newyorkpost--2020-12-03--Rapper Casanova allegedly promoted gang ties with diamond-encrusted gorilla pendants

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 ) This is some real monkey business .
Rapper Casanova allegedly promoted his ties to a violent street gang by posting images of diamond-encrusted gorilla pendants on social media , prosecutors wrote in a memo urging a judge to hold him and most of his associates without bail .
Casanova , whose real name is Caswell Senior , pleaded not guilty Thursday at his arraignment on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ possession charges for his role in the Untouchable Gorilla Stone Nation gang .
An indictment was unsealed Tuesday in White Plains federal court charging 18 gang members with crimes ranging from murder and assault to narcotics trafficking .
“ Using his public platform , he has amplified the message of the gang — both through his music and his social media profiles , ” wrote Assistant US Attorney Shiva Logarajah .
He allegedly posted a photo of a pair of diamond-encrusted gorilla pendants , one on horseback , to his Instagram account in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stands beside an oversized mural of a gorilla , the motion states .
In addition to the simian bling , he appeared on a “ gang anthem ” over the summer called “ Big Ape , ” which has garnered over 1.8 million views on YouTube and features other gang members , the filing states .
“ Senior has closely coordinated his artistic endeavors to benefit the gang , ” Logarajah wrote .
“ Prison calls allegedly show that Senior forks over some of his earnings to alleged gang founder Dwight Reid aka @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also charged in the indictment , is serving a 50-year-to-life sentence for 2014 murder .
Senior , 34 , has twice been convicted of first-degree robbery and has admitted in interviews to stabbing other inmates while locked up , according to the court papers .
The “ Jail Call ” rhymer currently has a pending robbery case in Manhattan state court for allegedly snatching the cell phone of a fellow diner at a Chelsea restaurant in 2018 after he mistakenly thought she ’ d taken a video of him .
His pal and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a chokehold until she lost consciousness and fell to the floor .
Prosecutors allege the Senior is also a “ drug supplier ” for Gorilla Stone using two other members as dealers to move his product in New York .
The “ Don ’ t Run ” rapper , who turned himself in Wednesday night after taking a swig of Hennessy , faces a minimum of 15 years in prison .

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This is some real monkey business.
Rapper Casanova allegedly promoted his ties to a violent street gang by posting images of diamond-encrusted gorilla pendants on social media, prosecutors wrote in a memo urging a judge to hold him and most of his associates without bail.
Casanova, whose real name is Caswell Senior, pleaded not guilty Thursday at his arraignment on racketeering conspiracy, narcotics conspiracy and firearms possession charges for his role in the Untouchable Gorilla Stone Nation gang.
An indictment was unsealed Tuesday in White Plains federal court charging 18 gang members with crimes ranging from murder and assault to narcotics trafficking.
“Using his public platform, he has amplified the message of the gang — both through his music and his social media profiles,” wrote Assistant US Attorney Shiva Logarajah.
He allegedly posted a photo of a pair of diamond-encrusted gorilla pendants, one on horseback, to his Instagram account in July. In another post, he stands beside an oversized mural of a gorilla, the motion states.
In addition to the simian bling, he appeared on a “gang anthem” over the summer called “Big Ape,” which has garnered over 1.8 million views on YouTube and features other gang members, the filing states.
“Senior has closely coordinated his artistic endeavors to benefit the gang,” Logarajah wrote. “Prison calls allegedly show that Senior forks over some of his earnings to alleged gang founder Dwight Reid aka Dick Wolf.”
Reid, who is also charged in the indictment, is serving a 50-year-to-life sentence for 2014 murder.
Senior, 34, has twice been convicted of first-degree robbery and has admitted in interviews to stabbing other inmates while locked up, according to the court papers.
The “Jail Call” rhymer currently has a pending robbery case in Manhattan state court for allegedly snatching the cell phone of a fellow diner at a Chelsea restaurant in 2018 after he mistakenly thought she’d taken a video of him. His pal and co-defendant Bobby Williams allegedly placed the victim in a chokehold until she lost consciousness and fell to the floor.
Prosecutors allege the Senior is also a “drug supplier” for Gorilla Stone using two other members as dealers to move his product in New York.
The “Don’t Run” rapper, who turned himself in Wednesday night after taking a swig of Hennessy, faces a minimum of 15 years in prison.


newyorkpost--2020-12-03--Saquon Barkley’s injury woes complicate Giants future

If Saquon Barkley accomplishes his next goal , he will be ...

Which comes first: Saquon Barkley’s next play date or next payday?
Had this season gone as envisioned, the Giants and Barkley would’ve spent months negotiating a contract extension to make him the highest-paid running back before Kickoff 2021. Instead, an ACL tear, MCL strain and partially torn meniscus in his right knee cost him all but two games of his third NFL season — and maybe more in his bank account.
“I don’t really focus on it. Not really focused on money or anything right now,” Barkley said Thursday in his first comments about a new contract. “I’m really focusing on trying to come in every single day and get 1 percent better.”
Barkley has another year remaining on his rookie contract and the Giants could exercise control through 2023 with a fifth-year team option and a franchise tag. But the standard established by Todd Gurley, Christian McCaffrey, Ezekiel Elliott, Alvin Kamara and Dalvin Cook is for elite running backs faced with the prospect of short careers to be extended after three seasons.
An already-complicated issue became even more entangled with COVID-19, Barkley’s injury and the subsequent results.
Saquon Barkley AP
The Giants must decide whether they believe Barkley, who missed three games with a high-ankle sprain last season, is injury-prone. If so, a major investment could devastate the salary cap. They could offer a discounted extension, but that insult might do more harm than good. Or they could make him prove he is healthy — and risk losing a chance at a bargain.
Barkley must decide if, after being introduced to the wear on a running back, he wants to settle for less than top dollar just to put more security in his pocket sooner rather than later. Or, with $34 million guaranteed from the Giants through his first four years plus north of $30 million in endorsements, if he wants to bet on his return to 1,600-yard form and bigger bucks in 2022.
Asked if he will hold out next season without a new contract, Barkley again pivoted to his rehab. He did not put a timetable on his return, but training camp seems realistic.
“Two injuries so far that happened to me are two things I can’t control,” Barkley said. “It was in the cards that way. I’m just going to continue to put my body in shape for however long I continue to play to have a successful season.”
Lost revenues from no attendance at games could drop the NFL salary cap by $20 million in 2021, which will make owners reluctant to spend. Except John Mara was reminded Thursday his team’s biggest star is a model of the Giants’ core values, as Barkley handled a lingering controversy regarding not wearing a mask out in public with teammates during the pandemic.
“I do take the virus seriously,” Barkley said. “I think that we let our guard down, to be completely honest. We were trying to do it the right way. That little moment wherever that was captured just came off negatively.
“I was really in the forefront of trying to do things, whether it was working with Campbell’s [Soup] and food banks to give food during the coronavirus. Or even if it was doing videos to help raise awareness and money for it. I truly want to say I apologize for that. As a leader of this team and being one of the faces of this franchise, I have to be better for us.”
The success of the Giants’ rushing attack over the last six games — 4.8 yards per carry from Wayne Gallman, Alfred Morris, Dion Lewis and Devonta Freeman, all of whom are pending free agents — lends credence to the analytical school of thought that backs are a dime-a-dozen and the offensive line matters most.
Then again, the Giants’ offense ranks No. 26 in the NFL in explosive plays, according to SharpFootballStats.com, and No. 30 in scoring. A game-breaker is desperately needed — and no running back has more 40-yard gains than Barkley over the last three seasons, even with games missed.
“I wish I was able to be a part of it,” Barkley said. “My mindset is I’m still part of it in a way. But to see those guys open up those holes and seeing the running backs run in a way that Wayne is running is honestly amazing.”
The Giants’ three-game winning streak has boosted the job security of general manager Dave Gettleman, the biggest proponent of Barkley’s value. Numbers and timing to be determined.
“I never viewed myself as Superman,” Barkley said. “I had an injury last year. I was able to overcome that. And I had an injury this year. This is another challenge in the way that I have to be ready to face.”


newyorkpost--2020-12-03--COVID-19 outbreak in elections office latest mishap in Brindisi-Tenney race

ALBANY — It ’ s not over , till it ’ s over .
After trailing ...

ALBANY — They just can’t catch a break.
A minor coronavirus outbreak in the Madison County board of elections office this week has caused two employees to quarantine, marking the latest mishap in yet-to-be called race for New York’s 22nd Congressional district.
It’s the latest wrinkle in the tight race between the incumbent Democratic, Rep. Anthony Brindisi and Republican Claudia Tenney — a race that has been mired in an epic court battle all month with Tenney now leading by a mere 12 votes.
But a clerk in the Madison County BOE office tested positive for the virus on Wednesday, forcing one other staffer into a precautionary quarantine, as the individual may have been in contact with the infected person.
“It was one individual. In an office of six, one tested positive and the other one is quarantining,” Mary Egger, the county’s Republican commissioner told The Post in a phone interview Thursday.
“It’s just the four of us, but we got this. We can handle this, we’re ready to go,” she said.
The state Health Department determined Egger and other employees — including Democratic Commissioner Laura Costello and two other deputy commissioners — do not need to quarantine and were allowed to return to the office Thursday.
Egger said the incident does not impact the county’s work, or election results.
“Either way we’re ready to certify. If the judge turned around today and said he needs ‘A, B, C and D,’ We would be ready to go,” she explained, referring to the state Supreme Court judge — Oswego County Justice Scott DelConte — who is charged with handling the contentious court battle between Tenney and Brindisi’s lawyers.
The two campaigns are due in court on Monday, but on Thursday each camp’s legal team submitted memos to the court and have another filing deadline due on Friday.
Tenney’s campaign argues the district’s election results should be certified now, but Brindisi’s team contests there’s still a multitude of county BOE errors that should be fixed as well as a number of disputed ballots that need to be checked out before certification.
While New York state law does not allow for an automatic recount in close elections — Oswego County state Supreme Court judge Scott DelConte could call for a full recount of the district’s ballots or a recanvassing of the votes in each of the eight counties in the district.
A new law passed by the state Legislature last year would trigger a recount in tight races, but it has yet to take effect.
There are roughly 1,500 votes still in play, according to sources.
Both campaigns have called into question a series of ballots including those cast by dead voters, the discovery of previously uncounted ballots or errors by local election officials.
Tenney led Brindisi by over 28,000 votes on election night, but her lead was sharply cut once election officials started counting absentee ballots and they largely broke in Brindisi’s favor.
Both candidates have separately said they would win the election.
The 22nd district is now the only race in the state with unofficial results, as the state Board of Elections certified all vote tallies Thursday including the presidential, congressional, state senate and assembly elections and judgeships.
“I hope they certify the 22nd race. I know it’s a close race. But great, as soon as they can certify all the races they should,” said Gov. Andrew Cuomo during an Albany-based press conference Thursday evening, when asked on the topic.


newyorkpost--2020-12-03--DNI John Ratcliffe says China running operation to influence US lawmakers

The warning , according to Axios , will be delivered by Director ...

WASHINGTON — China’s Communist government is waging a covert operation to influence members of Congress into supporting pro-Beijing policies, the Director of National Intelligence said Thursday.
In an op-ed published in the Wall Street Journal, DNI boss John Ratcliffe warned that officials in China were engaged in a “massive influence campaign” which targeted US lawmakers with six times the frequency of Russia and 12 times that of Iran.
“This year China engaged in a massive influence campaign that included targeting several dozen members of Congress and congressional aides,” Ratcliffe wrote.
The intelligence chief warned of a scenario where Chinese-owned manufacturing facilities employing thousands of Americans could influence union chiefs to turn against lawmakers supporting disadvantageous policies — or risk losing their jobs.
“The union leader contacts his congresswoman and indicates that his members won’t support her re-election without a change in position. He tells himself he’s protecting his members, but in that moment he’s doing China’s bidding, and the congresswoman is being influenced by China, whether she realizes it or not,” Ratcliffe wrote.
“Our intelligence shows that Beijing regularly directs this type of influence operation in the U.S,” he went on. “To address these threats and more, I have shifted resources inside the $85 billion annual intelligence budget to increase the focus on China.”
The warnings came as part of a stark op-ed which described the Communist nation as the biggest national security threat to the United States.
Ratcliffe said Beijing was preparing “for an open-ended period of confrontation with the U.S. Washington should also be prepared.”
In response, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman called the comments “ludicrous,” adding that, “in the eyes of some Americans, there is only hatred, division and confrontation.”
Relations between the two countries have reached a frostiness not seen in decades after the Trump administration blamed China for the raging coronavirus pandemic and vowed to hold Beijing responsible.
According to various reports, Trump is eyeing a crackdown on China before he vacates the Oval Office on Jan. 20, making it difficult for successor Joe Biden to undo the hardline approach.


newyorkpost--2020-12-03--The Kevin Durant-Kyrie Irving dynamic that ‘surprised’ Nets

The Los Angeles Clippers ’ disappointing playoff implosion has been attributed to preferential diva treatment of stars Kawhi Leonard and Paul George and the internal dissension and division that it wrought .
Almost 3,000 miles away , Brooklyn had best be taking notice .
Both Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving have seen their leadership skills questioned in the past .
And while both have , by all accounts , looked great in workouts coming back from their respective injuries , it may be their ability to lead — and accept being led — that determines how the Nets fare .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ guys are better leaders than I think people realize .
They always try to get certain guys together whenever the situation calls for it .
It ’ s been a blessing in disguise , and I just try to take advantage of it every day , and learn as much as I can and pick their brains , ” Taurean Prince said Thursday .
“ They ’ re both vocal .
They both lead by example .
“ They both will come up and talk to you , say what you did wrong @ @ @ @ @ @ @ surprised not only myself but , I ’ m sure , a lot of guys is that they receive criticism from their teammates very well .
If we feel like we want to correct them or we ’ re talking to them about a situation where they could ’ ve [ been there ] for us , it ’ s the same thing , vice versa .
You don ’ t feel that pressure not to be able to go tell your star call a screen next time or whatever the situation may @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most playing time with Durant returning .
He started at power forward with the All-Star sidelined all of last season with a ruptured Achilles , but now the four-time scoring champ will start there , and Prince would likely either be relegated to reserve or compete with Joe Harris for small forward minutes .
That is , if he ’ s not traded .
“ As far as rumors , I ’ ve been in the league five years , so I don ’ t think — besides this team — I don @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the same teammates halfway through the season or in the second half that I did in the first half , ” said Prince .
“ I ’ m used to seeing new faces .
“ And I ’ ve also been traded myself , so the fear of that or having that not wanting to happen , that ’ s gone , because you realize you can ’ t control that , you went through that before .
So I just take it day by day .
I know what type of guys @ @ @ @ @ @ @ us know what type of players we are .
At the end of the day it ’ s a business , so you can ’ t really pay attention to that .
You ’ d be doing yourself a disfavor.
” The Nets confirmed they ’ ll wear a City Edition uniform inspired by Jean-Michel Basquiat , the late Brooklyn artist .
“ Basquiat embodies much of what Brooklyn represents , and his creative spirit and passionate voice can still be felt throughout the borough , ” said John Abbamondi , president of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Today , more than ever , Basquiat matters .
”

The Los Angeles Clippers’ disappointing playoff implosion has been attributed to preferential diva treatment of stars Kawhi Leonard and Paul George and the internal dissension and division that it wrought.
Almost 3,000 miles away, Brooklyn had best be taking notice.
Both Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving have seen their leadership skills questioned in the past. And while both have, by all accounts, looked great in workouts coming back from their respective injuries, it may be their ability to lead — and accept being led — that determines how the Nets fare.
“It has been great. Those guys are better leaders than I think people realize. They always try to get certain guys together whenever the situation calls for it. It’s been a blessing in disguise, and I just try to take advantage of it every day, and learn as much as I can and pick their brains,” Taurean Prince said Thursday. “They’re both vocal. They both lead by example.
“They both will come up and talk to you, say what you did wrong. But also, the thing that surprised not only myself but, I’m sure, a lot of guys is that they receive criticism from their teammates very well. If we feel like we want to correct them or we’re talking to them about a situation where they could’ve [been there] for us, it’s the same thing, vice versa. You don’t feel that pressure not to be able to go tell your star call a screen next time or whatever the situation may be.”
Kyrie Irving Corey Sipkin
Prince stands to lose the most playing time with Durant returning. He started at power forward with the All-Star sidelined all of last season with a ruptured Achilles, but now the four-time scoring champ will start there, and Prince would likely either be relegated to reserve or compete with Joe Harris for small forward minutes.
That is, if he’s not traded.
“As far as rumors, I’ve been in the league five years, so I don’t think — besides this team — I don’t think I’ve had the same teammates halfway through the season or in the second half that I did in the first half,” said Prince. “I’m used to seeing new faces.
“And I’ve also been traded myself, so the fear of that or having that not wanting to happen, that’s gone, because you realize you can’t control that, you went through that before. So I just take it day by day. I know what type of guys we are. I know all of us know what type of players we are. At the end of the day it’s a business, so you can’t really pay attention to that. You’d be doing yourself a disfavor.”
The Nets confirmed they’ll wear a City Edition uniform inspired by Jean-Michel Basquiat, the late Brooklyn artist.
“Basquiat embodies much of what Brooklyn represents, and his creative spirit and passionate voice can still be felt throughout the borough,” said John Abbamondi, president of the Nets and parent company BSE Global. “Today, more than ever, Basquiat matters.”


newyorkpost--2020-12-03--Pilot pulls off ‘textbook emergency landing’ on Minnesota highway

An award-winning pilot pulled off a “ textbook emergency landing ” on a Minnesota interstate Wednesday night .
Nobody was @ @ @ @ @ 52 , a member of the US aerobatics flying team , struck a vehicle after @ @ @ @ @ plane on the highway outside in a suburb of St. Paul , Fox 9 reported @ @ @ @ @ the Minnesota Department of Transportation shows the plane , with two people on board , @ @ @ @ @ of the highway ahead of two vehicles .
In 2017 and 2019 , Gifford flew @ @ @ @ @ team in international competitions , according to Experimental Aircraft Association spokesman Dick Knapinski .
Knapinski @ @ @ @ @ training helped him execute a “ textbook emergency landing ” on Wednesday night .
“ @ @ @ @ @ with emergency engine problems and things like that if you have to make an emergency @ @ @ @ @ combination of that training and certainly ( Gifford ’ s ) aerobatic training really paid @ @ @ @ @ ” he said .

An award-winning pilot pulled off a “textbook emergency landing” on a Minnesota interstate Wednesday night.
Nobody was injured when Craig Gifford, 52, a member of the US aerobatics flying team, struck a vehicle after landing the single-engine Bellanca Viking plane on the highway outside in a suburb of St. Paul, Fox 9 reported.
Shocking footage released by the Minnesota Department of Transportation shows the plane, with two people on board, landing in the middle lane of the highway ahead of two vehicles.
In 2017 and 2019, Gifford flew for the US Unlimited Aerobatic team in international competitions, according to Experimental Aircraft Association spokesman Dick Knapinski.
Aerobatics flying entails pulling off precision maneuvers.
Knapinski said that Gifford’s training helped him execute a “textbook emergency landing” on Wednesday night.
“Pilots are trained to deal with emergency engine problems and things like that if you have to make an emergency landing, and so the combination of that training and certainly (Gifford’s) aerobatic training really paid off in this situation,” he said.
The emergency highway landing.
With Post wires


newyorkpost--2020-12-03--‘Hillbilly Elegy’ critics show they still despise ‘deplorables’

Ellen Page announced he is nonbinary , transgender and will now ...

Elites won’t allow any sympathy for poor whites
Netflix’s new adaptation of JD Vance’s “Hillbilly Elegy” is devastating for the left’s political narrative. How do I know that? Because so many leftists are trying to keep people from watching it.
Critics complain that the movie has too many noble country folk — though neither Vance’s 2016 memoir nor the film version is exactly focused on nobility as such. They even gripe that the autobiography of a white guy from the hill country doesn’t have any major black characters. Well, yes.
For a film made out of a bestselling book by a well-known liberal filmmaker (Ron Howard) and featuring Glenn Close, Amy Adams and Gabriel Besso, the movie seems surprisingly controversial. And why? Because, as I mentioned above, it’s devastating for the left’s political narrative.
As Princeton professor Robert P. George noted, responding to one negative review, “Do you think [those] who don’t want you to watch ‘Hillbilly Elegy’ might have . . . I dunno . . . an agenda? . . . The campaign against the film — made by the standard issue liberal filmmaker Ron Howard, by the way — is purely political.”
To be fair, everything coming from the left is political. But the reaction to this Netflix film tells us something about the way the left feels right now.
Actors Glenn Close and Amy Adams in a scene from “Hillbilly Elegy” on Netflix. AP
Writing about the reaction, Rod Dreher comments, “It is now OK to hate Deplorables again, and maybe even mandatory.” He adds, “I think the ‘privilege’ discourse among middle-class, educated, white liberals is mostly about rearranging prejudices to make lower-class white people deserving of the scorn of the uppers.”
The old Southern Democrats maintained the allegiance of poor whites by making sure those poor whites felt they could look down on blacks. The modern Democratic Party maintains the allegiance of upper-middle-class whites by making sure they can look down on lower-class whites. By humanizing those lower-class whites, Netflix’s “Hillbilly Elegy” calls the whole enterprise into question.
Humanizing the working class was once what Democrats were about. But no longer.
After World War II and the G.I. Bill, a new managerial class emerged in the United States. A college education became not merely a rite of passage for the well-off, but a necessary passport, economically and especially socially, to the upper middle class. In 1960, one could be part of the upper echelons without a college degree; by 2000 that was almost unheard of.
That meant, of course, that those who had entered the upper ranks did what the insecure lower tiers of aristocracy always do: devote a lot of attention to distinguishing themselves from the non-elite.
In America, class war is disguised as cultural war, and cultural war is often waged under the guise of fighting racism. Thus, the Deplorables had to be cast as racists, though it wasn’t the working class that redlined neighborhoods or set college admissions policies.
And that means that they can’t be humanized, or shown to be victims. The sympathy of the upper classes is doled out in careful measure, toward select targets.
Of course, the consequences go beyond movie reviews. As Christopher Caldwell recently noted in The New Republic, the Trump economy involved the first “egalitarian boom” in decades. In 2019, before COVID-19 mucked things up, we had a 3.7 percent jobless rate (with record low unemployment for blacks and Hispanics.)
Contrast this with the Obama part of the boom, where nearly all the economic gains went to the top 10 percent income bracket.
Under President Trump, meanwhile, the “net worth of the top 10 percent rose only marginally, while that of all other groups vaulted ahead. In 2019, the share of overall earnings going to the bottom 90 percent of earners rose for the first time in a decade.”
And what’s the most-touted policy initiative of the Biden crowd? Student-loan forgiveness, which will involve the working-class majority subsidizing the college debt of people who are better off.
Most Americans don’t have college degrees, and college-degree-holders on average make more money over their lifetimes.
On net, the signature Democratic Party policy initiative is a transfer from the worse-off to the better-off.
It’s easier to take things away from people if you pretend they deserve no better. The response to “Hillbilly Elegy” suggests that we’ll be hearing more of such things in the coming years.
Glenn Harlan Reynolds is a professor of law at the University of Tennessee and founder of the InstaPundit.com blog.


newyorkpost--2020-12-03--Shocking video shows collapse of iconic telescope in Puerto Rico

Shocking video released Thursday shows the moment the iconic Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico plunged 400 feet into a huge @ @ @ @ @ .
The large telescope — which had been used for astronomical discoveries and even led @ @ @ @ @ — fell apart when its three support towers broke Tuesday morning .
Video released by @ @ @ @ @ the observatory ’ s platform crashing down into to the dish antenna while the support @ @ @ @ @ causing debris to disperse everywhere .
The 900-ton telescope was already damaged and had been @ @ @ @ @ cables broke in August and November .
Scientists and students from all over the world @ @ @ @ @ research purposes , including research that won the Nobel Prize in physics in 1993 .

Shocking video released Thursday shows the moment the iconic Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico plunged 400 feet into a huge dish when its cables snapped.
The large telescope — which had been used for astronomical discoveries and even led to Nobel Peace Prize-winning research — fell apart when its three support towers broke Tuesday morning.
Video released by the National Science Foundation shows the observatory’s platform crashing down into to the dish antenna while the support towers and cables snapped, causing debris to disperse everywhere.
The 900-ton telescope was already damaged and had been scheduled for demolition after two cables broke in August and November.
Scientists and students from all over the world used the 57-year-old telescope for research purposes, including research that won the Nobel Prize in physics in 1993.
Ángel Vázquez, the observatory’s director of telescope operations, says he was in the control room area removing expensive equipment from the facility Tuesday morning when he heard a loud bang.
“When we looked outside the control room, we started to see the eventual downfall of the observatory,” Vázquez said, adding that strands of cables had been unraveling in recent days and increasing strain on the platform.
“This whole process took 30 seconds,” Vázquez said, “and an unfortunate icon in radio astronomy was done.”
A still photo shows the collapse at the Arecibo Observatory after one of the main cables holding the receiver broke in Arecibo, Puerto Rico. National Science Foundation/AFP via Getty Images
The Arecibo Observatory was completed in 1963, and its powerful capabilities attracted researchers chasing breakthroughs in radio astronomy and atmospheric science.
It was used to detect the first binary pulsar, discover gravitational waves in space and search for potentially habitable planets in other galaxies.
The Observatory has also been a source of inspiration on the silver screen, staring alongside Pierce Brosnan’s James Bond and Jodie Foster in the films ‘GoldenEye’ and ‘Contact.’
In 1974, it was used to beam a “Hello, world” message into space, to communicate with extra terrestrial life.
Before the collapse, members of Congress and the scientific community lobbied for the observatory to be saved.
Now, many are pushing for the rebuilding of the structure — but this could take some time.
“With regards to replacement, NSF has a very well-defined process for funding and constructing large-scale infrastructure, including telescopes,” said Ralph Gaume, director of NSF’s Division of Astronomical Sciences.
“It’s a multi-year process that involves congressional appropriations and the assessment and needs of the scientific community. So, it’s very early for us to comment on the replacement.”
No injuries were reported in the crash.


newyorkpost--2020-12-03--Florida man who shot cop killed after being hit 38 times

One St. Petersburg police officer was shot and a second ...

A Florida man who shot and wounded a St. Petersburg cop during a shootout Wednesday was killed when he was hit by 38 rounds.
Dominique Harris, 20, who was “a person of interest” in a 2019 murder, got into a dramatic, caught-on-video gunfight with police outside a convenience store, with cops firing 50 shots in the exchange, the Tampa Bay Times reported.
Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualitieri said Harris fired first, shooting at cops “at least four times” with a semi-automatic handgun after he tried to ram a roadblock — hitting one officer.
Police said he was being sought on a child abuse charge, the Times said.
The cops returned fire, hitting Harris with a barrage of bullets, fatally wounding him.
Dominque Harris Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office via AP
Gualitieri said there were six officers involved, five of them undercover cops.
The wounded officer, who was not identified, was shot twice in the torso and was in stable condition after undergoing surgery, authorities said.
St. Petersburgh Police Chief Anthony Holloway urged residents to remain calm and to “wait for the facts to come out.”
Departments nationwide this year have faced backlash and massive protests over police brutality allegations following the May 25 police-custody death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
“The use of deadly force task force was formed so we can show that we’re being very transparent and we’re accountable to the citizens of St. Petersburg,” Holloway said.
“The sheriff and the task force, and the State Attorney’s Office, will investigate the criminal matter involved in the shooting with Mr. Harris yesterday.”


newyorkpost--2020-12-03--Who is Montana Yao? 9 things to know about Malik Beasley’s estranged wife

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 ) Larsa Pippen has dated — and married — an athlete or two in her day , most recently being snapped returning home after hanging out with Minnesota Timberwolves guard Malik Beasley while strolling the streets of Miami , hand in hand .
One problem with that , though , is that Beasley is currently married to model Montana Yao , who has reportedly filed for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in her husband .
For many , the scandal is the first they ’ re hearing of Yao , despite the Instagram beauty ’ s 123,000-plus followers online .
Who is Montana Yao ?
Learn more about the model , mom and soon-to-be basketball ex-wife below .
Montana Helena Klein Yao was born in 1997 in Newport Beach , Calif. , eventually attending high school in Pasadena before graduating from Malibu High in 2015 .
Montana was Miss Malibu Teen USA 2016 , and placed in the top ten at Miss California Teen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the sport long before she married Beasley , sharing that she learned to love the game from her father , who was a Lakers fan .
The couple met in 2018 , though it isn ’ t clear when they tied the knot .
… and they welcomed their son Makai in March 2019 Yao often gushes over her baby boy , sharing several photos and videos of her “ mini-me ” on social media .
The couple has run into issues with the law In October , Beasley was charged with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ possession .
Yao faced the same drug count after nearly two pounds of marijuana were found in the couple ’ s home on Sept. 26 .
The police were there , incidentally , after Beasley pulled an assault rife on a family who had pulled up to his rental property during a “ parade of homes ” showcase in the neighborhood .
She was ‘ blindsided ’ by Beasley ’ s outing with Pippen After photos of Beasley and Pippen went viral , the 23-year-old wife shared via Instagram , “ I ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to who I am and GOD has never let me down .
The truth always comes out one way or another… ” Yao added , “ Wow… I don ’ t even know this man… this is wild y ’ all I ’ m seeing it for the first time just like y ’ all.
” “ Montana filed for a divorce the day she saw the photos , ” an insider revealed to E !
Thursday .
“ Montana never cheated , and it ’ s not in her character .
She @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s a family person .
She ’ s focusing on taking care of her son with her parents .
They are quarantining together .
Her son is her first priority .
”

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Larsa Pippen has dated — and married — an athlete or two in her day, most recently being snapped returning home after hanging out with Minnesota Timberwolves guard Malik Beasley while strolling the streets of Miami, hand in hand.
One problem with that, though, is that Beasley is currently married to model Montana Yao, who has reportedly filed for divorce days after sharing her public disappointment in her husband.
For many, the scandal is the first they’re hearing of Yao, despite the Instagram beauty’s 123,000-plus followers online.
Who is Montana Yao? Learn more about the model, mom and soon-to-be basketball ex-wife below.
Yao is a California girl
Montana Helena Klein Yao was born in 1997 in Newport Beach, Calif., eventually attending high school in Pasadena before graduating from Malibu High in 2015.
She was a teen beauty queen
Yao was Miss Malibu Teen USA 2016, and placed in the top ten at Miss California Teen USA 2016.
Yao is multiracial
Yao is of Chinese, English, Irish and German descent.
She’s a basketball fan
Yao was a fan of the sport long before she married Beasley, sharing that she learned to love the game from her father, who was a Lakers fan.
She met Beasley in 2018 …
Montana Yao and Malik Beasley Getty Images
The couple met in 2018, though it isn’t clear when they tied the knot.
… and they welcomed their son, Makai, in March 2019
Yao often gushes over her baby boy, sharing several photos and videos of her “mini-me” on social media.
The couple has run into issues with the law
In October, Beasley was charged with felony threats of violence and fifth-degree drug possession. Yao faced the same drug count after nearly two pounds of marijuana was found in the couple’s home on Sept. 26.
The police were there, incidentally, after Beasley pulled an assault rife on a family who had pulled up to his rental property during a “parade of homes” showcase in the neighborhood.
She was ‘blindsided’ by Beasley’s outing with Pippen
Larsa Pippen and Malik Beasley MEGA
After photos of Beasley and Pippen went viral, the 23-year-old wife shared via Instagram, “I’ve always and will forever remain true to who I am and GOD has never let me down. The truth always comes out one way or another…”
Yao added, “Wow… I don’t even know this man… this is wild y’all I’m seeing it for the first time just like y’all.”
Yao has filed for divorce
“Montana filed for a divorce the day she saw the photos,” an insider revealed to E! Thursday. “Montana never cheated, and it’s not in her character. She’s not dating anybody. She’s a family person. She’s focusing on taking care of her son with her parents. They are quarantining together. Her son is her first priority.”


newyorkpost--2020-12-04--US adds 245,000 jobs in November as COVID-19 surge hampers labor market

The US economy added 245,000 jobs in November as a massive resurgence of the coronavirus hampered the labor market ’ s recovery from the pandemic , the feds said Friday .
The unemployment rate barely dropped to 6.7 percent last month from 6.9 percent in October amid the record-setting spike in infections , which has led to renewed lockdown measures in some parts of the country .
The November numbers offered another signal that the nation ’ s economic rebound from the worst downturn since the Great Depression is slowing down at the start of what health officials fear will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and deaths on the rise .
“ With some governments putting renewed restrictions in place , and many consumers surely taking added and prudent precautions , there is a toll taken on the economy , ” said Mark Hamrick , senior economic analyst at Bankrate .
“ The worst of the economic downturn is behind us , but the best of the recent recovery also appears to be in the rear view mirror.
” Last month was the fifth straight in which nationwide job growth slowed after peaking at about 4.8 million in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ strict lockdowns imposed to control the virus .
Economists were expecting the Bureau of Labor Statistics to report an addition of 469,000 jobs to the nation ’ s nonfarm payrolls , down from October ’ s revised total of 610,000 , according to a Reuters survey .
There ’ s light at the end of the tunnel — US regulators are expected to approve two COVID-19 vaccines this month , a crucial step toward inoculating the public and returning the economy to normal .
But economists fear a lack federal aid from Washington @ @ @ @ @ @ @ workers in the meantime .
While a $ 908 billion stimulus proposal is gaining traction in Congress , key benefits programs created by March ’ s CARES Act bill are set to expire at the end of the year , putting jobless Americans on the edge of a steep financial cliff .

The US economy added 245,000 jobs in November — barely more than half the number economists expected — as the coronavirus’ resurgence hampered the labor market’s recovery from the pandemic.
The unemployment rate barely dropped to 6.7 percent last month from 6.9 percent in October amid the record-setting spike in infections, which has led to renewed lockdown measures in some parts of the country, the Bureau of Labor Statistics said Friday.
The figures were another signal that the nation’s economic rebound from the worst downturn since the Great Depression is slowing down at the start of what health officials fear will be a brutal winter with COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths on the rise.
“These numbers are showing people’s renewed concern about the resurgent virus,” economist A. Gary Shilling told The Post. “Governments are reluctant to close things up but we’ve learned that when we open up, this virus transmits very quickly.”
Last month was the fifth straight in which job growth slowed after peaking at about 4.8 million in June. Economists were anticipating an addition of 469,000 jobs to the nation’s nonfarm payrolls, according to a Reuters survey, down from October’s revised total of 610,000.
There’s light at the end of the tunnel — US regulators are expected to clear two COVID-19 vaccines for emergency use this month, a crucial step toward returning the economy to normal.
But experts say Washington needs to slather another layer of ointment on the wounded economy by approving more federal aid. The virus and its economic fallout will continue to spread in the meantime, according to economists — potentially leading to a net loss of jobs this month.
“The wounds are festering and Congress needs to act,” Diane Swonk, chief economist at Grant Thornton and a Federal Reserve adviser, told The Post. “We’ve been arguing that and this just underscores the point because by December we’ll be in the red.”
While a $908 billion stimulus proposal is gaining traction in Congress, key benefits programs created by March’s CARES Act bill are set to expire at the end of the year, putting jobless Americans on the edge of a financial cliff.
“The task at hand is clear,” Curt Long, chief economist and vice president of research at the National Association of Federally-Insured Credit Unions, told The Post. “Let’s get something done, let’s limit the damage, and when a vaccine’s available we won’t have quite as big a mountain to scale.”
The economy still has 9.8 million fewer jobs than it did in February, before the pandemic drove unemployment up to record levels, the feds said.
The transportation and warehousing industries powered November’s gains, adding 145,000 jobs as shipping giants staffed up for a coronavirus-fueled explosion in online shopping this holiday season. But that came alongside a slowdown in seasonal hiring among retailers, who shed 35,000 jobs as wary consumers stayed out of stores.
Restaurants and bars also lost 17,000 jobs in November after staging a recovery in recent months from the lockdowns that emptied dining rooms in the spring.
Meanwhile, the number of people out of work for at least 27 weeks climbed by 385,000 to 3.9 million, making up more than a third of the nation’s unemployed, the feds said. And the labor force participation rate dropped slightly to 61.5 percent after climbing in October.
“More people are getting discouraged,” Swonk said. “They want to work but they don’t see any work and that again is reflective of the pandemic getting worse.”
Stark disparities also persisted last month. The unemployment rate among black workers sat at 10.3 percent three months after the nationwide rate dropped below the 10 percent mark. And 427,000 fewer women were in the labor force than in August — before many moms reportedly stopped working as kids started remote schooling — compared with a drop of 271,000 for men, the data show.
With Thornton McEnery


newyorkpost--2020-12-04--‘The Mandalorian’ Chapter 14 Recap: An Episode 40 Years in the Making

So , uh… did I miss anything during my week off ?
Of all the times to decide that my personal vacation time really matters , the live-action debut of Ahsoka Tano was probably a bad time .
Last week ’ s episode of The Mandalorian , a chapter titled “ The Jedi , ” was quite possibly the most ambitious of the entire series .
It was thrilling , it was moving , it was legendary—and I was able to enjoy it after dawn without having to immediately rush into recap mode .
Maybe last week was a good @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ll sum up last week with this observation : Ahsoka Tano ’ s entire reason for not taking on Grogu as a padawan comes down to Anakin Skywalker .
She knows firsthand what happens when you rip a Force-sensitive kid away from their guardian , especially if that kid has a nasty temper .
Her decision most likely doesn ’ t have anything to do with Ezra Bridger—although her hunt for Grand Admiral Thrawn definitely does .
Moving on !
It ’ s actually better that I ’ m back in action @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bespoke to the 11-year-old Star Wars fan that I basically still am , despite my beard being gray and me having , y ’ know , a beard .
Last week we got the live-action debut of Ahsoka Tano , and this week we got , essentially , the live-action debut of Boba Fett .
I live—and I ’ m getting ahead of myself !
I ’ m too stoked !
Also this episode is titled “ The Tragedy , ” so I ’ m terrified !
The episode starts with father ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) at home ( the Razor Crest ) .
Din ’ s trying his hand at training Grogu , using that shiny metal joystick ball that the kid loves so much .
I love that while being the lead of the show , Din Djarin is continually the bewildered and/or delighted audience surrogate ; he is equally as charmed by Grogu ’ s excited cooing response to his name as we all are .
They arrive at the planet Tython ( which was a medium-sized deal in the old expanded universe ) so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and let Grogu essentially phone home via the Force .
They pinpoint the mystical Jedi rock formation immediately , which leads me to believe that GPS in a galaxy far , far away has to be next next next level .
When he sees that they can ’ t park near the main attraction , Mando tells the kid that they ’ re gon na have to “ travel the last stretch with the windows down.
” The joy , the wonder—hold onto it Grogu , because it ’ s not gon na @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Din sets Grogu down on the Jedi rock .
With no idea what to expect or what to do , he starts looking around for the rock ’ s… controls .
I mean , I ’ d do the same !
But his search is disrupted by the arrival of a ship : SLAVE MF ’ ING I. Y ’ all .
Y ’ all need to know how much I loved Boba Fett as a kid .
I had a Boba Fett cardboard cutout in my bedroom .
The Slave I vehicle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ holy grail for me .
Seeing its arrival in this episode made me geek the hell out .
I know , I know , I know—geeking out about Boba Fett could get my Gay Card revoked .
But I have to live my truth : I love this character even though he never did anything beyond look cool in the original trilogy .
Din Djarin knows this ain ’ t good , but when he turns around to scoop the kid up and blast off , he finds Grogu in what I can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He ’ s surrounded by a cylinder of steamy blue Force energy , so , Ahsoka ’ s vague tip was a good one !
The timing is just less than ideal !
Djarin heads off to buy Grogu some more spa time , and is quickly pinged ( via blaster fire ) by Boba Fett .
Yeah .
That mystery man we saw at the end of Chapter 9 was Boba Fett , played by Temuera Morrison .
I got ta say , just the reveal that Boba tracked Din to Tython @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thing Boba Fett has done up to this point—an admittedly low bar to clear !
But this initial exchange says so much more about Boba Fett .
He wasn ’ t still on Tatooine five years after Return of the Jedi because he was a loser who couldn ’ t find where he parked his ship .
He was sticking around because he needed to find his armor—his identity .
A standoff happens , of course : Mando doesn ’ t want to give up that beskar suit to someone that didn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ isn ’ t going anywhere without it .
And on Boba ’ s side is a sharpshooter with her sites trained on Grogu .
I love Din Djarin ’ s truly WTF response to hearing Fennec Shand ’ s ( Ming-Na Wen ! )
voice .
Yeah , she was left for dead , but Boba Fett fixed her up with literal abs of steel !
They reach a truce : Din Djarin puts down his rocket-launching jetpack and Fennec puts down her rifle .
A deal is offered : Djarin gives over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reveals was given—not stolen !
—to Jango Fett by the Mandalorians , and Boba will ensure the chid ’ s safety .
But , because nothing can go right for the lead of an action/adventure show , another ship touches down… and it ’ s full of stormtroopers .
Din scrambles to get back to Grogu , making the major mistake of leaving his jetpack behind .
In his attempt to pull Grogu out of a trance , Din ’ s zapped like a fly on a porch on a summer night ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tennessee ? )
.
The troopers , meanwhile , storm the mountain with military precision—but they ’ re still stormtroopers , so they ’ re easily picked off by Fennec Shand and Boba Fett .
Can I please , personally thank Jon Favreau and Robert Rodriguez for finally giving Boba Fett an episode—a personality !
—worthy of the 40 years of adoration we have heaped upon him ?
?
Watching him swing that Tusken gaffi stick , shattering stormtrooper armor into millions of plastic pieces—it was so satisfying .
And Morrison ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ states it , but you can see Morrison conveying an intense hatred during this melee .
After all , these guys were the ones who ultimately replaced the clonetroopers—clones of Boba ’ s father Jango .
Clones like himself .
They wear a cheap , derivative knockoff of his own armor .
You got ta wonder how long Boba Fett has held that grudge in check , or if his hatred of all things Imperial has grown while he ’ s operated in the shadows of Tatooine .
It ’ s .
Rad @ @ @ @ @ @ @ saying .
And then Boba sees that the Razor Crest ’ s door is wide open… Meanwhile , Fennec Shand !
Shand ’ s a character that ’ s only been around a year , but even she gets moments in this episode that meet Ming-Na Wen ’ s general level of awesomeness .
She didn ’ t do much in Season 1 ’ s “ The Gunslinger , ” but in this episode ?
Uh , in this episode , she gets to do this— !
It ’ s like that Hawkeye @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cool character .
Still , the stormtroopers keep coming and another ship full touches down .
Mando wakes up and , still unable to get to Grogu , rushes down to help Fennec fight off the invasion .
But the troopers keep piling on , until they ’ re matched by a one-man army : Boba Fett .
This is… I fully can ’ t… Boba Fett has knee lasers !
I ’ m stunned , as stunned as Grogu at the end of this episode .
I mean , yes , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Pit of Carkoon even more embarrassing .
Why did he get swallowed like a chump if literally every inch of his armor is a weapon ?
But whatever—all of this was worth the wait .
We even get to see Boba Fett use his rocket launcher , the action figure choking hazard that became a Star Wars urban legend .
But , because nothing can go right for the lead of an action/adventure show , a mighty laser blast erupts from the sky and blasts the Razor Crest to ash .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all just dropped some dollars backing a Razor Crest toy !
Of all the revoltin ’ developments— !
That laser blast came from Moff Gideon ’ s Imperial light cruiser .
It ’ s now in position , and it next fires a quartet of menacing dark troopers to snatch up the child now that Grogu ’ s tuckered out after phoning home .
And they get him .
Djarin and Fennec can ’ t reach the summit in time .
Boba Fett can ’ t engage the dark troopers in Slave I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He at least sees where they ’ re heading , thus confirming what Djarin already knew : the Empire is back and Moff Gideon is a dick .
Completely devastated ( how does Pedro Pascal emote like that through a suit of armor ?
! )
, Din sifts through the ashes of his home .
He finds Grogu ’ s favorite metal ball and the beskar staff he got last week .
And then Boba Fett steps up : their deal is not done .
Boba got the armor he wanted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on his end of the deal and bring the child to safety .
This is the team-up we deserve !
The episode ends with two scenes setting up what ’ s surely a two-part season finale .
The first : Slave I lands on Nevarro so Din can enlist New Republic Marshal Cara Dune to search the databanks for the location of stand-up comedian Bill Burr ( a.k.a .
ex-Imperial sharpshooter Migs Mayfeld , from Season 1 ’ s prison break episode ) .
Looks like the Mandalorian is assembling some avengers .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , is of Grogu in captivity .
He ’ s tossing around stormtroopers like rag dolls , but he ’ s easily exhausted ( he is so smol ! )
.
Gideon taunts Grogu with the darksaber , and then has the tyke stunned so he can be handed over to Dr. Pershing for experiments .
How it started / How it ’ s going Lord , this episode .
This season .
This show .
These last two episodes have been among the best television I ’ ve seen all year , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ season finale .
But if there ’ s one thing The Mandalorian has proven it knows how to do , besides make meme-worthy moments , it ’ s outdoing itself .

So, uh… did I miss anything during my week off? Of all the times to decide that my personal vacation time really matters, the live-action debut of Ahsoka Tano was probably a bad time. Last week’s episode of The Mandalorian, a chapter titled “The Jedi,” was quite possibly the most ambitious of the entire series. It was thrilling, it was moving, it was legendary—and I was able to enjoy it after dawn without having to immediately rush into recap mode. Maybe last week was a good week for some me time! I’ll sum up last week with this observation: Ahsoka Tano’s entire reason for not taking on Grogu as a padawan comes down to Anakin Skywalker. She knows firsthand what happens when you rip a Force-sensitive kid away from their guardian, especially if that kid has a nasty temper. Her decision most likely doesn’t have anything to do with Ezra Bridger—although her hunt for Grand Admiral Thrawn definitely does. Moving on!
It’s actually better that I’m back in action this week, because this episode feels bespoke to the 11-year-old Star Wars fan that I basically still am, despite my beard being gray and me having, y’know, a beard. Last week we got the live-action debut of Ahsoka Tano, and this week we got, essentially, the live-action debut of Boba Fett. I live—and I’m getting ahead of myself! I’m too stoked! Also this episode is titled “The Tragedy,” so I’m terrified!
The episode starts with father (Din Djarin) and son (Grogu) at home (the Razor Crest). Din’s trying his hand at training Grogu, using that shiny metal joystick ball that the kid loves so much. I love that while being the lead of the show, Din Djarin is continually the bewildered and/or delighted audience surrogate; he is equally as charmed by Grogu’s excited cooing response to his name as we all are.
They arrive at the planet Tython (which was a medium-sized deal in the old expanded universe) so they can follow Ahsoka’s advice and let Grogu essentially phone home via the Force. They pinpoint the mystical Jedi rock formation immediately, which leads me to believe that GPS in a galaxy far, far away has to be next next next level. When he sees that they can’t park near the main attraction, Mando tells the kid that they’re gonna have to “travel the last stretch with the windows down.”
The joy, the wonder—hold onto it Grogu, because it’s not gonna last!
I love the moment after Din sets Grogu down on the Jedi rock. With no idea what to expect or what to do, he starts looking around for the rock’s… controls. I mean, I’d do the same! But his search is disrupted by the arrival of a ship: SLAVE MF’ING I.
SLAVE I. SLAVE I. SLAVE I. SLAVE. I.
Y’all. Y’all need to know how much I loved Boba Fett as a kid. I had a Boba Fett cardboard cutout in my bedroom. The Slave I vehicle released by Kenner in 1996 was a holy grail for me. Seeing its arrival in this episode made me geek the hell out. I know, I know, I know—geeking out about Boba Fett could get my Gay Card revoked. But I have to live my truth: I love this character even though he never did anything beyond look cool in the original trilogy.
Din Djarin knows this ain’t good, but when he turns around to scoop the kid up and blast off, he finds Grogu in what I can only describe as a Force sauna?
He’s surrounded by a cylinder of steamy blue Force energy, so, Ahsoka’s vague tip was a good one! The timing is just less than ideal! Djarin heads off to buy Grogu some more spa time, and is quickly pinged (via blaster fire) by Boba Fett.
Yeah. That mystery man we saw at the end of Chapter 9 was Boba Fett, played by Temuera Morrison. I gotta say, just the reveal that Boba tracked Din to Tython is, by itself, the coolest thing Boba Fett has done up to this point—an admittedly low bar to clear! But this initial exchange says so much more about Boba Fett. He wasn’t still on Tatooine five years after Return of the Jedi because he was a loser who couldn’t find where he parked his ship. He was sticking around because he needed to find his armor—his identity.
A standoff happens, of course: Mando doesn’t want to give up that beskar suit to someone that didn’t take the creed, but Boba isn’t going anywhere without it. And on Boba’s side is a sharpshooter with her sites trained on Grogu. I love Din Djarin’s truly WTF response to hearing Fennec Shand’s (Ming-Na Wen!) voice. Yeah, she was left for dead, but Boba Fett fixed her up with literal abs of steel! They reach a truce: Din Djarin puts down his rocket-launching jetpack and Fennec puts down her rifle. A deal is offered: Djarin gives over the green beskar armor, which Boba reveals was given—not stolen!—to Jango Fett by the Mandalorians, and Boba will ensure the chid’s safety. But, because nothing can go right for the lead of an action/adventure show, another ship touches down… and it’s full of stormtroopers.
Din scrambles to get back to Grogu, making the major mistake of leaving his jetpack behind. In his attempt to pull Grogu out of a trance, Din’s zapped like a fly on a porch on a summer night (have I mentioned I’m from Tennessee?). The troopers, meanwhile, storm the mountain with military precision—but they’re still stormtroopers, so they’re easily picked off by Fennec Shand and Boba Fett.
So, can I just—?
Can I please, personally thank Jon Favreau and Robert Rodriguez for finally giving Boba Fett an episode—a personality!—worthy of the 40 years of adoration we have heaped upon him?? Watching him swing that Tusken gaffi stick, shattering stormtrooper armor into millions of plastic pieces—it was so satisfying. And Morrison’s performance?! The episode never explicitly states it, but you can see Morrison conveying an intense hatred during this melee. After all, these guys were the ones who ultimately replaced the clonetroopers—clones of Boba’s father Jango. Clones like himself. They wear a cheap, derivative knockoff of his own armor. You gotta wonder how long Boba Fett has held that grudge in check, or if his hatred of all things Imperial has grown while he’s operated in the shadows of Tatooine. It’s. Rad. is ultimately what I’m saying. And then Boba sees that the Razor Crest’s door is wide open…
Meanwhile, Fennec Shand! Shand’s a character that’s only been around a year, but even she gets moments in this episode that meet Ming-Na Wen’s general level of awesomeness. She didn’t do much in Season 1’s “The Gunslinger,” but in this episode? Uh, in this episode, she gets to do this—!
It’s like that Hawkeye moment from Avengers, but with a cool character.
Still, the stormtroopers keep coming and another ship full touches down. Mando wakes up and, still unable to get to Grogu, rushes down to help Fennec fight off the invasion. But the troopers keep piling on, until they’re matched by a one-man army: Boba Fett.
This is… I fully can’t… Boba Fett has knee lasers! I’m stunned, as stunned as Grogu at the end of this episode. I mean, yes, it does make Fett’s downfall at the Pit of Carkoon even more embarrassing. Why did he get swallowed like a chump if literally every inch of his armor is a weapon? But whatever—all of this was worth the wait. We even get to see Boba Fett use his rocket launcher, the action figure choking hazard that became a Star Wars urban legend.
But, because nothing can go right for the lead of an action/adventure show, a mighty laser blast erupts from the sky and blasts the Razor Crest to ash. It’s done. And y’all just dropped some dollars backing a Razor Crest toy! Of all the revoltin’ developments—!
That laser blast came from Moff Gideon’s Imperial light cruiser. It’s now in position, and it next fires a quartet of menacing dark troopers to snatch up the child now that Grogu’s tuckered out after phoning home. And they get him. Djarin and Fennec can’t reach the summit in time. Boba Fett can’t engage the dark troopers in Slave I without potentially blasting Grogu along with them. He at least sees where they’re heading, thus confirming what Djarin already knew: the Empire is back and Moff Gideon is a dick.
Completely devastated (how does Pedro Pascal emote like that through a suit of armor?!), Din sifts through the ashes of his home. He finds Grogu’s favorite metal ball and the beskar staff he got last week. And then Boba Fett steps up: their deal is not done. Boba got the armor he wanted, now he has to come through on his end of the deal and bring the child to safety. This is the team-up we deserve!
The episode ends with two scenes setting up what’s surely a two-part season finale. The first: Slave I lands on Nevarro so Din can enlist New Republic Marshal Cara Dune to search the databanks for the location of stand-up comedian Bill Burr (a.k.a. ex-Imperial sharpshooter Migs Mayfeld, from Season 1’s prison break episode). Looks like the Mandalorian is assembling some avengers.
The second scene, the final scene, is of Grogu in captivity. He’s tossing around stormtroopers like rag dolls, but he’s easily exhausted (he is so smol!). Gideon taunts Grogu with the darksaber, and then has the tyke stunned so he can be handed over to Dr. Pershing for experiments.
How it started / How it’s going
Lord, this episode. This season. This show. These last two episodes have been among the best television I’ve seen all year, and they weren’t even the season finale. But if there’s one thing The Mandalorian has proven it knows how to do, besides make meme-worthy moments, it’s outdoing itself.
Stream The Mandalorian on Disney+


newyorkpost--2020-12-04--Will There Be a ‘Freaky 2’? What the ‘Freaky’ Ending Could Mean For a Sequel

Christmas ?
Never heard of it .
I think you mean Halloween+ , given that Freaky , a new Blumhouse horror-comedy movie starring Vince Vaughn and Kathryn Newton , released on digital platforms today .
That ’ s right : After a three-week theatrical run , Freaky is now available on premium video on demand , which means you can now rent the film for a premium price to watch it from the comfort of your own home .
That ’ s good news for horror fans , who have eagerly been awaiting the Freaky release since its debut at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was met with positive reviews and comes from director Christopher Landon , the creative voice behind the popular Happy Death Day films .
Freaky embraces a similar slasher comedy tone as Happy Death Day .
Newton stars as an introverted high school student named Millie , and Vaugh stars as the town serial killer with whom she accidentally swaps bodies .
After Millie manages to convince her friends ( Celeste O ’ Connor and Misha Osherovich ) that she ’ s trapped in the body of the Blissfield Butcher , they only have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the magic switch-a-roo dagger before the change becomes permanent .
It ’ s exactly the kind of fun-but-suspenseful horror-comedy that Blumhouse Productions is known for making .
And you know what else Blumhouse is known for ?
Making sequels !
So what ’ s the deal ?
Will there be a Freaky 2 ?
Does the Freaky ending set up a sequel ?
Read on to get the scoop .
After Millie gets her body back and gets together with her love interest ( Uriah Shelton ) , the Blissfield Butcher is sent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ happily ever after… until the butcher shows up in Millie ’ s house , tries to kill her family , and tries to talk Millie into joining him for a life of murdering people .
Not so fast : Millie kicks the butcher in the balls , and then stabs him through the chest with a stake .
The butcher definitely appears dead , but the magic dagger is still out there , and there ’ s always room for a sequel when there ’ s magic involved .
Will there be a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be a Freaky Good news , you freaks : While a Freaky sequel has not yet been officially confirmed , producer and Blumhouse boss Jason Blum said he would “ love to ” make one in an interview with Inverse .
“ I ’ d love to make a sequel , ” Blum said .
“ I ’ m ready.
” Even better news : Director Christopher Landon kinda , sorta hinted that there could be crossover potential for Freaky and Happy Death Day .
In a reply to a fan question on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a universe , Landon replied that they had the “ same DNA and there ’ s a good chance Millie and Tree will bump into each other someday.
” Of course , perhaps Landon only meant that in a hypothetical sense , but we sure hope he ’ s being literal .
How great would it be to have Newton and Jessica Rothe together on screen ?
This could all tie into the shared Blumhouse universe that Blum has teased before .
For now , though , we will just have to wait @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Univeral and Blumhouse .
If the film is a hit on PVOD , there ’ s a good chance you ’ ll get a Freaky 2 .

Christmas? Never heard of it. I think you mean Halloween+, given that Freaky, a new Blumhouse horror-comedy movie starring Vince Vaughn and Kathryn Newton, released on digital platforms today. That’s right: After a three-week theatrical run, Freaky is now available on premium video on demand, which means you can now rent the film for a premium price to watch it from the comfort of your own home.
That’s good news for horror fans, who have eagerly been awaiting the Freaky release since its debut at Beyond Fest in October. The film was met with positive reviews and comes from director Christopher Landon, the creative voice behind the popular Happy Death Day films.
Freaky embraces a similar slasher comedy tone as Happy Death Day. Newton stars as an introverted high school student named Millie, and Vaugh stars as the town serial killer with whom she accidentally swaps bodies. After Millie manages to convince her friends (Celeste O’Connor and Misha Osherovich) that she’s trapped in the body of the Blissfield Butcher, they only have 24 hours to reverse the switch with the magic switch-a-roo dagger before the change becomes permanent. It’s exactly the kind of fun-but-suspenseful horror-comedy that Blumhouse Productions is known for making.
And you know what else Blumhouse is known for? Making sequels! So what’s the deal? Will there be a Freaky 2? Does the Freaky ending set up a sequel? Read on to get the scoop.
How does Freaky end?
After Millie gets her body back and gets together with her love interest (Uriah Shelton), the Blissfield Butcher is sent to jail. It seems like a happily ever after… until the butcher shows up in Millie’s house, tries to kill her family, and tries to talk Millie into joining him for a life of murdering people. Not so fast: Millie kicks the butcher in the balls, and then stabs him through the chest with a stake. The butcher definitely appears dead, but the magic dagger is still out there, and there’s always room for a sequel when there’s magic involved.
Will there be a Freaky 2 ? Is there going to be a Freaky sequel?
Good news, you freaks: While a Freaky sequel has not yet been officially confirmed, producer and Blumhouse boss Jason Blum said he would “love to” make one in an interview with Inverse. “I’d love to make a sequel,” Blum said. “I’m ready.”
Even better news: Director Christopher Landon kinda, sorta hinted that there could be crossover potential for Freaky and Happy Death Day. In a reply to a fan question on Twitter as to whether the films shared a universe, Landon replied that they had the “same DNA and there’s a good chance Millie and Tree will bump into each other someday.”
Of course, perhaps Landon only meant that in a hypothetical sense, but we sure hope he’s being literal. How great would it be to have Newton and Jessica Rothe together on screen? This could all tie into the shared Blumhouse universe that Blum has teased before.
For now, though, we will just have to wait and see how well Freaky does for Univeral and Blumhouse. If the film is a hit on PVOD, there’s a good chance you’ll get a Freaky 2.
Where to watch Freaky


newyorkpost--2020-12-04--Dr. Fauci accepts Joe Biden’s offer to stay as top health adviser

Dr. Anthony Fauci says he “ absolutely ” accepts President-elect Joe Biden ’ s offer to serve as the country @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Oh , absolutely , I said yes right on the spot , ” @ @ @ @ @ infectious diseases expert said Friday morning on the “ Today ” show .
Biden said @ @ @ @ @ Fauci , director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases , to stay @ @ @ @ @ advising the president on national health emergencies — a job he ’ s done under @ @ @ @ @ also requested that Fauci , a member of the White House COVID-19 task force , @ @ @ @ @ .
“ I asked him to stay on in the exact same role he ’ @ @ @ @ @ several presidents , and I asked him to be a chief medical adviser for me @ @ @ @ @ part of the COVID team , ” Biden told CNN .
President Trump has butted @ @ @ @ @ one point calling the 79-year-old health czar “ a disaster .
”

Dr. Anthony Fauci says he “absolutely” accepts President-elect Joe Biden’s offer to serve as the country’s chief medical officer.
“Oh, absolutely, I said yes right on the spot,” the nation’s top infectious diseases expert said Friday morning on the “Today” show.
Biden said Thursday he’d asked Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, to stay on in his role in advising the president on national health emergencies — a job he’s done under six presidents.
But he also requested that Fauci, a member of the White House COVID-19 task force, take on a bigger position.
“I asked him to stay on in the exact same role he’s had for the past several presidents, and I asked him to be a chief medical adviser for me as well, and be part of the COVID team,” Biden told CNN.
President Trump has butted heads with Fauci, at one point calling the 79-year-old health czar “a disaster.”


newyorkpost--2020-12-04--How racism and a monkey emoji divided the ‘Southern Charm’ cast

The “ Southern Charm ” cast addressed the recent firestorm surrounding star Kathryn Dennis during Thursday ’ s night ’ s episode .
In May , after production had resumed amid the coronavirus pandemic , cameras were rolling when Dennis , 29 , was accused of racism over using the monkey emoji during a direct message exchange with black radio host Mika Gadsen .
Dennis and Gadsen ’ s online tiff started over a planned “ Trump Boat Parade ” in Charleston , South Carolina .
On Thursday ’ s episode , Dennis began the conversation about her behavior during @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
She said she was distraught and depressed after the incident went viral — a similar sentiment to the public statement that she made at the time .
“ It was genuinely a mistake that had nothing to do with , you know , race , politics , nothing , ” she said during the phone call .
She further said in a confessional scene , “ My friend was like having a Trump parade party and I ’ m not f–king political .
I ’ m not into Trump .
I ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were bullying her , like this woman was bashing my friend Katie .
So I started responding .
I don ’ t even remember what I said but I do know the monkey emoji ended up coming up.
” “ She kept hearting every message I sent just being an a–hole , ” she continued .
“ I was like , ‘ That ’ s how serious I take this ’ with the monkey emoji … because it looks funny .
It ’ s awkward and that ’ s my sense of humor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ apparently racist.
” Elsewhere in the episode , Danni Baird , Leva Bonaparte and pals Madison — the owner of clothing store Gwynn ’ s , where Dennis once worked — Megan and Venita attended a community meeting centering around taking down a statue of Dennis ’ ancestor John C. Calhoun .
The women went out to lunch afterwards to discuss their thoughts on Dennis and condemning her family ’ s history of supporting slavery .
“ She called me and something that she said was very telling , ” Bonaparte said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ said , ‘ I heard the statue is being taken down ’ and she said , ‘ Somebody asked me what I thought about it and I said , ‘ I don ’ t care .
It ’ s ugly . '
”

The “Southern Charm” cast addressed the recent firestorm surrounding star Kathryn Dennis during Thursday’s night’s episode.
In May, after production had resumed amid the coronavirus pandemic, cameras were rolling when Dennis, 29, was accused of racism over using the monkey emoji during a direct message exchange with black radio host Mika Gadsen. Dennis and Gadsen’s online tiff started over a planned “Trump Boat Parade” in Charleston, South Carolina.
On Thursday’s episode, Dennis began the conversation about her behavior during a phone call with co-star Madison LeCroy. She said she was distraught and depressed after the incident went viral — a similar sentiment to the public statement that she made at the time.
“It was genuinely a mistake that had nothing to do with, you know, race, politics, nothing,” she said during the phone call.
She further said in a confessional scene, “My friend was like having a Trump parade party and I’m not f–king political. I’m not into Trump. I’m not into anyone. But they were bullying her, like this woman was bashing my friend Katie. So I started responding. I don’t even remember what I said but I do know the monkey emoji ended up coming up.”
“She kept hearting every message I sent just being an a–hole,” she continued. “I was like, ‘That’s how serious I take this’ with the monkey emoji … because it looks funny. It’s awkward and that’s my sense of humor. And now I’m f–king apparently racist.”
Elsewhere in the episode, Danni Baird, Leva Bonaparte and pals Madison — the owner of clothing store Gwynn’s, where Dennis once worked — Megan and Venita attended a community meeting centering around taking down a statue of Dennis’ ancestor John C. Calhoun. The women went out to lunch afterwards to discuss their thoughts on Dennis and her family’s history of supporting slavery.
“She called me and something that she said was very telling,” Bonaparte said. “And offensive to me. She said, ‘I heard the statue is being taken down’ and she said, ‘Somebody asked me what I thought about it and I said, ‘I don’t care. It’s ugly.'”
The women became visibly horrified and the conversation turned to her white privilege and selfishness. When the monkey emoji conversation came up, the women became even more enraged. Madison said she had to fire Dennis and take a stand against her publicly as a result.
“Southern Charm” airs Thursday nights on Bravo.


newyorkpost--2020-12-04--Family denies boy who shot himself during Zoom class committed suicide

An 11-year-old boy died after he shot himself in his ...

The devastated family of an 11-year-old California boy who died after he shot himself during a Zoom class is pushing back against reports that he committed suicide.
The boy, identified as Adan Llanos, was attending the virtual class at Woodbridge Elementary School with his mic and camera turned off when he shot himself Wednesday in Northern California’s Central Valley.
His sister, who was attending a virtual class in another room, found him and alerted her neighbor and teacher, who helped call authorities, officials said.
Luis Llano, who identified himself as Adan’s uncle, denied reports that the boy had committed suicide.
“He was a wonderful child full of life and joy. He was the most respectful and sweetest boy ive ever had the honor of calling my nephew!” Luis wrote on Facebook.
“I ask of guys to please help our family in need, if at least share the post! We ask of you all to please refrain from any speculation and if you see any comments politely ask them to only say positive things. He was not suicidal!” he continued in the tribute.
“This young man was an angel that we had the privilege of knowing! We thank each and everyone of you for your love and prayers; it is really needed.”
Luis’ wife, Stephanie, also sought to deny any suggestions about a suicide.
“We are asking if anyone sees any post or comments insinuating that this incident was suicide or that our nephew was depressed, please help us shut it down,” she wrote on Facebook.
“This was a freak accident and our nephew was a happy kid. Right now seeing those comments is what is the most hurtful to the family and I can use all the help I can get with this. Thank you,” she added.
Previous 1 of 3 Next Advertisement Adan Llanos (right) Gofundme Adan Llanos, 11 years old, died from a self-inflicted gunshot, while at home in a Zoom class. San Joaquin County Sheriff's Office Advertisement
Woodbridge Elementary Principal Neil Young said everyone at the school cared deeply for Adan.
“He was very loving,” Young said Thursday, according to Iodinews.com. “He always cared about others and always paid attention to when someone around him was feeling down. He was always looking to put a smile on people’s faces.”
He added: “It’s been hard on all of us. The staff has been dealing with our own grieving, the district had its mental health team conduct a live Zoom call with the class so the students could share their memories of him. And they did that not only for his class, but for another class where all the students knew him as well.”
It was unclear how Adan obtained the gun. The investigation is ongoing.


newyorkpost--2020-12-04--Delaying Tokyo Olympics will cost up to $2.8 billion

Postponing the Tokyo Olympics to next year because of the coronavirus pandemic will cost organizers and Japanese officials up to $ 2.8 billion , figures released Friday show .
The Tokyo Organizing Committee revealed the staggering estimate after spending months examining the financial impact of the unprecedented March decision to delay the summer games , which are slated to open on July 23 , 2021 .
Tokyo ’ s metropolitan government and Japan ’ s national government will pick up about 65 percent of the tab , while the rest will be covered by the privately funded organizing committee .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ delay add up to 171 billion Japanese yen , or about $ 1.6 billion .
Tokyo officials and the organizing committee will each cover a roughly equal share of that bill totaling about $ 1.5 billion , with Japan ’ s government picking up the rest .
The organizing committee said it could add a roughly $ 260 million contingency fund to help cover extra costs that come up .
Organizers also plan to implement coronavirus safety measures that will cost 96 billion yen , or roughly $ 923 million , which will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Tokyo games are expected to be the most expensive summer Olympics on record , according to a recent University of Oxford study .
The estimated budget before the delay was $ 12.6 billion — far larger than the $ 7.3 billion put forward in Tokyo ’ s bid to host the games — with public funds expected to cover all but $ 5.6 billion of that .
The organizing committee said it will continue working with Japanese officials , the International Olympic Committee and the International Paralympic Committee “ to prepare @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aiming at all possible optimization and streamlining measures to reduce cost.
” The IOC has said it would contribute $ 650 million to help cover the postponement costs and has also agreed to waive extra royalties accrued by sponsorship deals that the organizing committee secures .
IOC president Thomas Bach “ expressed his strong determination that the IOC and us should work as one team and cooperate to ensure the success of the games , ” Tokyo 2020 president Yoshiro Mori said .

Postponing the Tokyo Olympics to next year because of the coronavirus pandemic will cost organizers and Japanese officials up to $2.8 billion, figures released Friday show.
The Tokyo Organizing Committee revealed the staggering estimate after spending months examining the financial impact of the unprecedented March decision to delay the summer games, which are slated to open on July 23, 2021.
Tokyo’s metropolitan government and Japan’s national government will pick up about 65 percent of the tab, while the rest will be covered by the privately funded organizing committee.
The extra operational costs stemming from the delay add up to 171 billion Japanese yen, or about $1.6 billion. Tokyo officials and the organizing committee will each cover a roughly equal share of that bill totaling about $1.5 billion, with Japan’s government picking up the rest.
The organizing committee said it could add a roughly $260 million contingency fund to help cover extra costs that come up.
Organizers also plan to implement coronavirus safety measures that will cost 96 billion yen, or roughly $923 million, which will be paid for entirely by the governments.
The Tokyo games are expected to be the most expensive summer Olympics on record, according to a recent University of Oxford study. The estimated budget before the delay was $12.6 billion — far larger than the $7.3 billion put forward in Tokyo’s bid to host the games — with public funds expected to cover all but $5.6 billion of that.
The organizing committee said it will continue working with Japanese officials, the International Olympic Committee and the International Paralympic Committee “to prepare for a safe and secure games while aiming at all possible optimization and streamlining measures to reduce cost.”
Tokyo 2020 President Yoshiro Mori, left, and CEO Toshiro Muto speak at a news conference today. Kazuhiro Nogi/Pool Photo via AP
The IOC has said it would contribute $650 million to help cover the postponement costs and has also agreed to waive extra royalties accrued by sponsorship deals that the organizing committee secures.
IOC president Thomas Bach “expressed his strong determination that the IOC and us should work as one team and cooperate to ensure the success of the games,” Tokyo 2020 president Yoshiro Mori said.
With Post wires


newyorkpost--2020-12-04--YouTuber Stas Reeflay arrested after girlfriend dies in livestream

Three U.S .
Marshals were shot during an exchange of gunfire with a ...

A Russian YouTuber has been arrested for allegedly livestreaming a horrifying video in which his near-naked, pregnant girlfriend died after his viewers paid to see her abused, according to a report.
Stas Reeflay, 30, forced Valentina “Valya” Grigoryeva, 28, who was wearing only underwear, into the subzero cold after a viewer paid him $1,000 to carry out the sickening act, East2West News reported, citing BAZA media.
The woman died of suspected hypothermia, according to the report.
Reeflay — whose real name is Stanislav Reshetnikov — continued recording even after he realized that his girlfriend was “half dead” on a balcony at his home in the village of Ivanovka, near Moscow, East2West reported.
Previous 1 of 7 Next Advertisement Stas Reeflay YouTube Valentina Grigoryeva MK Advertisement Valentina Grigoryeva and Stanislav Reshetniak YouTube Valentina Grigoryeva YouTube Valentina Grigoryeva YouTube Advertisement
“Valya, are you alive?” he was heard saying as he tried to revive her with the camera rolling. “My bunny, what’s up with you? Valya! Valya! Damn, you look like you are dead.
“Bunny, come on … tell me something. I’m worrying. Damn … I don’t feel her heartbeat,” he continued.
Reeflay then told his tens of thousands of followers: “Guys … No pulse … she’s pale. She is not breathing.”
He pleaded for Grigoryeva to wake up, telling her: “I love you!”
In a previous broadcast, the boyfriend from hell — who receives online donations for his sick stunts — showered her with pepper spray, according to the news outlet.
Feminist activist Liza Lazerson slammed YouTube for “prohibiting the spread of nipples but showing scenes of violence and cruelty against women without problems.
“The woman dies on air and the audience sends donations to the killer. This must stop,” she warned. “Such videos are calmly broadcast to the whole world, meaning something is broken. Until this is fixed, censorship is necessary.”
Reeflay faces up to two years in the slammer if forensic experts prove that the woman died of hypothermia, according to the Mirror, citing reports about law enforcement.
“Information will also be checked about possible unlawful actions against the deceased by the young man in whose house the body was found,” the Russian Investigative Committee said, the outlet reported.
A YouTube rep told the Mirror: “We’re shocked to learn of this tragic incident. This kind of graphic content is not acceptable on YouTube.
“Although the original livestream did not take place on YouTube, we quickly removed re-uploads and terminated the associated account,” she added.


newyorkpost--2020-12-04--Grown man flips out over a shot

Grown man flips out over a shot

What a crybaby .
A man in Malaysia had an over-the-top reaction to getting a shot .
Watch him cringe @ @ @ @ @ as the needle enters his arm in this hilarious video .

What a crybaby. A man in Malaysia had an over-the-top reaction to getting a shot. Watch him cringe in anticipation and then yell as the needle enters his arm in this hilarious video.
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newyorkpost--2020-12-04--Multiple US Marshals shot, wounded in the Bronx

Wuhan , the Chinese city at the epicenter of the global ...

Two deputy US Marshals were shot and a man wanted for opening fire on a Massachusetts state trooper was killed during a wild gun battle in The Bronx early Friday.
The marshals, with the New York/New Jersey Regional Fugitive Task Force, were part of a team executing a warrant at 4085 Ely Avenue in Wakefield at around 5:30 a.m., in search of Andre Sterling, 35, when the chaos began, authorities and law enforcement sources said.
Sterling was wanted for shooting a Bay State trooper in the hand and torso during a traffic stop last week.
As investigators entered a first-floor apartment inside the five-family building, Sterling opened fire on them with a handgun, sources said. The marshals returned gunfire and Sterling was, in turn, fatally shot.
One marshal was hit in the leg, and another was struck in the arm and leg, according to the marshals’ office. They were taken to Jacobi Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries.
An NYPD warrant detective who was on the periphery for security suffered a broken leg while helping the marshals evacuate, according to the sources.
A 35-year-old man who lives in the apartment where Sterling had been holed up was also taken to Jacobi Medical Center with a head wound, according to law enforcement sources, who added that the man was either Sterlings’ cousin or friend.
The shootout, which sparked a massive police response, shocked neighbors on the residential block.
“I heard a number of shots, I can’t say how many,” said one resident who only gave his first name, Anthony. “Then I heard sirens, a lot of them — crazy non-stop. It seems like the cops were coming to the scene. I saw four helicopters — three stationary and the fourth moving around the area where the shots came from.”
Israel Quinones, 50, said he was in bed “and all I heard was gunshots.”
“I opened my window, I looked and I saw a couple of people in uniforms running back and forth,” he said. “After I heard all that noise, I closed my curtain. I didn’t want any shots going through my window.”
Previous 1 of 6 Next Advertisement NYPD officers gather at the scene in the Bronx where several US Marshals were shot and wounded. Seth Gottfried NYPD officers gather at the scene in the Bronx where several US Marshals were shot and wounded. Seth Gottfried Advertisement NYPD officers gather at the scene in the Bronx where several US Marshals were shot and wounded. Seth Gottfried NYPD officers gather at the scene in the Bronx where several US Marshals were shot and wounded. Seth Gottfried Advertisement
One tenant who lives at the building where Sterling was hiding out said the fugitive had been there less than a week.
“He hid what was going on. Nobody suspected anything,” she said. “We don’t know him.”
Sterling, who Massachusetts State Police had described as “armed and dangerous,” shot Trooper John Lennon around 11:30 p.m. on Nov. 20 during a traffic stop in Hyannis, police there said.
Last week, Massachusetts officials announced that arrest warrants had been obtained charging Sterling with armed assault with intent to murder and related offenses for the shooting.
The suspect, a native of Jamaica, has two additional Massachusetts warrants for charges including identity fraud and assault and battery on a police officer, Massachusetts State Police said.
He is also wanted in Wyoming on narcotics charges, the state cops said.
Law enforcement sources said Sterling has previously been nabbed in Florida and Massachusetts for marijuana busts.
Additional reporting by Larry Celona and Khristina Narizhnaya


newyorkpost--2020-12-04--Wuhan, birthplace of  COVID-19 pandemic, launches tourism ad

Wuhan , the Chinese city at the epicenter of the global coronavirus pandemic , is back in the spotlight – as it promotes itself as a tourist destination .
The city of some 11 million inhabitants where the deadly bug emerged nearly a year ago has launched a promotional video to attract visitors to experience its natural beauty , CNN reported .
“ Wuhan never hesitates to show its beauty , and those who love it deeply hope that more people can understand it , ” says the video the Wuhan Culture and Tourism Bureau posted on Facebook .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Yangtze River and the amazing dance and music from the Zhiyin cruise , to the glittering light and beautiful voices from the livehouse……give me five !
Everyone !
Looking forward to meeting you in Wuhan.
” The city in central China ’ s Hubei province implemented a 76-day lockdown from Jan. 23 to April 8 after the outbreak , slowing infection rates significantly , according to CNN .
It hasn ’ t reported a local case since May and was the top destination Chinese citizens wanted to visit after the crisis ended , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in April by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences Tourism Research Center and Tencent Culture and Tourism Industry Research Center .

Wuhan, the Chinese city at the epicenter of the global coronavirus pandemic, is back in the spotlight – as it promotes itself as a tourist destination.
The city of some 11 million inhabitants where the deadly bug emerged nearly a year ago has launched a promotional video to attract visitors to experience its natural beauty, CNN reported.
“Wuhan never hesitates to show its beauty, and those who love it deeply hope that more people can understand it,” says the video the Wuhan Culture and Tourism Bureau posted on Facebook.
“From the myriad twinkling lights along the Yangtze River and the amazing dance and music from the Zhiyin cruise, to the glittering light and beautiful voices from the livehouse……give me five! Everyone! Looking forward to meeting you in Wuhan.”
The city in central China’s Hubei province implemented a 76-day lockdown from Jan. 23 to April 8 after the outbreak, slowing infection rates significantly, according to CNN.
It hasn’t reported a local case since May and was the top destination Chinese citizens wanted to visit after the crisis ended, according to a joint study carried out in April by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences Tourism Research Center and Tencent Culture and Tourism Industry Research Center.


newyorkpost--2020-12-04--Knicks’ Immanuel Quickley never worried about mock drafts

Point guard Immanuel Quickley , who landed with the Knicks in ...

Immanuel Quickley was predicted to be a second-round pick — not even an early second-round pick.
ESPN’s mock-draft kingpin, Jonathon Givony pegged Quickley at 45. Matt Babcock, former agent now in the mock-draft business, put the Kentucky combo guard at 53. NBA Draftroom plugged him in at 48, The Athletic at 42.
The Ringer was kindest, rating Quickley at 39 with the comment: “An elite shooter with a high basketball IQ, but lacks real passing skills for a guard his size.’’
As it happened, the Kentucky Knicks selected Quickley at 25. The Post reported new assistant Kenny Payne, who coached Quickley at Kentucky, lobbied hard for him and convinced Knicks GM Scott Perry who originally did not have him as high on his board, to select him.
Quickley is used to the slights, especially after a uneven freshman year at Kentucky, when fans called for him to transfer.
Immanuel Quickley Getty Images
On a Zoom call Thursday, Quickley was asked how he felt about the mock drafts not regarding him as a first-round selection.
“A lot of people around me were telling me not to worry about mock drafts, they’re just mock drafts,’’ Quickley said. “A lot of people don’t understand really the pre-draft and what teams are looking at. Mock drafts are just what they think and what they go on from the season. My team and myself knew what I had done during the season. We knew how hard I’d worked, we knew how I did in workouts, interviews. I felt pretty comfortable going into the draft.”
Indeed, Quickley found a perfect spot with the Knicks — aka “The Orange and Bluegrass.”
Quickley is one of five Kentucky players on the roster. Team president Leon Rose and senior vice president William Wesley were tight with John Calipari’s Kentucky basketball factory as agents.
To date, Payne hasn’t gotten his claws on Quickley during this five-day, individual-workout format due to COVID-19 protocols.
Instead, Johnnie Bryant, their other esteemed player-developmental coach, is taking on Quickley.
It’s a good change of pace, but also a factor of Bryant being the guards coach and Payne being the big-man coach.
“I really haven’t got to work hands-on yet basketball-wise honestly [with Payne],’’ Quickley said. “I’ve been more with coach Johnnie Bryant and coach Scott [King, a team video coordinator]. Coach Payne, he’s pushing Obi [Toppin] now. He has him running just like at Kentucky. He’s going to push you to be great, outside your comfort zone. But I’m excited to get started working with him. I think I can work him next week.’’
The fear he’s not a true point guard (1.9 assists in his two Kentucky seasons) and is an undersized shooting guard were factors in predictions of him as a second-rounder.
However, he has a knack for tossing alley-oops and said he’s learned Knicks tendencies by playing video games. He could form a nice dunk connection with high flyers Mitchell Robinson and Toppin.
“I’ve actually got to play 2K and use the Knicks a couple times,’’ Quickley said. “So I’m already familiar with a lot of my teammates, been able to throw a couple of lobs to those guys.”
The Knicks will announce a full schedule Friday. A source confirmed the opener will be at the Pacers on Dec. 23.
As bad as the pandemic has been, Reggie Bullock was gifted two sweet additions in November as his girlfriend gave birth to twin sons, named Heart and Soul. Bullock missed the Knicks’ OTAs in September because he wanted to be safe with twins on the way.
“I actually came up here and got some work in before they started OTAs,’’ Bullock said. “I let the organization knew what I had coming. It was a great addition to my family. I felt it humbled me knowing I have to fight for my kids and play hard for my kids and take care of the next generation. That’s a new task I have. I pull out my notepad and I’m up and ready for it. I’m blessed to have those two little ones.”
Bullock added he feels lighter and more confident now that he’s 17 months removed from neck surgery.