newyorkpost--2020-04-17--Bolsonaro fires Brazil health minister amid coronavirus pandemic

RIO DE JANEIRO — Brazil ’ s President Jair Bolsonaro , whose dismissive stance toward the COVID-19 pandemic has angered many health experts , fired his popular health minister following a series of disagreements over the proper response to contain the virus ’ spread in South America ’ s most populous country .
Luiz Henrique Mandetta , an orthopedist , had garnered support for his handling of the pandemic that included the promotion of broad isolation measures enacted by state governors , even drawing comparisons to Dr. Anthony Fauci , U.S. President Donald Trump ’ s top virus expert .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ peak of the new coronavirus outbreak in Brazil is expected in the coming weeks .
“ You should have absolute certainty that we fought a good fight until here , ” Mandetta told fellow ministry workers in a televised press conference Thursday after announcing his departure .
“ But we ’ re at the start of the battle.
” Bolsonaro , for his part , has repeatedly characterized the virus as a “ little flu , ” said shutting down the economy would cause more damage than confining only high-risk Brazilians , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ drug .
“ Life is priceless , but the economy and employment need to return to normality , ” Bolsonaro said at a press conference on Thursday .
He also said he would neither condemn nor criticize Mandetta .
“ It was a consensual divorce because more important than me and more important than him as a minister is the health of the Brazilian people.
” For Mandetta ’ s replacement , Bolsonaro named Nelson Teich , an oncologist and senior consultant at medical services company Teich Health Care .
He also has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , according to his LinkedIn page .
Speaking alongside Bolsonaro , Teich said he didn ’ t want to announce any changes abruptly , as little is known about the virus .
He added that he and the president are “ completely aligned.
” “ Health and the economy are complementary , ” Teich said .
While Fauci isn ’ t a politician like Mandetta , both have often made public statements about the virus that differed from those of their bosses .
The White House has said this week that Fauci ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Republicans close to the White House say Trump has complained about Fauci ’ s positive media attention and sought to leave him out of task force briefings .
Bolsonaro , likewise , had convened doctors without inviting Mandetta and , in a televised interview earlier this month , said Mandetta had failed to show “ humility.
” A few days later , on April 5 , Bolsonaro told a group of supporters that he would act against officials in his government who “ are full of themselves.
” Those comments were widely understood @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s tenure , so much so that the minister said the next day his subordinates had cleaned out his desk .
He survived , but questions swirled over whether Bolsonaro had indeed backed away from dismissing the man whose COVID-19 response was welcomed by many Brazilians , or if he were just biding his time while recruiting a replacement .
While rising quickly , the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Brazil is still relatively low in relation to the country ’ s massive population of 211 million , though it does have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ There have been almost 2,000 deaths .
Its peak is expected in May .
For most people , the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms , such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks .
For some , especially older adults and people with existing health problems , it can cause more severe illness , including pneumonia and death .
Following Mandetta ’ s announcement of his firing , people in apartment buildings in Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro could be heard yelling insults at Bolsonaro from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ month by pollster Datafolha showed three-quarters of Brazilians approved of the health ministry ’ s handling of the crisis , versus just one-third for Bolsonaro .
At his press conference , Mandetta offered thanks to individuals with whom he had worked , and even to Bolsonaro .
“ I leave the health ministry with a lot of gratitude to the president for having nominated me and allowing me to nominate each of you , ” Mandetta said .
“ I know I am leaving the best team .
Work for the next minister @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t spare any effort .
”

RIO DE JANEIRO — Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro, whose dismissive stance toward the COVID-19 pandemic has angered many health experts, fired his popular health minister following a series of disagreements over the proper response to contain the virus’ spread in South America’s most populous country.
Luiz Henrique Mandetta, an orthopedist, had garnered support for his handling of the pandemic that included the promotion of broad isolation measures enacted by state governors, even drawing comparisons to Dr. Anthony Fauci, U.S. President Donald Trump’s top virus expert.
His dismissal comes as experts say the peak of the new coronavirus outbreak in Brazil is expected in the coming weeks.
“You should have absolute certainty that we fought a good fight until here,” Mandetta told fellow ministry workers in a televised press conference Thursday after announcing his departure. “But we’re at the start of the battle.”
Bolsonaro, for his part, has repeatedly characterized the virus as a “little flu,” said shutting down the economy would cause more damage than confining only high-risk Brazilians, and touted the yet-unproven efficacy of an anti-malarial drug.
“Life is priceless, but the economy and employment need to return to normality,” Bolsonaro said at a press conference on Thursday. He also said he would neither condemn nor criticize Mandetta. “It was a consensual divorce because more important than me and more important than him as a minister is the health of the Brazilian people.”
For Mandetta’s replacement, Bolsonaro named Nelson Teich, an oncologist and senior consultant at medical services company Teich Health Care. He also has a Master’s in Business Administration, according to his LinkedIn page.
Speaking alongside Bolsonaro, Teich said he didn’t want to announce any changes abruptly, as little is known about the virus. He added that he and the president are “completely aligned.”
“Health and the economy are complementary,” Teich said.
While Fauci isn’t a politician like Mandetta, both have often made public statements about the virus that differed from those of their bosses. The White House has said this week that Fauci’s job is secure. Still, Republicans close to the White House say Trump has complained about Fauci’s positive media attention and sought to leave him out of task force briefings.
Bolsonaro, likewise, had convened doctors without inviting Mandetta and, in a televised interview earlier this month, said Mandetta had failed to show “humility.” A few days later, on April 5, Bolsonaro told a group of supporters that he would act against officials in his government who “are full of themselves.”
Those comments were widely understood as signaling an end to Mandetta’s tenure, so much so that the minister said the next day his subordinates had cleaned out his desk.
He survived, but questions swirled over whether Bolsonaro had indeed backed away from dismissing the man whose COVID-19 response was welcomed by many Brazilians, or if he were just biding his time while recruiting a replacement.
That uncertainty vanished on Thursday.
While rising quickly, the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Brazil is still relatively low in relation to the country’s massive population of 211 million, though it does have the most cases in Latin America. There have been almost 2,000 deaths. Its peak is expected in May.
For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia and death.
Following Mandetta’s announcement of his firing, people in apartment buildings in Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro could be heard yelling insults at Bolsonaro from their windows. A survey earlier this month by pollster Datafolha showed three-quarters of Brazilians approved of the health ministry’s handling of the crisis, versus just one-third for Bolsonaro.
At his press conference, Mandetta offered thanks to individuals with whom he had worked, and even to Bolsonaro.
“I leave the health ministry with a lot of gratitude to the president for having nominated me and allowing me to nominate each of you,” Mandetta said. “I know I am leaving the best team. Work for the next minister like you worked for me. Don’t spare any effort.”


newyorkpost--2020-04-17--First rankings of greatest New York-New Jersey hockey teams

We ’ re being treated to classic rewinds on MSG , with the network televising noteworthy games from the 1980s and 1990s as well as many of the best and brightest from this century .
We ’ ve seen the Devils make the playoffs for the first time in their history ; we ’ ve seen the first game of the first round of the 1990 Battle of New York , in which the Islanders assaulted Jeff Bloemberg at the final buzzer after Pat LaFontaine had been drilled in the head a minute earlier by James Patrick ; we ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 6 double-overtime in Dallas to give the Devils the Stanley Cup in 2000 .
The trip down memory lane provokes memories .
As in , how is it possible that I forgot that Gary Nylund , who actually played 211 games for the team , was on the Islanders ?
But it also provokes the opportunity to create rankings .
In this case , The Post is going to rank the greatest teams in New York/New Jersey hockey history .
We ’ re not adding up WAR or GAR or GAA numbers to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is based on eyeballs and experience .
We ’ ve seen every one of these teams other than one .
As follows , Nos .
13-8 of the all-time Baker ’ s Dozen , with the top seven coming Saturday : Truth be told , it was an underwhelming and disappointing season , the Blueshirts going just 38-34-10 .
The coach , Colin Campbell , was forced to hold a press conference in early November on the mezzanine level of the Hotel Macdonald in Edmonton to defend his job performance after the team @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( that became 7-13-4 ) .
But this was the team with Wayne Gretzky and Mark Messier .
And this was the team that caught magic in the playoffs , No .
99 recording a pair of hat tricks as the Blueshirts made it to the conference finals before an injury-decimated team fell to the Flyers in five games .
Frank Boucher was behind the bench of this 27-11-10 team that finished second to Boston , but knocked out the Bruins in the semifinals before capturing the franchise ’ s third Cup within @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Maple Leafs in which the final four games were played in Toronto .
These were the Blueshirts of Davey Kerr , Bryan Hextall Sr. , Art Coulter , Neil and Mac Colville , Muzz and Lynn Patrick , Alex Shibicky and Phil Watson .
The Black-and-Blueshirts reached their zenith under John Tortorella with a 51-24-7 season in which they earned first seed in the Eastern Conference and fell one point short of the Presidents ’ Trophy .
Henrik Lundqvist was at his peak , and so was the shot-blocking brigade in front @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in each of the first two rounds , through which the coach shortened the bench at a moment ’ s notice , drained the club that was shocked by the Devils in a six-game conference finals that represented Martin Brodeur ’ s last hurrah .
This represents the only season of Ilya Kovalchuk ’ s NHL career in which his team won a round in the playoffs .
This team , which had gone 48-28-6 paced by No .
17 , Zach Parise , Patrik Elias , Travis Zajac and Adam Henrique ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ! )
up-front , won three rounds in the tournament including that signal upset of the Blueshirts before going down in six games to the Kings in the Final .
Submit your Rangers questions here to be answered in an upcoming Post mailbag Charisma and aura everywhere , even behind the bench with Fred Shero in his first year on Broadway .
There was the Ooh-La-La Gang featuring Ron Duguay and Dave Maloney ; Anders Hedberg and Ulf Nilsson ; the Godfather Line with Phil Esposito centering Don Murdoch and Don Maloney .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ five-game quarterfinal matchup , taking the last four by an aggregate score of 26-5 , before stunning the first-overall Islanders in the six-game conference finals — after which , according to The Post ’ s front page , the team partied at Studio 54 .
The team lost the final in five to Montreal after taking the opener .
Mark Messier won the Hart Trophy in his first year in New York with Roger Neilson behind the bench , Brian Leetch won the Norris Trophy at age 24 , and the Rangers took @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But after winning a seven-game first round against the Devils , the Blueshirts were upset by the Penguins in six games in the series in which Adam Graves tapped Mario Lemieux on the wrist with his stick and Mike Richter allowed one from center ice .

We’re being treated to classic rewinds on MSG, with the network televising noteworthy games from the 1980s and 1990s as well as many of the best and brightest from this century.
We’ve seen the Devils make the playoffs for the first time in their history; we’ve seen the first game of the first round of the 1990 Battle of New York, in which the Islanders assaulted Jeff Bloemberg at the final buzzer after Pat LaFontaine had been drilled in the head a minute earlier by James Patrick; we’ve seen Jason Arnott scoring in Game 6 double-overtime in Dallas to give the Devils the Stanley Cup in 2000.
The trip down memory lane provokes memories. As in, how is it possible that I forgot that Gary Nylund, who actually played 211 games for the team, was on the Islanders?
But it also provokes the opportunity to create rankings. In this case, The Post is going to rank the greatest teams in New York/New Jersey hockey history. We’re not adding up WAR or GAR or GAA numbers to create the list. Rather, it is based on eyeballs and experience. We’ve seen every one of these teams other than one.
As follows, Nos. 13-8 of the all-time Baker’s Dozen, with the top seven coming Saturday:
13. 1996-97 Rangers
Truth be told, it was an underwhelming and disappointing season, the Blueshirts going just 38-34-10. The coach, Colin Campbell, was forced to hold a press conference in early November on the mezzanine level of the Hotel Macdonald in Edmonton to defend his job performance after the team had gotten off to a 7-11-4 start (that became 7-13-4). But this was the team with Wayne Gretzky and Mark Messier. And this was the team that caught magic in the playoffs, No. 99 recording a pair of hat tricks as the Blueshirts made it to the conference finals before an injury-decimated team fell to the Flyers in five games.
12. 1939-40 Rangers
Frank Boucher was behind the bench of this 27-11-10 team that finished second to Boston, but knocked out the Bruins in the semifinals before capturing the franchise’s third Cup within 13 years with a six-game victory over the Maple Leafs in which the final four games were played in Toronto. These were the Blueshirts of Davey Kerr, Bryan Hextall Sr., Art Coulter, Neil and Mac Colville, Muzz and Lynn Patrick, Alex Shibicky and Phil Watson.
11. 2011-12 Rangers
The Black-and-Blueshirts reached their zenith under John Tortorella with a 51-24-7 season in which they earned first seed in the Eastern Conference and fell one point short of the Presidents’ Trophy. Henrik Lundqvist was at his peak, and so was the shot-blocking brigade in front of the King. But playing seven-games in each of the first two rounds, through which the coach shortened the bench at a moment’s notice, drained the club that was shocked by the Devils in a six-game conference finals that represented Martin Brodeur’s last hurrah.
10. 2011-12 Devils
This represents the only season of Ilya Kovalchuk’s NHL career in which his team won a round in the playoffs. This team, which had gone 48-28-6 paced by No. 17, Zach Parise, Patrik Elias, Travis Zajac and Adam Henrique (“Henrique … it’s over!) up-front, won three rounds in the tournament including that signal upset of the Blueshirts before going down in six games to the Kings in the Final.
Submit your Rangers questions here to be answered in an upcoming Post mailbag
9. 1978-79 Rangers
Charisma and aura everywhere, even behind the bench with Fred Shero in his first year on Broadway. There was the Ooh-La-La Gang featuring Ron Duguay and Dave Maloney; Anders Hedberg and Ulf Nilsson; the Godfather Line with Phil Esposito centering Don Murdoch and Don Maloney. The Rangers crushed the Flyers in a five-game quarterfinal matchup, taking the last four by an aggregate score of 26-5, before stunning the first-overall Islanders in the six-game conference finals — after which, according to The Post’s front page, the team partied at Studio 54. The team lost the final in five to Montreal after taking the opener.
8. 1991-92 Rangers
Mark Messier won the Hart Trophy in his first year in New York with Roger Neilson behind the bench, Brian Leetch won the Norris Trophy at age 24, and the Rangers took the Presidents’ Trophy by going 50-25-5. But after winning a seven-game first round against the Devils, the Blueshirts were upset by the Penguins in six games in the series in which Adam Graves tapped Mario Lemieux on the wrist with his stick and Mike Richter allowed one from center ice.


newyorkpost--2020-04-17--Maine police warn against scam coronavirus text messages

Countless Facebook users have been sharing photos of their high ...

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A police department in Maine is warning the public against a text message-based coronavirus scam.
Cops in the Maine port town of Thomaston have posted a photo on their Facebook page of a text message sent from an Indiana area code warning the recipient that they need to self-isolate — along with a phony link.
“Someone who came in contact with you has tested positive or has shown symptoms for COVID-19 & recommends you self-isolate/get-tested,” the text message reads.
The alert is not from an official agency and officers from the department have told residents not to click through to the link, which police believe could be a phishing scam to grab victims’ personal information
“If you receive a text message like the one pictured, DO NOT click the link!” the department wrote on Facebook earlier this week. “It is not a message from any official agency. It is however a gateway for bad actors to find their way into your world.”
“The virus is not the only invisible enemy,” police said. “Be vigilant against all threats!”
The department’s message follow advisories from the Better Business Bureau on a host of new scams linked to the virus.
A common scam involves emails and texts that claim to be from the government, and which tell recipients they need to take an “online coronavirus test” in order to receive stimulus relief.
The BBB advises against clicking any link contained in an unsolicited or unverified message.
“As the COVID-19 pandemic spreads, so does uncertainty and fear: two elements that con artists thrive on,” the bureau wrote on its website.


newyorkpost--2020-04-17--Prince William and Kate Middleton video-calling family during quarantine

Click to email this to a friend ( Opens in new window ) Click to share on Twitter ( Opens @ @ @ @ @ to share on Facebook ( Opens in new window ) Meghan Markle and Prince Harry @ @ @ @ @ Archie ’ s first birthday in lockdown in LA — but they could be getting @ @ @ @ @ William and his kids .
Harry ’ s big brother William and wife Kate told @ @ @ @ @ ’ ve been chatting to all their family members online .
Kate said , “ @ @ @ @ @ Prince Charles ] and my parents and our families and things like that have really @ @ @ @ @ the children because it ’ s really hard , particularly over family times like Easter @ @ @ @ @ and not seeing each other .
So we have been making sure we share in @ @ @ @ @ like that just to make sure we keep in touch with each other .
”

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are preparing to celebrate baby Archie’s first birthday in lockdown in LA — but they could be getting a Zoom call from Prince William and his kids.
Harry’s big brother William and wife Kate told the BBC on Friday they’ve been chatting to all their family members online.
Kate said, “I think your father [Prince Charles] and my parents and our families and things like that have really loved keeping in touch with the children because it’s really hard, particularly over family times like Easter and things like that, and not seeing each other. So we have been making sure we share in on birthday calls and things like that just to make sure we keep in touch with each other.”


newyorkpost--2020-04-17--AJ Styles devastated over WWE’s release of ‘little brothers’

On WWE ’ s Bloody Wednesday , Seth Rollins tried to pay homage ...

AJ Styles is taking WWE releasing his friends and stable mates Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows hard – even blaming himself.
The former WWE champion, who hasn’t been on “Monday Night Raw” since his Boneyard match with the Undertaker at WrestleMania 36, spoke about his fellow OC (Original Club) members being let go by the company during a Mixer live stream on Thursday.
“If you guys didn’t know, Gallows and Anderson, guys that are like my brothers were released yesterday,” Styles said on the stream. “That one hurt really bad. The only way I know how to explain it is that these guys are my family, and I couldn’t take care of my little brothers.
“That’s the way I feel about it: I’m the oldest, and I’m supposed to take care of them. I didn’t manage to do that, and I feel responsible in some weird way for them being released. It’s devastating. I don’t know any other way to explain it.”
Gallows and Anderson, who reportedly signed five-year contracts with WWE in 2019, were part of a massive day of cuts by billionaire Vince McMahon’s company on Wednesday due to the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic. They even were part of Styles’ Boneyard match at WrestleMania.
WWE cut more than 20 wrestlers, including Kurt Angle, longtime superstars Heath Slater and Zack Ryder, Rusev, Sarah Logan and others. Referees, ring announcers, backstage producers and writers were also let go or furloughed as part of cost-cutting measures by the company.
“It’s just weird, this stuff is expected with everything that’s going,” Styles said. “I’m just shocked as you are [about] some of the guys who got released.”
The move comes as WWE continues to produce its television shows from its Performance Center in Orlando, Fla., after the company was deemed an “essential” business by Florida governor Ron DeSantis.
Anderson, who worked with Styles and Anderson in New Japan Pro-Wrestling before coming to WWE, appeared to hint at a return to Japan in a Twitter post. It will likely will be awhile before that could happen: NJPW, along with most other wrestling promotions around the world, is shut down because of the coronavirus pandemic.


newyorkpost--2020-04-17--Fauci says coronavirus testing isn’t everything when it comes to reopening states

White House coronavirus task force member Anthony Fauci says critics incorrectly believe that “ testing is everything ” as states prepare to reopen from the coronavirus pandemic .
Fauci , who enjoys broad respect among Democrats for his willingness to contradict President Trump , said testing concerns are over-hyped as Trump proposes that states pursue a phased reopening .
“ The emphasis that we ’ ve been hearing is essentially ‘ testing is everything ’ and it isn ’ t , ” Fauci said Friday night at a White House press conference .
Fauci , director of the National Institute @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after Democrats spent Friday slamming Trump for pushing a reopening of states as reckless without broader testing .
Maine Sen. Angus King , an independent who caucuses with Democrats , told Vice President Mike Pence on a Friday call that a lack of testing capacity was a “ dereliction of duty.
” “ I have never been so mad about a phone call in my life , ” King told Pence .
Gov .
Andrew Cuomo ( D-NY ) jeered Trump .
“ The president doesn ’ t want to help on testing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I said 11 times , I said the one issue we need help with is testing .
He said , 11 times , ‘ I don ’ t want to get involved with testing , it ’ s too complicated , it ’ s too hard.
’ ” Fauci likened new coronavirus infections to his experience with HIV/AIDS .
He said people don ’ t contract the virus without risky behavior .
For COVID-19 , Fauci said that risk mitigation such as social distancing reduces the likelihood of catching the virus .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that we ’ ve been doing , the mitigation strategies that are an important part , ” Fauci said .
“ What we really needed for for Phase One is to be able to identify , isolate [ and ] contact trace , ” Fauci said .
“ A very important part of when you ’ re pulling back gradually and slowly on the mitigation , and you have people who might be infected , you want to know they ’ re infected , you want to put them in care.
” Fauci @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the virus , “ a test means you ’ re negative now , ” and does not guarantee a person would remain virus-free .
On Thursday , task force members announced that the federal government would have “ sentinel ” intelligence conducted by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at nursing homes , at inner-city clinics and at Native American reservations .
As of Thursday , there were about 3.8 million coronavirus tests performed , of whom nearly 700,000 people tested positive .
Fauci , an early critic of testing capacity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ corrected ” with test processes .
CDC Director Robert Redfield displayed to reporters graphs showing spikes in respiratory illnesses over the past year , as indicated by long-standing surveillance at hospitals , with two influenza spikes and one for the coronavirus .
“ It ’ s not just taking a test .
It ’ s monitoring these systems , ” Redfield told reporters at the White House press conference .
Right now , “ we ’ re really coming down to the baseline background in terms of our flu surveillance system from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Redfield said .
“ Just think of the weather radar , ” he said .
“ If the weather radar is clear , you ’ re not going to have a thunderstorm or tornado .
”

White House coronavirus task force member Anthony Fauci says critics incorrectly believe that “testing is everything” as states prepare to reopen from the coronavirus pandemic.
Fauci, who enjoys broad respect among Democrats for his willingness to contradict President Trump, said testing concerns are over-hyped as Trump proposes that states pursue a phased reopening.
“The emphasis that we’ve been hearing is essentially ‘testing is everything’ and it isn’t,” Fauci said Friday night at a White House press conference.
Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, spoke after Democrats spent Friday slamming Trump for pushing a reopening of states as reckless without broader testing.
Maine Sen. Angus King, an independent who caucuses with Democrats, told Vice President Mike Pence on a Friday call that a lack of testing capacity was a “dereliction of duty.”
“I have never been so mad about a phone call in my life,” King told Pence.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D-NY) jeered Trump. “The president doesn’t want to help on testing,” Cuomo said Friday. “I said 11 times, I said the one issue we need help with is testing. He said, 11 times, ‘I don’t want to get involved with testing, it’s too complicated, it’s too hard.’”
Fauci likened new coronavirus infections to his experience with HIV/AIDS. He said people don’t contract the virus without risky behavior. For COVID-19, Fauci said that risk mitigation such as social distancing reduces the likelihood of catching the virus.
“It’s the kinds of things that we’ve been doing, the mitigation strategies that are an important part,” Fauci said.
“What we really needed for for Phase One is to be able to identify, isolate [and] contact trace,” Fauci said. “A very important part of when you’re pulling back gradually and slowly on the mitigation, and you have people who might be infected, you want to know they’re infected, you want to put them in care.”
Fauci said that with tests for infection for the virus, “a test means you’re negative now,” and does not guarantee a person would remain virus-free.
On Thursday, task force members announced that the federal government would have “sentinel” intelligence conducted by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at nursing homes, at inner-city clinics and at Native American reservations.
As of Thursday, there were about 3.8 million coronavirus tests performed, of whom nearly 700,000 people tested positive. Fauci, an early critic of testing capacity, said Friday that problems were “corrected” with test processes.
CDC Director Robert Redfield displayed to reporters graphs showing spikes in respiratory illnesses over the past year, as indicated by long-standing surveillance at hospitals, with two influenza spikes and one for the coronavirus.
“It’s not just taking a test. It’s monitoring these systems,” Redfield told reporters at the White House press conference.
Right now, “we’re really coming down to the baseline background in terms of our flu surveillance system from the overall coronavirus situation right now,” Redfield said.
US Public Health Service Adm. Brett Giroir likened surveillance mechanism to weather radar.
“Just think of the weather radar,” he said. “If the weather radar is clear, you’re not going to have a thunderstorm or tornado.”


newyorkpost--2020-04-17--Gianna Bryant, teammates named honorary WNBA Draft picks

WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert announced Gianna Bryant , Alyssa Altobelli and Payton Chester were named as honorary draft picks just prior to the start of Friday ’ s 2020 WNBA Draft .
The league honored the three girls who were killed in a helicopter crash with former NBA legend Kobe Bryant and five others on Jan. 26 .
Gianna , her dad and the other girls were on their way to a basketball game to be played at Bryant ’ s Mamba Sports Academy in California .
The crash occurred 30 miles away from downtown Los Angeles claimed all nine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Vanessa Bryant , thanked the league for honoring her 13-year-old daughter in a video message .
“ Thank you so much for honoring my Gigi and selecting her to be an honorary draft pick this year .
It would have been a dream come true for her , ” Vanessa Bryant said .
“ She worked tirelessly every single day .
She wanted to be one of the greatest athletes of all time , just like her daddy .
So thank you , thank you for honoring my little girl .
Kobe and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the announcement by stating all three girls ’ names in alphabetical order and messages were delivered from all of the families .
“ These athletes represented the future of the WNBA , players who were following their passions , acquiring knowledge of the game , exhibiting skills that were way beyond their years and they represented the next generation of stars in our league , ” Engelbert said .
The WNBA also paid tribute to former NBA Commissioner David Stern , who passed away on January 1 and helped form the league that @ @ @ @

WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert announced Gianna Bryant, Alyssa Altobelli and Payton Chester were named as honorary draft picks just prior to the start of Friday’s 2020 WNBA Draft.
The league honored the three girls who were killed in a helicopter crash with former NBA legend Kobe Bryant and five others on Jan. 26. Gianna, her dad and the other girls were on their way to a basketball game to be played at Bryant’s Mamba Sports Academy in California. The crash occurred 30 miles away from downtown Los Angeles claimed all nine lives.
Gianna’s mother, Vanessa Bryant, thanked the league for honoring her 13-year-old daughter in a video message.
“Thank you so much for honoring my Gigi and selecting her to be an honorary draft pick this year. It would have been a dream come true for her,” Vanessa Bryant said. “She worked tirelessly every single day. She wanted to be one of the greatest athletes of all time, just like her daddy. So thank you, thank you for honoring my little girl. Kobe and Gigi loved the WNBA.”
Engelbert made the announcement by stating all three girls’ names in alphabetical order and messages were delivered from all of the families.
“These athletes represented the future of the WNBA, players who were following their passions, acquiring knowledge of the game, exhibiting skills that were way beyond their years and they represented the next generation of stars in our league,” Engelbert said.
The WNBA also paid tribute to former NBA Commissioner David Stern, who passed away on January 1 and helped form the league that started in 1997.


newyorkpost--2020-04-17--Judge extends deadline for Joe Exotic to challenge convictions

OKLAHOMA CITY — A former Oklahoma zookeeper who was sentenced to 22 years in prison for a murder-for-hire plot and federal wildlife violations has been granted an extra month to argue why his lawsuit challenging the convictions shouldn ’ t be dismissed .
Joseph Maldonado-Passage , also known as “ Joe Exotic , ” filed a federal lawsuit last month against the US Fish and Wildlife Service , the US Department of the Interior , the assistant US attorney who prosecuted him and several witnesses .
He ’ s seeking nearly $ 94 million in damages , claiming that he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ testimony .
A federal judge decided to recommend dismissing his lawsuit and provided an April 28 deadline for objection filing .
On Thursday , US District Judge Scott Palk extended that deadline to May 28 after Maldonado-Passage provided a handwritten letter requesting at least 30 days to respond , The Oklahoman reported Friday .
In the letter , Maldonado-Passage writes that he ’ s being isolated at the Federal Medical Center in Fort Worth , Texas , with “ ( no access to a computer , phone , email or library ) .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ for trying to arrange the killing of Carole Baskin , a Florida animal sanctuary founder who criticized his treatment of animals .
She wasn ’ t harmed .
The former zookeeper , who maintains his innocence , was also sentenced for killing five tigers , selling tiger cubs and falsifying wildlife records .
Maldonado-Passage is prominently featured in the recently released Netflix documentary “ Tiger King : Murder , Mayhem and Madness .
”

OKLAHOMA CITY — A former Oklahoma zookeeper who was sentenced to 22 years in prison for a murder-for-hire plot and federal wildlife violations has been granted an extra month to argue why his lawsuit challenging the convictions shouldn’t be dismissed.
Joseph Maldonado-Passage, also known as “Joe Exotic,” filed a federal lawsuit last month against the US Fish and Wildlife Service, the US Department of the Interior, the assistant US attorney who prosecuted him and several witnesses. He’s seeking nearly $94 million in damages, claiming that he was convicted based on false and perjured testimony.
A federal judge decided to recommend dismissing his lawsuit and provided an April 28 deadline for objection filing.
On Thursday, US District Judge Scott Palk extended that deadline to May 28 after Maldonado-Passage provided a handwritten letter requesting at least 30 days to respond, The Oklahoman reported Friday.
In the letter, Maldonado-Passage writes that he’s being isolated at the Federal Medical Center in Fort Worth, Texas, with “(no access to a computer, phone, email or library).”
A jury last April convicted Maldonado-Passage for trying to arrange the killing of Carole Baskin, a Florida animal sanctuary founder who criticized his treatment of animals. She wasn’t harmed.
The former zookeeper, who maintains his innocence, was also sentenced for killing five tigers, selling tiger cubs and falsifying wildlife records.
Maldonado-Passage is prominently featured in the recently released Netflix documentary “Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness.”


newyorkpost--2020-04-17--NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea’s wise warning on ‘compassionate’ coronavirus prison releases

“ We still need to keep violent criminals in jail , ” Police Commissioner Dermot Shea warned this week on “ Good Day New York.
” Seems a no-brainer — but not for the city ’ s legal-aid community .
In the coronavirus crisis , jail and prison crowding endangers those held as well as correction officers and other staff .
So let the truly medically fragile and nonviolent detainees in high-risk categories be set free from the confines of Rikers Island .
Yet even the 1,500 releases so far aren ’ t enough for groups such as the Bronx @ @ @ @ @ @ @ They ’ d put even depraved predators back on city streets .
To the “ Close Rikers , No Jails ” set , COVID-19 is just a pretext for realizing their longstanding agenda : no one in jail , period .
Last week , for example , the Bronx Defenders pressed Justice Martin Marcus to release Victor Mateo , who is accused of running over his estranged wife with a car and then hacking her to death with a machete in front of her two grandchildren on a Bronx street last October .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ loose alleged car thief Ronnie Cole , who ’ s accused of holding a gun against a police officer ’ s chest and snarling , “ I have a gun , f - - king die ” when he was caught trying to steal a BMW last year .
Happily , Mateo and Cole remain behind bars — though Marcus released others charged with violent offenses .
Shea has cited a man released despite being locked up for setting his girlfriend ’ s apartment door ablaze , and who threatened the woman after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ releases for accused cop-killers , domestic-violence perps , gang-involved drug dealers and the like : Don ’ t make the streets even more unsafe .

“We still need to keep violent criminals in jail,” Police Commissioner Dermot Shea warned this week on “Good Day New York.” Seems a no-brainer — but not for the city’s legal-aid community.
In the coronavirus crisis, jail and prison crowding endangers those held as well as correction officers and other staff. So let the truly medically fragile and nonviolent detainees in high-risk categories be set free from the confines of Rikers Island.
Yet even the 1,500 releases so far aren’t enough for groups such as the Bronx Defenders and the Legal Aid Society. They’d put even depraved predators back on city streets. To the “Close Rikers, No Jails” set, COVID-19 is just a pretext for realizing their longstanding agenda: no one in jail, period.
Last week, for example, the Bronx Defenders pressed Justice Martin Marcus to release Victor Mateo, who is accused of running over his estranged wife with a car and then hacking her to death with a machete in front of her two grandchildren on a Bronx street last October.
They also wanted the judge to cut loose alleged car thief Ronnie Cole, who’s accused of holding a gun against a police officer’s chest and snarling, “I have a gun, f - - king die” when he was caught trying to steal a BMW last year.
Happily, Mateo and Cole remain behind bars — though Marcus released others charged with violent offenses.
Shea has cited a man released despite being locked up for setting his girlfriend’s apartment door ablaze, and who threatened the woman after he was cut loose.
No COVID-19 releases for accused cop-killers, domestic-violence perps, gang-involved drug dealers and the like: Don’t make the streets even more unsafe.


newyorkpost--2020-04-17--The ‘fixes’ to New York’s no-bail law don’t do nearly enough

Even as the coronavirus crisis adds new burdens on New ...

New York is the epicenter of America’s COVID-19 crisis, but it’s also the focal point of the national debate about reducing jail populations through bail reform. The pandemic has renewed calls to cut incarceration further, which may reinvigorate the bail-reform movement. But it’s important to remember that this public health crisis is temporary, while the risks of bad bail reform will be lasting.
Last April, New York lawmakers passed legislation limiting the scope of criminal charges for which defendants could be required to post bail or be remanded to pretrial detention. Albany enacted these restrictions while maintaining an outmoded prohibition on judicial consideration of “dangerousness” in pretrial release decisions. Uniquely among the states, New York cannot consider public safety in any aspect of pretrial release.
The reforms resulted in a sharp rise in the number of defendants avoiding pretrial detention. This led, in turn, to prominently reported incidents in which released defendants were rearrested for new offenses. These incidents were accompanied by a rise in New York City crime through February, which set the public on edge and prompted calls to scale back the reform.
NYPD data showed that public anxiety wasn’t misplaced. In the first two months after bail reform took effect — January and February of this year — 483 people arrested for non-bail-eligible felonies in the city were rearrested (some more than once) for 846 new crimes. Thirty-five percent of those crimes were major felonies, including murder (1), robbery (99), felony assault (27), burglary (79), grand larceny and grand larceny-auto (93).
Public opinion about the Empire State’s bail reform took a nosedive just weeks after it went into effect. When the reforms were passed last spring, 55 percent of respondents to a Siena Poll thought the reform would be good. By mid-February, that number was down to just 33 percent, with 59 percent registering their opposition.
State leaders, including Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, committed to addressing public concerns in this year’s budget, finalized on April 3. Though the final bill included changes to last year’s reform, the revisions are modest and leave many holes unplugged.
The most notable “adjustment” is a small-scale expansion of “qualifying offenses” that were carved out in the 2019 reform as bail-eligible. The revised statute, however, maintains the misguided prohibition on judicial considerations of public-safety risk when deciding whether and under what conditions to release defendants pretrial.
And the updated statute still contains provisions that make bail more difficult to impose — even in qualifying cases — by requiring judges to choose the least-restrictive means of securing a defendant’s return to court, and to explain their decision on the record.
Almost all the crimes designated as “qualifying offenses” in 2019 involve violence, the threat of violence or sexual exploitation. This also applies to offenses added in 2020 — a tacit admission that dangerousness matters. So why not give judges the discretion to detain pretrial defendants who pose a potential danger to the public?
Critics of pretrial detention often cite the “presumption of innocence,” but the Supreme Court has ruled on multiple occasions that pretrial detention on public-safety grounds is constitutionally permissible.
The current law seems built on a presumption that the crimes for which a defendant is charged are a reliable indicator of the risk that he or she poses to the public during the pretrial period. They’re not. According to a study by the New York City Criminal Justice Agency, “the likelihood of [a failure to appear] and/or rearrest for a violent offense was lower among defendants initially arrested for felony-level violent and property offenses” than it was “among defendants initially arrested for all types of misdemeanor or lesser offenses.”
A fairer and more accurate way to assess a given defendant’s risk is through a validated algorithmic risk assessment tool (RAT), which calculates risk based on factors like criminal history and age. A recent study by the Center for Court Innovation illustrated the predictive accuracy of such a tool — even across racial groups, a crucial criterion, given the opposition of reformers who claim racial bias is built into the algorithms.
New York tried to balance equity and safety in 2019, but the effort proved lopsided. The new adjustments improve matters, but an important imbalance remains — one with implications for public order.
Rafael A. Mangual is a contributing editor to City Journal, from which this was adapted.


newyorkpost--2020-04-17--De Blasio’s years of overspending make NYC’s coronavirus fiscal mess far worse

COVID-19 is a catastrophe for the city ’ s $ 89.3 billion budget , likely tearing 20 percent — or more than $ 13 billion — off the city ’ s tax revenues by winter .
It would be a challenge for any mayor .
It ’ s our luck , though , not to have just any mayor , but Bill de Blasio — who took actions during the boom years that make things much worse now for almost everyone , from parents hoping to take their toddlers to the pool in late summer to at-risk teens who ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stuck in an apartment all spring .
When he took office in 2014 , de Blasio was the first mayor since John Lindsay not to inherit a fiscal crisis from his predecessor .
That ’ s because Mike Bloomberg — never exactly a fiscal conservative in his first two terms — did take actions in his third term to control spending .
As the financial crisis hit in 2008 , Bloomberg did something quite reasonable : He told the city ’ s workforce , mainly teachers and other civilians , that if they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for raises , they , like most everyone in the private sector , would not get raises .
De Blasio , rather than being grateful that someone else had made a tough choice , was — as would become his wont — ungracious .
In May 2014 — in awarding the first of $ 2.9 billion in retroactive raises to teachers and civilian workers , as part of a general $ 15.2 billion wage hike through 2018 — de Blasio couldn ’ t resist a dig at his predecessor .
The previous mayor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and so wrong , and so unnecessary , ” de Blasio lectured .
Only one problem : Even in the greatest tax-revenue boom the city had ever seen , de Blasio couldn ’ t actually afford to pay teachers extra money for work they had done five years before .
Solution : Stretch the retro–active pay out to 2021 , the fiscal year that starts this July .
This fall , Gotham must splash out $ 1.5 billion for work teachers and other city employees did as far back as 11 years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ offset by illusory health-care savings ; the city ’ s bill for health insurance and other non-cash benefits for its workers is now $ 11.6 billion annually . )
To close the $ 6.6 billion budget gap the mayor foresees for next year — and the gap will probably be twice that — he is mostly drawing down reserves , like a long-term account meant to pay for public workers ’ health care once they retire .
The city has only managed to come up with $ 2.7 billion in real spending cuts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ price .
No summer jobs for teens who ’ ll have missed three months of school and will be in need of professional-adult mentorship : $ 116 million ; $ 12 million to close city pools for the summer — even though , as with summer jobs , it ’ s way too early to decide that kids cooped up all spring can ’ t maybe go to the pool in August ; $ 3 million in not building new bike lanes , when people won ’ t want to ride the subway @ @ @ @ @ @ @ barely started cutting , and he has started by scraping the bottom of the barrel , signaling the public that the city won ’ t be the place to be for the indefinite future .
Meanwhile , come October , the city ’ s teachers and other civilian workers can still expect their final lump-sum payment for work that they did last decade .
In a historic crisis , this is the first thing to cut — and a hard-headed mayor would use the threat of furloughs to get the workforce to do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just delay it another 10 years ?
It was never a good sign that back in 2014 , de Blasio felt the need to resort to what is effectively borrowing from the future to pay past operating expenses .
Now , the future is here , and it needs its money back .
But don ’ t just blame the mayor : the city comptroller , Scott Stringer , and the state-appointed Financial Control Board , too , signed off on this nutty deal , even though reforms put in place after the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ None of this means Washington shouldn ’ t approve billions of dollars in new aid for New York .
Bailouts are never fair , and the nation doesn ’ t benefit if its largest city can ’ t pick up the trash .
But we need a bailout not only from COVID-19 but from our regressive mayor ’ s past bad decisions .

COVID-19 is a catastrophe for the city’s $89.3 billion budget, likely tearing 20 percent — or more than $13 billion — off the city’s tax revenues by winter. It would be a challenge for any mayor.
It’s our luck, though, not to have just any mayor, but Bill de Blasio — who took actions during the boom years that make things much worse now for almost everyone, from parents hoping to take their toddlers to the pool in late summer to at-risk teens who’ll be without summer jobs after being stuck in an apartment all spring.
When he took office in 2014, de Blasio was the first mayor since John Lindsay not to inherit a fiscal crisis from his predecessor. That’s because Mike Bloomberg — never exactly a fiscal conservative in his first two terms — did take actions in his third term to control spending.
As the financial crisis hit in 2008, Bloomberg did something quite reasonable: He told the city’s workforce, mainly teachers and other civilians, that if they couldn’t find savings to pay for raises, they, like most everyone in the private sector, would not get raises.
De Blasio, rather than being grateful that someone else had made a tough choice, was — as would become his wont — ungracious.
In May 2014 — in awarding the first of $2.9 billion in retroactive raises to teachers and civilian workers, as part of a general $15.2 billion wage hike through 2018 — de Blasio couldn’t resist a dig at his predecessor. The previous mayor’s stance was “so intractable, and so wrong, and so unnecessary,” de Blasio lectured.
Only one problem: Even in the greatest tax-revenue boom the city had ever seen, de Blasio couldn’t actually afford to pay teachers extra money for work they had done five years before.
Solution: Stretch the retro–active pay out to 2021, the fiscal year that starts this July. This fall, Gotham must splash out $1.5 billion for work teachers and other city employees did as far back as 11 years ago. (It’s supposedly offset by illusory health-care savings; the city’s bill for health insurance and other non-cash benefits for its workers is now $11.6 billion annually.)
To close the $6.6 billion budget gap the mayor foresees for next year — and the gap will probably be twice that — he is mostly drawing down reserves, like a long-term account meant to pay for public workers’ health care once they retire.
The city has only managed to come up with $2.7 billion in real spending cuts so far — and at a high price.
No summer jobs for teens who’ll have missed three months of school and will be in need of professional-adult mentorship: $116 million; $12 million to close city pools for the summer — even though, as with summer jobs, it’s way too early to decide that kids cooped up all spring can’t maybe go to the pool in August; $3 million in not building new bike lanes, when people won’t want to ride the subway for a while.
De Blasio has barely started cutting, and he has started by scraping the bottom of the barrel, signaling the public that the city won’t be the place to be for the indefinite future.
Meanwhile, come October, the city’s teachers and other civilian workers can still expect their final lump-sum payment for work that they did last decade.
In a historic crisis, this is the first thing to cut — and a hard-headed mayor would use the threat of furloughs to get the workforce to do it “voluntarily.” Or why not just delay it another 10 years?
It was never a good sign that back in 2014, de Blasio felt the need to resort to what is effectively borrowing from the future to pay past operating expenses. Now, the future is here, and it needs its money back.
But don’t just blame the mayor: the city comptroller, Scott Stringer, and the state-appointed Financial Control Board, too, signed off on this nutty deal, even though reforms put in place after the 1970s fiscal crisis supposedly forbid it.
None of this means Washington shouldn’t approve billions of dollars in new aid for New York. Bailouts are never fair, and the nation doesn’t benefit if its largest city can’t pick up the trash. But we need a bailout not only from COVID-19 but from our regressive mayor’s past bad decisions.
Twitter: @NicoleGelinas


newyorkpost--2020-04-17--Sabrina Ionescu selected by Liberty with first pick of WNBA Draft

The assists were her ticket onto the court .
The boys ...

Not even the challenges of a virtual draft could get in the way of this pick.
The Liberty completed the no-brainer Friday night and selected Oregon superstar point guard Sabrina Ionescu with the first-overall pick of the WNBA Draft, marking what could turn out to be a franchise-altering day for the organization.
With Ionescu’s arrival, the Liberty will get both a supremely talented player and an instant face of the franchise.
“I know there’s a lot of pressure, but I’m really just excited to take that on and see where it takes me,” Ionescu said on a conference call. “Just excited to use that as motivation to continue to get better in all aspects of my game.”
Ionescu, whose play and competitive fire enthralled a fanbase that grew to include the likes of Kobe Bryant, Stephen Curry and LeBron James, rewrote the NCAA record book for men and women during her dominant college career. The 5-foot-11 pick-and-roll specialist finished her four-year career with 2,562 points, 1,091 assists and 1,040 rebounds — the first-ever player to surpass 2,000 points, 1,000 assists and 1,000 rebounds — while setting a new standard with 26 career triple-doubles.
After the two-time national player of the year left her mark on Oregon and the college game, Ionescu will have the chance to do the same for the Liberty and WNBA.
“I think it’s perfect, because she’s a star and New York’s a city that likes its stars,” Oregon coach Kelly Graves told The Post in the leadup to the draft. “She’s also going to have to produce. She’s done it at the collegiate level on that kind of stage with those kind of expectations and pressure. There’s gonna be some pressure to produce results, in terms of victories and then stats. But she’s played with a lot of pressure. She’s had a lot of people that have wanted her to fail and she just always seems to be successful.
“Whatever she does on the court, in production, is going to pale in comparison to what she’ll give that organization to start developing their culture. I’ve talked with [Liberty GM] Jonathan [Kolb] and [head coach] Walt [Hopkins] several times and I know that they’re really looking forward to having a really strong organization. With the move over to Barclays, I think it’s natural. I think it’s going to be a match made in heaven.”
The Liberty have gone 17-51 over the last two seasons, which helped them win the draft lottery last September. They have a new head coach in Hopkins and, whenever the season begins considering the challenge of the coronavirus pandemic, will start playing their home games at Barclays Center. They also traded away their most established star, Tina Charles, on Wednesday for two players and more draft picks Friday night.
Now, the blank canvas awaits for Ionescu to take over.
“We’re excited to have someone with her caliber and, most importantly, her character in our league,” WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert said on a conference call Friday. “It’s exciting for New York.”
Ionescu, who is being courted by Nike, Under Armour and Puma for an endorsement deal, is the Liberty’s first No. 1 pick in franchise history.


newyorkpost--2020-04-17--No need to wipe down food packaging during coronavirus pandemic, FDA says

Heads up , consumers : When running the essential errand that is grocery shopping during the coronavirus epidemic in the U.S. , there ’ s no need to wipe down the food packaging after you ’ ve returned home , according to a federal agency .
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration ( FDA ) attempted to quell Americans ’ fears that their food packaging may be contaminated with the novel coronavirus , as recent studies have suggested it can live on certain surfaces between hours and days .
But in a statement posted to its website on Thursday , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to reassure consumers that there is currently no evidence of human or animal food or food packaging being associated with transmission of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19.
” “ This particular coronavirus causes respiratory illness and is spread from person-to-person , unlike foodborne gastrointestinal or GI viruses , such as norovirus and hepatitis A that often make people ill through contaminated food , ” it added , noting there are currently no nationwide shortages of food , though some stores may be out of certain products .
The FDA also provided tips on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and store employees when buying essential items .
For instance , it advised to : • Wear a face mask or covering while in the store ( this is in line with recently updated Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [ CDC ] guidelines , and is now mandatory in hot spots like New York ) • Practice social distancing while shopping , make sure to stay at least 6 feet away from others • Thoroughly wash your hands after returning home and again after putting the groceries away “ Again , there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ associated with the transmission of COVID-19 .
However , if you wish , you can wipe down product packaging and allow it to air dry , as an extra precaution , ” the FDA added .

Heads up, consumers: When running the essential errand that is grocery shopping during the coronavirus epidemic in the U.S., there’s no need to wipe down the food packaging after you’ve returned home, according to a federal agency.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) attempted to quell Americans’ fears that their food packaging may be contaminated with the novel coronavirus, as recent studies have suggested it can live on certain surfaces between hours and days.
But in a statement posted to its website on Thursday, the FDA said: “We want to reassure consumers that there is currently no evidence of human or animal food or food packaging being associated with transmission of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19.”
“This particular coronavirus causes respiratory illness and is spread from person-to-person, unlike foodborne gastrointestinal or GI viruses, such as norovirus and hepatitis A that often make people ill through contaminated food,” it added, noting there are currently no nationwide shortages of food, though some stores may be out of certain products.
The FDA also provided tips on how to protect yourself, other shoppers and store employees when buying essential items. For instance, it advised to:
Prepare a grocery list in advance
Wear a face mask or covering while in the store (this is in line with recently updated Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC] guidelines, and is now mandatory in hot spots like New York)
Practice social distancing while shopping, make sure to stay at least 6 feet away from others
Thoroughly wash your hands after returning home and again after putting the groceries away
“Again, there is no evidence of food packaging being associated with the transmission of COVID-19. However, if you wish, you can wipe down product packaging and allow it to air dry, as an extra precaution,” the FDA added.


newyorkpost--2020-04-17--US officials confirm investigation into whether coronavirus escaped from Wuhan lab

The US is conducting a full-scale investigation into whether the novel coronavirus , which went on to morph into a global pandemic that has brought the global economy to its knees , escaped from a lab in Wuhan , China , Fox News has learned .
Intelligence operatives are said to be gathering information about the laboratory and the initial outbreak of the virus .
Intelligence analysts are piecing together a timeline of what the government knew and “ creating an accurate picture of what happened , ” the sources said .
Once that investigation is complete — something that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — the findings will be presented to the Trump administration .
At that point White House policymakers and President Trump will use the findings to determine how to hold the country accountable for the pandemic .
Fox News first reported on Wednesday that there is increasing confidence that the outbreak likely originated in a Wuhan lab , not as a bioweapon but as part of a Chinese effort to show that its efforts to identify and combat viruses are equal or greater than those of the US .
US officials and the intelligence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they have taken the possibility of the coronavirus being man-made or engineered inside China as some sort of bioweapon off the table and have ruled it out at this point .
Sources point to the structure of the virus , in saying the genome mapping specifically shows it was not genetically altered .
The sources believe the initial transmission of the virus was a naturally occurring strain that was being studied there — and then went into the population in Wuhan .
Sources say the investigation of open source and classified data points @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dr. Shi Zhengli , who was working on antivirals and immunizations for coronavirus , specifically with bats .
US officials are 100 percent confident China went to great lengths to cover up after the virus was out , the sources said .
Additionally , the sources believe that the World Health Organization — which the president paused funding to this week over its role in the crisis — was either complicit in the coverup , or looked the other way .
The president hinted at an investigation on Wednesday when he told Fox @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and more we ’ re hearing the story…we are doing a very thorough examination of this horrible situation.
” Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Friday reiterated that the administration was eyeing the Wuhan Institute of Virology , and accused the Chinese government of stonewalling scientists from finding out what happened .
“ We know that the first sightings of this occurred within miles of the Wuhan Institute of Virology .
We know that this – the history of the facility , the first BSL-4 lab where there ’ s high-end virus research @ @ @ @ @ @ @ site , ” Pompeo said on the Hugh Hewitt Show .
“ We know that the Chinese Communist Party , when it began to evaluate what to do inside of Wuhan , considered whether the WIV was , in fact , the place where this came from.
” “ And most importantly , we know they ’ ve not permitted the world ’ s scientists to go into that laboratory to evaluate what took place there , what ’ s happening there , what ’ s happening there even as we speak , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ speculation for months , not just in the US , that the virus originated in a Chinese laboratory .
A February study on the origins of the virus from the South China University of Technology concluded : “ In addition to origins of natural recombination and intermediate host , the killer coronavirus probably originated from a laboratory in Wuhan.
” Should it turn out that the virus escaped from a Chinese laboratory , the global pushback against the Chinese government could be significant .
The virus has infected and killed hundreds of thousands @ @ @ @ @ @ @ globe .
Trump , who has frequently taken a hardline towards China even before the crisis , would be expected to lead calls to make Beijing face consequences .
During Thursday ’ s daily press briefing , China ’ s foreign ministry pushed back on claims that anything suspicious had taken place in the Wuhan lab and reiterated there was no evidence that the coronavirus , which has infected more than 2 million people globally , was made there .
“ The head of the WHO has stated many times that there is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the laboratory , ” spokesperson Zhao Lijian said .
“ Many prominent medical experts in the world also believe that the so-called laboratory leaks have no scientific basis.
” Fox News ’ Barnini Chakraborty and Gregg Re contributed to this report .

The US is conducting a full-scale investigation into whether the novel coronavirus, which went on to morph into a global pandemic that has brought the global economy to its knees, escaped from a lab in Wuhan, China, Fox News has learned.
Intelligence operatives are said to be gathering information about the laboratory and the initial outbreak of the virus. Intelligence analysts are piecing together a timeline of what the government knew and “creating an accurate picture of what happened,” the sources said.
Once that investigation is complete — something that is expected to happen in the near-term — the findings will be presented to the Trump administration. At that point White House policymakers and President Trump will use the findings to determine how to hold the country accountable for the pandemic.
Fox News first reported on Wednesday that there is increasing confidence that the outbreak likely originated in a Wuhan lab, not as a bioweapon but as part of a Chinese effort to show that its efforts to identify and combat viruses are equal or greater than those of the US.
US officials and the intelligence community have confirmed to Fox News that they have taken the possibility of the coronavirus being man-made or engineered inside China as some sort of bioweapon off the table and have ruled it out at this point.
Sources point to the structure of the virus, in saying the genome mapping specifically shows it was not genetically altered. The sources believe the initial transmission of the virus was a naturally occurring strain that was being studied there — and then went into the population in Wuhan.
Sources say the investigation of open source and classified data points to the work in the lab of Dr. Shi Zhengli, who was working on antivirals and immunizations for coronavirus, specifically with bats.
US officials are 100 percent confident China went to great lengths to cover up after the virus was out, the sources said.
Additionally, the sources believe that the World Health Organization — which the president paused funding to this week over its role in the crisis — was either complicit in the coverup, or looked the other way.
The president hinted at an investigation on Wednesday when he told Fox News’ John Roberts: “More and more we’re hearing the story…we are doing a very thorough examination of this horrible situation.”
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Friday reiterated that the administration was eyeing the Wuhan Institute of Virology, and accused the Chinese government of stonewalling scientists from finding out what happened.
“We know that the first sightings of this occurred within miles of the Wuhan Institute of Virology. We know that this – the history of the facility, the first BSL-4 lab where there’s high-end virus research being conducted, took place at that site,” Pompeo said on the Hugh Hewitt Show. “We know that the Chinese Communist Party, when it began to evaluate what to do inside of Wuhan, considered whether the WIV was, in fact, the place where this came from.”
“And most importantly, we know they’ve not permitted the world’s scientists to go into that laboratory to evaluate what took place there, what’s happening there, what’s happening there even as we speak,” he said.
There has been speculation for months, not just in the US, that the virus originated in a Chinese laboratory. A February study on the origins of the virus from the South China University of Technology concluded: “In addition to origins of natural recombination and intermediate host, the killer coronavirus probably originated from a laboratory in Wuhan.”
Should it turn out that the virus escaped from a Chinese laboratory, the global pushback against the Chinese government could be significant. The virus has infected and killed hundreds of thousands of people and ravaged economies across the globe. Trump, who has frequently taken a hardline towards China even before the crisis, would be expected to lead calls to make Beijing face consequences.
During Thursday’s daily press briefing, China’s foreign ministry pushed back on claims that anything suspicious had taken place in the Wuhan lab and reiterated there was no evidence that the coronavirus, which has infected more than 2 million people globally, was made there.
“The head of the WHO has stated many times that there is no evidence that the new coronavirus originated in the laboratory,” spokesperson Zhao Lijian said. “Many prominent medical experts in the world also believe that the so-called laboratory leaks have no scientific basis.”
Fox News’ Barnini Chakraborty and Gregg Re contributed to this report.


newyorkpost--2020-04-17--We doctors need more freedom to use experimental anti-coronavirus treatments

Hydroxychloroquine shows promise as a treatment for COVID-19 .
It ’ s now routinely used on hospitalized patients nationwide , and we hope ongoing clinical trials in New York will confirm a therapeutic effect .
But too many restrictions remain .
Doctors need flexibility to treat documented and suspected cases and protect those most at risk of infection : themselves .
More than 9,000 health care workers have been infected with the coronavirus , and at least 27 have died .
A coming surge in supply means we can balance other needs for this drug with the pursuit of its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Andrew Cuomo has restricted doctors to prescribing hydroxychloroquine only for people who ’ ve tested positive for the virus .
This needs to be reconsidered .
Across the nation , doctors want the ability to treat patients who haven ’ t had access to a test but show signs of infection .
Requiring a positive test isn ’ t appropriate , especially with testing still too limited .
Even with access to testing , results can take over a week , while the patient becomes more ill , infects others and drains resources @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prescriptions on reliable signs of infection and illness .
Physicians have long used this approach for critically ill patients .
Many want to prescribe hydroxychloroquine prophylactically , to protect themselves and other health-care workers from getting and spreading the infection .
Some physicians are on prophylaxis already .
Unfortunately , New York doesn ’ t allow prophylactic use for our indispensable front-line health care workers — even as personal protective equipment remains in short supply .
It isn ’ t just the Empire State .
More than 20 states have issued guidelines restricting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a written diagnosis “ consistent with the evidence for its use ” and limits prescriptions to a 14-day supply .
Ohio does the same and , if the prescription is to treat COVID-19 , also requires evidence of a positive test result .
Just as we shouldn ’ t forbid treatment for untested but obviously sick people where tests are limited , we shouldn ’ t leave our most-exposed heroes unprotected .
We can extend access to health-care workers ethically .
They ’ re more informed than the general public of the occasional @ @ @ @ @ @ @ heart arrhythmia .
Any decision to use the drug for prophylaxis must be strictly voluntary .
There should also be guidelines to prevent abuse .
To be clear : Our knowledge regarding hydroxychloroquine is preliminary , and more study is urgently needed .
Nor can we forget that numerous other potential treatments are now the subject of urgent consideration , any of which could prove to be a breakthrough , either alone or in combination with each other .
But the FDA ’ s emergency authorization is based on data showing therapeutic and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s being studied right now at leading medical facilities here in New York and around the world .
Clinical trials are ongoing , and we ’ re learning more every day about the potential of this treatment and the best way to apply it .
Supply concerns , while justified , are being addressed .
We must ensure that people living with the chronic illnesses treated by these medicines — such as lupus and rheumatoid arthritis — can continue to access them without interruption .
Fortunately , aggressive actions are underway to this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hydroxychloroquine has topped 29 million doses , and FEMA has distributed over 19 million tablets to government agencies and major US cities — including New York .
Novartis has committed to donating up to 130 million doses , Bayer another million and Israeli firm Teva up to 10 million .
Mylan will donate 10 million tablets , and Amneal Pharmaceuticals 400,000 .
We should be confident that we can pursue the use of these drugs against COVID without surrendering our other responsibilities .
Sick patients and exposed workers , people living with chronic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in this together .
When supplies are limited , the sickest should be treated first .
As we wait for clinical studies , front-line health workers should also have access , to protect those most in harm ’ s way .
The pandemic ’ s horrors have unleashed an outpouring of appreciation for our medical heroes .
It would be illogical to deprive them of protection as they fight on our behalf .
Joseph Brewer is an infectious disease physician .
Mark P. Goodman is an internal medicine physician .

Hydroxychloroquine shows promise as a treatment for COVID-19. It’s now routinely used on hospitalized patients nationwide, and we hope ongoing clinical trials in New York will confirm a therapeutic effect. But too many restrictions remain.
Doctors need flexibility to treat documented and suspected cases and protect those most at risk of infection: themselves. More than 9,000 health care workers have been infected with the coronavirus, and at least 27 have died. A coming surge in supply means we can balance other needs for this drug with the pursuit of its promise against the pandemic.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo has restricted doctors to prescribing hydroxychloroquine only for people who’ve tested positive for the virus. This needs to be reconsidered. Across the nation, doctors want the ability to treat patients who haven’t had access to a test but show signs of infection. Requiring a positive test isn’t appropriate, especially with testing still too limited.
Even with access to testing, results can take over a week, while the patient becomes more ill, infects others and drains resources. Doctors should be able to base prescriptions on reliable signs of infection and illness. Physicians have long used this approach for critically ill patients.
Many want to prescribe hydroxychloroquine prophylactically, to protect themselves and other health-care workers from getting and spreading the infection. Some physicians are on prophylaxis already. Unfortunately, New York doesn’t allow prophylactic use for our indispensable front-line health care workers — even as personal protective equipment remains in short supply.
It isn’t just the Empire State. More than 20 states have issued guidelines restricting the use of hydroxychloroquine. Idaho requires a written diagnosis “consistent with the evidence for its use” and limits prescriptions to a 14-day supply. Ohio does the same and, if the prescription is to treat COVID-19, also requires evidence of a positive test result.
Just as we shouldn’t forbid treatment for untested but obviously sick people where tests are limited, we shouldn’t leave our most-exposed heroes unprotected. We can extend access to health-care workers ethically. They’re more informed than the general public of the occasional risks of taking hydroxychloroquine, such as heart arrhythmia. Any decision to use the drug for prophylaxis must be strictly voluntary. There should also be guidelines to prevent abuse.
To be clear: Our knowledge regarding hydroxychloroquine is preliminary, and more study is urgently needed. Nor can we forget that numerous other potential treatments are now the subject of urgent consideration, any of which could prove to be a breakthrough, either alone or in combination with each other.
But the FDA’s emergency authorization is based on data showing therapeutic and potential prophylactic effects. And it’s being studied right now at leading medical facilities here in New York and around the world. Clinical trials are ongoing, and we’re learning more every day about the potential of this treatment and the best way to apply it.
Supply concerns, while justified, are being addressed. We must ensure that people living with the chronic illnesses treated by these medicines — such as lupus and rheumatoid arthritis — can continue to access them without interruption.
Fortunately, aggressive actions are underway to this end. Our strategic national stockpile of hydroxychloroquine has topped 29 million doses, and FEMA has distributed over 19 million tablets to government agencies and major US cities — including New York.
Novartis has committed to donating up to 130 million doses, Bayer another million and Israeli firm Teva up to 10 million. Mylan will donate 10 million tablets, and Amneal Pharmaceuticals 400,000.
We should be confident that we can pursue the use of these drugs against COVID without surrendering our other responsibilities. Sick patients and exposed workers, people living with chronic illness and those with COVID-19 are all in this together. When supplies are limited, the sickest should be treated first.
As we wait for clinical studies, front-line health workers should also have access, to protect those most in harm’s way. The pandemic’s horrors have unleashed an outpouring of appreciation for our medical heroes. It would be illogical to deprive them of protection as they fight on our behalf.
Joseph Brewer is an infectious disease physician. Mark P. Goodman is an internal medicine physician.


newyorkpost--2020-04-17--How Mindy Kaling’s Netflix show ‘Never Have I Ever’ found its star

Newcomer Maitreyi Ramakrishnan was plucked from an audition pool of 15,000 hopeful actresses to star in Mindy Kaling ’ s Netflix show , “ Never Have I Ever.
” When Kaling and co-creator Lang Fisher called to tell her she landed the widely coveted role , “ I remember all that I said was , ‘ That ’ s crazy !
” Ramakrishnan , 18 , tells The Post .
“ And my entire family was around — my mom , my dad , my brother , my grandma , my cousin who was staying with us from England , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 27 — and marking Kaling ’ s first show for the streamer — “ Never Have I Ever ” is a coming-of-age comedy following Devi , an Indian American teen girl living in California and navigating the ups and downs of high school .
Devi is an overachiever with a hot temper who is trying to win over school heartthrob Paxton ( Darren Barnet , “ This Is Us ” ) , all while coming to terms with the death of her father ( Sendhil Ramamurthy , “ Heroes ” ) .
Devi @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( an Indian student who is staying with Devi ’ s family while she gets her PhD ) are also prominent characters .
That three different types of Indian women are shown onscreen felt special to Richa Moorjani , 30 , who co-stars as Kamala .
“ You ’ re getting to see the Indian experience through three different lenses , ” she says , referring to the three women in Devi ’ s family .
“ I know that this is going to be groundbreaking , not just for the South Asian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s the first time you see a high-school-aged Indian girl as the lead of a show.
” Although she uses an accent for the show , Moorjani is Indian-American in real life .
Ramakrishnan is Tamil-Canadian , and she still lives in Toronto with her family .
The show is her Hollywood debut , and she says she wasn ’ t initially aware of the high stakes .
“ I was excited , but I wasn ’ t fully aware of how my life was going to change… and this was before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many people ] auditioned , ” she says .
“ I thought that was wild .
Looking back , it ’ s cool to know that … but it ’ s more important to think about the fact that over 15,000 people wanted to be a part of it and see this project happen .
That ’ s pretty awesome.
” The show is packed with typical coming of age experiences , such as Devi embarrassing herself in front of Paxton , attending her first parties and trying hard to fit in .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ base her portrayal on any other pop culture characters , and that ’ s why she thinks she landed the sought-after part .
“ I remember asking Mindy why she picked me — why me , out of thousands ?
— and she said what was awesome was that I brought myself into the role without totally changing the character , but finding a nice balance that there was authenticity behind Devi , ” she says .
“ There ’ s a real person there .
“ I didn ’ t imitate what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I didn ’ t imitate the teens that are represented in film .
I took it in a unique way , and that ’ s a real way that people can relate to .
”

Newcomer Maitreyi Ramakrishnan was plucked from an audition pool of 15,000 hopeful actresses to star in Mindy Kaling’s Netflix show, “Never Have I Ever.”
When Kaling and co-creator Lang Fisher called to tell her she landed the widely coveted role, “I remember all that I said was, ‘That’s crazy!” Ramakrishnan, 18, tells The Post. “And my entire family was around — my mom, my dad, my brother, my grandma, my cousin who was staying with us from England, they were all screaming.”
Premiering April 27 — and marking Kaling’s first show for the streamer — “Never Have I Ever” is a coming-of-age comedy following Devi, an Indian American teen girl living in California and navigating the ups and downs of high school. Devi is an overachiever with a hot temper who is trying to win over school heartthrob Paxton (Darren Barnet, “This Is Us”), all while coming to terms with the death of her father (Sendhil Ramamurthy, “Heroes”).
Devi’s mother and her cousin Kamala (an Indian student who is staying with Devi’s family while she gets her PhD) are also prominent characters. That three different types of Indian women are shown onscreen felt special to Richa Moorjani, 30, who co-stars as Kamala.
“You’re getting to see the Indian experience through three different lenses,” she says, referring to the three women in Devi’s family. “I know that this is going to be groundbreaking, not just for the South Asian community but others as well. It’s the first time you see a high-school-aged Indian girl as the lead of a show.”
Although she uses an accent for the show, Moorjani is Indian-American in real life. Ramakrishnan is Tamil-Canadian, and she still lives in Toronto with her family. The show is her Hollywood debut, and she says she wasn’t initially aware of the high stakes.
“I was excited, but I wasn’t fully aware of how my life was going to change… and this was before Mindy Tweeted out the fact that [many people] auditioned,” she says. “I thought that was wild. Looking back, it’s cool to know that … but it’s more important to think about the fact that over 15,000 people wanted to be a part of it and see this project happen. That’s pretty awesome.”
The show is packed with typical coming of age experiences, such as Devi embarrassing herself in front of Paxton, attending her first parties and trying hard to fit in. But Ramakrishnan says she didn’t base her portrayal on any other pop culture characters, and that’s why she thinks she landed the sought-after part.
“I remember asking Mindy why she picked me — why me, out of thousands? — and she said what was awesome was that I brought myself into the role without totally changing the character, but finding a nice balance that there was authenticity behind Devi,” she says. “There’s a real person there.
“I didn’t imitate what has been shown on TV before; I didn’t imitate the teens that are represented in film. I took it in a unique way, and that’s a real way that people can relate to.”


newyorkpost--2020-04-17--Adam Silver: NBA is ‘not in any position’ to make decision on restart

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Despite growing doubts ...

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Commissioner Adam Silver couldn’t have sounded more uncertain about the NBA season’s restart if he tried.
Despite reports of renewed optimism about restarting the season, Silver said Friday night there is too much “uncertainty’’ to even give a date on when a decision can be made.
“The sense of our Board was that the safety, health, and well-being of our players, coaches, fans, everyone involved in our game, is paramount,’’ Silver said following the spring Board of Governors meeting that was held remotely. “Based on the reports we have gotten from various outside officials, current public health officials, we are not in a position to make any decisions, and it’s unclear when we will be.”
Dr. David Ho of Columbia University, one of the nation’s leading disease specialists, delivered a video presentation during the meeting and then took questions from the owners.
“One takeaway was, maybe not surprising, but he reaffirmed that there’s still enormous amounts of this virus yet to be learned,’’ Silver said.
Guest speaker Bob Iger, the former Disney CEO who gave a presentation, told the owners: “It’s about the data, not the date.”
“These are all extraordinarily successful people,’’ Silver said of the NBA owners. “There’s very much a roll-up-your-sleeves, can-do attitude about them. I think there’s frustration over how little control we and they have over the situation. There’s a fair amount of angst.”
Silver said Ho’s presentation “reaffirmed we all have to accept we’re dealing with incomplete facts.”
“This is bigger than our sport,’’ Silver added. “There’s too much uncertainty to say precisely how we move forward. There’s too much unknown to set a timeline.”
That said, the owners still want to believe, according to Silver. The season was suspended on March 11. Sources have told The Post a best-case scenario would be a July startup with a 5-to-7 game regular-season finish followed by a scaled-down 16-team, one-site playoff tournament.
Silver said he’s willing to delay the start of next season and still sees “an opportunity to play regular-season games.’’
“My sense of the NBA team owners is that if they can be part of a movement to restart our economy, that includes the NBA, they almost see that as a civic obligation,’’ Silver said.
Las Vegas appears the favorite to host a playoff tournament. The Post has reported Orlando, Atlantic City and Hawaii also have been talked about internally.
“We’ve listened, but we’re not seriously engaged yet in that type of environment,’’ Silver said.
Asked what sort of data is most crucial, Silver said, “We’re looking for the number of new infections to come down. We’re looking for the availability of testing on a large scale. We’re looking at the path that we’re on for potentially a vaccine. We’re looking at antiviral.’’
If the season is canceled, player salaries automatically are reduced by a set percentage under the “force majeure’’ clause that includes pandemics.
Silver acknowledged the suspension already has had a “huge financial impact” on the NBA because “no revenue’’ is coming in.
The league and union agreed to start a method of reducing player compensation already by deducting 25 percent of player paychecks starting May 15. Players get paid twice a month into late June.


newyorkpost--2020-04-17--Three California community newspapers to close amid coronavirus

California Times , the parent company of the Los Angeles Times , will close down three of its five community newspapers in the LA metropolitan area , affecting about 14 people .
The move will shutter the 105-year-old Glendale News-Press , the Burbank Leader , which traces its roots to 1908 , and the La Canada Valley Sun , founded in 1945 .
The three papers were distributed free and supported through ads at a time when advertising has largely evaporated due to the coronavirus pandemic .
News-Press and Leader will publish their final editions on April 18 , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on April 23 .
Two surviving weeklies , the Daily Pilot and TimesOC , will continue publishing in Orange County .
“ A challenging business environment , including a decline in advertising revenue and the increasing cost of printing , has made it difficult to continue to support these publications , ” California Times President Chris Argentieri and LA Times executive editor Norm Pearlstine said in a memo to staffers Thursday .
“ While the business environment has been challenging for some time , it has become extremely so due to the unexpected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the closure.
” Of the 14 people affected , 10 will be covered by severance deals hammered out between the company and the LA Times News Guild .
The LA Times earlier this week said it would furlough an undetermined number of people on the business side at the LA Times and San Diego Union Tribune .
It also said it will cut pay for its executives .
The 600 people in the LA Times newsroom , who are unionized , have not been affected so far .
The News Guild said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ discuss potential furloughs on the editorial side .
The five community papers were part of the $ 500 million deal in June 2018 to sell the Tribune Publishing dailies to health care billionaire Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong .

California Times, the parent company of the Los Angeles Times, will close down three of its five community newspapers in the LA metropolitan area, affecting about 14 people.
The move will shutter the 105-year-old Glendale News-Press, the Burbank Leader, which traces its roots to 1908, and the La Canada Valley Sun, founded in 1945.
The three papers were distributed free and supported through ads at a time when advertising has largely evaporated due to the coronavirus pandemic.
News-Press and Leader will publish their final editions on April 18, and Valley Sun will publish its last edition on April 23.
Two surviving weeklies, the Daily Pilot and TimesOC, will continue publishing in Orange County.
“A challenging business environment, including a decline in advertising revenue and the increasing cost of printing, has made it difficult to continue to support these publications,” California Times President Chris Argentieri and LA Times executive editor Norm Pearlstine said in a memo to staffers Thursday. “While the business environment has been challenging for some time, it has become extremely so due to the unexpected effects of COVID-19, which have led to the closure.”
Of the 14 people affected, 10 will be covered by severance deals hammered out between the company and the LA Times News Guild.
The LA Times earlier this week said it would furlough an undetermined number of people on the business side at the LA Times and San Diego Union Tribune.
It also said it will cut pay for its executives. The 600 people in the LA Times newsroom, who are unionized, have not been affected so far.
The News Guild said it would be meeting with management to discuss potential furloughs on the editorial side.
The five community papers were part of the $500 million deal in June 2018 to sell the Tribune Publishing dailies to health care billionaire Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong.


newyorkpost--2020-04-17--Residents furious as coronavirus disrupts mail delivery across NYC

The coronavirus is not just plaguing first responders and medical ...

Rain and sleet are fine – a pandemic is another matter.
Frustrated residents across the city aren’t getting their mail amid the coronavirus crisis, The Post has learned.
With carriers calling out sick in high numbers due to the pandemic, the United States Postal Service said it’s struggling to maintain its reputation for dependability in all conditions.
“I can confirm that our workforce, like others, is not immune to the human impacts of the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic,” said USPS spokesman Xavier Hernandez.
Angry residents at an Upper East Side building said Friday they haven’t seen a piece of mail since Saturday – and aren’t getting any answers from USPS offices or officials.
“I am angry,” said boiling building occupant Josh Baran, 63. “I understand that they may be short, some people may be out sick. But for a week? That’s unacceptable. Does that mean I won’t have mail for a month?”
Other residents said they are missing key pieces of mail ranging from checks and bills to sorely needed tax refund checks.
A doorman said he has seen irate residents kick their mailboxes in frustration after opening them up and seeing nothing inside once again.
“People are very angry about this,” he told The Post Friday. “They’ll tell me they’re waiting for a bill or they’re waiting for a check or they’re waiting for something.”
Another resident of the building, Susan Finelli, said her calls to USPS offices have yielded little more than long hold times vexing conversations.
“I am expecting my New York State tax refund,” Finelli said, noting that she waited for an hour on the phone before someone picked up. “I called the office to find out where this check was. They told me it was mailed out on April 3rd so God knows where that is.”
Finelli said she is also unsure if several checks that she mailed out were ever delivered and fears incoming financial headaches in an already stressful climate.
“If there is a problem in not delivering the mail, we should be advised,” she said. “Perhaps we can pick it up ourselves. There should be accommodation and communication. If it’s the virus, fine, come get your mail. Don’t have the mail in limbo somewhere.”
Hernandez said Friday that the service has been trying to cope with logistical problems stemming from the contagion.
“We continue flexing our available resources to match the workload and we are proud of the efforts of postal employees across New York, and the nation, as they define essential public service every day,” he said.


newyorkpost--2020-04-18--Final rankings of greatest New York-New Jersey hockey teams

We ’ re being treated to classic rewinds on MSG , with the ...

We’re being treated to classic rewinds on MSG, with the network televising noteworthy games from the 1980s and 1990s as well as many of the best and brightest from this century.
The trip down memory lane provokes memories and the opportunity to create rankings. In this case, The Post is ranking the greatest teams in New York/New Jersey hockey history. We’re not adding up WAR or GAR or GAA numbers to create the list. Rather, it is based on eyeballs and experience. We’ve seen every one of these teams other than one.
In some cases, we combined seasons. The Dynasty Islanders are rated as an entry, as are the Rangers of 1970-71 and 1971-72, and the Rangers of 2013-14 and 2014-15. New Jersey’s three Stanley Cup champions, however, are rated as distinct entities.
As follows, Nos. 7-1 of the all-time Baker’s Dozen:
7. 2002-03 Devils
The third and last Stanley Cup champion from New Jersey employed a stifling trap under Pat Burns, surrendering the fewest goals in the league while scoring only the 14th most. Jamie Langenbrunner and Jeff Friesen made their marks, Martin Brodeur was still at the top of his game at age 30, and the Devils upset Ottawa in seven in the Eastern Conference finals before defeating the Mighty Ducks in another seven games.
6. 2013-14/2014-15 Rangers
The second edition became a powerhouse through the second half of the season, posting an 18-4-3 record while Henrik Lundqvist was sidelined with the vascular injury he sustained when struck in the throat by a shot. The team won the Presidents’ Trophy and overcame a 3-1 second-round deficit to defeat the Capitals in seven games before suffering an upset seven-game loss to the Lightning when injuries hobbled the back end and the team was shut out at home in both Game 5 and 7. The first edition, of course, made its magical run to the finals on the wings of the angel that touched the Blueshirts when Martin St. Louis’ mother, France, passed away during the second round.
5. 1994-95 Devils
The hangover that followed the previous season’s Game 7 Matteau loss dragged deep into the lockout-truncated season in which the Devils went only 22-18-8. But bolstered by Neal Broten (Lou Lamoriello’s Magnificent Acquisition) and a deep lineup that included Stephane Richer, Claude Lemieux, Bobby Carpenter, Tom Chorske, John MacLean, Bruce Driver, Billy Guerin, the Bobby Holik-Randy McKay-Mike Peluso Crash Line and the 23-year-old Brodeur, New Jersey rampaged through the playoffs, outscoring Boston, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and Detroit by an aggregate 67-34.
4. 1970-71/1971-72 Rangers
The best teams in NHL history that failed to win the Cup, 49-18-11 followed by 48-17-13. Emile, Eddie, the GAG Line, Park, the Bulldog Line, Stemmer in triple overtime Game 6 against Chicago, Vic flinging Bernie Parent’s mask into the stands, Gene Carr scoring to salt away the semifinal sweep of the Blackhawks … and Bobby Hull scoring from the trigger position in 1971 and Bobby Orr doing that spinorama at the blue line in 1972.
3. 1993-94 Rangers
Climbed the beanstalk, slayed the dragon, did the impossible, won the franchise’s only Stanley Cup over the past 80 years following a 52-24-8 season. And did it in dramatic, storybook style, taking Mark Messier’s “We’ll Win Tonight” Game 6 over the Devils at the Meadowlands, winning the double-overtime Matteau Game 7 over the Devils, going seven to defeat the Canucks, all with the backdrop of the Neil Smith-Mike Keenan machinations.
2. 1999-2000 Devils
The regular season was blah, and in fact cost Robbie Ftorek his job behind the bench to Larry Robinson with eight games to go.
But the Devils transformed into a machine in the playoffs, paced by the Patrik Elias-Jason Arnott-Petr Sykora “A Line,” a six-deep defense with Scott Stevens and Scott Niedermayer at the top and Vlad Malakhov on the third pair, depth players in Claude Lemieux, Alex Mogilny, Bobby Holik, John Madden and Scott Gomez, and Brodeur at the height of his powers.
1. The Dynasty Islanders: 1979-80 through 1982-83
The greatest hockey team in NHL history, four straight Cups and a pro sports record 19 consecutive playoff series victories stretching to 1984. Talented, tough and deep. The 1981-82 edition is probably the best of the group, 54-16-10, bolstered by the additions of Brent Sutter and Tomas Jonsson, but each one of these four teams stands on its own. The aggregate playoff record through the Cup years: 60-18. Bill Torrey the GM, Al Arbour the coach, All-Stars, Hall-of-Famers, three of the best of all time in Mike Bossy, Denis Potvin and Bryan Trottier. This was the perfect professional sports team.