newyorkpost--2020-10-26--New Mexico lawmaker flees home after threats over social distancing

A New Mexico state Senator fled his home Sunday after receiving multiple intimidating voicemail messages over the weekend , saying the threats were connected to his recent criticisms of a local protest against COVID-19 restrictions where many attendees were not wearing masks or social distancing .
Jacob Candelaria received the messages , which included homophobic slurs against the openly gay senator , on Saturday night and Sunday morning .
In one recording , the caller can be heard saying “ we ’ re going to get you out one way or another.
” Candelaria started receiving messages around 10:00 p.m. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2:00 a.m. Sunday morning after receiving several more .
The messages were sent hours after the senator appeared on a newscast criticizing a protest against COVID-19 restrictions outside the statehouse .
Candelaria criticized the protesters for not wearing masks and behaving irresponsibly while COVID-19 cases continue to rise .
In the morning , Candelaria asked his private security detail to trace the caller ’ s phone number .
The caller had “ an extensive criminal history ” and an “ open warrant , ” the state Senator said .
He later claimed police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out for help today from our state to protect us .
That help had been denied , ” Candelaria wrote on Twitter .
“ The state police came to my house 13 hours later .
I played these tapes , their response was to yell and my husband and I for being upset .
When I asked if they thought this was a threat , they said ‘ meh , depends how you hear it . '
” Candelaria then fled his home in Albuquerque citing fear for his family ’ s safety @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as the foiled kidnapping plot of Michigan Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer .
“ I have no idea how I can keep my family safe right now other than leave , ” he said .
“ They do not have the right to make death threats like this and have it go unaccountable.
” New Mexico State Police spokesman Lt. Mark Soriano said the agency is actively handling the threats against Senator Candelaria .
He also said the initial response by the state police is under review .

A New Mexico state Senator fled his home Sunday after receiving multiple intimidating voicemail messages over the weekend, saying the threats were connected to his recent criticisms of a local protest against COVID-19 restrictions where many attendees were not wearing masks or social distancing.
Jacob Candelaria received the messages, which included homophobic slurs against the openly gay senator, on Saturday night and Sunday morning. In one recording, the caller can be heard saying “we’re going to get you out one way or another.”
Candelaria started receiving messages around 10:00 p.m. on Saturday, and contacted police at 2:00 a.m. Sunday morning after receiving several more.
The messages were sent hours after the senator appeared on a newscast criticizing a protest against COVID-19 restrictions outside the statehouse. Candelaria criticized the protesters for not wearing masks and behaving irresponsibly while COVID-19 cases continue to rise.
In the morning, Candelaria asked his private security detail to trace the caller’s phone number. The caller had “an extensive criminal history” and an “open warrant,” the state Senator said.
He later claimed police provided little assistance.
“We reached out for help today from our state to protect us. That help had been denied,” Candelaria wrote on Twitter.
“The state police came to my house 13 hours later. I played these tapes, their response was to yell and my husband and I for being upset. When I asked if they thought this was a threat, they said ‘meh, depends how you hear it.'”
Warning: Graphic content
Candelaria then fled his home in Albuquerque citing fear for his family’s safety following recent threats to politicians — such as the foiled kidnapping plot of Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.
“I have no idea how I can keep my family safe right now other than leave,” he said. “They do not have the right to make death threats like this and have it go unaccountable.”
New Mexico State Police spokesman Lt. Mark Soriano said the agency is actively handling the threats against Senator Candelaria. He also said the initial response by the state police is under review.


newyorkpost--2020-10-26--Blake Treinen repaid Dodgers’ confidence with World Series save

The Dodgers reacted to one of the worst losses in ...

After watching his star closer stumble the previous night, manager Dave Roberts chose a different course in the ninth inning in Game 5 of the World Series on Sunday.
Blake Treinen was chosen to get the final three outs and succeeded, earning the save in the Dodgers’ 4-2 victory over the Rays. The veteran right-hander allowed a leadoff single to Manuel Margot, but then retired the next three batters.
On Saturday, Kenley Jansen surrendered two runs in the ninth inning in the Dodgers’ 8-7 loss. Roberts indicated he was more comfortable using Treinen for a third straight day than Jansen, who had also pitched in consecutive games.
“It’s the biggest stage, the biggest game of my career,” Treinen said. “[The Rays] have been so tough late on our guys and our guys have grinded so hard and pitched really well.
“In the playoffs, we forget how hard and locked in people are because it’s do or die. That meant a lot to me personally because this team has invested a lot in me. It’s gratifying.”
Blake Snell was preparing for the possibility he would pitch the 10th inning when the Rays completed their wild comeback Saturday against the Dodgers in Game 4.
“We’re in the bullpen celebrating, going crazy,” Snell said Sunday.
The Rays ace will now wait until Tuesday’s Game 6 before throwing a pitch. Snell will be on full rest and looking to continue his solid postseason, which includes a 3.33 ERA and 1.32 WHIP in his five starts.
The lefty came within an out of claiming the Game 2 victory. On that night he pitched 4 ²/₃ innings and allowed two earned runs on two hits with four walks and nine strikeouts.
“Either way, it’s going to be a big game [Tuesday],” Snell said before the game. “It’s going to be a game we need to win, so however I want to look at it or make it look it’s going to be the same. We need to win that game.”
Snell was asked about the challenge of facing this talented Dodgers lineup for the second time in less than a week.
“It’s tough because they are going to make adjustments, they have seen me,” Snell said. “I am going to have my game plan and they are going to have their game plan. I am going to stick with it and if I need to make adjustments throughout the game I will.”
Roberts tabbed Tony Gonsolin as his starting pitcher for Game 6.


newyorkpost--2020-10-26--Homeless man accused of intentionally setting NJ fire that killed two people

A homeless man was charged for allegedly setting fire to a New Jersey apartment building that left two people dead @ @ @ @ @ announced Sunday .
Brandon Adams , 34 , is accused of intentionally igniting the early @ @ @ @ @ , the county prosecutor ’ s office said .
Authorities drew that conclusion “ based @ @ @ @ @ information provided by the community , ” the prosecutor ’ s office said in a @ @ @ @ @ were forced to jump from windows to escape the blaze , authorities said .
A @ @ @ @ @ .
The two victims who died have not yet been identified .
Adams was charged @ @ @ @ @ felony murder .

A homeless man was charged for allegedly setting fire to a New Jersey apartment building that left two people dead and nine injured, authorities announced Sunday.
Brandon Adams, 34, is accused of intentionally igniting the early Sunday morning fire in Camden, the county prosecutor’s office said.
Authorities drew that conclusion “based in part on assistance and information provided by the community,” the prosecutor’s office said in a press release.
Several people were forced to jump from windows to escape the blaze, authorities said. A firefighter was among those injured.
The two victims who died have not yet been identified.
Adams was charged with two counts of first-degree felony murder.
With Post wires


newyorkpost--2020-10-26--Dodgers authored beautiful response to crushing World Series loss: Sherman

ARLINGTON , Texas — Did baseball ’ s Little Engine That Could motor ...

The Dodgers reacted to one of the worst losses in their history like champions. So now they are one victory away from actually calling themselves that.
Mookie Betts, Corey Seager and Clayton Kershaw quickly established yesterday was yesterday, so tomorrow the Dodgers are in position to clinch their first title since 1988. Saturday was for regret, Sunday for redemption and now Tuesday can be for baseball’s ultimate reward.
Los Angeles suffered the kind of setback Saturday that can last forever. The Dodgers were done with it 24 hours later, just as they had promised.
“We showed up worrying about today [Game 5],” first baseman Max Muncy said.
So for Los Angeles, World Series Game 4 was brutal, the Game 5 response beautiful. They won with long at-bats and short memories. Kershaw negated a straight steal attempt of home by Manuel Margot and found huge outs in big moments.
And Los Angeles manager Dave Roberts, whose decision making — like Kershaw’s pitching — has faced a lot of October criticism, made a series of relief moves that all could have been second-guessed. Each worked. A lot of Roberts’ postseason body blows revolve around sticking too long with Kershaw and turning in the end to Kenley Jansen. In Game 5, Roberts pulled a cruising Kershaw, ignored Jansen and watched his pitching maneuvers secure a 4-2 victory.
“I have to have clarity on making the decision,” Roberts said. “Ultimately, my job is to help the Dodgers win the World Series.”
That is tantalizingly close now. After 32 years of seeing Kirk Gibson gimp around the bases to symbolize the organization’s last title, the Dodgers are on the doorstep of winning it all for the first time since 1988, leading this series three games to two.
The Rays have shown they will not go easily. But following Monday’s off day, the Dodgers will try to break the pattern of the 116th World Series in which they have won the odd games — 1, 3 and 5 — and the Rays the even — 2 and 4 — in Tuesday’s Game 6.
Game 5 lacked the drama and trauma of Game 4. But pretty much all 677 World Series games in history fell short of the Russian novel that resulted in an 8-7 Rays triumph that knotted the World Series at two games apiece. The greatest tension and attention in Game 5 was focused on how Roberts juggled his pitching to protect a lead created immediately.
Betts won an eight-pitch at-bat against Tyler Glasnow, opening the game with a double. Seager followed with an RBI single. Before the first inning was over, the Dodgers had two runs and had made Glasnow expend 34 pitches. Joc Pederson homered leading off the second. Kershaw gifted two runs back in the third and walked the first two hitters in the fourth. The first to walk, Margot, had stolen second and went to third on a mishandled throw.
But Joey Wendle popped up and Willy Adames struck out. With Kevin Keirmaier batting, Margot tried to capitalize on Kershaw having his back to the runner at third and took off for home. Kershaw stepped off to avoid a balk, threw to the plate and Austin Barnes applied a tag to just erase Margot’s attempt to steal a run.
The Wendle pop-up began a streak of seven straight outs by Kershaw, including the first two in the sixth on just two pitches. But Roberts had a pregame plan of just 21 batters for Kershaw and reasserted that before the sixth inning. Kershaw was at 21 batters so Roberts removed the veteran lefty despite an on-mound protest from third baseman Justin Turner.
“That was the plan the whole time,” said Muncy, whose fifth-inning homer provided a 4-2 lead. “I think all of us wanted Kersh to stay in. But they had a plan, they executed the plan and it worked out for us.”
It did because Dustin May rebounded from a mostly poor postseason by closing the sixth, going 1-2-3 in the seventh and leaving with one out and one on in the eighth — Mr. May becoming Mr. October, at least for a night. He was so good that there was surprise that Roberts didn’t let May go further. Instead, he turned to Victor Gonzalez, who walked pinch-hitter Mike Brosseau and then retired two straight to close the eighth.
That left one mystery — quickly solved as Blake Treinen warmed and Jansen kept his sweatshirt on. Jansen was in the middle of the Saturday collapse and 8-7 gut punch. He recorded his fourth World Series blown save, a record. Roberts said he was more comfortable using Treinen a third straight day than Jansen. But that sounded diplomatic, like Roberts saying that Jansen would pitch in “high leverage” moving forward while never committing to the ninth inning.
Treinen allowed a ninth-inning leadoff single to Margot, but retired three straight afterward. Kershaw would say, “It was an unbelievable job by those three guys [May, Gonzalez and Treinen].” It was gutsy by Roberts to go this way, to ignore his history and diminish the role and responsibility of his most accomplished pitchers.
But those decisions helped the Dodgers push away from the misery of Game 4, win Game 5 and move to the brink of the organization’s first title in more than three decades.


newyorkpost--2020-10-26--NYC real estate mogul Paolo Zampolli relocates to Washington, DC

Click to email this to a friend ( Opens in new window ) After making a fortune in New York real estate , Paolo Zampolli has relocated to DC , Page Six is told .
We hear the modeling-agent-turned-property-mogul has moved into a 14,000-square-foot , $ 17 million Georgetown pad — and hired a former Cipriani chef as a private cook .
Zampolli — who famously introduced President Trump to Melania — hosted a debate-night party to celebrate his arrival , with guests including Blackwater founder Erik Prince and Fox News ’ Sara Carter ( who , we ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ appear on “ The Ingraham Angle ” ) .
Page Six readers will remember that the ID Models founder and his partner , Amanda Ungaro , went through an ugly patch in 2018 — but we ’ re told they ’ re happily back together and looking forward to life together in their new city .
Apparently , Zampolli is planning to host a Davos-style economic forum in DC next year .
Meanwhile , we ’ re told that the first thing he shipped to his new home is a giant oil portrait @ @ @

Mr. Zampolli goes to Washington.
After making a fortune in New York real estate, Paolo Zampolli has relocated to DC, Page Six is told.
We hear the modeling-agent-turned-property-mogul has moved into a 14,000-square-foot, $17 million Georgetown pad — and hired a former Cipriani chef as a private cook. Zampolli — who famously introduced President Trump to Melania — hosted a debate-night party to celebrate his arrival, with guests including Blackwater founder Erik Prince and Fox News’ Sara Carter (who, we’re told, had to duck out to appear on “The Ingraham Angle”).
Page Six readers will remember that the ID Models founder and his partner, Amanda Ungaro, went through an ugly patch in 2018 — but we’re told they’re happily back together and looking forward to life together in their new city.
Apparently, Zampolli is planning to host a Davos-style economic forum in DC next year. Meanwhile, we’re told that the first thing he shipped to his new home is a giant oil portrait of Trump.


newyorkpost--2020-10-26--Off-duty NYPD cop tackles alleged shooter at Queens deli

An off-duty NYPD cop tackled an alleged shooter outside a Queens deli on Monday night — holding the man until on-duty police arrived , police said .
The officer , who was inside a deli at 137-02 Cross Bay Boulevard in Jamaica , sprung to action when a 63-year-old man allegedly shot a customer there at about 6:15 p.m. , authorities said .
The NYPD identified the hero cop as Jason Mahara from the 77 Precinct .
The suspect , who is believed to be homeless , was initially causing a commotion inside the deli before being escorted out , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and fired a gun into the store , striking a 26-year-old patron , sources said .
The officer , who has two years on the force , ran outside and tackled the alleged shooter , wrestling the gun away from him , police said .
The suspect was taken into custody and police recovered a Colt .45 handgun at the scene , sources said .
The 26-year-old victim was taken to Jamaica Hospital in stable condition .
The department touted the takedown by one of its off-duty members on social media .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ NYPD wrote on their official twitter account .

An off-duty NYPD cop tackled an alleged shooter outside a Queens deli on Monday night — holding the man until on-duty police arrived, police said.
The officer, who was inside a deli at 137-02 Cross Bay Boulevard in Jamaica, sprang into action when a 63-year-old man allegedly shot a customer there at about 6:15 p.m., authorities said.
The NYPD identified the hero cop as Jason Maharaj from the 77th Precinct.
The suspect, who is believed to be homeless, was initially causing a commotion inside the deli before being escorted out, sources said.
He returned shortly after and fired a gun into the store, striking a 26-year-old patron, sources said.
The officer, who has two years on the force, ran outside and tackled the alleged shooter, wrestling the gun away from him, police said.
The suspect was taken into custody and police recovered a Colt .45 handgun at the scene, sources said.
The 26-year-old victim was taken to Jamaica Hospital in stable condition.
The department touted the takedown by one of its off-duty members on social media.
“Off-duty but always vigilant,” the NYPD wrote on its official Twitter account.


newyorkpost--2020-10-26--Former Elle director Kyle Anderson in racial flap over Instagram post

Former executive fashion director at Hearst ’ s Elle magazine Kyle Anderson stepped into a social-media storm when he Instagrammed , “ Stop firing employees because they are white , especially men.
” The message was posted over an image of a New York Times article that ran this weekend about Anna Wintour and Vogue ’ s missteps with race .
“ All white guys I worked with lost their position in editorial over the past three years , ” he wrote .
“ Every white man ( only ) in my office lost their jobs on the same day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ caused severe trauma.
” He also took offense to companies letting people go and “ then saying how proud you are to get rid of them and how it ’ s the right time.
” The message was posted on Twitter by a commentator who sarcastically stated , “ White men are so oppressed and the world is certainly not built for their success to the detriment of women and POC.
” Anderson promptly responded , “ F**k you asshole.
” According to his LinkedIn , Anderson worked for Elle from October 2017 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the mag from 2006 to 2011 .
He did not respond for comment .

Former executive fashion director at Hearst’s Elle magazine Kyle Anderson stepped into a social-media storm when he Instagrammed, “Stop firing employees because they are white, especially men.”
The message was posted over an image of a New York Times article that ran this weekend about Anna Wintour and Vogue’s missteps with race.
“All white guys I worked with lost their position in editorial over the past three years,” he wrote. “Every white man (only) in my office lost their jobs on the same day. My personal story is horrendous and caused severe trauma.” He also took offense to companies letting people go and “then saying how proud you are to get rid of them and how it’s the right time.”
The message was posted on Twitter by a commentator who sarcastically stated, “White men are so oppressed and the world is certainly not built for their success to the detriment of women and POC.” Anderson promptly responded, “F**k you asshole.”
According to his LinkedIn, Anderson worked for Elle from October 2017 to September 2018, and was previously at the mag from 2006 to 2011. He did not respond for comment.


newyorkpost--2020-10-26--Colleges testing students’ wastewater for COVID-19

Pooping has given college campuses a new hope during the pandemic .
Several academic institutions are collecting students ’ wastewater in an effort to contain coronavirus outbreaks , according to an analysis .
The analysis by NPR says the method involves taking wastewater from sewage pipes and then transferring samples to a laboratory for testing .
The results provide early detection of the virus days before a person shows respiratory symptoms and in cases where people are asymptomatic .
“ I feel like if we ’ re really trying to slow the pandemic and help get back to normal , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this is how you do that.
” Abbie Modafferi , a graduate student collecting samples at Colorado State University , told NPR .
Using wastewater testing has given administrators at the schools such as the University of Arizona and the University of Virginia a heads up on which students have the virus and how to contain those cases from spreading .
Heather Pierce of the Association of American Medical Colleges says this type of testing is expensive but necessary .
“ Testing is a part of virtually every plan to reopen safely and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Higher Education .
“ Some combination of screening and surveillance testing is absolutely essential .
”

Pooping has given college campuses a new hope during the pandemic.
Several academic institutions are collecting students’ wastewater in an effort to contain coronavirus outbreaks, according to an analysis.
The analysis by NPR says the method involves taking wastewater from sewage pipes and then transferring samples to a laboratory for testing. The results provide early detection of the virus days before a person shows respiratory symptoms and in cases where people are asymptomatic.
“I feel like if we’re really trying to slow the pandemic and help get back to normal, the biggest thing is prevention. And this is how you do that.” Abbie Modafferi, a graduate student collecting samples at Colorado State University, told NPR.
Using wastewater testing has given administrators at the schools such as the University of Arizona and the University of Virginia a heads up on which students have the virus and how to contain those cases from spreading.
Heather Pierce of the Association of American Medical Colleges says this type of testing is expensive but necessary.
“Testing is a part of virtually every plan to reopen safely and stay open,” Pierce told Inside Higher Education. “Some combination of screening and surveillance testing is absolutely essential.”


newyorkpost--2020-10-26--Florida man stole bulldozer, drunkenly ran down Biden signs, cops say

A Florida man allegedly stole a bulldozer and used it to knock down Joe Biden yard signs during a drunken rampage , police said .
James Blight , 26 , is accused of swiping the backhoe from a construction site in Haines City on Saturday and driving it into a neighborhood , flattening the Democratic presidential candidate ’ s campaign signs in full view of residents .
“ I ’ ve been drinking whiskey all day and don ’ t remember what happened , ” he allegedly told Haines City police officers when they picked him up , Bay News @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allegedly stole some of the placards and bulldozed a speed limit sign — was charged with grand theft auto and trespassing .
“ It ’ s absurd that a grown man could think he had the right to destroy someone else ’ s property based on a difference in political opinion , ” police chief Jim Elensky said in a statement .
“ The fact that he was driving this heavy equipment , that he did not know how to operate , down busy roads could have been disastrous .
We ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this matter.
” Blight remained in custody in Polk County on Monday .

A Florida man allegedly stole a bulldozer and used it to knock down Joe Biden yard signs during a drunken rampage, police said.
James Blight, 26, is accused of swiping the backhoe from a construction site in Haines City on Saturday and driving it into a neighborhood, flattening the Democratic presidential candidate’s campaign signs in full view of residents.
“I’ve been drinking whiskey all day and don’t remember what happened,” he allegedly told Haines City police officers when they picked him up, Bay News 9 reported.
Blight — who also allegedly stole some of the placards and bulldozed a speed limit sign — was charged with grand theft auto and trespassing.
“It’s absurd that a grown man could think he had the right to destroy someone else’s property based on a difference in political opinion,” police chief Jim Elensky said in a statement.
“The fact that he was driving this heavy equipment, that he did not know how to operate, down busy roads could have been disastrous. We’re thankful that no one was hurt in this matter.”
Blight remained in custody in Polk County on Monday.
With Post wires


newyorkpost--2020-10-26--LeBron James could skip start of NBA season in this scenario: teammate

Commissioner Adam Silver ’ s new idea of starting the NBA season ...

Danny Green, a member of the Lakers championship team, believes LeBron James will decline to play the start of the season if the NBA goes ahead with discussions regarding a Dec. 22 season opener.
The Lakers conquered Miami for the NBA title in a six-game series in the Orlando bubble on Oct. 12.
“Dec. 22 is not on my mind,’’ Green said on The Ringer’s basketball podcast. “I think most guys, if you say they’re starting in December, I think they’re like, ‘I’m not going to be there.’ Because we have a lot of vets on our team. It’s not like we have young guys and rookies. We have three or four young guys and rookies if we’re fortunate to bring the same team back.”
James won his fourth title in his 10th NBA Finals appearance at age 35.
“Bron’s been in the Finals 10 years out of his 17 years, which is unbelievable mentally,’’ said Green, who hails from Long Island. “It’s draining to do that. To have that quick a restart, I wouldn’t expect to see him there. I wouldn’t expect to see him probably the first month of the season. He’d probably work out with us but I don’t expect guys to want to be there or show up willingly.”
Commissioner Adam Silver had said earlier this month he expected the season opener in January at the earliest. However, at last week’s Board of Governors meeting, serious talks centered on a Dec. 22 start to the 2020-21 campaign.
Green said he realizes some other teams who haven’t played in a while would want to play sooner than later, but not the Lakers.
“It’s a possibility because the league really wants those Christmas games,’’ Green said. “But in my mind it’s highly unlikely.”
One scenario is for games to be played in home arenas without spectators at the season’s outset because of the COVID-19 spike. But Green said he has heard other ideas floated such as “multiple bubble situations or four bubbles.’’


newyorkpost--2020-10-26--Nets eye intriguing sleeper Isaiah Joe in 2020 NBA Draft

Less than a month before the NBA draft , there still ...

With the draft approaching, a common thread is the Nets having eyed some of the best shooters in this class. Isaiah Joe is yet another potential floor spacer.
Despite an injury-interrupted campaign, Joe still managed to lead the SEC in 3-pointers both this past season and over the last two years (207). For a Nets team in danger of losing another Joe — former NBA 3-point champ Joe Harris — in free agency, the Arkansas sophomore is an intriguing sleeper.
The Nets have the 19th and 55th picks, while Joe has been projected between 34 and 38 in four mock drafts over the past two weeks. He’s talked with both the Knicks and Nets, the former devoid of shooting and the latter looking for both insurance against Harris and complements for Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving.
“Right off the bat my shooting means a lot to a team, being able to stretch the floor, keep moving, space out and occupy a defender. Right off the bat that’s something a team can utilize from me,” Joe said via Zoom. “And with my defensive IQ, I feel like I’m in the right spot all the time, take charges.
“Right now one of the biggest things is putting on weight and muscle. I’m continually working on my ballhandling; I’m a capable ballhandler, so if a team needs me to bring the ball up, I can do that. But at the end of the day I keep the main thing the main thing; I want to be the best shooter on the floor at all times.”
Joe’s stats — and draft stock — don’t match up with his stroke, partly due to injury.
As a freshman, Joe hit a torrid 41.4 percent from behind the arc on eight attempts a game. And this season he averaged 18.2 points as one of the top perimeter defenders in the country through the first 15 games, while averaging 20.4 points and 41.2 percent from deep in his first three SEC tilts before hurting his right knee.
Joe managed to limp through the injury, but averaged just 9.2 points on 27.7 percent shooting from deep in five of the next six tilts — including suffering the first scoreless game of his career. His explosion and defensive mobility took a hit as well, before eventually breaking down and having arthroscopic surgery.
“The injury definitely happened and my numbers dropped during that time,” Joe said. “During those five or six games I was injured my numbers did plummet; but my coach [Eric Musselman] and team felt it was best for me to be out the court occupying a defender, stretching the floor, which I did.
“Some of the teams, they know about the injury and took that into view. But some I had to explain it to, the games I played healthy versus some I played injured. I think after explaining it to them, I think they got a better eye on things.”
Upon returning to the lineup, Joe did average 20 points and get back to playing stout defense. And while his shot creation off the dribble was among the best in the country — 97th and 88th percentile over the past two years — he’s been working in Arkansas with a trainer set up by agent Mike Conley Sr. on situations like catch-and-shoot looks, coming off screens, and arguably most important, his frame.
“One of my biggest things is putting on weight and muscle, which I am during this time,” said Joe, who arrived at Arkansas spreading just 167 pounds across his willowy 6-foot-5 frame. This past season he was listed at 175 pounds and is up to 180, his draft stock rising as well.


newyorkpost--2020-10-26--Rapper Lil Pump endorses Trump for president, slams Biden’s tax plan

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 ) “ Gucci Gang ” rapper Lil Pump endorsed President Trump in an expletive-laced Sunday night Instagram post — voicing opposition to Joe Biden ’ s plan for higher taxes .
“ All i got ta say is Trump 2020 , b–ch , ” Lil Pump told his 17 million followers in an Instagram live video .
“ F–k I look like paying an extra 33 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Joe , ” he said in the short clip .
The musician also posted a photo to his account of him shaking hands with Trump .
Lil Pump is the latest hip hop performer to make waves by allying with Trump .
Last week , 50 Cent confirmed he ’ s backing Trump for the same reason — a desire to keep his taxes lower .
Biden supports raising tax rates for corporations and people making $ 400,000 or more per year , reversing part of Trump ’ s 2017 tax law that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from 39.6 percent to 37 percent .
“ Yeah , i don ’ t want to be 20cent .
62 % is a very , very , bad idea .
i don ’ t like it !
” the Queens-raised rapper , born Curtis James Jackson III , wrote on Twitter .
But 50 Cent , in a Saturday night tweet , appeared to walk back his Trump support after he was publicly shamed by ex-girlfriend Chelsea Handler .

Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
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“Gucci Gang” rapper Lil Pump endorsed President Trump in an expletive-laced Sunday night Instagram post — voicing opposition to Joe Biden’s plan for higher taxes.
“All i gotta say is Trump 2020, b–ch,” Lil Pump told his 17 million followers in an Instagram live video. “F–k I look like paying an extra 33 in tax for Biden. F–k Sleepy Joe,” he said in the short clip.
The musician also posted a photo to his account of him shaking hands with Trump.
“THE DAY I MET TRUMP #trump202022020,” he captioned the picture.
Lil Pump is the latest hip hop performer to make waves by allying with Trump.
Last week, 50 Cent confirmed he’s backing Trump for the same reason — a desire to keep his taxes lower.
Biden supports raising tax rates for corporations and people making $400,000 or more per year, reversing part of Trump’s 2017 tax law that reduced the top federal rate for individuals from 39.6 percent to 37 percent.
“Yeah, i don’t want to be 20cent. 62% is a very, very,bad idea. i don’t like it !” the Queens-raised rapper, born Curtis James Jackson III, wrote on Twitter.
But 50 Cent, in a Saturday night tweet, appeared to walk back his Trump support after he was publicly shamed by ex-girlfriend Chelsea Handler.


newyorkpost--2020-10-26--Dave Roberts: Mookie Betts’ Dodgers impact only getting started

Had Tyler Glasnow , Blake Snell and Charlie Morton pitched better ...

Time will tell what how the Dodgers acquiring Mookie Betts from the Red Sox is defined.
However, Dave Roberts doesn’t need time to assess the February deal that sent Alex Verdugo, Jeter Downs and Connor Wong to Boston for David Price and Betts. Betts, 31, then signed a 12-year contract extension worth $365 million in July.
“When [team president] Andrew [Friedman] brought it to me that it might happen, I couldn’t believe it and I was not trying to get too excited. We got a steal,’’ Roberts said Monday on a Zoom call from Arlington, Texas, where the Dodgers can win their first World Series title since 1988 on Tuesday night by winning Game 6 against the Rays at Globe Life Field. “I was grateful the deal was done.’’
According to Roberts, the blockbuster swap certainly has helped the Dodgers get nine innings away from a World Series title and it will continue to keep on giving.
“It is not only helping us this year, it is going to help us for the next wave of young players and really enhance what we have as a culture going forward,’’ Roberts said of the deal that buried the Red Sox. “It is going to affect players who haven’t been drafted by the Dodgers yet. That is what I am really excited about as well.’’
Rays manager Kevin Cash hinted that he might use a similar lineup against Dodgers starter Tony Gonsolin in Game 6 to the one he did when the right-hander started Game 2, a 6-4 Rays victory.
“I think it will be pretty consistent. We have a couple of options. Look, we have to find a little offense somehow. Yandy [Diaz] is starting to swing the bat a little better. We will come up with the best option to start the game,’’ said Cash, who pointed out the Dodgers can match up out of the bullpen very well. “Don’t want to give them the option where they can pin us down to making radical changes in the second or third inning.’’
Diaz didn’t start against Gonsolin in Game 2. He entered the game as a pinch hitter and singled and walked. He went hitless in Game 3 batting leadoff and 2-for-3 with an RBI in Game 5.
Roberts didn’t discount starting catcher Austin Barnes to work with Gonsolin.
“It’s not off the table,’’ Roberts said. “I am going to think through the lineup later today and certainly not off the table.’’
Barnes has started three of the five games but didn’t work with Gonsolin in Game 2 when Will Smith was behind the plate. In Barnes’ three starts, Smith has been the DH. When Smith has caught, AJ Pollock and Cody Bellinger have been the DH.
Roberts saw Dustin May’s bounce-back performance in Game 5 one way and the gas-throwing right-hander saw it another.
“I think he did a great job of slowing things down. He is a very emotional guy, amped up and super competitor,’’ Roberts said of the 23-year-old May, whose fastball pushes speed guns above 100 mph. “Being on the mound a couple of times in this setting he kind of tempered a little bit and executed pitches and it was really, really fun to watch.’’
Brought into the Dodgers’ 4-2 win in Game 5 in the sixth inning with two outs and the bases empty, May struck out Manuel Margot, worked a perfect seventh and was lifted with one out and a runner on first base in the eighth.
May said the problems in Game 2, when he gave up three runs and four hits in 1 ¹/₃ innings, were correctable.
“I just had to make some mechanical cues in my delivery, smoothen it out and get back to the norm. [Sunday night] I definitely felt more normal and more composed I would say throwing the ball,’’ May said. “I wouldn’t say I was necessarily too excited [in Game 2]. My delivery was out of whack so it was kind of throwing everything off so I wasn’t executing pitches.’’


newyorkpost--2020-10-26--New-York Historical Society CEO Louise Mirrer on why NYC always bounces back

Circa 1626 , the Dutch bought this land for what a stale bagel and lousy coffee costs today : $ 24 .
Trade began .
Peter Minuit arrived with his household .
And what would any wife do ?
Shop .
So , long before Gristedes and Bergdorf ’ s — in came merchants .
And New York , NY — capital of the world — was born .
Louise Mirrer , New-York Historical Society ’ s CEO : “ The 17th-century Dutch knew a harbor ’ s hospitable to commerce .
A port for goods .
And , like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had attitudes .
Make money .
Make trade .
Basically , who cares about you — you looking to make a buck — c ’ mon .
As in , ‘ If you can make it here , you can make it anywhere.
’ “ Tycoon arrivals knew no world-class global city could exist without great cultural institutions such as in London and Paris .
So , the Met , Brooklyn Museum , Natural History Museum , an evolution of the arts — theater , dance — began .
With access to entertainment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ work , people wanted to be here .
“ Also , NYC had a free press .
We did it first .
John Peter Zenger ’ s New York Weekly Journal.
” And long before the “ fake news ” era , Mr. Zenger went to trial for “ printing seditious libels , ” won and thus began our indigenous attitude of beating up whoever ’ s in charge .
“ Ingredients conflated .
Came together like nowhere else .
Much to offer .
A welcoming diverse society .
Queens has more different @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Plus we have a harbor .
Arts .
Entertainment .
Opportunity .
A certain amount of tolerance where , possibly in Seattle , they wouldn ’ t appreciate you .
And we ’ re walkable .
Accessible .
Whatever you want ’ s 2 miles away .
Plus we ’ re one of the first American cities to have municipal transportation.
” OK. That ’ s then .
Now ’ s now .
It ’ s lawlessness , vandals , homeless , high taxes , garbage on streets , no shopping , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ night , forget the subway , forget the mayor , forget the hustle , do not forget the non-taxpaying roaches .
So can New York still stay the best damn place in the whole world ?
Mirrer : “ Absolutely .
We have a 400-year history .
Disasters , Civil War , near bankruptcy , invasions of cholera , typhoid , smallpox , AIDS .
We ’ ve had 9/11 .
Nothing New York hasn ’ t suffered .
Fernando Wood , the city ’ s mayor before the Civil War , even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This town is simply not like any other in the world .
It ’ ll take a while — but by 2024 , everyone will have forgotten .
No grass will ever grow on Broadway.
” Wednesday ’ s the “ House of Dark Shadows ” 50th anniversary .
A big-screen spinoff of the campy daytime soap that scared up so much money it brightened a dark time in MGM ’ s history .
Living ( and could be dead ) fright fans want to re-see that spooky walk in the woods .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ This is our busy season , ” and she ’ s organized a 9 p.m. YouTube cast reunion Halloween night .
Scary is if you can even remember the show .
No grass grows on anyone else here , either .
Amid this pandemic , pre-election panic and groceries limiting one roll to a customer toilet paper , comes a giant shopping bag from Martha Stewart and p.r.
’ s Susan Magrino with Wölffer Estate ’ s rosé wines , the New York City Wine & Food Festival tasties , plus masks , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , chocolate , spices , bottle openers , corkscrews , keychain , stationery , jigsaw puzzle … and 30 more goodies .
Anyone sending this to anyone in Kansas ?
Meanwhile , lest nobody dare think even weeds can grow in this town , comes a report from a delinquent taxpayers ’ official Web site .
It lists 15 Nello Balan establishments — who knew he had this many — plus a few other New Yorkers like maybe a “ taxi king , ” who somehow seems somewhat delayed in giving something sometime @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government somewhere .
CV melodrama .
Actor : “ I ’ m working.
” Singer : “ Off-Broadway ?
” Actor : “ No.
” Singer : “ Road company ?
” Actor : “ No.
” Singer : “ Good money ?
” Actor : “ No .
In the second act , they give us soup.
” Only in New York , kids , only in New York .

Circa 1626, the Dutch bought this land for what a stale bagel and lousy coffee costs today: $24. Trade began. Peter Minuit arrived with his household. And what would any wife do? Shop. So, long before Gristedes and Bergdorf’s — in came merchants. And New York, NY — capital of the world — was born.
Louise Mirrer, New-York Historical Society’s CEO: “The 17th-century Dutch knew a harbor’s hospitable to commerce. A port for goods. And, like today’s New Yorker, they had attitudes. Make money. Make trade. Basically, who cares about you — you looking to make a buck — c’mon. As in, ‘If you can make it here, you can make it anywhere.’
“Tycoon arrivals knew no world-class global city could exist without great cultural institutions such as in London and Paris. So, the Met, Brooklyn Museum, Natural History Museum, an evolution of the arts — theater, dance — began. With access to entertainment, things to do or see after work, people wanted to be here.
“Also, NYC had a free press. We did it first. John Peter Zenger’s New York Weekly Journal.” And long before the “fake news” era, Mr. Zenger went to trial for “printing seditious libels,” won and thus began our indigenous attitude of beating up whoever’s in charge.
“Ingredients conflated. Came together like nowhere else. Much to offer. A welcoming diverse society. Queens has more different communities on one block than anywhere else. Plus we have a harbor. Arts. Entertainment. Opportunity. A certain amount of tolerance where, possibly in Seattle, they wouldn’t appreciate you. And we’re walkable. Accessible. Whatever you want’s 2 miles away. Plus we’re one of the first American cities to have municipal transportation.”
OK. That’s then. Now’s now. It’s lawlessness, vandals, homeless, high taxes, garbage on streets, no shopping, no theaters, no walking alone at night, forget the subway, forget the mayor, forget the hustle, do not forget the non-taxpaying roaches. So can New York still stay the best damn place in the whole world?
Mirrer: “Absolutely. We have a 400-year history. Disasters, Civil War, near bankruptcy, invasions of cholera, typhoid, smallpox, AIDS. We’ve had 9/11. Nothing New York hasn’t suffered. Fernando Wood, the city’s mayor before the Civil War, even thought New York should secede.
“This town is simply not like any other in the world. It’ll take a while — but by 2024, everyone will have forgotten. No grass will ever grow on Broadway.”
Afraid of ‘Shadows’
Wednesday’s the “House of Dark Shadows” 50th anniversary. A big-screen spinoff of the campy daytime soap that scared up so much money it brightened a dark time in MGM’s history. Living (and could be dead) fright fans want to re-see that spooky walk in the woods. Star Kathryn Leigh Scott says, “This is our busy season,” and she’s organized a 9 p.m. YouTube cast reunion Halloween night.
Scary is if you can even remember the show.
Trick or treat
No grass grows on anyone else here, either. Amid this pandemic, pre-election panic and groceries limiting one roll to a customer toilet paper, comes a giant shopping bag from Martha Stewart and p.r.’s Susan Magrino with Wölffer Estate’s rosé wines, the New York City Wine & Food Festival tasties, plus masks, Cuisinart, Irish whiskey, ceramic mugs, chocolate, spices, bottle openers, corkscrews, keychain, stationery, jigsaw puzzle … and 30 more goodies. Anyone sending this to anyone in Kansas?
Taxman here
Meanwhile, lest nobody dare think even weeds can grow in this town, comes a report from a delinquent taxpayers’ official Web site. It lists 15 Nello Balan establishments — who knew he had this many — plus a few other New Yorkers like maybe a “taxi king,” who somehow seems somewhat delayed in giving something sometime in terms of some money to some government somewhere.
CV melodrama. Actor: “I’m working.” Singer: “Off-Broadway?” Actor: “No.” Singer: “Road company?” Actor: “No.” Singer: “Good money?” Actor: “No. In the second act, they give us soup.”
Only in New York, kids, only in New York.


newyorkpost--2020-10-26--Justice Amy Coney Barrett will be a boon to the nation

Barrett is all but guaranteed confirmation by the Republican-held Senate ...

Senate confirmation Monday of Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court is a win for all of America, and couldn’t come at a more critical time.
Barrett’s scholarship, record on the bench and confirmation testimony show she has the “deep legal expertise, dispassionate judicial temperament and sheer intellectual horsepower” Americans deserve in Supreme Court justices, as Sen. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell put it.
And though Democrats opposed her, they didn’t convince anyone — indeed, her public support grew throughout the process.
This, in a nation beset by deep political division, with a presidential campaign adding to the flames. Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s death left the court with just eight votes, raising the possibility of deadlocks, even as a wave of litigation over mail-in voting makes it more likely the court will have to decide election-related cases. As Ginsburg, a liberal hero, herself argued, “Eight is not a good number for a collegial body that sometimes disagrees.”
Ironically, Dems say the timing is wrong, that a new prez might pick someone else, so President Trump shouldn’t have tapped Barrett. Yet presidents since the birth of the republic have routinely named candidates for high-court vacancies in such election years.
Dems’ real gripe is that Barrett will stick carefully to the actual text of the Constitution and the law in her rulings, instead of stretching them to serve the left’s agenda.
After all, they were fine with President Barack Obama’s pick, Merrick Garland, in 2016. As Ginsburg noted: A president is “elected for four years, not three years.” She hoped senators would “wake up and appreciate that that’s how it should be.”
Democrats’ only real “argument” was phony fearmongering about how Barrett might nix liberal priorities like ObamaCare and Roe v. Wade. Yet she’s given no sign she’d do any such thing — only that she’d rule on the facts and the law. Amid the political turmoil, that’s reassuring.


newyorkpost--2020-10-26--Senate votes to confirm Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court

The Republican-held Senate on Monday evening voted to confirm Amy Coney Barrett as the newest justice to the Supreme Court , giving President Trump his third appointment to the high court just a week before the Nov. 3 election .
Barrett , 48 , will be sworn in by Justice Clarence Thomas at the White House .
She will be the fifth female justice in the court ’ s history .
Barrett replaces liberal icon Ruth Bader Ginsburg and conservatives believe she will tilt the ideological balance of the bench for decades — infuriating Democrats .
Trump trumpeted the victory @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Penn.
, calling Barrett “ one of our nation ’ s most brilliant legal minds.
” “ She will defend our rights , our liberties and our God given freedoms , ” Trump said .
“ We were all watching in great amusement as she was so-called grilled by the opposition .
That was easy.
” Trump added : “ I ’ m glad she ’ s not running for president .
I ’ d much rather go against sleepy Joe [ Biden ] .
” Barrett , previously a judge on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 7th Circuit , is a favorite among religious conservatives and will be the seventh Catholic on the nine-person court .
All Republicans except Sen. Susan Collins of Maine voted in favor of Barrett and all Democrats opposed her in the 52-48 vote .
The Indiana resident is the first mother on the court with minor children .
Her seven children — four girls and three boys — range from age 8 to 19 .
Two of her children were adopted from Haiti .
Barrett will begin hearing cases immediately , with the next @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Controversial cases going before the court include Texas v. California on Nov. 10 , through which the court may strike down the rump of Obamacare following the 2017 repeal of the law ’ s mandate forcing individuals to purchase private health insurance .
Democrats claimed during Barrett ’ s confirmation hearings that she was being confirmed quickly so she could hear that case and help gut the law ’ s protections for people with pre-existing conditions .
The issue is an election-year vulnerability for Republicans , but Trump says he would resurrect those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Other looming cases include a dispute the Supreme Court will hear Nov. 4 about whether a Catholic organization that receives taxpayer funds can choose not to place children with same-sex couples .
On Dec. 2 , Barrett will hear arguments from House Democrats who want access to grand jury notes and redacted portions of special counsel Robert Mueller ’ s Russia report , which found no evidence Trump colluded with Russia .
The court also agreed to hear cases in its upcoming term on Trump ’ s 2019 diversion of military funds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and on the Trump administration ’ s “ Remain in Mexico ” policy that requires most asylum seekers from Central America to remain in Mexico while their requests are considered .
The Supreme Court additionally may play a role in the election in response to lawsuits over the widespread use of mail-in ballots amid the COVID-19 pandemic , in a possible redux of Bush v. Gore , when justices voted five-four in 2000 to end a recount of ballots in Florida , effectively handing victory to Republican George W. Bush .
Barrett is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ four years in office .
All other presidents since Ronald Reagan have had just two justices , even over eight years .
Ginsburg , 87 , died unexpectedly last month after more than two decades of intermittent cancer treatments .
Collins is in a tight re-election race and said Sunday she opposed Barrett to be “ fair and consistent ” after Republicans blocked former President Barack Obama ’ s election-year nomination of Merrick Garland .
Trump said during his Pennsylvania campaign trip that Barrett ’ s swearing-in event would be small — after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 26 nomination celebration in the Rose Garden , including Trump , caught COVID-19 .
“ No , not a large event .
Just a very nice event , ” Trump said .
Barrett emerged unscathed from Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearings .
The top Democrat on the committee , Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California , enraged fellow Democrats by saying it was “ one of the best set of hearings that I have participated in.
” But many Democrats feel cheated out of their own opportunity to replace conservative Justice Antonin Scalia in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ McConnell ( R-Ky. ) refused to hold a vote on Garland , saying voters should decide .
Republicans note the Senate and presidency were held by different parties at the time .
Democrats were powerless to do more than gripe and claim hypocrisy .
No Democrat showed up to Barrett ’ s committee confirmation vote last week .
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer ( D-NY ) fumed that Republicans were guilty of “ the partisan theft of two seats , ” using “ absurd and obnoxious ” justifications and a “ hypocritical double @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . )
gave an impassioned Senate floor speech Monday , saying Trump wanted Barrett confirmed to re-criminalize abortion , torpedo Obamacare and “ hand him the election.
” “ Simply put , Judge Barrett as Justice Barrett , I am convinced , will open a new chapter of conservative judicial activism unlike anything we ’ ve seen , ” Coons said .
McConnell defended the confirmation vote and called Barrett “ a woman of unparalleled intellect.
” “ The process comports entirely with the Constitution .
We don ’ t have any doubt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shoe was on the other foot they ’ d be confirming , ” the Republican leader said .
McConnell added about Democrats : “ How many times have we heard that President Trump won ’ t accept outcomes he does not like ?
Well , they ’ re flunking that very test right before our eyes… The reason this outcome came about is because we had a series of successful elections .
”

The Republican-held Senate on Monday evening voted to confirm Amy Coney Barrett as the newest justice to the Supreme Court, giving President Trump his third appointment to the high court just a week before the Nov. 3 election.
Barrett, 48, will be sworn in by Justice Clarence Thomas at the White House. She will be the fifth female justice in the court’s history.
Barrett replaces liberal icon Ruth Bader Ginsburg and conservatives believe she will tilt the ideological balance of the bench for decades — infuriating Democrats.
Trump trumpeted the victory hours earlier during a rally in Martinsburg, Penn., calling Barrett “one of our nation’s most brilliant legal minds.”
“She will defend our rights, our liberties and our God given freedoms,” Trump said. “We were all watching in great amusement as she was so-called grilled by the opposition. That was easy.”
Trump added: “I’m glad she’s not running for president. I’d much rather go against sleepy Joe [Biden].”
Barrett, previously a judge on the US Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit, is a favorite among religious conservatives and will be the seventh Catholic on the nine-person court.
All Republicans except Sen. Susan Collins of Maine voted in favor of Barrett and all Democrats opposed her in the 52-48 vote.
The Indiana resident is the first mother on the court with minor children. Her seven children — four girls and three boys — range from age 8 to 19. Two of her children were adopted from Haiti.
Barrett will begin hearing cases immediately, with the next scheduled oral arguments on Nov. 2.
Controversial cases going before the court include Texas v. California on Nov. 10, through which the court may strike down the rump of Obamacare following the 2017 repeal of the law’s mandate forcing individuals to purchase private health insurance.
Democrats claimed during Barrett’s confirmation hearings that she was being confirmed quickly so she could hear that case and help gut the law’s protections for people with pre-existing conditions. The issue is an election-year vulnerability for Republicans, but Trump says he would resurrect those protections if the law is struck down.
Other looming cases include a dispute the Supreme Court will hear Nov. 4 about whether a Catholic organization that receives taxpayer funds can choose not to place children with same-sex couples.
On Dec. 2, Barrett will hear arguments from House Democrats who want access to grand jury notes and redacted portions of special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia report, which found no evidence Trump colluded with Russia.
The court also agreed to hear cases in its upcoming term on Trump’s 2019 diversion of military funds to build the US-Mexico border wall, and on the Trump administration’s “Remain in Mexico” policy that requires most asylum seekers from Central America to remain in Mexico while their requests are considered.
The Supreme Court additionally may play a role in the election in response to lawsuits over the widespread use of mail-in ballots amid the COVID-19 pandemic, in a possible redux of Bush v. Gore, when justices voted five-four in 2000 to end a recount of ballots in Florida, effectively handing victory to Republican George W. Bush.
Barrett is Trump’s third confirmed justice in four years in office. All other presidents since Ronald Reagan have had just two justices, even over eight years.
Ginsburg, 87, died unexpectedly last month after more than two decades of intermittent cancer treatments.
Collins is in a tight re-election race and said Sunday she opposed Barrett to be “fair and consistent” after Republicans blocked former President Barack Obama’s election-year nomination of Merrick Garland.
Trump said during his Pennsylvania campaign trip that Barrett’s swearing-in event would be small — after many attendees of Barrett’s Sept. 26 nomination celebration in the Rose Garden, including Trump, caught COVID-19.
“No, not a large event. Just a very nice event,” Trump said.
Barrett emerged unscathed from Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearings. The top Democrat on the committee, Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California, enraged fellow Democrats by saying it was “one of the best set of hearings that I have participated in.”
But many Democrats feel cheated out of their own opportunity to replace conservative Justice Antonin Scalia in 2016, when Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) refused to hold a vote on Garland, saying voters should decide. Republicans note the Senate and presidency were held by different parties at the time.
Democrats were powerless to do more than gripe and claim hypocrisy. No Democrat showed up to Barrett’s committee confirmation vote last week.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) fumed that Republicans were guilty of “the partisan theft of two seats,” using “absurd and obnoxious” justifications and a “hypocritical double standard.”
Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) gave an impassioned Senate floor speech Monday, saying Trump wanted Barrett confirmed to re-criminalize abortion, torpedo Obamacare and “hand him the election.”
“Simply put, Judge Barrett as Justice Barrett, I am convinced, will open a new chapter of conservative judicial activism unlike anything we’ve seen,” Coons said.
McConnell defended the confirmation vote and called Barrett “a woman of unparalleled intellect.”
“The process comports entirely with the Constitution. We don’t have any doubt, do we, that if the shoe was on the other foot they’d be confirming,” the Republican leader said.
McConnell added about Democrats: “How many times have we heard that President Trump won’t accept outcomes he does not like? Well, they’re flunking that very test right before our eyes… The reason this outcome came about is because we had a series of successful elections.”


newyorkpost--2020-10-26--Giants wisely won’t blow up roster at NFL trade deadline

Wayne Gallman needs a change of scenery .
He will not ...

Here is what is not going to happen in the next week leading up to the Nov. 3 NFL trade deadline:
Giants general manager Dave Gettleman desperately trying to save his job by making a series of trades, attempting to temporarily bolster the roster to make the final record look somewhat more palatable at the end of the season.
That would not have taken place even if the find-a-way-to-lose Giants held onto the lead in Philadelphia, beat the Eagles and were up near the top of the pack in the sad-sack NFC East. The Giants were not going to be buyers, no matter what, and are not expected to be overly aggressive sellers, either.
Jettisoning outside linebacker Markus Golden to the Cardinals for a 2021 sixth-round draft pick was not the start of a groundswell of moves. There were offers of a seventh-round pick but the Giants waited until the return was more attractive.
Could there be one or two moves in the coming days? Sure. But insiders say there will be no fire sale.
Would the Giants part ways with receiver Golden Tate in the unlikely event someone out there is interested in a 32-year-old pass-catcher on the decline? Why not? There is almost no chance Tate is on the team next season, not at a salary-cap hit of $10.8 million.
Otherwise, not much makes much sense.
Is there a contending team out there in need of a veteran guard to plug-and-play willing to pay more than $5 million for the remainder of the season for Kevin Zeitler? The odds are not strong that Zeitler returns in 2021 for $12 million. But does anyone actually believe rookie Shane Lemieux right now would be comparable at right guard? Does it make any sense to weaken the line in front of Daniel Jones for the remaining nine games?
“You don’t want Jones killed,’’ an NFL talent evaluator said.
More than anything, the Giants at 1-6 need to leave behind another shoddy season knowing all they can about Jones, and that means giving him as much help as possible. This is why Cam Fleming, who has not played badly, has not been benched at right tackle for rookie Matt Peart. He showed some promise getting snaps in place of struggling rookie left tackle Andrew Thomas. But there is no chance a line with Peart starting and Fleming sitting is in any way beneficial to keeping Jones on his feet.
Should the Giants find out what they can get for Dalvin Tomlinson? Why? He is an ascending 26-year-old defensive tackle, elected a team captain, on the final year of his contract. He is the sort of player you re-sign, not give away. He wants to be part of the solution and is a Joe Judge-type guy.
This brings us to Evan Engram. So many fans had enough of him as soon as the ball fell through his hands last Thursday night. It is not too dramatic to state the drop cost the Giants the game, as they lost 22-21 to the Eagles. The disgust is understandable. Fans have been waiting for Engram to turn the “athletic ability’ and “game-breaking talent’’ into tangible results.
The Giants, though, cannot and will not allow disgust to guide them.
For now, Engram, 26, is cheap labor — $1 million for the remainder of the season — and Judge can watch every move Engram makes the rest of the way before determining if the 2017 first-round pick is worth the $6 million fifth-year option that was picked up for 2021.
The Giants know Engram works hard. He was at the facility on Saturday, two days after his horrific drop, catching passes. They know he is a good guy and they remain intrigued with his skill set. The mental toughness part of the game remains in question. They wonder if he tries too hard and as a result tenses up. If someone wants to give the Giants s second- or third-round pick for him — that is highly unlikely — they should go for it. If not, keep him around and see if he hardens or wilts.
“I’d say the most they could get for him is a fourth- or fifth-round pick,’’ the talent evaluator said. “If that.’’
Gettleman prior to last year’s trade deadline acquired Leonard Williams and that has not worked out. Williams is a solid player but not worth the $16.1 million franchise tag — he needed to be signed to a reasonable long-term deal to warrant giving up a third- and fifth-round pick. That mistake will not be repeated this week.


newyorkpost--2020-10-26--Jets don’t want to hear they have no chance against Chiefs

Things don ’ t get any easier for the reeling 0-7 Jets ... .

No one outside of the Jets organization is going to give the team a shot to win this weekend against the Chiefs in Kansas City.
The Chiefs are the defending Super Bowl champions and one of the favorites to win it again this year. The Jets are 0-7.
Still, the Jets players don’t want to hear they have no chance.
“Every time you line up to play, you have a chance to win,” Jets guard Greg Van Roten said. “It doesn’t matter what your record is or who you’re playing against. You’ve still got to play the game and make the plays and try your best. I don’t think anybody is going to shy away from this opportunity. I’m looking forward to playing quote-unquote the best.”
Van Roten said his teammates should embrace the challenge this week.
“We have a great test this week to see what we’re made of. Our record is what it is,” Van Roten said. “That’s who we are right now. We have a chance to go play a really good team at home. They won the Super Bowl last year. If you can’t get excited about that. If you can’t find a way to get up for that game, then there’s something wrong with you.”
The game against the Chiefs will be a reunion with RB Le’Veon Bell, who signed with the Chiefs two weeks ago when the Jets released him. Bell and coach Adam Gase had a rocky relationship, something that will be a storyline this week. Gase is not worried about Bell being out to make the Jets look bad.
“Yeah, I’m pretty sure that he’s going to be worried about just winning a game, period,” Gase said. “That’s what most players are worried about, they’re worried about, ‘Hey what do I got to do this week to help my team win,’ so I’m sure that’s what he’s going to be worried about doing. We got a lot of guys to worry about on that side of the ball against them.”
Gase would not commit to having offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains call the plays again this week, but he sounded like he was leaning that way. Loggains did well in the first half against the Bills and the Jets led 10-0. But his magic touch vanished in the second half when the team gained just 4 yards.
“As far as the play-calling goes, there’s a lot of things that I liked about last week, the way that we did things from everything from game planning, to meetings, to how we did practice,” Gase said. “We’re still kind of working through some of the overall details of how we want to go about this week.”
DE Kyle Phillips suffered a season-ending ankle injury that will require surgery. … OLB Jordan Jenkins has a rib injury, but Gase said he is hopeful he can play. WR Breshad Perriman is in the concussion protocol after a vicious hit from Bills safety Micah Hyde on Sunday. … Gase said they were evaluating WR Jamison Crowder (groin) and kicker Sam Ficken (groin) on Monday to see if they can practice and play this week.


newyorkpost--2020-10-26--NYC knows how to stop this crime surge — it just needs politicians willing to do it

New York ’ s sanguinary summer lingers , even though November is fast approaching , with at least seven more city residents gunned down over the weekend , including a fatally wounded tourist .
Don ’ t blame the cops .
They ’ re doing what they ’ ve been told to do , which amounts to running in circles , now that Gotham ’ s political class has abandoned one of the most effective urban-policing strategies ever devised — largely because it was too harsh on criminals .
Now New York is reaping the whirlwind .
Or , as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weekend : “ More than 1,515 people have been shot so far this year , twice as many as all of 2019 , and there have been 362 homicides , a 32 percent increase over last year.
” And that doesn ’ t include the weekend casualty count , which included a 20-year-old in town from Indiana to make skateboarding videos .
It ’ s hard to keep the numbers straight , of course , because they move so fast .
And while the continuing crisis is mostly about illegal guns , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Crime statistics are up sharply pretty much across the board , at least in those categories that don ’ t lend themselves to manipulation ; burglary ( up 42 percent ) and auto theft ( up 63 percent ) usually generate insurance claims and thus are harder to hide .
And then there is the matter of Joshua Diaz , who police strongly believe is the fellow who shoved a 28-year-old woman to the tracks in the Times Square subway station Friday .
There doesn ’ t seem to be much doubt that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s for the increasingly dysfunctional courts to determine .
But this much is clear : Diaz has been arrested 30 times since 2012 , for burglary , assault , resisting arrest and criminal trespass — although his principal problem appears to be that he is crazy .
And in that he is hardly alone .
New York ’ s streets are awash with the mentally ill , many of them drug- or alcohol-addicted derelicts of the sort recently sent by City Hall to the Upper West Side , and who are now being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Side and elsewhere in Manhattan and to Downtown Brooklyn .
Wherever there is scaffolding , it seems , vagrants are nearby : pitching tents , cooking heroin , making their toilet in the street and harassing passersby , either for money or because they simply can ’ t help themselves .
And the aggressive-vagrant issue has two things in common with the murderous-street-violence problem .
They exist because : • New York ’ s elected leaders , right across the board , simply don ’ t give a damn about public safety .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t be happening .
• Each is a problem that has already been solved once — painfully and controversially , to be sure , but solved as decisively as such challenges can be in a dynamic and intrinsically fractious city .
The two mayors who preceded Bill de Blasio believed strongly that public spaces belonged to the public and not to addicts , petty criminals and the mentally ill .
They implemented and sustained humane but firm policies that provided necessary shelter and services while reclaiming New York City ’ s transit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they believed just as strongly that public safety is a fundamental right — so they developed and maintained policies that transformed a blood-spattered municipality into what might fairly have become Gotham ’ s trademark : “ the safest big city in America.
” Those policies have become racially charged buzzwords in today ’ s cultural conflicts : “ broken-windows policing , ” “ stop-and-frisk , ” “ anti-crime cops.
” But they had specific application , and they produced astonishingly positive results .
Now they ’ ve been abandoned , in favor of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ favor on a given day .
The emphasis no longer is on public safety , it ’ s on lessening the consequence of crime on the criminals who commit it .
New York ’ s street chaos and its spilled blood are a direct result .
The fact is that de Blasio and the City Council , with substantial help from Gov .
Cuomo and the state Legislature , forced strategic changes on the city ’ s public-safety establishment .
They chose a less confrontational approach to disorder and crime , especially murder @ @ @ @ @ @ @ paying a price for that .
Big surprise .
What ’ s next ?
No strategic wheels need to be reinvented ; the heavy lifting was done decades ago .
What ’ s needed now are leaders with the wisdom to recognize that grievous mistakes have been made — and the courage to rectify them .

New York’s sanguinary summer lingers, even though November is fast approaching, with at least seven more city residents gunned down over the weekend, including a fatally wounded tourist.
Don’t blame the cops. They’re doing what they’ve been told to do, which amounts to running in circles, now that Gotham’s political class has abandoned one of the most effective urban-policing strategies ever devised — largely because it was too harsh on criminals. Now New York is reaping the whirlwind.
Or, as The New York Times reported over the weekend: “More than 1,515 people have been shot so far this year, twice as many as all of 2019, and there have been 362 homicides, a 32 percent increase over last year.”
And that doesn’t include the weekend casualty count, which included a 20-year-old in town from Indiana to make skateboarding videos.
It’s hard to keep the numbers straight, of course, because they move so fast. And while the continuing crisis is mostly about illegal guns, it isn’t only about guns. Crime statistics are up sharply pretty much across the board, at least in those categories that don’t lend themselves to manipulation; burglary (up 42 percent) and auto theft (up 63 percent) usually generate insurance claims and thus are harder to hide.
And then there is the matter of Joshua Diaz, who police strongly believe is the fellow who shoved a 28-year-old woman to the tracks in the Times Square subway station Friday. There doesn’t seem to be much doubt that he did it, though that’s for the increasingly dysfunctional courts to determine.
But this much is clear: Diaz has been arrested 30 times since 2012, for burglary, assault, resisting arrest and criminal trespass — although his principal problem appears to be that he is crazy. And in that he is hardly alone.
New York’s streets are awash with the mentally ill, many of them drug- or alcohol-addicted derelicts of the sort recently sent by City Hall to the Upper West Side, and who are now being dispatched in ever-larger numbers to the East Side and elsewhere in Manhattan and to Downtown Brooklyn.
Wherever there is scaffolding, it seems, vagrants are nearby: pitching tents, cooking heroin, making their toilet in the street and harassing passersby, either for money or because they simply can’t help themselves.
And the aggressive-vagrant issue has two things in common with the murderous-street-violence problem. They exist because:
New York’s elected leaders, right across the board, simply don’t give a damn about public safety. If they did, such things wouldn’t be happening.
Each is a problem that has already been solved once — painfully and controversially, to be sure, but solved as decisively as such challenges can be in a dynamic and intrinsically fractious city.
The two mayors who preceded Bill de Blasio believed strongly that public spaces belonged to the public and not to addicts, petty criminals and the mentally ill. They implemented and sustained humane but firm policies that provided necessary shelter and services while reclaiming New York City’s transit terminals, concourses and parks.
And they believed just as strongly that public safety is a fundamental right — so they developed and maintained policies that transformed a blood-spattered municipality into what might fairly have become Gotham’s trademark: “the safest big city in America.”
Those policies have become racially charged buzzwords in today’s cultural conflicts: “broken-windows policing,” “stop-and-frisk,” “anti-crime cops.” But they had specific application, and they produced astonishingly positive results.
Now they’ve been abandoned, in favor of whatever low-impact social program might be in favor on a given day. The emphasis no longer is on public safety, it’s on lessening the consequence of crime on the criminals who commit it. New York’s street chaos and its spilled blood are a direct result.
The fact is that de Blasio and the City Council, with substantial help from Gov. Cuomo and the state Legislature, forced strategic changes on the city’s public-safety establishment. They chose a less confrontational approach to disorder and crime, especially murder, and now all New Yorkers are paying a price for that. Big surprise.
What’s next? No strategic wheels need to be reinvented; the heavy lifting was done decades ago. What’s needed now are leaders with the wisdom to recognize that grievous mistakes have been made — and the courage to rectify them.
There’s a mayoral election coming up. Any takers?
Twitter: @RLMac2


newyorkpost--2020-10-26--One US university prez is standing up for true liberalism

In an era when college presidents race to bend to outrageous demands from lefty students , Northwestern University ’ s Morton Schapiro is a rare case of backbone .
Campus group NU Community Not Cops has marched daily since Oct. 12 , demanding Schapiro disband Northwestern ’ s police department .
The “ protests ” have escalated to vandalism of the campus and local shops , plus a raucous midnight demo at the prez ’ s home ( “ Piggy Morty ” was one cry ) .
In an open letter , Schapiro acknowledged “ the many injustices faced by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ refused to engage with “ individuals who continue to use the tactics of intimidation and violence.
” Schapiro has received an NAACP Community Service Award ; he replaced loans with grants in financial-aid packages and founded the Northwestern Academy to help Chicago public-school students apply to college .
A true liberal , he says protesters “ have no right to menace members of our academic and surrounding communities.
” And that “ vandalizing property , lighting fires and spray-painting phrases such as ‘ kill the pigs ’ ” are no “ legitimate forms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the kids are now also demanding Schapiro quit .
If they listened to him instead , they might actually learn something .

In an era when college presidents race to bend to outrageous demands from lefty students, Northwestern University’s Morton Schapiro is a rare case of backbone.
Campus group NU Community Not Cops has marched daily since Oct. 12, demanding Schapiro disband Northwestern’s police department. The “protests” have escalated to vandalism of the campus and local shops, plus a raucous midnight demo at the prez’s home (“Piggy Morty” was one cry).
In an open letter, Schapiro acknowledged “the many injustices faced by Black and other marginalized groups” but refused to engage with “individuals who continue to use the tactics of intimidation and violence.”
Schapiro has received an NAACP Community Service Award; he replaced loans with grants in financial-aid packages and founded the Northwestern Academy to help Chicago public-school students apply to college.
A true liberal, he says protesters “have no right to menace members of our academic and surrounding communities.” And that “vandalizing property, lighting fires and spray-painting phrases such as ‘kill the pigs’ ” are no “legitimate forms of free speech.”
In response, the kids are now also demanding Schapiro quit. If they listened to him instead, they might actually learn something.


newyorkpost--2020-10-26--Jamie Foxx’s younger sister DeOndra Dixon dies at 36

Jamie Foxx memorialized his younger sister , DeOndra Dixon , who died at 36 , via Instagram on Monday , writing “ My heart is shattered into a million pieces.
” “ My beautiful loving sister Deondra has transitioned , ” Foxx , 52 , wrote alongside a black-and-white photo of the two .
“ I say transitioned because she will always be alive… anyone who knew my sis… knew that she was a bright light… ” People magazine reported that Dixon died Oct. 19 .
“ I can ’ t tell you how many times we have had parties @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the dance floor and stolen the show… ” Foxx ’ s caption continued .
“ Well I know she is in heaven now dancing with her wings on … tho my pain is unbelievable I smile when I think of all of the great memories that she left me… my family… and her friends… from dancing in the blame it video… to Dancing on the Grammys… And becoming The ambassador to @ globaldownsyndrome… from sliding down my stairs with a grin as wide as the rio grand… to serenading us with all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have left A hole in my heart… but I will fill it with all of the memories that you gave me … I love you with every ounce of me… our family is shattered but we will put the pieces back together with your love… and y ’ all please keep my family in your prayers… 💔💔💔.
” DeOndra was born in Dallas , Texas to Foxx ’ s mother , Louise Annette , and his stepfather George on Sept. 6 , 1984 .
“ We weren ’ t trippin ’ on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Foxx told People in November 2011 .
“ We were trippin ’ on the fact that she was cute .
She was this little chocolate ball.
” DeOndra began competing in the Special Olympics as a sixth-grader , continuing with the event for nearly 10 years .
After graduating high school in Texas in 2002 , she relocated to California , moving in with Foxx .
Foxx told Dateline in 2018 that DeOndra , who had a lifelong love of dance and appeared onstage with Foxx several times , including , taught @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sometimes we get caught up in our world on the extras of everything — ‘ Ah , the Mercedes is not the right color !
’ And then you see this girl over here , ‘ I just want to live .
I want to dance .
I want to love.
’ So she brings you back down to what life is .
”

Jamie Foxx memorialized his younger sister, DeOndra Dixon, who died at 36, via Instagram on Monday, writing, “My heart is shattered into a million pieces.”
“My beautiful loving sister Deondra has transitioned,” Foxx, 52, wrote alongside a black-and-white photo of the two. “I say transitioned because she will always be alive… anyone who knew my sis… knew that she was a bright light…” People magazine reported that Dixon died Oct. 19.
“I can’t tell you how many times we have had parties at the house where she has got on the dance floor and stolen the show…” Foxx’s caption continued. “Well I know she is in heaven now dancing with her wings on … tho my pain is unbelievable I smile when I think of all of the great memories that she left me… my family… and her friends… from dancing in the blame it video… to Dancing on the Grammys… And becoming The ambassador to @globaldownsyndrome… from sliding down my stairs with a grin as wide as the rio grand… to serenading us with all of her music…”
“Deondra you have left A hole in my heart… but I will fill it with all of the memories that you gave me … I love you with every ounce of me… our family is shattered but we will put the pieces back together with your love… and y’all please keep my family in your prayers… 💔💔💔.”
DeOndra was born in Dallas, Texas, to Foxx’s mother, Louise Annette, and his stepfather, George, on Sept. 6, 1984. “We weren’t trippin’ on the fact that she had Down syndrome,” Foxx told People in November 2011. “We were trippin’ on the fact that she was cute. She was this little chocolate ball.”
DeOndra began competing in the Special Olympics as a sixth-grader, continuing for nearly 10 years. After graduating high school in Texas in 2002, she relocated to California, moving in with Foxx.
Foxx told Dateline in 2018 that DeOndra, who had a lifelong love of dance and appeared onstage with Foxx several times, taught him “how to live.”
“Sometimes we get caught up in our world on the extras of everything — ‘Ah, the Mercedes is not the right color!’ And then you see this girl over here, ‘I just want to live. I want to dance. I want to love.’ So she brings you back down to what life is.”


newyorkpost--2020-10-26--Stop letting dangerous lunatics roam free

What will it take for the city to finally address the clear danger posed by severely mentally ill walking city streets and haunting the subway ?
An unhinged man tossed a woman onto the tracks at Times Square last Friday .
Happily , she managed to get out in time — and police were able to quickly take Joshua Diaz into custody as the suspected shover .
He has a long and troubled history , arrested most recently for allegedly breaking into and sitting in the cars of strangers in Queens last month , on top of collars for burglary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ long list of subway assaults — from the 64-year-old man shoved onto the tracks at Union Square in February , all the way back to the Kendra Webdale tragedy back in 1999 — is scary .
The perp is almost always an unstable person with a history of bizarre , ever-escalating behaviors .
But Mayor Bill de Blasio and city officials continue to turn a blind eye to the problem .
Asked about the latest incident and how he planned to address the city ’ s mentally ill homeless problem , de Blasio @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ThriveNYC program — which in fact is falling short of meeting its service-provision goals .
“ I want to encourage anyone , if there ’ s someone in your life with a problem .
.
.
call 1-888-NYC-WELL so we can get the help that you need , ” the mayor said .
Either no one called the hotline about Friday ’ s subway shover or Thrive failed again .
A real response involves ordering maximum use of Kendra ’ s Law — passed after Webdale ’ s killing — to get these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to keep them off the streets .
Stop endangering the lives of ordinary New Yorkers , Mr. Mayor .

What will it take for the city to finally address the clear danger posed by severely mentally ill walking city streets and haunting the subway?
An unhinged man tossed a woman onto the tracks at Times Square last Friday. Happily, she managed to get out in time — and police were able to quickly take Joshua Diaz into custody as the suspected shover.
He has a long and troubled history, arrested most recently for allegedly breaking into and sitting in the cars of strangers in Queens last month, on top of collars for burglary, assault and resisting arrest.
The long list of subway assaults — from the 64-year-old man shoved onto the tracks at Union Square in February, all the way back to the Kendra Webdale tragedy back in 1999 — is scary. The perp is almost always an unstable person with a history of bizarre, ever-escalating behaviors.
But Mayor Bill de Blasio and city officials continue to turn a blind eye to the problem. Asked about the latest incident and how he planned to address the city’s mentally ill homeless problem, de Blasio droned about the supposed success of the ThriveNYC program — which in fact is falling short of meeting its service-provision goals.
“I want to encourage anyone, if there’s someone in your life with a problem . . . call 1-888-NYC-WELL so we can get the help that you need,” the mayor said. Either no one called the hotline about Friday’s subway shover or Thrive failed again.
A real response involves ordering maximum use of Kendra’s Law — passed after Webdale’s killing — to get these people taking the medications they need or to keep them off the streets.
Stop endangering the lives of ordinary New Yorkers, Mr. Mayor.


newyorkpost--2020-10-26--Joe Biden’s insane war on oil

Joe Biden’s insane war on oil

`` One of the most stunning moments last night was when ...

Joe Biden wants to take one of the great American success stories of the last several decades — and drive it into the ground.
He would turn his back on the stupendous wealth represented by proven reserves of oil and gas in this country.
Rather than focusing on producing cheap, abundant energy — a key ingredient to human progress through all of human history — he would embark on the fool’s errand of trying to adjust the world’s thermostat 80 years from now.
After a 50-year effort to diminish our reliance on Middle Eastern oil, which has miraculously happened at last, Biden would force America to transition to solar and wind, industries currently dependent on Chinese supply chains.
Whereas California has embraced the radical goal of a carbon-free electric grid by 2045, and has drastically increased the price of energy in the state already, Biden has seen and raised the Golden State’s gambit by embracing a goal of 2035.
All this was underlined by Biden’s statement at the end of last week’s debate that he wants to transition from oil, which constituted a gaffe only for anyone who hadn’t been paying attention to his Green New Deal-inflected energy plan.
It’s a funny time to want to kneecap oil and gas. Proven reserves of natural gas in the United States are higher than ever before, thanks to American-made technological innovations. A couple of years ago, the United States surpassed Russia and Saudi Arabia in crude-oil production. In recent years, petroleum and natural-gas exports have been increasing. And, of course, the rise of natural gas has cut US carbon emissions.
This should be considered a national strength to be built on, not a national shame to be put on a glide path to extinction. Fossil fuels are tremendously useful source of energy, and no hype about renewables can obscure that reality.
In 2019, petroleum, natural gas and coal accounted for 80 percent of overall energy consumption in the United States, according to US Energy Information Administration. Renewables made up only 11 percent, and the bulk of that came from biomass (wood and biofuels) and hydroelectric. Despite being heavily subsidized, wind and solar combined were responsible for only about a third of our renewable energy.
As the Danish economist Bjorn Lomberg points out, the share of US energy that comes from renewables declined over the last century. The rise of fossil fuels were a boon to humanity, a major advance over those old renewables, wood and dung.
“Over a century and a half,” Lomberg writes, “we shed our reliance on renewable energy and powered the Industrial Revolution with fossil fuels.”
The oil and gas industry should also be prized as a source of good American jobs. Petroleum engineers make about $137,000 a year, pump system and refinery operators, $72,000 a year, wellhead pumpers, $58,000, and roustabouts $44,000, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The idea that we are going to transition to wind and solar painlessly is a fantasy. Germany has been spending tens of billions a year trying to make this happen. Its renewable-energy program has doubled the cost of energy, while fossil fuels still account for about 80 percent of its energy supply.
If we think eschewing fossil fuels is going to convince other countries to do the same, we are fooling ourselves. Like in the United States, the industrial takeoff in China coincided with a jump in the use of coal. China is still building coal plants at a furious clip. The Middle Kingdom has plans to add more than the current US coal-fired capacity on top of its already prodigious use of coal, which accounts for more than half of the world’s total.
The Biden plan is an assault on American ingenuity and wealth, not to mention common sense. At least after last week, no one can say he wasn’t warned.
Twitter: @RichLowry


newyorkpost--2020-10-26--My kid has cancer and ObamaCare is making everything worse

President Trump said it would be a “ win for the ...

‘Before ObamaCare went into effect, the private marketplace offered us a wide range of relatively inexpensive plans.’
Joe Biden has been running an ad in which he says he can’t imagine what it would be like to have a child with cancer and no health coverage. I don’t have to imagine. Under the health “reform” championed by Biden when he served as President Barack Obama’s vice president, I live that reality every day.
Twice over the past three years, ObamaCare has had no plans to sell us that covers little girls ravaged by cancer or recovering from that ordeal — and it might leave us floundering again.
In November 2015, my wife got the most dreadful call a parent can get. The doctor knew why our daughter Colette, then 2 ½ years old, hadn’t been feeling well: Blood work had revealed leukemia.
Thanks to ObamaCare, we were already in financial straits. In 2014, the law had eliminated a great plan we had had for years. Before ObamaCare went into effect, the private marketplace offered us a wide menu of relatively inexpensive plans that covered specialist care, even out of state.
Afterward, however, all that was left were increasingly costly plans with fewer benefits. Premiums swelled. In 2017, I took my family into the ObamaCare marketplace to escape at least the crushing premiums.
But things were about to get much worse than expensive. In mid-2017, President Trump merely suggested scrapping massive ObamaCare subsidies to insurance giants that only delivered lousy care at ever-greater cost. In response, every insurer in northern Virginia with a family plan pulled out for the following year.
That is, except one. But Cigna Connect wouldn’t cover Colette at Inova Fairfax, the one hospital in the region with a pediatric cancer ward. Under ObamaCare, our daughter was effectively without coverage for cancer.
Panicked, we called the politicians, the media and Cigna. We retained an attorney. Nothing changed. No full policy coverage from Cigna. Without options, I shut down part of my consulting business and started work at a friend’s organization for its group insurance — and got saddled with monthly premiums far in excess of what we could afford.
Thanks to the publicity and some strong-arming by Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.), Cigna agreed to cover the hospital — but it was too late for us. Then, for 2020, we purchased a better plan from Anthem, newly returned to the ObamaCare marketplace. We thought we might be done with insurance crises.
How naïve. In mid-March, with the novel coronavirus sweeping the country, Colette’s cancer doctors told us Anthem had decided that, in two weeks, it would no longer cover her clinic. Once again, thanks to ObamaCare, we were left without coverage for our daughter recovering from cancer.
Perhaps the marketplace would grant us a waiver to buy the Cigna plan still for sale in our ZIP code? Nope. So, like in 2017, we were forced to turn to Warner, to bully Anthem into its covering the clinic — at least through April 1, 2021.
After that? Who knows.
Open enrollment for next year starts Nov. 1. I could beg Warner to gear up for another round of veiled threats to a private company, to force one to cover us. Perhaps President Trump could issue an executive order prohibiting the insurance companies from pulling out of the market midyear, leaving children stranded.
But none of these is the right long-term answer. We must repeal ObamaCare and put into the hands of Americans real, automatically renewable insurance products curated to individual needs. Too many Colettes will suffer, and possibly die, waiting for the personal carve-outs only a few of us can ever get anyway.
To solve the inherent instability of ObamaCare, the state could just take over all medical facilities. It’s called single-payer. But then we would all be at the mercy of the same government bureaucracy that has been working for years to slowly kill my daughter.
And that has taught us a lesson. Turns out there is a nightmare worse than one’s watching cancer brutalize one’s little girl. It’s having Obama’s law — which his vice president rightly claims as his own — collude with the disease against her.
Mr. Biden, you might try imagining what that feels like.
Christopher B. Briggs is public-affairs counsel with the Independent Institute in Oakland, Calif.