newyorkpost--2020-08-30--Why Joe Biden is losing ground in key swing states

It remains something of a mystery why there is so little apprehension among liberal pundits and leading Democrats about the similarities between battleground-state polling for the 2020 presidential election and the 2016 contest pitting President Trump against Hillary Clinton — which as you might recall did not turn out as expected .
Consider the case of Wisconsin .
The RealClearPolitics average had Clinton up 6.5 points in Wisconsin on Election Day in 2016 .
In August of that year , she had been hovering at a 11.5 point advantage .
Not a single poll featured on RCP during the entire @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state .
Yet when the chips were down in November , Trump had won the Badger State by fewer than 20,000 votes , edging out Clinton with a 0.7 percentage point average .
Now turn to 2020 .
As I write , Democratic Party nominee Joe Biden is up by 3.5 points in the RealClearPolitics average — which is to say , the ex-veep is underperforming Clinton in the middle of a pandemic and the economic collapse caused by the lockdowns .
This is the case in several battleground states .
What happens @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the economy continues rebounding over the next couple of months ?
A new CNBC poll , for instance , finds that as serious concerns about the coronavirus fell in six 2020 battleground states , approval of Trump ’ s handling of the pandemic rose .
This average , incidentally , was taken before the riots in Kenosha , Wis. As Wisconsin radio host Dan O ’ Donnell points out to me , many Republicans in the state believe the August 2016 riots in Milwaukee over the shooting death of Sylville Smith — an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ justified — likely played a role Trump ’ s win .
It was around the time the polls began to tighten in 2016 .
“ Milwaukee is seen outstate as being wholly unlike the rest of the largely rural population because of its crime and Democrat policies , ” O ’ Donnell says .
“ If people in , say , Appleton and Oshkosh ( the other big swing area ) and the heavily red suburbs think Milwaukee-style rioting could come to their cities next , Democrats are in big trouble here.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wisconsin found that support for Black Lives Matter was dropping even before the riots broke out .
In June , approval of protests was widespread , with 61 percent approving and 36 percent disapproving .
By August , however , 48 percent were approving and 48 percent disapproving .
It is possible those numbers will take a bigger hit after Kenosha .
Other swing states find Biden similarly underperforming .
He is up 5.5 points in Pennsylvania .
Hillary Clinton was up 9.2 the same day in 2016 .
Polls would tighten , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Election Day .
Biden was up seven points in Michigan last week , and Clinton was up nine points on the same day in 2016 .
Yet by the weekend , Biden ’ s RCP average lead had shrunk to just over 2.5 percent .
Even in traditionally Democratic Minnesota , polls show some tightening , with some showing the two candidates tied and others with Biden enjoying the barest advantage ( of around three points ) .
Florida is the only battleground state where Biden ( up by 3.7 points in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( up by 2.7 points around this time ) .
The Florida polls would also tighten in 2016 .
Now , if Trump loses Florida , none of the other swing states are going to matter , anyway .
That said , Democrat Andrew Gillum was up 3.6 points over Republican Ron DeSantis in the governor ’ s race , and Bill Nelson was up 2.6 points over Rick Scott in the Senate race on Election Day in 2018 .
Both Democrats were above 50 percent in at least three of the last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and both lost their elections .
I ’ m no prognosticator .
I was convinced Trump would be beaten soundly in 2016 .
Maybe pollsters have fixed the shortcomings that led to so many of us being blindsided by the outcome four years ago .
Or maybe Biden ’ s lead will prove more durable than Clinton ’ s did .
No election is the same .
What I don ’ t understand , however , is why so many people seem so utterly convinced that this time will be different .

It remains something of a mystery why there is so little apprehension among liberal pundits and leading Democrats about the similarities between battleground-state polling for the 2020 presidential election and the 2016 contest pitting President Trump against Hillary Clinton — which as you might recall did not turn out as expected.
Consider the case of Wisconsin.
The RealClearPolitics average had Clinton up 6.5 points in Wisconsin on Election Day in 2016. In August of that year, she had been hovering at an 11.5-point advantage. Not a single poll featured on RCP during the entire campaign showed then-candidate Donald Trump winning the state. Yet when the chips were down in November, Trump had won the Badger State by fewer than 20,000 votes, edging out Clinton with a 0.7 percentage-point average.
Now turn to 2020. As I write, Democratic Party nominee Joe Biden is up by 3.5 points in the RealClearPolitics average — which is to say, the ex-veep is underperforming Clinton in the middle of a pandemic and the economic collapse caused by the lockdowns.
This is the case in several battleground states. What happens if the coronavirus continues to ebb or the economy continues rebounding over the next couple of months?
A new CNBC poll, for instance, finds that as serious concerns about the coronavirus fell in six 2020 battleground states, approval of Trump’s handling of the pandemic rose.
This average, incidentally, was taken before the riots in Kenosha, Wis. As Wisconsin radio host Dan O’Donnell points out to me, many Republicans in the state believe the August 2016 riots in Milwaukee over the shooting death of Sylville Smith — an incident that was eventually ruled to be justified — likely played a role in Trump’s win.
It was around the time the polls began to tighten in 2016. “Milwaukee is seen outstate as being wholly unlike the rest of the largely rural population because of its crime and Democrat policies,” O’Donnell says. “If people in, say, Appleton and Oshkosh (the other big swing area) and the heavily red suburbs think Milwaukee-style rioting could come to their cities next, Democrats are in big trouble here.”
A new Marquette Law School Poll in Wisconsin found that support for Black Lives Matter was dropping even before the riots broke out. In June, approval of protests was widespread, with 61 percent approving and 36 percent disapproving. By August, however, 48 percent were approving and 48 percent disapproving.
It is possible those numbers will take a bigger hit after Kenosha.
Other swing states find Biden similarly underperforming. He is up 5.5 points in Pennsylvania. Hillary Clinton was up 9.2 the same day in 2016. Polls would tighten, but Clinton still ended up two points on Election Day. Biden was up seven points in Michigan last week, and Clinton was up nine points on the same day in 2016. Yet by the weekend, Biden’s RCP average lead had shrunk to just over 2.5 percent.
Even in traditionally Democratic Minnesota, polls show some tightening, with some showing the two candidates tied and others with Biden enjoying the barest advantage (of around three points).
Florida is the only battleground state where Biden (up by 3.7 points in the average spread) is outperforming Clinton (up by 2.7 points around this time). The Florida polls would also tighten in 2016.
Now, if Trump loses Florida, none of the other swing states are going to matter anyway. That said, Democrat Andrew Gillum was up 3.6 points over Republican Ron DeSantis in the governor’s race, and Bill Nelson was up 2.6 points over Rick Scott in the Senate race on Election Day in 2018. Both Democrats were above 50 percent in at least three of the last five polls conducted in the state, and both lost their elections.
That’s a trend.
I’m no prognosticator. I was convinced Trump would be beaten soundly in 2016. Maybe pollsters have fixed the shortcomings that led to so many of us being blindsided by the outcome four years ago. Or maybe Biden’s lead will prove more durable than Clinton’s did. No election is the same. What I don’t understand, however, is why so many people seem so utterly convinced that this time will be different.


newyorkpost--2020-08-30--Keke Palmer dedicates VMAs 2020 to Chadwick Boseman

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 ) MTV paid tribute to the late Chadwick Boseman during the 2020 Video Music Awards on Sunday night , two days after the “ Black Panther ” star succumbed to his four-year battle with colon cancer .
“ Before we get into the music tonight , we need to dedicate the time to talk about the devastating loss of Chadwick Boseman , an actor whose talent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fans he touched and everyone he encountered .
We dedicate tonight ’ s show to a man whose spirit touched so many .
He is a true spirit , not just onscreen but in everything he did .
His impact lives forever , ” host Keke Palmer said before the show began .
The network later echoed the same sentiment , tweeting , “ RIP Chadwick Boseman .
Tonight ’ s # VMAs is dedicated to him.
” On Friday , reps for Boseman confirmed his death , revealing the actor had been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was diagosed with stage 3 colon cancer in 2016 , which later progressed to stage 4 .
He was 43 years old .
In the wake of Boseman ’ s death , countless tributes have poured in from Hollywood , including two touching messages MTV posted to its Instagram over the weekend .
“ Chadwick Boseman has tragically passed away from colon cancer at age 43 .
His legacy will live on forever , ” the first post read .
[ https : //www.instagram.com/p/CEdPy8uoEkv/ ] In a second post , MTV highlighted the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 2018 MTV Movie & TV Awards for his turn as T ’ Challa in “ Black Panther.
” While accepting the golden popcorn , Boseman honored real-life hero , James Shaw Jr. , who disarmed a gunman at a Tennessee Waffle House earlier that year .
“ So , this is gon na live at your house , ” Boseman told Shaw .
“ Thank you , brother.
” Boseman — also known for his performances as legends Jackie Robinson in “ 42 , ” Thurgood Marshall in “ Marshall , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Up ” — died at his home , where he was surrounded by loved ones , including wife Taylor Simone Ledward .
Keke Palmer is the host of this year ’ s VMAs , which is taking place in New York amid the COVID-19 pandemic .

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MTV paid tribute to the late Chadwick Boseman during the 2020 Video Music Awards on Sunday night, two days after the “Black Panther” star succumbed to his four-year battle with colon cancer.
“Before we get into the music tonight, we need to dedicate the time to talk about the devastating loss of Chadwick Boseman, an actor whose talent is a true inspiration to all the fans he touched and everyone he encountered. We dedicate tonight’s show to a man whose spirit touched so many. He is a true hero, not just onscreen but in everything he did. His impact lives forever,” host Keke Palmer said before the show began.
The network later echoed the same sentiment, tweeting, “RIP Chadwick Boseman. Tonight’s #VMAs is dedicated to him.”
On Friday, reps for Boseman confirmed his death, revealing the actor had been battling cancer behind the scenes. Boseman was diagosed with stage 3 colon cancer in 2016, which later progressed to stage 4.
He was 43 years old.
In the wake of Boseman’s death, countless tributes have poured in from Hollywood, including two touching messages MTV posted to its Instagram over the weekend.
“Chadwick Boseman has tragically passed away from colon cancer at age 43. His legacy will live on forever,” the first post read. [https://www.instagram.com/p/CEdPy8uoEkv/]
In a second post, MTV highlighted the moment Boseman was named Best Hero at the 2018 MTV Movie & TV Awards for his turn as T’Challa in “Black Panther.” While accepting the golden popcorn, Boseman honored real-life hero, James Shaw Jr., who disarmed a gunman at a Tennessee Waffle House earlier that year.
“So, this is gonna live at your house,” Boseman told Shaw. “Thank you, brother.”
Boseman — also known for his performances as legends Jackie Robinson in “42,” Thurgood Marshall in “Marshall,” and James Brown in “Get on Up” — died at his home, where he was surrounded by loved ones, including wife Taylor Simone Ledward.
Keke Palmer is the host of this year’s VMAs, which is taking place in New York amid the COVID-19 pandemic.


newyorkpost--2020-08-30--Logan Ryan splash that must happen would reveal Giants’ true feelings

As he came off the field after the first half ...

There never was — and still is not — an urgency for the Giants to do anything. They can be patient and let their pups on defense grow during a season when no one expects them to be in any kind of playoff chase.
But should they decide to sign veteran Logan Ryan for their inexperienced, depleted secondary, it could tell us something about the organization’s mindset about this team and this pandemic season.
Because it is the kind of move that would-be contenders, rather than rebuilding pretenders with a rookie head coach and second-year quarterback, normally make.
The Vikings, for example, traded for pass rusher Yannick Ngakoue on Sunday because they see a clear path to the NFC North title.
If the Giants believe internally that the NFC East is there for the taking, then they would be the only ones that do.
Logan Ryan isn’t the missing piece of any playoff puzzle.
But that doesn’t mean you pass on a player such as Ryan, one of those prototypical versatile and savvy football players Joe Judge craves, if the right price is right.
Ryan is a classy Jersey Guy who needs the Giants, and the Giants need him, because he makes them better, on the field and in the socially distanced culture of their locker room.
The regular season begins on Sept. 14. Against Ben Roethlisberger.
Memo to Dave Gettleman: Go get him.
The Giants are believed to view Ryan as more of a safety than cornerback, and with rookie Xavier McKinney sidelined until Thanksgiving or so, he would give defensive coordinator Patrick Graham the flexibility of that invaluable three-safety package, and fill in as a slot corner. At 29, he is not viewed by the Giants as a boundary corner, but given the options left following the DeAndre Baker disaster and the Sam Beal opt-out, necessity could always be the mother of invention in an emergency.
CB James Bradberry, the old man of the secondary at 27, remembers Ryan as a Titan.
“He’s a very good corner,” Bradberry told The Post.
Asked if Ryan could transition to safety, Bradberry said: “My personal opinion, I know it’s harder to go from safety to corner than it is corner to safety. If he puts work in, he’s be able to do it.”
Bradberry played in the same Panthers secondary with safety Eric Reid, and so he can vouch for what an experienced safety can provide.
“He was very talented and he was also very smart,” Bradberry said. “Coming from the San Fran defense, they had a great defense, he was able to help us out a lot in our defense when he came over to Carolina.”
Graham lusts for a defense whose toughness jumps off the film, and he needs it to it start with Dexter Lawrence, Leonard Williams and Dalvin Tomlinson, with Markus Golden and Lorenzo Carter and Jabrill Peppers behind them.
Ryan would add to the smarts alongside with Bradberry and Julian Love. He and Love could possibly be interchangeable.
Bradberry knew nothing about the Ryan speculation. In the meantime, he is a mentor in the secondary.
“My past four years I was the young one of the group, now people look to me for wisdom and they ask me questions,” Bradberry said. “If I’m able to answer those questions that are asked, I enjoy that.”
Asked about the current state of the secondary, Bradberry said: “I think we’re in a good spot.”
They would be in a better spot with Logan Ryan.
“Better days are ahead,” Gettleman told NBC’s Bruce Beck during halftime of the Blue-White scrimmage.
There is optimism that Judge and this coaching staff will squeeze everything there is to squeeze out of the talent Gettleman has imported.
“He’s very strict on the details,” Bradberry said. “He’s preparing us a lot for many different situations that will happen throughout the game.”
There is optimism that the offensive line, even with rookie Andrew Thomas protecting Jones’ blindside, will be better.
There is optimism that Carter in Year 3 will enjoy a breakthrough season as a pass rusher.
They are optimistic that Jones will flourish under offensive coordinator Jason Garrett.
“He has a great arm,” Bradberry said.
They are certain that Saquon Barkley is a generational running back.
More likely than not, the Giants are a year away.
That isn’t, of course, the way Joe Judge thinks.
The future is now for him, every single day.
And if the Giants sign Logan Ryan, it could be a revealing window into what the brain trust believes behind the Big Blue doors.


newyorkpost--2020-08-30--The Weeknd kicks off VMAs 2020 with Hudson Yards performance

The Weeknd lit up the 2020 VMAs Sunday night .
The 30-year-old Canadian singer kicked off the show with his performance , described in advance as a “ keyed-up , dazzling ” showcase .
He lived up to the hype with a rooftop version of his hit single “ Blinding Lights ” from the observation deck at Hudson Yards , complete with a background of fireworks .
The Weeknd pre-taped parts of his performance there and in Brooklyn last week .
While out and about in NYC , the artist was all-in , embracing a red jacket and bloody makeup @ @ @ @ @ @ @ VMA-nominated , frenetic “ Blinding Lights ” music video .
He wildly cruised through big-city streets in a Mercedes-Benz in the film , which was shot over the course of four days in Las Vegas and LA .
The three-time Grammy-winner ’ s song — a tale of loneliness , intoxication and yearning — includes familiar hints of electronic keyboards , a perhaps unintentional nod to a-ha ’ s 1985 chart-topper “ Take on Me ” ( which won six VMAs in 1986 ) .
The tune was the second single from his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” which dropped in February .
A six-time VMA nominee this year , The Weeknd was up for video of the year , artist of the year , best R & B , best direction , best cinematography and best editing .
He joined a performance roster that included a quarantine-weary Lady Gaga and “ Rain on Me ” collaborator Ariana Grande , Maluma , BTS , DaBaby , Miley Cyrus , Doja Cat , CNCO and the Black Eyed Peas .
The Weeknd , born Abel Tesfaye , previously fired up the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of his breakout hit “ Can ’ t Feel My Face .
”

The Weeknd lit up the 2020 VMAs Sunday night.
The 30-year-old Canadian singer kicked off the show with his performance, described in advance as a “keyed-up, dazzling” showcase. He lived up to the hype with a rooftop version of his hit single “Blinding Lights” — which won VMAs for Video of the Year and Best R&B — from the observation deck at Hudson Yards, complete with a background of fireworks.
The Weeknd pre-taped parts of his performance there and in Brooklyn last week. While out and about in NYC, the artist was all-in, embracing a red jacket and bloody makeup reminiscent of his battered visage in his VMA-nominated, frenetic “Blinding Lights” music video. He wildly cruised through big-city streets in a Mercedes-Benz in the film, which was shot over the course of four days in Las Vegas and LA.
The three-time Grammy-winner’s song — is a tale of loneliness, intoxication and yearning — includes familiar hints of electronic keyboards, a perhaps unintentional nod to a-ha’s 1985 chart-topper “Take on Me” (which won six VMAs in 1986). The tune was the second single from his latest album, “After Hours,” which dropped in February.
A six-time VMA nominee this year, The Weeknd was up for video of the year, artist of the year, best R&B, best direction, best cinematography and best editing. He joined a performance roster that included a quarantine-weary Lady Gaga and “Rain on Me” collaborator Ariana Grande, Maluma, BTS, DaBaby, Miley Cyrus, Doja Cat, CNCO and the Black Eyed Peas.
The Weeknd, born Abel Tesfaye, previously fired up the VMAs stage in 2015 with a performance of his breakout hit “Can’t Feel My Face.”


newyorkpost--2020-08-30--Court defeat for Lower East Side tower projects’ foes

A bombshell court ruling means that the opponents of plans for a massive Lower East Side development project have lost their battle to chop the planned towers down to size .
The state appeals court last week decided that the towers planned for Clinton , Cherry and South streets don ’ t need to go through the city ’ s tortuous Uniform Land Use Review Procedure because the plans comply with zoning .
Had the appellate judges not overruled a lower-court ruling , the projects would likely have been reduced in size and development delayed by the City Council .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ towers of between 63 and 80 stories to one day soar above the low-rise Two Bridges neighborhood ’ s mostly 19th-century tenements .
The projects — by developers JDS Development Group , CIM Group , L+M Development Partners and the Starrett Corp. — could rival Extell ’ s One Manhattan Square for the title of the area ’ s tallest skyscraper , although they won ’ t rise for several years .
Opponents had argued that the projects needed to go through ULURP because they didn ’ t like that new buildings would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disagreed : “ Although the proposed towers are more than twice the height of surrounding buildings , it is undisputed that they do not violate any applicable zoning regulation.
” Councilwoman Margaret Chin , who represents the district , and Speaker Corey Johnson oppose the plans , as does Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer .
They said in a statement that they were “ disappointed ” by the ruling and “ are evaluating our options.
” Problem is , they appear to have no options because the appellate judges ruled unanimously 4-0 — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ case to the Court of Appeals , the state ’ s highest .

A bombshell court ruling means that the opponents of plans for a massive Lower East Side development project have lost their battle to chop the planned towers down to size.
The state appeals court last week decided that the towers planned for Clinton, Cherry and South streets don’t need to go through the city’s tortuous Uniform Land Use Review Procedure because the plans comply with zoning. Had the appellate judges not overruled a lower-court ruling, the projects would likely have been reduced in size and development delayed by the City Council.
The ruling paves the way for four towers of between 63 and 80 stories to one day soar above the low-rise Two Bridges neighborhood’s mostly 19th-century tenements.
The projects — by developers JDS Development Group, CIM Group, L+M Development Partners and the Starrett Corp. — could rival Extell’s One Manhattan Square for the title of the area’s tallest skyscraper, although they won’t rise for several years.
Opponents had argued that the projects needed to go through ULURP because they didn’t like that new buildings would be so tall.
The appellate judges disagreed: “Although the proposed towers are more than twice the height of surrounding buildings, it is undisputed that they do not violate any applicable zoning regulation.”
Councilwoman Margaret Chin, who represents the district, and Speaker Corey Johnson oppose the plans, as does Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer. They said in a statement that they were “disappointed” by the ruling and “are evaluating our options.”
Problem is, they appear to have no options because the appellate judges ruled unanimously 4-0 — making it virtually impossible to bring the case to the Court of Appeals, the state’s highest.


newyorkpost--2020-08-30--Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers urges Trump to call off Kenosha visit

Wisconsin Gov .
Tony Evers urged President Trump to call off his trip to Kenosha this week — fearing the president ’ s visit to the city will “ only hinder our healing.
” The governor made the plea in a Sunday letter , portraying Kenosha — where Jacob Blake , 29 , was shot seven times by police on Aug. 23 — as a divided community that ’ s already on the mend .
“ I , along with other community leaders who have reached out , are concerned about what your presence will mean for Kenosha and our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ letter .
“ I am concerned your presence will only hinder our healing .
I am concerned your presence will only delay our work to overcome division and move forward together.
” The governor added : “ It is our job as elected officials to lead by example and to be a calming presence for the people we know are hurting , mourning , and trying to cope with trauma .
Now is not the time for divisiveness.
” Evers also voiced concern over the possibility that Trump ’ s trip would cause @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Trump plans to travel to Kenosha on Tuesday , and , according to his daughter-in-law Lara Trump , even wants to speak with Blake ’ s family during the visit .
The family ’ s lawyer , Benjamin Crump , has said the Blake family hasn ’ t been contacted by Trump ’ s team .
However , he suggested they might be willing to meet with the president .

Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers urged President Trump to call off his trip to Kenosha this week — fearing the president’s visit to the city will “only hinder our healing.”
The governor made the plea in a Sunday letter, portraying Kenosha — where Jacob Blake, 29, was shot seven times by police on Aug. 23 — as a divided community that’s already on the mend.
“I, along with other community leaders who have reached out, are concerned about what your presence will mean for Kenosha and our state,” Evers wrote in his letter.
“I am concerned your presence will only hinder our healing. I am concerned your presence will only delay our work to overcome division and move forward together.”
The governor added: “It is our job as elected officials to lead by example and to be a calming presence for the people we know are hurting, mourning, and trying to cope with trauma. Now is not the time for divisiveness.”
Evers also voiced concern over the possibility that Trump’s trip would cause the reallocation of authorities in the city.
Trump plans to travel to Kenosha on Tuesday, and, according to his daughter-in-law Lara Trump, even wants to speak with Blake’s family during the visit.
The family’s lawyer, Benjamin Crump, has said the Blake family hasn’t been contacted by Trump’s team. However, he suggested they might be willing to meet with the president.


newyorkpost--2020-08-31--The 12 Best TV Shows of August 2020

The 12 Best TV Shows of August 2020

Normally , August is the doldrums for television .
Everyone wants to go outside , relax in the blazing hot sun , and let the last of summer wash over them before returning to school/work/relaxing in the blazing hot sun in the fall .
But not this August , baby !
This August , everyone ( well , mostly everyone ) was stuck inside , and with movie theaters closed for most of the duration , streaming continued to be the dominant entertainment option .
That meant plenty of new series , season finales , weird reality shows , laugh-out-loud @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it also meant some innovative shows that are already taking our breath away , from HBO ’ s Lovecraft Country , the Netflix debut of Cobra Kai , and a season of Below Deck Med that changed everything .
As usual , Decider ’ s choices were put together by the expert staff , who watched hundreds of hours TV just to prepare for this list .
Kidding , we always watch a lot of TV .
Anyway , Everyone sent in their top five of the month ( as long as the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , those were ranked , culled together , and then used to form the list you see below .
You can check out the full list below , and if you ’ re still getting caught up , be sure to check out our lists for the best of January , February , March , April , May , June , July and the best of 2020 so far .

Normally, August is the doldrums for television. Everyone wants to go outside, relax in the blazing hot sun, and let the last of summer wash over them before returning to school/work/relaxing in the blazing hot sun in the fall. But not this August, baby!
This August, everyone (well, mostly everyone) was stuck inside, and with movie theaters closed for most of the duration, streaming continued to be the dominant entertainment option. That meant plenty of new series, season finales, weird reality shows, laugh-out-loud funny comedies, and more.
But it also meant some innovative shows that are already taking our breath away, from HBO’s Lovecraft Country, the Netflix debut of Cobra Kai, and a season of Below Deck Med that changed everything.
As usual, Decider’s choices were put together by the expert staff, who watched hundreds of hours TV just to prepare for this list. Kidding, we always watch a lot of TV. Anyway, Everyone sent in their top five of the month (as long as the show aired at least one episode), those were ranked, culled together, and then used to form the list you see below.
You can check out the full list below, and if you’re still getting caught up, be sure to check out our lists for the best of January, February, March, April, May, June, July and the best of 2020 so far.
12 'Doom Patrol' DC Universe/HBO Max Though the DC Universe/HBO Max airing Doom Patrol only aired one episode in August, it was a doozy. “Wax Patrol,” the Season 2 finale of the sad-sack superheroes series, was supposed to be the ninth episode out of a planned ten, until coronavirus shut down productions all over. However, finishing on “Wax Patrol” ended up being true to form, with our main characters screwing up the world — and their lives — again, and finishing with the biggest, weirdest downer of a cliffhanger ever. Unlike any other comics based show on air, Doom Patrol takes big, bizarre swings that are often hilarious and bittersweet, and is frequently triumphantly insane. However, with DC Universe originals seemingly moving permanently to HBO Max, whether we’ll watch the team get out of their waxy deaths remain to be seen. But not picking up the show for Season 3 would be a fate even these reluctant heroes don’t deserve. Let’s get this trending, folks: #RenewPatrol. — Alex Zalben Stream Doom Patrol on HBO Max
11 'The Real Housewives of Potomac' Bravo After Season 5 of The Real Housewives of Potomac was pushed back from a May to an August premiere, Bravo viewers were more than ready for this franchise to return — and it’s already delivering in every way. It’s easily the Housewives show I look forward to most each week because the women of Potomac are as surprising and silly as ever. While the season is building towards the Monique/Candiace “incident” we also have Robyn’s re-engagement to look forward to, and hopefully lots of tea from Gizelle, brilliance from new addition Wendy, even more of Ashley’s son Baby Dean, and just a few more encounters between Karen and new Housebird this season, T’Challa. — Lea Palmieri Where to watch The Real Housewives of Potomac
10 'Teenage Bounty Hunters' Netflix How can anyone sleep on Teenage Bounty Hunters? This show is the messiest, rowdiest, and loudest teen action/dramedy to hit Netflix in a hot minute—and everyone needs to get into it! The title says is also show’s best sales pitch: it’s about teenage bounty hunters. Those titular twins, played by the perfectly in sync Maddie Phillips Anjelica Bette Fellini, take on bail-jumpers, low-level criminals, and—most terrifying of all—the mean girls of their Christian academy. But don’t let the irreverent title fool you; Teenage Bounty Hunters actually has a lot to say about the South, teen life, Christian hypocrisy… and Chick-Fil-A. — Brett White Stream Teenage Bounty Hunters on Netflix
9 'I May Destroy You' HBO Michaela Coel’s follow up to Chewing Gum is as much a creative rebirth as a seminal work of art about this moment in time. I May Destroy You starts off as a meditation on consent and trauma in the post #MeToo world, but by series’s end, it’s so much more. It’s a masterpiece about the struggles of young Black artists, the omnipresence of exploitation in our culture, and an ode to the humanity in us all. Most of all, it is a tour de force from Coel, one of the brightest talents working today. — Meghan O’Keefe Stream I May Destroy You on HBO Max
8 'Cobra Kai' Netflix Cobra Kai is just about as close to television perfection as it gets. Premiering in May of 2018 on YouTube and making its Netflix debut last week, Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz, and Hayden Schlossberg’s modern Karate Kid revival continues the never-ending rivalry between Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) and Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka). A joyous celebration of the iconic franchise, Cobra Kai is a deft blend of shrewd writing and superb acting that fans of the original franchise will devour. — Josh Sorokach Stream Cobra Kai on Netflix
7 'High Score' Netflix High Score is a nostalgia-infused hug of a TV series. Similar to The Toys That Made Us and The Movies That Made Us, the Netflix talking head docuseries is a fun, informative, look at the golden age of video games. From Space Invaders to Sonic the Hedgehog, the six-part series details the ups and downs of a multi-billion dollar industry while also celebrating the diverse trailblazers who made video game history. — Josh Sorokach Stream High Score on Netflix
6 'I'll Be Gone in the Dark' HBO When you’re talking about a docuseries as immediately masterful as Liz Garbus’ I’ll Be Gone in the Dark, there’s a fear that it may fail to stick the landing. That’s not the case for this chilling story. The series’ final moments are distinctly, painfully human as they explore how Michelle McNamara’s death affected her family and friends while also weaving through how the survivors’ felt after Joseph James DeAngelo Jr.’s arrest. True crime has a lot to learn from this compassionate and emotional tapestry that never fails to consider the victims first. I’ll Be Gone in the Dark is truly a docuseries that will go down as revolutionary. — Kayla Cobb Stream I'll Be Gone in the Dark on HBO Max
5 'The Vow' HBO The Vow tells the rise and fall of NXIVM, a self-help group that spiraled into a controlling, manipulative sex cult under the leadership of founder Keith Raniere. The docuseries starts from the very beginning, introducing NXIVM in the way its members first saw it: as an idyllic space for growth and self discovery. But something much more sinister lay beneath the group’s sunny, supportive exterior. What makes The Vow work is its approach; the series doesn’t dismiss former members or focus only on the sensationalistic aspects of the cult. Instead, it frames the story so that we sympathize with the NXIVM members and understand why they were pulled in from the start. — Greta Bjornson Stream The Vow on HBO Max
4 'Below Deck Mediterranean' Bravo Will Below Deck Med be the same without Hannah Ferrier? In August, Bravo viewers said goodbye to the longtime chief stew, who was unceremoniously fired for having unregistered Valium and a weed pen onboard. The drama spanned the course of multiple episodes, but when all was said and done, Hannah made the best decision for herself — even if it wasn’t the best for us. Getting self-proclaimed “bushpig” Aesha Scott back as second stew is a solid consolation, but no one can ever truly fill Hannah’s shoes. — Claire Spellberg Where to watch Below Deck Mediterranean
3 'Selling Sunset' Netflix How do you kick a reality show like Selling Sunset up a few notches? You inject some real reality into it. That’s exactly what happened in the scandalous Season 3, with its batch of episodes completely devoted to Chrishell Stause and Justin Hartley’s shocking and surprising split. When faced with drama that definitely was not cooked up by producers, Selling Sunset became legit must-watch TV as lines were drawn and truly upsetting accusations were made. And to top it all off, Christine had a million dollar gothic fairytale wedding complete with artificial snow and a bleeding cake. Season 3 was a spectacle. — Brett White Stream Selling Sunset on Netflix
2 'Ted Lasso' Apple TV+ Apple TV+ continues to add to its brilliant comedy library with this month’s release of Ted Lasso from creators Bill Lawrence and Jason Sudeikis. Sudeikis stars as the titular Ted Lasso, a charismatic and perpetually pleasant small-college football coach who is hired to manage a British Premier League soccer team. As Lasso navigates the politics around the sport and starts to learn the game himself, he remains endlessly positive and gradually begins to win the team and its town over with his humor, good-nature and steady mentorship despite the many, many obstacles thrown in his path. Already renewed for a second season, Ted Lasso is heartfelt, hilarious and oh so watchable. — Karen Kemmerle Stream Ted Lasso on Apple TV+


newyorkpost--2020-08-31--Man suspected in deadly Portland shooting calls himself ‘100% ANTIFA’

An ex-military man who calls himself “ 100 % ANTIFA ” and ready for “ war ” is being investigated over the death of Aaron “ Jay ” Danielson , a “ supporter ” of the right-wing Patriot Prayer group who was part of a caravan of Trump supporters who flooded the city Saturday , police sources told The Oregonian .
He was previously been cited for having a loaded gun at protests , the paper said .
He was identified in part to a distinctive tattoo on his neck of a “ black power ” fist — as well @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who recognized him in video and photos of the deadly attack , the paper said .
The 36-year-old sister — who The Oregonian agreed not to name — was first alerted after a threatening call that woke her at 8 a.m. Sunday warning that “ our whole family was in danger unless we turned him over.
” “ We reached out to police and confirmed that we recognized Michael in the screenshots ” from the shooting , she told the paper .
The father-of-two is estranged from most of his family — including @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the sister said .
“ On the one hand , this whole thing surprises the daylights out of us , because we always thought he is a lot of bark , not a lot of bite , ” she said .
“ But he ’ s also been very impulsive and irrational.
” She decried the shooting as “ not the solution ” to the nation ’ s problems .
“ Violence begets violence and hatred begets hatred .
This is not the solution .
My heart goes out to the victim @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even knew my brother was involved.
” Reinoehl , who has a son and daughter , regularly posts about Black Lives Matter and the protests on his social media — which is now swamped with threats and pro-Trump messages in the comments .
“ Every Revolution needs people that are willing and ready to fight , ” he wrote in June , comparing it to his time in the Army .
“ I am 100 % ANTIFA all the way !
I am willing to fight for my brothers and sisters !
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ run ” from violence .
“ It will be a war and like all wars there will be casualties , ” he wrote , calling protesters and ANTIFA “ my brothers in arms.
” He also claims to have been hit by a rubber bullet while working “ security ” at protests , and most recently posted video of a flag being burned by a mob chanting “ F–k Trump.
” Reinoehl was cited at a July 5 protest on allegations of possessing a loaded gun in a public place , resisting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Oregonian said .
He was given a date to appear in court later that month , but the allegations were dropped on July 30 with a “ no complaint , ” according to court records .
No reason was given , and the Multnomah County District Attorney ’ s office said it was reviewing the case .
He had a slew of other charges — including being accused of racing his 17-year-old son at speeds of up to 111 mph in June , the paper said , citing state police .
He was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Glock pistol , which he didn ’ t have a concealed handgun license for , when once stopped with his 11-year-old daughter as a passenger , police told the paper .
Portland Police Bureau did not immediately respond to requests for comment .

An ex-military man who calls himself “100% ANTIFA” and ready for “war” is being investigated over the deadly shooting of a President Trump supporter in Portland, according to a report.
Michael Forest Reinoehl, 48, is being investigated over the death of Aaron Danielson, a “supporter” of the right-wing Patriot Prayer group who was part of a caravan of Trump supporters who flooded the city Saturday, police sources told The Oregonian.
He was identified in part by a distinctive tattoo on his neck of a “black power” fist — as well as a call from his estranged sister who recognized him in video and photos of the deadly attack, the paper said.
The 36-year-old sister — whom The Oregonian agreed not to name — was first alerted after a threatening call that woke her at 8 a.m. Sunday warning that “our whole family was in danger unless we turned him over.”
“We reached out to police and confirmed that we recognized Michael in the screenshots” from the shooting, she told the paper.
The father of two is estranged from most of his family — including his parents — after stealing from them, the sister said.
“On the one hand, this whole thing surprises the daylights out of us, because we always thought he is a lot of bark, not a lot of bite,” she said. “But he’s also been very impulsive and irrational.”
She decried the shooting as “not the solution” to the nation’s problems.
“Violence begets violence and hatred begets hatred. This is not the solution. My heart goes out to the victim. It always has, before I even knew my brother was involved.”
Reinoehl, who has a son and a daughter, regularly posts about Black Lives Matter and the protests on his social media — which is now swamped with threats and pro-Trump messages in the comments.
“Every Revolution needs people that are willing and ready to fight,” he wrote in June, comparing it to his time in the Army.
“I am 100 % ANTIFA all the way! I am willing to fight for my brothers and sisters!” he said, insisting he would not “run” from violence.
“It will be a war and like all wars there will be casualties,” he wrote, calling protesters and Antifa “my brothers in arms.”
He also claims to have been hit by a rubber bullet while working “security” at protests, and most recently posted video of a flag being burned by a mob chanting, “F–k Trump.”
Reinoehl was cited at a July 5 protest on allegations of possessing a loaded gun in a public place, resisting arrest and interfering with police, The Oregonian said.
He was given a date to appear in court later that month, but the allegations were dropped on July 30 with a “no complaint,” according to court records. No reason was given, and the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office said it was reviewing the case.
He had a slew of other charges — including being accused of racing his 17-year-old son at speeds of up to 111 mph in June, the paper said, citing state police.
He was also previously charged with having a loaded Glock pistol, for which he didn’t have a concealed handgun license, when once stopped with his 11-year-old daughter as a passenger, police told the paper.
The Portland Police Bureau did not immediately respond to requests for comment.


newyorkpost--2020-08-31--Berkshire Hathaway invests $6 billion in five Japanese companies

The billionaire investor ’ s Berkshire Hathaway conglomerate revealed Sunday — on the Oracle of Omaha ’ s 90th birthday — that it bought stakes of slightly more than 5 percent in each of Japan ’ s top five trading companies .
Berkshire said it had amassed long-term investments in Itochu , Marubeni , Mitsubishi , Mitsui and Sumitomo over the course of about a year .
The trading houses , known as “ sogo shosha ” in Japan , are international conglomerates that deal in a wide range of industries from food and clothes to shipping and commodities .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ many joint ventures throughout the world and are likely to have more of these partnerships , ” Buffett said in a statement .
“ I hope that in the future there may be opportunities of mutual benefit.
” Berkshire said it may increase its stake in any of the five firms to a maximum of 9.9 percent .
The Nebraska-based company called the investments passive , similar to its large stakes in American giants such as Coca-Cola and American Express .
The trading companies ’ Tokyo-listed shares jumped anywhere from about 4.2 to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Berkshire ’ s investments , which are worth an estimated 700 billion yen , or about $ 6.6 billion , according to Reuters calculations .
Itochu chairman Masahiro Okafuji told media outlets that Buffett ’ s investment could help revitalize the historic trading house industry .
Itochu is the only one of the five companies whose stock trades above book value , meaning its market capitalization is bigger than the value of its assets .
“ It is welcome news that one of the world ’ s leading investors has shown an interest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ stocks — which have lagged behind international markets , ” Okafuji said , according to The Wall Street Journal .
The lion ’ s share of Berkshire Hathaway ’ s operating businesses are American , but it also holds a few foreign firms such as German motorcycle gear brand Detlev Louis and Israel-based IMC International Metalworking .
Buffett — the world ’ s sixth-richest person with a net worth of $ 82.6 billion , according to Bloomberg — made headlines in May when he dumped his stakes in the four major US @ @ @ @ @ @ @ battered the travel industry .
He also raised eyebrows this month by cutting his investments in banks such as Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase while snapping up more than 20 million shares of mining giant Barrick Gold Corp .

Warren Buffett got himself a $6 billion birthday present.
The billionaire investor’s Berkshire Hathaway conglomerate revealed Sunday — on the Oracle of Omaha’s 90th birthday — that it bought stakes of slightly more than 5 percent in each of Japan’s top five trading companies.
Berkshire said it had amassed long-term investments in Itochu, Marubeni, Mitsubishi, Mitsui and Sumitomo over the course of about a year. The trading houses, known as “sogo shosha” in Japan, are international conglomerates that deal in a wide range of industries from food and clothes to shipping and commodities.
“The five major trading companies have many joint ventures throughout the world and are likely to have more of these partnerships,” Buffett said in a statement. “I hope that in the future there may be opportunities of mutual benefit.”
Berkshire said it may increase its stake in any of the five firms to a maximum of 9.9 percent. The Nebraska-based company called the investments passive, similar to its large stakes in American giants such as Coca-Cola and American Express.
The trading companies’ Tokyo-listed shares jumped anywhere from about 4.2 to roughly 9.5 percent Monday on news of Berkshire’s investments, which are worth an estimated 700 billion yen, or about $6.6 billion, according to Reuters calculations.
Itochu chairman Masahiro Okafuji told media outlets that Buffett’s investment could help revitalize the historic trading house industry. Itochu is the only one of the five companies whose stock trades above book value, meaning its market capitalization is bigger than the value of its assets.
“It is welcome news that one of the world’s leading investors has shown an interest in Japanese stocks — especially trading companies’ stocks — which have lagged behind international markets,” Okafuji said, according to The Wall Street Journal.
The lion’s share of Berkshire Hathaway’s operating businesses are American, but it also holds a few foreign firms such as German motorcycle gear brand Detlev Louis and Israel-based IMC International Metalworking.
Buffett — the world’s sixth-richest person with a net worth of $82.6 billion, according to Bloomberg — made headlines in May when he dumped his stakes in the four major US airlines amid the coronavirus pandemic, which battered the travel industry.
He also raised eyebrows this month by cutting his investments in banks such as Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase while snapping up more than 20 million shares of mining giant Barrick Gold Corp.
With Post Wires


newyorkpost--2020-08-31--Stream It Or Skip It: ‘Phineas and Ferb the Movie: Candace Against the Universe’ on Disney+, Which W

Stream It Or Skip It: ‘Phineas and Ferb the Movie: Candace Against the Universe’ on Disney+, Which Wants You to Choke on All Its Jokes

Five years after Phineas and Ferb concluded its highly successful Disney Channel run , Disney+ gifts us with Phineas and Ferb the Movie : Candace Against the Universe , a feature-length reunion of the characters and behind-the-scenes talent that many fans revered .
At 85 minutes , this is the longest-ever PaF adventure yet , and creators Jeff “ Swampy ” Marsh and Dan Povenmire take a creative risk with it , putting the titular brothers ’ big sister Candace at the center of the franchise ’ s signature rapid-fire wackiness .
Does it pay off ?
Review spoiler alert @ @ @ @ @ @ @ FERB THE MOVIE : CANDACE AGAINST THE UNIVERSE : STREAM IT OR SKIP IT ?
The Gist : Backed by a trio of harmonizing Beatlemopped musicians , Candace ( voice of Ashley Tisdale ) sings about how great her life is , although she occasionally beats back the urge to angrily and melodically vociferate about her two genius brothers Phineas ( Vincent Martella ) and Ferb ( David Errigo Jr. , replacing Thomas Sangster ) .
However , her newly upbeat self falls right back into tattletale mode upon seeing the giant robot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , this and that and the other conspire to keep their mother from finding out about it , and she ’ s yet again just a whiny whiner whining about things .
This and that and the other are about to change , though .
What with another thing entirely , Candace is kidnapped by outer space aliens and taken to a planet and to its leader , Super Super Big Doctor ( Ali Wong ) , who tends to make Oprahesque oratorical exhortations , one of which declares Candace to be a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the focus of some positive attention , which she eats up like an anteater eating ants from a really big anthill , not caring precisely why she ’ s so special , although maybe she should ?
Meanwhile , Phineas and Ferb set out to rescue her , with their pals Isabella ( Alyson Stoner ) , Baljeet ( Maulik Pancholy ) and Buford ( Bobby Gaylor ) in tow , and for some reason , their arch-nemesis Dr. Doofenshmirtz ( Povenmire ) comes along .
OK , that reason is , his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was also in the kidnap pod with Candace , but they get split up , and Vanessa might befriend a dragon in a mushroom forest who may come in handy eventually .
You had to ask .
And of course , Perry the Platypus ( Dee Bradley Baker ) secretly tags along to save everyone ’ s butts from an asteroid field and such dangerousnesses , without anybody being the wiser to the saving or the dangerousnesses .
Typical .
When everyone arrives on the alien world , they realize that maybe Candace @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rescued ?
And is it me or do the denizens of the planet look a little zombiesque ?
And what is Doofenshmirtz going to do with his Chicken Replace-inator zap gun ?
THERE ARE NO SPOILERS HERE .
What Movies Will It Remind You Of ?
: Invader Zim , Rocko ’ s Modern Life and other favorite cable-TV animated series have been revived for the streaming age with full-blown movies , but you ’ ll be hard-pressed to find one more jammed with jokes than PaFtM : CAtU .
( The next @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s Laboratory : OMELET DU FROMAGE . )
Performance Worth Hearing : Wong is quick and funny as the voice of the most creatively named villain in recent memory , Super Super Big Doctor — although a big laugh lurks in the end credits when you see Tiffany Haddish ’ s vocal contribution .
Memorable Dialogue : Baljeet assesses the possibility of building a transporter thingy to help Phineas and Ferb rescue Candace : “ Even if we get the whole gang together it would still take at least a montage.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ guffaws , giggle-mes , jollyticklers — the Longest Phineas and Ferb Ever is spilling over with all of these .
The laughs are many and many of them are big , be they verbal or visual or combinations thereof , although longtime franchise aficionados already know that ; those folks will also catch all the many Easter eggs here without cracking a single shell .
If there was any worry that this level of comic madness couldn ’ t be sustained for 85 minutes , consider it blasted with the Chicken Replace-inator and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ twist is , Candace gets a — gasp — arc .
Like , a real arc , one that starts here , goes up in a rainbow curve and lands somewhere different than where she was before , metaphorically speaking of course .
She ’ s long been wallowing in her failure to get her super-annoying little brothers in a giant heap of trouble , possibly because she always , always , always plays second-fiddle to their scientifically amazing farting-around .
Despite her antagonism , Phineas and Ferb never question the need to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ character dynamic into the story without compromising the story ’ s emotional impact , or any of its rambunctious , irreverent , self-aware , slyly referential and just-plain-zany comedic potency .
Jokes wink and nudge and burst in your face and loop around and eat their own tails , and it ’ s kind of stunning how it all works so tightly and consistently .
The Chicken Replace-inator never replaces a thing with something that ’ s not a chicken , metaphorically speaking , of course .
Our Call : STREAM IT .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Against the Universe is splendidly funny .
Also funny is how a property that ’ s been dormant for a half-decade can return to such vibrant life .
John Serba is a freelance writer and film critic based in Grand Rapids , Michigan .
Read more of his work at johnserbaatlarge.com or follow him on Twitter : @ johnserba .
Stream Phineas and Ferb the Movie : Candace Against the Universe on Disney+

Five years after Phineas and Ferb concluded its highly successful Disney Channel run, Disney+ gifts us with Phineas and Ferb the Movie: Candace Against the Universe, a feature-length reunion of the characters and behind-the-scenes talent that many fans revered. At 85 minutes, this is the longest-ever PaF adventure yet, and creators Jeff “Swampy” Marsh and Dan Povenmire take a creative risk with it, putting the titular brothers’ big sister Candace at the center of the franchise’s signature rapid-fire wackiness. Does it pay off? Review spoiler alert: Indeed it does.
PHINEAS AND FERB THE MOVIE: CANDACE AGAINST THE UNIVERSE: STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?
The Gist: Backed by a trio of harmonizing Beatlemopped musicians, Candace (voice of Ashley Tisdale) sings about how great her life is, although she occasionally beats back the urge to angrily and melodically vociferate about her two genius brothers Phineas (Vincent Martella) and Ferb (David Errigo Jr., replacing Thomas Sangster). However, her newly upbeat self falls right back into tattletale mode upon seeing the giant robot in their backyard — but as usual, this and that and the other conspire to keep their mother from finding out about it, and she’s yet again just a whiny whiner whining about things.
This and that and the other are about to change, though. What with another thing entirely, Candace is kidnapped by outer space aliens and taken to a planet and to its leader, Super Super Big Doctor (Ali Wong), who tends to make Oprahesque oratorical exhortations, one of which declares Candace to be a chosen one. Finally, Candace is the focus of some positive attention, which she eats up like an anteater eating ants from a really big anthill, not caring precisely why she’s so special, although maybe she should?
Meanwhile, Phineas and Ferb set out to rescue her, with their pals Isabella (Alyson Stoner), Baljeet (Maulik Pancholy) and Buford (Bobby Gaylor) in tow, and for some reason, their arch-nemesis Dr. Doofenshmirtz (Povenmire) comes along. OK, that reason is, his gothy daughter Vanessa (Olivia Olson) was also in the kidnap pod with Candace, but they get split up, and Vanessa might befriend a dragon in a mushroom forest who may come in handy eventually. You had to ask. And of course, Perry the Platypus (Dee Bradley Baker) secretly tags along to save everyone’s butts from an asteroid field and such dangerousnesses, without anybody being the wiser to the saving or the dangerousnesses. Typical. When everyone arrives on the alien world, they realize that maybe Candace doesn’t really want to be rescued? And is it me or do the denizens of the planet look a little zombiesque? And what is Doofenshmirtz going to do with his Chicken Replace-inator zap gun? THERE ARE NO SPOILERS HERE.
What Movies Will It Remind You Of?: Invader Zim, Rocko’s Modern Life and other favorite cable-TV animated series have been revived for the streaming age with full-blown movies, but you’ll be hard-pressed to find one more jammed with jokes than PaFtM: CAtU. (The next one of these needs to be Dexter’s Laboratory: OMELET DU FROMAGE.)
Performance Worth Hearing: Wong is quick and funny as the voice of the most creatively named villain in recent memory, Super Super Big Doctor — although a big laugh lurks in the end credits when you see Tiffany Haddish’s vocal contribution.
Memorable Dialogue: Baljeet assesses the possibility of building a transporter thingy to help Phineas and Ferb rescue Candace: “Even if we get the whole gang together it would still take at least a montage.”
Sex and Skin: None.
Our Take: Jokes, gags, guffaws, giggle-mes, jollyticklers — the Longest Phineas and Ferb Ever is spilling over with all of these. The laughs are many and many of them are big, be they verbal or visual or combinations thereof, although longtime franchise aficionados already know that; those folks will also catch all the many Easter eggs here without cracking a single shell. If there was any worry that this level of comic madness couldn’t be sustained for 85 minutes, consider it blasted with the Chicken Replace-inator and replaced with the nearest chicken.
The twist is, Candace gets a — gasp — arc. Like, a real arc, one that starts here, goes up in a rainbow curve and lands somewhere different than where she was before, metaphorically speaking of course. She’s long been wallowing in her failure to get her super-annoying little brothers in a giant heap of trouble, possibly because she always, always, always plays second-fiddle to their scientifically amazing farting-around. Despite her antagonism, Phineas and Ferb never question the need to save her.
The movie integrates this character dynamic into the story without compromising the story’s emotional impact, or any of its rambunctious, irreverent, self-aware, slyly referential and just-plain-zany comedic potency. Jokes wink and nudge and burst in your face and loop around and eat their own tails, and it’s kind of stunning how it all works so tightly and consistently. The Chicken Replace-inator never replaces a thing with something that’s not a chicken, metaphorically speaking, of course.
Our Call: STREAM IT. Phineas and Ferb the Movie: Candace Against the Universe is splendidly funny. Also funny is how a property that’s been dormant for a half-decade can return to such vibrant life.
John Serba is a freelance writer and film critic based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Read more of his work at johnserbaatlarge.com or follow him on Twitter: @johnserba.
Stream Phineas and Ferb the Movie: Candace Against the Universe on Disney+


newyorkpost--2020-08-31--Historic first Israel-United Arab Emirates commercial flight takes off

The first-ever commercial flight from Israel to the United Arab Emirates took off Monday morning , with top US and Israeli delegations aboard the vessel as it flies over Saudi Arabian airspace .
Israeli airline El Al flight LY971 , the same digits as the UAE ’ s zip code , departed at 11:21 AM from an almost empty Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv en route to Abu Dhabi .
Israeli officials were able to shorten the trip by about four hours after Riyadh officials approved their request Sunday to fly over Saudi territory , another major first .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ an Israeli-registered aircraft will overfly Saudi Arabia and after a non-stop flight from Israel , land in the UAE .
We are all excited and look forward to more historic flights that will take us to other capital cities in the region , advancing us all to a more prosperous future , ” pilot Tal Becker said before takeoff .
The flight comes just two weeks after the Trump administration announced a historic peace agreement between Israel and the UAE , which could pave the way for full normalizations .
White House senior @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to first daughter Ivanka Trump , helped orchestrate the deal and was on the flight alongside National Security Adviser Robert O ’ Brien .
The two were joined by other members of the US and Israeli delegations .
Just before boarding the Boeing 737-900 , Kushner remarked , “ We are about to board a historic flight , the first commercial flight in history between Israel to a Gulf Arab country .
“ While this is a historic flight , we hope that this will start an even more historic journey for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ son-in-law , who was previously involved in developing an Israel-Palestinian peace plan for the Trump administration , noted that he prayed at the Western Wall on Sunday that Muslims saw this event around the world .
“ I prayed yesterday at the [ Western ] Wall that Muslims and Arabs from throughout the world will be watching this flight recognizing that we are all children of God and that the future does not have to predetermined by the past , ” Kushner said .
“ This is a very hopeful time and I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is possible in this region and throughout the world.
” Once in Abu Dhabi , the delegations will conduct “ working meetings…on a range of issues ahead of the signing of cooperation agreements in the civil and economic spheres , ” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement .

The first-ever commercial flight from Israel to the United Arab Emirates took off Monday morning, with top US and Israeli delegations aboard the vessel as it flies through Saudi Arabian airspace.
Israeli airline El Al Flight LY971, the same digits as the UAE’s telephone area code, departed at 11:21 a.m. from an almost empty Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv en route to Abu Dhabi.
Israeli officials were able to shorten the trip by about four hours after Riyadh officials approved their request Sunday to fly over Saudi territory, another major first.
“For the very first time, an Israeli-registered aircraft will overfly Saudi Arabia and after a non-stop flight from Israel, land in the UAE. We are all excited and look forward to more historic flights that will take us to other capital cities in the region, advancing us all to a more prosperous future,” pilot Tal Becker said before takeoff.
The flight comes just two weeks after the Trump administration announced a historic peace agreement between Israel and the UAE, which could pave the way for full normalizations.
White House senior adviser Jared Kushner, who is married to first daughter Ivanka Trump, helped orchestrate the deal and was on the flight alongside national security adviser Robert O’Brien.
The two were joined by other members of the US and Israeli delegations.
Just before boarding the Boeing 737-900, Kushner remarked, “We are about to board a historic flight, the first commercial flight in history between Israel to a Gulf Arab country.
“While this is a historic flight, we hope that this will start an even more historic journey for the Middle East and beyond.”
The first son-in-law, who was previously involved in developing an Israel-Palestinian peace plan for the Trump administration, noted that he prayed at the Western Wall on Sunday that Muslims saw this event around the world.
Previous 1 of 6 Next Advertisement Israeli national security adviser Meir Ben-Shabbat (from left), Jared Kushner and US national security adviser Robert O'Brien prepare to board El Al's airliner. REUTERS Israeli flag carrier El Al's airliner that is carrying Israeli and US delegations to Abu Dhabi. AP Advertisement A seat covering reads in Arabic, English and Hebrew "Making in history." REUTERS Jared Kushner (from left), US national security adviser Robert O'Brien and Israeli national security advisor Meir Ben-Shabbat prepare to board El Al's airliner. REUTERS Advertisement
“I prayed yesterday at the [Western] Wall that Muslims and Arabs from throughout the world will be watching this flight, recognizing that we are all children of God and that the future does not have to [be] predetermined by the past,” Kushner said.
“This is a very hopeful time and I believe that so much peace and prosperity is possible in this region and throughout the world.”
Once in Abu Dhabi, the delegations will conduct “working meetings … on a range of issues ahead of the signing of cooperation agreements in the civil and economic spheres,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement.


newyorkpost--2020-08-31--Wild video shows doctors pulling snake out of woman’s throat

Terrifying footage captured the moment doctors pulled out a 4-foot-long snake from a Russian woman ’ s mouth after the @ @ @ @ @ mouth while she slept outside , according to a report .
“ Let ’ s @ @ @ @ @ ” a man is heard saying in the video as a clearly horrified doctor pulls @ @ @ @ @ the woman ’ s body , The Sun reported .
It was unclear if the @ @ @ @ @ long it had been inside her before she was rushed to the hospital after feeling @ @ @ @ @ outlet , which noted that it could not independently verify the authenticity of the video @ @ @ @ @ in the Republic of Dagestan said it was investigating the video , The Sun reported @ @ @ @ @ chief doctor of the Levashinsky district hospital , said she was unaware of such a @ @ @ @ @ facility .
Locals say such incidents are infrequent as older citizens advise people not to @ @ @ @ @ woman did , because of the risk of snakes entering their mouths .

Terrifying footage captured the moment doctors pulled out a 4-foot-long snake from a Russian woman’s mouth after the serpent had slithered in while she slept outside, according to a report.
“Let’s see what this is,” a man is heard saying in the video as a clearly horrified doctor pulls out the cold-blooded creature from the woman’s body, the Sun reported.
It was unclear if the snake was alive or how long it had been inside her before she was rushed to the hospital after feeling unwell, according to the outlet, which noted that it could not independently verify the authenticity of the video.
The Ministry of Health in the Republic of Dagestan said it was investigating the video, the Sun reported.
Patimat Abdurashidova, the chief doctor of the Levashinsky district hospital, said she was unaware of such a procedure being performed at the facility.
Locals say such incidents are infrequent as older citizens advise people not to sleep outside, as the woman did, because of the risk of snakes entering their mouths.


newyorkpost--2020-08-31--Arizona State University group fundraising for accused Kenosha shooter Kyle Rittenhouse

A conservative group at Arizona State University is raising money to help cover the legal defense for the teen accused of the deadly shooting at protests in Kenosha , Wisconsin .
“ Kyle Rittenhouse is not a vigilante but a citizen who attempted to help in a city in chaos , ” the university ’ s College Republicans United ( CRU ) stated in defense of the 17-year-old charged with first-degree intentional homicide .
“ He does not deserve to have his entire life destroyed because of the actions of violent anarchists during a lawless riot , ” they insisted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ funds raised this semester will go to help cover legal costs for Rittenhouse , the accused vigilante militiaman charged with killing two and seriously injuring another last Tuesday night .
University officials told the Arizona Republic newspaper that they were meeting with CRU “ to learn more about this decision.
” “ While there is no policy prohibiting student groups from raising funds for a cause such as this , ASU does not endorse or support this effort , ” the university stressed .
The fundraiser also received a swift backlash from other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ club that demanded an investigation into the “ radical , far-right extremist group.
” “ We will not stand for anti-American racism at ASU .
We will not stay silent as radicals attempt to hijack the narrative , ” the Arizona State University College Republicans said in tweets and a statement , accusing the splinter group of “ blatantly racist and antisemitic conduct.
” The group remained defiant , however , telling one critic on Twitter , “ All clubs fundraise , what we do with our funds are none of your business.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ — where he was arrested at home the day after the killings — pending extradition to Kenosha .
His lawyer insists the shootings were self-defense .
The shooting unfolded Tuesday during protests over the Sunday police shooting of 29-year-old Jacob Blake in Kenosha .

A conservative group at Arizona State University is raising money to help cover the legal defense for the teen accused of the deadly shooting at protests in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
“Kyle Rittenhouse is not a vigilante but a citizen who attempted to help in a city in chaos,” the university’s College Republicans United (CRU) stated in defense of the 17-year-old charged with first-degree intentional homicide.
“He does not deserve to have his entire life destroyed because of the actions of violent anarchists during a lawless riot,” they insisted.
The conservative group said that all funds raised this semester will go to help cover legal costs for Rittenhouse, the accused vigilante militiaman charged with killing two and seriously injuring another last Tuesday night.
University officials told the Arizona Republic newspaper that they were meeting with CRU “to learn more about this decision.”
“While there is no policy prohibiting student groups from raising funds for a cause such as this, ASU does not endorse or support this effort,” the university stressed.
The fundraiser also received a swift backlash from other students — including from a larger conservative club that demanded an investigation into the “radical, far-right extremist group.”
“We will not stand for anti-American racism at ASU. We will not stay silent as radicals attempt to hijack the narrative,” the Arizona State University College Republicans said in tweets and a statement, accusing the splinter group of “blatantly racist and antisemitic conduct.”
The group remained defiant, however, telling one critic on Twitter, “All clubs fundraise, what we do with our funds are none of your business.”
Rittenhouse remains in custody in Illinois — where he was arrested at home the day after the killings — pending extradition to Kenosha. His lawyer insists the shootings were self-defense.
The shooting unfolded Tuesday during protests over the Sunday police shooting of 29-year-old Jacob Blake in Kenosha.


newyorkpost--2020-08-31--Soccer-loving bird whistles team’s tune like a champ

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This bird is quite the “Yankee Doodle” dandy. Hear how a pet starling in Shepparton, Australia, impressively mimics the fight song for the Hawthorn Football Club. Sports fan Anthony Jon Cost taught the bird the tune, which is based on George M. Cohan’s “Yankee Doodle Boy.”
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newyorkpost--2020-08-31--FDA willing to fast-track COVID-19 vaccine before end of Phase Three trials

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The head of the US Food and Drug Administration is willing to fast-track a coronavirus vaccine as quickly as possible – even before Phase Three clinical trials end — as long as officials are convinced the benefits outweigh the risks , according to a report .
Commissioner Stephen Hahn told the Financial Times that the move would not be a result from any pressure from Team Trump to roll out COVID-19 vaccines as a means to increase the president ’ s re-election chances @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sponsor [ vaccine developer ] to apply for authorization or approval , and we make an adjudication of their application , ” Hahn told the outlet .
“ If they do that before the end of Phase Three , we may find that appropriate .
We may find that inappropriate , we will make a determination.
” President Trump recently accused members of a so-called “ deep state ” working within the FDA of slow-walking vaccines and treatments for the coronavirus to hurt his re-election bid against Joe Biden in November .
A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ use authorization , or EUA , of convalescent plasma as a treatment that uses blood plasma from recovered patients , despite concerns among some health experts that data is still too weak about it .
Hahn was promptly assailed for overstating the benefits of convalescent plasma when he said the treatment would have saved the lives of 35 out of 100 patients .
The figure is closer to 5 out of 100 , data suggest .
“ I have been criticized for remarks I made Sunday night about the benefits of convalescent plasma @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Hahn said in a tweet .
“ What I should have said better is that the data show a relative risk reduction not an absolute risk reduction , ” he added .
The FDA chief told the Financial Times that a vaccine EUA could be used to safely make it available to certain groups before clinical trials are completed .
“ Our emergency use authorization is not the same as a full approval , ” Hahn told the outlet .
“ The legal , medical and scientific standard for that is that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public health emergency.
” He added : “ We have a convergence of the COVID-19 pandemic with the political season , and we ’ re just going to have to get through that and stick to our core principles .
This is going to be a science , medicine , data decision .
This is not going to be a political decision .
”

Sign up for our special edition newsletter to get a daily update on the coronavirus pandemic.
The head of the US Food and Drug Administration is willing to fast-track a coronavirus vaccine as quickly as possible — even before Phase Three clinical trials end — as long as officials are convinced the benefits outweigh the risks, according to a report.
Commissioner Stephen Hahn told the Financial Times that the move would not be a result of any pressure from Team Trump to roll out COVID-19 vaccines as a means to increase the president’s re-election chances.
“It is up to the sponsor [vaccine developer] to apply for authorization or approval, and we make an adjudication of their application,” Hahn told the outlet. “If they do that before the end of Phase Three, we may find that appropriate. We may find that inappropriate, we will make a determination.”
President Trump recently accused members of a so-called “deep state” working within the FDA of slow-walking vaccines and treatments for the coronavirus to hurt his re-election bid against Joe Biden in November.
A day later, the FDA issued an emergency use authorization, or EUA, of convalescent plasma as a treatment that uses blood plasma from recovered patients, despite concerns among some health experts that data about it is still too weak.
Hahn was promptly assailed for overstating the benefits of convalescent plasma when he said the treatment would have saved the lives of 35 out of 100 patients. The figure is closer to 5 out of 100, data suggest.
“I have been criticized for remarks I made Sunday night about the benefits of convalescent plasma. The criticism is entirely justified,” Hahn said in a tweet.
“What I should have said better is that the data show a relative risk reduction not an absolute risk reduction,” he added.
The FDA chief told the Financial Times that a vaccine EUA could be used to safely make it available to certain groups before clinical trials are completed.
“Our emergency use authorization is not the same as a full approval,” Hahn told the outlet. “The legal, medical and scientific standard for that is that the benefit outweighs the risk in a public health emergency.”
He added: “We have a convergence of the COVID-19 pandemic with the political season, and we’re just going to have to get through that and stick to our core principles. This is going to be a science, medicine, data decision. This is not going to be a political decision.”


newyorkpost--2020-08-31--Trump still plans to visit Kenosha despite Wisconsin governor’s plea

President Trump still plans to visit Kenosha this week despite Wisconsin Gov .
Tony Evers ’ letter urging him to call off his trip amid concerns his presence “ will only hinder our healing ” after the police shooting of Jacob Blake , the White House said .
“ The White House has been humbled by the outreach of individuals from Kenosha who have welcomed the President ’ s visit and are longing for leadership to support local law enforcement and businesses that have been vandalized , ” White House deputy press secretary Judd Deere said in a statement late @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump looks forward to visiting on Tuesday and helping this great city heal and rebuild , ” he added .
Earlier Sunday , Evers portrayed Kenosha — where Blake , 29 , was shot seven times by a cop on Aug. 23 — as a divided community that ’ s already on the mend .
“ I , along with other community leaders who have reached out , are concerned about what your presence will mean for Kenosha and our state , ” Evers wrote in his letter .
“ I am concerned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
I am concerned your presence will only delay our work to overcome division and move forward together.
” The governor added : “ It is our job as elected officials to lead by example and to be a calming presence for the people we know are hurting , mourning , and trying to cope with trauma .
Now is not the time for divisiveness.
” The family ’ s lawyer , Benjamin Crump , has said the Blake family hasn ’ t been contacted by Trump ’ s team , but he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the president .

President Trump still plans to visit Kenosha this week despite Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers’ letter urging him to call off his trip amid concerns his presence “will only hinder our healing” after the police shooting of Jacob Blake, the White House said.
“The White House has been humbled by the outreach of individuals from Kenosha who have welcomed the President’s visit and are longing for leadership to support local law enforcement and businesses that have been vandalized,” White House deputy press secretary Judd Deere said in a statement late Sunday, CNN reported.
“President Trump looks forward to visiting on Tuesday and helping this great city heal and rebuild,” he added.
Earlier Sunday, Evers portrayed Kenosha — where Blake, 29, was shot seven times by a cop on Aug. 23 — as a divided community that’s already on the mend.
“I, along with other community leaders who have reached out, are concerned about what your presence will mean for Kenosha and our state,” Evers wrote in his letter.
“I am concerned your presence will only hinder our healing. I am concerned your presence will only delay our work to overcome division and move forward together.”
The governor added: “It is our job as elected officials to lead by example and to be a calming presence for the people we know are hurting, mourning, and trying to cope with trauma. Now is not the time for divisiveness.”
The family’s lawyer, Benjamin Crump, has said the Blake family hasn’t been contacted by Trump’s team, but he suggested they might be willing to meet with the president.


newyorkpost--2020-08-31--Emma Roberts confirms she is pregnant with a baby boy

Click to email this to a friend ( Opens in new window ) Click to share on Twitter ( Opens @ @ @ @ @ to share on Facebook ( Opens in new window ) Emma Roberts confirmed the news @ @ @ @ @ fact , pregnant by posting a series of photos on Instagram displaying her baby bump @ @ @ @ @ The 29-year-old “ Scream Queens ” actress can be seen posing in a white dress @ @ @ @ @ couch as Garrett wraps his arms around her .
“ Me…and my two favorite guys @ @ @ @ @ Instagram , confirming that the baby is a boy .
Her aunt , Julia Roberts @ @ @ @ @ , saying : “ Love you 😘.
” Emma Roberts previously dated actor Evan Peters @ @ @ @ @ it quits for good in March 2019 .
“ Tron ” star Hedlund , meanwhile @ @ @ @ @ four years , but they broke up in 2016 .

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She’s having a boy!
Emma Roberts confirmed the news that she is, in fact, pregnant by posting a series of photos on Instagram displaying her baby bump alongside boyfriend Garrett Hedlund.
The 29-year-old “Scream Queens” actress can be seen posing in a white dress, beaming on a sun-drenched couch as Garrett wraps his arms around her.
“Me…and my two favorite guys 💙💙” Roberts wrote on Instagram, confirming that the baby is a boy.
Her aunt, Julia Roberts, commented on the post, saying: “Love you 😘.”
Emma Roberts previously dated actor Evan Peters for years until they called it quits for good in March 2019.
“Tron” star Hedlund, meanwhile, dated Kirsten Dunst for four years, but they broke up in 2016.


newyorkpost--2020-08-31--Porn star charged in death of man found in shallow grave

A 23-year-old former porn star , her boyfriend and another man were charged in the death of a man found @ @ @ @ @ in Florida last week , reports said .
Lauren Wambles , who goes by Aubrey @ @ @ @ @ being a principal to the murder of 51-year-old Raul Guillen , WTVY reported .
The @ @ @ @ @ had been missing since early July , was found Tuesday off a road in the @ @ @ @ @ .
While alive , Guillen was last known to be at the Graceville home of @ @ @ @ @ along with Wambles and her 35-year-old boyfriend , William Parker , WDHN reported , citing @ @ @ @ @ linked to Guillen ’ s murder at the home of Peters , the report said @ @ @ @ @ being an accessory to murder , while Parker faces an open count of murder , @ @ @ @ @ appeared in 31 adult films from 2015 to 2018 , WTVY reported .

A 23-year-old former porn star, her boyfriend and another man were charged in the death of a man found buried in a shallow grave in Florida last week, reports said.
Lauren Wambles, who goes by Aubrey Gold, was charged with being a principal to the murder of 51-year-old Raul Guillen, WTVY reported.
The body of Guillen, who had been missing since early July, was found Tuesday off a road in the city of Graceville, Florida.
While alive, Guillen was last known to be at the Graceville home of Jeremie Peters, 43, along with Wambles and her 35-year-old boyfriend, William Parker, WDHN reported, citing police.
Investigators found evidence linked to Guillen’s murder at the home of Peters, the report said.
Peters was charged with being an accessory to murder, while Parker faces an open count of murder, the reports said.
Wambles appeared in 31 adult films from 2015 to 2018, WTVY reported.


newyorkpost--2020-08-31--Yankees don’t sound concerned with Aaron Hicks injury scare

Gerrit Cole did not start over the weekend .
Neither did ...

The Yankees got yet another injury scare in the nightcap of their doubleheader against the Mets on Sunday, when Aaron Hicks left the 5-2, eight-inning win in the top of the fifth with cramping in both calves.
Hicks felt the cramps after he fouled off a 3-1 pitch from Chasen Shreve. After a visit from manager Aaron Boone and the training staff, Hicks continued the at-bat and took the next pitch for ball four. He trotted to first, but was replaced there by pinch-runner Brett Gardner.
“I don’t think it’s serious at all,’’ Boone said.
Hicks said he was “fine” and expects to be in the lineup Monday against Tampa Bay.
Earlier in the day, Hicks hit a game-tying, two-run homer in the bottom of the seventh in the Yankees’ 8-7, eight-inning comeback win in The Bronx.
The Yankees are already without Aaron Judge (calf) and Giancarlo Stanton (hamstring). Hicks has a long injury history. An already depleted outfield could hardly afford another loss.
Stanton has been out for three weeks and is still “not all the way out of the woods yet” in his recovery, according to Boone.
“He’s going through progressions,’’ Boone said of Stanton, who had a light rehab day Sunday. “He’s running about 75-80 percent. … We just want to make sure we get him to the finish line with the injury.”
Stanton last played on Aug. 8. He’s on the injured list along with Judge and there’s no telling when either outfielder might be ready to return with less than a month remaining in the regular season.
Zack Britton (hamstring) threw a bullpen session Sunday and Boone believes he’ll be back soon. The left-hander was able to sprint off the mound during PFP drills and Boone said he is expected back “this week.”
“He’s such an important piece to what we try to do around here all the time,’’ Boone said.
The Yankees have seen high-end relievers Chad Green, Adam Ottavino and Aroldis Chapman all surrender game-altering homers in recent days.
“We understand there’s gonna be pitfalls along the way,’’ Boone said. “Even in the most successful seasons a great reliever is gonna give up a game we have. We’re equipped to handle that. … Nothing really changes with the confidence we have in these guys. We look forward to them continuing to go out there and do their job the next time they get the opportunity.”
Gio Urshela had the game-winning single in Sunday’s opener after not playing since Wednesday with a bone spur in his elbow. He entered the game as a pinch-hitter in the fifth. Boone said Urshela felt discomfort in the elbow on a swing in his final at-bat in Atlanta on Wednesday, but the spur may have been there for a while.
“It was almost like a hyperextension, but the symptoms have dissipated a lot the last couple of days,” Boone said. “It doesn’t seem to be a real concern at this point. We feel like it’s fine.”
Gleyber Torres (hamstring) also was doing drills pregame.
Boone said Kyle Higashioka (oblique) is expected to rejoin the team in the “next couple of days.” Asked if the Yankees would then carry three catchers, Boone said, “We’ll see.”
They would risk losing Erik Kratz if they optioned him.
With the A’s-Astros game postponed Sunday due to a COVID case with Oakland, Boone said he remains “hopeful” MLB will finish the season.
“We’ve got to contain it on a large scale,’’ Boone said. “We haven’t had any cases going back to [Chapman] in summer camp [but] you can see [how] one positive test from another team playing another team changes your week and schedule in a hurry.”
Gerrit Cole will start Monday against Tampa Bay, setting up the rotation against the Rays, followed by Masahiro Tanaka and Jordan Montgomery. J.A. Happ will start Thursday’s makeup game against the Mets at Citi Field.


newyorkpost--2020-08-31--Giants surprisingly cut rookie Javon Leake with 53-man roster due soon

An unexpected positive COVID-19 test result only reinforced what David ...

The ears of Giants players must have been ringing throughout their day off.
As players enjoyed their mandatory weekly time away from the facility Saturday, Giants coaches and personnel evaluators gathered for a six-hour discussion of the roster — an extended version of a weekly conversation. There is one more scrimmage scheduled for Thursday before the cut down to 53 players.
“At this point, there’s a lot of things that can happen,” coach Joe Judge said after Sunday’s 90-minute light practice. “There are a lot of guys who have left strong impressions. We want to make sure we take advantage of the remaining time to give everyone a fair shot and make sure we don’t oversee someone’s ability and make an assumption too quick.”
In order to make roster space for newly signed defensive backs Brandon Williams and KeiVarae Russell, undrafted rookie running back Javon Leake was cut. That was a surprise given Leake earned Judge’s praise after showing good burst in both scrimmages.
“We kind of had to … address different positions with depth,” Judge said. “With the way the rosters move throughout the year, every player we have here through camp, we express to them that we’ll have all of them on a list as far as possibly being brought back for roster or practice squad spots when available.
“He’s a guy that came in and worked his tail off for us. He made a lot of progress and I enjoyed coaching him.”
As always with the Giants, in good times and bad, the offensive line is under the microscope.
The starters allowed five sacks in the scrimmage, but Judge said some parameters restricted what could be done to help fend off the pass rush led by Lorenzo Carter.
“Nick Gates did a good job in the middle commanding the calls and getting everyone on the same page. I thought he played with a lot of toughness,” Judge said. “I thought [Will] Hernandez and [Kevin] Zeitler did a good job really playing physical.”
Judge said starting tackles Cam Fleming and Andrew Thomas did a “decent job,” and singled out rookies Shane Lemieux, Matt Peart and Tyler Haycraft on the second wave for position coaches Marc Colombo and Ben Wilkerson.
“I was pleased with the way the offensive line worked,” Judge said. “Marc coaches those guys hard. Him and Ben get after it pretty good. I’ve seen those guys improve because they come to work every day with their lunch pail.”
Inside linebacker Blake Martinez and tight end Evan Engram, neither of whom participated in the scrimmage, practiced Sunday alongside cornerback Darnay Holmes, who exited early from the scrimmage.
Unlike when he noted Engram’s workload management, Judge cited HIPPA health privacy laws when declining to reveal what sidelined Martinez.
“He’s fully healed. He’s ready to go,” Judge said. “I’m relieved to have Blake back out there with us.”
Tight end Rysen John and safety Jaquarius Landrews were held out, and center Spencer Pulley did not participate in team periods.


newyorkpost--2020-08-31--Thomas Greiss’ ‘unbelievable’ effort kept Islanders believing

The Islanders are one win away from their first conference ...

Thomas Greiss made his first start between the pipes for the Islanders this postseason, and several Islanders skaters credited the goalie for the momentum they took into the third period, in which they registered two goals to secure the win.
The German netminder kept the Islanders competitive with several key saves as the Flyers dominated throughout the second period in the Islanders’ 3-2 win over Philadelphia on Sunday.
Though his only real game action this postseason came after he replaced usual starter Semyon Varlamov for the remainder of Game 2 of this series, Greiss said he is just keeping a simple mindset.
“Just stop the puck,” he said on a Zoom call following the win. “There’s not much going on. It’s not rocket science out there.”
It was Greiss’ first start since a 3-2 overtime loss to the visiting Hurricanes on March 7. He had stopped the first 20 shots he faced in Sunday’s matchup, but finished with 36 saves on 38 shots.
After Jordan Eberle recorded a quality chance early in the second, Flyers second-line winger Joel Farabee responded for his team with a slick shot around Ryan Pulock that reached Greiss, who gave up the rebound before quickly covering it up. Travis Sanheim then hit the post before Greiss managed to sit on and call off the play.
The 34-year-old Greiss then came up with a big glove save on Claude Giroux, who is still looking for his first goal of the postseason, with 2:35 left before the second intermission. As seconds ticked down on the clock, Greiss posted clutch back-to-back saves on James van Riemsdyk and Jakub Voracek.
“Greisser made quite a few big stops to keep us in it,” said Brock Nelson, who notched two goals in the win. “When you have that, it gives the group confidence that you’re still in it and can still win it in the third.”
Islanders head coach Barry Trotz likely made the goaltending adjustment because Game 3 and 4 were back-to-back after a two-day pause in both NHL bubbles to stand in solidarity with the ongoing racial injustice protests.
“Tonight, he was outstanding,” Trotz said. “Second period, he was unbelievable, third period, he was the same. You talk about key stops at key times, he made them.”
Flyers coach Alain Vigneault also opted to pull his starting goaltender Carter Hart for backup Brian Elliott in Sunday’s game.
Hart has been outstanding for the Flyers so far this postseason, posting a 7-4 record with a 2.08 goals-against average and .931 save percentage. Elliott kept the Flyers competitive throughout Sunday’s game, turning aside 30 of the 33 shots he faced.
With an assist on Nelson’s first goal, Josh Bailey now has a team-high 10 apples this postseason, the most by an Islander since Derek King had 11 during the 1993 playoffs.


newyorkpost--2020-08-31--Serena Williams has ‘a lot of question marks’ at US Open

Here are 10 tennis stars you should be keeping an ...

Serena Williams used to turn it on most when the pressure was at its peak — deep in Grand Slam tournaments.
That hasn’t been the case of late for Williams, stuck on 23 Grand Slam titles since she won the Australian Open in January 2017. Granted, she had a year-plus absence while having a child, but that drought has included two bitter defeats in U.S. Open finals.
At 38, Williams still remains one major away from tying Margaret Court — and it could well be a mental block.
“I’ve been definitely proudly stuck here, party of one,’’ Williams said sarcastically. “I’m pretty happy about it.”
“I’m never satisfied,” added Williams, who opens Tuesday against American Kristie Ahn. “That’s been the story of my career. It’s like I’ll never be satisfied until I retire. I’m never going to stop until I retire. It’s just my personality.”
She’ll be the fan favorite at the Open, which begins Monday and has no live fans — except for some of the players.
“I consider her the greatest tennis player of all time,’’ said 16-year-old sensation Coco Gauff, who opens Monday against Anastasija Sevastova. “Regardless I’ll look at her that way whether she gets 24 or not. When I watch her play, I normally am rooting for her.”
In the two tune-ups, Williams lost early.
“She still a lot of question marks,’’ ESPN’s Pam Shriver told The Post. “Five or six times, she’s losing a lot of close ones when she has a chance to put it away and that plays on her mind. That’s a reversal from her career.”
Last year’s bid was ended by Canadian upstart Bianca Andreescu, who opted out this year because of COVID-19 concerns.
Andreescu’s friend and former WTA player Julia Elbaba said Andreescu didn’t get in enough proper training.
“Bianca’s first priority is always taking care of her injuries as she knows the repercussions when they don’t listen to their bodies’ needs,’’ Elbaba told The Post. “Unfortunately with COVID, players like Bianca haven’t been able to train both mentally and physically in 2020 as much as they would’ve liked or needed to.”
It still leaves the women’s draw a lot more fascinating than the men’s side missing stars Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.
Old friend Kim Clijsters is making a comeback at age 37. The Belgian is a three-time Open champion but hasn’t played singles here since 2012. She emerged in July in the World Team Tennis season held in a bubble in West Virginia.
Though she eventually pulled her abdomen, she earned an Open wild card. Last year she was inducted into the Open’s Court of Champions.
“My stomach is feeling much better,’’ said Clijsters, who lives part-time in New Jersey with her husband, former Villanova basketball standout Brian Lynch, and their three children. “I felt in World Team Tennis, my level really went up to where I want it to be. I felt like I played some really good tennis there. Hopefully I can kind of drag that through here. I’m hitting the ball clean. I’m starting to read my opponents better. That was something that I was missing in the first couple tournaments I played, is anticipation.’’
The fan-less Open has Clijsters intrigued — happy to roam the grounds freely and watch other matches.
“Walking around the courts, I’ve never been able to watch so many live tennis matches as in the last week at the site here [at the Western & Southern Open],’’ Clijsters said. “There’s always room to sit down. I just enjoy watching tennis. I enjoy the sport. Yeah, I mean, there was no reason. Obviously it’s fun when you get to go to a stadium and watch Serena play, you get to go to a stadium and it’s empty and Novak Djokovic is playing.’’


newyorkpost--2020-08-31--Mets’ Seth Lugo takes step forward as transition to starter continues

Luis Castillo ’ s ghost showed up uninvited to Yankee Stadium on ...

Seth Lugo took another baby step Sunday in his pitching transformation.
In his second appearance since joining the starting rotation last week, Lugo lasted 3 ²/₃ innings and allowed one earned in the Mets’ 5-2 loss to the Yankees in the nightcap of a doubleheader.
Lugo was stretched to 60 pitches after throwing 39 against the Marlins in his initial start of the season. He was removed after loading the bases in the fourth inning with two outs on Sunday.
“I felt really good,” Lugo said. “At times I felt I was going a little fast, but I was able to slow myself down, so I was pleased about that.”
Lugo said he had hoped to finish the fourth inning, but understood manager Luis Rojas’ decision to remove him.
“I was trying to catch his attention before he signaled to the umpire to go to the bullpen and I guess I was unsuccessful,” Lugo said. “That’s part of being a competitor. You don’t play this game because you want to get pulled. You play because you want to keep playing.”
J.D. Davis left the nightcap with left hip discomfort in the seventh inning, but Rojas indicated there wasn’t much concern about the third baseman after the game. Davis is expected to be evaluated on Monday.
Maybe the only surprising number in Rick Porcello’s final line in Game 1 — which included two earned runs allowed over five innings — were the two walks he surrendered. It broke a streak of four straight starts in which Porcello hadn’t issued a walk.
“The two walks today, I didn’t think they were bad walks,” Porcello said after the Mets lost 8-7 in eight innings. “They were close pitches and they were good hitters [DJ LeMahieu and Aaron Hicks] so I really wasn’t too worried about those. It’s just really having a better delivery and being able to pound pitches more effectively.”
Robinson Cano blasted a two-run homer in the fifth inning of Game 1 for his 2,600th career hit. Cano entered the nightcap 16-for-47 (.340) since returning from the injured list. The homer was Cano’s 82nd at the new Yankee Stadium (where he played home games from 2009-13).
Mark Vientos was added to the 60-player pool and assigned to the Mets’ alternate training site. Vientos joined Ronny Mauricio, Matt Allan, Brett Baty and Francisco Alvarez among top prospects assigned to Brooklyn in recent weeks. Players in the 60-man pool can be traded before Monday’s deadline.