NEW YORK POST

Page Six®

SATURDAY, AUGUST 22, 2026 / Cloudy, some rain, 76' / Weather: P.18 ★★

LATE CITY FINAL

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City Council pushes 12 dangerous, wacky bills

OUT OF LETT FIELD

• NYPD must delete gang database
• City can only buy free-range eggs
• Public benches can't be 'hostile' to homeless

AND:

• Paid leave if your pet is sick

This year's City Council is pushing a far-left agenda that veers from the disastrous — like handcuffing the NYPD, raising the minimum wage to $30 an hour — to the absurd. One bill, for instance, would limit the amount of weight delivery drivers are allowed to carry per trip.

PAGES 4-5

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Somebody (or 2) to really admire

MAJOR DROP FOR U. Enrollment down

By JARED DOWNING

College-schmolage.

US colleges are facing an enrollment crisis as more young people opt for vocational schools and trade jobs — drawn by steadier career prospects, higher relative pay and less debt.

The number of high-school grads enrolling in traditional colleges could decline 13% over the next 15 years, the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education predicts. Part of that is due to a decline in birth rates, meaning fewer Americans will be turning 18 in the coming years.

However, more and more students are choosing trades and vocational programs over traditional four-year degrees that might end with a mountain of student debt and no high-paying job.

“People always ask me, ‘Should I go to barber school?’ And I always tell them to go for it. It’s the best career decision I ever made,” said Benjamin Davis of Los Angeles, who decided to learn to cut hair instead of earning a traditional college degree. He now has a steady job at Floyd’s Barbershop and can

find work anywhere he goes — more than can be said for many college graduates stuck with degrees that are more impressive than their real-world job prospects.

Unemployment and underemployment among recent college graduates — which had rebounded after the pandemic — has steadily risen in the last four years, according to recent data from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

Vocations alluring

Meanwhile, enrollment in two-year vocational programs has risen around 20% since 2020, according to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. “[Trade school] is very direct,” said Cynthia Moreno, 50, who manages a hair salon in California and teaches cosmetology at Pasadena City College.

She said her students are attracted to clear, straightforward job prospects in a steady industry. Her own son majored in communications (a field with a 52% under-employment rate and median early-career wage of only $52,000, per FRBNY) but ended up managing a major grocery store.

Finances a ‘mate’-or-break issue

True love conquers all . . . except bad finances.

Almost half of Americans said that a partner’s debt could be a deal-breaker — with millennials and Gen Z being the most cutthroat about finding love and financial stability.

The vast majority (72%) of respondents in the 2026 Love & Money Survey by TD Bank said financial stability is important when pursuing a serious relationship, but 46% said someone’s debt would be make-or-break. Jared Downing

BACKGROUND

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THE RED APPLE

Lefty pols pushing bills to benefit

By HALEY BROWN, HANNAH FIÉRICK and MATT TROUTMAN

What a bunch of silly billies! Progressive Caucus City Council members are backing a dozen out-of-left-field bills, ranging from the potentially dangerous to the downright wacky, a Post analysis found.

Some of those bills push for standard-issue progressive pipe dreams, such as abolishing the NYPD's gang database or setting a $30 minimum wage.

"They want the world to know this is what they believe in," said Zilvinas Silenas, president of the Empire Center, an independent think tank. "They're putting up a flag to say, 'Hey, I'm the council member who's all in on organic eggs' or 'I'm the council member who really cares about elephants in New York.'"

Democrats hold a supermajority on the council, with a significant bloc of progressives — but the bills would need to first advance beyond various committees before they go up for a vote by the full lawmaking body.

Here's some of the council's Grade A wackadoodle doozies:

1 Sick leave for pets Fido having a ruff day? New Yorkers won't have to choose between going to work or taking care of a sick pet if a bill sponsored by Councilman Shaun Abreu (D-Manhattan) is passed.

The bill would tweak the city's sick leave law, allowing workers to take time to care for some — but not all — types of animals. Animals "kept primarily for companionship" — as in, pets and service animals — would fall under the tweaked law. Farm animals like barn cows, however, would not.

Abreu told The Post the legislation doesn't expand the number of sick days available, it only gives workers more freedom in how they use them.

2 Free-range eggs only What does this bill have to do with the price of eggs? Nothing, but it has a lot to say about what type of eggs New York City municipal agencies can buy. A bill by Councilman Harvey Epstein (D-Manhattan) would prohibit city government from buying eggs that aren't organic or free-range.

"We want to make sure that the city is providing good, nutrient-dense, safe food to the people it's serving," Epstein said.

"Organic eggs are better for human health, with three times more unsaturated fats, 40% more vitamin A, and twice as much vitamin E compared to the USDA standard, and free-range eggs are also thought to contain superior nutrition."

The memo argues eggs from caged hens are the products of cruelty, noting the birds are confined to spaces smaller than a single sheet of letter-sized paper.

3 Self-service checkouts No less than one employee for every three self-service checkouts, please!

Councilwoman Amanda Farias (D-Bronx) is pushing a bill to fine pharmacies and food retail stores up to $1,000 per employee every day that self-checkouts are not properly staffed. The proper staff ratio, as defined by the bill, is one workers per every three self-checkout machine.

And it also requires stores impose a 15-item maximum for the machines.

Both moves would help combat retail theft, a scourge that drives up the cost of food and essential goods, a memo supporting Farias' bill states. "Reinvesting in staffing is good for revenue, for jobs and for consumer confidence," the memo argues.

4 Elephant care The long life of Happy in the Bronx Zoo lumbers in the background of a bill by Councilwoman Shahana Hanif (D-Brooklyn) that prohibits keeping elephants in the city, unless strict conditions are met.

Elephants must have at least 15 acres of usable habitat where they can forage for food or water, the bill stipulates. Female pachyderms must also be kept in groups and allowed to form herds, and likewise for males.

The requirements also emphatically state: "The elephant must not be mounted, ridden or forced to do labor."

5 'Hostile architecture' Does that bench look ... hostile? So-called "hostile architecture" designed to keep homeless people from resting or sleeping — such as spiked platforms or many-railed benches — would be targeted in a bill by Councilman Christopher Marte (D-Manhattan). "In 2017, 2021, and 2025, the MTA removed numerous benches from train platforms and replaced them with metal leaning bars; again

AWWW: Sick days for pets, hamstringing the NYPD, eliminating spikes on public benches that repel homeless and forcing city agencies to buy free-range eggs are all wishes in the Mayor Mamdani era.

targeting the homeless population," the bill's memo states.

"Hostile architecture, however, affects everyone, not just the intend target. In the case of the MTA's leaning bars, multiple riders have expressed concern about the issue of accessibility."

The bill would require the city's planning department to conduct a study within 18 months of it becoming law.

6 A team for trees Timber! The city, which already has a robust Parks Department, would have to create a "task

force" to coordinate the removal of fallen trees after severe weather under one bill.

7 Lighten the load Delivery workers won't have to make a single trip if their goods weigh more than 22 pounds, under a bill pushed by Councilman Christopher Marte (D-Manhattan).

The bill would also prohibit the companies from requiring drivers wear backpacks. "There is a study out of Berlin that said 22 pounds of weight on someone's back can be the deciding factor on whether they live or die if they crash on a bicycle, and right now there's no weight

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THE RED APPLE

pups, chickens, crooks & homeless

limit,” Marte said. “A weight limit will make it much safer for workers.”

8 Abolishing NYPD gang database

A dumbfounding 25 City Council members are sponsoring a bill to abolish the NYPD’s gang database. Lefties generally consider the database racist, but police officials — not least of all NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch — argue it’s a vital crime-fighting tool, with thousands of entries and intel including tattoos linked to criminal groups and gangs.

A spokesperson for sponsor Councilwoman Althea Stevens

(D-Bronx) said the lawmaker has seen firsthand how the list unfairly targets black and brown people.

The list doesn’t have checks to make sure people on it have criminal histories, the spokesperson argued.

9 Handcuffing the NYPD’s Strategic Response Group

Another 26 council members have signed onto a bill to prohibit the NYPD’s Strategic Response Group from deploying during First Amendment-protected protests.

SRG has long been a progressive bugbear, with opponents —

including Mayor Mamdani — contending the unit regularly brutalizes protesters and tramples their rights.

The specialized unit responds to civil disorder and major events, including parades and protests.

It’s also deployed for major crime events, such as bank robberies, shootings and missing persons.

Police officials such as Tisch argue the unit plays a vital part in keeping protests from descending into violence.

10 BYOC Bring your own cup. A bill by Abreu would re-

require restaurants, coffee shops and other eateries to allow customers to bring and use their own reusable cups for beverage orders.

11 Setting a $30 minimum wage

Lefty council members want to set the Big Apple’s minimum wage at a very max $30 an hour.

The bill introduced by Councilwoman Sandy Nurse (D-Brooklyn) would nearly double the city’s current baseline pay of $17 and affect as many as 1 million workers.

Progressives have long called for a minimum wage to keep up

with the city’s high cost of living, but business leaders warn it’ll be a costly disaster for employers.

12 Gender-affirming items for jail inmates

Transgender inmates in city jails will be able to request “gender-affirming items” under one proposed bill.

“These items include, but are not limited to, wigs, hair extensions, chest binders, tucking undergarments or gaffs and prosthetics,” a memo in support of the bill states. Union officials have slammed the proposal, sponsored by Brooklyn Councilwoman Crystal Hudson, as dangerous for corrections officers.

Vitaly - stock.adobe.com

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6

New York Post, Saturday, August 22, 2026

THE RED APPLE

NEPO BABY GOES

ISAAC SCHORR

CHAMPAGNE socialists; limousine liberals; nepo baby Bolsheviks — whatever you might call them, the chutzpah of the emerging class of DSA elites is nothing short of staggering.

Gustavo Gordillo, the nearly 40-year-old co-chair of New York City's Democratic Socialists of America chapter, kicks back in a cushy Bed-Stuy row house that his parents bought and renovated for him.

This is the same guy who appeared to relish the idea of bodega owners being put out of business by Mayor Mamdani's bread line boondoggle during one recent interview with Fox News' Martha MacCallum.

And who called out landlords directly by striking down the straw man of a "constitutional right to double-digit returns on their investment."

Meanwhile, the DSA's official platform calls for "a redistribution of land from the landowners to the landless."

Maybe we should start with luxury bachelor pads inhabited by middle-aged fail sons moonlighting as cartoon villains?

'Eat the Rich' crusade

Then you have far-left celebrity strategist Moritz Katz, one of the principals behind both Mamdani's successful campaign and Graham Platner's humiliating flameout, signed a $6,500 lease in November, but "was late on his rent for the first three months" and "eventually . . . allegedly stopped paying entirely."

Oh, and the apartment he left behind after mercifully moving out was a veritable pigsty.

"He didn't clean up any of his s-t," his super told The Post.

Charming — and inexplicable given the fact he too was born and bred in privilege with quick access to the funds he had agreed to pay his landlord.

Of course, they aren't the only hypocritical, wealth-hoarding "Eat the Rich" crusaders.

Mamdani himself is the son of award-winning filmmaker Mira

Red-hot hypocrisy Livin' large selling Marx

Nair and Columbia University professor Mahmoud Mamdani, who vacations at their five-bedroom, four-bathroom Ugandan estate featuring a pristine infinity pool and views of Lake Victoria.

Mommy, daddy issues

Will he follow up his ghastly publication of a pied-à-terre hit-list by calling on his parents to make out proportionate checks to the Ugandan government?

Or is his philosophy "play for me, punishment for thee"?

His cronies are no different. The leader of his Office to Protect Tenants thinks homeownership is a "weapon of white supremacy," but retires to her mom's $1.6 million dollar property for holidays.

City Council ally and fellow rich kid Chi Ossé blows off steam from his taxpayer-funded job at the Met Gala.

Tracy Rosenthal, the "Abolish Rent!" activist who has boasted about bankrupting her ex-landlord and been elevated by Mamdani, grew up in a lucrative music studio owned by her dad that's played host to David Bowie, Blondie and Coldplay.

And 9/11 apologist Hasan Piker, the son of a longtime high-ranking executive at a multibillion dollar Turkish mega corporation, playacts as an Islamo-Marxist guerrilla from the comfort of his apparent dog torture chamber.

The disconnect between these lucky Leninists' lifestyles and their rhetoric isn't just striking, it's illuminating.

Each has always had generational wealth they had no part in creating to fall back on — and they often do.

Their relationship with money has always been detached from their own hard work or ingenuity.

Many have never had a real job their entire lives.

So of course they don't value the skill or diligence it takes to build wealth.

In fact, if anything, they resent those who have actually made something of themselves.

No doubt there are some mommy and daddy issues in there, too, that they're taking out on the rest of us.

Profitable biz

The other component here is that some of them recognize far-left politics for the profitable, cushy grift it is.

Ascend to power promising to tax the rich at home before absconding to live rich abroad? It's nice work if you can get it.

Stiff your landlord on the rent and get a pat on the back from the mayor? Why not!

Make millions off your Maoist-chic aesthetic while cruising around in your Porsche? Hell yeah!

For these floatie-wearing Lost Boys and Girls, their bad ideas all fun and games — a cheap, easy way to achieve fame, feign rebelliousness and pad their already-loaded bank accounts.

For the rest of us, they're an existential threat to the lives we've actually earned.

By CRAIG McCARTHY, KEVIN SHEEHAN and MATT TROUTMAN

So much for solidarity!

Working-class cosplaying Democratic Socialists of America leader Gustavo Gordillo hasn't used a single union worker for renovations on his $1.5 million nepo-home in Brooklyn — as the city issued a stop-work order Friday on the project, The Post learned.

A city Department of Buildings inspector slapped the order — which dinged Gordillo for not getting proper permits for interior and facade work — on the two-story, nearly 2,000-square-foot Bed-Stuy home's door.

The order halts the roughly $1.4 million gut renovation that many of Gordillo's more-hardscrabble neighbors along gentrifying Decatur Street viewed with a mix of awe and apprehension.

"I think it's really counter everything that he's supposed to represent," said Kristen Singleton-Ferrari, 59, a neighbor. "After some people have renovated or fixed up their house, obviously they feel as if they have to pass on some of that cost. But some of these renovations are not easy to do and that makes it not easy for the normal New Yorkers to be able to live in this neighborhood."

Gordillo, 38, who co-chairs New York City's DSA chapter, crowed for years about being a union electrician — but didn't even hire one to rewire the home his millionaire mommy and daddy bought him, city records show.

'Tore the house down'

Not one company, in fact, that Gordillo hired for the project had any record of being union-affiliated. The mustachioed silver-spoon socialist tapped companies, according to a review of 11 permits, to:

• ■ Install a new heating, ventilation and air conditioning system throughout the home

• ■ Rewire the whole house

• ■ Put an addition on the roof, as well as two decks

• ■ Revamp the entire front facade, adding a front porch

• ■ Add a new room in the home's rear

• ■ Install solar panels

Not every permit details an expected cost, but the moneyed Marxist seemingly was willing to

plop stacks of cash over the renovation project that started in 2023. Records show $78,000 slated for heating systems, $60,000 for sprinklers and $28,000 for the solar panels.

"They tore that house down completely like there was nothing there and they built this big green wall in front of it, so you couldn't see anything," said James, 40, a neighbor who lived across the

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THE RED APPLE

AGAINST GRAIN

GUSTO: The city issued a stop-worker order Friday on the $1.4 million home renovation project (right) ordered by Gustavo Gordillo (left), whose parents bought him the Brooklyn residence.

TAX RICE

DSA big won't hire union help for reno at $1M home

street his entire life. "All it was, was a big wall of permits."

No-showed employer

Perhaps the entirely open shop home renovation project is fitting now that Gordillo himself is no longer a union member.

Gordillo was fired from his apprenticeship program in March after he no-showed his employer

for months, the IBEW Local 3 union confirmed this week.

He conveniently — or deceitfully — didn't mention that fact last month when he pushed DSA rank-and-file for full-time pay and benefits by telling job stories about supposedly doing interviews on construction-job sites with an earpiece, sources previously said. The whining worked — DSA members passed a meas-

ure to pay Gordillo and his co-chair Grace Mausser $95,000, plus benefits.

The salary score came as Gordillo's profile rose, including an appearance on Fox News in which he ripped Big Apple landlords for complaining that a 12% return on investment isn't enough.

"We don't think that anybody should have the constitutional

right to double-digit returns on their investment," he said.

The interview didn't go over well with many DSA members behind the scenes, with many "openly complaining" about it, one source said.

Gordillo's dismissive attitude toward the struggle of property owners and rhapsodizing about the plight of tenants contrasted wildly with his own cushy background.

The son of a successful businessman, Gordillo was born in Peru and immigrated to Florida as a child.

He studied literature at Yale University and later attended the Ivy League's School of Art, where he pursued sculpture.

He moved to New York City in 2016, finding work at a high-end Chelsea gallery and living in a $2,600-a-month Lower East Side apartment for which his father paid the rent. Gordillo's parents bought the Bed-Stuy home for him and his brother in 2019.

Blue-collar path

The avowed socialist tried to embark on a blue-collar path in 2024, when he joined the electrician union. He proudly played up his labor bona fides on X, taking the handle @unionGustavo and describing himself as "@nycdsa.co-chair, union electrician."

But he stopped showing up to work about the same time as fellow privileged DSA member Zohran Mamdani was elected in November, union officials said.

Amid Gordillo's attempt to gain working-class cred and rise to DSA prominence, he tapped workers to completely redo his posh home.

Completed renovations include its entire front facade, the planting of lush landscaping and new decks.

"This is a totally new building. It's a very difficult and expensive process but he did it," said another neighbor who lives across the street. "It's very quiet, very private. I wish I could have the private decks like that, but we can barely pay our mortgage. I have no penthouse in my future."

Singleton-Ferrari, for her part, wasn't impressed.

"I do have to say that it stands out a bit as a sore thumb," she said. "I don't think it matches the landscape of the rest of the neighborhood. And I'm a little bit like shame on you for kind of going against what you were saying to others."

Renovation work apparently continued on the house's second floor until Friday, when the stopwork order arrived.

Department of Buildings officials didn't immediately respond when asked what led to the order. Gordillo didn't respond for comment.

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Bashed beach club

Rare LI tornado slapped shelters

By ALEX MITCHELL

Stunning drone footage shows the sheer destruction left behind by the rare tornado that blew through Long Island Thursday night — with Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman saying it's "a blessing" no one was killed.

Video taken by The Post Friday morning shows cabana tops completely blown off at the Sun and Surf Beach Club in Atlantic Beach — with debris strewn all over the beach.

Blakeman said the "narrow" tornado, which touched down around 7 p.m., wrecked an estimated 50 cabanas.

"There was one minor injury . . . they didn't even go to a hospital. It was really a blessing that more people weren't injured or killed," said Blakeman, the GOP gubernatorial hopeful.

"It was a very powerful tornado. It destroyed cabanas. There were very large wooden beams that were knocked over," added Blakeman, who declared a state of emergency Thursday night.

Started at sea

The sudden weather event — one that is highly unusual for the area — originated as a waterspout at sea and traveled from the Rockaways as it struck land at the

beach club as a tornado, according to the National Weather Service.

"We've been going there my entire life, and even when [Superstorm] Sandy hit, I saw the pictures after there, and nothing looked like that today. I've never seen carnage like that," club member Matthew Stark told The Post hours after the insanity.

"It looked like the videos you see in the Midwest of a tornado ripping through a town. It was crazy. We didn't even realize it was a tornado at first either. We were like, 'What the hell just happened?'"

Stark was with nearly 10 family members in their estimated 25-by-15-foot cabana sheltering from a torrential downpour of "sideways rain" just before the tornado reached the club at about 6:57 p.m.

"I was closing the door to the cabana, you heard and felt the whoosh of the gusts of wind, and it ripped the roof right off, blew all the debris, and stuff just started falling on us — the roof and the beams," he said.

'A scratch'

Stark and his family, like others at the club, walked to their cars safely afterward through the destruction.

He suffered only "a scratch on my finger, a little bump on my head."

"Everybody else was completely fine besides dust and sand stuff that kept blowing into our faces."

The intense rainstorm that preceded the tornado also minimized risk to life, as Stark said the beach was mainly desolate at the time — hours after a crowded special luncheon at the club.

Other parts of mainland Nassau County and surrounding New York City also endured massive flooding around the same time.

One video posted to the popular Long Island Wiseguy Instagram showed a Levittown shopping center off Hempstead Turnpike overrun by floodwaters that trapped cars.

NOT OFTEN SEEN: A tornado that started as a waterspout at sea is seen in Atlantic Beach, LI (above), where it hit a beach club, wrecking 50 cabanas and doing other damage (below).

Early rent freeze 'victory'

City Hall claimed an early win in a legal battle challenging Mayor Mamdani's promised rent freeze, with a judge ruling that the suit was filed in the wrong borough.

That means the lawsuit will have to be moved from Staten Island to Manhattan, and puts a pause on further court actions on the actual issues at hand — including efforts by parties supporting landlords and tenants to join the suit.

Staten Island Judge Ralph Porzio, in ordering the case be relocated to Manhattan Supreme Court, noted that he "was prepared to decide the issue on the merits."

"However," he added, "this venue motion . . . had to be decided, and I've decided it this way."

A coalition of city landlords filed suit against the Rent Guidelines Board, calling its decision to freeze rents on 1 million rent-stabilized units for two years a rigged "sham" and "unlawful" a month ago in Staten Island Supreme Court.

But almost immediately, city lawyers signaled they would challenge not just the lawsuit itself but that the suit's lead litigator, former First Deputy Mayor and Mamdani legal foil Randy Mastro, filed the case in Staten Island.

"Staten Island may be smaller in population than the other boroughs in our city, but it is every bit as important," Mastro argued.

Their argument was fairly technical: a lawsuit challenging an official government decision, known as an Article 78, must be filed where the decision was made — which they argue was in Manhattan.

But Porzio said Mastro "misconstrued" the rules.

Peter Senzamici

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Ding a ring at the Met Museum

They propose that he gets a life!

A young couple's romantic marriage proposal at the Metropolitan Museum of Art was ruined when a kill-joy security guard interrupted — and ordered the groom-to-be, who was on bended knee, to "stand up," viral video shows.

Lina, who said she's a lawyer, was standing happily with her boyfriend in front of the stained-glass section of the museum when he popped the question, footage she posted on Instagram last week showed.

As she reached into the box to take the ring, the guard swooped in and spoiled their special moment, she said.

"He's being rude and condescending and telling us to get up," Lina fumed. "I'm really upset about my proposal being ruined."

The self-appointed romance police cited a non-existent rule about engagements being forbidden at the venerable house of art, she said. Natalie O'Neill

Add-mirable college grad

Quick math. A 19-year-old Georgia State University math whiz graduated from college in a mere 14 months thanks to long days and study sessions on the train.

Ivanna Poliashenko earned her bachelor's degree from the public university in Atlanta when she condensed a four-year college experience into four semesters spanning June 2025 to August 2026.

"I do really love math. It's genuinely one of my favorite things," Poliashenko told WXIA. Nicholas McEntyre

Citi critter claws for food off floor

DARRYL PAWBERRY: Mets fans got a surprise at Wednesday's game when a raccoon's paw popped up from a hole in the cement in the stands and started feeling around for peanut shells.

GOME FAT THE MESS?

By CHRIS NESI

Mets fans got the surprise of a lifetime Wednesday when a furry gray paw emerged from a small hole in the Citi Field stands just in front of their seats and started probing the cement for discarded peanut shells.

The paw belonged to an opportunistic raccoon that had staked out the perfect spot at the Queens ballpark to feast on errant food dropped

by fans on game days. "Holy hell!" Scott Reynolds exclaimed while filming.

'Extra show'

"Oh my god!" a woman can be heard saying as the animal's paw adeptly probes the ground in the immediate vicinity of the hole in search of a salty snack.

Reynolds said he and his family were eating peanuts and dropping shells in the stands,

as is custom, when they made the unusual sighting.

"We soon realized that it was a raccoon," he said.

The footage shows another hand guiding a hot dog into the recess, in a bid to help the trash panda fill its belly, which quickly vanished into the hole as the paw re-emerged to claim its meaty prize.

"He took it!" a laughing woman's voice can be heard saying.

Reynolds admitted the raccoon provided entertainment, saying, "We laughed and enjoyed the extra show."

Getty Images/Scott Reynolds via Storyful (2)

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Capitol suspect went online and ...

Vowed to 'obey'

ISIS boss

CREEP: Jessica Bowie, who was seen buying material to make a bomb (l.) meant for the New York state Capitol, said she'd obey her ISIS leader in an online post (r.) according to US prosecutors.

UUI: We pledge our allegiance to the Commander of the Faithful and the Caliph of the Muslims, the Mujahid Sheikh Abu Hafs al-Hashimi al-Qurashi, to listen and obey

BOWIE: So, I'm just saying this?

UUI: Until you join the State (Islamic State)

BOWIE: Saying this means joining the State (Islamic State)?

UUI: Yes

FOOTBALL

Queens apts. up in space

Renters chasing extra elbow room in New York City have exactly one borough to thank.

Queens is the sole district where new apartments have grown over the past decade, according to a fresh analysis from Rent-Cafe that tracked square footage across the 100 largest cities in the country.

What's more, Queens lands at fifth nationally for the biggest gains in living space during that span of time.

The typical new Queens apartment now clocks in at 732 square feet, a 16-square-foot bump from where things stood a decade ago.

That's part of a broader national trend, with the average US apartment now sitting at 910 square feet after every unit type picked up extra space in 2025.

Queens' growth outpaced the national gain of 13 square feet, even as the borough still ranks in the bottom tier for overall size compared with the rest of the country.

Brooklyn and Manhattan did not fare nearly as well. Brooklyn ranks fourth among the country's smallest markets. Manhattan landed just behind.

Mary K. Jacob

By NATALIE O'NEILL

The wannabe upstate jihadi Jane charged with plotting to bomb the New York State Capitol joined ISIS through social media after a recruiter urged her to take an oath to 'obey' the terrorist group's leader, chilling messages reveal.

Jessica Bowie, 35 — who planned to attack the building with a bomb hidden in a Door-Dash food-delivery bag — appeared clueless after the unidentified militant sent her a message on a 'well-known' social-media site on May 28, according to a federal criminal complaint.

'We pledge our allegiance to the Commander of the Faithful and the Caliph of the Muslims, the Mujahid Sheikh Abu Hafs al-Hashimi al-Qurashi, to listen and obey,' the user instructed her in Arabic to say, according to the complaint.

Bowie then asked in a bumbling

reply, 'So, I'm just saying this?' 'Until you join the [Islamic State],' the user responded.

'Saying this means joining the [Islamic State]?' she asked again, before the user wrote back, 'Yes.'

Bowie immediately sent the user an audio file of herself saying the oath, which vowed loyalty to the current leader of ISIS, according to the criminal complaint.

'Radicalized online'

The exchange was part of Bowie's 'bayah' — a formal oath of allegiance in the Islamic tradition — and hints at how she became 'radicalized online,' according to authorities.

She allegedly then sent a second audio file vowing official allegiance to ISIS to another 'jihadist' through a different social-media site on May 30.

Bowie — a loner living in a low-budget apartment in Albany with

a roommate — joined Islam five years ago, authorities said.

Bowie's mother appears to be Catholic, according to social-media posts, though it wasn't immediately clear if Bowie herself was raised in the religion.

During online exchanges, she sent messages revealing that she planned to move from Albany to ISIS-run territory in the Middle East, according to the feds.

'When I can migrate, I will poison these infidels,' she wrote in another message on social media, according to the criminal complaint.

Bowie also told the FBI informants she was inspired by the Islamic terrorist attack on Berlin's gay pride festival last month that left one person dead and 29 injured.

'You look at this brother in, what is it? Germany? He did a great thing, but only one person died. When he rammed into the

crowd of the people,' she allegedly told the informant.

It's unclear which social-media sites Bowie used, but she was sometimes kicked off for expressing radical Islamic views, according to the complaint.

'Praise be to Allah for September 11th,' she allegedly wrote on one account in May.

Terror shop spree

Bowie allegedly bought bomb materials from a Home Depot on Aug. 5, while wearing a burqa, and planned to blow up the Capitol building with help from accomplices, who turned out to be FBI informants, according to federal authorities.

Bowie was arrested Wednesday. After her bust, she allegedly told FBI agents, 'There's no helping me, I'm ... going to prison for the rest of my life,' according to the complaint.

Demons made me kill gal pal

A Pennsylvania college soccer star was allegedly stabbed to death by her boyfriend, who claimed 'demons' told him to do it — and got his mom to help him dispose of the body, according to police.

Karoline Heintz was found dead in her Jeep around 12:30 a.m. Thursday in California, Pa.

Heintz, an incoming freshman on the university's soccer team, met her boyfriend, Royce Moser, after she attended a party earlier in the evening, police said. They began talking before the discussion turned a 'little bit south,' a state trooper said.

Nicholas McEntyre

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TikTokers irk B'klyn man by idling vehicles

'DRIVING' HIM NUTS

By KATHERINE DONLEVY

Warning: Beware of man. A years-long feud between Brooklyn neighbors has sparked a crazy TikTok trend where strangers "harass" a short-fused family by simply idling cars in their driveway.

Hundreds of drivers intentionally block Frank Chen's Bensonhurst property every week, looking to capture his visceral reaction in what antagonizers have dubbed a "NYC tourist attraction."

The driveway dispute has led to dozens of viral videos of Chen sprinting out of his front door within seconds of the cars pulling up in front of the "no parking" signs he's plastered across his fence — and spewing

vitriol at the drivers.

The homeowner, 65, hurled profanities, honked and threatened to plow his car forward when The Post pulled up on his driveway Tuesday, after assuming the reporters were "TikTokers."

'Spitting, slurs'

"I'm sick and tired of these TikTokers," Chen fumed, saying he needs 24/7 access because of his sick 94-year-old father who lives inside. "I don't know why the TikTok people came here to harass us. We don't know each other. Why not leave us alone?"

The bizarre social media trend took off earlier this month after a man claiming to be their neighbor captured Chen and his

daughter circling his car and ordering him to "move" away from their driveway.

The man, who did not respond to The Post's request for comment, encouraged the video's nearly 7 million viewers to put the family to the test — igniting dozens of copycat videos.

As many as 10 drivers show up daily, Chen says, including some middle-of-the-night hecklers who rev their engines to wake the family.

The Chens say the "harassment" has been going on since they moved into the house in 2021 and noticed that their driveway was a popular spot for their neighbors and delivery drivers to idle.

The family claims they were initially polite when asking

them move, but were allegedly met with spitting, urinating on trees and even racist slurs from their neighbors that Chen's daughter documented on a YouTube channel "Thou Shall Not Harass Thy Neighbor."

'Provoked'

"People think Asians are very quiet, that we don't stand up for ourselves. But I was not raised that way," Chen's daughter, who asked that her name not be used, told The Post.

One next-door neighbor was captured screaming "ching chong" at the family before speeding off — a slur she says was "provoked" by the Chens' aggressive behavior, which preceded the social media frenzy.

"They provoked me to say that because I couldn't even let my mother out of my car," said the neighbor, who asked to be referred to as Snow, alleging the Chens followed her even after she pulled out of their driveway.

"Everybody stands behind me. Everybody has said racist s-t towards them but it's because they provoke. Me saying that wasn't towards the Asian community, it was just towards that b-tch."

Snow admitted that it "probably wasn't right" to hurl the ethnic slur at the Chens, but "I hate her."

The NYPD has taken at least a dozen complaints from the Chens for harassment, all of which have been closed after probing, according to sources.

NYPD gets to 'ace' drones

The NYPD is prepared to take down any unauthorized drones flying over the coming US Open in New York City — marking the first event nationwide where local law enforcement has that independent authority, Commissioner Jessica Tisch announced Friday.

This new power was the

result of the Safer Skies Act, which was passed by Congress in December and went into effect in July, she said.

"This will be the first major event where the NYPD uses this new authority," Tisch said, "and it will be the first event in the country where state or local law enforcement conducts independent

drone mitigation operations." There are no "specific, credible threats" to the final Grand Slam tournament of the tennis season, but Tisch said the NYPD "will remain vigilant, and always there will be security measures that you will see and others that you will not see." Georgetts Roberts and Amanda Woods

Blow to case against Tish

WASHINGTON — Albany US Attorney John Sarcone III was illegally appointed to his position by the Trump administration last year, a federal appeals court ruled Friday, dealing a setback to the Justice Department's effort to build a case against New York Attorney General Letitia James.

The ruling by the divided panel from the NYC-based Second Circuit Court of Appeals held that two subpoenas Sarcone sent James' office last year were not valid. "We disagree with the court's decision, and intend to take this case to the Supreme Court," a Justice Department spokesperson told The Post.

James brought the case questioning Sarcone's appointment and has claimed his investigation is politically motivated. Her office did not comment on Friday's ruling. Sarcone has no experience as a prosecutor when the Trump administration appointed him last year. Emily Goodin

11 New York Post, Saturday, August 22, 2026 nypost.com

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VP back home hits Dems

WASHINGTON — Vice President JD Vance accused Democrats of causing “millions of orphans” and suicides during a Friday stump speech in his Ohio hometown — invoking the late Democratic populist Huey Long as he described the Trump administration’s agenda. Vance, the odds-on favorite for the Republican nomination in 2028, theorized how to consolidate the GOP’s gains among

working class voters while talking up gubernatorial nominee Vivek Ramaswamy and Sen. Jon Husted (R-Ohio) in Middletown. “It’s not my job to tell you who to fall in love with, how to worship, or even whether to root for the Bengals or the Browns,” the VP said at a local steel factory. “My job . . . is to fight for you. It’s to fight for your blessings of

liberty, for a neighborhood that’s safe, a job that’s dignified, a church that’s protected.” Vance, 42, said prior administrations had unleashed a wave of carnage by allowing the outsourcing of US jobs and the importation of fentanyl, which has killed about 400,000 Americans across the past seven years. Vance touted the Trump administration’s dramatic reduction in illegal border crossings

and an increase in US citizen employment since last year. He then hailed the “great southern populist” Huey Long, a Louisiana governor and senator who was assassinated in 1935, for having the right idea of how government should improve the lives of its citizens. Vance criticized prominent left-wing Democrats who have won primaries so far this year. Steven Nelson

Trump backs Graham

WASHINGTON — President Trump defended Sen. Darline Graham as he traveled to South Carolina Friday in an attempt to rescue her campaign after she stunningly said at a debate this week that “I’m not that informed on national security.” “All she was is being honest. She’s very smart, and she was being honest,” Trump told reporters at Joint Base Andrews as he traveled to Myrtle Beach for an evening rally on Graham’s behalf ahead of her Aug. 25 Senate primary runoff against Rep. Ralph Norman (R-SC).

“I mean, she’s into the price of groceries, the price of food, the price of beef, and it’s not — it hasn’t been her thing, but she’s surrounded by very good people, and she said that she’s totally for the military.”

Trump added: She understands national security is my thing, and she’s a terrific woman.”

Graham was appointed to late brother Lindsey’s Senate seat on July 14 by South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster, but is at risk of losing the GOP nomination for a full six-year term after her weak debate performance. Steven Nelson

US $lams Canada

Rolls out 50% tariff on $20B in goods

By VICTOR NAVA

A hefty new tariff on a wide range of products from Canada took effect early Saturday after last-minute negotiations to avert the duties collapsed.

“Tonight, Canada declined to finalize the trade deal under the terms agreed earlier this week, despite the US offer to Canada to receive the best treatment of any major exporter to our market,” US trade representative Jamieson Greer told reporters.

“New demands and walk-backs of other commitments by Canada have upended the careful balance reached in the past days,” he added.

The 50% tariff will apply to some $20 billion worth of Canadian

products, including wine, hockey sticks and cement.

President Trump had originally set a 12:01 a.m. Wednesday deadline for the two sides to reach terms to stave off the tariff but pushed it back to early Saturday amid positive 11th-hour negotiations.

‘Substantial retaliation’

The new tax aims to remedy Canada’s “substantial retaliation” and “discrimination” against American products and businesses, according to Trump administration officials.

There will be exemptions for energy and essential goods like fish and critical minerals.

In the hours leading up to the implementation deadline, Trump

appeared optimistic that a deal could be finalized, touting his “good relationship” with Prime Minister Mark Carney.

“The deal with Canada is moving along and we should be able to have a deal,” Trump told reporters at Joint Base Andrews before jetting off to a rally in South Carolina.

After teasing that his administration is “starting on a new deal with Mexico” at the same time it negotiates with Canada, Trump declared: “I only make good deals. Much better deal for the United States, both with Canada and Mexico.”

The tariff was unveiled last month, shortly after Trump and Carney were spotted chatting during the soccer World Cup final in New Jersey.

The two leaders spoke by phone

Monday afternoon.

We are negotiating,” Carney said of talks with Trump, according to The Associated Press. “The negotiations are very intense and delicate. This is not the time to talk about negotiations in public.”

The Trump administration was reportedly pushing for Canada to end retaliatory measures it took against Trump’s tariffs last year, including bans on US liquor and duties on US automobiles.

Canada is the second-largest US trade partner. Nearly 72% of Canada’s goods exports last year went to the US.

However, the US goods trade deficit with Canada was $46.4 billion in 2025, according to the Office of the US Trade Representative.

Americans’ beef heard

President Trump announced plans to lift tariffs on beef imports for 90 days as he attempts to crack down on soaring grocery bills.

In a Friday morning Truth Social post, Trump said he would allow up to 300,000 metric tons of ground beef to come into the country tariff-free — blaming former President Joe Biden for the US’s shrinking herd levels, which have fallen to a 75-year low.

The president vowed that he has a “commitment” to sell beef at 25% below current market prices, buying time for American ranchers to rebuild their herds.

Taylor Herzlich

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STEVEN GRESS Dismembered 16-year-old.

Fla. sicko asks for death

A Florida sicko laughed in court Wednesday as he pleaded guilty to luring a 16-year-old girl to his home, then killing and dismembering her body — and is seeking the death penalty for himself.

Steven Gress, 37, appeared smiling in a Pinellas County courtroom and changed his plea to guilty on charges of kidnapping and murder in the February 2025 killing of Miranda Corsette, the Tampa Bay Times reported.

Gress had previously appeared before the court in July, where he told Judge Philip Federico he wanted to enter a guilty plea and requested the death penalty, according to the outlet.

Federico ordered a competency exam before he would accept the plea. Court psychologist Dr. Mark Crawford told the judge Wednesday that Gress was “very open, very respectful, very cooperative” during the evaluation and believed “he can freely and voluntarily enter a plea.” Richard Pollina

‘Sex desk’ confession

Wild video shows a married teacher walking cops around her Florida classroom while telling them in graphic detail where and how she had sex with a 17-year-old student.

Heather Mashburn-Smith, 37, was candid in April as she confessed to her illegal romps with the underage teen in her classroom at Port Charlotte HS, according to bodycam footage obtained by Law & Crime.

“As far as the intercourse goes, this is the desk that we leaned back on,” she said. Patrick Reilly

Stripper fling a ‘lap’se in judgment

LI DOG’S CASE OF REGRET

WOE, DOCTOR! Rosana Kissoon filed a $1 million lawsuit against Dr. Keith Hoerning (far right with wife Nicole) after the affair blew up.

By ELLA MORRISON

The married New York doctor embattled in a he-said, she-said legal fight with his Long Island stripper ex-mistress admitted the streamy relationship was the “worst mistake of my life,” a new court filing revealed.

Wealthy family physician Keith Hoerning, 51, shot back at his ex-mistress Rosana Kissoon, 39, with a court filing Thursday containing screenshots of alleged text exchanges between the pair documenting the stripper’s escalating threats as their love affair fell apart, according to the Daily Mail. Kissoon filed a $1 million lawsuit

in Suffolk County court against Hoerning — with whom she allegedly had an 18-month affair filled with fawning “I love you” texts — after he tried to get her arrested as their extramarital dalliance imploded, The Post previously reported.

The married man described the illicit affair as being the “worst mistake of his life” and claimed his substantial cash sums splashed at the temptress were not romantic gestures but were instead a response to her increasingly volatile demands — including threatening to “end” his family and have his father-in-law killed, according to the filing obtained by the Mail.

In one text exchange, the stripper allegedly asked her married beau, “Are u willing to pay me to let this go and leave u alone?” followed by a barrage of complaints that Hoerning only made time for his wife and not her.

“All I wanted was for you to try and make us happy. You never even try,” Kissoon allegedly wrote. “U are only doing this for that relationship not ours.”

‘I’ll end ur family’

But other exchanges between the pair paint a much more sordid picture of their scandalous lovefest.

Kissoon allegedly threatened the life of Hoerning’s father-in-law after suggesting he was standing in the way of their illicit affair, one text exchange shows.

“I will get him killed,” the stripper allegedly wrote. “If he’s why we cant be together.”

Hoerning then allegedly responded with “I don’t want you to hurt anyone,” and

repeatedly begged her to stop.

In another exchange, Kissoon allegedly ordered Hoerning, “From now on you will only pay me,” and followed up with another text minutes later declaring, “I want u dead.”

“If i [cant] be with u I’ll end ur family,” Kissoon allegedly threatened.

In a sworn affirmation, Hoerning admitted, “I met Rosana Kissoon and developed a relationship with her that reflects the worst mistake of my life.”

“Capitalizing on my mistake, Ms Kissoon began demanding money from me on the threat of exposing our secret relationship to my family, and she engaged in other threatening and menacing behavior.”

“The present lawsuit appears to be an attempt to continue menacing and embarrassing me, now out in the spotlight of public litigation filings, even though the suit is completely meritless on its substance,” Hoerning claimed.

Driver rescues girl fleeing ‘kidnapper’

A North Carolina girl was allegedly abducted by her friend’s uncle and forced into the woods — before she was found in a ditch and chillingly told a good Samaritan that she had been kidnapped. The girl, 12, was staying at her neighbor’s home in Lillington — a town 40 miles

southwest of Raleigh — for a sleepover on Sunday when she was woken up by 38-year-old Daniel Gear, who is accused of terrorizing her, WNCN reported.

Gear allegedly forced the girl, who hasn’t been identified, into his truck and they drove toward some wood-

land, where “he made her get out” of the vehicle, according to the outlet.

The girl managed to escape her alleged abductor when Gear parked his truck behind a Department of Motor Vehicles office in Erwin — which is roughly 11 miles away from Lillington — on Sunday aft-

ernoon, police said.

Motorist Jennifer Maxwell spotted the girl fleeing the wooded area while she was driving on a stretch of US Highway 421, which runs through the town and in front of the DMV.

Maxwell and the girl went to a local police station to

report the alleged kidnapping, but she doesn’t consider herself to be a Good Samaritan.

“I just thank God that I could be where I was,” she said. “And God knows if that girl didn’t get away, what would have happened.” Chris Bradford

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THE BATTLE FOR IRAN

TOUGH TALK TEHRAN

Vows 'crushing' hit if sanctioned

By CHRIS NESI

Iran threatened "devastating" consequences if the US moves ahead with imposing crippling sanctions against the regime — after the Trump administration pledged to hit the Islamic Republic with the toughest financial penalties in history.

"With preparedness across land, sea, air, air defense and cyberspace, Iran's armed forces will respond to the enemy's new threats with crushing, punishing and devastating responses," Major General Ali Abdollahi, chief of staff of Iran's Armed Forces, said on Iranian media.

The US and Iran cobbled together two cease-fire deals, one in April and the other in June, with the goal of restoring the normal flow of maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz and ending the nearly six-month-old war — but both were short-lived.

'Collapse the regime'

Iran and Oman have been in separate talks to resume navigation through the critical chokepoint, but the US has opposed any deal that would impose a toll on ships.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on CNBC Friday that the US would "collapse the regime," likening the naval blockade reimposed on Iran in July and the impending "toughest sanctions in history" as a "one-two punch."

He said that he would provide details on the new sanctions at a

press conference on Monday, adding that China, which got half its energy from the Gulf, should "get with the program."

President Trump warned any country providing "any type of lifeline to Iran" would face economic consequences. Bessent said he would "talk about exactly what we're going to do" at a press conference Monday.

But Iran's foreign ministry preempted Bessent's saber-rattling with a statement that new sanctions would not create "even the slightest hesitation in Iranians' determination to safeguard Iran's independence, dignity and national sovereignty."

Iran's parliament speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, who has led the country's negotiations during mediation with the US, taunted the Trump administration, saying America appears to have shifted tactics after being unable to defeat the regime militarily.

"We must make plans to deal with the unjust sanctions so that we can overcome them," he said, accusing the US and Israel of waging economic and "cognitive" warfare.

However, speaking to Iranian and Iraqi businesspeople late on Thursday, Qalibaf acknowledged the strain on Iran's economy.

"No matter how much military power we have, we won't survive if people are hungry and we don't have financial turnover, economic growth and national production," Qalibaf said, according to official news agency IRNA.

Law hits overseas speech

Iran's parliament passed a resolution that could land Iranians in prison for speaking to foreign media outlets — even if they speak to them when outside of the country — in the Islamic Republic's latest attempt to stifle the flow of information outside its borders.

If the legislation is ultimately approved, which it is expected to be, communicating with any US news organization, foreign embassy or institution deemed hostile to the regime — even if the contact happens outside of Iran — could land Iranians in prison for up to two years.

The lone exception is if the communication has been cleared by the regime's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Shargh newspaper reported.

Marjan, a student at Tehran University who declined to give her full name, told CBS News that the regime is becoming more hardline under the new supreme leader.

"Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei is . . . much more hard-line and closed-minded," she said. Chris Nesi

Don wins a ballroom round

The dance goes on for President Trump's White House ballroom.

Work on the massive structure can continue for now, Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts ruled Friday, hours before a court order to stop construction would have taken effect.

"The Military/Ballroom

Complex being built on the hallowed grounds of the White House, which is so vital for National Security, will be THE GREATEST OF ITS KIND!" Trump wrote on Truth Social in response to the ruling.

"It is something that Presidents have wanted for 150 years, and that the Mili-

tary has been seeking for the last 100 years. Their wish will soon be fulfilled!"

The reprieve allows the $400 million building job to continue as the high court mulls the administration's emergency plea for intervention.

Emily Goodin

More DJT inane name game

WASHINGTON — A Democratic member of Congress filed an emergency motion Thursday night to keep President Trump's name off the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, kicking off the latest court fight over the DC venue.

Rep. Joyce Beatty (D-Ohio),

an ex officio member of the center's board of trustees, filed the motion after her colleagues voted last week to rename the area around the center the "President Donald J. Trump Plaza" and to add the president's name back onto the building's facade — after a federal judge ordered its removal in May.

Trump's name would only appear next to the main entrance if the renovation fund reaches $100 million in donations. Then the building's moniker would be: "The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Restored and Renovated By President Donald J. Trump."

Emily Goodin

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16

Shelter Island gets Branded

Ian Mohr

imohr@nypost.com

Oli Coleman ocolcman@nypost.com Mara Siegler msiegler@nypost.com Carlos Greer cgreer@nypost.com

Palace doors open

JEN Shah is about to be a free woman. Page Six can exclusively reveal that the "Real Housewives of Salt Lake City" alum will complete her sentence on Friday, Aug. 28, after spending nearly eight months in home confinement following 33 months behind bars. "Jen is feeling grateful to put this chapter behind her, get back to work and continue her journey of making things right," a source told Page Six. The former Bravolebrity, 52, has been serving her sentence in home confinement with an ankle monitor after being released in December from a Texas federal prison, where she had done nearly 3 of the 6 ½ year sentence she received for her role in a telemarketing fraud scheme.

Modern 'Family'

MARY J. Blige, 55, says she made a conscious choice not to have children. The Grammy-winning "Family Affair" singer (above) told Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson on their "IMO" podcast that when she was younger, "I saw a lot of people struggling — my family members needing babysitters, them not having a choice. No freedom." She concluded, "So when you're younger, that's the choice you make: 'I don't want any kids.'" Obama, who has two children, offered that women don't need kids "to be a whole person."

AMONG the charming farmers markets, vegetable stands and WASP-y beach clubs of Shelter Island, there will be a somewhat unlikely visitor this week, we're told.

Russell Brand — who has recently pleaded not guilty to no fewer than three rape charges, plus a handful of sexual assault accusations, in the UK — is a "headliner" at a conference at the Long Island spot's quaint Rams Head Inn.

The troubled star is among several speakers at the New York stop of the United We Stand tour, a speaking tour arranged by electoral reform foundation Free & Equal.

But his legal struggles are no joke. In April 2025, British police charged the "Get

Him to the Greek" star with rape and sexual assault following an 18-month investigation.

Cops said Brand faces one count of rape, one of indecent assault, one of oral rape and two of sexual assault stemming from alleged interactions with four women between 1999 and 2005.

He responded to those charges by saying online at the time, "I've never engaged in non-consensual activity. I pray that you can see that by looking in my eyes."

In December, he was charged with and pleaded not guilty to counts of sexual assault and rape from two additional women.

The Shelter Island event — promotional materials for which feature a huge picture of the

comic — announces Brand as an "author, broadcaster and independent voice, headlining the Shelter Island Conference . . . in open conversation on capital, sovereignty, and self-governance."

Reached for comment on the striking choice of headliner, Free & Equal founder Christina Tobin noted that Brand is "innocent until proven guilty" and that he is one of two headliners. (The other is the fiscal responsibility advocate known as Joe From Texas.)

Meanwhile, the hotel's management seemed to suggest Brand's inclusion bolstered the diversity of voices in the lineup. Others on the bill include Michael Terpin and ex-Sheriff Richard Mack.

Pt. 2 in the rough

THIRTY years ago, the golf rom-com "Tin Cup" with Kevin Costner, Don Johnson and Rene Russo was released. When Ron Shelton, one of the film's writers, was asked by Hampton Sheet Magazine if he'd make a sequel, Shelton said he'd been approached to adapt the movie for the Great White Way by a "now-deceased Broadway producer." The director said the stage show didn't pan out, but he has "a great [movie] sequel outline" that's "really a next generation story." Hampton Sheet publisher Joan Jedell said studios should pay attention: "Costner and Johnson might be septuagenarians, but their appeal is timeless."

Fest is Gone-aroo

BONNE nuit, Bonnaroo. The Tennessee music festival has canceled 2027's event after issues with rain. "We know this break will only make Bonnaroo better," the festival wrote online. Before this year's June event, they had "improved drainage, [added] 4.5 miles of new roadways and 135 acres of new grass," but "with limited time to recuperate from back-to-back years of storms . . . the main venue needs a break to rest."

Plea of free Will

WENDY Williams is pleading for freedom in her first public sighting since February as she remains stuck in a court-ordered guardianship case. The TV personality (above) was walking around New York Thursday when she was asked by a paparazzo what she had to tell fans about "what she is going through." "I want out!" the 62-year-old said. Williams, who was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia in 2023, was with a male companion, whom she was seen chatting with during the outing. The former "Wendy Williams Show" star stepped out wearing a black T-shirt, high-rise jean shorts and black boots. Williams was placed under a conservatorship in May 2022.

Harry owes a king's ransom

PRINCE Harry and his co-claimants in their losing case against the Daily Mail's publisher have been ordered to pay 18.3 million pounds, or about $25 million, by the English High Court, the BBC reported yesterday. The Duke of Sussex and six other defendants, including Elton John and Elizabeth Hurley, must pay over $13 million by next Friday. When the judge dismissed their claims of unlawful information gathering against Associated Newspapers Ltd. in July, ANL requested a hefty $47 million to cover its legal fees. Judge Matthew Nicklin said in his ruling yesterday, "I regard a claim [for that amount as] excessive" but let it stand because the claim "would be vulnerable to the charge that it was arbitrary" if he were "to impose a ceiling on Associated's recoverable costs." The claimants had insurance that covered some $22 million should they lose their lawsuit, leaving them on the hook for $25 million. They have until Oct. 2 to file an appeal. Harry's reps did not respond to Page Six's requests for comment. When the initial verdict was reached, he raged against the "shocking" and "unwarranted" decision.

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17

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18

Sally Brompton Daily Horoscope

DISCOVER MORE ABOUT YOURSELF AND WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS AT SALLYBROMPTON.COM

LEO (July 24-Aug. 23)

It may seem as if a weight has been lifted from your shoulders this weekend as you no longer have to worry about making so many big decisions for friends and loved ones. Inform them that it's time they took more responsibility for their own choices.

VIRGO (Aug. 24-Sept. 23)

The Sun's move into your sign today, followed by Mercury, your ruler, early next week, will energize you to such an extent that you could easily go over the top and start doing things that seem ill advised. Better that though than doing nothing!

LIBRA (Sept. 24-Oct. 23)

The emotional side of your nature will come to the fore over the next few days and it will surprise some people that you can be so sensitive to what takes place in the wider world. That's because you care, only you don't always let it show.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22)

The Sun's move into the area of your chart that governs group activities will encourage you to be more open about your beliefs and to get more involved in causes that inspire you. Get together with like-minded people and make a difference.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23 - Dec. 21)

Having enjoyed the past few weeks without having too many responsibilities, you must now knuckle down and get serious about your career. Muscle your way to the front and don't be shy about showing the world what you are capable of.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22 - Jan. 20)

Your mood will improve no end over the weekend, so much so that friends and family

members will comment on it. A more relaxed take on life will do wonders for your own peace of mind and encourage others to be more laid-back as well.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 21 - Feb. 19)

Don't worry too much if your world changes in some fundamental ways over the next 48 hours. The good news is those changes will work mainly in your favor, and even when they don't, they won't be too much of a challenge for you.

PISCES (Feb. 20-Mar. 20)

The way you interact with the world will have to change over the next few days. With both the Sun and Mercury moving into your opposite sign, you will have no choice but to find common ground with people you don't always get along with.

ARIES (March 21-April 20)

The Sun's move into the work and well-being area of your chart this weekend is a sign that you need to slow down. You have been moving so fast of late that both your physical and mental limits have been pushed too far. Be kind to yourself.

TAURUS (April 21-May 21)

The worries of recent weeks will be swept away over the next few days as first the Sun and then Mercury move into the most dynamic area of your chart. You have done your best for other people and now you must do what's best for yourself.

GEMINI (May 22-June 21)

If someone ruffles your feathers this weekend, don't

retreat into your shell and say nothing. If they get the impression that you won't stick up for yourself they will most likely give you even more trouble later on, so speak up and speak loud.

CANCER (June 22-July 23)

There are things you wanted to say in recent weeks but held back from because you did not want to hurt other people's feelings. Now you must reverse those tactics and let them know why they have annoyed you and why you won't put up with it!

BIRTHDAY SATURDAY

Do you protect what you have already accomplished, or do you risk that and aim to achieve even more? That is the question you will need to answer this year and, on balance, a more adventurous approach will undoubtedly work best for you.

Post Weather Report

Saturday

Today: Mostly cloudy with a little rain. High 72 to 78.

Tonight: Heavy rain and a t-storm. Low 65 to 71.

Monday Mostly sunny. High 76 to 82.

Evening Clear. Low 61 to 67.

Sunday Partly sunny. High 75 to 81.

Evening Partly cloudy. Low 64 to 70.

Almanac

YESTERDAY'S CONDITIONS AT CENTRAL PARK THROUGH 6PM Temperature High: 79, Low: 63, Mean: 71 Departure from Normal Yesterday: -5 degrees Precipitation Yesterday: trace, Month: 7.08", Year: 29.79", Normal year to date: 31.48" Cooling Degree days yesterday ...6 Total for the month (normal) ...264 (246) Total since Jan. 1 (normal) ...1024 (947) Last year to date ...1004 Heat index (at noon yes.) ...74 UV index (for Sat.) ...2 (Low) Humidity (at noon) ...68% AIR QUALITY Pollen: Moderate Predominant pollen: Weeds AQI rating: (for Sat.) ...Good

Sunday

Tomorrow: Humid with a shower and t-storm. High 77 to 83.

Tomorrow night: Clear to partly cloudy. Low 62 to 68.

Tuesday Partly sunny. High 75 to 81.

Temperature High: 79, Low: 63, Mean: 71 Departure from Normal Yesterday: -5 degrees

Precipitation Yesterday: trace, Month: 7.08", Year: 29.79", Normal year to date: 31.48"

Cooling Degree days yesterday ...6 Total for the month (normal) ...264 (246) Total since Jan. 1 (normal) ...1024 (947) Last year to date ...1004 Heat index (at noon yes.) ...74 UV index (for Sat.) ...2 (Low) Humidity (at noon) ...68%

AIR QUALITY Pollen: Moderate Predominant pollen: Weeds AQI rating: (for Sat.) ...Good

AccuWeather

Proven Superior Accuracy Get the AccuWeather app

New York Tides	TODAY	TOMORROW
High Tide for	1st 2nd	1st 2nd
Coney Island	3:44a 4:13p	4:46a 5:11p
Fire Island	3:52a 4:46p	4:56a 5:35p
Hempstead	8:17a 8:32p	9:18a 9:29p
Huntington	7:48a 8:06p	8:52a 9:06p
Jones Inlet	3:28a 3:57p	4:30a 4:55p
Montauk Point	5:24a 6:02p	6:20a 6:52p
Port Washington	8:26a 8:42p	9:27a 9:39p
Sandy Hook	3:48a 4:17p	4:50a 5:15p
Regional cities	TODAY	TOMORROW
Albany	78/64/pc	76/59/t
Danbury	74/65/sh	78/57/t
Glens Falls	79/61/s	74/57/t
Gr Barrington	74/62/pc	77/54/t
Kingston	78/63/pc	80/59/t
Liberty	74/60/pc	73/55/t
Monticello	74/62/sh	75/54/t
Newburgh	77/64/sh	79/60/t
Poughkeepsie	76/65/pc	78/56/t
Saratoga Springs	78/62/s	77/56/t
Stroudsburg	76/62/sh	79/56/t
Torrington	74/62/sh	76/58/t
Syracuse	84/65/pc	77/60/t
World cities	TODAY	TOMORROW
Athens	93/74/s	96/81/s
Baghdad	112/83/pc	113/91/pc
Beijing	90/75/t	92/77/pc
Berlin	69/53/sh	66/50/sh
Cairo	94/75/pc	95/76/pc
Dublin	65/46/c	65/49/c
Geneva	74/54/pc	78/57/r
Hong Kong	89/83/r	90/83/t
Jerusalem	87/71/s	87/69/s
Kabul	89/64/pc	87/64/pc
London	72/52/s	76/56/s
Madrid	92/67/s	92/66/s
Mexico City	73/57/sh	71/58/sh
Montreal	81/63/pc	75/61/t
Moscow	72/61/sh	75/54/s
Paris	75/55/sh	75/56/pc
Rio de Janeiro	74/66/s	74/67/pc
Rome	89/68/s	90/67/s
Sydney	72/53/s	67/53/pc
Tokyo	89/75/sh	88/75/sh

---

Top cop: We'll halt Jew hate

Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch promised that Jewish institutions across the Big Apple will "not be left to protect themselves" against rising antisemitism — as she delivered remarks at Central Synagogue Friday — one week after the violent, hate-filled attack targeting the place of worship.

Tisch, who grew up attending the synagogue at Lexington Avenue and East 55th Street, vowed continued police support and action for Jewish New Yorkers, many of whom witnessed Larry Montes, 46, unleash a horrific, antisemitic assault during Shabbat last week.

"What happened here is unacceptable anywhere in this city. No New Yorker should be assaulted or threatened because of who they are or how they worship," Tisch told the packed congregation.

"A hate crime such as this is a message written in violence," the commissioner said.

"The physical wound is inflicted upon one person, but the fear is intended for an entire community," she added.

"It is meant to tell everyone who shares the victim's identity that they do not belong, that they are vulnerable, that they should be afraid."

Joe Marino and Ella Morrison

'Outrageous' death plunge

An American tourist fell to her death from the 18th floor of a five-star Cancun hotel as her husband told staffers afterward that his wife had done something "outrageous."

The woman, who has not been identified, plunged 150 feet in the fall that happened at the adults-only, all-inclusive Breathless Cancun Soul Resort & Spa late Thursday night, Mexican outlet Sipse reported.

The woman was pronounced dead at the scene by emergency services that rushed to the scene.

The tourist's husband rushed to inform security guards that his wife had done something "outrageous" moments after the fall, according to local media.

An investigation into the woman's death is ongoing and her husband will be questioned by the authorities over the deadly incident. Chris Bradford

Love that Priyanka

Priyanka Chopra Jonas radiates sartorial elegance in a ruffled A.W.A.K.E. Mode creation at the gala Manhattan premiere of the romance flick "The Cycle of Love," which she executive-produces.

Rx 'PUTS IN THE WORK' 'Mimicking' exercise

By McKENZIE BEARD

Gym haters, rejoice — the workout of the future may come in pill form.

Biotech company Enveda announced this week that its experimental drug, designed to curb appetite and mimic some effects of physical activity, delivered encouraging results in its first clinical trial.

"ENV-308 is our attempt to put the chemistry of exercise into a daily tablet," said Viswa Colluru, the startup's founder and CEO.

The pill mimics a molecule called lactate phenylalanine, or Lac-Phe, which scientists at Stanford discovered in 2022.

The body produces it naturally when lactate — a chemical released by muscles during vigorous exercise — combines with the amino acid phenylalanine.

Once it enters the bloodstream, Lac-Phe sends a signal to the brain to dial down the drive to eat.

Studies in animals have also found that it can suppress appetite and reduce obesity.

There's just one catch: Lac-Phe breaks down quickly, so it doesn't stay in the bloodstream long enough to keep the urge to eat at bay throughout the day and promote lasting weight loss.

That's where ENV-308 comes in. Enveda's pill aims to harness Lac-Phe's benefits in a daily oral tablet, potentially making them last longer. Like a GLP-1, ENV-308 would curb the urge to eat.

But at least in testing it's shown fewer side effects, and it preserves lean muscle mass. Theoretically, the pill would ensure people lose fat but not strength.

"There is now compelling data in preclinical models indicating that Lac-Phe is involved in regulating several aspects of metabolic, brain, and inflammatory health," said Dr. Jonathan Long, a leading researcher in exercise metabolism and advisor to Enveda. "The possibility that ENV-308 may mimic these effects in a daily oral tablet in humans is an extremely exciting potential scientific breakthrough."

Metabolic markers

In the next round of trials, researchers will look at whether ENV-308 can actually affect body weight and composition, as well as leptin biology and other markers of metabolic health. They'll also study how the drug interacts with GLP-1 medications.

The company also plans to study whether ENV-308 could help treat other conditions where exercise may be beneficial, including migraines, inflammatory bowel disease and polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome, formerly known as polycystic ovary syndrome.

ENV-308 is still in the early stages of development, and it will take years to determine whether it works and is safe for long-term use.

19

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By BEN COST

Once more into the breaches, New Yorkers need not be alarmed by the sight of squadrons of Redcoats pouring out of the subway at Brooklyn's Grand Army Plaza on Saturday morning — this isn't the second coming of the Revolutionary War, and the British aren't back.

No, these period costume-flaunting fighters are merely here to party — like it's 1776. The occasion? The 250th anniversary of the Battle of Brooklyn — known as the largest skirmish by troop deployment during our nascent nation's struggle for independence.

These raring-to-go reenactors aren't professionals, either — they're doctors, accountants, and other working stiffs 'who happen to have an ardent love of history,' said Kim Maier, an organizer of the event, which will kick off in Prospect Park at 10 a.m. and continue until the British win (the fight, not the war), around 12.

For the first large-scale reenactment of the battle since 2001, roughly 400 soldiers will assemble on Long Meadow, joined by thousands of spectators.

The action will then proceed down Third Street, through Park Slope, to the Old Stone House, where the real conflict culminated on Aug. 27, 1776, explained Maier, executive director of that historic site just off of busy Fourth Avenue.

The first military conflict after the Declaration of Independence, the Battle of Brooklyn saw 20,000 British troops and Hessian mercenaries rout roughly 10,000 Continental soldiers led by George Washington — who ultimately led his army across the East River, avoiding total destruction.

'Silly little notion'

'This is literally the Empire strikes back,' home team reenactor Justin Costantino told the Post of the legendary skirmish. 'They send the entire British army to invade and conquer the city of New York, capture and kill George Washington and put this silly little notion of the United States of America at last to rest.'

'It's also the closest the country ever came to not existing.'

Costantino is an adjutant of the Long Island Companies of the Third New York regiment of 1775 and a Ph.D. candidate in history who studied the storied era at SUNY Stony Brook.

For him, reenacting isn't mere Continental cosplay — it's a second career.

The self-described 'historical interpreter' participates in 20-25 events a year — and told The Post that his 'passion has crept in' as a 'full-on part-time job.'

'It's like, 'Hey, you want to go watch the Knicks game?' ' said the New Hyde Park resident.

Reenactors return for 1776 row

BONUS B'KLYN BATTLE

NY HISTORY: Justin Costantino (right) makes a second career of reenacting history — including the 250th anniversary of the Battle of Brooklyn on Saturday. (And don't fire till you see the whites of their eyes!)

'It's like, 'Nah, I got a brigade meeting.' 'Are you getting paid for this?' It's like, 'No.'

His devotion to his reproduction firearm alone would make the soldiers of 'Full Metal Jacket' blush.

'When I describe my Charleville 66 to people, I tell them I have neither pets nor children . . . my musket is the joy of my life,' he declared.

But zeal alone won't be enough to replicate a clash of this scale in 2026 with a fraction of the people.

Just ask Ben Theis, a 25-year reenactment veteran who will be

fighting for the Crown — sorry, not sorry.

Founder

He leads the Grenadier Company of the Brigade of Guards 1776-83, a New Jersey-based British Revolutionary War reenactment unit he founded several years back.

'We can never truly recreate a hundred percent of what it was then,' Theis, a security industry marketing professional who helped plan Saturday's revolutionary reboot, told The Post. 'There were thousands of men

on the field that day.'

To make matters more difficult, participants hail from rag-tag volunteer units around the country, each supplying their own uniforms and equipment.

Serious quality control is required. That's where umbrella organizations such as the British Brigade and the Brigade Of The American Revolution (BAR) step in, establishing authenticity standards — the latter holds annual schools featuring experts from various fields of 18th-century study.

Individual units also do their part to prevent themselves from

resembling a Rev War version of a Renaissance Fair.

'When you go to Party City and you get the Jack Sparrow costume and you decide to hang out with us with a plastic musket or something like that, we're going to be like 'You can't sit with us,' laughed Costantino, who will bravely don an authentic wool coat Saturday — despite the late August heat and humidity.

Not cheap

And don't call it a 'costume' in front of the varsity LARPer — who politely but firmly informed a reporter that this was, indeed, a 'uniform.'

Realism comes at a steep price, too — authentic regalia, complete with all the trimmings and a bona fide 1700s musket, will run enthusiasts between $2,000 and $4,000 online.

'You can finance a Mercedes or become a Revolutionary War reenactor,' quipped Costantino, adding they help recruits curb costs by letting them borrow 'hand-me-down' uniforms and other articles from the regiment.

Theis told The Post he's actually gone as far as making gear from scratch, becoming proficient in leather-working. His wife sews many of the uniforms herself, including her husband's.

The method reenactor even fashioned traditional bearskin caps worn by the British Grenadiers using pelts that are sourced from 'ethically harvested bears.'

They'd set participants back $2,000 otherwise.

Looking the part is only half the battle. These colonial cover bands must master the drills, movements and weapons-handling of an 18th-century soldier — while wielding reproduction firearms with real gunpowder, albeit sans the projectile.

Costantino says that a typical commemoration draws about half a dozen or so reenactors, but America's 250th birthday has transformed the small-scale celebration into a 'once in a lifetime' historical tribute.

'We wouldn't be able to get the guys from Illinois and Virginia to come in if it was, 'Oh, come celebrate the 248th,' he said.

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22

Slams LI lefty at GOP gala

STARS & STRIPES: The Friday campaign stop featured congressional candidate Jeanine Driscoll (in green) — and moving right, gov hopeful Bruce Blakeman, House Speaker Mike Johnson and GOP congressional hopeful Mike LiPetri — running against Dem incumbent Tom Suozzi (bottom).

Speaker's remark

By ALEX MITCHELL and HALEY BROWN

Speaker Mike Johnson headed east Friday to headline a lively campaign stop for Republican congressional hopeful Mike LiPetri — and slammed incumbent Rep. Tom Suozzi as part of the "Marxist crazy left Democrats" trying to take over the House.

The daytime event at the festive Embassy Diner also drew Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, the Republican candidate for governor — but former Yankees star Mark Teixeira, who had been billed for the event, was a no-show.

LiPetri boasted that his campaign has "momentum" as he seeks to unseat Suozzi in CD 3, spanning parts of Nassau and Suffolk counties and Queens.

"The momentum is with us. The winds are behind us and ready to push us forward to win this seat come November 3," LiPetri told The Post. "You're seeing socialism poison the Democratic Party. And what's even more frightening is Democrats like my opponent, who

will do exactly what they say and say nothing to stand up to them."

Johnson during his speech repeatedly linked Suozzi to what he called a growing "communist" takeover of the Democratic Party — as waiters brought out lobster-laden trays for attendees at the packed, family-oriented booster.

'Communists'

"The Democrat party is being overtaken by communists," Johnson said. "There is a Marxist element you see happening in New York as clearly as anywhere else."

Johnson criticized Suozzi over his support of allowing transgender athletes in women's sports and raising the state and local tax (SALT) deduction cap and for calling on a ban on congressional stock trading. He argued that Republicans must defend their House majority, warning that Democrats would undo GOP accomplishments if they retake the chamber.

"New York is at the center of this strategy," Johnson said. "We have

to hold the majority because the stakes are so high. This is a contrast election."

LiPetri narrowly lost to Suozzi in 2024, failing by about 3 points.

Johnson said Republicans have a slight fundraising advantage over Democrats for the first time in a decade, though he acknowledged the party faces difficult historical odds in a blue state during a mid-term election.

Trump and Vice President JD Vance have also made stops on Long Island this summer to boost LiPetri's campaign.

Blakeman used his remarks Friday to attack his opponent Gov. Hochul and New York City Mayor Mamdani, calling them "comrades" and accusing them of promoting dangerous policies.

"We are living in the most overtaxed state in America," Blakeman railed. "And now she has a new buddy, Zohran Mamdani, and now we call her Comrade Kathy. She endorsed him. He endorsed her."

"The Speaker's right," Blakeman went on, "These people are dangerous. They're dangerous people.

They're antisemitic. They're anti-Christian. They're anti-American."

"Johnson and LiPetri would simply be rubber stamps in Washington, backing the president's irresponsible tariffs and reckless war in Iran that are driving up the cost of gas, groceries and housing," Suozzi campaign spokesperson Kim Devlin said.

"He's making crystal clear once again that he's fully on board with Washington Republicans' harmful MAGA agenda, by campaigning today with House Speaker Mike Johnson," a Hochul rep said.

MEKYLA LI "Violated" pageant rules.

Grand USA title stripped

Miss Grand USA Mekyla Li was stripped of her title just one week after she was crowned amid revelations of an alleged 2024 hit-and-run and a previous marriage.

Li's short-lived reign was terminated, and she was released from the "Miss Grand USA Title and all associated duties" for violating the pageant's rules, the organization announced Wednesday.

"This decision was made in accordance with contractual policies outlined by the Miss Grand USA organization," Miss Grand USA officials said in a statement.

Li, 27, is facing two felony charges stemming from an alleged hit-and-run in Los Angeles in November 2024, according to court records obtained by People on Thursday.

Li was married to Danny Ray Bedwell from Aug. 9, 2018 to Dec. 31, 2019 — a status that appears to conflict with Miss Grand International's eligibility rules, records also showed.

Adam Silverstein

Student admits to killing baby

Former University of Kentucky cheerleader Laken Snelling pleaded guilty to manslaughter charges for killing her newborn son whose lifeless body was found stuffed in a trash bag.

After initially pleading not guilty to first-degree manslaughter in April, an emotional Snelling finally admitted to "ending" her baby's life in a Kentucky courtroom Friday morning. Snelling, 22, also pleaded guilty to concealing the birth of an infant.

She is set to be sentenced on Oct. 16. Chris Nesi

Shell of a move: Hypoallergenic peanuts

Navigating a world with peanut allergies can be ... well, nuts. Even if you're not the one who's allergic. More than 6 million Americans have a food allergy, and peanuts are the third-most common allergen. And it doesn't just im-

pact those who can't eat it: Because reactions can be deadly, peanut-free policies and other restrictions are common in places like schools and restaurants. But a Minnesota-based startup is developing a new "hypoallergenic" peanut

that could bring the salty snack back to hospitals, planes, cafeterias and restaurants without causing allergic reactions. Nurtured Nuts CEO Bryant Williams sought to remove three of the clinically relevant proteins found in

peanuts — RH2, RH6 and RH7 — that can cause a severe allergic reaction by modifying peanut DNA using CRISPR. The result is a peanut that is hypoallergenic, not allergen-free. That means the nut isn't meant to be eaten

by people with severe peanut allergies, but rather that it could be consumed in communal spaces without posing the same risk to people with severe allergies. Nurtured Nuts currently has a clinical study underway. Karen Fischer

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GOP gays nix 'trans'

The Log Cabin Republicans announced Friday they will no longer advocate for transgender issues — declaring itself to be an 'LGB' organization.

The influential group — the nation's largest GOP organization dedicated to representing lesbian, gay and bisexual conservatives and allies — voted to scrap the 'T,' after more than a decade of support for transgender issues.

They did so over the trans rights movement's 'focus on minors,' the head of the Log Cabin Republicans said.

'At the time, we did not believe that we would find ourselves where we are today,' Ross Hemminger, president of the Log Cabin Republicans, wrote in an op-ed for Townhall, announcing the mission shift.

'The transgender movement has ceased focusing on adults at all — nearly all of their efforts and those of their aligned special interest groups focus on minors,' Hemminger said of what's taken place since the 2015 decision to champion transgender issues.

Hemminger said the 'new era of gender identity politics is not the movement we supported and fought for,' and he blamed it for waning public interest in backing gay and lesbian issues. Victor Nava

Mom rap in boat death

A New Jersey mother has been charged with killing her son by drunkenly crashing her boat at the Jersey Shore.

Jennifer Pearson, 59, smashed her 23-foot center console boat into a channel marker in Long Beach around 5:45 p.m. on Memorial Day, sending her son, Gunnar Pearson, 28, and his girlfriend flying into the water, according to charging documents obtained by NJ101.5.

Gunnar and his girlfriend were rushed in critical condition to a local hospital, where he later died from his injuries. Four others onboard were hospitalized with minor injuries.

Patrick Reilly

BOT-CHED BACKLAST

LYDIA MOYNIHAN

ON any given August night in the Hamptons, a wealthy Hollywood star is having dinner with a billionaire. It is one of the least surprising events of the summer social calendar.

But when reports surfaced this week that Gwyneth Paltrow was doing just that, the online mobs were quick to call for her well-coiffed head.

After Puck reported Paltrow was set to host a private, off-the-record dinner 'in honor of' OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, the Goop founder was widely condemned. Activist online comedian Matt Bernstein even accused her of 'technofascism.'

Paltrow (left) is no stranger to provocations and controversies, whether she's peddling vagina-scented candles or vibrator necklaces. But she's also been widely celebrated and embraced for building a thriving business in Goop, normalizing conversations around menopause and destigmatizing sexual taboos.

Evidently though, for many of her fans and followers, embracing one of the most consequential technologies in the history of the world crosses a line. Stick to selling pricey sex toys and organic teriyaki bowls and leave that stuff to Silicon Valley.

Paltrow is not the first prominent woman to face anger simply for associating with the technology.

Reese Witherspoon has made a career out of telling women's stories. With her highly influential book club, she's championed unknown authors, and she built Hello Sunshine into a $900 million company.

But, she took her support of us gals too far this past April when she publicly urged women to learn how to use AI so they would not be left behind.

In an Instagram post, she dared to note that 'the jobs women hold are 3x

more likely to be automated by AI, yet women are using AI at a rate 25% lower than men on average.'

The backlash was swift. Prominent author and supposed feminist Roxanne Gay said, 'Oh Reese. Absolutely not.' Others accused her of shilling for AI companies. There was such a pile-on that Witherspoon had to issue a statement.

'No one is paying me to talk about this. I'm just a curious human,' she wrote. 'I don't believe computers should replace humanity. I'm planning on learning as much as possible so that I'm educated about this technological revolution. If you want to learn with me, great, let's do this! If you don't, that's OK too.'

Meanwhile, male celebs have embraced AI without such backlash — despite some hefty paydays. Matthew McConaughey invested in the AI voice company ElevenLabs and licensed his own voice, while Ben Affleck founded an AI filmmaking startup, InterPositive, and sold it to Netflix for $587 million. Most of their fans don't seem to mind.

Maybe part of the anger at Paltrow is due to the fact she's dared to buck Hollywood's progressive orthodoxy.

The backlash to her and Witherspoon proves women need more friendly ways into the AI conversation — not harsh judgement.

There are plenty of reasons to be skeptical of AI companies but calling someone a fascist for hosting a dinner, treating any association with OpenAI as a crime and latching onto headlines like 'I'd Rather Risk Cancer Than See AI Move This Fast' is ridiculous. Hating on this technology doesn't help anyone and it isn't empowering.

We celebrate women like Paltrow and Witherspoon for building businesses and telling women's stories but then are outraged that they're trying to understand the changing economy and a new technology. Maybe the real fascism is imposing a purity test on the women adopting it.

Push against biz gal Gwyn's AI bash is hypocritical

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24

'Killing' kids 'a favor'

Top shrink: Clancy 'clearly psychotic'

By PRISCILLA DeGREGORY

Lindsay Clancy believed she was doing her three young children "a favor" by killing them, a prominent forensic psychiatrist told the jury Friday — before the defense rested in the heartbreaking case.

Dr. Phillip Resnick — who testified in the high-profile Andrea Yates infanticide case — said the Duxbury, Mass., mom had a distorted belief that if she killed herself, the lives of little Cora, Dawson and Callan would be so awful without her that she needed to kill them too.

"In her mind, she believed she would be doing her children a favor by having them go to heaven with her rather than remain on Earth without her doing the mothering," Resnick testified. "Her mind was distorted like that."

Clancy, now 36, "believed her children would be miserable. And she couldn't imagine them continuing to exist and have a decent life without her being there as a mother," the psychiatrist told jurors.

'Psychotic filicide'

"So in that sense, she did what she believed was morally right, even though she understood that ordinarily killing a child is against the law, she believed that she was doing what was right for her children with her distorted psychotic symptoms and her children's need for her."

Resnick explained that out of the five categories people usually fall into when they kill their kids, the mom only matched up with two: altruistic filicide and

acutely psychotic filicide.

But Clancy, a former labor and delivery nurse, "was clearly psychotic on that day," Resnick said of Jan. 24, 2023 — when she strangled her children with exercise bands before slitting her wrists and neck and throwing herself from a second-story window at her home.

'Command voice'

Resnick testified that Clancy heard a "command voice" that forced her to carry out the heinous acts.

"She had what is known as a 'delusion of influence,'" Resnick said. "Not only did she hear a command, but she felt her body was taken over by an external force where she was in a dream state and did not have control of her own body."

"It was almost like she was a puppet and someone else was pulling the strings," the psychiatrist claimed.

Resnick testified that Clancy had bipolar disorder and severe depression brought on by postpartum and said he didn't think she was aware that what she was doing was wrong and wasn't able to follow the law.

The psychiatrist has worked on a slew of infamous American court cases, including serial-killer Jeffrey Dahmer and "Unabomber" Ted Kaczynski.

Resnick also testified for the defense at the first and second trials in 2002 and 2006 for Andrea Yates — a mom who drowned her five

kids and was found not guilty by reason of insanity.

Clancy's lawyer, Kevin Reddington, wants his client to be found not guilty by reason of insanity — on grounds she was experiencing severe postpartum psychosis.

Reddington rested the defense case when Resnick wrapped up. The defense called 10 witnesses total, including Clancy's mother and sister, her friends and several doctors.

Prosecutors began their rebuttal case after calling their own forensic psychiatrist, Dr. Avram Mack, who claimed Clancy went through a major depressive episode leading up to the murders.

Mack — who met with Clancy in April — denied that Clancy had psychosis or bipolar disorder.

Pardon att'y now on elex

WASHINGTON — President Trump announced Friday afternoon that US Pardon Attorney Ed Martin will leave the administration to take on a new outside legal role focused on the midterm and 2028 elections.

Martin, 56, spent an hour with Trump at the White House Friday discussing the status of various projects and reminiscing about their mutual fondness for the late conservative activist Phyllis Schlafly, a source told The Post.

In addition to his role as pardon attorney, Martin briefly served as acting DC US attorney last year and led the Justice Department's Weaponization Working Group.

Martin had a complicated relationship with new Attorney General Todd Blanche, though both men say they admire and respect each other despite their differences.

That dynamic was not believed to have prompted Martin's departure.

A DOJ source said Blanche and Martin had a "robust relationship" and added that Blanche once addressed it in a meeting with the colorful quip: "Ed and I have had our differences, but we always have great makeup sex."

Martin told colleagues he planned to leave this year after establishing a process for felons to apply to regain gun rights. The Justice Department unveiled that application process on Monday.

As pardon attorney, Martin administered Trump's mass clemency for Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol rioters.

Alice Johnson, whom Trump freed from prison during his first term, remains in place as White House pardon czar. Steven Nelson

Sad end for conjoined girls

Twin 2-year-old sisters born joined at the head in Brazil died minutes after enduring a fifth grueling surgery to separate them, according to a report.

Little Heloísa and Helena Batista da Silva — who shared brain tissue and blood vessels — suffered insufficient blood flow to

their organs along with a heart attack in Ribeirão Preto last Saturday, the UK Sun reported.

The adorable sisters had just been separated at the end of a 15-hour operation, when their conditions took a turn, according to the outlet. One of the twins quickly developed low blood pres-

sure while the other suffered high blood pressure.

Helena was then reportedly struck by a heart attack at 11:12 p.m., and Heloísa then had one 11:26 p.m.

The medical team tried to resuscitate them for 25 minutes — but the girls were pronounced dead shortly after. Natalie O'Neill

Salesman a prince, really!

A car salesman has become a Belgian prince at 26 — after the king's brother finally recognized him as his secret out-of-wedlock son.

Clément Vandenkerckhove was legally recognized by 63-year-old Prince Laurent — the younger brother of King Philippe — as his son and heir at a quiet

town hall ceremony about six months ago, with details only now emerging, the Telegraph reported on Wednesday.

The new prince now has equal inheritance rights to Laurent's private estate with his half-sister Princess Louise, 20, and half-brothers Prince Nicolas, 20, and

Prince Aymeric, 19.

But despite Vandenkerckhove's new title, he won't receive a royal allowance, take on official duties or gain any rights to the Belgian throne.

Vandenkerckhove has not decided whether to take Laurent's Saxe-Coburg family name. Adam Silverstein

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POSTOPINION

FAST TAKES

Try Not To Rape

Britain's pathetic plea to its new migrants

SOMETHING extraordinary happened in Britain this week: Our leftist government acknowledged a truth it has long denied.

Our leaders admitted they are importing men who are so backward, so misogynistic and so out-of-whack with Western values that they don't understand that rape is wrong. The woke fools who run this country conceded, after years of denial, that President Trump and the rest of the supposedly 'racist right' were correct all along; Europe is being overrun by brutish men from afar who think they can do whatever the hell they want to women.

Of course, the Home Office didn't say so outright. The bureaucrats didn't proclaim: 'We have endangered you, ladies, by flooding your towns with sexist thugs from overseas.' That would require a level of honesty and decency our ruling class simply does not possess.

But they let it slip, quietly conceding that they've thrown our once-civilized nation open to men so regressive that they don't even know it's evil and disgusting to force yourself upon a woman. The sniveling admission came in a series of leaflets drawn up by the government for the benefit of so-called 'asylum seekers.'

Reading them genuinely made me nauseous. One says: 'In the UK, both people must say 'yes' to sex.'

'If you have sex with someone who does not want to,' it continues, 'this is called rape . . . a serious crime.' Will I be called 'racist' if I say I don't want men in my country who don't know that forced sex is criminal and vile?

Another leaflet informs new arrivals to our country, 'Child abuse is a serious crime in the UK.' It tells illegal immigrants they must not have 'sexual contact with a child under 16' and it's a crime to 'physically hurt a child' or 'cut or harm a girl's genitals.'

I don't feel reassured by these leaflets, but horrified. I am sickened that anyone coming into my country can be so at odds with our values that they must be told not to rape kids or mutilate girls.

And I am disgusted that my

APF via Getty Images

All aboard: Migrants — almost all of them young men — rush across a French beach toward a rubber boat that will sneak them into the UK.

government knows this. It is fully aware that morally stunted foreigners are storming our green and pleasant land — so much so that it's producing leaflets essentially begging them: 'Please don't rape our women.'

Other leaflets inform illegals that you should not 'make sexual comments to strangers' and must not hit, push or use 'any physical violence' against your wife.

Let me speak frankly: If you don't know rape is wrong, I don't want you in my country. If you don't know it's evil to sexually assault an infant, I want you out of Britain.

Go ahead and slander me as 'racist.' Right now, in this insane political moment, the safety of my female loved ones matters far more to me than my supposed moral standing.

The British government — slyly, dishonestly — now admits that it has recklessly put this country's women at grave risk. And its pathetic 'solution' is not to properly police the borders, but to hand out leaflets.

The notion that a piece of paper could keep women safe is insane. The illegal immigrants who bother to read these advisories will laugh and throw them in the trash. What we need is armed border guards to keep illegal immigrants away — not paper pleas for foreigners to keep their hands off our women and kids.

It's hard to describe how furious Brits are over these demented leaflets. My WhatsApp groups have been buzzing with rage. Pals and family members are horror-struck beyond belief that we've descended to the point at which the government has to beg illegal migrants not to fiddle with kids or beat women.

What's infuriating is that those of us who've been raising concerns about the influx of men from regressive cultures have been tarred as 'far right' reactionaries. We've been smeared as Islamophobes, too, because let's be honest — most of these men are coming from Muslim lands where women are treated as cattle and prepubescent girls are married off.

Trump has been rabidly demonized by the woke for saying Europe is being 'ruined' by out-of-control immigration. The BBC and other turbo-smug institutions whispered 'Nazi' when his administration's National Security Strategy declared that Europe faces 'civilizational erasure.'

But Trump was correct. These 'rape is bad' booklets prove it.

We have imported men who hate women, hate gays, hate Jews. Such irrational bigotry is violently at odds with Western civilization. We don't want it.

And it's not 'far right' to say so — it's just right.

Brendan O'Neill is chief political writer for the British online magazine spiked.

Eye on '28: Yes, AOC Is a Real Threat

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez 'boasts three indispensable factors for a successful presidential race: national name recognition, the capacity to raise tens or hundreds of millions of dollars, and insatiable media interest,' observes Mark Halperin at The Free Press. She 'understands that modern politics is part ideology, part organization, and part show business, and she does not pretend to be offended by the performative superficialities of the profession.' And if she's 'the dominant progressive candidate' in the primaries, she could keep 'accumulating delegates while her establishment rivals carve each other up.' So 'the question increasingly is not whether she will run. It is what happens to the rest of the Democratic field if she does.'

Midterms beat: Trump's Stump Struggles on Iran

With the Iran war in 'stalemate and midterm elections less than three months away, Trump is asking voters for time,' argues the Washington Examiner's Byron York. Witness his recent long ad lib at his Garden City rally on public safety, where he digressed to confess he'd used the military 'a little bit more than I wanted to, frankly' to stop Iran from going nuclear, then latter suggested, 'You have to pay a little bit more' as an unfortunate result. Argh: 'Talk to any Republican strategist handling midterm races, and he will tell you that GOP voters' biggest concern about the war is the fact that it has resulted in higher gas prices.' The speech 'showed Trump struggling with the war,' as he likely will, until he 'can figure out a way to extricate himself from the mess in Iran.'

Libertarian: Our Dumb Anti-Data Center Fight

'It's a tough time to be a data center,' quips Reason's Robby Soave. They're essential to our future, but the rise in opposition 'is rapid and sudden.' But: 'Why are people so furious about buildings?' Well, they're 'falling for popular but incorrect talking points about how data centers are gobbling up resources.' Supporters 'need to do a better job explaining to the public that they create huge amounts of value, for the country overall as well as the communities where they're built,' like noting that 'they generate so much money for Loudoun County, Virginia, for example, that the local government was able to cut everybody else's property taxes.'

Conservative: Arday the Martyr?

Jason Arday

The left's rush to blame the 'racism' of the 'mainstream media' for the alleged 'lynching' of 'disgraced Cambridge professor' Jason Arday is a 'blood-curdling, inflammatory lie' with 'showtrial' overtones, thunders Spiked's Tom Slater. The 'attempt to turn Arday into a saintly victim of a racist press' serves 'as a platform on which to pursue pre-existing political agendas,' including the 'rotten, racist ideology of DEL' Yes, mourn Arday's suicide, but 'the truth matters': He was not 'martyred by a vicious media,' but 'credibly accused of falsifying data' and passing off other people's words as his own. Had Cambridge 'refused to participate in the fantasy land' of Arday's hagi-

hagiography, 'he might never have become the story of this long, hot summer.'

Humanities watch: Mellon's Narrow Agenda

Philip Brian Harper, a top officer at the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, 'the country's largest private funder of the arts and humanities,' just addressed charges that Mellon has 'embraced a vision of progressive social justice' and funded 'advocacy groups designed to resist higher education reform.' But City Journal's John Sailer finds it not much of a defense: 'Harper makes clear that identity and demographics are central' to Mellon's project now. It's pretending that it 'funds scholarship on our collective understanding of the human experience' — yet every grant Harper cites as evidence 'deals with a demographic identity category,' meaning 'race, gender, sexuality, and perhaps disability status.' Indeed: Mellon-funded fellowships overwhelmingly 'focus on identity, racial groups, or trendy social-justice causes,' so 'any scholar applying' will see 'his best shot is to shoehorn his research into these categories' — if he can't, don't 'bother applying.' — Compiled by The Post Editorial Board

25

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26

NEW YORK POST

America's oldest continuously published daily newspaper

Pathetic 'Moderates'

Here's a grim sign of the times: Just 10 House Democrats so far have signed onto the moderate Democratic 'Promise to America' pledge, plus a few more House hopefuls.

The duo behind the pledges, Reps. Tom Suozzi (D-LI) and Adam Gray (D-Calif.), say that's OK because . . . well . . . 'We only want 10 members of Congress because we don't want to make it only about Washington,' Suozzi claims. 'That's why we're going out to the state and local officials.'

Sorry: A pledge to stand for 'capitalism, safety, fiscal responsibility, effective government, common purpose, and patriotism' can't even get a dozen Dem signers?

The not-at-all-moderates are doing fine on the local front: The Democratic Socialists of America now have mayors in New York and Seattle, with Washington, DC, next, and maybe Los Angeles, too.

From Pennsylvania's Chris Rabb to Colorado's Melat Kiros to New York's Darializa Avila Chevalier, socialists, antisemites and Third-World-brained conspiracy theorists are grabbing safe Democratic House seats.

And Massachusetts Senate hopeful Rep.

Seth Moulton, a would-be anti-extremist, has had to apologize for once saying he didn't want biological men in the locker room with his young daughters.

Consider, too, who Suozzi and Gray, trotted out for rhetorical support for their campaign: 1990s consultant James Carville, now retired to occasional talking-head spot jobs.

Fine, he bashed the DSA as 'not even Democrats,' griping of the Democratic Socialists, 'If you hate the Democratic Party so much, well, then don't use our goddamn name. Go think of your own name.'

But maybe the name is all he cares about: Back in April, Carville said that, when next Dems control Congress and the White House, 'On Day 1, they should make Puerto Rico and DC a state, and they should expand the Supreme Court to 13.' The only 'moderate' part was: 'Don't run on it, don't talk about it, just do it.'

Hmm: If centrists can't come up with a program more serious than talking about 'common purpose' and 'patriotism' even as they plan a radical power grab, Americans have to wonder if 'anti-DSA' Dems only disagree about campaign tactics.

Name All Albany's Thieves

Why did The New York Times just report on apparent petty theft by at least 130 state legislators — but only name one . . . who's already been voted out of office?

The paper offers great detail on how state Sen. Jessica Ramos looks to have double-billed for travel expenses — getting reimbursed for hotel bills and train tickets by both her campaign and the state, which covers elected work-related expenses.

Bad Jessica! If she did it, let her face the full consequences of the law. But what about all the other pols indulging in a scheme that seems not just widespread in Albany but practically universal?

Sure looks like a bid to make Ramos — now loathed by progressives after endorsing Andrew Cuomo for mayor and defeated in her last primary as a result — the sacrificial goat for epidemic corruption.

Albany's 'per diem' system — paying leg-

islators a fixed sum to cover their expenses for time in the capital on official business — was abused for decades, but reforms and a couple of hefty pay raises supposedly closed the biggest loopholes.

Hah! The Times points to (but, again, won't name) dozens of legislators still embezzling $300 here and $50 there.

It's penny-ante stuff, but the crew up in Albany is pretty low-rent. Just wait for what games we'll (eventually) learn they play with the taxpayer-funded campaign cash they recently awarded themselves.

Remember, these are mostly people who could never dream of making real money in the private economy, eager to grab every stray dollar they can while the going's good.

The Times can't bring the hammer down on one official enemy of the hard left while ignoring the evidence that the whole barrel of apples is rotten.

Mikie's Voting-List Stonewall

New Jersey just finally deleted the names of about 5,000 noncitizens whom the state put on the voter rolls even though they checked the 'not a citizen' box while applying for a driver's license or state ID — but it's still ducking the larger issue.

Gov. Mikie Sherrill blames a 'software error,' though the company that supplied the main software says it warned the state of the issue, and the Democrats who run Jersey apparently just shrugged.

Nor has she addressed the issue that simply skipping the part on the Motor Vehicle Commission form where noncitizens are asked to check a box seemingly led to thousands more illegal voter registrations, before and after that 'software error' got addressed.

Remember, she announced the 'error' only after the feds declared they had ID'd over 35,000 noncitizen registered voters in the Garden State. Those are numbers that make a difference in close elections.

Like California and other blue states, New Jersey sweeps as many potential voters onto the rolls as possible; any illegal voters put on the rolls then face a 'Don't ask, don't tell' rule: New Jersey won't check and you won't have to mention it. And now Sherrill is stonewalling the feds as they try to figure out how deep the rot goes.

Democracy can't work if people think everything's rigged; Mikie Sherrill needs to restore Garden Staters' confidence that their elections are clean.

letters@nypost.com

Mayor's Pied-à-Terre Tax Burdens Hard Workers

• The hearing concerning the pied-à-terre tax to be paid by homeowners was a farce ('Homeowners 'under attack,' Aug. 19).

Mayor Mamdani's administration did not show up and he was conveniently on vacation. This shows these homeowners he doesn't care about them. He only wants their money.

Letters were sent out and their names were put online for all to see, which one could say is an invasion of privacy. Maybe the federal government can look into investigating what seems like extortion of homeowners.

Even those who do not fit the pied-à-terre qualifications were sent a letter and now must provide information to prove they shouldn't have to pay extra taxes.

Joseph Comperchio Brooklyn

• Mamdani is making the rich climb Mt. Everest.

This wasn't what they had in mind after they worked their rear ends off all those years. They thought the outcome would be quite the opposite. Enter the tax-Jackal from Hell, who sits on his rear end and

THE ISSUE: New York City homeowners' legal battle against Mayor Mamdani's new pied-à-terre tax.

Mayor Mamdani

decides who he's going to rip off today.

'What's yours is mine,' he says with a sinister glee. 'New rules. You make it, I take it. Thank you.' So much for life in the land of the free.

Kevin Moriarty San Luis Obispo, Calif.

• I am friends with an elderly couple who own and occupy a single-family home in Staten Island, worth approximately $1 million.

Mamdani's pied-à-terre tax doesn't apply to them, but they were sent a letter along with possibly thousands of other

hardworking, tax-paying middle-class people.

Mayor Mamdani, it is time for your administration to be held accountable for its mailings and unfair taxes, which have burdened innocent people.

Jeff Cooperman Land O Lakes, Fla.

• Those who are subject to Mamdani's stupid tax should sue him. These homeowners pay property taxes and put little or no burden on the city's infrastructure, schools and public services. Aren't they already paying their fair share?

Raymond Fontana Westbrook, Conn.

• In order to stop this completely disgusting rip-off, all homeowners need to not pay their property taxes. Let them put a lien on your property. We will pay it later when this ridiculous attack is dismissed in the courts.

If we shut off the money supply for Mamdani's agenda, it's guaranteed this nonsense will stop.

Gene O'Brien Whitestone

Arguing Medicare for All

• Sally C. Pipes' column says Medicare for All would be a nightmare ('Socialist Scam,' Post-Opinion, Aug. 19).

As a physician, I recognize that health care for many Americans is already a nightmare; 40% of Americans have medical debt.

In other Western countries with some sort of universal health-care system, people live longer, healthier lives than we do. The idea that it costs more is wrong.

THE ISSUE: Democratic Socialists pushing Medicare for All as an alternative to private medical insurers.

We need some sort of regulation to ensure good health care at a reasonable price. We need Medicare for All. Marc Lavietes Bradley Beach, NJ

• The conditions of traditional Medicare are rapidly approaching those of the proposed Medicare for All, as supply does not seem to be keeping up with demand.

With practices owned by hospitals and private corporations, there is less incentive to accommodate beneficiaries in a timely fashion. I have to wait eight weeks for a referred MRI appointment and the same eight weeks for a dermatologist. It is starting to feel like the Canadian single-payer system. M.A. Fermaglich Tenafly, NJ

E-MAIL: letters@nypost.com or WRITE to The Editor, The New York Post, 1211 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10036. Include name, address and daytime phone number. No unverifiable letters will be published. The Post reserves the right to edit all letters.

The New York Post is published by N.Y.P. Holdings Inc., 1211 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10036. Lachlan Murdoch, Chair; Rupert Murdoch, Chairman Emeritus; Sean M. Giancola, Publisher; Keith Poole, Editor-in-Chief; Stephen Lynch, Print EIC; Mark Cunningham, Editorial Page Editor

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POSTOPINION

CREATORS.COM

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FLORIDA

GUIDE FOOD & PHARMACY

NEW YORK

BANANA REPUBLIC

ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW

I QUIT TO SPEAK TRUTH

REALLY wanted the column to run. I didn't think it would, but I felt obligated to try.

Last month, before the WNBA's Seattle Storm hosted the Indiana Fever, I spoke to people attending a rally in support of Sophie Cunningham outside Climate Pledge Arena. The Fever guard had recently taken a stand against biological males competing in women's and girls' sports, and a few dozen folks had shown up to express their gratitude.

One of them was 16-year-old Ahnaleigh Wilson, who'd lost to a biological male in a track and field race in eighth grade and was holding a sign reading "Thank You Sophie for Speaking up for Girls!" I didn't know if I was going to write something at that point, but after she allegedly got cussed out by a Storm co-owner during the game, I felt like I had to weigh in.

One thing Wilson emphasized to me at the rally was that she wasn't anti-trans. Another student-athlete named Frances Staudt — who said she's endured daily verbal abuse after refusing to play against a biological boy in a basketball game — echoed Wilson's sentiment.

So that was the thesis of my column — that supporting the separation of biological females and males doesn't automatically make you transphobic, so let's stop throwing those labels around.

I sent a draft after talking to my editor the morning of Friday, July 31, telling him there was no rush to run it. He told me later that day that he and others were looking at

it, but that it wouldn't be ready for Sunday's paper.

Monday night, I got an email saying that his boss was hoping to talk to the top two newsroom editors about it on Wednesday. No feedback had been given to me.

Thursday afternoon, my editor informed me that it wasn't going to run because I didn't tell him I was doing this in advance. I didn't buy this reasoning: If that were the case, the piece would have been killed on the spot, not passed through the hands of multiple editors over several days.

I resigned on the spot.

MATT CALKINS

That may come off as an emotional decision, but it was exactly what I was prepared to do. This, after all, was one of several columns of mine that had been spiked at The Seattle Times.

One was a piece questioning whether players for the US Women's Soccer Team were really the victims of discrimination in their equal-pay lawsuit. Another was a more general column on cancel culture in sports. The last, written shortly after George Floyd's death, implored people to listen to state-champion basketball coach Mike Bethea — a black man urging the public not to stereotype cops.

The common theme? All of these challenged prevailing newsroom narratives and likely would have triggered the outrage mob.

I've always thought that it was a columnist's duty to generate discussion on the most hot-button issues. To avoid such topics was to leave the reader shortchanged.

I guess in the end, I just didn't feel like I could do my job properly anymore.

Right now, I'm in the tenuous position defending my resignation without sounding like a malcontent. So let me say — I'm very grateful for the 11 years I had at The Seattle Times. The talent there is immense, and the editors let me have a lot of fun with other stories.

I also realize where the brass is coming from. The mob is frightening and does not forget. Lots of seemingly brave souls have submitted once activists got their hooks in them.

If I had more people depending on me, perhaps I'd act similarly. But I kept going back to Albus Dumbledore's line: "We must all face the choice between what is right and what is easy."

To be honest, I'm scared sh—less right now. I have no idea how the next few months or years are going to play out. But that fear beats the indignity of being muzzled.

The plan for now is to keep writing on Substack. Maybe that will spawn a new career, or maybe I'll be a dental assistant in two years. I genuinely don't know.

All that's certain is that I'm done holding back. The best things in life are free — speech being at the top of the list.

Matt Calkins writes on Substack at mattycee.substack.com.

Albany's Pot Pushers Come for Our Kids

THE Empire State is now in the business of spending your money to sell weed to teens. For proof, look no further than the Office of Cannabis Management's new campaign, "Cannabis Honestly."

The OCM runs New York's legal marijuana program, and this latest initiative went live in July. One of its ads, which I spotted on the R train this week, shows a dreamy-eyed teenager (or a model who looks like one) staring at her phone, along with the helpful tagline MIXING WEED AND ALCOHOL IS RISKIER.

It may as well be: STICK TO WEED, KID, AND YOU'LL BE FINE. Marijuana advertising aimed at anyone under 21 is illegal under state law; such ads are specifically banned from public transit. OCM sure seems like it's breaking the law.

An even worse subway ad features a photo of another teen and his apparent mom. This one proclaims CANNABIS IS LEGAL FOR ADULTS 21+ IN NEW YORK.

The inherent takeaway: You can't buy it yourself yet, so get your parents to cop some sour for you at the dispensary.

Imagine the state Liquor Authority running such an ad for vodka — or the Department of Taxation and Finance, which handles cigarette excise, doing one for Kools. Remember: These are taxpayer-funded ads from a state agency, normalizing weed use for literal kids.

But the "Cannabis Honestly" website, the focal point of the campaign, makes the ads themselves look almost benign. The section of the site aimed at parents contains such howlers as: "Store cannabis like you would other medications."

Yikes. Raw marijuana can never be

SAM MUNSON

and feel in the moment," the website explains soothingly. "It can even make anxiety or depression feel worse."

This gentle-parent pablum is how New York state speaks about a drug linked to a more than double risk of later-in-life psychotic disorders following adolescent use, per a massive JAMA Health Forum study.

A drug linked to a similar risk for bipolar disorders and elevated risks for depression and anxiety, according to that same study. A drug that decades of Danish data show may drive as much as 20% of psychosis among young men.

The state's website also — and insanely — advises "waiting to use cannabis" as one way teens could mediate the danger (though it does concede that "avoiding higher-

Imagine the state Liquor Authority running such an ad for vodka.

a medicine, no matter how many states declare it one by fiat.

It has no accepted medical use; it cannot be prescribed. Study after study shows it fails to treat conditions doctors "recommend" it for.

An April systematic review in The Lancet Psychiatry found "no evidence any form of cannabis is effective" for anxiety, depression or post-traumatic stress disorder.

In November, the Journal of the American Medical Association found that "evidence from randomized clinical trials does not support the use of cannabis or cannabinoids for most conditions for which it is promoted." Yet OCM's official messaging slyly frames it as a "medication" like any other.

The site advises parents to do "risk reduction coaching" with lines like, "I'd like to start with understanding what you enjoy about using weed." And "Avoid mixing with alcohol." And "Be aware of potency — stronger products increase risk."

Huh? Such comments flash a clear green light for teen drug use — increasing the risk that they'll go right ahead.

For kids, it's the same soft soap. "Weed can change how you think

THC products" altogether might be a good idea). It's essentially saying: "Just tough it out till you're 21, junior, then you're golden!"

Sure, the site mentions in passing risks like cannabis hyperemesis syndrome — uncontrollable vomiting caused by weed use. But consider the bright little disclaimer it offers about CHS in bold: "Not everyone who uses cannabis regularly will develop" the condition. So go ahead and roll the dice.

But the worst failure of "Cannabis Honestly" may be that it makes no real effort to meaningfully note the mountains of hard data showing specifically how weed destroys physical and mental health.

Drug-abuse prevention absolutely needs to start with kids. An effective campaign, however, requires messaging that communicates urgency without making teens too ashamed to reach out — not a soft focus on the risks and an implication that the drug can somehow ever be safe to use.

"Cannabis Honestly" is anything but. Instead, it's little more than a taxpayer-funded ad for corporate marijuana.

Sam Munson's most recent novel is "The Sofa" (2025).

27

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28

The Post Puzzle Page

SCRABBLE GRAMS

Hasbro and its logo, SCRABBLE®, associated logo, the design of the distinctive SCRABBLE brand game board, and the distinctive letter tile designs are trademarks of Hasbro in the United States and Canada. ©2026 Hasbro. All rights reserved. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

A1	E1	T1	C3	V4	S1	L1
I1	U1	H4	B3	S1	M3	T1
E1	E1	I1	S1	F4	N1	S1
O1	Y4	M3	P3	S1	T1	M3

PAR SCORE 145-155 BEST SCORE 234

FOUR RACK TOTAL TIME LIMIT: 20 MIN

TODAY'S ANSWER

SCRABBLE	GRAMS	SOLUTION
RACK 1	11
RACK 2	65
RACK 3	60
RACK 4	98
TOTAL	234

Directions: Make a 2 to 7 letter word from the letters in each row. Add points of each word using scoring directions at right. 7 letter words get 50 point bonus. "Blank" used as any letter have no point value. All the words are in the Official SCRABBLE players Dictionary, 4th Edition.

Bridge

South dealer N-S vulnerable

NORTH ▲ K J 10 5 4 2 ▼ K Q 9 8 ◇ 9 5 ▲ A

WEST ▲ Q 7 6 ▼ 2 ◇ K 7 3 2 ▲ K Q 8 5 2

EAST ▲ 3 ▼ 7 6 4 3 ◇ J 10 8 4 ▲ J 7 6 3

SOUTH ▲ A 9 8 ▼ A J 10 5 ◇ A Q 6 ▲ 10 9 4

South West 1 NT Pass 2 ▼ Pass

Opening lead - ▲ K

©2026 Tribune Content Agency, LLC

Among the "rules" of play, the most dangerous may be "eight ever, nine never," referring to the play of a suit missing the queen. (With an eight-card holding, finesse in one direction or the other; with nine cards, play the A-K.)

At today's six hearts, South takes the ace of clubs and cashes the A-Q of trumps. The 4-1 break is troublesome. If South draws all the trumps, he will have none left. Then if he misguesses in spades and loses to the queen, the defenders will cash some clubs.

So South must attack the spades next: He leads the ace and a low spade. When West follows low, South must play dummy's jack.

East ruffs, but South can win the diamond return, draw the missing trump and take the rest. He would also be safe if East had the queen of spades. But if South put up the king and East ruffed, South would fail.

The mathematical basis of "eight ever, nine never" is tenuous. Moreover, applying good technique is surely better than relying on nursery rhymes.

Word Force

DELICATE

From the word or phrase above, form AT LEAST 17 five-letter words, without using more than one form of the same word. For example, drink or drank (not both).

ANSWERS IN MONDAY'S POST Yesterday's word: CROCODILE

cider credo oiled coder cried older colic decor relic color dolor riled coed drool rodeo cored idler

Wonderword

How to play: All the words listed below appear in the puzzle—horizontally, vertically, diagonally, even backward. Find them and Circle their letters only. Do not circle the word. The leftover letters spell the Wonderword.

TURNING 60

Solution: 4 letters

E	C	V	A	C	A	T	I	O	N	O	S	S	E	L
J	T	H	S	E	N	T	I	M	E	N	T	A	L	Y
A	U	A	E	A	J	O	Y	F	U	L	T	F	I	G
N	G	B	R	R	C	D	R	P	O	C	S	I	D	R
N	N	B	I	B	I	E	N	H	P	E	A	C	E	E
I	I	M	I	L	E	S	T	O	N	E	S	R	V	N
V	S	M	S	D	E	L	H	T	M	S	A	I	D	E
E	S	E	O	P	M	E	E	O	E	A	R	N	T	S
R	E	M	R	L	E	G	A	C	Y	H	I	E	R	R
S	L	O	O	E	O	C	Y	T	P	A	D	A	E
A	B	R	N	R	P	U	I	E	Ⓒ	Ⓛ	Ⓜ	Ⓝ	Ⓞ	9
R	K	Y	O	U	S	E	D	A	C	E	D	O	E	O
Y	A	D	H	T	R	I	B	R	L	E	L	G	L	L
E	M	B	R	A	C	E	E	S	O	P	R	U	P	F
S	T	N	E	M	H	S	I	L	P	M	O	C	C	A

© 2026 Andrews McMeel Syndication www.wonderword.com Accomplishments, Adapt, Anniversary, Birthday, Blessing, Cards, Celebrate, Cherish, Decade, Diamond, Disco, Embrace, Energy, Flowers, Freedom, Gift, Golden, Honor, Joyful, Jubilee, Legacy, Lesson, Life, Love, Mature, Memory, Milestone, Peace, Photo, Poem, Purpose, Sentimental, Special, Success, Thrive, Travel, Vacation, Vibrant, Years Yesterday's Answer: Chimneys For WONDERWORD apps, books & more, visit Wonderword.com, or call 1-855-232-2367.

POST SU DOKU

To solve a Su Doku, you must put a number from 1 to 9, in each empty box.

Each number must appear once in each horizontal row, as well as in each vertical column and in each of the 3-by-3 grids. Impossible? Not once you get the hang of it. Tips and in depth strategies at

www.SudokuWiki.org

NYPOST.COM/GAMES

Solutions on Page 32

© Syndicated Puzzles

Very Easy #7,378

8				9
2		3	8			4
4			6	2	1
9	6			5	3
8		3			7	9
	4	6			5	1
	3	9	1			5
5		7	6			3
		8			4

5		9
2			3			9
6	4				2
	1	3	2		5
		9	5	7
6			4	1	7
7					9	5
1		4				7
			3			8

Quick Crossword

Across

1 Camera setting with a moon icon 10 Makes a run for it 15 Like rocks and minerals 16 "Farewell, mon amie" 17 Literary figure who rings a bell 18 Remote spots? 19 Finesse 20 Beach Soccer World Cup org. 21 Overly caffeinated 22 Nancy Drew chum 24 Lab infestation 26 "Foxy Brown" do 28 Middle set 31 Cousin with floor-length hair 32 Heads out 33 "Ugh, I'm so sorry!" 36 Some transformations 37 "I know, right?" 38 Mackey of "Ella McCay" 39 "Ceci n'est pas _ pipe" 40 Confidentiality doc 41 One bro to another? 42 Takes to heart 44 Some "Call the Midwife" figures 48 Exclaims 50 Crushed 53 Pause to catch up? 54 Essential fatty 55 Avoid having to hoof it 57 Things to avoid 58 Like some high-flying performers 59 Point of view 60 Jargon in a video game chat, maybe Dewn 1 Muslim face covering 2 Harden 3 Nannies and kids 4 Work wk. units 5 Work wk. conclusion 6 Term of affection para una chica 7 Switch positions 8 Celebrated, perhaps 9 Italian scholar Umberto 10 "On the _ of Sex": 2018 biopic

1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14
15									16
17									18
19								21
22			23			25		26			26		27
			28	29	30		31			32
						34
38									40
41				42				45		46		47
	48		49				50	51	52	53	54	55
57						58				59
59						58
60						60

11 Baking soda target 12 Chi 13 Cocktail party attire 14 Kinda sketch 21 Hydrate right after planting, as seedlings 23 Source of sinccos 25 Journalist Payne known as the "First Lady of the Black Press" 27 German "east" 29 Uncovered 30 Hall of Fame figures 32 First poet to perform at the Super Bowl 33 Comparatively large band 34 Theater section 35 Mascara applicator 36 Gathering that celebrates DC icons 37 "Love that!" 42 "Siddhartha" novelist 43 "We _ because we care": Monsters, Inc. motto 45 Bring together 46 "Russian Doll" protagonist

P E O A L E G A S P L U S A D O B O A U D I A U N T I D T A G S L L G S R I P A D Y E B O Y L L E S L A G E R N E W T O N S L A T T E C N E S O O R E S O R E A N A D T E A M S P D A T A S K E U S T E I E R Y I N T E R S O M I O L A W A N D O R G E R T A U I N O S O B I E T W A N G A C A I W O O L E A R T H O O M E N E T S O R E S S PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER (1) 2026 Tribune Media Services 47 Mote 49 Object of reverence 51 Spielberg quartet 52 Tends to a stain, maybe 54 De Armas of "Ballerina" 55 Actor Mineo 56 Knock

---

Dow Jones Indust. 517.80 Up 53,277.01 Avg.

Business

Nasdaq Comp. Up 113.29 26,180.46

BUSINESS BRIEFS

Rough week

The Dow surged more than 500 points, or 1%, on Friday, but the main indexes showed declines for the week, which was marked by investor jitters over fluctuating bond yields and a lack of clarity on progress in the Mid-east. Bitcoin rose 6% to over $77,000.

Apple layoffs

Apple is cutting jobs in its Siri, Vision Pro immersive video and gaming teams, Bloomberg reported. The layoffs affect more than 200 people.

Apollo hacked

Asset manager Apollo Global Management confirmed it suffered a data breach last month in which hackers stole some personal information. The firm was among dozens that were recently targeted by ransom-seeking hackers.

BJ's thriving

BJ's Wholesale Club raised its full-year profit outlook, as lower gas prices and deals on groceries drew more customers to its warehouses. Shares jumped more than 5%.

Vance boost

Shares of steelmaker Cleveland-Cliffs rose 5% after Vice President JD Vance visited a company factory in Middletown, Ohio, his hometown.

Sources: Reuters, Dow Jones, AP

Follow us on

CAN'T FRANCISCO

NYC now the tech-job leader, thanks to AI

By THOMAS BARRABI

New York City has surpassed San Francisco as the largest hub of tech talent in the country — and the rise of artificial intelligence is a key factor in the boom, according to new research.

The number of tech workers based in the New York metro area was 394,300 in 2025 — an increase of 30,640 jobs, or 8.4%, compared to three years ago, CBRE's research showed this week.

Meanwhile, the San Francisco Bay area had 375,730 workers last year — a decrease of 23,900 jobs, or 6%, compared to three years ago as Silicon Valley endured waves of layoffs.

"The story there is that there's been cuts in the Bay Area, so the tech industry has contracted the size of the tech talent workforce, and the finance sector [in New York] has hired a lot of tech talent and a lot of AI workers," Colin Yasukochi, executive director of CBRE's Tech Insights Center, told CNBC.

Grabbing office space

The shift marked the first time in the 13-year history of CBRE's "Scoring Tech Talent" report that New York's tech scene — known affectionately as "Silicon Alley" — has exceeded San Francisco's by headcount.

Most of the tech sector's biggest AI players, including OpenAI, Anthropic, Google and Meta, maintain significant office space in New York.

As The Post reported, Anthropic has leased an entire office building in Manhattan's Hudson Square and plans to double its local workforce to more than 1,000 employees by the end of this year.

Anthropic's main rival, OpenAI,

has leased 90,000 square feet of office space at the Puck Building in Soho. OpenAI also put out an economic report in June 2025 stating that New York City could "become a global capital of the Intelligence Age."

The Big Apple added more than 20,000 AI-related jobs since the middle of 2025, according to CBRE's data. So did San Francisco, in spite of its net loss of tech jobs over a three-year period.

Smaller cities like Philadelphia, Washington, DC, Atlanta, Chicago and Dallas-Fort Worth also posted large gains in their AI workforces.

"There's no denying that AI is re-

shaping the tech industry and job growth in general," Yasukochi added in a statement. "Growth of AI jobs in the U.S. far outpaced the broader tech-talent category, which expanded by 1.8% last year even as the tech industry cut some non-AI jobs."

San Francisco still outpaced New York in terms of CBRE's overall tech talent rankings, which are weighted based on various factors, including talent concentration and research and development investment, the firm said.

San Francisco ranked first in the overall rankings, followed by Seattle and Toronto. New York ranked fourth.

Overall, the number of "AI-skilled" tech workers in the US and Canada jumped 45% year-over-year to 751,000, according to CBRE.

"Data scientists led AI-related job growth in the US, alongside gains in computer and information systems managers and technology & engineering roles," the report said.

The influx of high-earning tech workers may be having an impact on rent costs in New York City, CBRE noted. The average monthly rent in Manhattan was $3,653 as of the fourth quarter of 2025 — up 8% compared to the same period three years earlier, and higher than any other market that CBRE tracked.

Mortgage-mart fear amid Fannie firings

Roughly a dozen high-ranking officials were let go at Fannie Mae this week, raising concerns about more turmoil at one of the firms that back major portions of the mortgage market, The Wall Street Journal reported. Word of the senior depar-

tures spread across the industry Friday, creating worries that Fannie's ability to provide stability to prices and activity could be hampered.

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac play a pivotal role by buying up mortgages and

packaging them to sell to investors, guaranteeing the investors payments even if borrowers default. This empowers US lenders to make more 30-year fixed-rate mortgages.

This week's departures include many of the company's top leaders, sources

told the Journal.

The eliminated jobs included executives from units for multifamily loans and low-income housing tax credit, as well as finance, regulatory and communications officials, sources said. "Technology is improving

and providing opportunities for us to remove unnecessary processes and unfortunately at times personnel," Bill Pulte, the head of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, which oversees Fannie Mae, posted on X. Dow Jones

29

Adobe Stock (2)

---

Citadel flips big AI asset buy

Ken Griffin said in a letter to clients Friday that Citadel has unwound more than 80% of the “aggregate risk” tied to its last-minute purchase of assets from AI hedge fund Situational Awareness.

In a letter obtained by the Financial Times, Griffin revealed the firm has conducted more than 100 block trades worth over $4 billion in just three weeks since the purchase — implying Citadel was able to flip AI wunderkind Leopold As-

chenbrenner’s flailing portfolio. Aschenbrenner (right), the 25-year-old “Nostradamus of AI,” had grown his hedge fund to $20 billion — despite having no prior Wall Street experience — by betting it all on AI. His firm held a $5.7 billion stake in SanDisk, a $5.6 billion one in Micron and short positions on some software stocks. But in late July, after weeks of rocky trading sessions for AI and tech stocks, Aschenbrenner was

forced to offload all of his public stock positions in a 24-hour fire-side sale to Citadel. Citadel bought the assets at a roughly 10% discount, hoping it could quickly flip the positions once the market rebounded, according to the FT. Situational Awareness had borrowed massively to finance its AI bets — and this backfired over the summer as holdings nosedived. Taylor Herzlich

Ex-A&F CEO ‘fit’ for trial

A federal judge ruled that Mike Jeffries, the former chief executive of Abercrombie & Fitch accused of sexually abusing male models, is mentally competent to stand trial on sex-trafficking charges.

Jeffries had claimed he was suffering from severe dementia and was unfit to proceed to trial. He was arrested in 2024 and charged with running an international sex-trafficking ring while he was Abercrombie’s CEO, according to a federal indictment that listed 15 John Doe victims.

US District Judge Nusrat Choudhury said in her ruling that the 82-year-old demonstrated an ability to understand legal concepts and communicate effectively with his counsel.

Brian Bieber, a lawyer for Jeffries, declined to comment on the ruling.

Prosecutors allege that Jeffries used his status to coerce aspiring models into having sex with him and his romantic partner. From 2008 to 2015, Jeffries allegedly pressured models into attending sex parties in locations around the world, paid men for their involvement and misled some of them into thinking they were attending modeling shoots, according to the original indictment.

The trial is scheduled to begin with jury selection on Oct. 26. Dow Jones

$400M DOJ TikTok slap

TikTok and its Chinese parent company ByteDance on Friday agreed to a $400 million settlement to resolve the Justice Department’s allegations the short-video app violated children’s online privacy.

The DOJ sued TikTok and ByteDance in 2024 for allegedly violating the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act. TikTok previously said it disagreed with the allegations.

The feds noted that TikTok has undergone significant changes to its ownership and privacy practices. Wires

And away oui go!

NY French eateries the new toast of the town

By JENNIFER GOULD

French cuisine has always had a special place in New Yorkers’ hearts. Next month, they’re getting even more options for steak tartare, coq au vin and more.

From fine dining in Tribeca to more casual fare from Daniel Boulud, the new offerings will have New Yorkers saying, formidable!

“I think French restaurants are so popular right now because French food offers a sense of luxury without the stuffiness of traditional fine dining,” said Michelin-starred chef Philippe Orrico, who just opened his first restaurant on his own, Le Sixth.

The spot, a stone’s throw from Washington Square Park, had a soft opening over the summer

and is preparing a grand opening next month during Fashion Week.

“People are gravitating toward the spirit of the French bistro — sophisticated but still casual. That’s what I wanted to

create with Le Sixth, a relaxed neighborhood restaurant with delicious elevated bistro food and a great ambiance,” said Orrico, who most recently served as executive chef at the private members

club Coco’s.

Le Sixth offers French favorites like Dover sole with mashed potatoes served in a miniature cast-iron pot; roast chicken from a wood-burning oven; and steak fries with broccoli and La

Sauce Champs-Élysées. There’s also salmon and avocado cones and ravioli with Comté and summer truffles.

Across from Lincoln Center, top chef Boulud is opening his 25th restaurant next month. Brasserie Boulud is meant for morning coffee and croissants — on the spot or to-go — as well as lunch, dinner or late-night cocktails following a show.

The new eatery will take over the 10,000-square-foot space previously occupied by Boulud Sud, Epicerie Boulud and Bar Boulud.

Next month will also see the opening of Faux in Tribeca from George McNally, 23. He’s the son of famed restaurateur Keith McNally. The “French-inspired” brasserie and late-night spot is the first restaurant from McNally fils, who often bartended at Balthazar.

GM truck probe widens CDC sprouts E. coli alert

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said Friday it has upgraded and expanded a probe into nearly 1 million General Motors pickup trucks and SUVs over engine failures that led to a recall in 2025.

The agency said it was opening an engineering analysis, a higher-level investigation than the formal review it began this year to determine if the company’s fix was effective.

The vehicles under investigation

are the Cadillac Escalade, Chevrolet Silverado 1500, Suburban and Tahoe and GMC Yukon and Sierra 1500 models equipped with L87 engines from the 2021 to 2026 model years.

GM in 2025 recalled nearly 600,000 vehicles from the 2021 to 2024 model years to address engine-failure concerns, citing a supplier’s quality issues. GM has received nearly 7,000 complaints of engine failures. Reuters

An outbreak of E. coli and salmonella linked to alfalfa sprouts has sickened dozens of people across 15 states, public-health officials said.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday urged consumers not to eat alfalfa sprouts grown by Everything Sprouts and sold under the Calco and Everything Sprouts brands. Fifty-five people have been infected with E. coli or salmonella in connection

with the outbreak, the health agency said.

No one has died in the outbreak, the CDC said. Four people have been hospitalized.

Everything Sprouts said it was recalling 5 oz. lidded plastic containers of alfalfa sprouts that were distributed after May 26. The products were sold to grocery stores in Minnesota and Wisconsin and to third-party distributors. Dow Jones

---

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Golf

PGA Tour - BMW Championship At Bellerive Country Club, Saint Louis, Mo.; Purse: $20 million; Yardage: 7,440; Par: 70 Second Round Wyndham Clark 64-64 128 -12 Gary Woodland 64-65 129 -11 J. S. Spun 64-66 130 -10 Chris Gottamp 64-67 131 -9 Sungjae Im 67-64 131 -9 Patrick Cardlay 67-65 132 -8 Michael Thorbjørnsen 66-66 132 -8 Russell Henley 67-66 133 -7 Rory McIlroy 64-69 133 -7 Maverick McNeely 67-66 133 -7 Colin Monkawa 68-65 133 -7 Michael Brenson 69-65 134 -6 Viktor Hovland 71-63 134 -6 Kristoffer Reiter 67-67 134 -6 Justin Thomas 67-67 134 -6 Andrey Bhatia 67-68 135 -5 Eric Cole 67-68 135 -5 Roy Nicotine 65-70 135 -5 Ryan Gerard 70-66 136 -4 Justin Rose 69-67 136 -4 Kander Schauftele 70-66 136 -4 Adam Scott 68-68 136 -4 Cameron Young 71-65 136 -4 Ludwig Aberg 66-70 136 -4 Matt Fitzpatrick 65-72 137 -3 Robert MacIntyre 68-69 137 -3 Matthew McCarty 70-67 137 -3 Scottie Scheffler 72-65 137 -3 Alex Smaley 69-68 137 -3 Jacob Bridgeman 66-72 138 -2 Sam Burns 71-67 138 -2 Alex Fitzpatrick 66-72 138 -2 Tommy Flintwood 69-69 138 -2

LIV Golf Indianapolis At The Club at Chatham Hills; Westfield, Ind. Purse: $20M (Individual); $18M (Team) Yardage: 7,273 yards; Par: 70

Second Round Richard T. Lee 63-66-129 -11 Laurie Carter 62-68-130 -10 Dustin Johnson 64-66-130 -10 Thomas Dery 66-64-130 -10 Cameron Smith 63-68-131 -9 Lee Westwood 64-67-131 -9 Joaquin Niemann 64-67-131 -9 Matthew Wolff 66-65-131 -9 Abraham Acker 66-65-131 -9 Thomas Pieters 66-65-131 -9 Michael La Sasso 71-60-131 -9 Bubba Watson 64-68-132 -8 Dean Burmester 64-68-132 -8 Brendan Steele 64-68-132 -8 Caleb Surratt 64-69-133 -7 Sergio Garcia 64-69-133 -7 Bryson DeChambeau 65-68-133 -7 Marc Leishman 66-67-133 -7 Richard Bland 66-67-133 -7 Jose Luis Ballester 66-68-134 -6 Scott Vincent 66-68-134 -6 Jon Rahn 67-67-134 -6 Fryell Hatton 67-67-134 -6 Brandon Grace 67-67-134 -6 Young-Han Song 67-67-134 -6 Jan Frenk 68-66-134 -6 Harold Varner III 68-66-134 -6 Lucas Herbert 66-69-135 -5 Peter Uhlein 66-69-135 -5 Byeong-Hun An 66-69-135 -5 Carlos Ortiz 68-67-135 -5 Tom McKibbin 67-69-136 -4 Min-Kyu Kim 69-67-136 -4 Bjørn Hellgren 69-67-136 -4 Travis Smyth 70-66-136 -4 Adrian Moroni 66-71-137 -3 Graeme McDowell 68-69-137 -3 Sebastian Moore 70-67-137 -3

DP World Tour - Nesa Championship At Trump International Golf Links; Aberdeen, United Kingdom; Purse: $3.5 million; Yardage: 7,252; Par: 72

Second Round Matthew Southgate 70-70 140 -4 Scott Jamieson 70-71 141 -3 Matthew Jordan 72-69 141 -3 Marcus Kuhull 67-74 141 -3 Shaun Norris 72-69 141 -3 Eliot Baker 69-73 142 -2 Benjamin Follett-Smith 69-73 142 -2 Matteo Manassero 71-71 142 -2 Kelly Nakajima 70-72 142 -2 Jacob Skov Olesen 70-72 142 -2 Quinn Vidal 71-71 142 -2

LPGA Tour - CPEC Women's Open At Royal Mayfair Golf Club; Edmonton, Alberta; Purse: $2.8 million; Yardage: 6,452; Par: 70

Second Round Miyu Yamashita 62-64 126 -14 Soo Bin Joo 68-63 131 -9 Kara Romero 64-67 131 -9 Yuri Yoshida 65-66 131 -9 Nasa Hatsuka 63-69 132 -8 Matsui Jin 65-67 132 -8 Lansy Frye 66-67 133 -7 Anna Huang 65-68 133 -7 Gina Kim 66-67 133 -7 Natsuha Andrea Oon 68-65 133 -7 Man Saigo 66-67 133 -7

PGA Champions Tour - Rogers Charity Classic At Canyon Meadows GACC; Calgary, Alberta; Purse: $2.5 million; Yardage: 7,060; Par: 70

First Round Richard Green 33-30 63 -7 Rob Labritt 31-32 63 -7 Miguel Angel Jiménez 31-33 64 -6 Michael Allen 30-35 65 -5 Ryan Armour 32-33 65 -5 Michael Beck 32-33 65 -5 Jason Caron 33-32 65 -5 Thongchai Jaidee 33-32 65 -5 Jerry Kelly 32-33 65 -5

NFL Preseason

Thursday, Aug. 20 - Week 2 Las Vegas 22, Houston 20 San Francisco 41, L.A. Chargers 17

Friday Jets 17, Pittsburgh 0 Carolina 34, Jacksonville 17 Green Bay 33, Denver 13

Saturday Giants at Miami, 4pm Washington at Detroit, 12pm Atlanta at Indianapolis, 1pm Baltimore at Minnesota, 1pm Buffalo at Cleveland, 1pm New Orleans at L.A. Rams, 4pm Chicago at Cincinnati, 7pm Philadelphia at New England, 7pm Kansas City at Tampa Bay, 7:30pm Dallas at Arizona, 10pm

Sunday Seattle at Tennessee, 8pm Thursday, Aug. 27 - Week 3 Pittsburgh at Buffalo, 7pm New England at Cleveland, 8pm San Francisco at Las Vegas, 8pm L.A. Rams at L.A. Chargers, 10pm

Friday, Aug. 28 Giants at Jets, 7:30pm Washington at Baltimore, 6pm Atlanta at Miami, 7pm Houston at Carolina, 7pm Tampa Bay at Jacksonville, 7:30pm Arizona at Green Bay, 8pm Cincinnati at Philadelphia, 8pm New Orleans at Dallas, 8pm Seattle at Kansas City, 8pm Minnesota at Denver, 9pm

Saturday, Aug. 29 Detroit at Indianapolis, 1pm Chicago at Tennessee, 6pm

NFL Exhibition Jets 17, Steelers 0

N.Y. Jets 7 0 0 10 - 17 Pittsburgh 0 0 0 0 - 0

First Quarter Nyl: Woods 13 pass from G.Smith (Sanders kick), 9:08.

Fourth Quarter Nyl: FG Sanders 39, 7:08.

Nyl: Skinner 31 pass from B.Cook (York kick), 1:53.

NYT Pit First downs 12 14 Total Net Yards 288 243 Rushes-yards 24-62 26-98 Passing 226 145 Punt Returns 5-51 5-43 Kickoff Returns 1-27 3-80 Interceptions Bet. 2-30 0-0 Comp-Att-Int 24-31-0 21-36-2 Sacked-Yards Lost 2-13 4-40 Punts 6-47,833 6-50-5 Fumbles-Lost 1-0 1-0 Penalties-Yards 6-17 4-30 Time of Possession 28:58 31:02

Individual Statistics Rushing: N.Y. Jets, Traystrum 6-20, Klubnik 1-16, Scott 6-14, Nwangwu 7-11, Allen 3-4, Zappe 1-(minus 3), Pittsburgh, Johnson 10-39, Dowdle 5-18, Warren 5-17, Nichols 3-11, Heidenreich 2-9, Allar 1-4.

Passing: N.Y. Jets, Klubnik 10-14-0- 75, Zappe 6-8-0-68, G.Smith 7-7-0- 65, Cook 1-2-0-31, Pittsburgh, Allar 11-23-0-111, Howard 10-15-2-74. Receiving: N.Y. Jets, Skinner 4-47, Williams 3-17, A.Mitchell 2-29, McClain 2-25, Patrick 2-14, Bergen 1-44, Woods 1-13, Taylor 1-10, G.Wilson 1-10, O.Cooper 1-9, Curtis 1-7, Allen 1-5, Beck 1-5, Hulstein 1-4, Scott 1-2, Parham 1-(minus 2), Pittsburgh, Skowronek 3-26, McRae 2-46, Winstead 2-32, Tonyan 2-17, B.Wilson 2-16, Johnson 2-15, Bell 2- 5, Nowakowski 1-10, Keeney-James 1-6, Washington 1-5, Hurlman 1-3, Dowdle 1-2, Nichols 1-2. Missed Field Goals: N.Y. Jets, York 59, Pittsburgh, Marjan 44.

MLS

EAST	W	L	D	Pts	GF	GA
Nashville	14	2	4	46	40	15
Inter Miami CF	11	3	6	39	48	38
Chicago	11	6	2	35	36	25
New England	10	7	3	33	32	25
Cincinnati	8	6	6	30	48	46
Charlotte FC	8	7	5	29	35	31
NYCFC	7	8	5	26	34	29
Red Bulls	7	9	4	25	30	42
D.C. United	5	6	9	24	27	33
Orlando City	6	11	3	21	32	50
Toronto FC	4	7	9	21	29	36
Columbus	5	10	5	20	28	33
Philadelphia	5	10	5	20	30	37
CF Montréal	5	10	5	20	27	37
Atlanta	5	12	3	18	23	35

WEST	W	L	D	Pts	GF	GA
Houston	12	6	2	38	29	24
Vancouver	11	4	4	37	40	18
Los Angeles FC	10	7	4	34	35	21
San Jose	10	7	3	33	38	28
FC Dallas	9	5	6	33	38	29
St Louis City	8	6	6	30	28	26
Colorado	9	10	1	28	30	25
Real Salt Lake	8	7	4	28	33	30
Portland	8	9	3	27	37	36
LA Galaxy	6	8	7	25	25	30
Minn. United	6	7	7	25	22	28
Seattle FC	7	9	3	24	21	26
San Diego FC	6	8	6	24	34	32
Austin FC	5	10	5	20	25	39
Sporting K.C.	4	13	3	15	19	49

Note: 3 pts. for win, 1 for tie Saturday

Chicago at Red Bulls, 7:30pm D.C. United at Charlotte FC, 7:30pm Seattle FC at Cincinnati, 7:30pm Toronto FC at Miami, 7:30pm LA Galaxy at CF Montréal, 7:30pm Salt Lake at Orlando City, 7:30pm Philadelphia at Austin FC, 8:30pm Columbus at Nashville, 8:30pm Houston at St Louis City, 8:30pm FC Dallas at Vancouver, 9:30pm Portland at Los Angeles FC, 10:30pm Colorado at San Diego FC, 10:30pm Minnesota at San Jose, 10:30pm

Sunday NYCFC at New England, 4:30pm Sporting K.C. at Atlanta, 7pm

Saturday, August 29 Philadelphia at Red Bulls, 7:30pm NYCFC at Toronto FC, 7:30pm Chicago at Seattle FC, 4:30pm Charlotte FC at Atlanta, 7:30pm New England at Columbus, 7:30pm Los Angeles FC at D.C. United, 7:30pm CF Montréal at Miami, 7:30pm San Jose at Houston, 8:30pm Vancouver at Sporting K.C., 8:30pm Orlando City at Minnesota, 8:30pm Cincinnati at Nashville, 8:30pm Salt Lake at Colorado, 9:30pm Austin FC at Portland, 10:30pm LA Galaxy at San Diego FC, 10:30pm

Sunday, August 30 FC Dallas at St Louis City, 7pm

NASCAR Cup Series Schedule

Aug. 23 - Dollar Tree 301, Loudon, N.H. Aug. 29 - Coke Zero Sugar 400, Daytona Beach, Fla. Sept. 6 - Cook Out Southern 500, Darlington, S.C. Sept. 13 - Enjoy Illinois 300, Madison, Ill. Sept. 19 - Bass Pro Shops Night Race, Bristol, Tenn.

NWSL

	W	L	T	Pts	GF	GA
Gotham FC	13	3	4	43	26	13
Washington	11	5	4	37	30	18
Utah Royals FC	11	7	3	36	37	27
San Diego	11	7	3	36	29	23
Portland	10	6	4	34	34	29
North Carolina	9	7	3	30	34	29
Kansas City	9	8	3	30	31	28
Seattle	8	8	3	27	24	25
Houston	7	8	5	26	28	28
Angel City	7	4	4	25	27	20
Denver Summit FC	6	7	6	24	25	25
Louisville	7	11	2	23	30	37
Orlando	7	11	2	23	24	31
Boston Legacy FC	5	10	5	20	23	32
Bay FC	5	10	4	19	20	27
Chicago	4	15	1	13	9	39

NOTE: Three points for victory, one point for tie.

Friday San Diego 4, Utah Royals FC 2 Saturday Seattle at Kansas City, 6:30pm Boston Legacy FC at North Carolina, 7:30pm Denver Summit FC at Portland, 8:45pm

Sunday Louisville at Chicago, 2pm Orlando at Washington, 4pm Houston at Bay FC, 6pm Gotham FC at Angel City, 8pm Wednesday Angel City at North Carolina, 8pm

Friday, August 28 Portland at Gotham FC, 8pm Louisville at San Diego, 10pm Saturday, August 29 North Carolina at Kansas City, 6:30pm Utah Royals FC at Orlando, 7pm Chicago at Denver Summit FC, 8:45pm Sunday, August 30 Bay FC at Washington, 12:30pm Houston at Seattle, 7pm Monday, August 31 Angel City at Boston Legacy FC, 8pm

Soccer

English Premier League Arsenal 3, Coventry City 0 Spanish La Liga Real Betis 1, Real Sociedad 0 German Cup Karlsruher SC 2, Preußen Munster 1 Eintracht Frankfurt 11, SC St. Tonis 0 Kaiserslautern 1, SV Waldhof Mannheim 0, AET BFB Stuttgart 4, Hansa Rostock 0 French Ligue 1 Marseille 4, Strasbourg 0 Saudi Pro League Al Nasser 4, Al Riyadh 0 Al Diriyah 1, Al Hazem 0 Al Ittihad 1, Al Qadsiah 0 Neom SC 2, Al-Faisaly 0

WTA Schedule

H-hard, C-clay, G-grass Aug. 10-24 2026 - Western & Southern Open, HO Aug. 21-29 2026 - Tennis in the Land, HO Aug. 21-29 2026 - Alderto GNP Seguros, HO Aug. 22-Sept. 12 - US Open, HO Sept. 11-19 2026 - Guadalajara Open, HO Sept. 12-20 2026 - SP Open, HO Sept. 19-27 2026 - Korea Open, HO Sept. 19-27 2026 - Singapore Open, HO Sept. 28-Oct. 10 - China Open, HO

Friday's Crossword Answers

S	H	I	R	K		S	N	A	P
A	E	C	O	M		H	A	L	O
M	E	H	T	A		V	I	S	I
			A	C	H	L	L	E	S
P	M	F			E	K	L	U	N
L	E	O		A	R	E		N	E
A	L	L	P	R	O			O	E
S	H	O	U	L	D	E	R
M	A	N	T	O		T	H	U	M
A	L	I	T			T	Y	P	E
S	L	A	Y			A	S	S	E

T'Wolves

sold for $4.5B

By MATT EHALT

The Lakers and Timber- wolves may share Minne- sota roots, but one is a worth a heck of a lot more than the other.

Businessman Marc Stad will become the controlling owner and largest share- holder of the Timberwolves and the WNBA's Lynx in a deal valued at $4.5 billion, according to ESPN.

The move comes shortly after last week's bombshell that the Lakers would be sold to businessman Josh Kushner and ex-Disney ex- ecutive Bob Iger for an American sports record $12.5 billion.

The $4.5 billion figure ranks fourth in NBA history among ownership pacts and is pending approval from the Board of Governors, with its next meetings set for Sept. 15-16, per ESPN.

"We have been working together for years with a shared goal of building the Timberwolves and Lynx into the best organization in basketball on and off the floor," Stad and co-owners Alex Rodriguez and Marc Lore said in a joint state- ment Friday, per ESPN. "Our priority is and always will be championships.

"Our new agreement, pending league approval, is an evolution of the partner- ship we have built together and strengthening of our commitment to our team and our culture. While we're proud of the great work we've done, there's so much more to do and we're just getting started."

Stad reportedly is buying the majority of Lore's stake. Lore will remain a minority investor in the franchises.

He opted to sell the team to focus on his Wonder Group company with the hope of establishing the best foot forward for the franchise in the long term, per ESPN.

Rodriguez is increasing his equity percentages, and it's uncertain what percentage he and Lore will own once the deal is finalized.

"One of the great joys I've had in my career is spending the last few years helping build the Timberwolves and Lynx with my friend and part- ner Marc Lore," Rodriguez wrote Friday afternoon on X.

---

New York Post, Saturday, August 22, 2026 New York Post, Saturday, August 22, 2026

32

AL Standings East W L Pct. GB *WGB L10 Streak Home Away Tampa Bay 76 52 .594 — — 4-6 L-2 43-23 33-29 Yankees 73 55 .570 3 49½ 7-3 W-5 32-27 41-28 Boston 69 59 .539 7 45½ 5-5 W-1 32-32 37-27 Toronto 63 67 .485 14 1½ 6-4 L-1 33-33 30-34 Baltimore 62 67 .481 14½ 2 5-5 W-1 33-33 29-34

Central W L Pct. GB *WGB L10 Streak Home Away Chicago 67 61 .523 — — 6-4 W-1 38-25 29-36 Cleveland 63 66 .488 4½ 1 5-5 W-2 31-34 32-32 Minnesota 63 66 .488 4½ 1 5-5 L-1 35-31 28-35 Detroit 61 67 .477 6 2½ 3-7 L-3 32-31 29-36 Kansas City 56 74 .431 12 8½ 7-3 W-6 34-30 22-44

West W L Pct. GB *WGB L10 Streak Home Away Houston 65 64 .504 — — 5-5 W-1 33-33 32-31 Texas 64 65 .496 1 — — 4-6 W-2 35-28 29-37 Seattle 61 68 .473 4 3 5-5 W-1 34-29 27-39 Los Angeles 51 78 .395 14 13 6-4 L-1 29-36 22-42 Athletics 49 80 .380 16 15 2-8 L-5 23-40 26-40

*WGB: Games behind third-place team in wild-card race

Friday Yankees 3, Toronto 1 White Sox 6, Mets 4 Baltimore 5, Tampa Bay 3 Boston 6, San Francisco 4 Kansas City 5, Detroit 2 Houston 4, Athletics 0 Texas 2, L.A. Angels 1, 10 inn. Cleveland 9, Colorado 1 San Diego 6, Minnesota 2 Seattle 6, Cubs 5, 10 inn.

Saturday Toronto at Yankees, 1:35 Mets at White Sox, 7:10 L.A. Angels at Texas, 7:05 Tampa Bay at Baltimore, 7:05 Athletics at Houston, 7:10 Cubs at Seattle, 7:15 Detroit at Kansas City, 7:15 San Francisco at Boston, 7:15 Cleveland at Colorado, 8:10 Minnesota at San Diego, 8:40

AL Standings

East	W	L	Pct.	GB	*WGB	L10	Streak	Home	Away
Tampa Bay	76	52	.594	—	—	4-6	L-2	43-23	33-29
Yankees	73	55	.570	3	49½	7-3	W-5	32-27	41-28
Boston	69	59	.539	7	45½	5-5	W-1	32-32	37-27
Toronto	63	67	.485	14	1½	6-4	L-1	33-33	30-34
Baltimore	62	67	.481	14½	2	5-5	W-1	33-33	29-34
Central	W	L	Pct.	GB	*WGB	L10	Streak	Home	Away
Chicago	67	61	.523	—	—	6-4	W-1	38-25	29-36
Cleveland	63	66	.488	4½	1	5-5	W-2	31-34	32-32
Minnesota	63	66	.488	4½	1	5-5	L-1	35-31	28-35
Detroit	61	67	.477	6	2½	3-7	L-3	32-31	29-36
Kansas City	56	74	.431	12	8½	7-3	W-6	34-30	22-44
West	W	L	Pct.	GB	*WGB	L10	Streak	Home	Away
Houston	65	64	.504	—	—	5-5	W-1	33-33	32-31
Texas	64	65	.496	1	—	4-6	W-2	35-28	29-37
Seattle	61	68	.473	4	3	5-5	W-1	34-29	27-39
Los Angeles	51	78	.395	14	13	6-4	L-1	29-36	22-42
Athletics	49	80	.380	16	15	2-8	L-5	23-40	26-40

Friday

Yankees 3, Toronto 1 White Sox 6, Mets 4 Baltimore 5, Tampa Bay 3 Boston 6, San Francisco 4 Kansas City 5, Detroit 2 Houston 4, Athletics 0 Texas 2, L.A. Angels 1, 10 inn. Cleveland 9, Colorado 1 San Diego 6, Minnesota 2 Seattle 6, Cubs 5, 10 inn.

Saturday

Toronto at Yankees, 1:35 Mets at White Sox, 7:10 L.A. Angels at Texas, 7:05 Tampa Bay at Baltimore, 7:05 Athletics at Houston, 7:10 Cubs at Seattle, 7:15 Detroit at Kansas City, 7:15 San Francisco at Boston, 7:15 Cleveland at Colorado, 8:10 Minnesota at San Diego, 8:40

NL Standings

East	W	L	Pct.	GB	*WGB	L10	Streak	Home	Away
Atlanta	75	54	.581	—	—	4-6	L-1	42-23	33-31
Philadelphia	71	58	.550	4	+2	8-2	W-7	36-30	35-28
Miami	65	64	.504	10	4	5-5	W-1	39-25	26-39
Washington	61	69	.469	14½	8½	2-8	L-2	27-36	34-33
Mets	58	71	.450	17	11	6-4	L-1	30-35	28-36
Central	W	L	Pct.	GB	*WGB	L10	Streak	Home	Away
Milwaukee	80	49	.620	—	—	6-4	W-2	44-23	36-26
Chicago	74	55	.574	6½	+5	5-5	L-2	38-27	36-28
St. Louis	66	64	.508	14½	3½	6-4	L-1	32-34	34-30
Pittsburgh	63	66	.488	17	6	5-5	W-2	34-32	29-34
Cincinnati	61	68	.473	19	8	4-6	L-2	32-36	29-32
West	W	L	Pct.	GB	*WGB	L10	Streak	Home	Away
Los Angeles	77	51	.602	—	—	7-3	W-3	37-26	40-25
San Diego	69	60	.535	8½	—	7-3	W-1	38-26	31-34
Arizona	68	61	.527	9½	1	5-5	W-2	37-27	31-34
San Francisco	52	76	.406	25	16½	3-7	L-2	29-33	23-43
Colorado	50	78	.391	27	18½	4-6	L-4	27-36	23-42

Friday

White Sox 6, Mets 4 Milwaukee 2, Atlanta 1 Philadelphia 7, St. Louis 6, 10 inn. Boston 6, San Francisco 4 Miami 3, Washington 2 Cleveland 9, Colorado 1 San Diego 6, Minnesota 2 Arizona 9, Cincinnati 0 Seattle 6, Cubs 5, 10 inn. Pittsburgh at L.A. Dodgers, (n)

Saturday

Mets at White Sox, 7:10 Atlanta at Milwaukee, 2:10 Washington at Miami, 4:10 St. Louis at Philadelphia, 6:05 Cubs at Seattle, 7:15 Pittsburgh at L.A. Dodgers, 7:15 San Francisco at Boston, 7:15 Cincinnati at Arizona, 8:10 Cleveland at Colorado, 8:10 Minnesota at San Diego, 8:40

FOSYSO DOKO Puzzles on Page 28
3	8	5	1	4	7	9	2	6
2	1	6	3	9	8	5	7	4
4	7	9	5	6	2	3	1	8
9	6	1	8	7	5	4	3	2
8	5	3	4	2	1	7	6	9
7	4	2	6	3	9	8	5	1
6	3	7	9	1	4	2	8	5
5	2	4	7	8	6	1	9	3
1	9	8	2	5	3	6	4	7
Solution to Very Easy F7,378 Solution to Difficult F7,168

Yankees 3, Blue Jays 1

Toronto	AB	R	H	BI	BB	SO	Avg
Bateman cf	5	1	3	0	0	1	302
Lukes cf	3	0	0	0	0	0	256
a-Springer ph	1	0	0	0	0	1	235
Schneider fl	0	0	0	0	0	0	142
Kirk c	2	0	1	1	2	1	284
J.Sánchez dh	4	0	2	0	0	1	264
Clement ss	4	0	1	0	0	1	285
Okamoto 3b	4	0	1	0	0	0	230
Valenzuela 1b	4	0	1	0	0	1	230
McAdoo 2b	4	0	0	0	0	2	263
Straw fl-f	3	0	0	0	1	0	212
Totals	34	1	9	1	3	8
Yankees	AB	R	H	BI	BB	SO	Avg
Golubchmidt 1b	4	0	1	0	0	2	247
Rosario 3b	0	0	0	0	1	0	226
Chisholm pr-2b	3	0	0	0	0	0	214
Ramos fl	3	0	1	0	0	0	243
García ph	1	0	0	0	0	1	278
Schuemann rf	0	0	0	0	0	0	194
Roz dh	2	0	0	0	2	1	249
Lombard ss	4	1	1	0	0	3	288
Grisham cf	2	1	0	0	2	1	223
Jones rf-f	3	1	1	2	0	1	229
Caballero 2b-3b	2	0	0	1	0	1	237
A.Sánchez c	2	0	0	0	0	2	254
Wells ph-c	1	0	0	0	0	0	175
Totals	27	3	4	3	5	12

Toronto	000	010	000	—	1	9	0
Yankees	020	100	00x	—	3	4	1
E: Lombard (2). LDB: Toronto 9, New York 6, 28; Bateman (3), L.Sánchez (17), Valenzuela (9). BB: Bateman (1). HR: Jones (7), off Arrighett. RBIs: Kirk (28), Jones 2 (21), Caballero (44). SB: Grisham (8). SF: Caballero. Runners left in scoring position: Toronto 7 (1). S.Sánchez, Straw 2, Springer, Clement, Bateman, Okamoto; New York 4 (Grisham, A.Sánchez, Lombard 2). RISP: Toronto 1 for 14; New York 1 for 8.
Toronto	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	NP ERA
Yoharty	0.2	0	0	0	2	0	14 3.66
Arrighetti, L.	3.1	3	3	3	2	4	61 4.73
Little	1.0	1	0	0	0	2	21 8.50
Fisher	1.0	0	0	0	0	2	16 3.46
Sewald	1.0	0	0	0	0	1	15 5.79
Woods	1.0	0	0	0	1	3	20 5.91
Yankees	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	NP ERA
Schlitter, W.	6.0	6	1	1	3	4	96 2.16
Headrick, H.21 1.0	1	0	0	0	2	19	1.52
Blackburn, H.81.0	1	0	0	0	1	1	16 1.77
Behar, S.30 31.0	1.0	1	0	0	0	1	14 2.35
T: 2:49. A: 45,062 (47,309).

Red Sox 6, Giants 4

San Francisco	AB	R	H	BI	BB	SO	Avg
Gilbert cf	3	1	2	2	0	1	241
Cox ph-cf	2	0	0	0	0	2	213
Devers dh	3	1	1	1	1	1	245
Adams cs	4	0	0	0	0	1	227
Eldridge 1b	4	0	1	1	0	0	248
Lee rf	3	0	0	0	1	0	291
Basaba 2b	4	0	0	0	0	1	235
Hill fl	3	0	1	0	0	2	250
Bericoto ph	1	0	0	0	0	1	250
Cavanaugh c	3	0	0	0	0	2	226
Kennedy ph	0	0	0	0	1	0	111
Koss 3b	4	2	2	0	0	1	204
Totals	34	4	7	4	3	12
Boston	AB	R	H	BI	BB	SO	Avg
Sogard 2b	4	2	1	0	1	1	267
Rafalda cf	5	0	2	0	0	1	285
Alprey rf	4	1	3	1	1	0	261
Contreras 1b	2	1	1	3	2	0	285
Rutschman c	4	1	1	0	0	1	245
Borton 3b	4	1	1	0	0	0	254
Duran fl	3	0	2	0	0	0	209
Monsiterio ss	3	0	1	1	0	0	258
Gasper dh	3	0	0	1	0	0	250
Totals	32	6	11	6	5	3

San Francisco	001	300	000	—	4	7	0
Boston	005	001	00x	—	6	11	0
LOB: San Francisco 6, Boston 9, 28; Hill (2), Koss (5), 28; Duran (4), Abreu (4); HR: Gilbert (7), off Gray; Devers (26), off Gray; Contreras (26), off Webb. RBIs: Eldridge (34), Gilbert 2 (31), Devers (70), Contreras 3 (78), Monsiterio (38), Gasper (15), Abreu (68). CS: Rafalda (8). Runners left in scoring position: San Francisco 3 (Basalier 2, Cavanaugh); Boston 4 (Sogard 2, Monsiterio, Rutschman). RISP: San Francisco 2 for 5; Boston 1 for 5.
San Francisco	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	NP ERA
Webb, L.8-8	2.2	6	5	5	3	2	70 3.75
Sanmartin	2.0	1	0	0	1	0	30 6.17
Harris	1.1	2	1	1	0	0	30 7.50
Foley	2.0	2	0	0	1	1	26 3.86
Boston	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	NP ERA
Gray, W.16-3	6.0	7	4	4	2	6	97 2.79
Milne, H.12	1.0	0	0	0	0	2	13 2.20
Gambus, H.1	1.0	0	0	0	1	1	11 1.40
Chapman, S.	1.0	0	0	0	1	3	20 1.90
T: 2:46. A: 37,007 (37,755).

White Sox 6, Mets 4

Mets	AB	R	H	BI	BB	SO	Avg
Leu 8	4	0	0	0	0	1	234
Lauder ss	4	0	0	0	0	3	269
Elkwhite dh	4	1	1	1	0	0	261
Harris cf	4	0	2	1	0	0	293
Albiess 2b	3	0	0	0	1	0	249
Dubon ss	4	0	2	0	0	0	266
Smith dh	4	0	1	0	0	0	261
Riley 3b	4	0	0	0	0	2	221
Yastrzemski fl	2	0	2	0	2	0	232
Thomas pr	0	0	0	0	0	0	229
Totals	33	1	8	1	4	8
Milwaukee	AB	R	H	BI	BB	SO	Avg
Chourioi fl	3	1	1	0	1	1	280
Turang 2b	4	0	1	0	0	1	262
Contreras c	4	0	4	1	0	0	264
Vaughn 1b	3	0	1	1	0	0	303
Mitchell cf	0	0	0	0	1	0	261
Baures rf-1b	4	0	0	0	0	2	273
Sánchez dh	4	0	0	0	0	0	216
Ortiz 3b	3	0	0	0	0	2	249
Pratt ss	3	0	0	0	0	2	259
Lara cf-rf	3	1	2	0	0	1	245
Totals	31	2	9	2	2	9

Atlanta	000	000	010	—	1	8	0
Miami	002	000	00x	—	2	9	1
1-ran for Yastrzemski in the 9th. E: Turang 5). LDB: Atlanta 9, Milwaukee 7. 28: Harris (28), Dubon (23). RBIs: Harris (69), Contreras (64), Vaughn (37). SB: Thomas (8). CS: Acuña (8). Runners left in scoring position: Atlanta 6 (Dubon 2, Albiess, Acuña 2, Baldwin); Milwaukee 2 (Baures, Vaughn). RISP: Atlanta 2 for 8; Milwaukee 1 for 7.
Atlanta	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	NP ERA
Sabi, L.12-9
Suter
Dodd
Miami
Mits
Mits
Mits
Mits
Mits
Mits
Mits
Mits
Mits
Mits
Mits
Mits
Mits

Marlins 3, Nationals 2

---

Astros 4, Athletics 0

Athletics	AB	R	H	BI	BB	SO	Avg
Boite cf	2	0	0	0	2	1	267
McNeil 2b-1b	4	0	1	0	0	0	261
Gehrl 3b-1f	4	0	0	0	0	2	265
Cortes 1f	3	0	1	0	0	1	261
Williams ph-ss	1	0	0	0	0	0	261
Butler rf	4	0	0	0	0	1	216
White 1b-3b	4	0	0	0	0	2	248
Heim c	3	0	0	0	1	1	207
Walton so-2b	2	0	1	0	2	0	284
Muncy dh	3	0	0	0	0	1	213
Totals	30	0	3	0	5	9

Houston	AB	R	H	BI	BB	SO	Avg
Altave 2b	4	0	2	0	0	0	247
Alvarez 1f	3	1	2	2	0	0	321
Trammell 1f	0	0	0	0	0	0	211
Paredes dh	3	1	1	1	1	0	262
Varsho cf	4	0	1	0	0	3	229
Walker 1b	3	0	2	1	0	1	233
Diaz c	4	0	2	0	0	0	254
Smith rf	4	0	0	0	0	0	218
Delgado 3b	2	1	0	0	1	1	243
Allen ss	1	1	0	0	1	0	258
Totals	28	4	9	4	3	6

Athletics	000 000 000 - 0 3 0
Houston	000 120 10x - 4 9 1

E: Walker (1). LOB: Athletics 8, Houston 6. 2B: Varsho (21), Alvarez 2 (28), Paredes (23). RBIs: Walker (72), Alvarez 2 (90), Paredes (68). SB: Walton (2). CS: Diaz (2), Altave (3). SF: Walker. S: Allen. Runners left in scoring position: Athletics 4 (Butler, Walton, McNeil, Boite); Houston 5 (Varsho, Walker 2, Smith, Paredes). RISP: Athletics 0 for 5; Houston 2 for 10.

Athletics	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	NP	ERA
Gim, L, 9-8	5.0	6	3	2	4	94	3.60
Alvarado	1.0	1	0	0	0	1	11	4.39
Rom	1.1	2	1	1	1	31	6.97
Jueger	0.2	0	0	0	0	0	7	7.63
Houston	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	NP	ERA
Wrotnicki, W.	5.0	1	0	0	3	4	91	4.23
3-1
Sousa, H, 6	1.0	2	0	0	0	3	17	3.31
Abreu, H, 10	0.0	0	0	0	2	2	23	4.21
Okert	1.0	0	0	0	0	0	16	1.98
De Los	1.0	0	0	0	0	0	20	4.07

T: 2:54. A: 28,477 (41,000).

Guardians 9, Rockies 1

Cleveland	AB	R	H	BI	BB	SO	Avg
Kwan lf	4	1	1	1	2	0	265
Delauter rf	3	0	1	0	1	0	286
Martinez rf	1	0	0	0	0	0	241
Ramirez 3b	5	0	0	0	0	2	232
Adell dh	5	0	2	1	0	2	237
Lowe 1b	4	3	2	0	1	0	266
Genao ss	5	1	1	0	0	1	320
Bazzana 2b	5	2	4	3	0	0	241
Bailey c	5	1	2	3	0	1	193
Halpin cf	4	1	1	1	1	0	216
Totals	41	9	14	9	5	6

Colorado	AB	R	H	BI	BB	SO	Avg
McCarthy lf	4	1	0	0	1	0	292
Karros 3b	4	0	1	0	1	0	265
Carrigg cf	3	0	1	0	1	2	282
Veon ph	1	0	0	0	0	1	263
Rumfield 1b	2	0	0	0	2	0	291
Castro 2b-ss	4	0	1	1	0	1	264
Beck rf	4	0	2	0	0	2	190
Moniak dh	3	0	0	0	1	2	264
Fullford c	3	0	0	0	1	0	176
Tovar ss	1	0	0	0	0	0	204
Nerby 2b	3	0	1	0	0	2	212
Totals	32	1	6	1	7	10

Cleveland	001 211 301 - 9 14 0
Colorado	100 000 000 - 1 6 2

E: Rumfield (4), Norby (6). LOB: Cleveland 10, Colorado 11. 2B: Genao (3), Lowe (21), Bailey (7), Carrigg (17). HR: Halpin (3), off Gordon; Bailey (7), off Agnos. RBIs: Halpin (9), Bazzana 3 (39), Adell (74), Kwan (25), Bailey 1 (29), Castro (55). SB: Bazzana (18). Runners left in scoring position: Cleveland 6 (Ramirez 2, Adell, Kwan 2, Genao); Colorado 6 (Fullford, Norby, Castro 2, Beck, Rumfield). RISP: Cleveland 4 for 16; Colorado 1 for 7.

Cleveland	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	NP	ERA
Cantillo	4.2	4	1	1	4	5	89	3.73
Herrin, W, 2-4 1.1	0	0	0	0	2	17	3.45
Heiderman	1.0	1	0	0	2	0	24	2.34
Yoho	1.0	1	0	0	1	2	17	4.67
Petita	1.0	0	0	0	0	1	13	3.86

Colorado	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	NP	ERA
Gordon, L, 0-4 5.1	9	5	5	2	2	82	5.75
Manfredi	0.2	0	0	0	2	1	15	0.00
Agnos	2.1	4	4	4	1	3	48	5.84
Sullivan	0.2	1	0	0	0	0	7	0.00

T: 2:50. A: 26,800 (50,144).

Rangers 2, Angels 1, 10 inn.

Los Angeles	AB	R	H	BI	BB	SO	Avg
Neto ss	4	0	1	0	0	2	231
Trout cf	4	0	0	0	0	2	236
Ballesteros dh	4	0	0	0	0	1	204
Grissom 1b	2	0	0	0	1	1	247
Jarril	4	1	1	0	0	2	255
Guzman 3b	4	0	1	1	0	1	237
Lowe rf	4	0	0	0	0	3	209
d'Arnaud c	2	0	0	0	1	0	180
Frazier pr	0	0	0	0	0	0	243
Heineman c	1	0	0	0	0	0	182
Peraza 2b	3	0	0	0	1	2	226
Totals	32	1	3	1	3	14

Texas	AB	R	H	BI	BB	SO	Avg
Foscue dh	4	0	0	0	1	1	259
Janger ss	5	0	2	0	0	2	221
Langford f	5	1	1	1	0	1	250
Wimmo rf	4	0	0	0	1	1	266
Duran 3b	5	0	4	0	0	0	271
Burger 1b	4	0	0	0	0	2	235
Freeman 2b	2	0	1	0	0	0	276
Kelenic ph	1	0	0	0	0	1	219
Lopez 2b	1	0	0	0	0	1	261
Diaz c	3	0	1	0	0	0	230
Pederson ph	0	0	0	0	1	0	239
Janson c	0	0	0	0	0	0	262
Carter cf	4	1	2	0	0	1	197
Totals	38	2	11	1	3	10

Los Angeles	000 000 000	1—	1	3	1
Texas	000 000 000	2—	2	11	0

Two outs when winning run scored. E: Guzman (6). LOB: Los Angeles 6, Texas (1). 2B: Guzman (7), Carter (12), Duran (24), Langford (15). RBIs: Guzman (23), Langford (34). SB: Siri (5). CS: Frazier (2). Runners left in scoring position: Los Angeles 2 (d'Arnaud, Peraza); Texas 4 (Carter, Foscue, Janger 2). RISP: Los Angeles 1 for 6; Texas 3 for 11.

Los Angeles	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	NP	ERA
Delmers	6.0	6	0	0	1	5	89	3.62
Fermin	1.0	1	0	0	0	1	23	3.16
Guizodo	1.0	1	0	0	0	0	13	3.23
Watson	1.0	1	0	0	1	3	17	4.20
Jovin, L, 0-1, 65, 3-4	0.2	2	2	0	1	1	11	0.00
Texas	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	NP	ERA
Gore	6.0	2	0	0	1	7	100	4.26
Wiles	1.0	0	0	0	0	2	13	5.80
Silseth	1.0	0	0	0	1	1	14	2.72
Latz	1.0	0	0	1	1	2	24	1.71
Alexander, W, 4-2	1.0	1	1	0	0	2	23	3.23

T: 3:06. A: 29,309 (40,000).

Padres 6, Twins 2

Minnesota	AB	R	H	BI	BB	SO	Avg
Kesschull rf	4	0	1	0	0	1	272
Buxton cf	4	1	0	0	0	1	254
Bell dh	3	1	0	0	0	1	257
Jeffer c	3	0	0	0	0	0	279
Clemens 2b	3	0	1	2	0	1	282
Lewis 1b	3	0	0	0	0	0	238
Lantuch f	3	0	0	0	0	1	266
Lee 3b	3	0	0	0	0	0	242
Culpepper ss	3	0	0	0	0	2	289
Totals	29	2	2	2	0	7

San Diego	AB	R	H	BI	BB	SO	Avg
Tatis rf	4	1	3	1	0	0	284
Rengifo dh	4	1	2	1	0	0	247
Machado 3b	4	1	2	1	0	0	217
France 1b	1	1	1	3	2	0	293
Merrill cf	4	0	0	0	0	3	238
Bogaerts ss	4	0	0	0	0	2	218
Hays f	4	1	1	0	0	2	238
Fermin c	3	0	0	0	0	1	191
Cronenworth 2b	1	1	0	0	2	1	224
Totals	29	6	9	6	4	9

Minnesota	000 200 000	-2	2	0
San Diego	200 040 00x	-6	9	0
LOB: Minnesota 1, San Diego 4. 2B: Tatis (27). 3B: Clemens (6). HR: France (18), off Prieigo. RBIs: Clemens 2 (63), France 3 (55), Tatis (62), Rengifo (33), Machado (72). SF: France. Runners left in scoring position: Minnesota 1 (Lewis); San Diego 2 (Machado, Merrill). RISP: Minnesota 1 for 3; San Diego 4 for 8.

Minnesota	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	NP	ERA
Prieigo, L, 3-7	6.0	8	6	6	2	7	96	5.57
Adams	1.0	1	0	0	2	0	17	5.49
Rogers	1.0	0	0	0	0	2	11	4.82
San Diego	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	NP	ERA
Vásquez, W, 9-6	7.0	2	2	2	0	3	87	4.19
Rodriguez	1.0	0	0	0	0	1	6	2.04
Miller	1.0	0	0	0	0	3	17	0.84

T: 2:05. A: 44,293 (40,222).

Diamondbacks 9, Reds 0

Cincinnati	AB	R	H	BI	BB	SO	Avg
De La Cruz ss	4	0	0	0	0	1	257
Stewart 1b	4	0	1	0	0	1	259
Myers cf	3	0	1	0	1	0	257
Suárez dh	2	0	0	0	2	0	207
McLain 2b	4	0	0	0	0	1	198
Blodgy rf	4	0	0	0	0	3	217
Trevino c	3	0	0	0	0	0	238
Banfield c	1	0	0	0	0	1	000
Toglia f	0	0	0	0	0	0	115
Friend lf	2	0	1	0	0	0	160
Hayes 3b	3	0	1	0	0	1	155
Totals	30	0	4	0	3	8

Arizona	AB	R	H	BI	BB	SO	NP	ERA
Indoio, L, 3-3	3.1	10	6	6	2	2	91	5.04
J Garcia	2.2	0	0	0	1	0	25	2.67
Johnson	1.0	2	1	1	2	1	28	4.58
Moll	1.0	3	2	2	0	1	17	4.73

Arizona	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	NP	ERA

Rodriguez, W, 13-4	5.2	4	0	0	2	4	99	2.61

Santana	1.1	0	0	0	0	2	20	5.82
Martinez	1.0	0	0	0	1	1	20	0.00

Clarke	1.0	0	0	0	0	1	11	2.37

T: 2:49. A: 32,087 (48,359).

Auto Racing

NASCAR Craftsman Truck Team EJP 175 Lineup

After Friday qualifying; race Saturday; At New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Loudon, N.H.; Lap length: 1.06 miles

Garcia
Seattle at Dallas, 4pm

Indiana at Chicago, 7pm

Las Vegas at Toronto, 7pm

Washington at Portland, 7pm

Monday
Golden State at Minnesota, 8pm

Atlanta at Los Angeles, 10pm

Tennis
Western & Southern Open

At Lindner Family Tennis Center; Cincinnati; Purse: $7,431,076;

Surface: Hardcourt outdoor;
(seedings in parentheses)

Men's Singles - Quarterfinals

---

34

NEW YORK POST ACTION

The POST Line

MLB Saturday
Favorite	Money Line	Underdog
Blue Jays	$100-118	YANKEES
WHITE SOX	OFF	Mets
Rays	$106-124	ORIOLES
RANGERS	$125-141	Angels
ASTROS	$210-255	Athletics
Tigers	-105-109	ROYALS
BREWERS	$140-166	Braves
MARLINS	$158-188	Nationals
PHILLIES	$110-130	Cardinals
DODGERS	$210-255	Pirates
D'BACKS	OFF	Reds
Cubs	-105-109	MARINERS
RED SOX	$180-215	Giants
Guardians	$120-142	ROCKIES
PADRES	$132-156	Twins

Home team in CAPS

WNBA Saturday
Favorite	PTS (O/U)	Underdog
LIBERTY	2.5 (187.5)	Fever
SPARKS	2.5 (169.5)	Sun
Dream	5.5 (176.5)	MERCURY

NFL Preseason

Saturday
Favorite	PTS (O/U)	Underdog
Giants	3.5 (36.5)	DOLPHINS
LIONS	1.5 (36.5)	Commanders
BROWNS	3 (36.5)	Bills
COLTS	3.5 (36.5)	Falcons
VIKINGS	3.5 (36.5)	Ravens
Saints	1.5 (37.5)	RAMS
Bears	1.5 (36.5)	BENGALS
Eagles	1.5 (36.5)	PATRIOTS
BUCCANEERS	5.5 (37.5)	Chiefs
CARDINALS	1.5 (37.5)	Cowboys
Sunday
Favorite	PTS (O/U)	Underdog
TITANS	4.5 (38.5)	Seahawks

College Football

Saturday
Favorite	PTS (O/U)	Underdog
*Tcu	7.5 (47.5)	North Carolina
USC	38.5 (60.5)	San Jose State
VIRGINIA	5.5 (53.5)	Nc State
STANFORD	5.5 (49.5)	Hawaii
FLORIDA STATE	31.5 (53.5)	New Mexico St.
UNLV	5.5 (56.5)	Memphis
*Dublin, Ireland

STITCHES

Bombers, Ryan ground Jays

It's all over. No, not for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle; the Islanders' third jersey contest. After looking at more than 80,000 designs, the "Navy Lighthouse" was selected as the winner. Quite disappointing. I thought my entry, the classic blue jersey with the bright orange construction cone, really captured the spirit of Long Island.

The injury-riddled Yankees host the soaring Blue Jays. Toronto's Dylan Cease has come back to earth after one-hitting the Giants at Frisco and the Red Sox at

Fenway in July. Cease has allowed five runs in his last 11 innings. The Yankees' Ryan Weathers weathered some stormy starts earlier this season, but he's given up just three runs over his last 31 2/3 innings. Play $50 on the Yankees.

We bet on the worst team in baseball. And they played like it. J.T. Ginn gave up three runs, the A's had just three hits and they lost to the Astros 4-0. Pass the gin. Down -478 joerudis.

stitches@nypost.com

MMA

UFC Fight Night: Hernandez vs. Rodrigues, Saturday in Sacramento, Calif.

NAME	ODDS	NAME	ODDS	NAME	ODDS
Anthony Hernandez	-225	Carli Judice	-575	Chris Padilla	-110
vs. Gregory Rodrigues	+185	vs. Jeisla Chaves	+425	vs. Nasrat Haqparast	-110
Serghei Spivac	+136	Anthony Wint	-900	Marcio Barbosa	-750
vs. Vitor Petrino	-162	vs. Terrance Chatman	+600	vs. Ryan Kuse	+525
Reiner de Ridder	-380	Jamali Emmery	+310	Gauge Young	-166
vs. Roman Dolidze	+300	vs. Lerryan Douglas	-395	vs. Stan Dorsainvil	+140
Marquel Mederos	+275	Kennedy Nzechukwu	+110	Wes Schultz	+150
vs. Mason Jones	-345	vs. Shamil Gaziev	-130	vs. Jackson McVey	-180

PFL: Cyborg vs. Vieira, Saturday in Tampa, Fla.

NAME	ODDS	NAME	ODDS	NAME	ODDS
Cris Cyborg	-395	Luke Trainer	-410	Mossar Ibragimov	+200
vs. Ketlen Vieira	+310	vs. Roland Dunlap	+320	vs. Javid Basharat	-245
Gadzhi Rabadanov	-4000	Marcirley Alves	-198	Dakota Bush	-198
vs. Tracy Reeder	16/1	vs. Nkosi Ndebele	+164	vs. Morquez Forest	+164
Taila Santos	-148	Magomed Magomedov	+142	Natan Schulte	+140
vs. Sabrina de Sousa	+124	vs. Daniel Marcos	-170	vs. Makkasharip Zaynukov	-166

TOP PLAY

Giants to continue their destruction of Dolphins

By DYLAN SVOBODA

The Giants and Dolphins already got plenty of work against each other during Thursday's physical joint practice, which could make Saturday's preseason matchup a snooze fest with a bunch of backups taking the field.

John Harbaugh indicated after the workout that few, if any, Giants starters will see the field after getting a ton of reps against Miami on Thursday.

"Certain guys, I'm sure, got enough work," Harbaugh said.

That should include Jaxson Dart, who took all of the first-team reps Thursday and helped the Giants dominate practice on both sides of the ball.

The Giants pass rush was particularly impressive, overwhelming Miami's offensive line and producing more than six unofficial sacks.

Harbaugh called the performance "ferocious," though he quickly added that his defense still has to prove it in a game.

The Dolphins could have an even bigger problem once the starters leave.

Backup quarterback Quinn Ewers is

dealing with a groin injury suffered in last week's 20-7 loss to Washington and is unlikely to play.

His injury forced Miami to bring back Mark Gronowski, who had been waived earlier this month.

JOHN HARBAUGH

It also remains unclear how much starter Malik Willis will play, if at all, after he handled the first-team work during Thursday's joint practice. If Willis is held out or only gets a short cameo, the Dolphins could be forced to give most of their quarterback snaps to Cam Miller and Gronowski. Miller was brutal in the preseason opener, completing just three of 11 passes and throwing two interceptions, while Gronowski is still getting his feet back under him after rejoining the Dolphins roster.

As Harbaugh indicated, the Giants won't have most of their starters either, but

they should have the most trustworthy quarterback on the field for much of the afternoon.

I'll take James Winston over Miller or Gronowski.

THE PLAY: Giants -3.5 (-110, FanDuel).

Pitching Form

	(Game time)	2026		'26 vs OPP		CAREER		LAST 3 STARTS
		W-L	ERA	*REC	W-L	ERA	W-L	W-L	ERA
Blue Jays	Cease (R)	7-5	2.42	14-9	0-1	5.56	1-3	0-0	18.1
Yankees	Weathers (L)	5-7	3.56	13-11	0-1	6.35	1-1	1-0	19.0
Mets	Scott (R)	4-3	3.51	13-5	—	—	—	1-0	15.1
White Sox	Castillo (R)	4-9	4.99	7-13	—	—	2-1	1-0	15.2
Cubs	Peterson (L)	7-7	5.29	8-8	—	—	0-0	1-0	16.1
Mariners	Woo (R)	9-8	4.10	12-12	—	—	—	2-0	18.0
Giants	Tidwell (R)	0-0	4.33	0-3	0-0	0.00	0-0	0-0	15.0
Red Sox	Sandoval (L)	1-2	4.76	5-2	0-0	0.00	0-1	1-2	15.0
Guardians	Biber (R)	4-13	4.01	7-19	0-0	0.00	1-0	0-2	18.0
Rockies	Hughes (R)	0-4	6.69	1-6	0-0	0.00	0-0	0-1	13.1
Twins	Kremer (R)	2-4	5.40	4-6	0-0	0.00	0-2	1-0	17.1
Padres	Alize (R)	5-7	3.18	7-12	0-1	10.38	4-5	1-1	15.1
Angels	Johnson (R)	2-7	6.41	4-8	0-0	2.08	0-0	0-1	14.1
Rangers	Bradford (L)	0-1	2.94	1-2	0-1	3.86	1-2	0-1	15.1
Rays	McClanahan (L)	9-6	3.25	13-8	1-0	4.61	7-0	1-0	11.1
Orioles	Young (R)	9-3	3.52	16-5	0-0	9.00	0-0	1-1	14.1
Athletics	Lopez (L)	5-4	5.22	7-10	0-0	6.59	4-2	0-0	18.0
Astros	Brown (R)	3-3	3.67	6-7	0-0	0.00	3-1	0-2	16.0
Tigers	Anderson (R)	4-4	4.01	2-3	1-0	18.90	1-0	0-0	12.2
Royals	Wacha (R)	6-8	3.58	8-17	1-0	1.29	3-3	1-0	17.1
Braves	Elder (R)	8-7	3.92	14-10	0-1	12.00	2-2	1-1	18.0
Browers	Henderson (R)	7-2	2.70	9-3	0-0	0.00	0-0	2-1	19.1
Nationals	Irvin (R)	2-7	5.80	7-8	0-1	5.40	1-1	0-2	14.2
Marlins	Pérez (R)	6-9	3.23	10-12	0-1	7.24	1-1	1-1	18.0
Cardinals	Mathews (L)	0-1	3.00	1-1	0-0	0.00	0-0	0-1	9.0
Phillies	Painter (R)	2-8	6.43	5-11	1-0	3.38	1-0	1-0	14.1
Pirates	Jones (R)	2-5	4.78	6-8	0-0	4.50	1-0	0-3	12.0
Dodgers	Skubal (L)	7-7	2.85	10-9	0-0	0.00	3-0	0-2	17.0
Reds	Lowder (R)	4-8	5.17	9-10	0-0	1.59	0-0	1-1	18.0
D'backs	Soroka (R)	8-3	2.94	10-7	0-0	1.29	1-2	0-0	11.0

• REC: Won-lost record of pitcher's team in games he has started.

---

NEW YORK POST ACTION

Home Team Lineups		HOME	AWAY
	TODAY Aug. 22	SUN Aug. 23	MON Aug. 24	TUE Aug. 25	WED Aug. 26
	Toronto 1:35 YES 660 AM	Toronto 1:35 YES 660 AM 101.9 FM	NO GAME	Houston 7:05 YES 660 AM 101.9 FM	Houston 7:05 Prime Video 660 AM 101.9 FM
	White Sox 7:10 SNY 800 AM	White Sox 2:10 SNY 800 AM	NO GAME	Milwaukee 7:10 SNY 800 AM	Milwaukee 7:10 SNY 800 AM
	Indiana 7:00 Prime Video	NO GAME	NO GAME	NO GAME	NO GAME
Today		Friday
	Preseason: Miami 4:00 WNBC 4 101.9 FM			Preseason: Giants 7:30 WCBS 2 104.3 FM
Today		Sunday		Sunday
	Chicago Fire 7:30 Apple TV		New England Revolution 4:30 Apple TV		Angel City FC 8:00 ION

SPORTS SHORTS

NHL: Rangers ink deal with blueliner Iorio

The Rangers added to their depth at defenseman by signing 23-year old Vincent Iorio to a one-year deal. The 6-foot-4, 220-pound defenseman played six games last season and registered no points after being claimed off waivers on Jan. 1 from the Sharks.

MLB: Misiorowski outduels Sale in Brewers win

Jacob Misiorowski threw six shutout innings to out-duct Chris Sale and William Contreras went 4-for-4 as the Brewers defeated the Braves 2-1 on Friday in Milwaukee. Misiorowski (13-5) struck out six while allowing four hits and two walks.

● In Boston, Willson Contreras hit a three-run home run and the Red Sox held off the Giants 6-4 in the Fenway Park return of Rafael Devers, who received a mix of cheers and boos from the crowd.

● In Philadelphia, Alec Bohm tripled to deep center field in the 10th inning, driving in two runs as the Phillies beat the Cardinals 7-6.

NBA: Veteran DeRozan lands with Nuggets

DeMar DeRozan is headed to Denver. The six-time NBA All-Star intends to sign a deal with the Nuggets, according to insider Chris Haynes.

Haynes added that DeRozan "has been in conversations with Nikola Jokic, Aaron Gordon and Jamal Murray and is anxious for the opportunity to play for a contending team." ESPN's Shams Charania reported that the deal is for one year at $3.9 million.

BOXING: Fury unloads thoughts of non-bout

The on-again, off-again Tyson Fury-Anthony Joshua fight is taking another bizarre twist.

Fury posted on social media that his scheduled fight with Joshua is now being called off because of Joshua's promoter, Matchroom's Eddie Hearn, whom he called "money-thirsty pieces of s-t."

GOLF: Clark builds 1-shot lead at BMW

Wyndham Clark made it through another bogey-free round at Bellerive, posting a second straight 6-under 64 to build a one-shot lead over Gary Woodland going into the weekend at the BMW Championship in St. Louis.

● Richard T. Lee of Canada moved in front of LIV Golf Indianapolis after 36 holes thanks to his second-round, 4-under-par 66 on Friday at The Club at Chatham Hills in Westfield, Ind.

ODDS & ENDS

NFL Saturday Giants at Dolphins odds and props
FULL-GAME MONEYLINE	ODDS
Giants	-170
Dolphins	+142
GIANTS TEAM TOTAL	ODDS
Over 19.5	-122
Under 19.5	-109
DOLPHINS TEAM TOTAL	ODDS
Over 16.5	-125
Under 16.5	-107
WINNING MARGIN	ODDS
Giants by 1-6	+215
Giants by 7-12	+360
Giants by 13-18	+500
Giants by 19-24	11/1
Giants by 25-30	29/1
Giants by 31+	45/1
Dolphins by 1-6	+300
Dolphins by 7-12	+500
Dolphins by 13-18	11/1
Dolphins by 19-24	30/1
Dolphins by 25-30	45/1
Dolphins by 31+	45/1
RACE TO 20 POINTS	ODDS
Giants	+133
Neither	+184
Dolphins	+230
RACE TO 30 POINTS	ODDS
Neither	-480
Giants	+475
Dolphins	10/1
TOTAL FIELD GOALS	ODDS
Over 3.5	+135
Under 3.5	-182

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL Favorites to win 2026 FIBA World Cup
TEAM	ODDS
USA	-400
France	+900
Belgium	+900
Australia	14/1
China	20/1
Germany	28/1
Spain	33/1
Japan	100/1
Nigeria	100/1
Italy	100/1
Turkey	125/1
Korea Republic	200/1
Mali	300/1
Puerto Rico	300/1
Hungary	500/1
Czech Republic	500/1

BOXING WBA welterweight championship Saturday, Las Vegas
FIGHTER	ODDS
Teoflimo Lopez	-275
Rolando "Bally" Romero (champion)	+200

BET SMART

THIS WON'T BE EASY, MANN!: With Arch Manning (above) at quarterback, Texas is a top-three choice to win the national title. But Michael Leboff points to a loaded schedule as a reason to take +150 on the Longhorns to miss the Playoff.

By MICHAEL LEBOFF

Arch Manning and Texas were a disappointment in 2025. There's no getting around that.

That's only part of the story because if you were paying attention after everybody else abandoned the Hook 'Em bandwagon after a loss to Florida in early October, you would have been encouraged with what you saw.

Manning was one of the best quarterbacks in college football down the stretch, and the Longhorns ended their campaigns with seven wins from eight, including triumphs over Oklahoma, Vanderbilt, Texas A&M and Michigan.

There was reason to be excited about what was to come from Texas, especially with Manning returning.

Optimism grew further when Steve Sarkisian was able to recruit two terrific tailbacks, Arizona State's Raleek Brown and N.C. State's Hollywood Smothers, from the portal. Cam Coleman, one of the nation's most exciting wide receivers, also joined the party.

There is tremendous upside in Austin once again. The oddsmakers have taken note, as the Longhorns (+300) are essentially co-favorites with Georgia (+280) to win the SEC, and they're tied with Indiana as the third choice to win the national championship at +750.

But the problem is the same as it was last year. The Longhorns will need to be pretty close to perfect to make the College Football Playoff, as they have an ab-

solute beast of a schedule to deal with this season.

By Halloween, Texas will have hosted Ohio State, Ole Miss and Florida as well as visited Tennessee and Oklahoma, all of that ahead of their trip to LSU in November and their season finale at Kyle Field against Texas A&M.

Overall, ESPN ranks Texas' strength of schedule as the third toughest in the country, trailing only Arkansas and Oklahoma. There's the break when you bolt the relatively friendly confines of the Big 12 for the SEC.

With Manning running the show and a program that has become one of the sport's biggest headliners, it's pretty easy to see how the Longhorns become overvalued in the betting market.

They were considered one of the favorites to win the national championship last season and are right back at the top of the board despite a disappointing 2025 campaign and a brutal path one year later.

They may be one of the best teams in the country, and Manning may be one of the elite quarterbacks in college football, but that doesn't mean they're a shoo-in to get to the Playoff in this day and age.

I think it's pretty close to a coin flip whether Manning and the Longhorns get into the dance, so at plus-money, the value is there to fade the Longhorns once again.

Recommendation: Texas to miss the College Football Playoff (+150, bet365).

35

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36 Nov York Post, Saturday, August 22, 2026 nypost.com

NEW YORK POST ACTION

Post Time: 12:45 p.m. vcangialosi@nypost.com

Saratoga

Analysis by Vic Cangialosi

Lock of the Day

Segesta (10th) Lock Record: 15 for 31 (48%) Meet Record: 81/323 $521.12

Saratoga Results

FIRST-1/3/16 miles; $139,000; alw; 4up 1 Tz Dohng (Cellino) 4.42 2.88 2 Carson's Run (Davis) 4.98 Scc: Sara's Shaman, Over and Ollie, Wymstock, Otello, Right to Vote ● $1 Exacta (1-2) $13.95

SECOND-1 mile; $110,000; alw; 3up 5 Dr. Kraft (Prat) 4.72 3.36 2.48 6 Concord Sprt (Crmouchi) 5.84 3.72 4 Shadow Dragon (Ortiz) 3.34 Scc: Whittington Park ● $1 Daily Double (1-5) $6.07 ● $1 Exacta (5-6) $13.34 ● $1 Quinella (5-6) $7.88 ● $0.1 Superfecta (5-6-4-7) $21.15 ● $0.5 Trifecta (5-6-6) $20.15 ● $1 Consolation Double (1-5) $1.96

THIRD-1 mile; $115,000; mdn; 3up (f&m) 2 Jadortia (Debte) 7.28 3.26 2.62 7 Hypnotica (Prat) 4.14 3.32 5 Full of Tact (Lezcano) 6.26 ● $1 Consolation Pick 1 (1-3-2) $5.99 ● $1 Pick 1 (1-5-2) $16.76 ● $1 Daily Double (5-2) $10.02 ● $1 Exacta (2-7) $14.16 ● $0.1 Superfecta (2-7-5-3) $18.81 ● $0.5 Trifecta (2-7-5) $37.34

FOURTH-1 hr; $55,000; clm($35,000); 3up 1 Noh Ptts (Crmuch) 12.54 5.24 2.74 2 Tartaball (Saez) 4.68 2.80 2 Island Town (Ortiz) 2.26 Scc: Hot Property (L) 4.12 4.12 ● $1 Pick 1 (1-5-2) $50.97 ● $1 Daily Double (2-1) $18.04 ● $1 Exacta (1-3) $22.10 ● $1 Quinella (1-2) $14.16 ● $0.1 Superfecta (1-3-2) $23.04 ● $0.5 Trifecta (1-3-2) $25.04

FIFTH-5/1 hr; $115,000; mdn; 3up (f&m) 2 Jadortia (Debte) 7.28 3.26 2.62 7 Hypnotica (Prat) 4.14 3.32 5 Full of Tact (Lezcano) 6.26 ● $1 Consolation Pick 1 (1-3-2) $5.99 ● $1 Pick 1 (1-5-2) $16.76 ● $1 Daily Double (5-2) $10.02 ● $1 Exacta (2-7) $14.16 ● $0.1 Superfecta (2-7-5-3) $18.81 ● $0.5 Trifecta (2-7-5) $37.34

SIXTH-1/1/16 miles; $115,000; mdn; 2YO F 3 Golden Sren (Ortiz) 7.56 4.02 3.00 6 Doves and Hawks (Prat) 4.76 3.52 1 Belmont Street (Velazquez) 6.22 Scc: Get My Good Side, Hunter Creek, Kesh, Superior Returns, Funny Words, Bluegrass Princess, Revenge of the Six, Marple's Girl ● $1 Pick 1 (1-7-3) $79.86 ● $1 Daily Double (7-3) $80.68 ● $1 Exacta (3-6) $15.61 ● $0.1 Superfecta (3-6-1-2) $61.84 ● $0.5 Trifecta (3-6-1) $68.40

Winner picked by Vic C SEVENTH-1 mile; 1 hr; $125,000; alw; 3up 6 Georg Mpc (Prince) 3.94 2.54 2.24 4 Render Judgment (Ortiz) 4.20 3.32 8 Cooke Creek (Santana, Jr.) 6.90 Scc: Urban Planner, To Daddy ● $1 Pick 1 (1-3-6) $200.02 ● $0.5 Pick 4 (1-7-3) $557.97 ● $0.5 Pick 5 (2-1-7-3) $1524.80 ● $1 Daily Double (3-6) $9.81 ● $1 Exacta (4-6) $21.04 ● $0.1 Superfecta (3-6-1-2) $61.84 ● $0.5 Trifecta (3-6-1) $68.40

EIGHTH-5/1 hr; $120,000; alw; 3up (f&m) 3 Bute's Phoot (Ortiz) 3.18 2.18 2.10 4 Ratu Jawa (Bridgmohan) 7.00 4.60 7 Only for Now (Prance) 4.44 Scc: Editivids, Liff Regard, Meg's Foxy Grey, Roman Grant, Toadore, Army Girl ● $1 Pick 1 (1-3-2) $15.74 ● $1 Daily Double (6-2) $14.16 ● $1 Exacta (3-6) $8.10 ● $0.1 Superfecta (3-6-7-6) $10.85 ● $0.5 Trifecta (3-6-7) $17.34

Winner picked by Vic C (Lock) NINTH-1 1/4 miles; $200,000; Fleet Indian; 3Y 4 Iron Orchid (Ortiz) 5.20 3.28 2.44 5 Lady Rose (Lezcano) 5.08 3.14 3 Venetta (Carmouche) 2.30 Scc: Hot Currency ● $1 Grand Slam (1/3) 6.45/9.17 ● $1 Daily Double (5-6) $11.34 ● $1 Quinella (5-6) $7.88 ● $0.1 Superfecta (5-6-4-7) $21.15 ● $0.5 Trifecta (5-6-6) $20.15 ● $1 Consolation Double (1-5) $1.96

1 mile; $100,000; mdn; 3up Alabama Day at Saratoga 12 races including the Grade 2 Ballston Spa...Linda Rice's MODEST MACLEAN and Bruce Levine's RUBSTER both lost by a neck earlier in the most. Modest Maclean gets another furlong and a rider change to J Ortiz. JUST TIPSY is 0 for 4 after finishing 4th behind top pick. Gaffalione rides for Antonucci.

PN Horse Wt.	Jockey	Last 3	Trainer	Odds
1 Teuflesdale(L),121	J Lezcano	4-6-4	James Bond	15-1
2 Imperial Anthem(L),121	J Castellano	10-9-4	Englehart	20-1
3 Just Tipsy(L),121	T Gaffalione	4-7-3	Antonucci	10-1
4 Big Prick(L),121	M Franco	5-2-9	Pletcher	8-1
5 Uncle Barrie(L),126	C Gonzalez	6-2-10	Metivier	50-1
6 Modest Maclean(L),121	J Ortiz	2-4-4	Rice	8-5
7 Bubster(L),121	R Santana, Jr	2-5-4	Levine	2-1
8 Term Premium(L),121	F Prat	4-2-4	C Brown	7-2

2 1/3/8 miles(T); $125,000; alw; 3up Three turns on the turf. Class relief for ASHURY PARK. Last of 9 in the Grade 1 Turf Classic at Churchill racing off the layoff. Won the Jockey Club Derby at this distance prior to the break. Trained by Chad Brown who can run 1-2 with ARKHIPOV. Stretched to this distance and finished a fast closing 2nd. Winner 2 of previous 3. SARDIS is 2 for 23 but 2nd best at this distance as well. MUTAAMIB is 2 for 4 at the distance after winning by a neck, then losing by a nose. Irad replaces Prat who stays on Arkhipov. PN Horse Wt. Jockey Last 3 Trainer Odds

1 Rothschild(L),126	L Saez	5-9-3	Casse	5-1
2 L'Imperator(FR)(L),119	T Kingsley	4-2-3	Kingsley	15-1
3 Mutaawid(L),126	I Ortiz, Jr	2-1-5	Cox	7-2
4 Asbury Park(GB)(L),126	M Franco	9-1-3	C Brown	2-1
5 Sardis(L),126	J Ortiz	2-3-5	Asntamaci	6-1
6 The Hidden Chamber(L),126	T Gaffalione	5-6-11	Danner	8-1
7 Arkhipov(L),126	F Prat	2-1-4	C Brown	3-1

3 1/2/2 fur; $115,000; mdn; 2YO Two-year-olds. POWERLINK has a race under him. Ran evenly for 2nd. Asmucian gives him more ground to work with. Gets J Ortiz to ride. Edge over first-time starters ART MUSEUM (Brown/Prat/Into Mischief), LOUDEN (Mott/Lezcano/Gun Runner) and BARREL ROLL (Brown/Franco/Gun Runner).

PN Horse Wt.	Jockey	Last 3	Trainer	Odds
1 Powerline,123	J Ortiz	2-4-4	Asmucian	8-5
2 Louden,123	J Lezcano	4-4-4	Mott	10-1
3 Got Tough,123	R Santana, Jr	3-4-4	LaRose	8-1
4 Barrel Roll,123	M Franco	4-4-4	C Brown	8-1
5 Pass On By,123	D Davis	4-4-4	McGaughey III	15-1
6 American History,123	J Velazquez	4-4-4	Pletcher	10-1
7 Shocked,123	L Saez	4-4-4	Tagg	12-1
8 Art Museum,123	F Prat	4-4-4	C Brown	4-1
9 No Time to Lose,123	J Castellano	4-4-4	McPeeck	6-1

4 5/1/2 fur(T); $58,000; clm($40,000); 3up(f) The switch to the grass went well for AMERICAN EXPRESSION. Powered off the pace to graduate. Well spotted, same distance. SUNSHINE LILY MTG. CALL ME JAL makes turf debut for Ferraro after going 1 for 7 on dirt. 3rd best last start, Using the wildcard/longshot-in exotics with Rice's FIVE DOZEN ROSES. Loads off a maiden breaker as well (8th start).

PN Horse Wt.	Jockey	Last 3	Trainer	Odds
1 Americanexpressions(L),122	R Santana, Jr	1-3-4	Antonucci	2-1
2 Heads in Beds(FR)(L),126	M Franco	6-1-4	Joseph	3-1
3 Give Her Another(L),126	T Gaffalione	3-3-5	Potts	10-1
4 Fifi La Fume(L),126	J Lezcano	7-5-4	Rodriguez	15-1
5 Leslie's Star(L),126	K Davis	8-8-4	Potts	12-1
6 Five Dozen Roses(L),126	D Davis	1-2-4	Rice	9-2
7 Call Me Jail(L),122	R Gutierrez	3-5-1	Ferraro	30-1
8 DivineIntervention(L),126	J Ortiz	5-5-5	Asmucian	6-1
9 Paynterpretty(L),122	K Carmouche	1-5-2	Schultz	8-1
10 So Vain(L),122	Rider TBA	3-6-1	Nevin	8-1
11 Amelia's Echo(L),126	Rider TBA	5-4-2	Asntamaci	7-2
12 Sunshine Lily(L),126	C Elliott	5-6-2	DiPrima	3-1
13 Tralee Girl(L),126	M Franco	10-8-1	Rice	6-1

5 1/1/16 miles(T); $62,000; mdn clm($55,000); 3up(f) Buried deep on the AE list. MAJESTIC MOONLIGHT may not run. If she drows it, we're in. Fell to this height and missed by a diminishing neck. LIL TIPSY Board hitter last 3 moves forward if we're off turf. OUTRO was 5th, a couple of lengths back of top pick. Lezcano subs for J Ortiz. Stays on U VICKY who moves lower after turning in 4th of 8.

PN Horse Wt.	Jockey	Last 3	Trainer	Odds
1 Private Property(IRE)(L),118	K Carmouche	8-2-4	Nevin	4-1
2 River Empress(L),121	L Saez	6-9-4	Giddings	10-1
3 Madeline's Agenda(L),121	M Franco	7-8-4	Abreu	6-1

4 Outro(L),121	J Lezcano	5-2-5	Rodriguez	8-1
5 Just Tell Anne(L),121	D Davis	4-4-5	Handal	5-1
6 U Vicky(L),121	J Ortiz	4-5-3	Schultz	6-1
7 Raging Bloom(L),121	C Elliott	8-5-6	McPeeck	15-1
8 Or Glick(L),126	T Gaffalione	5-5-6	C Brown	8-1
9 Nefil(L),121	D Rivera	3-2-6	Barrera III	10-1
10 Loveorther/Ifbank(L),126	F Prat	6-3-3	Clement	7-2
11 Devilish Grin(L),121	M Franco	3-6-2	Green	6-1
12 Lose the Blues(L),121	R Santana, Jr	8-4-4	Pletcher	10-1
13 Key Actress(L),126	J Lezcano	4-6-3	Rice	8-1
14 Tavern (S&I)(L),121	S Prat	4-7-7	Ashley	50-1
15 Majestic Moonlight(L),121	J Castellano	2-5-3	Abreu	6-1
16 Lil Tipsy(L),121	Rider TBA	3-3-2	Rice	2-1

6 6/1/2 fur; $115,000; mdn; 2YO(f) A wide open baby race. We will take the debuting VERY CLEVER. Brad Cox trains for Godolphin, lead on the Curlin filly. KEY COLONY BEACH caught a sloppy track and finished a length short in her opener. Can move forward for Fawkes, Franco or; blinkers on. KEIM (Godolphin/Mott/Lezcano/Union Rags). FOREVER CARINA (Brown/J Ortiz/Gun Runner) and ABOVE ALL ODDS (Pletcher/Johmy V/Munnings) are dangerous debuters. PN Horse Wt. Jockey Last 3 Trainer Odds

1 Classic Nora,123	F Prat	4-4-4	C Brown	12-1
2 Coastal Conflict,123	T Gaffalione	4-4-4	McGaughey III	15-1
3 Lucerna,123	K Carmouche	3-4-4	Mott	8-1
4 Key Colony Beach,123	M Franco	2-4-4	Fawkes	7-2
5 Forever Carina,123	J Ortiz	4-4-4	C Brown	4-1
6 Kesh,123	J Lezcano	4-4-4	Mott	20-1
7 White Truffles,123	R Santana, Jr	4-4-4	Pletcher	15-1
8 Mysticious,123	L Saez	2-4-4	Brisset	6-1
9 Above All Odds,123	J Velazquez	4-4-4	Pletcher	6-1
10 Sparky's Delight,123	D Davis	4-4-4	Antonucci	20-1
11 Very Clever,123	I Ortiz, Jr	4-4-4	Cox	5-1

7 6 fur; $130,000; alw; 4up GUINMETAL won by a neck before shipping from Churchill. Johnny V picks him up for Amelia Green. Now 3 for 4 at this distance. The bus was to SACROSANCT who is also 3 for 4 racing 6 panels. He's run twice since, finishing 2nd, then 3rd. NAKATOMI traveled to Dubai and finished a too late 5th in a Group 1 in March. In the money 13 of previous 16 at this distance. Ward gets Gaffalione back. ACOUSTIC AVE was a strong 3rd in the longer Merrissey. 5th behind Sacrosanct previously. PN Horse Wt. Jockey Last 3 Trainer Odds

1 Bold Journey(L),123	J Ortiz	11-3-7	Mott	10-1
2 Cat On Time(L),123	L Saez	5-1-1	Jacobson	9-2
3 Tarantino(L),123	R Santana, Jr	6-6-1	Jacobson	15-1
4 Acoustic Ave(L),123	J Lezcano	3-5-4	Rice	8-1
5 Over and Ollie(L),123	F Prat	2-2-7	R Dutrow	6-1
6 Nakatomi(L),123	T Gaffalione	9-3-3	Ward	7-2
7 Gunmetal(L),123	J Velazquez	1-3-5	Green	9-2
8 Sacrosanct(L),123	M Franco	3-2-1	Rice	5-2

8 5/1/2 fur(T); $105,000; alw; 3up(f) Going to TUTHILLTOWN. Scored 2 back, then a 1/2 length short next out. Another try, same level/distance. LIGHTNING STRIKE led, settled for 2nd. Tightens a furlong if we're off turf. SHIELD (Aldyack 7th at 25-1. Raced wide. Offers exotics value leaving from the hedge. EMERGENCY HINE moved lower and won handily at 2nd asking here in July. Competitively spotted. FAIRY GODMOTHER was 3rd behind Tuthilltown. PN Horse Wt. Jockey Last 3 Trainer Odds

1 Sinead(L),126	J Castellano	7-5-7	Abreu	20-1
2 Juliet On Approach(L),126	L Saez	6-11-5	Begg	30-1
3 Arinata(M),122	J Ortiz	2-1-4	Rice	6-1
4 Moonlight Ready(L),126	D Rivera	10-1-5	Baker	8-1
5 Vernon Valley(L),122	T Gaffalione	8-6-4	Mott	12-1
6 Fairy Godmother(L),122	F Prat	3-6-1	Handal	6-1
7 Scorch(L),122	J Lezcano	2-5-1	Abreu	15-1
8 Dancingwithdestiny(L),122	K Davis	4-2-5	Dini	6-1
9 Maria Callas(L),122	M Franco	3-5-1	C Brown	5-1
10 Kasterkill(R),122	O Hirodz Mreno	10-7-8	Dunham	50-1
11 Tuthilltown(L),122	D Davis	2-1-6	Miceli	4-1
12 Emergency Nine(L),122	R Santana, Jr	1-6-4	Clement	6-1
13 Miss Jane Hathaway(L),122	Rider TBA	12-3-4	Ferraro	6-1
14 Lightning Strike(L),126	M Franco	2-5-1	Clement	7-5

9 1 mile; $120,000; alw; 3up SILVER TALENT kicked late and checked in 3rd racing 7/8th. Graduated by 3+ lengths at this longer distance previously. Rebounds for Chad Brown; blinkers on. STIMULATE stretched to 7 furlongs and won at 2nd asking for Mott. Can he get another furlong? J Ortiz will be the 1st to

know. FACT closed to within a neck with comparable company. 1 for 2 at this longer distance. Rider change to Gaffalione. WILLHITORISKITALL won from off the pace here last month. 1 for 10 at this longer distance.

PN Horse Wt.	Jockey	Last 3	Trainer	Odds
1. Filoso(L),126	K Carmouche	2-9-7	Summers	20-1
2. Willintoriskitall(L),126	J Velazquez	1-3-4	R Dutrow	8-1
3. Cocktailhistringle(L),126	R Santana, Jr	1-2-3	Schauer	15-1
4. Freddie B(L),121	C Elliott	3-1-4	McPeeck	6-1
5. Stimulate(L),121	J Ortiz	1-5-4	Mott	5-2
6. Silver Talent(L),121	F Prat	3-1-5	C Brown	5-1
7. Enforced Agenda(M),121	J Castellano	3-1-4	Weaver	10-1
8. Fact(L),126	T Gaffalione	2-7-1	Walden	6-1
9. Playa Del Mar(L),126	M Franco	4-1-1	Rice	4-1
10. C McGriff(L),121	L Saez	1-2-6	Medina	20-1

10 1/1/16 miles(T); $300,000; Ballston Spa; 3up(f) We watched SEGESTA show the way in the Grade 1 Diana before giving way in deep stretch. Won the Jenny Wiley at this shorter distance under Prat in April. Back to business in the Ballston Spa. SCALABLE IITO. DEEP SATIN broke thru the gate, then reloaded and finished 2 lengths behind ADD ONE MORE TIME in the DeLalose. GRAVOIR rejoys off a win in the Matchmaker at Monmouth, 2 for 8 at this shorter distance.

PN Horse Wt.	Jockey	Last 3	Trainer	Odds
1. Ozara(IRE),126	D Davis	6-6-1	Clement	8-1
2. Sunlit Uplands(IRE),124	J Velazquez	4-4-4	Williams	10-1
3. Deep Satin,124	J Ortiz	6-4-8	DeVaux	5-1
4. Play With Fire,124	M Franco	2-8-2	C Brown	15-1
5. And One More Time,124	J Castellano	1-5-1	Casse	3-1
6. Segesta,126	F Prat	2-3-1	C Brown	7-5
7. Grayson,124	T Gaffalione	1-3-1	C Brown	8-1
8. Long Ago(GB),124	K Carmouche	2-2-7	Morey	12-1
9. Scalable,126	Rider TBA	4-4-10	Pletcher	4-5

11 1/4 miles; $600,000; Alabama; 3YO(f) Saratoga is the "Graveyard of Favorites," but that moniker will be put to the test in the Alabama. COUNTING STARS has won twice here this summer. The Acorn by 3+ lengths, then the Coaching Club American Oaks by a wider margin. Only question. Can she get 1 1/4 miles? Pays dimes, not dollars. MY GUNS LOADED makes debut for Chad Brown off back-to-back victories, both at the Spa, latest at a mile. APS GIRL was 3rd in the Black Eyed Susan, then 3rd again in the Monomoy Girl at Churchill. Again? Gaffalione on the longshot. PN Horse Wt. Jockey Last 3 Trainer Odds

1. Nycon,122	D Davis	6-4-2	Beckman	20-1
2. Ali Girl,122	J Velazquez	1-2-2	Mott	10-1
3. Measure,122	F Prat	3-2-6	Casse	6-1
4. My Gun's Loaded,122	M Franco	1-1-8	C Brown	3-1
5. A. P.'s Girl,122	T Gaffalione	3-3-2	Earton	12-1
6. Counting Stars,122	I Ortiz, Jr	1-1-3	Casse	1-2

12 1/3/16 miles(T); $115,000; mdn; 3up(f) Going long on the lawn in the nightcap. SECRETLY DELIGHTED finished an energetic 4th. Stretches for Cassie; 1st time lasix. MARY LOIS was 2 lengths shy racing this distance. FANGG CREEK was 3rd, a length better than top pick. Pletcher's OSMOSIS lost by a diminishing neck. Like Secretly Delighted she should relish the additional real estate. STAND THE RAIN is 0 for 7 but a close 3rd, this distance.

PN Horse Wt.	Jockey	Last 3	Trainer	Odds
1. Stand the Rain(L),126	J Ortiz	3-4-5	Clement	9-2
2. Prime Connection(L),121	J Lezcano	2-5-5	Rice	8-1
3. Home Wrecker(L),126	K Carmouche	5-2-2	Gargan	10-1
4. Fango Creek(L),121	L Saez	3-4-4	Mott	4-1
5. Secretly Delighted(M),121	J Castellano	4-4-2	Casse	3-1
6. Mary Lois(IRE)(L),121	F Prat	2-4-3	C Brown	7-2
7. Riyah Al Nil(L),121	S Bridgmohan	8-9-5	Seyler	50-1
8. Osmosis(FR)(M),121	T Gaffalione	2-5-4	Pletcher	9-2
9. Mia Sophia(L),121	R Gutierrez	6-12-7	DeLauro	50-1

PLAY OF THE DAY Mixed day. Boston Phinest ($3.18) won at a short price. Lady Rose (6-1) made a late run to get 2nd in the Fleet Indian. Palace Boss (8-1) ran off the board. Profit on the day: +$10.14. Play a $4 double using Silver Talent in Race 9 and Segesta in Race 10. And another $30 to win on Segesta. — Vic Cangialosi

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38

Warren 'excited' to pitch again

By MIKE PUMA

CHICAGO — Austin Warren thought his season was over last month and he was potentially headed to Tommy John surgery.

That made his return to the mound for the Mets on Wednesday a moment he could appreciate. The right-hander proceeded to pitch a scoreless seventh inning against the Padres with two strikeouts.

METS NOTES

"I didn't like falling behind and being in a full count with every batter," the reliever said Friday before the Mets' 6-4 loss to the White Sox at Rate Field. "But I will take the results. I am excited to be back with the guys and competing again."

Warren, who was among the team's most effective relievers in the first half, prepared for the worst after alerting the team he was dealing with forearm discomfort in July.

But an MRI exam indicated he didn't need surgery. Warren was shut down from throwing for six days and then began a gradual throwing progression that led to his return.

"I probably should have said something earlier," Warren said of the discomfort in his last few outings before his shutdown. "That's just a boneheaded mistake on my side. But I am glad the results came back the way they did and it wasn't worse. It could have been worse if I kept pitching through it."

He returned to a completely different bullpen than the one he departed, following the Aug. 3 trade deadline.

"It was definitely different walking out to the pen the first night," Warren said. "But I feel like everyone is stepping up and doing their job. That is all we can ask for right now."

► Bo Bichette started at DH and homered as interim manager Andy Green shuffles the spot following Jorge Polanco's placement on the injured list and impending season-ending ankle surgery.

"Given where we are without Polanco or a consistent DH, I think you will see that [spot] passed around a little bit more in order to refresh guys," Green said.

► Carson Benge, with his 15th homer Wednesday, joined Darryl Strawberry as the only Mets rookies in franchise history to reach that total and also steal at least 15 bases. Benge is the only MLB rookie this season with at least 15 homers and 15 stolen bases.

THE BIG TOP

Liberty looking to slow Clark & Co. as Indiana circus comes to B'klyn

By MADELINE KENNEY

The circus is coming to town Saturday. Not one with trapeze artists, acrobats and clowns, but rather the Indiana Fever, a team that's — routinely but mostly unintentionally — found itself at the center of drama this season.

The Fever have made headlines for various reasons, including on-court incidents, sideline spats, arguing with officials and literal finger-pointing.

Sophie Cunningham's remarks about transgender athletes and the resulting reaction, including planned rallies in her support, have become the latest story surrounding the team.

Mostly overshadowed by all this talk, though, is the fact that the Fever are good; really good and a joy to watch.

They're a true title contender with a lethal offense of historic proportions.

In circus speak, Caitlin Clark is the ringmaster. The third-year guard has emerged as an MVP candidate, averaging 22.4 points and a league-leading 8.3 assists.

The Fever also have the league's second-leading scorer in Kelsey Mitchell, a dynamic big in Aliyah Boston, an astute leader in coach Stephanie White and, well, a political lightning rod in Cunningham.

But if the Fever are the Ringling Bros. then the Liberty are Barnum & Bailey, and Satur-

day's game is poised to be the greatest show of the weekend.

"It's definitely going to be [like] a playoff game," Breanna Stewart said Friday. "Obviously, you know there's a lot of implications behind it."

The Fever bested the Liberty by a combined 34 points in their past two meetings, both in front of a rowdy Indiana crowd.

The Liberty have the home-court advantage this time around and are expecting a sellout at Barclays Center. More importantly, though, New York feels like it has a lot on the line.

"I don't think it's just another game, I think we can prove tomorrow that we can beat these kind of teams, that we can play our style," said Leonie Fiebich, who hopes to suit up for her first game in seven weeks. "Sometimes we let the other teams dictate how we play, so I feel like we got to go out there and show how we want to play."

That's what has happened the past two times New York played the Fever.

In both Liberty losses, Indiana pushed the pace, generated good looks from behind the arc and had New York playing on its back foot for long stretches. The Liberty fell into deficits of 20 or more points and never recovered.

Jonquel Jones views Saturday as an opportunity for the Liberty to show collective growth on defense.

"I think that [we want to prove] we can slow down a team that has such a high-powered offense," Jones said. "In our matchups with

Saturday FEVER AT LIBERTY

Jones, Fiebich plan on being back in lineup

By MADELINE KENNEY

The Liberty could be as close to full strength Saturday as they've been in more than a month.

Barring any unforeseen setbacks, Jonquel Jones and Leonie Fiebich plan to play Saturday against the Indiana Fever, the two said after Friday's practice.

Jones' status was uncertain after her tweaked left ankle caused her to miss the final three quarters of Tuesday's loss in Chicago.

But Jones said she's feeling

LIBERTY NOTES

"good" and expects to be ready for the Liberty's marquee matchup.

"I'm taped up, and of course a little bit of aggravation," Jones said, "but nothing that's crazy or that's making me feel like I can't go."

Meanwhile, Saturday could be Fiebich's first game since July 3 as she's been dealing with a nagging left foot injury.

Fiebich's workload has ramped

up in recent days and she even joined the team on its one-stop road trip to Chicago earlier this week.

Fiebich, the team's best point-of-attack defender, said she's "very excited" to return to the Liberty lineup.

"Obviously, it's been a while," Fiebich said. "So yeah, I'm just ready. I wanted to play some games ago, but medical staff kept me a little bit. So I'm just very excited to get out there."

Though the players were adamant they were going to play,

coach Chris DeMarco pumped the brakes, saying he had to double-check with the team's performance and medical staff about their readiness. The Liberty officially listed both as "questionable" on Friday.

The Liberty have been at full strength for only two games this season.

Even if Jones and Fiebich return, New York will still be without Satou Sabally, who stepped away from the team earlier this month as she continues to deal with the aftereffects of suffering her sec-

---

them this year, they've been able to kind of just really get off on us and go off on us."

Another subplot to Saturday is the potential for a political clash outside the arena.

There's a rally planned to "support Sophie," with attendees asked to bring signs and wear shirts bearing XX and XY chromosomes.

There's a counterprotest also scheduled in support of trans inclusion.

In some ways, Saturday might be the perfect encapsulation of where the WNBA is right now, where basketball might be a background to everything else around it.

"I feel like every year it's kind of gotten more and more and more not about basketball and about everything else that's going on," said Sabrina Ionescu when asked broadly about the off-court discourse surrounding the WNBA. "I think it's tough because obviously there's a lot of things that are just going on in the world and society outside of sport, but sport is so intertwined in politics and everything else that's going on and especially with everyone having a platform, you have the opportunity to voice and fight for what you believe in and sometimes that's differing opinions, and you kind of have to just accept that not everyone is gonna have the same opinion as you.

"For me, just like there's a level of respect for everyone that I have, no matter what their opinions are, they're entitled to their opinion. And I respect everyone just like as a human being and for what they stand for until there's something that's disrespectful or something that's kind of targeted that isn't right."

for marquee matchup vs. Fever

and concussion in eight months.

➤ Fiebich confirmed to German media this week that she "will definitely play" at next month's FIBA World Cup, which is being held in Berlin.

Until then, though, Fiebich said her sole focus is the Liberty.

"Obviously, I'm very much of [the mindset to] be where your feet are," Fiebich said. "Right now, I'm here. I'm gonna play tomorrow, and that's my focus. Obviously, I know World Cup's coming

up, but that's for later."

Fiebich said she's "very, very sad" for her Liberty and German teammate Sabally, who announced earlier this week that she won't be playing in the World Cup because of injury.

"I would have loved to share the court with her for Team Germany," Fiebich said. "We're sad for her, especially because she's just not feeling well. But yeah, I'm looking forward for her to get better, and then for many more games in the future."

➤ Nigerian forward Elizabeth Balogun joined the Liberty this week on a developmental contract. She replaces Marine Fauthoux, who signed a standard contract earlier this month.

DeMarco said the team is still working through what Balogun's role will be, but he lauded her 3-and-D skill set.

"She's a really good player," he said. "And not just for now, like, going forward, we want her to be part of this thing and that's why she's here."

mkenney@nypost.com

NCAA gets win in court on 5-year eligibility rule

By EDDIE PELLIS

DENVER — The NCAA notched an important win in federal court Friday over its much-disputed five-year eligibility rule, though it fell short of shutting down the last-minute shuffling threatening to upend college sports rosters with football season fast approaching.

A 2-1 decision by a panel of the U.S. 10th Circuit Court of Appeals halted, for now, a judge's order that would have granted thousands of athletes an extra season of eligibility. But it did nothing to resolve dozens of other lawsuits and court orders piling up across the country that allow players in the same situation to join teams for the upcoming season.

Virtually all these lawsuits involve players who graduated from high school in 2022, whose college eligibility ended last season and who were not included in the NCAA's controversial new rule — less than two months old — that grants most Division I athletes five years of eligibility over five years but doesn't take effect until next season.

"There's a reason we saw so many state-court lawsuits filed" after the now-paused federal court ruling that came down July 31, said Sam Ehrlich, a former lawyer who now works at Boise State and operates the College Sports Litigation Tracker. "It was a 'just in case.' They did it just in case what we just saw happen actually happened."

Among the many athletes watching this unfold and wondering where it winds up are defensive linemen — Kellan Wyatt and Stephan Daley, both members of the national championship team at Indiana last season who decided to return after the lower-court decision. So are former Ole Miss starters Dae'Quan Wright, Zxavian Harris and Wydet Williams, who won a ruling from a Louisiana state court giving them another season of eligibility even though they had signed with NFL teams this summer.

While some players hope to land back at their schools, whatever the impact on the rosters, how that works isn't at all clear in many cases. The judge in the case involving the Ole Miss players, for example, gave them a week to enter the transfer portal, which for football players is only open in January.

In appealing the state court cases, the NCAA is expected to invoke parts of Friday's ruling, which agreed with NCAA arguments that it was likely to win the case when it's heard in full — probably several months from now — and that the NCAA would suffer more harm than the players if the court didn't pause the order.

The NCAA can also take heart in an Ohio appeals court that paused a similar injunction involving Xavier basketball Filip Borovicanin and others.

But other than those two cases, Ehrlich said, judges across the country "are unanimous that the NCAA is in the wrong" on the five-year eligibility issue when it comes to the Class of 2022.

Plaintiffs' attorney Rob Shelquist issued a statement calling the appeals court ruling procedural and "not a decision on the merits of the athletes' antitrust claims."

"We are exploring every available option given the split in the panel's ruling and remain committed to fighting for these college athletes whose opportunities and eligibility have been unfairly restricted," he said.

The NCAA's chief legal officer, Scott Bearby, sent a memo to schools telling them they would not be subject to NCAA punishment for allowing any player to compete between the time the July 31 ruling came down and Friday. But he reiterated that those players are no longer eligible.

Bearby also acknowledged that the NCAA would continue to defend lawsuits around the country — a signal that the NCAA knows Friday's ruling offers no guarantees of an end to the roster chaos.

— AP

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40

DEEP INTO THE NIGHT: Bayonne's Mason Rincon smacks a solo homer in the fourth inning Friday to help New Jersey beat West Chester, Pa., 3-1 in the Little League World Series. The blast came two days after Rincon hit a walk-off homer in a 2-1 win. Littleleague.org

BLASTING OFF

By DYLAN SVOBODA

Bayonne's dream run through the Little League World Series isn't slowing down.

Behind another home run from Mason Rincon and a stellar outing from Chase Klimkowski, the New Jersey squad beat East Side Little League from West Chester, Pa., 3-1 on Friday night in Williamsport, Pa.

Bayonne broke through in the bottom of the second inning after Jett Bridges reached and AJ Tapia ripped a one-out double down the left field line.

Bridges slipped while rounding third and had to stop there, but he came home moments later on a wild pitch to give New Jersey a 1-0 lead.

Joey Dwyer then blooped a single into left field to score Tapia and extend the advantage to 2-0 over West Chester, which represents the Mid-Atlantic region.

Klimkowski made sure it held up.

"The kids played really good," coach Justin Smith told The Post. "Chase was phenomenal. Chase was the Chase that we know he

Another clutch homer helps New Jersey win again in LLWS

BAYONNE, NJ WEST CHESTER, PA

3 1

can be — he had a bad game the other day, but this was the Chase that I know he is.

... We were solid on defense as we always are, which is why we've made it this far."

West Chester put runners on second and third with one out in the fourth, but Klimkowski responded with a strikeout before inducing a sharp one-hopper to shortstop to escape the jam.

Then came Rincon's blast. Two days after crushing a walk-off home run to give Bayonne a dramatic 2-1 victory over Bridgewater, Mass., in its LLWS opener, Rincon went deep again.

He launched a solo shot to right-center field in the bottom of the fourth to stretch the lead

to 3-0, giving him home runs in each of Bayonne's first two games in Williamsport.

"He's a good player," Smith told The Post, "but he'll tell you the same thing: He can't win a game by himself. So as good as he is, we need everybody to do their job. Mason did his job. We were up 2-0 at the time, he gave us the third run, they scored a run the next inning, we were still up by two. We had that insurance run."

Rincon also homered in Bayonne's win over Port Washington to reach the Metro region final before being intentionally walked three times in the win over Darien, Conn., that gave them a spot in the Little League World Series.

West Chester finally broke through for an unearned run in the fifth and threatened for more, putting runners on second and

third with two outs.

But Klimkowski again slammed the door with a strike-out to preserve the 3-1 advantage.

He returned for the sixth and recorded one more out before his night was finished, giving a tip of the cap as he left the mound, before Gabe Garcia Jr. got the final two outs to secure the win.

Klimkowski allowed just one unearned run on six hits over 5½ innings, striking out six without issuing a walk over 86 pitches.

Bayonne finished off the final two outs to secure the 3-1 win and continue its historic first appearance in Williamsport.

The win extended the Hudson County team's winning streak to 15 games.

New Jersey will face Iowa at 1 p.m. Sunday for a spot in the U.S. winners bracket final.

dsvoboda@nypost.com

Ailing knee sidelines Skinner from Open

By ANDREW CRANE

Jannik Sinner, the 2024 U.S. Open champion who returned to the final last year, won't be in the field when the Grand Slam tournament begins in Queens later this month.

Sinner, ranked No. 1 in the world, announced in a statement Friday that he's withdrawing from the event due to a right knee injury that has kept him sidelined since winning Wimbledon last month.

He also missed the Canadian Open and the Cincinnati Open, and when Sinner withdrew from the latter, his statement said that he's "now focusing on getting ready for the U.S. Open."

But instead, Sinner will miss his first major tournament since debuting on that stage at the U.S. Open in 2019.

"Even though I have been working hard with my team and my medical staff, we have now had to make the difficult decision that I will not be able to compete at the US Open this year," Sinner wrote in a statement posted to X. "We have been back on court in Monte Carlo over the last couple of days and have [realized] that I still need more time to recover from my right knee issue. I'm obviously very sad and disappointed, as New York has a special place in my heart. I was very much looking forward to coming back and playing in the electric atmosphere in front of the great fans there."

Sinner's injury opens the door — and significantly increases the odds — for an American, such as Ben Shelton, Taylor Fritz or Frances Tiafoe, to win a Grand Slam tournament for the first time since Andy Roddick in 2023.

Fritz lost to Sinner in straight sets in the 2024 final after defeating Tiafoe in an All-American semifinal, while Shelton, just 23, has reached a pair of semifinals at the 2023 U.S. Open and 2025 Australian Open. But the Grand Slam title has been elusive for Americans for the last two-plus decades.

With Sinner out, Carlos Alcaraz becomes an overwhelming favorite to win, and Sinner's absence could clear a lane for other names to make a run — depending on how the draw shakes out.

Alcaraz was also in danger of missing the U.S. Open after sustaining a wrist injury at the Barcelona Open in April, but he announced his return with an Instagram post Thursday.

Sinner's absence caps a disappointing end to what had otherwise been a dominant calendar year, with the 25-year-old collecting a 44-3 record in singles play. He won the Indian Wells, Miami, Monte-Carlo, Madrid and Rome ATP tournaments, while also advancing to the semifinals of the Australian Open.

acrane@nypost.com

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41

G-Men determined to keep Thomas healthy

By PAUL SCHWARTZ

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — He is so important to the team and has such a troubling injury history that whenever it looks as if Andrew Thomas tweaks something it is cause for great alarm. The Giants know what life is like with him and without him and are well aware which scenario is more conducive to winning football games.

And so, when something seems amiss with Thomas, the Giants hold their collective breaths. That anxiety kicked in during Thursday's joint practice with the Dolphins, when something seemed wrong with one of Thomas' feet. It is impossible to forget Thomas going down in mid-October 2024 to a significant Lisfranc foot injury that ended that season for him.

This time? Nothing to worry about. Thomas said he is "not a huge fan" of the new cleats made for offensive linemen and so he continues to wear an older style. The problem with that

is the glue in the old shoes has a tendency to wear out. That's what happened when he tried to take on a bull rush from a Dolphins pass rusher and the bottom plate of his shoe came off. That is why he looked off-kilter.

"No injuries," he said. "I'm good."

Thomas is taking part in everything, a departure from his past summers, when physical issues limited his involvement. The Giants know how valuable he is, though, and treat him as if he is irreplaceable — which, in fact, he is. Thomas was the only healthy starting offensive lineman held out of the preseason-opening loss to the Vikings and it would be no great surprise if Thomas plays sparingly, or not at all, in Saturday's game against the Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium.

Thomas has come to realize he is not required to take every snap this time of year.

"I used to think that I needed every single preseason rep, and then last year I didn't do any of the camp and I

thought I played just fine," Thomas said.

There is nothing Thomas has to prove to new head coach John Harbaugh, who is already a big fan of the Giants' 2020 first-round draft pick.

"If he says I'm out there, I'm out there," Thomas said. "If he says I'm not, then I'm taking care of my body and trying to help the guys out there."

It looks as if the Giants actually can feel good about their depth along the offensive line. Rookie J.C. Davis, a sixth-round pick from Illinois, has been solid as the backup left tackle. Marcus Mbow is an ascending player at right tackle. Bryan Hudson was impressive filling in at center when John Michael Schmitz was in concussion protocol. With Aaron Stinnie, Jake Kubas and possibly Evan Neal and Josh Ezeudu, the Giants might possess quality backups at the guard position.

The one player they cannot be without once the games count is Thomas.

THERE'S NO HURRY: Andrew Thomas, shown after a loss to the Bengals last season, may play sparingly this preseason as the Giants know they need their offensive line star healthy for the season. Bill Kostrun

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42

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT

Harbaugh's tough Giants training camp showing signs it will pay dividends

By PAUL SCHWARTZ

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — So, you mean all the hard work might actually pay off?

Sometimes when these old-school head coaches keep their team on the field as long as possible and run practices that are more demanding and grueling than most, it is construed as some sort of ego trip for the guy in charge. Or some sort of power play — I run the team, not you. Or a my-way-or-the-highway challenge to the players — if you cannot handle this you are not cut out for this roster.

John Harbaugh is an influential head coach as there is in the NFL, as far as having a firm grip on the job he was hired to do. He spent 18 years growing and evolving but mostly doing things in Baltimore that shaped his reputation as a leader not to be trifled with. There is a John Harbaugh way of doing things and the Ravens usually believed they had an advantage because of how hard their head coach drove them. It was never easy and often wore on the players but they came out of it with far more wins than losses.

There was no 'W' or 'L' this week when the Giants traveled for a joint practice with the Dolphins amid intense heat and humidity that even the South Florida locals called oppressive. The Giants have more talent than the Dolphins and it showed in the two-hour morning session. What

was more revealing was how the Giants endured the harsh conditions. They were crisper and sharper the longer it went on and there is little doubt what Harbaugh put his team through in White Sulphur Springs, WVa., and then back at the New Jersey facility provided the callouses to harden this group.

'For sure. I ain't gonna lie, if we didn't practice as hard as we do, I don't know if we would have made it through this heat,' outside linebacker Brian Burns said. 'And the level of competition that we practiced with. I feel like us practicing as hard as we do definitely prepared us for all of this.'

This sentiment will encourage Harbaugh to keep his foot on the gas.

'I think our guys are in great shape and they had no problem with it,' he said. 'Our guys — we were strong at the end of practice. We were getting stronger through the practice. I saw that, really, from every single player on the field.'

All of this was enough to prompt Harbaugh to examine what he needs to get out of Saturday's preseason game against the Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium. Jaxson Dart was on his game in the joint practice, throwing the ball as effectively as he has all summer.

The sight of a different team did wonders for the passing game.

Left tackle Andrew Thomas

put in a full day's work in the joint practice and although it was the most sweltering day of the summer so far, the weather did not wilt the Giants because they've been put through the ringer time and time again.

'Definitely. I mean, every time we practice, it's almost two and a half hours,' Thomas said. 'We're getting after it. Harbaugh runs a tough training camp.'

Tough but fair and within the rules is the key here. In 2010 — Harbaugh's third year in Baltimore — the Ravens were forced to cancel the final week of OTA practices after six players complained to the players' union about meetings that went too late and two other players complained about being told to stay on the field too long after practice.

Harbaugh in 2016 and again in 2018 was forced to forfeit OTA practices for allowing too much contact in the spring and violating offseason workout rules.

The Giants are full speed ahead and Harbaugh is operating in accordance with what is allowed this time of year. He is on the high end of the workload spectrum, though, as always.

It is all designed to get the team ready to go now, not later. The Sept. 13 season opener against the Cowboys is approaching.

'I definitely think we're ready for Week 1,' Burns said.

Not yet, of course. Not in Harbaugh's eyes. But getting closer.

paul.schwartz@nypost.com

Three things to watch

1 What's the running back rotation look like? The addition of Najee Harris is highly intriguing for the entire position. If healthy, he will be a factor in the backfield. Where does that leave Tyrone Tracy Jr., who missed a blitz pickup in the preseason opener that got Jaxson Dart creamed? Cam Skattebo is the starter and Devin Singletary is a proven veteran. Could Tracy get caught in a squeeze here?

2 Cornerback Deonte Banks had an end-zone interception in the joint practice with the Dolphins. He has certainly flashed his talent enough this summer to warrant a roster spot. Has he done enough to supplant Greg Newsome II for a starting role? Probably not. The nickel back spot (Dru Phillips and Ar'Darius Washington) might come down to the wire.

3 The wide receiver shuffle continues: The competition for roster spots is intense and these games could end up being a determining factor. Odell Beckham Jr. in his comeback attempt keeps getting open in practice but it does not often result in receptions. Is that a big deal? Braxton Berrios seems to be pushing his way into a special teams role. Malik Nabers, Darius Slayton (because of his contract), Calvin Austin II and Malachi Fields feel like locks. Is Darnell Mooney safe? If so, where does that leave OBJ?

Giants at Dolphins Saturday, 4 p.m. Channel 4 WFAN (101.9 FM)

— Paul Schwartz

SWEAT EQUITY: A hallmark of John Harbaugh's teams in the past has been their conditioning, and these Giants seem to be no different. As Thursday's joint practice with the Dolphins wore on, the Giants remained sharp in the sweltering South Florida heat and humidity.

Getty Images

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PASSED HIS

Geno perfect on lone drive as Jets 'D' blanks Steelers

By BRIAN COSTELLO

PITTSBURGH — OK, Geno. Jets quarterback Geno Smith eased any concerns over a shaky training camp with an impressive 10-play drive to open Friday night's preseason game against the Steelers. Smith missed last week's preseason opener with a sore ankle but he looked 100 percent healthy and ready for the regular season in his brief appearance against the Steelers.

Smith went 7-for-7 for 65 yards and completed the drive with a 13-yard touchdown pass to Jelani Woods in a 17-0 Jets win. Smith's night was done after that, and backup Cade Klubnik entered the game.

"I thought Geno started really, really well," Jets head coach Aaron Glenn said. "That was by design to get our guys to see how efficient we could be. I thought those guys did a really good job."

While Smith and the offense stole the show, the Jets starting defense also had a good night. The unit played two full series and part of a third and did not allow any points. The Steelers sat quarterback Aaron Rodgers, so the Jets' defensive performance

JETS 17 STEELERS 0 Summary Page 31

comes with a little asterisk. Will Howard got the start for the Steelers and he did not have much success.

The Jets second-team defense came up with two interceptions of Howard — one from safety Andre Cisco and another from cornerback Sam Womack. Though this is only preseason, any interceptions by the Jets are notable because of last year's interception drought, when they went the entire season without one.

"This is the second week in a row I thought our defense played fairly well," Glenn said. "They were stout. There are some things as far as our coverage that we've got to get better at."

The other good news on defense for the Jets was rookie David Bailey notching his first sack in a game. Bailey blew past Steelers tackle Broderick Jones and brought Howard down on third down to end Pittsburgh's second series.

While the defensive highlights were nice for the Jets, the best part of the night for Glenn and Co. was watching the starting of-

Bailey busts out with sack after quiet debut

By BRIAN COSTELLO

PITTSBURGH — David Bailey gave everyone a glimpse Friday night of what the Jets have seen all summer.

On the second Steelers series of the night, the Jets rookie pass rusher blew past Steelers tackle Broderick Jones and sacked quarterback Will Howard for a loss of 11 yards on third down.

"It felt amazing," Bailey told The Post. "It was a sense of relief. It felt good knowing my interior line did their job

JETS NOTES

and the coverage did their job and just allowed me to capitalize."

It was the impact play that Jets have been dying to see from Bailey, who had a quiet night against the Buccaneers in the team's first preseason game.

The Jets drafted Bailey with the No. 2 overall pick in April and the Texas Tech star has lived up to his draft status in training camp. Bai-

ley has been terrorizing the Jets offensive line and had success against Tampa Bay in joint practices. There are high expectations for Bailey this season and he showed why again Friday night.

"It was good to see that," Jets head coach Aaron Glenn said. "Obviously, we know what he can do as far as a pass rusher. I already see in my head that there's a couple of things that he has to improve on that showed up in the game and he will."

In all, Bailey played 12

snaps and had two quarterback pressures and the one sack. It continues a strong summer for Bailey.

"I feel like camp has been pretty good," Bailey said. "I've been trying to soak in everything while just trying to get better. It's been a great experience."

➤ The Jets interception drought is not officially over but they at least showed promise of it ending sometime soon. They came up with two interceptions of

Steelers QB Will Howard on Friday night. Safety Andre Cisco secured the first pick, ending a Steelers drive at the Jets' 14-yard line. CB Sam Womack picked off Howard just before halftime to give the Jets another one.

The Jets set an NFL record in 2025 with zero interceptions, an incredible mark. Jets defenders repeatedly have said that they are focused on ending that streak.

"We were celebrating for our guys," cornerback Brandon Stephens said. "It was

good to see. We went a whole year without seeing it. Just to get that feeling back of getting an interception, two of them, it was big time."

➤ NT T'Vondre Sweat and Edge Joseph Ossai did not play in the game after starting practice this week. The Jets are being cautious and bringing them along slowly. ... DE Nate Lynn, who signed with the Jets this week, had two sacks. ... LB Kiko Mauigoa did not play because of a sore hamstring.

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TSTTEST

fense march 69 yards in 10 plays to open things.

Smith found six different receivers, including guard Dylan Parham, who caught a deflected pass. He hit Adonai Mitchell for a 21-yard gain along the sideline. He also converted two third downs. One was a 10-yard completion to tight end Mason Taylor. The next one was a 10-yard pass to Garrett Wilson that put the ball at the Pittsburgh 13.

New offensive coordinator Frank Reich drew up a beautiful play-action pass that left Woods wide open for a walk-in touchdown.

With that, Smith and the starters exited the game.

It has been an up-and-down summer for Smith in his return to the Jets. There have been some good days and some bad ones in practice. Then, he missed the preseason game with the Buccaneers and questions remained. He answered some of those Friday night. Yes, it was only one series, but the Steelers largely played their starters, minus T.J. Watt, and Smith looked in control.

"It felt good to be out there with the guys," Smith said. "We got one drive but we scored a touchdown. You always want to start fast so that was a good thing. Definitely a

lot of room for improvement."

Smith's career has been filled with highs and lows and the Jets should expect plenty of both this season. Friday was definitely a high.

The Jets defense forced a three-and-out on the first series and then got the Steelers off the field in four plays on their next possession.

Klubnik, the fourth-round pick with the inside track to being Smith's backup, was not as crisp as last week but he faced constant pressure. Some of the pressure was self-inflicted because he was slow to get rid of the ball. Other times his protection failed, including some terrible blocking from running back Kene Nwangwu on a sack. Klubnik also got flagged for an intentional grounding penalty, when he just threw the ball out of bounds with no receiver in the same zip code.

Klubnik made some nice plays, including a 16-yard scramble for a first down. He also found Isaiah Williams on a third-down pass, but Williams fumbled the ball. Klubnik finished 10-for-14 for 75 yards and was sacked twice. He played five series and did not produce any points.

The second-team defense picked up where the starters left off and kept the Steelers out of the end zone. The Steelers got to the Jets' 14-yard line and then Cisco picked off Howard, ending the scoring threat.

The Jets sideline exploded after Cisco's interception. Everyone on the Jets is well aware that the interception droughts hangs over this team. Though it only came in August, they were ready to celebrate.

brian.costello@nypost.com

brian.costello@nypost.com

Roundabout path taken by rookie TE Curtis, 26, to NFL

PITTSBURGH — Chase Curtis did his best to make sure no one knew his age when he first arrived with the Jets. Pretty soon, though, teammates found out.

Curtis is a 26-year-old rookie tight end. He was signed by the Jets after he went undrafted out of TCU in the spring. Curtis has had an interesting journey to the NFL, with two years of junior college baseball, transitioning from quarterback to wide receiver to tight end and multiple surgeries. It added up to eight years of college, six at TCU.

Curtis is older than fellow tight ends Kenyon Sadiq (21), Mason Taylor (22) and even Jeremy Ruckert, who just turned 26 and has already been in the NFL for four seasons.

"It is not as bad as I thought," Curtis said of the teasing. "I tried to keep it quiet there for a while because I didn't want them to know how old I was."

Maybe it is his advanced age for an NFL rookie or maybe it is the journey it took to get here, but Curtis is relishing his chance with the Jets through a perspective lost on someone younger.

"The Jets gave me a chance, and I'm forever grateful," Curtis said.

Curtis has had a strong training camp. He seems to catch everything that comes his way in practice. He struggled a bit in the first preseason game against the Buccaneers and only had one catch on three targets. But Curtis is realistic about his chances with the Jets. The tight end room features a first-round pick (Sadiq), a second-round pick (Taylor) and a third-round pick (Ruckert). Curtis' only hope with the Jets is to get a spot on the practice squad.

"In any way, shape or form, I just want to stay around," said Curtis before the Jets' 17-0 preseason win Friday night over the Steelers, from which he had to exit with a knee injury in the second half. "I mean, practice squad, it would be great to stay around. I feel like I've learned here that I'm good enough to play in the NFL and I want to keep doing it."

Even before Friday's setback, it's hard to believe Curtis has had even this chance when you look at his path here. Curtis grew up in Pittsburg, Kan., playing football, basketball and baseball. Curtis was a 165-pound quarterback who had offers to walk on at Kansas and Kansas State. He chose instead to play baseball at Neosho County Community College in Chanute, Kan.

COVID hit during Curtis' second season there and ended it after just a few games.

"So then I was like, 'OK, well, now what?'" Curtis said. "The whole time, I wanted to play football anyway."

Curtis decided to walk on at TCU, where he knew a few of the coaches. He went as a quarterback and quickly realized he was not going to be the next star under center for the Horned Frogs.

"We had, like, 13 quarterbacks," Curtis said. "So, I'm sitting there, and I just love football, and I really wasn't playing. I was just standing on the sideline. So then I thought of, if I can get on the field on special teams I know I probably have to move to receiver."

Curtis was moved to receiver and played special teams the same year. After three years at receiver, he shifted to tight end for the final three. Injuries hindered his time at TCU. Curtis had surgery on his back, shoulder, elbow and knee as well as for a sports hernia. He also broke his arm. When Curtis met with NFL teams during the pre-draft process, he got lots of questions about his health.

"I don't know if they think I'm lying when I say it, but it's the best my body's ever felt," Curtis said before Friday's unfortunate setback.

Curtis said he never really dreamed about playing in the NFL. His entire focus at TCU was winning there. Toward the end of last season, a few of his coaches told him he had a shot at playing professionally.

"Obviously, I'm older," Curtis said. "I was in college for eight years. I've had all those surgeries, and football's my life. It's really the only thing I care about, but I didn't know what the chances are going to be like."

Curtis told his agent that he would go to whichever team gave him a chance, and that was the Jets. He came to Florham Park knowing the odds were against him.

"I just told them that anybody that gives me a shot, I'm willing to take it," Curtis said. "I don't care what their tight end room looks like. I don't care because I think if I get my foot in the door, I've always had confidence in myself that I'm going to be able to work hard enough to at least give a chance, get a chance to stay around."

brian.costello@nypost.com

Jets takeaways

■ Geno Smith was a perfect 7-for-7 with a touchdown on the first drive of the game, and that was all Aaron Glenn needed to see. Smith looked like he had total command of the offense and converted two third downs on the drive. It was an impressive performance for Smith, who looks ready for the regular season.

■ The Jets played their first game without Breece Hall and the running game looked bad. Braelon Allen had three rushes for 4

yards on one series. The other backs did not do much more. The longest run of the night was a 16-yard scramble by QB Cade Klubnik.

■ The good news for everyone worried about rookie Wilt Omar Cooper Jr. is he started the game. The bad news is he only had one catch for 9 yards. Cooper has not yet had his breakout moment, and the first-round pick is going to be fighting for playing time with Isaiah Williams.

— Brian Costello

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GOING, GOING, YAN

Reliever finishes off meltdown by Manaea, giving up walk-off homer in brutal loss to White Sox

By MIKE PUMA

CHICAGO — Sean Manaea played into the Elvis Night theme here Friday by turning the ballpark into Heartbreak Hotel for the Mets.

The left-hander rolled into the sixth inning with a four-run lead and appeared ready to carry his team to another victory.

Boom, boom, boom.

WHITE SOX 6 METS 4 Boxscore Page 32

Three straight homers later the White Sox had tied the game, and the meltdown was complete with Jake Rogers' walk-off homer in the ninth against Jeffy Yan, sending the Mets to a 6-4 loss at Rate Field.

The lefty Yan walked Colson Montgomery and then recorded two outs before Rogers cleared the fence in left-center to end it.

Yan thought he had struck out Montgomery leading off the inning on an 0-2 pitch and began his customary celebratory dance. But the pitch was called a ball — marking the second time in his brief major league career that Yan was guilty of premature celebration.

"Jeffy will learn not to jump before the play is over," interim manager Andy Green said. "That is something he is still working through. I think the emotions of the moment got him there and

then he settled in nicely."

Yan said his early celebration didn't factor into any kind of mental letdown that led to him walking Montgomery.

"I walked him there, but I was able to get two outs right after," Yan said through an interpreter.

It was a second straight blah performance for Manaea, who previously resurrected his season with a string of solid outings. Manaea also allowed four earned

runs in his start against the Nationals last weekend, which lasted 6½ innings.

"The work he's done behind the scenes here throughout the season while staying in competition is pretty remarkable," president of baseball operations David Stearns said this week. "I think it speaks to who he is, how he want his career to be. It's really tough to do what he's done and make the type of progress that we believe he's made

during a season, while you also have to remain ready to pitch."

But Manaea appeared shell-shocked after the homer barrage in the sixth.

"I was throwing more sweepers than I was [earlier]," Manaea said. "Ultimately, fastball home runs on two of them, getting them down — I was trying to get them up — but I think earlier in the game I felt like I was doing a better job of getting the ball up."

Marcus Semien's RBI single gave the Mets a 1-0 lead in the second inning. Semien's hit was the team's third in the inning against Sean Burke. Jared Young and Brett Baty also singled in the frame.

Tristan Peters misplayed Luis Robert Jr.'s fly ball in the fourth into a double, helping the Mets to extend their lead on Baty's two-run double. Young also singled in the inning.

Bo Bichette's homer in the fifth widened the Mets lead to 4-0. It continued a sizzling month for Bichette, who began the day with a .928 OPS in August. Bichette cleared the left field fence for his 13th homer this season.

Miguel Vargas launched a two-run homer in the sixth that sliced the Mets lead to 4-2. Randal Grichuk and Montgomery followed with homers to tie the game. It was the second time this season the White Sox hit back-to-back-to-back homers.

Nate Lavender continued his perfection with 1½ scoreless innings. The lefty reliever has not surrendered a run in eight appearances for the Mets this season.

Daniel Duarte got the final two outs in the eighth and lowered his ERA to 0.82. Lavender and Duarte have been the two biggest standouts in the Mets' rebuilt bullpen since the trade deadline.

mpuma@nypost.com

More Mets / Page 38

LUIS ROBERT JR.

By MIKE PUMA

CHICAGO — Luis Robert Jr. returned to his roots Friday, but the vibe sure had changed since his departure.

A White Sox team that had become something of a punchline in recent seasons was first in the AL Central, firmly in position to bring rare October baseball to this city's South Side.

"This is a team that will always have a special place in my heart," Robert said through an interpreter

Robert's time in Queens very much

before going 1-for-3 with a double in the Mets' 6-4 loss to the White Sox on a walk-off home run at Rate Field. "I keep tabs of the results of the games, and I am really proud to see how they are performing this season."

Robert, 29, played his first six major league seasons for the White Sox before the Mets acquired him in a January trade that

included Luisangel Acuña departing Queens.

But Robert's experience with the Mets has mirrored his last seasons with the White Sox, in which he spent significant time on the injured list and played for teams well removed from the playoff race by August. Robert spent nearly three months on the injured list this season with lumbar disc herniation

before rejoining the team July 20. Robert entered play with an underwhelming .652 OPS. And the Mets, despite 11 victories in 15 games, began the day 58-70 and 10 games behind in the race for the NL's final wild-card spot.

"This season has been pretty similar to how other parts of my career have gone, where I have been hurt, where I have been off

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like Chicago — injury-plagued on bad team

the field," Robert said. "But right now I think the most important thing for me is to finish the season strong and go out there and try to be the best version of myself."

The Mets tried to trade Robert before the Aug. 3 deadline, but were unsuccessful. It has left Robert as a spare part who is receiving playing time as Juan Soto re-

habs a calf strain.

Rookies Carson Benge and A.J. Ewing are pieces in the team's future, and Soto remains a fixture with his record $765 million contract. It has left Robert in the position of knowing the Mets are unlikely to exercise their $20 million option on him for next season.

"When you are talking about the young guys, you are talking

about guys who have a really bright future, who are really impactful," Robert said. "And then you have Juan Soto, who is a veteran, who is going to be here for a while. I think from the perspective of the outfield construction, [the future] is really bright."

The present includes Robert sometimes in left field — a position he played Sunday for the first

time in his major league career after appearing exclusively in center. Robert returned to left field for Friday's series opener.

The White Sox lost at least 100 games in each of Robert's final three seasons with the club. Included was a 2024 nightmare in which the White Sox set a modern major league record with 121 losses.

Bellinger could be back on Sunday

By MARK W. SANCHEZ

If all goes well, Cody Bellinger would rejoin the Yankees lineup Sunday.

The outfielder came through his first rehab game feeling fine according to manager Aaron Boone, after Bellinger served as designated hitter and went 1-for-3 Thursday.

YANKEES NOTES

In his follow-up, he played six innings of left field for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Friday and went 0-for-3 with a strikeout. If he encountered no issues, the plan was for Bellinger to take an off day Saturday and then be an option for the series finale against the Blue Jays in The Bronx.

Presuming he is activated Sunday, Bellinger would have missed four weeks and one day, returning on the early side from a Grade II hamstring strain that had called for a 4-6 week absence. A team that has been without Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton and now is without Ryan McMahon would welcome back a much-needed bat.

There has been curiosity concerning whose roster spot Bellinger would take, with both the optionable Spencer Jones and the not-optionable Amed Rosario possibly in danger. But as McMahon hit the injured list Friday with a thumb sprain and Max Schuemann was recalled, Schuemann became the most likely roster-crunch victim.

Boone hinted as much when asked if the club had considered bringing up Anthony Volpe rather than Schuemann to replace McMahon. The manager said Volpe was "in the conversation" but cited Schuemann's defensive flexibility and the impending return of Bellinger to explain the move.

➤ The Yankees signed righty Eli Morgan to a minor league deal after the 30-year-old was designated for assignment by the Royals last week.

Morgan had pitched to a 5.12 ERA in 19 1/3 big-league innings with Kansas City this season.

➤ Before the game, the Yankees held a moment of silence for Tommy John, who died last Saturday at 83.

47 New York Post, Saturday, August 22, 2026 nypost.com

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By MARK W. SANCHEZ

It is possible that Ryan McMahon's injured list trip, which prompted a possibly short-lived call-up of Max Schuemann, solved the Yankees' upcoming roster crunch. If Cody Bellinger is activated Sunday as expected, Schuemann likely would be heading back to the minors, and Spencer Jones probably would remain a major leaguer.

The Yankees likely will see more of Jones, who is demonstrating why that notion is increasingly appealing.

YANKEES BLUE JAYS 3 1 Boxscore Page 32

A top prospect with major intrigue and major risk seems to be getting more comfortable with every at-bat. Yes, there are strikeouts, which has long been the concern, but there are also the eye-popping tools, a ceiling rivaled by the Guggenheim and monster swings.

One of those swings — a ferocious hack that sent a pitch to the sky, down the right field line and eventually to the second deck — made the difference in a 3-1, series-opening Yankees victory over the Blue Jays in The Bronx in front of 45,062, who witnessed the Yankees creep a game closer to the division lead.

On the backs of Jones' two-run homer, solid work from Cam Schlittler and a typically excellent bullpen performance, the Yankees (73-55) closed to within three games of the Rays, the closest the two have been since Aug. 2.

"It's wide open. Feel like it was wide open last year," Schlittler said after somehow allowing just one run in six innings without his top stuff or command. "We got a lot of opportunities to win the division [last year]. I think we still got a lot of opportunities to win the division this year."

"I think we got to chase those goals."

The Yankees have won five straight mostly through continued pitching excellence — Schlittler, Brent Headrick and Paul Blackburn pitching out of jams and David Bednar recording his 30th save kept the trend going — but also with the beginnings of life from their offense, which only needs to have a pulse to win games these days.

And when Jones connects, the Yankees have life.

In the second inning of a

SPENCER'S GIFT

Jones' two-run blast, lights out pitching power Yanks over Jays

scoreless game, Jones turned on an inside cutter from Spencer Arrighetti and demolished a pitch whose height was far more interesting than its distance. Still, it no doubt had enough distance — enough that Jones remained in the batter's box for several seconds as he stared more in curiosity than admiration to see if it was a go-ahead home run or a foul ball.

"It's our week for that," went through Aaron Boone's mind, the manager said with a smile, after the Yankees benefited Wednesday from Pete Alonso's skyscraper being ruled foul.

Jones kept staring, jogged halfway down the first base line and still did not have much clarity as the ball landed an estimated 385 feet away. First base umpire Dan Iassogna dramatically signaled the ball was fair, and Jones allowed himself a smile.

After a replay review confirmed the call, the Yankees allowed them-

selves a two-run edge that would not be threatened and Jones had a second home run in as many games.

"That's maybe the highest one I've ever hit," said Jones, who is up to seven homers in the majors and has knocked 86 in his minor league career.

The 25-year-old rookie has volleyed up and down from the minors to the majors this season, and each trip to The Bronx has brought an added level of comfort to Jones' at-bats. After his 1-for-3 night, Jones is 18-for-73 (.247) with five homers, a triple, three doubles, 13 RBIs and six steals in his past 21 games, spiking his season OPS from .645 to .731.

"He's been adaptable," Boone said of Jones, who reminded of his tools both with a strong throw to third

to prevent Jesús Sánchez from tagging up in the eighth and with a nearly remarkable grab that he couldn't corral in the seventh, which instead went for a Brett Bateman triple. "The experience he's gaining, I feel like it is very valuable, and he's applying it well every day."

The Yankees added an insurance run in the fourth when Jones' pal, George Lombard Jr., singled, moved to second on a wild pitch, moved to third on a Jones ground out and scored on a José Caballero sacrifice fly.

On Players' Weekend, Jones wore a belt with Ben Rice's face on it. Lombard's featured Jones' smiling mug. Jones thought it was "hilarious."

"I think the young guys that we have here are extremely close," Jones said after one of the Yankees' young guys brought the club a bit closer to the Rays.

msanchez@nypost.com

HAPPY DAY! Spencer Jones was all smiles (inset) after hitting a 385-foot two-run homer in the second inning of the Yankees' 3-1 win over the Blue Jays. Aaron Judge (left), out with a rib injury, looks on as the Bombers collected their fifth straight victory.

Montefiore Einstein

Official Hospital of the New York Yankees

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By BRIAN LEWIS

How good has Cam Schlittler been?

For the Yankees ace, his 'C' game might stand for Cy Young.

Even without his usual pinpoint control, Schlittler was good enough to smother Toronto in a 3-1 Bombers victory Friday night.

'I got deep enough to put this team in position to win, and that's great. I'm not happy overall with my performance, it could've been a lot better. But we won the game and that's all that matters,' Schlittler said.

'You don't want to be selfish about it, right? At the end of the day, we won the game, and that's all that matters. So, it was a lot I can improve on.'

Schlittler (11-6) scattered six hits in six innings, holding the Blue Jays to a lone run. Though he issued three walks and threw just 59 of his 96 pitches for strikes, he still found a way to limit damage and come out with the outs he needed.

His 98 mph four-seam fastball induced a pop-up from Myles Straw to end the fourth inning, stranding a pair of runners in scoring position.

'He was just struggling to throw strikes consistently, and certainly like he normally does,' said Aaron Boone. 'Last week [in Toronto] — other than not finishing necessarily great — he threw the ball really well. [This] was a little different. But it's not always going to be perfect. And for him to find a way to get us six innings and get a ton of big outs on the night is a testament just to how good a pitcher he is.'

Schlittler 'not happy' with winning effort over East foes

CY OF RELIEF: Despite not having his best stuff, Cy Young favorite Cam Schlittler allowed one run on six hits over six innings while striking out four and walking three. Charles Wenzelberg / NY Post

The lanky righty lowered his ERA to just 2.16, tied for the fourth best by a Bombers starter in the expansion era. He also snapped a tough-luck string of four straight no-decisions.

'Unfortunately I've done that a few times, not having my best stuff. But the positive is the offense is great, defense is great behind me, and just try to minimize whenever you can,' Schlittler said. 'I've been able to hold runners on base a lot. I don't appreciate the way they get on, it's self-inflicted. But being able to

get myself out of those jams and trusting the guys behind me makes things a lot easier.'

It marked his MLB-leading 19th start this year with one earned run or fewer, tying Fritz Peterson for the third most by a Yankees pitcher since 1913, when earned runs became an official stat. Only Ron Guidry (21 in 1978) and Whitey Ford (20 in 1964) have more.

The 25-year-old has been one of baseball's biggest breakout stars of the year, and kept pace with Jacob Misiorowski as a

Cy Young favorite.

'Cam kind of struggled, frankly. [He] finished pretty well. The fifth and the sixth might've been his best innings. Struggled to get in the rhythm but didn't break, and made some big pitches when he needed to,' Boone said. 'Anytime he was backed into a corner, up against it, the best of the night came out. So that was good. For him to give us six strong and one run, make those early runs stand up, was big.'

brian.lewis@nypost.com

Boone hopes 'breather' helps ailing Fried, McMahon

By MARK W. SANCHEZ

Ryan McMahon is bummed to miss the upcoming pocket of games.

Max Fried felt elbow soreness that he called 'not ideal.'

Both can take solace that they believe they will be ready for the biggest games of the year.

The Yankees absorbed one more blow Friday in McMahon, who had hoped to avoid the injured list and could not, and acknowledged another blow in Fried could have been far worse.

The belief — for these two and the injured big bats (Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton and Cody Bellinger) — is they will be fine for October.

'Not great news. Could have been worse,' said McMahon, who learned that the thumb he believed was jammed instead had suffered a grade 2 sprain that forced him to the injured list before Friday's 3-1 win over the Blue Jays.

McMahon still took ground balls and swung Friday but said taking cuts was 'getting tough' after hurting the left thumb on a slide

in Baltimore on Wednesday. If he must undergo surgery — a notion he said was not likely — the procedure can wait for the off-season. McMahon hoped that on the other side of an IL trip he believes will require the 10-day minimum, the swelling will be gone and he will be ready for the stretch run.

Even if this means the Yankees will be playing some combination of Amed Rosario (who started at third Friday), Max Schuemann (who was called up with the corresponding move) and José Caballero at the position against a couple of rivals.

'It sucks,' McMahon said about the timing. 'I mean, we got Toronto coming in here. We got Boston [next weekend]. These are the fun games, man.'

The most fun will come in the postseason, presuming the Yankees avoid a September nosedive. The club's best hopes in October will come from the front of their rotation, and Fried is confident the club will have three healthy aces.

Placed on the IL on Monday, Fried addressed reporters for the first time since the official return of his elbow bone bruise.

'We just decided that it was better to just take a little bit of a breather now,' Fried said, 'so that the rest of the season hopefully goes accordingly.'

At least at the moment, he and the club do not believe this breather will be long. Manager Aaron Boone reiterated that Fried could miss the minimum 15 days, and the lefty has continued throwing and is set to return to pitching off a mound Saturday. If the bullpen session goes well, Fried would throw a live batting practice early next week, Boone said, and could be back by the end of the month.

Fried said he had not felt the recurrence of what he called 'soreness' of his elbow until his Aug. 13 start against the Mariners, after which he informed the team trainers. His previous bout with the bone bruise cost him more than two months, but he said the May injury 'was definitely more intense, more pain.'

Fried blamed his own mechanics for the aggravation. According to the veteran, he has not found consistency in release and has not 'given my arm a chance to follow through properly.'

Montefiore Einstein Official Hospital of the New York Yankees

■ Ryan McMahon (grade 2 thumb strain) was placed on the injured list and believes he will miss the minimum 10 days.

■ Max Fried (elbow bone bruise) is set to throw off a mound Saturday. Despite the recurrence of the issue, Fried is confident he will miss just a couple of weeks and be ready for September and October.

vs. Blue Jays Saturday, 1:35 p.m., YES, WFAN (660 AM, 101.9 FM)

LHP Ryan Weathers

PITCH BREAKDOWN

RHP Dylan Cease

PITCH BREAKDOWN

UP NEXT

SUNDAY: vs. Blue Jays, 1:35 p.m., YES, WFAN LHP Carlos Rodón vs. RHP José Soriano

TUESDAY: vs. Houston, 7:05 p.m., YES, WFAN TBD vs. TBD

Montefiore Einstein

Charles Wenzelberg / NY Post (2)

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STREAM IT OR SKIP IT

"Chompoo: Lost and Forgotten" (Netflix) is a troubling documentary about the role news media and social media played in the investigation of the abduction and murder of a child. Somewhere in this miasma is a fascinating story, but this film doesn't find it. OUR CALL: SKIP IT

For more on your favorite TV and films, visit decider.com

WHAT TO WATCH

We appreciate how "Operation Safed Sagar" (Netflix) marries an entertaining fighter pilot narrative to a real war, creating a drama that may be predictable but remains a high-stakes military drama. Siddharth (left) shines as Ajay Ahuja because he's a forceful leader without being one that's in the faces of his pilots.

DECIDER

WHAT TO WATCH. WHEREVER YOU WATCH

Whitmer Thomas talks his 'Terminal Crew of Dudes' special

LIST CHIPS BEING DUDES

By MEGHAN O'KEEFE

Whitmer Thomas: 'Terminal Crew of Dudes' is not your typical comedy special. Comedian Whitmer Thomas isn't standing alone on a stage with a microphone, elegantly hitting a tightly-honed stand up routine for a massive audience of adoring fans. Rather, he's on a small stage surrounded by his best friends and big brother, telling old stories, playing songs, cutting to old movies, and performing silly bits of schick to make said pals laugh. It's the rare comedy special that is as affecting and inspiring as it is stupidly hilarious.

As he explains in "Terminal Crew of Dudes," 37-year-old Whitmer Thomas grew up in Birmingham, Alabama until his addict parents

split and his alcoholic mother moved him and his older brother Johnny to the beach town of Gulf Springs. There, Whitmer met another kid, Jeramy, while skateboarding and the two immediately became life-long best friends. In fact, everyone in Thomas's back-up band in this special is one of his closest friends, and they all feature as key players in the various yarns he spins of adolescent mischief.

Thomas' latest special is marked by his trademark blend of wild vulnerability and effortless skater boy cool. He opens up about some of the most harrowing and humiliat-

ing moments of his childhood and then punctuates it all with a juvenile punchline. As Thomas keeps reminding us, his friends — his titular "terminal crew of dudes" — are the magic shield that has kept him smiling through all the storms he's weathered. Meaning, "Terminal Crew of Dudes" serves as a perfect counterbalance to much

of the "male loneliness epidemic" discourse permeating pop culture in 2026. DECIDER: Whitmer, thank you for coming here. I watched

your special last night and I found it to be so strangely moving and creative in ways I had not considered a comedy special could be. I think I mentioned to you, I used to do stand-up briefly when I was younger. I never knew you could have other people on stage with you, like your friends behind you hanging out with you during a stand-up set. How did you conceive of bringing the band on with you and them being so interactive with the entire special?

WHITMER THOMAS: I took a minute. I was doing that sort of a version of that show for a couple years just on tour all over the place. I play with the band mostly live while I'm doing stand up. And then one tour in 2023, I realized that a bunch of the material — I was do-

ing stories and stuff — involved the band members when we were kids. And I realized it was way more fun to talk to them and sort of let the audience in on that. And that's where it kind of clicked, like, "Oh, maybe if I get to do another comedy special that would be the move."

Another unique thing to me, at least, is oftentimes with comedy specials, they start up top like "Live from this theater, it's..." There wasn't any of that. There are a lot of interstitial sketches that come up and we cut to videos. Why did you kind of want it to have more of almost a theatrical feel as opposed to a live performance?

I just think it looks cool. I mean, that's really all it is. I just love, like, "Stop Making Sense," The Talking Heads live movie, and "The Last Waltz." They take a lot of creative liberties. A lot of that, it appears to be live, but it's not. They put the camera on the stage without the audience there and cover certain angles and things. So when I was kind of prepping to do this, the goal was to do the full show with no audience at all with the camera on stage, but we didn't have time to do that, so we just picked a few little moments.

As far as just the whole, "Welcome to Los Angeles, California, at the so-and-so theater, it's Whitmer Thomas!" Just to get right into it, I'm already wasting people's time with all these four-minute long songs, little videos of us as kids. So I thought let's just get right into a joke.

Before I let you go, I am curious, did you actually swallow a cigarette or was that kind of a prop?

I swallowed a cigarette. Okay. Definitely? I'll just say that in the lead up to doing that show and that bit, I threw up a lot after the shows and I felt really sick, and don't do that even if it makes your friends laugh.

TRENDING NOW

If you've been wanting more of Muskoka since "Sterling Point" debuted earlier this month, you're in luck! Megan Park's new series has been renewed for a second season at Prime Video.

WHAT'S NEW

ON CBS/PARAMOUNT+ "The Run For A Million," a horse-reining competition.

ON HALLMARK CHANNEL "Love Finds You," starring Aimee Teegarden and Chris McNally (left).

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Best Bets

What's on Tonight

THRILLER

Man on Fire: 3 p.m. on AMC. Denzel Washington, Dakota Fanning. A former CIA operative swears vengeance on those who kidnapped a little girl.

DRAMA

Flight: 3:45 p.m. on PARSHO. Denzel Washington, John Goodman. Troubling questions arise after airline pilot Whip Whitaker makes a miracle landing.

COMEDY

Ocean's 8: 6:07 p.m. on HBO. Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett. Debbie Ocean gathers an all-female crew to attempt an impossible heist at the Met Gala.

Saturday August 22, 2026

SP = Spectrum, C = Cablevision, F = FIOS Movies Sports New

Evening	SP	C	6:30pm	7:00pm	7:30pm	8:00pm	8:30pm	9:00pm	9:30pm	10:00pm	10:30pm	11:00pm	11:30pm
2 WCBS	2	2	CBS Weekend News	Life Unpaused	Inside Edition	The Run For A Million: Coverage of the fast-paced equestrian competition.				48 Hours: The Hit-and-Run Homicide (R)		CBS News 11pm	(11:35) 1JD Films
4 WNBC	4	4	NFL Pre-season Live.	Paid Program	LX.TV: 1st Look	America's Got Talent: Quarterfinals 1 Results (R)				Dateline NBC: Investigative reports, breaking news stories and profiles of leading newsmakers.		News 4 New York at 11	Saturday Night Live (R)
5 WNYW	5	5	FOX Saratoga Sa Live.	MLB Baseball: San Francisco Giants at Boston Red Sox from Fenway Park. Live.						The 10 O'Clock News		The 1% Club: The Boobie Queen (R)
7 WABC	7	7	ABC World News	Jeopardy! (R)	Wheel of Fortune (R)	9-1-1: Reentry (R)		9-1-1: War (R)		9-1-1: Fighting Back (R)		Eyewitness News at 11
9 WWOR	9	9	(1:00) 6 O'Clock News	Paid Program	Paid Program	Family Feud (R)	Family Feud (R)	Family Feud (R)	Family Feud (R)	Finally Caught: Talley (R)		In Depth: Crew Chaos	Wonderama
11 WPIX	11	11	Paid Program	Paid Program	PBR Team Series: Austin, TX Live.					PIX11 News at Ten with Katy Tong		Seinfeld: The Visa	Seinfeld: The Movie
13 WNET	13	13	GZero World	Ireland in Music	Inspector George Gently: Gently with Honour					A Fish Called Wanda (1988, Comedy) John Cleese. R ★★★★	(10:39) Jamie Lee Curtis: Hollywo		Fish Called Wanda R
21 WLIW	21	21	Compass	Drive By	Firing (R)	Midsomer Murders: The Devil's Wor				(9:35) Velvet: Goodbyes (R)		Music Row
25 WNYE	25	25	Walkin NYC	Hospitality and Politics	92Y on NYCLife					Letter of Introduction (1938) NR ★★	Mack	Profiles	GZero
31 WPXN	31	31	NWSL Soccer Live.							(8:45) NWSL Soccer Live.	NWSL Live.	Law & Order: SVU
41 WXTV	41	41	N Univision	Piensa Rápido		Fútbol				Fútbol Liga MX: Monterrey vs León Club Leon.		Fútbol Liga MX
47 WNJU	47	47	NFL Pretem	Fútbol Liga MX: Tijuana vs Guadalajara. Directo.						Alerta Extrema (2023, Acción) Gerard Butler. R ★★★		Noticiero	Noticias
55 WUNY	55	55	Pawn Stars	Last Man	Last Man	Fire Country: Death Trap				NCIS: Hawai'i	Judge Judy	Paid	Women Wrestling
A&E	46	46	Storage (R)	Storage (R)	Storage (R)	Storage Wars: Back (R)				Storage Wars: Back (R)	(10:01) Storage Wars (R)	(11:04) Storage Wars (R)
AMC	54	43	John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum (2019, Action) Keanu Reeves.							John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023, Action) Keanu Reeves. R ★★★★
BBCAM	71	101	Galaxy ★★★	The Fifth Element (1997, Science Fiction) Bruce Willis. PG-13 ★★★★						Starship Troopers (1997) Casper Van Dien. R ★★★
BET	37	54	Equalizer	The Equalizer: Aftermath	The Equalizer					Poetic Justice (1993, Drama) Janet Jackson. R ★★★
BRAVO	18	44	(9:00) Sex and the City 2 (2010, Drama)							Save the Last Dance (2001, Romance) Julia Stiles. PG-13 ★★★★		(10:32) Harry Me (2022, Romance) ★★★★
CNBC	15	24	Greed (R)	American Greed (R)	American Greed (R)					American Greed (R)		American Greed (R)
CNN	78	25	Newsroom	CNN Newsroom	Real Time with					Decades in Sports		Decades in Sports
COMEDY	45	50	The Office	The Office	The Office	The Office	The Office	The Waterboy (1998, Comedy) Adam Sandler. ★★★★				Billy Madison (1995) ★★★★
DISC	66	27	Exp Unknown	Expedition Unknown (R)	Expedition Unknown (R)					Expedition Unknown (R)		Expedition Unknown (R)
DISNEY	49	31	Big City	Moana (2016) Dwayne Johnson. ★★★★						(9:15) Kiff	(9:40) Kiff	Phineas	Miraculous
EI	24	51	Twister (1996, Drama) Helen Hunt. ★★★★							Helen Hunt, Bill Paxton. PG-13 ★★★★		Speed (1994, Action) Keanu Reeves. R
ESPN	28	36	Little League	Little League Wrld Series: Game 16 Live.						Fighters League: PFL Tampa (Main Card) Live.		SportsCenter
ESPN2	29	35	(3:00) HS Football Live.							Banana Ball: Loco Beach Coconuts vs. Bananas		30 for 30: The U
FBN	43	106	Dream Car	My Dream Car	My Dream Car					My Dream Car		My Dream Car
FRC	44	26	(3:00) The Big Weekend Show							My View with Lara Trump		Fox News Saturday Night	Gutfeld (R)
FOOD	50	97	Diners	Diners	Diners					Diners		Diners
FREE	38	49	(3:50) Frozen (2013, Adventure) Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel. PG ★★★★							(9:30) Frozen 2 (2019, Adventure) Idina Menzel, Kristen Bell. PG ★★★★			Raya ★★★★
FS1	400	99	MLB Game	Women's College Volley: 2026 AVCA First Serve						America's Day: Pacific Classic Live.		NHRA Qualifying Taped.
FX	10	40	(3:30) Avatar (2009, Science Fiction)							Avatar: The Way of Water (2022, Science Fiction) Joel David Moore. PG-13 ★★★★
HALL	19	20	(4:00) The Sweetest Heart (2018) ★★★★							Love Finds You (2026, Romance) Aimee Teegarden.		Absolutely Devoted to You (2026) Jesse Metcalfe.
HGTV	64	98	Hunters	Hunters	Hunters					Totally '90s	Totally '90s	Curb Appe.	Hunters
HIST	40	47	Oak Island	Oak Island: A Fort Knight	Oak Island: Testing Metal					Oak Island: The Shining		Oak Island: Swamped (R)	(11:05) Oak Island (R)
ID	23	171	Neighbor	Fear Thy Neighbor	Deadly Women					Deadly Women		Deadly Women: Loveless
LIFE	62	45	(4:00) Babysitter's Black Book (2015)							The College Project (2026)		(10:03) Her Husband's Double Life (2026, Thriller)
MeTV	33	33	Stooges	Stooges	The Raven (1935, Mystery) Boris Karloff. NR ★★★					Barman		Star Trek: Ult. Computer
MSG	27	87	(3:30) SICE 3-on-3 Hockey Replay.							USL Soccer: Westchester SC at Corpus Christi FC.		FIFA 2026	Fairways o
MSG Plus	48	88	FanDuel Racing									Team Boxing League: Semifinal #2 Live.
MSNOW	14	23	The Beat	The Weekend	Connect with Jacob					Crooked on MS NOW		Rachel Maddow	The 11th Hour with Ali
MTV	20	53	Bang	Ted (2012, Comedy) Mark Wahlberg. R ★★★★								Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates (2016, Comedy) Zac Efron. R
NATGEO	65	162	Smuggler	To Catch a Smuggler (R)	To Catch a Smuggler (R)					Catch Smuggler: Secret		Catch Smuggler: Secret	To Catch a Smuggler (R)
NICK	6	121	SpongeBob	Sonic the Hedgehog (2020, Adventure) Jim Carey. PG ★★★★						Friends		Bang	Bang
OWN	173	180	Inside Fix	Iyanla: The Inside Fix	Iyanla: The Inside Fix					A Ring On It: Cheathab		A Ring On It: Cheathab	Iyanla: The Inside Fix
PARMT	36	56	(3:30) Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009, Fantasy) Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint.							Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (2010)
SNY	26	60	Fire Game	MLB Baseball: New York Mets at Chicago White Sox from Rate Field. Live.						Post Game		Sports	Sports
SYFY	17	48	(3:00) Twister (1996) ★★★★							Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
TBS	8	39	(3:00) Jurassic World Dominion (2022)							Man of Steel (2013, Action) Henry Cavill. PG-13 ★★★★		(10:50) San Andreas (2015, Action) ★★★★
TCM	82	41	(4:00) She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949)							The High and the Mighty (1954, Adventure) John Wayne. NR ★★★★		(10:45) The Wings of Eagles (1957) ★★★★
TLC	52	28	90 Day (R)	90 Day: Last (R)						Double Lives Of (R)		Little Singles (R)
TNT	3	37	(3:15) The Martian (2015) Matt Damon.							All Elite Wrestling: Collision: Collision 8/22/2026 Live.		Dune (2021, Action) Rebecca Ferguson. PG-13 ★★★★
TVLAND	85	34	Seinfeld	Seinfeld	Seinfeld					Seinfeld		Seinfeld	Seinfeld
USA	16	38	(4:00) Fire	Chicago Fire	Chicago Fire					Chicago Fire: The Plunge		Chicago Fire	Anna Pigeon (R)
VH1	19	52	(3:30) Men in Black (1997) Will Smith.							Roll Bounce (2005, Comedy) Bow Wow. PG-13 ★★★★		Honey (2003, Drama) Jessica Alba. ★★
WE	59	42	(4:00) NCIS	NCIS: Swan Song	NCIS: Pyramid					NCIS: Nature of the		NCIS: Restless	NCIS: Penelope Papers
YES	53	89	(3:00) Minor League Baseball Live.							Homegrown		MLB Baseball Replay.
HBO	511	301	(4:00) Ocean's 8 (2018, Action) ★★★★							Mother Mary (2026, Drama) Anne Hathaway. R		(9:55) Lanterns: Pilot (R)	C. O'Brien
MAX	531	371	Friends	Christmas with the Kranks (2004, Comedy) Tim Allen.						(8:58) Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (2024)		Colette (2018, Drama) Keira Knightley. R
MGM Plus	595	35	Westles	The Westles						Project Hail Mary (2026, Drama) Ryan Gosling. PG-13		Super 8 (2011, Mystery) Joel Courtney.
PARSHO	551	321	American Assassin (2017, Action)							Pulp Fiction (1994, Crime) John Travolta. R ★★★★		Shaft (2000, Action) Samuel L. Jackson.

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GENO'S PERFECT RETURN

SMITH GOES 7-FOR-7 FOR 65 YARDS AND A TD IN JETS' PRESEASON 17-0 'W' OVER STEELERS / P. 44-45

SATURDAY, AUGUST 22, 2026

NEW YORK POST

www.nypost.com

The B

Sports In Town®

Jones & Cam extend Yanks streak to five as they close in on East-leading Rays

SANCHEZ, LEWIS / PAGES 49-47

YOUNG ROOIS

Spencer Jones watches his mammoth two-run homer stay fair down the right field line in the second inning of the Yankees' 3-1 victory over the Blue Jays. It's the fifth consecutive win for the Bombers, who are now just three games behind the Rays in the AL East standings.

SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER FOR LIBS

PAGES

38-39

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