally, Trump tweeted he wanted to repeal the companies’ protection under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, for operating as publishers rather than neutral hosts of third-party content.
Trump told rallygoers, “Now we can see clearly that Biden is a corrupt politician who shouldn’t even be allowed to run for the presidency.”
Biden, who led the Obama administration Ukraine policy, said last year, “I have never spoken to my son about his overseas business dealings,” including his reported $83,000 monthly pay on Burisma’s board.
Twitter said Wednesday it prevented users from tweeting or direct-messaging a link to the article because it violated a ban on distributing hacked material.
The contents of the hard drive allegedly belonging to Hunter Biden were passed on to The Post by former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, a personal attorney to Trump, after he received it from a Delaware computer repairman.
The repairman says he legally accessed the content under an abandonment contract clause when Hunter Biden did not collect a damaged laptop within 90 days. He also turned over the laptop to the FBI.
Facebook, meanwhile, said it was taking unspecified steps to limit distribution of The Post’s article pending “fact-checking.”


newyorkpost--2020-10-14--Why Joe Biden’s dodge on court-packing really matters

An expose of Hunter Biden ’ s emails published by The Post ...

Judging from their grandstanding during Amy Coney Barrett’s confirmation hearing, Democrats think the composition of the Supreme Court is a big issue in next month’s presidential election. Yet evidently, it isn’t big enough for their candidates to clearly tell voters whether they favor expanding the court to accommodate their policy preferences.
“You’ll know my opinion of court-packing when the election is over,” Joe Biden told reporters last week. More recently, the ex-veep said, “I’m not a fan” of court-packing, while his running mate, Kamala Harris, continues to avoid giving her opinion on the matter. Asked by Fox News Tuesday if she, too, isn’t a fan, she refused to answer.
Biden himself explained the threat posed by court-packing as a senator in 1983. “It was a bonehead idea,” he said, referring to President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s 1937 plan to make the high court more receptive to his New Deal agenda through legislation that would have authorized him to appoint up to six additional justices.
That plan “violated no law,” Biden noted. Still, “it was a terrible, terrible mistake to make, and it put in question for an entire decade the independence” of the Supremes.
Last year, Biden was still opposed to FDR-style bullying. “I’m not prepared to go on and try to pack the court, because we’ll live to rue the day,” he told Iowa Starting Line in July 2019.
Biden was equally firm during a Democratic presidential debate three months later. “I would not get into court-packing,” he said. “We begin to lose any credibility the court has at all.” As recently as January, Biden told The New York Times he had no judicial-reform plans.
But as court-packing gained favor among Democrats outraged by Senate Republicans’ decision to keep Antonin Scalia’s seat open for Neil Gorsuch and their swift action to replace Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Biden was suddenly silent. He conspicuously refused to rule out court-packing during his debate with President Trump last month, and so did Harris during her debate with Vice President Mike Pence last week.
It isn’t as if Democratic anger at Republicans’ hardball tactics makes the lessons of FDR’s failed bid to expand the court less salient. Roosevelt’s plan was never popular with voters, and it provoked intense opposition from Democrats, who controlled the House and Senate, as well as Republicans.
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Hatton Sumners refused to back the president’s bill. Roosevelt’s own vice president, John Nance Garner, was against it.
The Senate Judiciary Committee issued an adverse report on FDR’s plan that said it “does not accomplish any one of the objectives for which it was originally offered” and “violates all precedents in the history of our government.” The committee called the bill “a dangerous precedent” that “would undermine the independence of the courts,” violate “the spirit of the American Constitution,” subvert “the rights of individuals and weaken “the protection our constitutional system gives to minorities.”
FDR eventually reshaped the Supreme Court in the usual way, filling eight vacant seats. But he paid a huge political cost by trying to jump the gun.
“When the dust settled, FDR had suffered a humiliating political defeat,” notes historian Michael Parrish. “The protracted legislative battle over the court-packing bill blunted the momentum for additional reforms, divided the New Deal coalition, squandered the political advantage Roosevelt had gained in the 1936 elections and gave fresh ammunition to those who accused him of dictatorship, tyranny and fascism.”
Biden is candid about the reason for his reticence about emulating FDR. “It’s a great question,” he conceded last week, “and I don’t blame you for asking it. But you know, the moment I answer that question, the headline in every one of your papers will be about that (instead of) focusing on what’s happening now.”
What’s happening now, of course, is a decision about whether to replace Trump with Biden. Voters deserve to know whether Team Biden-Harris decisively rules out FDR’s “bonehead idea.”
Twitter: @JacobSullum


newyorkpost--2020-10-14--There is no easy answer to Yankees title conflict: Sherman

Expectations continue to be high publicly in The Bronx for ...

Sometimes persistence and sticking it out through the tough times is rewarded. Last season — just as an example — it did for the Washington Nationals, Toronto Raptors and Andy Reid. Told for years they couldn’t win the big one, they did.
But you also could be the current Houston Rockets or Los Angeles Dodgers (at least entering this postseason) or the Patrick Ewing Knicks. You could persevere through a period of being tantalizingly close to a title over and over, convincing yourself next year is your year.
You are Houston Oilers coach Bum Phillips losing consecutive AFC titles to the Pittsburgh Steelers four decades ago and vowing to a fan base, “One year ago, we knocked on the door. This year, we beat on the door. Next year, we’re going to kick the son of a bitch in.”
Except they didn’t. The door stayed shut. No one ever guarantees persistence and belief in a talented core will eventually result in a ring and a parade and a confetti legacy. The late-’60s/early ’70 New York Rangers. The late ’80s Cleveland Browns. The late ’90s Utah Jazz. Glenn Close being nominated seven times for the Oscar.
They are all Sisyphean. They see the mountaintop, but the rock rolls back and they have to start all over again.
This is where the current-day Yankees reside, with Aaron Boone and Brian Cashman holding a déjà Zoom press conference Wednesday explaining for another year the frustration of being so near and so far.
Boone said, “You realize how close you are to being a championship team. … It eats at you and motivates you and is something we have to live with.”
Boone stated a case for how “razor thin” the difference has been between the Yankees and the teams that have eliminated them in his three years as manager. A few feet from a ninth-inning Gary Sanchez walk-off grand slam that would have forced a decisive 2018 Division Series Game 5 against a Red Sox team that might have run out of pitching. Outscoring the Astros in the 2019 ALCS and the Rays in the 2020 Division Series — tied 1-1 through seven innings of a decisive Game 5 just last week against Tampa Bay.
“We are trying to kick that door down,” said Boone, who has a 2021 contractual option. “We are trying to climb that mountain. We know how close and capable of it we are. That is the motivation. My contact status and all of that will take care of itself. My focus is getting us to the top of the mountain.”
Now they have to decide whether this is essentially the right group for another climb. Hal Steinbrenner already has stated Boone will be back. Is he weaker inside the clubhouse for the Division Series Game 2 decision to piggyback J.A. Happ behind one inning of Deivi Garcia? Happ passive-aggressively disagreed with the choice. CC Sabathia, a Yankee adviser, lambasted the decision on his podcast. It would be hard to believe that other players aren’t dubious about the strategy.
Modern teams have an executive collective that provides data and recommendations for managers to make choices, especially nontraditional ones. Yet, the players generally still want to believe the manager is making the final decision. Both Boone and Cashman insist that is the case. Boone said he did not imagine he needed to re-establish that with his clubhouse, explaining, “Our people understand it is my decision.”
We will see. We will also see who those “people” are. To that end, Boone asked to “keep in perspective how close we are.” What will have to be diagnosed internally is whether it is “close” enough to try it again with essentially the same core or make seismic roster changes.
Nothing will impact the choices like how much Cashman has to spend — or not spend — and he said he would not “telegraph” what the payroll will be once he is provided it. But he noted the COVID-created revenue losses of the organization were real. So expect the cut to be at least below the 2021 $210 million luxury tax threshold, so a likely reduction of $50 million or more.
So while Boone and Cashman praised DJ LeMahieu, Masahiro Tanaka, Gary Sanchez and Gleyber Torres, they did not say the free agents LeMahieu and Tanaka will be back or that Sanchez is still the starting catcher or Torres the starting shortstop. There was no commitment to diversify the heavily righty lineup. Cashman is too veteran and coy to lock into positions a few days into the offseason before he even has had formal scouting meetings.
But as much as the individual personnel, the Yanks will have to ask if they keep Stockton and Malone-ing this or if there is a staleness to the formula. They made a huge investment — their Kawhi Leonard move — for Gerrit Cole last offseason. That worked for the Raptors, not the Clippers or Yankees. This offseason, do the Yanks move out pieces who have had New York success to improve defense up the middle, add more lefty hitting and provide financial wiggle room to deepen the pitching staff?
“We have a championship roster, I think that is a fact,” Cashman said. “We are not the champions. That also is a fact.”
Do they really have a championship roster that they should stick with to kick down the door? Or are they Glenn Close and, thus, still so far from a title?


newyorkpost--2020-10-14--Notice Biden campaign not denying Post’s scoop facts on Hunter Biden’s sleaze

President Trump on Wednesday slammed the “ terrible ” censorship of The ...

Notice that Joe Biden and his campaign aren’t disputing the basic facts The Post has uncovered about Hunter Biden’s cashing in on his dad’s high office.
The ex-veep called “a lid” for the day at 9:41 a.m. Wednesday, indicating he’d make no more appearances. So reporters couldn’t push him about his past claims that he’d “never spoken to my son about his overseas business dealings” now that data from an old hard drive suggest that’s not so.
Emails reveal that Hunter introduced a top executive of Burisma, the Ukrainian natural gas firm on whose board he sat, to his dad while Joe was in the White House — and less than a year before the veep pushed the Ukrainian government into firing a prosecutor who was investigating Burisma.
Vadym Pozharskyi, a top Burisma adviser, emailed Hunter in May 2014 asking for “advice on how you could use your influence” on the company’s behalf. Then he emailed a note of gratitude on April 17, 2015, a year after Hunter had been brought on with a salary reported to be $50,000 a month: “Dear Hunter, thank you for inviting me to DC and giving an opportunity to meet your father and spent [sic] some time together. It’s realty [sic] an honor and pleasure.”
Hunter didn’t resign from Burisma’s board until April 2019, the same month his dad announced his run for president.
The Biden campaign didn’t respond to The Post’s five pre-publication requests for comment or ever deny the emails’ veracity. It won’t even say Joe never met with Pozharskyi — but only that no such meeting shows up on his “official schedules.”
Nor did Hunter dispute The Post’s reporting. His lawyer George Mesires refused comment, except to slam Rudy Giuliani, who gave us a copy of the hard drive Sunday.
A Delaware computer shop owner told The Post the laptop was brought in for repair in April 2019 but never picked up. He turned it over to the FBI, while giving a copy of the drive to Giuliani’s lawyer.
When a Democratic voter in December suggested Burisma hired Hunter purely for access to his dad, Joe called the guy “fat” and challenged him to a push-up contest. And that’s not remotely the only time Joe has grown angry at questions about Hunter’s profiteering. Now we have an idea why.


newyorkpost--2020-10-14--Largest global cinema chains urge Gov. Cuomo to reopen theaters

Owners of the biggest cinema chains across the globe are pleading with Gov .
Andrew Cuomo to allow movie theaters to reopen in areas of the state with low infection rates .
The Global Cinema Federation , headed by Alejandro Ramirez Magaña , the CEO of Cinépolis , penned a letter to the governor Wednesday requesting the state reconsider its no-theaters policy , warning that many companies “ will not survive ” under continued closures .
“ Our industry employs hundreds of thousands of people throughout the world , all of whom are eager to get back to work and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Magana wrote .
“ It is genuinely no exaggeration to say that the continued closure of cinemas in your state has put their future in jeopardy , and we ask that exhibitors in New York be given the opportunity to operate again.
” The letter was co-signed by a dozen other theater CEOs from the federation , including AMC , Cineworld and Cineplex .
Cineworld , which owns Regal , announced earlier this month it would close most of its US and UK theaters , citing the financial strain on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s market is so large that the state ’ s closure alone is influencing a studio ’ s decision not to release films , Magana added .
“ With New York ’ s theaters shuttered for nearly seven months and no indication of when they will be allowed to reopen , the studios that supply new movies have been reluctant to release their latest films to the point where almost no new major films will be released globally until 2021 and beyond , ” he wrote .
“ Without new movies to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the global exhibition community will be forced to close their doors again.
” Magana praised Cuomo ’ s efforts to fight off the virus , but said the governor has offered “ no clear path for movie theater reopenings ” since he initially voiced support for the idea back on Aug. 19 .
The federation argued that theaters are not as dangerous as dining or workplaces because people are remaining silent .
It ’ s asked Cuomo to reopen theaters under a similar policy to California , where Governor Newsom has allowed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s office did not immediately respond to a Post request for comment .
In a statement to Deadline , Governor Cuomo ’ s press secretary Caitlin Girouard said the state has more pressing issues at the moment as new cases surge .
“ With cases rising in dozens of other states and countries , we are first and foremost doing everything we can to try and prevent a second wave of the pandemic in New York , ” Girouard said .
“ We understand it is , and continues to be , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but we will continue to make decisions on reopening based on the data , science and when global health experts determine it is safe to reopen without jeopardizing public health .
”

Owners of the biggest cinema chains across the globe are pleading with Gov. Andrew Cuomo to allow movie theaters to reopen in areas of the state with low infection rates.
The Global Cinema Federation, headed by Alejandro Ramirez Magaña, the CEO of Cinépolis, penned a letter to the governor Wednesday requesting the state reconsider its no-theaters policy, warning that many companies “will not survive” under continued closures.
“Our industry employs hundreds of thousands of people throughout the world, all of whom are eager to get back to work and entertain their customers in a safe environment,” Magana wrote.
“It is genuinely no exaggeration to say that the continued closure of cinemas in your state has put their future in jeopardy, and we ask that exhibitors in New York be given the opportunity to operate again.”
The letter was co-signed by a dozen other theater CEOs from the federation, including AMC, Cineworld and Cineplex.
Cineworld, which owns Regal, announced earlier this month it would close most of its US and UK theaters, citing the financial strain on the industry from coronavirus lockdowns.
New York’s market is so large that the state’s closure alone is influencing a studio’s decision not to release films, Magana added.
“With New York’s theaters shuttered for nearly seven months and no indication of when they will be allowed to reopen, the studios that supply new movies have been reluctant to release their latest films to the point where almost no new major films will be released globally until 2021 and beyond,” he wrote.
“Without new movies to play in our cinemas, many members of the global exhibition community will be forced to close their doors again.”
Magana praised Cuomo’s efforts to fight off the virus, but said the governor has offered “no clear path for movie theater reopenings” since he initially voiced support for the idea back on Aug. 19.
The federation argued that theaters are not as dangerous as dining or workplaces because people are remaining silent. It’s asked Cuomo to reopen theaters under a similar policy to California, where Governor Newsom has allowed reopenings on a county-by-county basis.
Cuomo’s office did not immediately respond to a Post request for comment. In a statement to Deadline, Governor Cuomo’s press secretary Caitlin Girouard said the state has more pressing issues at the moment as new cases surge.
“With cases rising in dozens of other states and countries, we are first and foremost doing everything we can to try and prevent a second wave of the pandemic in New York,” Girouard said.
“We understand it is, and continues to be, a difficult time for the entertainment industry but we will continue to make decisions on reopening based on the data, science and when global health experts determine it is safe to reopen without jeopardizing public health.”


newyorkpost--2020-10-14--Pelosi’s poisonous ploy and other commentary

Nancy Pelosi ’ s bill to assemble a 17-member panel prepared to invoke the 25th Amendment is a political scheme that turns “ the decision over the president ’ s health ” into a “ battleground ripe for partisans fighting for power , ” warns The Federalist ’ s Kyle Sammin .
The Constitution allows for laws creating another body ( besides the Cabinet ) with the power to decide that the president ’ health requires him to step aside , but “ just because an idea may be constitutional does not mean it is good.
” Nearly half of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be “ partisans who already wish the president to be removed from office , ” with their party treating it “ as a way to remove a president they loathe without using the impeachment provisions of the Constitution.
” Since the 25th Amendment concerns “ inability , not unfitness , ” it ’ s foolish to shift the decision to “ unelected , unconfirmed and likely unknown political appointees.
” Rather , “ Congress should keep it with the Cabinet , where it belongs.
” The tributes after Joe Bruno ’ s death @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” on “ an American success story that even Hollywood couldn ’ t have scripted , ” reports the former state Senate majority leader ’ s aide , John McArdle , in his eulogy at Empire Report New York .
Bruno was “ a force of nature — fearless and indefatigable , ” with “ that rare ability to connect.
” Under him , the Senate functioned with “ business-like efficiency , ” and he always sought input from members .
His “ partnership ” with Gov .
George Pataki was mostly “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ genuine friendship ” with Gov .
David Paterson — though Gov .
Eliot Spitzer “ was another matter .
It was kill or be killed.
” Bruno was “ one of a kind , ” a “ larger than life figure , the likes of which Albany will never see again .
He ’ ll be missed.
” To unify the conservative movement ’ s otherwise divided factions “ at the expense of the Democratic left , ” Deroy Murdock suggests at Fox News , all Republicans should pledge to support a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a nine-seat US Supreme Court ” in the Constitution .
The left tends to ignore the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg ’ s “ fervent wish ” that the high court remain at nine justices ; a pledge would force every politician to decide whether to protect the Supreme Court ’ s integrity or “ stand against Ginsburg and leave SCOTUS as vulnerable as a Butterball turkey to being stuffed with new members.
” Tana Ganeva warns at Reason that insiders believe Joe Biden may well name Sally Yates as attorney general if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ concern , because while “ Biden claims to strongly back criminal-justice reform .
.
.
that ’ s hard to square with his record.
” It ’ s telling that Yates is favored over “ Varnita Gupta , another qualified candidate whose history is far more appealing to civil libertarians.
” That ’ s because “ Yates ’ Obama-era history at the Department of Justice is troubling , particularly where it comes to carrying out the former president ’ s clemency initiative.
” Deborah Leff , a top criminal-justice reformer , quit over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ went on to criticize Yates for turning down recommendations and blocking the Pardon Office ’ s access to White House counsel to contest her decisions.
” Among those blocked from clemency was “ Alice Marie Johnson , a 65-year-old grandmother , ” whose life-without-parole sentence ( for a first-time , nonviolent offense ) President Trump would later commute .
Active-duty troops have voted absentee for more than a century , but some fear “ many of those votes won ’ t be counted this election , ” reveals combat nurse Lynne Blankenbeker @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a chance to honor their “ service of protecting and defending the Constitution , ” for which they “ swore an oath.
” So officials must slow down and “ commit to waiting for the final count.
” “ Delays in state ballot preparation and postal delays should not negate a service member ’ s valid vote that has been submitted through a properly obtained and executed ballot.
” Slowing down the process is a way to guarantee “ the safety and integrity of our elections.
” After all , “ every hero @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and every hero ’ s vote should be counted .
”

Washington watch: Pelosi’s Poisonous Ploy
Nancy Pelosi’s bill to assemble a 17-member panel prepared to invoke the 25th Amendment is a political scheme that turns “the decision over the president’s health” into a “battleground ripe for partisans fighting for power,” warns The Federalist’s Kyle Sammin. The Constitution allows for laws creating another body (besides the Cabinet) with the power to decide that the president’ health requires him to step aside, but “just because an idea may be constitutional does not mean it is good.” Nearly half of Pelosi’s committee would almost certainly be “partisans who already wish the president to be removed from office,” with their party treating it “as a way to remove a president they loathe without using the impeachment provisions of the Constitution.” Since the 25th Amendment concerns “inability, not unfitness,” it’s foolish to shift the decision to “unelected, unconfirmed and likely unknown political appointees.” Rather, “Congress should keep it with the Cabinet, where it belongs.”
Albany journal: Senate’s ‘One of a Kind’ Leader
The tributes after Joe Bruno’s death this week “shined a bright light” on “an American success story that even Hollywood couldn’t have scripted,” reports the former state Senate majority leader’s aide, John McArdle, in his eulogy at Empire Report New York. Bruno was “a force of nature — fearless and indefatigable,” with “that rare ability to connect.” Under him, the Senate functioned with “business-like efficiency,” and he always sought input from members. His “partnership” with Gov. George Pataki was mostly “productive,” and he had a “genuine friendship” with Gov. David Paterson — though Gov. Eliot Spitzer “was another matter. It was kill or be killed.” Bruno was “one of a kind,” a “larger than life figure, the likes of which Albany will never see again. He’ll be missed.”
Conservative: Time for ‘Ginsburg Amendment’
To unify the conservative movement’s otherwise divided factions “at the expense of the Democratic left,” Deroy Murdock suggests at Fox News, all Republicans should pledge to support a “Ginsburg Amendment” to “enshrine a nine-seat US Supreme Court” in the Constitution. The left tends to ignore the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s “fervent wish” that the high court remain at nine justices; a pledge would force every politician to decide whether to protect the Supreme Court’s integrity or “stand against Ginsburg and leave SCOTUS as vulnerable as a Butterball turkey to being stuffed with new members.”
Libertarian: Beware Biden’s AG Pick
Tana Ganeva warns at Reason that insiders believe Joe Biden may well name Sally Yates as attorney general if he wins. That’s a concern, because while “Biden claims to strongly back criminal-justice reform . . . that’s hard to square with his record.” It’s telling that Yates is favored over “Varnita Gupta, another qualified candidate whose history is far more appealing to civil libertarians.” That’s because “Yates’ Obama-era history at the Department of Justice is troubling, particularly where it comes to carrying out the former president’s clemency initiative.” Deborah Leff, a top criminal-justice reformer, quit over the slow pace of that initiative and “went on to criticize Yates for turning down recommendations and blocking the Pardon Office’s access to White House counsel to contest her decisions.” Among those blocked from clemency was “Alice Marie Johnson, a 65-year-old grandmother,” whose life-without-parole sentence (for a first-time, nonviolent offense) President Trump would later commute.
Election alert: Make Sure Military Votes Count
Active-duty troops have voted absentee for more than a century, but some fear “many of those votes won’t be counted this election,” reveals combat nurse Lynne Blankenbeker in the Washington Examiner. Voting is a chance to honor their “service of protecting and defending the Constitution,” for which they “swore an oath.” So officials must slow down and “commit to waiting for the final count.” “Delays in state ballot preparation and postal delays should not negate a service member’s valid vote that has been submitted through a properly obtained and executed ballot.” Slowing down the process is a way to guarantee “the safety and integrity of our elections.” After all, “every hero’s voice should be heard, and every hero’s vote should be counted.”
— Compiled by The Post Editorial Board


newyorkpost--2020-10-14--Why aging Baby Boomers still run Washington

ORLANDO , Fla. — Sorry , boomers .
Millennials and their younger siblings ...

When did politics become the Blue Plate Special Early Bird Meal? Every leading figure in Washington should, by rights, be president of a condo board in Boca Raton, not running America.
Joe Biden is 77. President Trump, 74. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, 78. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, 80; her deputy (deputy!) Steny Hoyer is 81.
This is all weird. Our current gerontocracy came upon us suddenly, following a quarter-century in which it was far better politically to be young than absolutely old. In 1992, Bill Clinton was elected president at the age of 46. George W. Bush was 54 when he was elected president; Barack Obama was all of 47.
They used their relative youth as a weapon, too. Obama said his 2008 rival John McCain (71 at the time) was in danger of “losing his bearings,” thus implicitly raising the potential danger of McCain’s senior status.
Bill Clinton ran effectively against the elder Bush (age 68 during the ’92 campaign) and Bob Dole (73 when he ran in ’96) with barely disguised messages about how they’d soon be off to the glue factory. Happily, the now-97-year-old Dole is still with us, as is Clinton — who, as it happens, is younger now, 20 years after his two terms in the White House, than either Biden or Trump (two months older than Clinton).
What on earth is going on here?
The key to understanding the seniors’ vice grip on power is this: They were all once young at the right time.
They were born just before or entirely within the population surge known as the baby boom, which is said to have begun in the immediate wake of the American victory in World War II in 1945.
Even those who aren’t baby boomers as a matter of pure demographics (Pelosi, Hoyer, McConnell and Biden all predate the surge by a few years) nonetheless grew up in an America whose youth found themselves from the 1950s onward possessing unprecedented purchasing and cultural power.
The country revolved around its young in a way no country ever had before, in part because there were just so many of them and in part because their lives and fortunes and psyches seemed especially precious to our growing and increasingly prosperous country in the wake of the horrendous period that preceded them — the period of the Great Depression followed by a monstrous world war.
So self-confident were they in their own value and virtue that by the time the 1960s rolled around, they were ready to demand power at a younger age than prior generations — first on college campuses, where students systematically violated and destroyed sclerotic old ways, and then on the ramparts of American politics.
Youth movements roiled both the GOP and the Democratic Party. The first successful intraparty insurgency came at the Republican convention in 1964, when Barry Goldwater harnessed the power of grass-roots youth to claim the party’s nomination. That was followed in 1968 by Democratic youth going right at the sitting president, Lyndon Johnson, in his bid for a full second term — and driving him from the race.
This helps explain how Biden has been in politics for nearly 50 years now. He got himself elected to the Senate in 1972 as a hotshot 29-year-old. He won because of his youth — Biden spent the campaign attacking his 63-year-old rival, a sitting Republican senator, for his advanced age. He bragged about being the sixth-youngest person to serve in the Senate.
Trump, of course, only formally entered politics in 2015, but he became famous in his 20s as a glamorous real-estate player supposedly injecting new life into a dormant industry. A New York Times profile from 1976 began this way: “He is tall, lean and blond, with dazzling white teeth, and he looks ever so much like Robert Redford.”
Nancy Pelosi became a player in California politics at 26, the same age Mitch McConnell began working as a Senate staffer. Steny Hoyer was first elected to a state seat in Maryland 54 years ago at the age of 27 and to Congress 39 years ago.
They’re still in power old because they were once part of a generation that was told they’d been born to rule the world. And now that it’s past time for them to pass the torch, they’re grabbing it and holding on to it for dear life.
Like a walker.
jpodhoretz@gmail.com


newyorkpost--2020-10-14--Bobby Flay sings ‘Happy Birthday’ for guest at Melba Wilson’s Harlem eatery

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 ) Chef Bobby Flay was spotted @ @ @ @ @ celeb-favorite eponymous Harlem eatery this week helping to sing “ Happy Birthday ” to a @ @ @ @ @ as the Queen of Comfort Food , told us that at her place they sing @ @ @ @ @ , ” and Flay “ had swag , he had flavor .
The guests were @ @ @ @ @ Flay over on his Food Network show “ Throwdown !
”

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Chef Bobby Flay was spotted at Melba Wilson’s celeb-favorite eponymous Harlem eatery this week helping to sing “Happy Birthday” to a patron.
Wilson, known as the Queen of Comfort Food, told us that at her place they sing the tune “Stevie Wonder-style,” and Flay “had swag, he had flavor. The guests were elated.”
Wilson previously won Flay over on his Food Network show “Throwdown!”