newyorkpost--2020-02-24--Jeff Bezos loses $4.8B as world’s richest see fortunes drop by $30B

It was a bad day to be a billionaire .
As stocks plummeted worldwide Monday on coronavirus fears , the 10 richest people in the world lost a collective $ 30 billion , according to Forbes .
Amazon boss Jeff Bezos — the world ’ s wealthiest person despite weathering the costliest divorce in history last year — saw his net worth tumble by $ 4.8 billion , to just under $ 123 billion as shares of his e-commerce juggernaut sank 4 percent .
Bezos ’ ex wife MacKenzie likewise saw $ 1.7 billion wiped from her fortune — which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ according to Forbes .
Jeff Bezos ’ Monday loss was matched only by Bernard Arnault , CEO of French luxury conglomerate LVMH , who saw his net worth dip by the same amount to $ 100.4 billion .
Facebook ’ s Mark Zuckerberg also felt the heat as his company ’ s stock slumped 4.5 percent on Monday , costing him $ 3.4 billion .
The 35-year-old Zuckerberg did , however , narrowly hold onto his spot as the fifth-richest person in the world , with a $ 74.4 billion net worth compared @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 73 billion , who himself lost $ 4 billion on Monday .
Tesla ’ s 7.5 percent skid — worsened by the company ’ s reliance on its newly-opened China factory for continued growth — knocked $ 2.4 billion off of Elon Musk ’ s fortune .
Bill Gates , who previously held the title of richest person in the world , lost a comparatively small $ 1.5 billion , and finished the day worth $ 111.1 billion .

It was a bad day to be a billionaire.
As stocks plummeted worldwide Monday on coronavirus fears, the 10 richest people in the world lost a collective $30 billion, according to Forbes.
Amazon boss Jeff Bezos — the world’s wealthiest person despite weathering the costliest divorce in history last year — saw his net worth tumble by $4.8 billion, to just under $123 billion as shares of his e-commerce juggernaut sank 4 percent.
Bezos’ ex-wife MacKenzie likewise saw $1.7 billion wiped from her fortune — which ranks at No. 23 worldwide, according to Forbes.
Jeff Bezos’ Monday loss was matched only by Bernard Arnault, CEO of French luxury conglomerate LVMH, who saw his net worth dip by the same amount to $100.4 billion.
Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg also felt the heat as his company’s stock slumped 4.5 percent on Monday, costing him $3.4 billion.
The 35-year-old Zuckerberg did, however, narrowly hold onto his spot as the fifth-richest person in the world, with a $74.4 billion net worth compared to Zara CEO Amancio Ortega’s $73 billion, who himself lost $4 billion on Monday.
Tesla’s 7.5 percent skid — worsened by the company’s reliance on its newly-opened China factory for continued growth — knocked $2.4 billion off of Elon Musk’s fortune.
Bill Gates, who previously held the title of richest person in the world, lost a comparatively small $1.5 billion, and finished the day worth $111.1 billion.


newyorkpost--2020-02-28--Patriots chide top NFL prospect Jared Pinkney for ‘loser’s mentality’

Jared Pinkney played college football at a losing program and the Patriots let him know his mindset followed suit .
The Vanderbilt tight end interviewed with the Patriots at the NFL Combine this week , when they called him out for having a “ loser ’ s mentality.
” “ It ’ s interesting , because ( with ) a team that ’ s been winning for as long as they have you expect them to come in with a certain mentality and to share that mentality and to spread it and impart it on you , ” Pinkney said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that ’ s exactly what happened .
I gave a kind of wonky answer , and it was like , ‘ No , that ’ s a loser ’ s mentality.
’ And I was like , ‘ OK , my bad.
’ ( raises hands ) They were like , ‘ You need to be like this and that and that , ’ and I was like , ‘ Yes , sir .
I ’ m better.
’ ” Vanderbilt was 20-30 while Pinkney was on the roster , but the 6-foot-4 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the top tight ends in the 2020 NFL Draft class , though he ran a disappointing 4.96 in the 40-yard dash .
If he had entered the draft after his junior season — when he caught 50 passes for 774 yards and seven touchdowns — he may have been a second-round pick , according to ESPN ’ s Todd McShay .
But Pinkney had a quieter senior year , with 20 catches for 233 yards and two touchdowns .
The Patriots , of course , could use an impact tight end after failing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after Rob Gronkowski retired .
They have also been connected to LSU tight end Thaddeus Moss — son of former Patriots receiver Randy Moss — who just found out at the combine he has a broken foot , per multiple reports .

Jared Pinkney played college football at a losing program and the Patriots let him know his mindset followed suit.
The Vanderbilt tight end interviewed with the Patriots at the NFL Combine this week, when they called him out for having a “loser’s mentality.”
“It’s interesting, because (with) a team that’s been winning for as long as they have, you expect them to come in with a certain mentality and to share that mentality and to spread it and impart it on you,” Pinkney said, according to NESN. “And that’s exactly what happened. I gave a kind of wonky answer, and it was like, ‘No, that’s a loser’s mentality.’ And I was like, ‘OK, my bad.’ (Raises hands.) They were like, ‘You need to be like this and that and that,’ and I was like, ‘Yes, sir. I’m better.’ ”
Vanderbilt was 20-30 while Pinkney was on the roster, but the 6-foot-4, 260-pound prospect is considered one of the top tight ends in the 2020 NFL Draft class, though he ran a disappointing 4.96 in the 40-yard dash.
If he had entered the draft after his junior season — when he caught 50 passes for 774 yards and seven touchdowns — he may have been a second-round pick, according to ESPN’s Todd McShay. But Pinkney had a quieter senior year, with 20 catches for 233 yards and two touchdowns.
The Patriots, of course, could use an impact tight end after failing to find one in their first season after Rob Gronkowski retired. They have also been connected to LSU tight end Thaddeus Moss — son of former Patriots receiver Randy Moss — who just found out at the combine he has a broken foot, per multiple reports.


newyorkpost--2020-02-28--Mike ‘The Situation’ Sorrentino on how ‘Jersey Shore’ cast reacted to his prison body

Mike “ The Situation ” Sorrentino worked on himself while he was in prison , and his “ Jersey Shore ” castmates couldn ’ t be happier for him .
“ Everyone was just so excited to me , ” Sorrentino , 37 , told Page Six of the cast ’ s reaction to seeing him for the first time following his September 12 , 2019 release from prison for tax evasion charges .
“ They were kind of like , ‘ Oh my God , like , you really did it .
You really got , you know , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pounds ! '
” Jenni “ JWoww ” Farley admitted that she was jealous of his new bod , while Deena Cortese told us that they were all proud of him .
Sorrentino added that he felt that his friends were “ so excited and proud for me .
It was really , really sweet .
These guys are family.
” “ I was gaining it when you were in there !
” Farley , 34 , joked .
Now , Polizzi is also working on her fitness routine .
“ I love @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ So I ’ ve always been into working out and especially , you know , now that I can do it after Angelo , because it ’ s just like hard , especially after three kids .
Like you just don ’ t have the motivation to get back in the gym .
So I finally have enough time .
I have a babysitter .
My kids are in school .
I love running .
So running is like my thing right now.
” Meanwhile , Sorrentino previously revealed that he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ day at 7 a.m. while he was at FCI Otisville and did cardio for an hour .
He practiced intermittent fasting as well , which probably wasn ’ t too hard to do with jail food .
“ Probably the best thing was the day that I came home because I was used to prison food and I was able to order , you know , 10 pizza pies , you know , four or five large subs , French fries , chicken fingers , fried shrimp , you name it , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ obviously , after eating all that food and a little bit of diet soda , I was able to have sexual relations with the Mrs .
”

Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino worked on himself while he was in prison, and his “Jersey Shore” castmates couldn’t be happier for him.
“Everyone was just so excited to me,” Sorrentino, 37, told Page Six of the cast’s reaction to seeing him for the first time following his Sept. 12, 2019, release from prison for tax evasion charges. “They were kind of like, ‘Oh my God, like, you really did it. You really got, you know, back in great shape and lost 40 pounds!'”
Jenni “JWoww” Farley admitted that she was jealous of his new bod, while Deena Cortese told us they were all proud of him.
Sorrentino added that he felt that his friends were “so excited and proud for me. It was really, really sweet. These guys are family.”
“I was gaining it when you were in there!” Farley, 34, joked.
Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi, 32, and Cortese, 33, agreed, “Same!”
Now, Polizzi is also working on her fitness routine.
“I love working out,” she told us. “So I’ve always been into working out and especially, you know, now that I can do it after Angelo, because it’s just like hard, especially after three kids. Like you just don’t have the motivation to get back in the gym. So I finally have enough time. I have a babysitter. My kids are in school. I love running. So running is like my thing right now.”
Meanwhile, Sorrentino previously revealed that he lost the weight by waking up every day at 7 a.m. while he was at FCI Otisville and doing cardio for an hour. He practiced intermittent fasting as well, which probably wasn’t too hard to do with jail food.
“Probably the best thing was the day that I came home because I was used to prison food and I was able to order, you know, 10 pizza pies, you know, four or five large subs, French fries, chicken fingers, fried shrimp, you name it,” he told us. “And then obviously, after eating all that food and a little bit of diet soda, I was able to have sexual relations with the Mrs.”


newyorkpost--2020-02-28--NCAA teams bettors can trust at end of college basketball season

LAS VEGAS — Do the top college basketball teams in the country tend to play their best down the stretch ?
The best teams in the NFL typically play well in December .
Shouldn ’ t it be the same for college hoops — especially with so many league titles yet to be determined and the seeding for postseason tournaments not sorted out ?
Power-conference teams have a ton to play for in the final two weeks of the regular season .
And with so much on the line , the handicapping strategy should change a bit .
Oddsmakers often @ @ @ @ @ @ @ teams ’ must-win mentality in key spots .
Alternatively , they may shade teams that are playing out the string , already looking forward to the offseason .
The point spread is the great equalizer for bookmakers , and with so much known about teams by now , bettors looking to cash tickets in the final two weeks should be aware of some extra trends and systems that have produced strong results in recent years .
Part of that should include late-season performance , especially when coaching situations remain consistent .
I will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two weeks of the regular season for the power conferences over the past five years , looking for spots in which we might be able to profit ( records are through Tuesday ) .
Last year , the three top teams I uncovered — Oregon , Villanova and Virginia — combined to go 10-1 straight up and 9-2 against the spread down the stretch , while the bottom teams — DePaul , Georgetown , Rutgers and TCU — went 3-12 SU and 6-8-1 ATS .
You ’ ll see some definitive angles to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A “ top 10 ” of power-conference teams have won 70 percent or more of their games in the final two weeks of the regular season over the past five years .
They have combined to go 110-73-5 against the spread ( 60.1 percent ) as well .
They are : Eleven power-conference teams have won 30 percent or fewer of their games in the final two weeks of the regular season over the past five years , and their combined ATS record is an ugly 82-118-5 ( 41 percent ) .
Those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ undefeated at home in the final two weeks of the past five seasons .
They have combined to go 34-20-1 against the spread ( 63 percent ) as well .
They are : Most of the teams on the bottom list have enjoyed little to no home-court advantage late in the season .
Their combined ATS record is a miserable 18-36-1 ( 33 percent ) .
The ability to win on the road late in the season is typically a strong trait for the best teams across all sports .
The same goes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have won at least 70 percent of their road games in this time span : Ten teams have won one or no games on the road , combining for an ATS record of 26-63-2 ( 29.2 percent ) .

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LAS VEGAS — Do the top college basketball teams in the country tend to play their best down the stretch? The best teams in the NFL typically play well in December. Shouldn’t it be the same for college hoops — especially with so many league titles yet to be determined and the seeding for postseason tournaments not sorted out?
Power-conference teams have a ton to play for in the final two weeks of the regular season. And with so much on the line, the handicapping strategy should change a bit. Oddsmakers often will sway their lines slightly to reflect teams’ must-win mentality in key spots. Alternatively, they may shade teams that are playing out the string, already looking forward to the offseason.
The point spread is the great equalizer for bookmakers, and with so much known about teams by now, bettors looking to cash tickets in the final two weeks should be aware of some extra trends and systems that have produced strong results in recent years. Part of that should include late-season performance, especially when coaching situations remain consistent.
I will break down the results of the final two weeks of the regular season for the power conferences over the past five years, looking for spots in which we might be able to profit (records are through Tuesday). Last year, the three top teams I uncovered — Oregon, Villanova and Virginia — combined to go 10-1 straight up and 9-2 against the spread down the stretch, while the bottom teams — DePaul, Georgetown, Rutgers and TCU — went 3-12 SU and 6-8-1 ATS.
You’ll see some definitive angles to use over the next 10 days.
Top Teams
A “top 10” of power-conference teams have won 70 percent or more of their games in the final two weeks of the regular season over the past five years. They have combined to go 110-73-5 against the spread (60.1 percent) as well. They are:
Kansas: 16-4 SU, 9-11 ATS
Kentucky: 17-3 SU, 10-9-1 ATS
Michigan State: 14-5 SU, 13-6 ATS
Oregon: 17-1 SU, 14-3-1 ATS
Purdue: 14-5 SU, 9-9-1 ATS
Seton Hall: 13-5 SU, 12-5-1 ATS
Utah: 12-4 SU, 9-6-1 ATS
Villanova: 14-4 SU, 10-8 ATS
Virginia: 17-3 SU, 12-8 ATS
West Virginia: 14-6 SU, 12-8 ATS
Bottom Teams
Eleven power-conference teams have won 30 percent or fewer of their games in the final two weeks of the regular season over the past five years, and their combined ATS record is an ugly 82-118-5 (41 percent). Those teams are:
Alabama: 5-15 SU, 6-14 ATS
Boston College: 5-15 SU, 9-9-2 ATS
DePaul: 5-14 SU, 9-10 ATS
Georgetown: 5-13 SU, 7-11 ATS
Missouri: 6-14 SU, 9-11 ATS
Nebraska: 4-13 SU, 5-11-1 ATS
Pittsburgh: 3-16 SU, 5-14 ATS
Rutgers: 4-13 SU, 7-9-1 ATS
St. John’s: 5-13 SU, 5-12-1 ATS
TCU: 5-15 SU, 9-10-1 ATS
Washington St.: 5-13 SU, 11-7 ATS
Best Home Teams
Six teams have gone undefeated at home in the final two weeks of the past five seasons. They have combined to go 34-20-1 against the spread (63 percent) as well. They are:
Kansas: 10-0 SU, 3-7 ATS
Kentucky: 10-0 SU, 7-3 ATS
Oklahoma: 10-0 SU, 7-3 ATS
Oregon: 6-0 SU, 5-1 ATS
Purdue: 9-0 SU, 4-4-1 ATS
West Virginia: 10-0 SU, 8-2 ATS
Worst Home Teams
Most of the teams on the bottom list have enjoyed little to no home-court advantage late in the season. Their combined ATS record is a miserable 18-36-1 (33 percent).
Alabama: 3-7 SU, 2-8 ATS
Georgetown: 3-6 SU, 2-7 ATS
Oregon State: 3-5 SU, 2-6 ATS
Pittsburgh: 3-6 SU, 3-6 ATS
Rutgers: 3-6 SU, 4-4-1 ATS
TCU: 3-7 SU, 5-5 ATS
Best Road Teams
The ability to win on the road late in the season is typically a strong trait for the best teams across all sports. The same goes for college basketball. Four power-conference teams have won at least 70 percent of their road games in this time span:
Kentucky: 7-3 SU, 3-6-1 ATS
North Carolina: 8-3 SU, 6-4-1 ATS
Oregon: 11-1 SU, 9-2 ATS
Virginia: 7-2 SU, 6-3 ATS
Worst Road Teams
Ten teams have won one or no games on the road, combining for an ATS record of 26-63-2 (29.2 percent).
Boston College: 1-9 SU, 4-4-2 ATS
DePaul: 1-8 SU, 3-6 ATS
Mississippi St.: 1-9 SU, 4-5 ATS
Nebraska: 0-9 SU, 1-8 ATS
Northwestern: 1-8 SU, 2-7 ATS
Oklahoma: 1-8 SU, 2-7 ATS
Pittsburgh: 0-10 SU, 2-8 ATS
Rutgers: 1-7 SU, 3-5 ATS
St. John’s: 1-9 SU, 2-8 ATS
Stanford: 1-7 SU, 3-5 ATS


newyorkpost--2020-02-28--Tokyo Disneyland closing for two weeks due to Coronavirus fears

Tokyo ’ s two Disney resorts , Disneyland and DisneySea , will be closed for an estimated two weeks because of Japan ’ s efforts to suppress the spread of the coronavirus in that country .
“ Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea have decided to proceed with an extraordinary closure from Saturday February 29 , 2020 , through Sunday March 15 ” said a statement from The Oriental Land Co. , the operator of the parks .
The Oriental Land Co. said it hoped to resume operations March 16 .
“ Currently , we plan to reopen on March 16 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to open by looking at the situation and developments .
We ’ ll also consult ( official ) agencies concerned , ” a spokesman said in news reports .
Shanghai Disneyland and Hong Kong Disneyland previously closed in China , as major gathering places shut down in hopes of quelling the outbreak .
Japan earlier announced that its schools would go on hiatus for a month .
Speculation is rampant on the fate of the Tokyo Summer Olympics , which require months of extensive preparations .
The games are currently scheduled to start @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attract more than 30 million visitors annually .

Tokyo’s two Disney resorts, Disneyland and DisneySea, will be closed for an estimated two weeks because of Japan’s efforts to suppress the spread of the coronavirus in that country.
“Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea have decided to proceed with an extraordinary closure from Saturday February 29, 2020, through Sunday March 15,” said a statement from The Oriental Land Co., the operator of the parks.
The Oriental Land Co. said it hoped to resume operations March 16.
“Currently, we plan to reopen on March 16. But we’ll decide when to open by looking at the situation and developments. We’ll also consult (official) agencies concerned,” a spokesman said in news reports.
Shanghai Disneyland and Hong Kong Disneyland previously closed in China, as major gathering places shut down in hopes of quelling the outbreak. Japan earlier announced that its schools would go on hiatus for a month.
Speculation is rampant on the fate of the Tokyo Summer Olympics, which require months of extensive preparations. The games are currently scheduled to start July 24.
Tokyo Disneyland and DisneySea attract more than 30 million visitors annually.


newyorkpost--2020-02-28--US stocks continue tumbling from coronavirus panic as global losses hit $5T

The Dow lost nearly 1,200 points — its worst single-day ...

Coronavirus-fueled panic pushed US stocks further into correction territory on Friday, putting them on track for their worst drop since the 2008 financial crisis.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average sank as much as 1086.07 points, or 4.3 percent, after the opening bell following the blue-chip index’s worst single-day drop in its history on Thursday. The Dow later pared the losses and was recently off 513.55 points, or about 2 percent, at 25,253.09, bringing the week’s total loss to more than 3,700 points.
The Nasdaq composite and S&P 500 tumbled as much as 3.5 and 4.1 percent, respectively, after the latter index posted its fastest-ever correction, which is defined as a 10 percent fall from the recent peak. The S&P tumbled 4.4 percent Thursday to close at 2,978.76 just six trading days after reaching a record high.
Efforts to contain the virus have crippled supply chains worldwide and stifled business investment, raising anxiety about economic fallout that could last for months. On Thursday, Goldman Sachs said it now expects US companies will post zero earnings growth for 2020.
Traders are now pricing in an interest rate cut by the Federal Reserve as soon as next month, but many have expressed doubts about how this would mitigate the impact of the outbreak. On Friday, Goldman Sachs said it sees as many as three rate cuts from March through June to stanch the outbreak’s economic damage.
But St. Louis Fed president James Bullard threw some cold water on that notion Friday, saying an interest rate cut would only be on the table if the virus grew into a full-blown pandemic.
“Further policy rate cuts are a possibility if a global pandemic actually develops with health effects approaching the scale of ordinary influenza, but this is not the baseline case at this time,” Bullard said.
White House National Economic Council director Larry Kudlow also urged investors to calm down, saying he thinks the market “has gone too far.”
“I just don’t think anybody ought to panic right now,” Kudlow told reporters. “We’re going to stay the course on our policies.”
The selloff is keeping its momentum because of uncertainty over how consumers might react if the virus hits the US harder, according to Eric Marshall, director of research at Hodges Capital.
“I think the market just doesn’t know how to discount that unknown,” Marshall said. “Does this affect my ability to go to work and take care of my family and send my kids to school and all of those things?”
In one early sign of how the epidemic is changing American consumers’ thinking, more than 27 percent of those surveyed this week said they are already limiting visits to public areas such as shopping centers or avoiding them altogether, according to Coresight Research.
Consumer “demand shock” could hit the US in the event that number of confirmed cases rises within the country — especially if the outbreak forces schools to close as it has in Japan, said Wouter Jongbloed, head of political risk analysis at Exante Data.
“Especially when it gets out of California and starts appearing more broadly through the continental US, that’s something when the US consumer will be spooked much more than it is now, and will resemble the European response much more,” Jongbloed said.
International markets also plummeted again Friday as more virus cases emerged in other Asian countries and in Europe. Tokyo and Shanghai’s major stock indexes each closed down about 3.7 percent and Germany’s DAX index tumbled as much as 5.2 percent before paring the losses. London’s FTSE 100 and Paris’s CAC 40 indices were recently down 3.5 and 4 percent, respectively.
“The widening spread of COVID-19 globally is triggering alarm amongst investors,” Eugene Leow and Chang Weiliang of Singapore-based DBS Bank wrote in a Friday report. “Increased risk aversion from pandemic fears is evident from a tumble in European and the US equities this week.”
This week has been the worst since 2008 for world stock markets, with some $5 trillion falling off the total market value of the MSCI All Country World Index, which tracks nearly 50 nations.
Fears about the deadly coronavirus’ worldwide spread and uncertainty about how it will affect economic growth have caused a panic on Wall Street this week as the number of cases climbed outside China, where the outbreak started.
The coronavirus caused more bad business news to trickle in overnight: Tokyo Disneyland said it would close through March 15 over concerns about the outbreak, and Korean automaker Hyundai shut down a factory after a worker tested positive for the virus.
And the Geneva International Motor Show was canceled after the Swiss government banned public gatherings of more than 1,000 people, adding to the reported list of scrapped conventions that includes the Mobile World Congress smartphone tradeshow and Facebook’s F8 developer conference.
With Post wires


newyorkpost--2020-02-28--EasyJet passengers arrested after fight leaves cabin ‘covered in blood’

Two passengers aboard an easyJet flight from Copenhagen to Edinburgh , Scotland , have been arrested after a “ violent confrontation ” left the cabin full of blood and the crew in tears , according to a report .
Police were called to Edinburgh Airport after the plane touched down about 1:30 p.m. Thursday and arrested the alleged combatants , ages 28 and 42 , according to the Daily Record .
“ It was very frightening for this to unfold in midair .
It was a violent confrontation and an area of the cabin was covered in blood , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ The cabin crew did a great job to try to contain it .
But some were reduced to tears because of what unfolded , ” she added .
An airline spokesman said two passengers had behaved “ disruptively.
” “ EasyJet ’ s cabin crew are trained to assess and evaluate all situations and to act quickly and appropriately to ensure that the safety of the flight and other passengers is not compromised at any time , ” the rep said .
“ Whilst such incidents are rare , we take them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ abusive or threatening behavior on board , ” he added .
“ The safety and well-being of customers and crew is our highest priority.
” The two suspects were charged with breach of the peace , police said .

Two passengers aboard an easyJet flight from Copenhagen to Edinburgh, Scotland, have been arrested after a “violent confrontation” left the cabin full of blood and the crew in tears, according to a report.
Police were called to Edinburgh Airport after the plane touched down about 1:30 p.m. Thursday and arrested the alleged combatants, ages 28 and 42, according to the Daily Record.
“It was very frightening for this to unfold in midair. It was a violent confrontation and an area of the cabin was covered in blood,” one woman told the news outlet.
“The cabin crew did a great job to try to contain it. But some were reduced to tears because of what unfolded,” she added.
An airline spokesman said two passengers had behaved “disruptively.”
“EasyJet’s cabin crew are trained to assess and evaluate all situations and to act quickly and appropriately to ensure that the safety of the flight and other passengers is not compromised at any time,” the rep said.
“Whilst such incidents are rare, we take them very seriously, and do not tolerate abusive or threatening behavior on board,” he added. “The safety and well-being of customers and crew is our highest priority.”
The two suspects were charged with breach of the peace, police said.


newyorkpost--2020-02-28--Female wrestler Heaven Fitch wins high school championship in North Carolina

A high school girl demolished her male competition en route to winning a state wrestling championship in North Carolina , becoming the first female to capture an individual title .
Heaven Fitch , a 106-pound junior at Uwharrie Charter Academy in Asheboro , made history while taking home the North Carolina High School Athletic Association 1A division title on Saturday in Greensboro after compiling a 54-4 record throughout the season in the male-dominated sport .
Fitch , one of only three female athletes in the tournament , also took home the division ’ s Most Outstanding Wrestler Award , organizers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wrestled my best and I kind of dominated the match if I ’ m being honest , ” Fitch told WTVD .
“ I ’ m just glad I can be a role model for being younger than me and it ’ s so insane to be inspiring to others .
To think that other look up to me is kind of crazy.
” Fitch , who smiled wide during an after-match photo alongside three male finalists , defeated Luke Wilson of Robbinsville High School with an 11-3 major decision to take home @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that included seven male competitors , WRAL reports .
Footage from Fitch ’ s victory shows her flexing for a wildly cheering crowd after defeating Wilson .
The victory came one year after Fitch was the first female wrestler in the association ’ s history to finish fourth or better in her division , according to the station .
Fitch , who has three brothers , caught the wrestling bug when she was just 6 years old after seeing her siblings slam other youngsters to the mat .
“ I nagged my parents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do what [ my brothers ] did , ” she told the Independent Tribune in 2018 .
“ They didn ’ t want me to wrestle .
I ’ m pretty sure it was because they didn ’ t want me to get hurt .
But I would just be life , ‘ Well , if they can do it , then I should be able to do it.
’ ” Fitch is one of roughly 300 girls who compete as wrestlers throughout the state in NCHSAA-sanctioned matches , association director Que Tucker @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being something of a family tradition – her father wrestled as well – Fitch didn ’ t think she would see such success as a high school competitor .
“ I thought as a freshman I wouldn ’ t even have a winning record , ” she told WRAL .
“ And to do this now , I would have never thought of it .
”

A high school girl demolished her male competition en route to winning a state wrestling championship in North Carolina, becoming the first female to capture an individual title.
Heaven Fitch, a 106-pound junior at Uwharrie Charter Academy in Asheboro, made history while taking home the North Carolina High School Athletic Association 1A division title Saturday in Greensboro after compiling a 54-4 record throughout the season in the male-dominated sport.
Fitch, one of only three female athletes in the tournament, also took home the division’s Most Outstanding Wrestler Award, organizers announced.
“Well, I just wrestled my best and I kind of dominated the match, if I’m being honest,” Fitch told WTVD. “I’m just glad I can be a role model for being younger than me and it’s so insane to be inspiring to others. To think that other look up to me is kind of crazy.”
Fitch, who smiled wide during an after-match photo alongside three male finalists, defeated Luke Wilson of Robbinsville High School with an 11-3 major decision to take home the historic win in an eight-athlete bracket that included seven male competitors, WRAL reports.
Footage from Fitch’s victory shows her flexing for a wildly cheering crowd after defeating Wilson.
The victory came one year after Fitch was the first female wrestler in the association’s history to finish fourth or better in her division, according to the station.
Fitch, who has three brothers, caught the wrestling bug when she was just 6 years old after seeing her siblings slam other youngsters to the mat.
“I nagged my parents, basically, because I wanted to do what [my brothers] did,” she told the Independent Tribune in 2018. “They didn’t want me to wrestle. I’m pretty sure it was because they didn’t want me to get hurt. But I would just be like, ‘Well, if they can do it, then I should be able to do it.’”
Fitch is one of roughly 300 girls who compete as wrestlers throughout the state in NCHSAA-sanctioned matches, association director Que Tucker told CNN.
And despite the sport being something of a family tradition — her father wrestled as well — Fitch didn’t think she would see such success as a high school competitor.
“I thought as a freshman I wouldn’t even have a winning record,” she told WRAL. “And to do this now, I would have never thought of it.”


newyorkpost--2020-02-28--John Tenniel, ‘Alice in Wonderland’ artist, inspires Google Doodle

Google ’ s new Doodle is “ curiouser and curiouser.
” In celebration of the 200th birthday of Sir John Tenniel , the English artist behind Lewis Carroll ’ s “ Alice in Wonderland ” books , Google ’ s homepage features an illustration inspired by the iconic drawings that accompanied the classic children ’ s tale .
Tenniel , born in Bayswater , London , on February 28 , 1820 , is considered one of the most influential Victorian artists of his time .
“ Tenniel ’ s illustrations have animated the imaginations of children and adults alike for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ statement .
“ His legacy continues to thrive , as readers cherish these timeless works of art to this day.
” His gift was apparent at a young age .
At 16 , the self-taught artist submitted an oil painting to the prestigious Society of British Artists , in 1836 , and was admitted into the Royal Academy Schools in 1842 .
In 1850 , Tenniel landed work as a political cartoonist for British weekly satire magazine Punch — a role that would bookend his career .
The cartoonist met a one Charles @ @ @ @ @ @ @ penned work under the pseudonym Lewis Carroll .
The next year , Tenniel ’ s work appeared in Carroll ’ s “ Alice ’ s Adventures in Wonderland.
” The creative duo ’ s relationship is said to have been acrimonious at times , although Tenniel continued to work with Carroll through 1872 ’ s “ Through the Looking-Glass ” — his last collaboration with the controversial author .
Tenniel soon returned to his seat at Punch to continue work as a cartoonist , and never returned to book illustration .
In 1893 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for his contribution to the arts , for his work in Punch and “ Alice in Wonderland.
” He died on February 25 , 1914 , at age 93 .
Google ’ s Doodle spotlights London-based illustrator Matthew Cruickshank , who drew by hand an image in the style of Tenniel .
The image depicts Alice , standing-in for the “ L ” in “ Google , ” looking up into a tree ’ s canopy where the Cheshire cat is nestled in its limbs , smiling down at the girl .
Cruickshank @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a child , reading Alice In Wonderland , ” he said in a statement .
“ I thought the combination of poetic writing and the hauntingly beautiful and bizarre illustrations were a perfect combination.
” Of his Alice rendition , Cruickshank said , “ I wanted to try something hand-drawn since Tenniel himself made astounding drawings that were then given to the engraver , and I wanted to at least pay homage to that initial process.
” “ The Cheshire Cat and Alice ’ s conversation were the inspiration , ” he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ go ’ anywhere you want on the homepage , depending on what you ’ re searching for !
I made a very rough basic sketch , a draft , and then the final image .
Enjoy and trust the process without thinking of the perfect image straight away.
” “ I hope people are inspired to be as imaginative as Tenniel was with his work .
Go fall down a rabbit hole , ” he added .

Google’s new Doodle is “curiouser and curiouser.”
In celebration of the 200th birthday of Sir John Tenniel, the English artist behind Lewis Carroll’s “Alice in Wonderland” books, Google’s homepage features an illustration inspired by the iconic drawings that accompanied the classic children’s tale.
Tenniel, born in Bayswater, London, on Feb. 28, 1820, is considered one of the most influential Victorian artists of his time.
“Tenniel’s illustrations have animated the imaginations of children and adults alike for generations,” Google said in a statement. “His legacy continues to thrive, as readers cherish these timeless works of art to this day.”
His gift was apparent at a young age. In 1836, at 16, the self-taught artist submitted an oil painting to the prestigious Society of British Artists, and was admitted into the Royal Academy Schools in 1842. In 1850, Tenniel landed work as a political cartoonist for British weekly satire magazine Punch — a role that would bookend his career.
The cartoonist met one Charles Dodgson in 1864, the man who penned work under the pseudonym Lewis Carroll. The next year, Tenniel’s work appeared in Carroll’s “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.”
The creative duo’s relationship is said to have been acrimonious at times, although Tenniel continued to work with Carroll through 1872’s “Through the Looking-Glass” — his last collaboration with the controversial author. Tenniel soon returned to his seat at Punch to continue work as a cartoonist, and never returned to book illustration.
In 1893, Tenniel was knighted by Queen Victoria for his contribution to the arts, for his work in Punch and “Alice in Wonderland.” He died on Feb. 25, 1914, at age 93.
Google’s Doodle spotlights London-based illustrator Matthew Cruickshank, who drew by hand an image in the style of Tenniel. The image depicts Alice, standing in for the “L” in “Google,” looking up into a tree’s canopy where the Cheshire Cat is nestled in its limbs, smiling down at the girl.
Cruickshank first discovered Tenniel’s work “as a child, reading ‘Alice In Wonderland,'” he said in a statement. “I thought the combination of poetic writing and the hauntingly beautiful and bizarre illustrations were a perfect combination.”
Of his Alice rendition, Cruickshank said, “I wanted to try something hand-drawn since Tenniel himself made astounding drawings that were then given to the engraver, and I wanted to at least pay homage to that initial process.”
“The Cheshire Cat and Alice’s conversation were the inspiration,” he continued. “You really can ‘go’ anywhere you want on the homepage, depending on what you’re searching for! I made a very rough basic sketch, a draft, and then the final image. Enjoy and trust the process without thinking of the perfect image straightaway.”
“I hope people are inspired to be as imaginative as Tenniel was with his work. Go fall down a rabbit hole,” he added.


newyorkpost--2020-02-28--Weinstein juror: We focused on specific allegations, not ‘behaviors before or after’

They also recreated The Beatles ' iconic `` Abbey Road '' album cover .

A juror in Harvey Weinstein’s trial said in a new interview that members of the jury focused “100 percent” on specific allegations against the disgraced movie mogul — not “behaviors before or after” each incident — when convicting him on two counts this week.
In an interview with “CBS This Morning” co-host Gayle King, a juror who asked to only be identified by his first name, Drew, explained how the jury came to find Weinstein guilty of one rape and one criminal sex act count, verdicts that could put him in prison for up to 29 years.
“It was our deduction and interpretation of the law, regardless of behaviors before or after an alleged incident — on this day at this time and that place,” he said. “Can you do that? And the answer for the convictions is no, and that’s a crime.”
Drew emphasized that there was “nothing simple about” the jury’s determination.
He said that they stuck to the requirement that jurors not follow the unfolding news coverage on a case — despite the high-profile nature of the Weinstein trial.
“Definitely didn’t read the paper, the only paper that I read was the crossword puzzle in the morning, you know, on the subway, and stuff like that,” he said.
“It was actually kind of nice,” Drew added. “Challenging, don’t get me wrong.”
Weinstein, 67, was found guilty Monday of criminal sexual act in the first degree for forcibly performing oral sex on former “Project Runway” production assistant Miriam “Mimi” Haleyi and rape in the third degree for an attack on hairstylist Jessica Mann.
But the seven-man, five-woman jury found Weinstein not guilty of the top charges of predatory sexual assault, which carried a life sentence, and rape in the first degree involving Mann.


newyorkpost--2020-02-28--Chinese regulator yanks popular virus video game ‘Plague Inc.’ from app store

A popular video game called “ Plague Inc. ” in which players can spread a virus around the globe has been pulled from Apple ’ s App Store in China due to “ illegal ” content , according to its UK-based developer .
The game shot to the top of the charts in the coronavirus-plagued country and gained widespread popularity elsewhere as people sought a diversion — albeit a macabre one — during the real-life epidemic .
“ This situation is completely out of our control , ” said developer and publisher Ndemic Creations , which sought to contact the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a resolution , according to Reuters .
Ndemic said it was unclear if the cyberspace watchdog ’ s decision was related to the deadly outbreak , which began in the city of Wuhan in December .
“ We have a huge amount of respect for our Chinese players and are devastated that they are no longer able to access and play Plague Inc. , ” Ndemic added , according to Agence France-Presse .
The game , which was released in 2012 , has more than 130 million players , the company said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ respond to requests from Reuters and AFP for comment .
Ndemic said the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had recognized the simulation game as an educational tool .
Daniel Ahmad , an analyst with gaming research company Niko Partners , told Reuters that “ the game may have simply been taken down due to sensitivities around the topic and gameplay of the title given the recent COVID-19 outbreak.
” Ahmad added that it might be related to a new feature in the game that allows players to create “ fake news @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said he didn ’ t believe the game ’ s removal was tied to a new update by Apple that requires developers of revenue-generating games on its Chinese site to obtain a license from the Chinese government since other unlicensed games had not been affected .
Players took to social media to slam the decision to pull the game .
“ I ’ ve played Plague Inc for so long , I ’ m so angry !
It taught us to wash hands frequently and protect ourselves… Honestly , I learned a lot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” one wrote on China ’ s Twitter-like Weibo , according to AFP .

A popular video game called “Plague Inc.” in which players can spread a virus around the globe has been pulled from Apple’s App Store in China due to “illegal” content, according to its UK-based developer.
The game shot to the top of the charts in the coronavirus-plagued country and gained widespread popularity elsewhere as people sought a diversion — albeit a macabre one — during the real-life epidemic.
“This situation is completely out of our control,” said developer and publisher Ndemic Creations, which sought to contact the Cyberspace Administration of China to work toward a resolution, according to Reuters.
Ndemic said it was unclear if the cyberspace watchdog’s decision was related to the deadly outbreak, which began in the city of Wuhan in December.
“We have a huge amount of respect for our Chinese players and are devastated that they are no longer able to access and play Plague Inc.,” Ndemic added, according to Agence France-Presse.
The game, which was released in 2012, has more than 130 million players, the company said.
The Chinese regulator and Apple did not respond to requests from Reuters and AFP for comment.
Ndemic said the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had recognized the simulation game as an educational tool.
Daniel Ahmad, an analyst with gaming research company Niko Partners, told Reuters that “the game may have simply been taken down due to sensitivities around the topic and gameplay of the title given the recent COVID-19 outbreak.”
Ahmad added that it might be related to a new feature in the game that allows players to create “fake news” stories about the pathogen.
He said he didn’t believe the game’s removal was tied to a new update by Apple that requires developers of revenue-generating games on its Chinese site to obtain a license from the Chinese government since other unlicensed games had not been affected.
Players took to social media to slam the decision to pull the game.
“I’ve played Plague Inc for so long, I’m so angry! It taught us to wash hands frequently and protect ourselves… Honestly, I learned a lot about infectious diseases from this game,” one wrote on China’s Twitter-like Weibo, according to AFP.


newyorkpost--2020-02-28--Garth Brooks’ ‘Sanders’ jersey confuses fans: Bernie or Barry?

Jeff Samardzija is not exactly packing his bags for The ...

Garth Brooks was burned by fans who thought he was feeling the Bern.
The country star ignited a firestorm for wearing a Barry Sanders jersey at his concert in Detroit — as some confused the former Lions running back for the White House hopeful from Vermont.
“Good grief. Can’t you just do what you get paid to do ????” one Instagram user wrote in response to the image Brooks posted of himself wearing the No. 20 jersey at Ford Field, home of the Detroit Lions, on Saturday night.
Clearly, user jenjensoccermomma thought Brooks was singing the praises of Sen. Bernie Sanders, the self-described Democratic socialist who is the front-runner in the Democratic presidential race.
“Why why why does it have to involve politics !!! So sad. We don’t pay good money for anything other than to watch you perform. 😡Thought you were different,” the user wrote.
“If this is for Bernie Sanders, I’m done with you,” another user wrote. “I thought you were a true American that loves Our Country?”
“Lost some respect w that jersey,” added another person.
Others were well aware of who Barry Sanders is.
“Facebook forgot who Barry Sanders is and is freaking out at Garth Brooks for wearing a jersey and I’m dying,” @jasoncvincent tweeted.
“These people should not be able to vote. We take voting privileges from felons. These idiots should not have the privilege either,” wrote @Geoff_Litwin.
And @surfbkd said: “Not a big Garth Brooks fan, but it’s hilarious that people are apparently mad he wore a Detroit Lions Jersey at his Detroit show.
“I didn’t realize BARRY Sanders was such a divisive person lol. Maybe they’re Packer fans…”
For the record, Brooks confirmed during the show that he was paying tribute to the retired Hall of Famer, according to The Blaze.
“Can I just tell ya, you guys got the greatest player in NFL history, in my opinion,” he told his audience of 70,000 fans.


newyorkpost--2020-02-28--Giants’ Jeff Samardzija has Derek Jeter jokes for Yankees trade rumors

Jeff Samardzija is not exactly packing his bags for The Bronx .
The Giants ’ veteran right-hander was alerted to the trade rumors involving the Yankees in the wake of Luis Severino ’ s season-ending Tommy John surgery .
“ Oh yeah .
Just give me No .
2 and don ’ t make me cut my hair , ” the 35-year-old Samardzija told The Athletic in reference to Derek Jeter ’ s jersey number and the Yankees ’ stringent hair policy .
The Yankees for now seem content to fill their rotation holes — James Paxton will also miss @ @ @ @ @ @ @ season following back surgery — from within .
Jordan Montgomery is the leading candidate to get one spot with Deivi Garcia , Michael King , Jonathan Loaisiga and Chad Bettis also in the mix .
Samardzija , who is in the final season of a five-year , $ 90 million contract , was 11-12 with a 3.52 ERA last season .
With the Giants expected to be in rebuilding mode this season , expect Samardzija to be a popular name in trade speculation .
For now , do not expect those rumors to @ @ @ @ @ @

Jeff Samardzija is not exactly packing his bags for The Bronx.
The Giants’ veteran right-hander was alerted to the trade rumors involving the Yankees in the wake of Luis Severino’s season-ending Tommy John surgery.
“Oh yeah. Just give me No. 2 and don’t make me cut my hair,” the 35-year-old Samardzija told The Athletic in reference to Derek Jeter’s jersey number and the Yankees’ stringent grooming policy.
The Yankees for now seem content to fill their rotation holes — James Paxton will also miss at least the first month of the season following back surgery — from within. Jordan Montgomery is the leading candidate to get one spot with Deivi Garcia, Michael King, Jonathan Loaisiga and Chad Bettis also in the mix.
Samardzija, who is in the final season of a five-year, $90 million contract, was 11-12 with a 3.52 ERA last season. With the Giants expected to be in rebuilding mode this season, expect Samardzija to be a popular name in trade speculation. For now, do not expect those rumors to lead back to the Yankees.


newyorkpost--2020-02-28--How coronavirus benefits Netflix and other ‘in-home’ services

Amid fears over a global economic slowdown from the widening coronavirus outbreak , companies like Netflix that provide in-home services are best positioned to withstand the storm or even see upside from the crisis , according to industry analysts .
Netflix “ is an obvious beneficiary if consumers stay home due to coronavirus ( COVID-19 virus ) concerns , and this has been reflected in considerable stock price outperformance this week , ” BMO Capital Market analyst Dan Salmon wrote in a research note Friday .
Netflix shares are up 0.8 % this week through market close Thursday , amid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nearly nine years over fears that a broader spread of the coronavirus may lead to a worldwide recession .
The S & P 500 index has plunged 8.3 % this week through Feb. 27 .
In addition to Netflix , other tech companies catering to internet-connected consumers at home that could benefit from coronavirus include Facebook , Amazon , Peloton and Slack , according to MKM Partners analyst JC O ’ Hara .
“ We tried to identify what products/services/companies would potentially benefit in a world of quarantined individuals , ” O ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ per CNBC .
“ What would people do if stuck inside all day ?
” Earlier this week Perry Sook , CEO of TV giant Nexstar Media Group , also put a positive spin on how coronavirus could affect his business .
Nexstar is the largest owner of broadcast TV stations in the U.S. after acquiring Tribune Media last year , with a footprint spanning 197 stations and digital multicast networks in 115 markets .
If coronavirus cases become “ more widespread in the United States , and there ’ s more quarantine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ then it could potentially benefit our business because we ’ d be the primary source of entertainment , ” Sook said on Nexstar ’ s Feb. 26 earnings call when asked about the potential financial impact of the virus .
To date , there have been 83,704 confirmed cases of coronavirus infection and 2,859 deaths , the majority in mainland China , according to the Johns Hopkins Center for Systems Science and Engineering ’ s coronavirus tracker .
Other analysts have identified home-entertainment providers as seeing a potential silver lining from a wider @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the contagion became more internationally widespread but short of panic , more people are likely to seek home entertainment options such as from companies like Comcast and AT & T , and streaming TV shows and films from Netflix , Disney Plus , Comcast ’ s Peacock , AT & T ’ s HBO Max and others , ” Moody ’ s Investors Services analysts led by Neil Begley commented in a Jan. 29 report .
Companies feeling the most immediate impact from the pandemic have been those with direct exposure to China @ @ @ @ @ @ @ month , Apple warned investors it would miss revenue estimates for the March 2020 quarter , citing slowdowns in its iPhone supply chain and lower sales in China due to the virus outbreak .
Apple CEO Tim Cook suggested that the worst is over in an interview with Fox Business Channel Thursday .
“ It feels to me that China is getting the coronavirus under control .
You look at the numbers , they ’ re coming down day by day by day , ” Cook said .
“ And so I ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ latest coronavirus-related disruptions , Facebook canceled its F8 2020 developers conference and Disney announced that it will shut down its Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea theme parks for two weeks as a precautionary measure .
Meanwhile , K-pop sensations BTS have axed their scheduled April concerts in South Korea over coronavirus concerns .
Organizers of the Geneva International Motor Show canceled the event that had been scheduled for next month after a government edict banning gatherings of 1,000 or more people until mid-March .

Amid fears over a global economic slowdown from the widening coronavirus outbreak, companies like Netflix that provide in-home services are best positioned to withstand the storm or even see upside from the crisis, according to industry analysts.
Netflix “is an obvious beneficiary if consumers stay home due to coronavirus (COVID-19 virus) concerns, and this has been reflected in considerable stock price outperformance this week,” BMO Capital Market analyst Dan Salmon wrote in a research note Friday.
Netflix shares are up 0.8% this week through market close Thursday, amid the worst sell-off on Wall Street in nearly nine years over fears that a broader spread of the coronavirus may lead to a worldwide recession. The S&P 500 index has plunged 8.3% this week through Feb. 27.
In addition to Netflix, other tech companies catering to internet-connected consumers at home that could benefit from coronavirus include Facebook, Amazon, Peloton and Slack, according to MKM Partners analyst JC O’Hara. “We tried to identify what products/services/companies would potentially benefit in a world of quarantined individuals,” O’Hara wrote in a note Thursday, per CNBC. “What would people do if stuck inside all day?”
Earlier this week Perry Sook, CEO of TV giant Nexstar Media Group, also put a positive spin on how coronavirus could affect his business. Nexstar is the largest owner of broadcast TV stations in the U.S. after acquiring Tribune Media last year, with a footprint spanning 197 stations and digital multicast networks in 115 markets.
If coronavirus cases become “more widespread in the United States, and there’s more quarantine in home and all of that, then it could potentially benefit our business because we’d be the primary source of entertainment,” Sook said on Nexstar’s Feb. 26 earnings call when asked about the potential financial impact of the virus.
To date, there have been 83,704 confirmed cases of coronavirus infection and 2,859 deaths, the majority in mainland China, according to the Johns Hopkins Center for Systems Science and Engineering’s coronavirus tracker.
Other analysts have identified home-entertainment providers as seeing a potential silver lining from a wider spread of the virus. “If the contagion became more internationally widespread but short of panic, more people are likely to seek home entertainment options such as from companies like Comcast and AT&T, and streaming TV shows and films from Netflix, Disney Plus, Comcast’s Peacock, AT&T’s HBO Max and others,” Moody’s Investors Services analysts led by Neil Begley commented in a Jan. 29 report.
Companies feeling the most immediate impact from the pandemic have been those with direct exposure to China’s manufacturing sector. Earlier this month, Apple warned investors it would miss revenue estimates for the March 2020 quarter, citing slowdowns in its iPhone supply chain and lower sales in China due to the virus outbreak.
Apple CEO Tim Cook suggested that the worst is over in an interview with Fox Business Channel Thursday. “It feels to me that China is getting the coronavirus under control. You look at the numbers, they’re coming down day by day by day,” Cook said. “And so I’m very optimistic there.”
Among the latest coronavirus-related disruptions, Facebook canceled its F8 2020 developers conference and Disney announced that it will shut down its Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea theme parks for two weeks as a precautionary measure. Meanwhile, K-pop sensations BTS have axed their scheduled April concerts in South Korea over coronavirus concerns. Organizers of the Geneva International Motor Show canceled the event that had been scheduled for next month after a government edict banning gatherings of 1,000 or more people until mid-March.


newyorkpost--2020-02-28--Apple’s China factories close to resuming full production, Tim Cook says

Spy agencies in the US are monitoring the spread of ...

Apple’s factories in China are getting closer to resuming full production even as the coronavirus chokes the tech giant’s iPhone supply, according to CEO Tim Cook, who said this week he’s “very optimistic” that the country is reining in the deadly bug.
The company’s Chinese plants have reopened and are making progress toward getting back up to speed after the deadly virus forced some to temporarily close, Cook said in a Thursday interview with Fox Business Network.
“I think of this as sort of the third phase of getting back to normal,” Cook told Fox, noting that components of the tech giant’s signature smartphone are produced all over the world.
He continued: “It feels to me that China is getting the coronavirus under control. You look at the numbers, they’re coming down day by day by day.”
Apple warned investors last week that its global iPhone supply would be “temporarily constrained” because the factories it uses in China were taking longer than expected to get production back to normal after reopening.
Apple said it did not expect to hit its quarterly revenue guidance because of the supply issues as well as slumping demand for its products in China, where the coronavirus has killed nearly 2,800 people and sickened more than 78,800.
Some 327 new cases of the coronavirus were reported in mainland China on Friday, the smallest number in more than a month. But about three quarters of new infections are now showing up in nations other than China as the disease has spread to 55 other countries and territories, infecting more than 4,200 people and killing roughly 70.
Previous 1 of 3 Next Advertisement A security guard checks the temperature of customers at the entrance of an Apple store in Shanghai. AFP via Getty Images A map of the worldwide coronavirus outbreak Advertisement
Apple’s stock price tumbled 6.5 percent Thursday, posting an even bigger loss than the Nasdaq 100 index, which sank 4.9 percent as Wall Street entered correction territory. Apple shares were down 1.7 percent in premarket trading at $268.79 as of 7:22 a.m. Friday.
With Post wires


newyorkpost--2020-02-28--Prince Harry, Jon Bon Jovi meet at Abbey Road Studios for Invictus Games collaboration

George and Amal Clooney once failed to get a last-minute ...

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Prince Harry and Jon Bon Jovi are gearing up for the Invictus Games.
The Duke of Sussex, 35, met the American rocker, 57, at Abbey Road Studios in London on Friday for their musical collaboration in honor of Harry’s philanthropic athletic competition. While at the studios, Harry and the Invictus Games Choir met with Bon Jovi to rerecord his hit “Unbroken,” which he created to highlight veterans living with PTSD and pay homage to their service.
The two men kept their meeting casual, with Bon Jovi wearing an all-black outfit paired with a leather jacket and the now-ex-royal choosing a blue button-down shirt.
In a video shared on SussexRoyal’s Instagram account, Bon Jovi and Harry can be seen in the recording booth preparing to sing the tune. The video ends just before fans can hear Harry’s vocals.
The duo, along with some of the choir members, also recreated The Beatles’ iconic “Abbey Road” album cover photo, shot in 1969.
Harry announced the collaboration last week. Launched in 2014, the Invictus Games is a multi-sport event for wounded and injured veterans and servicemen and -women. The Netherlands will host this year’s games, taking place from May 9 through May 16.


newyorkpost--2020-02-28--Tiger Woods withdraws from Arnold Palmer Invitational

Tiger Woods had done it four previous times in his ...

Tiger Woods, who’s 44 years old and nursing a balky back, on Friday informed officials at the Arnold Palmer Invitational that he won’t be playing next week at Bay Hill in Orlando, Fla.
Woods, who has undergone multiple back surgeries, has cited back stiffness as his reason to miss the tournament, which he has won eight times in his career, for the second consecutive year.
Woods missed the event last year because of neck strain that forced him to withdraw tournament week.
“He is not going to play,’’ Woods’ agent, Mark Steinberg, told ESPN Friday. “Back still stiff and just not quite ready.’’
Woods also didn’t play the WGC-Mexico Championship last week.
After finishing last two weeks ago at the Genesis Invitational, the event he and his foundation host, Woods said he didn’t think he would be physically ready to play in Mexico.
This news comes as a surprise considering the time Woods has had to rest since the Genesis.
He’s expected to play The Players Championship next week at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.
Woods has said all along his No. 1 priority is to prepare for the Masters, April 9-12. Woods won his fifth green jacket last year and is expected to defend his title — as long as he’s able physically.
He played 18 times last year and has hinted he might scale back on that number this year.
“That’s the fun part of trying to figure this whole comeback — how much do I play, when do I play, do I listen to the body or do I fight through it?’’ Woods said during the Genesis Invitational. “There are some things I can push and some things I can’t. And so I had a theory this year that I may play about the same amount. What did I play, 12 times last year [during the 2018-19 season], and so that’s kind of my number for the year.
“I can’t play a lot more than that just because of the physical toll, and I want to stay out here for just a little bit longer.’’
Woods never really contended last year after winning the Masters. He had arthroscopic knee surgery and disclosed that his left knee had been bothering him for much of the year.
More than two months after surgery, in his first event following the knee procedure, Woods won the Zozo Championship in Japan for his 82nd PGA Tour title, which tied Sam Snead for the most all-time wins on the PGA Tour.
Expectations for a big 2020 rose for Woods when he finished fourth at the Hero World Challenge, went 3-0 at the Presidents Cup and tied for ninth last month at the Farmers Insurance Open.
Now, those expectations likely have to be tempered.


newyorkpost--2020-02-28--Yankees’ Miguel Andujar outfield experiment succeeding so far

VENICE , Fla. — Miguel Andujar played left field Friday against the Braves and will repeat that exercise on Saturday when the Yankees face the Red Sox in a split-squad game .
In what was his second game in left , Andujar handled two chances flawlessly despite batting a high sky and wind Friday .
According to Aaron Boone , Andujar will not play Sunday , then will play third base in the middle of next week , as well as getting some time at first base .
With Gio Urshela at third , the Yankees are attempting to see @ @ @ @ @ @ @ productive bat at other positions .
“ It was another good day for him out there .
I don ’ t want to overstate it because they were two fairly easy plays , but talking about a sun field where there was a lot of wind , ’ ’ Boone said .
“ I am watching the pitcher and the batter and my eyes shift and [ Andujar ] is already on the move like he should be .
I think he is reading the ball well out there and he is moving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him.
’ ’ Asked if he would play Andujar in left on Sunday if the game counted , Boone quipped , “ Well , we don ’ t have to play a game tomorrow.
’ ’ Seriously , though , Boone wants Andujar to become more familiar with the position after he played third base in 2018 but barely at all last year due to right shoulder surgery .
“ I want him to continue to get reps and experience , ’ ’ Boone said .

VENICE, Fla. — Miguel Andujar played left field Friday against the Braves and will repeat that exercise on Saturday when the Yankees face the Red Sox in a split-squad game.
In what was his second game in left, Andujar handled two chances flawlessly despite batting a high sky and wind Friday.
According to Aaron Boone, Andujar will not play Sunday, then will play third base in the middle of next week, as well as getting some time at first base. With Gio Urshela at third, the Yankees are attempting to see if they can use Andujar’s productive bat at other positions.
“It was another good day for him out there. I don’t want to overstate it because they were two fairly easy plays, but talking about a sun field where there was a lot of wind,’’ Boone said. “I am watching the pitcher and the batter and my eyes shift and [Andujar] is already on the move like he should be. I think he is reading the ball well out there and he is moving. So far it looks natural to him.’’
Asked if he would play Andujar in left on Sunday if the game counted, Boone quipped, “Well, we don’t have to play a game tomorrow.’’
Seriously, though, Boone wants Andujar to become more familiar with the position after he played third base in 2018 but barely at all last year due to right shoulder surgery.
“I want him to continue to get reps and experience,’’ Boone said.
Andujar went 1-for-2 and walked.


newyorkpost--2020-02-28--Need a team to root for to beat the hated Astros? Try the Angels

Major League Baseball saw plenty of its stars succumb to ...

TEMPE, Ariz. — I offer you the Los Angeles Angels.
Just in case you are looking for a team to support. Or eyeing a backup plan because you are a little uneasy about your club. Or just because you like baseball.
At this point, enough playoff games have been contested without Mike Trout. And October would be more fun — tons more fun — with Shohei Ohtani pitching. And hitting. And generally stretching the concepts of what one baseball player can do.
Because pretty much every fan outside of Houston is looking for a club to step up and deprive the now most hated team in baseball a fourth straight AL West title.
The Athletics, with their fourth-most-in-the-majors 194 wins the past two years, have the best chance to overtake the Astros in the AL West. And good for an organization that does so much more with less if that occurs. In a world of anyone but the Astros, sure, why not?
But maybe we should do more than root against something. The Angels have enough storylines for which to root. But are they good enough?
They did add Anthony Rendon, whose bat did much to subdue the Astros in last year’s World Series. That deepens a strong two-way positional group that will only become more so if their top prospect, outfielder Jo Adell, quickly fulfills his potential.
The problem is pitching. The closer is Hansel Robles, who actually had a season on par with Seth Lugo last year. But the big issue is not the bullpen.
The Angels fell short on Gerrit Cole and Zack Wheeler in free agency and Corey Kluber in the trade market. They added Dylan Bundy and Julio Teheran, kind of their version of Rick Porcello and Michael Wacha, at a time when they needed more in the rotation, especially with Ohtani not due back until mid-May and a once-a-week starter when he does return following Tommy John surgery.
Also their owner, Arte Moreno, turned petulant when the trade of Mookie Betts to the Dodgers hit complications and pulled out of his end, which would have brought more-than-useful pieces Joc Pederson and Ross Stripling from the Dodgers to lengthen the lineup and pitching staff. The Angels have to outdo the more talented Astros, who might have exclusively righty pitching. The lefty Pederson is a renowned masher of righties and the teams play each other 19 times.
So there is one less Angel in the outfield as we see if there could be Angels in October because:
1. Trout has only played three postseason games, all losses, in 2014. “The biggest thing I hear all the time is I have to get to the playoffs,” he said. Amen. The NBA playoffs were a little worse last year without LeBron James and will be this year without Stephen Curry or Kevin Durant. But that is a rarity. “Our Mickey Mantle” — Angels bench coach Mike Gallego’s description — has almost never been in the playoffs. That not only is bad for him, it is bad for a game when one of the best players ever does not get the October stage.
2. New Angels pitching coach Mickey Callaway: “Ohtani was throwing 80 percent” in his last bullpen special. “How do you know?” “Because he was throwing 80 mph.” Yep, do the math, that means the norm could be 100 mph. And he is among the majors’ best at exit velocity off his bat. As new manager Joe Maddon said: “It comes out hot from his arm. It comes out hot from his bat.” Maddon said he thought it was possible, considering the talent, that Ohtani could be the best hitter and best pitcher in the majors. Wouldn’t it be great fun to watch him do both in the biggest games?
3. Maddon is attempting to be kind of a one-man pushback against the analytics revolution — so if you are among the throng who thinks the game is smarter and more boring, this is your guy. Maddon plans to hit and run and order steals and manage the game based on what he is seeing rather than off the spreadsheets provided before the game. He likes the advanced information “like it was an app running in the background.” In other words, there when you want it, but not all the time. Oh yeah, Maddon also is an October-worthy quote.
4. Albert Pujols stopped being a good baseball player around 2016. But there is still a little life in his bat and he is among the handful of greatest hitters ever. Wouldn’t it be fun to see him take a meaningful swing or three more before it is all over?
5. Angels third base coach Brian Butterfield has long been regarded as among the game’s best infield instructors. This is what he said about shortstop Andrelton Simmons, who just might be the best defender in the majors: “He has workdays that wow me.” That happens in empty stadiums. How great would it be to see Simmons turn difficult grounders into performance art in October?


newyorkpost--2020-02-28--Sprague Grayden brings her sister act to ‘A Million Little Things’

As the final four episodes of Season 2 of “ A Million Little Things ” get under way this Thursday , the arrival of Eddie Saville ’ s ( David Giuntoli ) older sister Lindsay ( Sprague Grayden ) kicks off a new story that will stretch into the next fall ’ s episodes .
“ There ’ s a lot there to unpack , ” says Grayden , 39 .
“ They were very close as children .
She opens up a new mystery for Eddie.
” Eddie and Lindsay haven ’ t seen each other in years .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ toxic for Eddie to keep her in his life when he became sober after Theo was born , ” says Sprague , alluding to Eddie ’ s son with Katherine ( Grace Park ) .
Not only were they siblings , they were also drinking buddies when they were in high school .
“ I think Eddie and Lindsay grew up in a toxic family situation , ” she says .
“ She ’ s newly sober.
” So apprehensive are Katherine and Eddie about his sister ’ s arrival that Katherine removes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the bell .
Eddie wants to check her out himself , to make sure she ’ s really clean .
“ Lindsay wants to reconnect with her brother and be part of Theo ’ s ( Tristan Byon ) life , ” Grayden says .
“ I think she ’ s at a point where she is questioning the choices she ’ s made .
Eddie has a family .
Lindsay has none of those things .
When you ’ ve been partying 15 years , you can question the quality of your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a lonely experience.
” That Sprague , who is married to “ The Orville ” senior concept designer Alexis Cassar , was already friends with Giuntoli helped smooth the way to filming these scenes on a show where happiness lasts for two-and-a-half minutes per episode .
The actors met in a Meisner acting class taught by Chris Field .
At one point , Sprague asked Giuntoli to play her love interest in a short film she was producing .
“ I told him , You ’ re going to be lead on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ll come and guest on it , ” she says .
But when the actress booked the job on “ A Million Little Things , ” she did not tell Giuntoli she was coming on the show .
“ I never tell anybody ahead of time when I audition , ” Sprague says .
“ I don ’ t tell anybody until I get the job.
” Grayden was born in Manchester-by-the-Sea , Massachusetts , a town made famous by the Oscar-winning Casey Affleck movie .
Fittingly , she says the movie was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and that the actual Manchester is more upscale .
“ That film is really more about more the neighboring towns like Gloucester , ” she says .
“ Those towns are wonderful places and they have more blue-collar workers in them .
But Manchester has pretty shooting views.
” She and Kassar live in LA with their 5-year-old son Ben and they are a fairly eccentric family .
What ’ s in the garage ?
“ I have 150 Pez dispensers , ” Sprague says .
“ I have Mr. Bean .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a Pez truck : the candy comes out of the back .
I have all the ‘ Star Trek ’ captains , still in the box .
Kirk , Spock , Janeway .
I got it at Dylan ’ s Candy Store in New York .
When the kid goes to college , we ’ ll break them out and sell them on eBay .
”

As the final four episodes of Season 2 of “A Million Little Things” get under way this Thursday, the arrival of Eddie Saville’s (David Giuntoli) older sister Lindsay (Sprague Grayden) kicks off a new story that will stretch into the next fall’s episodes.
“There’s a lot there to unpack,” says Grayden, 39. “They were very close as children. She opens up a new mystery for Eddie.”
Eddie and Lindsay haven’t seen each other in years. “Lindsay’s alcoholism was too toxic for Eddie to keep her in his life when he became sober after Theo was born,” says Sprague, alluding to Eddie’s son with Katherine (Grace Park). Not only were they siblings, they were also drinking buddies when they were in high school. “I think Eddie and Lindsay grew up in a toxic family situation,” she says. “She’s newly sober.”
So apprehensive are Katherine and Eddie about his sister’s arrival that Katherine removes Theo from the house before Lindsay rings the bell. Eddie wants to check her out himself, to make sure she’s really clean. “Lindsay wants to reconnect with her brother and be part of Theo’s (Tristan Byon) life,” Grayden says. “I think she’s at a point where she is questioning the choices she’s made. Eddie has a family. Lindsay has none of those things. When you’ve been partying 15 years, you can question the quality of your friendships. Becoming sober in your 30s is a lonely experience.”
That Sprague, who is married to “The Orville” senior concept designer Alexis Cassar, was already friends with Giuntoli helped smooth the way to filming these scenes on a show where happiness lasts for two-and-a-half minutes per episode. The actors met in a Meisner acting class taught by Chris Field. At one point, Sprague asked Giuntoli to play her love interest in a short film she was producing. “I told him, You’re going to be lead on the show one day and I’ll come and guest on it,” she says.
But when the actress booked the job on “A Million Little Things,” she did not tell Giuntoli she was coming on the show. “I never tell anybody ahead of time when I audition,” Sprague says. “I don’t tell anybody until I get the job.”
Grayden was born in Manchester-by-the-Sea, Massachusetts, a town made famous by the Oscar-winning Casey Affleck movie. Fittingly, she says the movie was largely an illusion of coastal blue-collar life, and that the actual Manchester is more upscale. “That film is really more about more the neighboring towns like Gloucester,” she says. “Those towns are wonderful places and they have more blue-collar workers in them. But Manchester has pretty shooting views.”
She and Kassar live in LA with their 5-year-old son Ben and they are a fairly eccentric family. What’s in the garage? “I have 150 Pez dispensers,” Sprague says. “I have Mr. Bean. Yoda is really funny. I have a Pez truck: the candy comes out of the back. I have all the ‘Star Trek’ captains, still in the box. Kirk, Spock, Janeway. I got it at Dylan’s Candy Store in New York. When the kid goes to college, we’ll break them out and sell them on eBay.”


newyorkpost--2020-02-28--Coronavirus fears cost the world’s 5 richest people $36 billion this week

Forget Bernie Sanders — billionaires ’ biggest enemy right now is the coronavirus .
The world ’ s five richest people finished their worst week ever in terms of dollars lost on Friday , hemorrhaging a combined $ 36.5 billion as the spread of the epidemic punished stocks and stoked worries about a global recession .
That ’ s a sum that dwarfs the market capitalization of any number of US corporate giants , including Ford Motor Co. , Clorox and Snap Inc .
The week ’ s biggest loser was Amazon chief Jeff Bezos , who lost $ 11.7 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trading , leaving him with a fortune of $ 116 billion that nevertheless remained the world ’ s biggest , according to Forbes .
Bezos — who earlier this month shelled out $ 165 million for a Beverly Hills mansion — was seconded by Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates , the world ’ s No .
2 tycoon , who is down $ 5.7 billion with an end-of-week net worth of $ 112.6 billion .
“ I hope it ’ s not that bad , but we should assume it will be until we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the coronavirus in a Friday article in the New England Journal of Medicine , calling it potentially the “ once-in-a-century pathogen we ’ ve been worried about.
” The uncertainty pummeled US stocks , which weathered their worst drop since the 2008 financial crisis with the Dow Jones industrial average losing more than 3,500 points .
The S & P 500 , meanwhile , tumbled more than 10 percent into correction territory just a week after it hit a record high .
In all , the market turmoil cost the world ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ billion , according to Bloomberg .
Legendary investor Warren Buffett , the chairman of Berkshire Hathaway and world ’ s fourth-richest person , got slammed with $ 6.1 billion in losses this week , including a $ 919 million paper loss on Friday alone .
Nevertheless , the folksy billionaire chose to take the long view in an interview with CNBC earlier this week .
“ The real question is : ‘ Has the 10-year or 20-year outlook for American businesses changed in the last 24 or 48 hours ?
’ ” Buffett @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a chance to buy something you like and you can buy it even cheaper then it ’ s your good luck.
” Tesla CEO Elon Musk ranks only at No .
27 among the world ’ s wealthiest , according to Forbes , but he ranked No .
2 in terms of losses this week , losing $ 6.8 billion amid headlines that the electric-car maker ’ s factory in China had been temporarily shut down by the coronavirus .
Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg suffered the indignity of dropping from the No .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to No .
6 , and has seen his fortune shrink this week by $ 6.4 billion , to $ 71.4 billion .
Luxury goods billionaire Bernard Arnault , who was previously the only other person in the world besides Gates and Bezos to have a 12-digit net worth , saw his fortune dip below the $ 100 billion threshold , losing $ 6.6 billion this week to leave him at $ 97.8 billion .

Forget Bernie Sanders — billionaires’ biggest enemy right now is the coronavirus.
The world’s five richest people finished their worst week ever in terms of dollars lost on Friday, hemorrhaging a combined $36.5 billion as the spread of the epidemic punished stocks and stoked worries about a global recession.
That’s a sum that dwarfs the market capitalization of any number of US corporate giants, including Ford Motor Co., Clorox and Snap Inc.
The week’s biggest loser was Amazon chief Jeff Bezos, who lost $11.7 billion during five blistering days of stock trading, leaving him with a fortune of $116 billion that nevertheless remained the world’s biggest, according to Forbes.
Bezos — who earlier this month shelled out $165 million for a Beverly Hills mansion — was seconded by Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, the world’s No. 2 tycoon, who is down $5.7 billion with an end-of-week net worth of $112.6 billion.
“I hope it’s not that bad, but we should assume it will be until we know otherwise,” Gates wrote about the coronavirus in a Friday article in the New England Journal of Medicine, calling it potentially the “once-in-a-century pathogen we’ve been worried about.”
The uncertainty pummeled US stocks, which weathered their worst drop since the 2008 financial crisis with the Dow Jones industrial average losing more than 3,500 points. The S&P 500, meanwhile, tumbled more than 10 percent into correction territory just a week after it hit a record high.
In all, the market turmoil cost the world’s 500 richest people a collective $444 billion, according to Bloomberg.
Legendary investor Warren Buffett, the chairman of Berkshire Hathaway and world’s fourth-richest person, got slammed with $6.1 billion in losses this week, including a $919 million paper loss on Friday alone.
Nevertheless, the folksy billionaire chose to take the long view in an interview with CNBC earlier this week.
“The real question is: ‘Has the 10-year or 20-year outlook for American businesses changed in the last 24 or 48 hours?’” Buffett said. “If it gives you a chance to buy something you like and you can buy it even cheaper then it’s your good luck.”
Tesla CEO Elon Musk ranks only at No. 27 among the world’s wealthiest, according to Forbes, but he ranked No. 2 in terms of losses this week, losing $6.8 billion amid headlines that the electric-car maker’s factory in China had been temporarily shut down by the coronavirus.
Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg suffered the indignity of dropping from the No. 5 spot in the global wealth rankings to No. 6, and has seen his fortune shrink this week by $6.4 billion, to $71.4 billion.
Luxury goods billionaire Bernard Arnault, who was previously the only other person in the world besides Gates and Bezos to have a 12-digit net worth, saw his fortune dip below the $100 billion threshold, losing $6.6 billion this week to leave him at $97.8 billion.


newyorkpost--2020-02-28--Man named Thomas Stemen allegedly stabs woman with syringe full of semen

A Maryland woman was stabbed with a syringe filled with semen , cops said Friday .
Thomas Byron Stemen , 51 , was arrested by Anne Arundel Police on Tuesday after a woman reported that she was assaulted while grocery shopping on Feb. 18 , cops said in a press release .
Surveillance video shows Stemen pretending to bump into the woman as she was returning a shopping cart , jabbing her with an object he pulled from his pocket .
The victim — identified by WBAL-TV as Katie Peters — initially thought she was burned by a cigarette butt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ felt like a bee sting didn ’ t it ?
” Stemen allegedly told Peters after the attack , the outlet reported .
Cops said they received an anonymous tip on Tuesday which named the 51-year-old as the attacker .
Investigators then found the syringe in the driver ’ s side door of his car , WBAL-TV reported .
Stemen was arrested and charged with first- and second-degree assault and reckless endangerment .
A judge ordered he be held without bail .
Peters told the station on Wednesday that she felt safer with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ additional testing and investigations are underway — believing that there may be additional victims .
It was unclear Friday whether Peters and Stemen knew each other .
“ This investigation is extremely active additional charges may be applicable , ” cops posted on Twitter .
Jail records show that Stemen is housed in the Jennifer Road Detention Center .

A Maryland woman was stabbed with a syringe filled with semen, cops said Friday.
Thomas Byron Stemen, 51, was arrested by Anne Arundel Police on Tuesday after a woman reported that she was assaulted while grocery shopping on Feb. 18, cops said in a press release.
Surveillance video shows Stemen pretending to bump into the woman as she was returning a shopping cart, jabbing her with an object he pulled from his pocket.
The victim — identified by WBAL-TV as Katie Peters — initially thought she was burned by a cigarette butt, the station reported.
“It felt like a bee sting didn’t it?” Stemen allegedly told Peters after the attack, the outlet reported.
Cops said they received an anonymous tip on Tuesday which named the 51-year-old as the attacker.
Investigators then found the syringe in the driver’s side door of his car, WBAL-TV reported.
Stemen was arrested and charged with first- and second-degree assault and reckless endangerment. A judge ordered he be held without bail.
Peters told the station on Wednesday that she felt safer with Stemen behind bars.
Cops said that additional testing and investigations are underway — believing that there may be additional victims.
It was unclear Friday whether Peters and Stemen knew each other.
“This investigation is extremely active additional charges may be applicable,” cops posted on Twitter.
Jail records show that Stemen is housed in the Jennifer Road Detention Center.


newyorkpost--2020-02-28--R. Kelly files to get New York racketeering charges tossed out

Click to email this to a friend ( Opens in new window ) Click to share on Twitter ( Opens in new window ) Click to share on Facebook ( Opens in new window ) R. Kelly says he shouldn ’ t be charged with taking part in a criminal conspiracy because he ’ s the only one charged in his sex abuse case , his attorney argues in court papers filed on Friday .
Kelly ’ s attorney filed a motion in Brooklyn federal court to dismiss a 12-count racketeering charge against the embattled R & B icon .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ managers , drivers , members of his entourage and others in his orbit in a criminal enterprise — which was designed to both promote the “ I Believe I Can Fly ” crooner ’ s music as well as recruit minor girls to have sex with him .
Kelly , 53 , is the sole named defendant in his Brooklyn case , one of four criminal beefs bearing down on the Pied Piper of R & B .
“ A single person acting in the manner that Mr. Kelly allegedly did does not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the law , ” Kelly ’ s motion states .
Kelly ’ s New York case includes an allegation that he bribed a government official in 1994 to get a fake ID for R & B starlet Aaliyah — who was 15 years old at the time — so that the two could get illegally hitched .
Kelly is also charged in Brooklyn with transporting a woman across state lines for the purposes of having sex .
In his Chicago federal court case , Kelly is charged with creating and possessing child pornography @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s business manager and one of his former employees are co-defendants in that case .
Kelly ’ s legal troubles also include criminal cases in a lawsuits in Manhattan and Chicago .
The US Attorney ’ s Office in Brooklyn declined to comment on the motion to dismiss .

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R. Kelly says he shouldn’t be charged with taking part in a criminal conspiracy because he’s the only one charged in his sex abuse case, his attorney argues in court papers filed on Friday.
Kelly’s attorney filed a motion in Brooklyn federal court to dismiss a 12-count racketeering charge against the embattled R&B icon.
Prosecutors allege that Kelly worked with his managers, drivers, members of his entourage and others in his orbit in a criminal enterprise — which was designed to both promote the “I Believe I Can Fly” crooner’s music as well as recruit minor girls to have sex with him.
Kelly, 53, is the sole named defendant in his Brooklyn case, one of four criminal beefs bearing down on the Pied Piper of R&B.
“A single person acting in the manner that Mr. Kelly allegedly did does not form a legally cognizable … enterprise under the law,” Kelly’s motion states.
Kelly’s New York case includes an allegation that he bribed a government official in 1994 to get a fake ID for R&B starlet Aaliyah — who was 15 years old at the time — so that the two could get illegally hitched.
Kelly is also charged in Brooklyn with transporting a woman across state lines for the purposes of having sex.
In his Chicago federal court case, Kelly is charged with creating and possessing child pornography and sexual exploitation of minors. Kelly’s business manager and one of his former employees are co-defendants in that case.
Kelly’s legal troubles also include criminal cases in a lawsuits in Manhattan and Chicago.
The US Attorney’s Office in Brooklyn declined to comment on the motion to dismiss.


newyorkpost--2020-02-28--Chris Matthews accused of ‘inappropriately flirting’ with female guest

`` We ’ d go to theaters and watch those newsreels in the ...

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MSNBC host Chris Matthews “inappropriately flirted” with a much younger female guest on at least two occasions while she was getting made up to appear on his “Hardball” show, the woman wrote Friday.
Freelance journalist Laura Bassett, who previously wrote about the incidents in 2017 without naming Matthews, identified him in a column published by GQ.
“I was afraid to name him at the time for fear of retaliation from the network; I’m not anymore,” she wrote.
During one incident in 2016, Matthews — who’s married to Kathleen Matthews, a former Maryland Democratic Party chairwoman — allegedly “looked over at me in the makeup chair next to him and said, ‘Why haven’t I fallen in love with you yet?'” Bassett wrote.
“When I laughed nervously and said nothing, he followed up to the makeup artist. ‘Keep putting makeup on her, I’ll fall in love with her.'”
Another time, Bassett said, Matthews complimented her red dress and asked, “You going out tonight?”
When Bassett replied that she didn’t know, Matthews reportedly told the makeup artist, “Make sure you wipe this off her face after the show. We don’t make her up so some guy at a bar can look at her like this.”
Bassett said that although she’s “pretty sure that behavior doesn’t rise to the level of illegal sexual harassment…it undermined my ability to do my job well.”
Bassett, who uses a screenshot from an appearance on “Hardball” as her profile photo on Twitter, also said her interactions with Matthews made her “noticeably uncomfortable on air.”
Despite not naming Matthews in 2017, Bassett said that “dozens of people reached out to say they knew exactly who it was” because his off-camera behavior with guests is an “open secret.”
Matthews “often creeps up to the line of sexual harassment without actually crossing it, so that women can never feel that it’s worth jeopardizing their own careers to complain,” she added.
Bassett’s expose came just days after Matthews offered an on-air apology to Sen. Bernie Sanders for comparing the Democratic presidential candidate’s victory in the Nevada caucus to the Nazi invasion of France during World War II.
Sanders is Jewish and had relatives killed in the Holocaust.
A spokesperson for “Hardball” didn’t immediately return a request for comment.


newyorkpost--2020-02-28--Joe Biden fending off Bernie Sanders ahead of do-or-die South Carolina primary

MANCHESTER , N.H. — He was once the presumptive Democratic nominee , ...

It’s do or die for Joe Biden in Saturday’s South Carolina primary, analysts say, as a new poll showed his lead over Bernie Sanders slipping into single digits just before the pivotal Super Tuesday contests.
“Winning the South Carolina primary is absolutely necessary for Biden. A loss would doom him,” Larry Sabato, director of the University of Virginia’s Center for Politics, told The Post.
“A squeaker won’t help him too much, either. Biden needs a big win, at least high single digits and preferably double digits,” he added.
A Biden loss would hammer his chances in the 14 state and primary elections set for Super Tuesday, where 1,338 delegates are up for grabs.
Veteran New York political consultant Hank Sheinkopf agreed that the political stakes are dire.
“If Joe Biden loses in South Carolina, he’ll have to turn out the lights because the party will be over. Really over,” he told The Post on Friday.
Biden had 34 percent support in a survey released Friday by Data for Progress, a progressive think tank, followed by Sanders of Vermont with 25 percent, California businessman Tom Steyer with 13 percent and former South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg with 13 percent.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (Mass.) had 7 percent, Sen. Amy Klobuchar (Minn.) 5 percent and Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (Hawaii) had 3 percent.
Tw polls on Thursday showed Biden with far wider leads over Sanders, with a Monmouth survey showing Biden leading 36 percent to 16 percent, and an Emerson poll showing Biden ahead 41 percent to 25 percent.
Mike Bloomberg is not on the South Carolina ballot, having entered the race too late to qualify.
Biden hopes that his lead among black voters may give his campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination a boost after poor showings in Iowa and New Hampshire and a distant second-place finish in Nevada, and ahead of Super Tuesday.
Biden visited three South Carolina communities on Friday, days after receiving an endorsement from House Majority Whip James Clyburn, the highest-ranking African American on Capitol Hill and regarded as the most influential Democrat in South Carolina.
Thursday’s Monmouth poll showed Biden with large support from black South Carolina voters, who make up about 60 percent of the state’s Democratic electorate.
Sanders, currently leading among Democrats in national opinion polls, Warren and Buttigieg also campaigned across the state.
Biden’s campaign was also celebrating a $1.2 million, one-day online fundraising haul, the most contributed by small-dollar Internet donors since his campaign launch last year, when similar contributions added up to more than $6 million.
At a campaign event in Sumter, SC, undecided voter Marybeth Berry, 44, told Biden that she saw a “fire” in some of his rivals and asked what drove him.
“Because you see Bernie, you see Elizabeth Warren, you see that fire. That’s what I’m looking for,” said Berry, a University of South Carolina Lancaster theater professor.
Biden looked Berry in the eyes and said: “The fact that I’m not screaming like Bernie and waving my arms like Elizabeth, it’s not lack of fire.”
He said “decency and honor” drove him and that he hated to see the “abuse of power” against vulnerable people.
But whether Biden can use a win in South Carolina to propel him to bigger wins on Super Tuesday was very much in question.
Biden’s top rivals, Sanders and Bloomberg, have dwarfed him in organization and spending, and early voting has already begun in many states, including delegate-rich California and Texas, before Biden’s campaign could reestablish its footing.
In Biden’s ideal, a South Carolina rebound would blunt the momentum of Sanders, the progressive favorite and current national delegate leader who led voting in Iowa, New Hampshire and Nevada, while gutting the case for Bloomberg, a multibillionaire whose late entry to the race in November was almost entirely pegged on the idea that Biden would collapse after losing Iowa and New Hampshire.
Polls in South Carolina are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., and anyone in line to vote by 7 p.m. will be permitted to cast a ballot.
The South Carolina primary winner will get 54 pledged delegates with another nine “PLEO” delegates, including the state party leader and other elected officials.
Data for Progress surveyed 1,416 likely voters in South Carolina between Feb. 23 to 27. The poll’s margin of error was +/-2.6 percent.
With Post wires


newyorkpost--2020-02-28--Paulina Porizkova feels ‘betrayed’ after being cut out of husband Ric Ocasek’s will

Porizkova was the one who found her estranged rocker husband 's ...

Supermodel Paulina Porizkova said she feels betrayed after being cut out of her late rocker husband Ric Ocasek’s will, according to an interview.
“It made the grieving process really, really tricky,” Porizkova said in an interview with “CBS Sunday Morning” set to air this weekend. “I would love to be able to be sad and miss him and not also feel this incredible hurt and betrayal.”
Porizkova — who told CBS she was still living with The Cars’ frontman at the time of his death — told the outlet finding his body in their Gramercy Park townhouse, was “the worst moment of my life.”
Porizkova described her estranged husband’s death as “untimely and unexpected” in an Instagram post soon after.
“Ric was at home recuperating well after surgery,” the statement continued. “Our two sons, Jonathan and Oliver, and I were making sure he was comfortable, ordering food and watching TV together.”
Porizkova — a prolific model in the 1980s and 1990s — met the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer in 1984 while filming the music video for The Cars’ song “Drive.”
The pair — who had two sons together — married in 1989 and began divorce proceedings in 2017. The divorce was not finalized by the time Ocasek died September 15 of heart disease.
“Even if I should die before our divorce is final … Paulina is not entitled to any elective share … because she has abandoned me,” Ocasek wrote in his will signed Aug. 28.
The 75-year-old new wave rock star left behind $5 million in assets according to papers filed with his will in Manhattan Surrogate’s court in November.
Porizkova has since filed court papers indicating that she plans to fight for her automatic elective share, which under New York law entitles her to 1/3 of Ocasek’s estate unless it can be proved in court that she did in fact abandon him as he claimed.
“I, Paulina Porizkova, the surviving spouse of the Decedent, do hereby exercise the personal right of election,” and “elect to take my elective share,” the court papers from Dec. 17 said.
Ocasek, in his will, appeared to have also cut out two of his six sons — though not the children he had with Porizkova.
Those sons, Adam and Christopher, have also hired a lawyer who said after a December court date that he couldn’t say yet if they would fight their disinheritance.