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Harry and Meghan returning to UK after failure to take the colonies

The Americans have beaten the British again! Six years after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex gave up their royal life and moved to the United States, they've decided on a reverse Megxit — moving back and enrolling their children in British

schools. Despite memoirs and a multimillion-dollar Netflix deal, the American public never quite embraced Harry, Meghan and their jam.

SEE PAGE 3

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NYC 911 glitch blocked 1,700 help calls

A breakdown in the city's 911 system blocked nearly 1,700 emergency calls for service for seven hours on Tuesday, affecting as many as 400 New Yorkers, according to the NYPD.

A glitch in the system's Bronx call center, one of two in the five boroughs, disabled calls to 911 operators there between 3:13 a.m. and 10 a.m. — due to a possible software failure, not a malicious cyber attack, sources said.

The city's other Public Safety Answering Center in Brooklyn was not affected.

About 1,700 callers "were impacted," City Hall spokesman Jeremy Edwards told The Post Wednesday, adding that "we believe up to 400 New Yorkers may have been unable to connect with a 911 call taker" during the breakdown.

Operators also may not have been able to hear callers, he said. A total of 5,659 calls for EMS,

FDNY and NYPD response came into the 911 system during the time it was down.

Edwards said the issue has "been resolved" and monitoring continues to "ensure there are no additional service impacts."

The Big Apple overhauled its antiquated 911 system beginning in 2004, under then-Mayor Michael Bloomberg. But the project was dogged by delays, cost overruns and persistent mismanagement

that boosted its cost over $2 billion, according to a 2015 city Department of Investigation report.

On Wednesday, City Hall officials said they were still trying to determine the cause of the concerning, hours-long glitch.

Edwards said the city is "focused on understanding exactly what happened" and taking all necessary steps to prevent this from happening again. Joe Marino and Jorge Fitz-Gibbon

Mayor: Ed. bonuses can't be 'para' legal

By CARL CAMPANILE and PETER SENZAMICI

Mayor Mamdani filed suit Wednesday to block a new city law boosting paraprofessionals' pay by $10,000 — initiating a major standoff with the powerful teachers union that represents them.

Mamdani spokesman Matt Rauschenbach said the law — which took effect Wednesday without the mayor's signature after unanimously passing the City Council last month — was an illegal end-run around the union's collective bargaining with the administration.

"Collective bargaining is how working people make their voices heard and win the wages, benefits and protections they deserve. It's a fundamental pillar of a fair economy," Rauschenbach said in a statement.

The mayoral rep then slammed the council for setting a "dangerous precedent" by undermining labor negotiations.

"Instead of protecting that process, the City Council has passed legislation that undermines collective bargaining and sets a dangerous precedent: allowing politicians to bypass workers and their unions and dictate the terms of employment themselves," Rauschenbach said. "A one-time payment does not solve the underlying, long-term pay inequities facing paraprofessionals."

The lawsuit, filed in Manhattan Supreme Court, also accuses the United Federation of Teachers-

backed bill of ignoring "nearly sixty years of well-established collective bargaining process under the Taylor Law — which requires that public employers and unions negotiate in good faith on mandatory subjects of bargaining, such as compensation."

$324M expense

The "Respect for Paraprofessionals" law "improperly mandates" that the city Department of Education pay approximately 25,000 paraprofessionals — teaching assistants who help students with disabilities — up to $10,000 each.

It could cost the city approximately $324 million, according to the suit.

"Although the council labels these 'stabilization payments, they effectively function as stipends or salary bonuses and, regardless of terminology, are an additional form

of compensation and, as such, a mandatory subject of bargaining," said the suit, filed by Assistant Corporation Counsel Zachary Ellis.

The labor law balances the school paraprofessionals' desire for additional compensation with the DOE's "limited fiscal capacity," the suit said.

"By circumventing that process and attempting to increase pay for school paraprofessionals by legislative fiat (at a cost, by its own conservative estimate, of $324.9 million), the council has set a perilous and unlawful precedent with huge fiscal consequences for the DOE and the city — and, by extension, the tax-paying public," the filing states.

"If the Paraprofessional Pay Bill is allowed to stand, other public employees will undoubtedly seek their own 'stabilization payments from the council, also outside of the collective bargaining process, or oth-

erwise use council proposals for such payments as leverage over that process."

The action is a sharp reversal for the mayor — compared to his campaign promises.

During his run for mayor last year, Mamdani promised to approve legislation to boost pay for paras as he appeared at a press conference where he accepted the endorsement of the UFT.

"I will be proud to continue to support the passage of Intro Bill 1261 ... that addresses the fact that there are too many open positions right now for paraprofessionals across the city because that job simply doesn't pay enough," Mamdani said then, with UFT President Mike Mulgrew standing behind him (above).

Earlier Wednesday, Mulgrew boasted that the measure had been enacted into law after Mamdani refused to act on it.

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THE BRITISH ARE GOING

By SARA NATHAN, ELLA MORRISON and CARSON BLACKWELDER

Six years after Prince Harry and American TV actress wife Meghan Markle dramatically made a "Megxit" from the UK, they're headed back across the pond.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex — along with their kids, Archie, 7, and Lilibet, 5 — are set to return to the bosom of Harry's home country for "an extended period," Page Six confirmed Wednesday — after they failed to become successful book authors, Netflix stars or jam makers in the colonies.

King Charles III, who met with the couple last month, was advised on Sunday that the couple would be making the shocking move at the end of this month.

"The palace was made aware of the move," a source confirmed to Page Six on Wednesday.

Harry, 41, and Markle, 45, have reportedly been planning to flee their $14 million mansion in sunny Southern California for several weeks, if not months. But they did not mention their plans to the royal family even during their visit last month, sources said.

The couple have enrolled their two young children at a British school and will live in a non-royal residence. They are not returning to royal life, and they will continue to work on independent businesses, sources told Page Six.

"I know that Charles is the reason they are moving back," an insider said. The pair ditched their royal duties to relocate to the US in March 2020 after Meghan found that life working for "The Firm" just didn't suit her.

The latest move has raised questions about the future of the 2020 Sandringham Agreement, dubbed "Megxit."

The agreement allowed the

couple the freedom to pursue independent businesses in exchange for withdrawing from active royal duties, meaning they could no longer formally represent the monarchy. "We intend to step back as 'senior' members of the Royal Family and work to become financially independent, while continuing to fully support Her Majesty The Queen," they said at the time, referencing Harry's grandmother Elizabeth II, who died in 2022.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex added they would "balance [their] time between the United Kingdom and North America" while "continuing to honour [their] duty" to the royal family.

The couple purchased a sprawling, ultra-private mansion in Montecito, Calif., where they have lived since stepping back from royal life.

They welcomed their youngest child, Lilibet, after moving into the 18,000-square-foot home that features a chicken coop, rose gardens, century-old olive trees, a tennis court, a tea house, children's cottage and a pool.

Since moving to the US, both Harry and Markle have been outspoken in their criticism of the royal family — setting up an awkward homecoming for the couple.

About a year after they'd settled in California, the pair sat down with Oprah Winfrey for a tell-all interview in which the "Suits" actress discussed her tortured relationship with the royal family.

Markle admitted at the time that she'd "naively" entered the royal brood and only later realized "there's the family, then there's the people that are running the institution," adding: "Those are two separate things."

Harry then published a 2023 tell-all memoir, "Spare," in which the duke accused his older brother, William — who is next in line for the throne —

REUNITED KINGDOM: After a stint in the US during which they failed to make it big, the couple is returning to England.

Meg & Harry returning to UK

of physically attacking him and alleged that his father, Charles, called him a "spare" when he was born — sparking the title of the book, a reference to Harry being far down the line of succession to the British throne.

Harry and Meghan are re-

turning to the UK with dramatically diminished popularity with the British public.

Just 20% of Brits have a positive view of Meghan and two-thirds have a negative view. About 30% have a favorable view of Prince Harry, according to a YouGov poll.

Jolly bad!

It's been a bumpy stay for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in the US. Among the many lowlights:

2022

MEGAN MOCKS CURTSEY TO QUEEN ELIZABETH II

"We have Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament... it was like that," Markle said.

SPOTIFY DEAL COLLAPSES

The couple's $20M Spotify deal, which included a podcast falls apart.

2023

PAPARAZZI CHASE IN THE BIG APPLE

Harry, Meghan and Meghan's mom were subjected to a "relentless pursuit," they claimed.

2024

MEGHAN'S HOLLYWOOD REPORTER EXPOSÉ — "DICTATOR IN HIGH HEELS"

The American-born actress' long-standing allegations of bullying royal staff at Kensington Palace are resurrected.

2025-2026

MEGHAN'S RIDICULOUSLY OVERPRICED JAM

Meghan's jam was relentlessly mocked over the ridiculous $14 price tag as part of her "As Ever" product line.

STRIPPED OF NETFLIX DEAL

Harry & Meghan's exclusive Netflix deal with their production company, Archwell Productions, ended. The couple struggled to create content, and low viewership plagued the show "With Love, Meghan."

Getty Images for the Invictus Games Foundation

New York Post, Thursday, August 20, 2026 nypost.com

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nypost.com

Matthew McDermott

DELI WOES: Elvis Arias, manager of the family-owned America Deli Market in East Harlem, fears the competition from a city-owned store.

By HANNAH FIERICK DAVID DETURRIS and MATT TROUTMAN

The Mam-and-pop is a pile of slop.

City officials took prospective bidders on a pathetic tour Wednesday of a trash-strewn empty lot in East Harlem where Mayor Mamdani's planned $30 million city-owned grocery store is supposed to become reality.

The bidders wore hardhats on the city Economic Development Corporation-led tour to the under-the-Metro-North viaduct site next to La Marqueta, despite no work actually being done yet.

They stayed tight-lipped about their visit, with one telling The Post they're not even sure their outfit will submit a bid. Others declined to comment, leaving the tour's organizers to hype up the project, while implicitly acknowledging it's a giant experiment.

"We are very cautiously optimistic about this potential project and what this potential project means to the community and

food deserts," said Phillip Grant, founder and CEO of consulting firm Phillip Grant & Associates.

"It has to be a full, transparent partnership. We also have to get the public involved."

As Grant talked about "food deserts," he stood a stone's throw from American Deli Mini Mart along Park Avenue — where owner Elvis Arias, 33, sells sandwiches and worries about losing business to the city-owned store.

The government competition is a slap in the face, especially as taxes are so high, Arias said.

City Hall would have to give him a tobacco license to keep the deli competitive, he said.

"I'm lucky I have the beer!" Elvis quipped. "They won't have beer over there."

Waverly Neer, senior vice president of groceries at the EDC, cast the tour as productive.

"We had community members, we had local organizations, and prospective operators here," she said. "It's really reaffirming that people are excited about this opportunity."

LOT OF NOTHING: City officials lead a tour Wednesday for potential partners at the East Harlem lot slated for a government-owned shop.

THE RED APPLE

"POWED"

PLAY BY

DSA BIG

Lost union electrician gig — but landed party salary

By CRAIG McCARTHY and HALEY BROWN

The NYC-DSA leader whose parents set him up in cushy Brooklyn digs short-circuited as a union electrician — and then convinced his socialist party comrades to pay him a near-six-figure salary, The Post has learned.

Former Yale University liberal arts student Gustavo Gordillo, 38, was fired from his apprenticeship program in March after ghosting his employer for months, meaning he never became a fully credentialed electrician, the IBEW Local 3 union confirmed Wednesday.

"After learning of Mr. Gordillo's prolonged absence from and failure to participate in required work and classes, the trustees of the Joint Apprentice Training Committee terminated Mr. Gordillo from the program," the IBEW said in a statement.

A source close to the union said Gordillo "didn't have a strong work record to begin with" and took the job "just for show," while hogging "a slot from someone who probably really needed the opportunity."

But Gordillo failed to mention

that he'd gotten canned when sources said he made an emotional appeal to the New York City Democratic Socialists of America's rank and file for full-time pay and benefits last month.

NYC-DSA co-chairs Gordillo and Grace Mausser "went into detail on their day jobs on how since [Mayor] Zohran [Mamdani] won they were getting so much national attention," said one attendee of the July DSA meeting in Queens.

$95K-a-year 'ploy'

He regaled the audience with stories about the struggles of him having to do media interviews while using an ear piece on construction job sites, telling the crowd it was too "distracting," the source said.

The measure to pay Gordillo and Mausser each $95,000 a year with benefits ended up passing.

"This appeal to a struggle that he is facing doesn't seem real at all. It's a lie," the source said — in light of The Post's Wednesday front-page story detailing how Gordillo's wealthy parents set him up in a row home they bought in

Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn. "It just seems like a ploy."

Neither Gordillo nor the city's DSA chapter returned requests for comment.

Gordillo, who was born in Peru and grew up in Florida, moved to New York City in 2016 after studying at the Ivy League university, and has said he found work at a high-end Chelsea gallery and that President Trump's election that year inspired him to join the DSA.

The Yale registrars' office confirmed to The Post on Wednesday that he studied literature there between 2006 and 2010, but did not earn a degree. He also studied sculpture at Yale's graduate School of Art a couple of years later, records show.

Gordillo's dad admitted Tuesday that he paid his son's $2,600 a month rent on the Lower East Side, through a dummy corporation, Chucuito LLC, until 2019.

His parents then purchased the two-story, nearly 2,000-square-foot row home on a gentrifying tree-lined block in Bed-Stuy for him and his brother for just under $1 million in 2019 through the same LLC.

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THE RED APPLE

William C. Lopez/NYPost

STOP me if you've heard this one before. The guy trying to shove socialism down our throats is actually a rich kid who lives in a $1.5 million Bed-Stuy home paid for and renovated by his daddy.

By day, Gustavo Gordillo, the co-chair of the Democratic Socialists of America's New York City chapter, has appeared on Fox News railing against capitalism and landlords.

"We don't think that anybody should have the constitutional right to double-digit returns on their investment," he recently said on the cable network.

But by night, the 38-year-old propagandist returns home to rest his head in a single-family Brooklyn home that his father bought through an LLC in 2019.

Before that, from 2016 to 2019, Gordillo lived in a $2,600-a-month apartment on the Lower East Side. The rent was paid by his father's LLC.

Reached by The Post this week, Gordillo's father confirmed the cushy living arrangement: "My son and my other son both live there. The LLC purchased the home, and then we did the renovations."

'Lulu Lenins'

An immigrant to this country from Peru, his father, I imagine, said this with pride.

He has been successful enough to achieve the American Dream — and give his kids a good life that includes a Yale education and a very nice place to live in one of the most expensive cities in the world.

That his son would become a radical socialist trying to pull the ladder up behind him is so unoriginal. It's so cliché.

After all, the more we learn about the DSA's cult leaders, the more we understand that they're all rich kids trying to seize power while posing not only as heroes of the working-class, but also active members.

These people have no shame, but they do have family money

Socialism's champagne campaigner

to fall back on. They are a frivolous and deeply unserious group that Sen. John Kennedy has cleverly called the "Lulu Lenins."

There's Zohran Mamdani, whose rich and successful parents own a compound in Uganda and, up until 2019, owned a Chelsea loft. His résumé is as thin as Gordillo's pencil mustache, but he is now our mayor.

Mamdani's tenant advocate, Cea Weaver, has called home ownership "a weapon of white supremacy," despite being raised by university professors in sprawling suburban homes.

Streamer Hasan Piker grew up in the lap of luxury, currently lives in a $3 million Los Angeles home and drives a $200,000 Porche. He has called Mao Zedong "one of the great leaders of this world."

Their communist forefathers shared the same pedigree. Fidel Castro and Lenin were children of wealth and privilege.

Job shock, shocked!

Gordillo's story is particularly amusing. He came to the United States with his family as a young child and grew up outside of Miami. He graduated from Yale in 2010 with a degree in art and worked in a gallery before claiming that he became a union electrician with IBEW.

In fact, he goes by @union-Gustavo on X.

But a spokesperson for IBEW

told The Post that Gordillo is a "lapsed member . . . meaning his dues are at least 3 months past due." They said that he was "terminated" from the apprentice training program because he wasn't participating in the "required work and classes."

In other words: He is not a union electrician.

His blue-collar persona is another LARP.

My father was electrician, and it's a gritty occupation. Upon returning home each evening, he'd bolt straight to the bathroom sink for his nightly ritual. He'd take out a tin of hand cleaner and scrub, scrub, scrub his hands clean for what felt like a good 20 minutes.

If I had to guess, the only time that Gordillo got his hands dirty was when his $14 matcha latte spilled over the lid and onto his fingers.

His parents own two $3 million homes in Florida. America has been very, very good to Gordillo's family — and this ingrate kid wants to repay our country by dismantling every mechanism that allowed his immigrant parents to work their tails off and become wealthy.

He and his ilk are all over-credentialed, underemployed and radicalized.

Their movement is just another power grab.

Gordillo is a phony. A fake. A fraud. And he wants the government to take your stuff while he gets to keep his nice things.

The socialist became a member of the Local 3 union in April 2024, but stopped showing up to work around the time Mamdani was elected, according to the union.

His social-media profile on X — where his handle is @union-Gustavo — still described him as a "@nycdsa co-chair, union electrician" as of Wednesday.

One DSA source scoffed at the far-left nonprofit group deciding to pay its co-chairs a cushy salary to spread their socialist gospel.

"None of these people are ready for prime time," the source said, mocking Gordillo's recent appearance on Fox News as a train wreck and noting that folks were "openly complaining" about it.

Poor optics

Federal records shows the NYC-DSA did not pay its co-chairs previously, with Mausser and Gordillo receiving zero money in exchange for five hours a week of

work in 2025. None of the leaders that year collected a salary.

The resolution states that the co-chairs will have to raise 15% of their salary. They will be responsible for pushing the NYC-DSA agenda, presenting it to the city and state government and promoting their endorsed candidates. Meanwhile, renovations contin-

ued Wednesday at Gordillo's house, where workers have been redoing the interior, the entire front facade and adding two decks on the roof.

"I think it's really counter [to] everything that he's supposed to represent," said one neighbor, Kristen Singleton-Ferrari, 59. "It seems more and more ex-

pensive" to live in the neighborhood, she added.

Another neighbor had nothing but praise for the Florida transplant: "Gustavo? He's a really nice guy! He's quiet. He gave us all free stuff."

Additional reporting by Kevin Sheehan, Hannah Fierick and Carl Campanile

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Illegal migrant at helm in tragedy

Captain criminal

Gregory P. Margo

FUROR: Manuel Hernandez, an illegal migrant from El Salvador, is in custody after the boat (inset) he was driving flipped and resulted in two deaths.

By JOSH CHRISTENSON and JORGE FITZ-GIBBON

The captain of an illegal charter boat that flipped in New York Harbor, killing a mom and her baby, is an illegal immigrant from El Salvador who is now in federal immigration custody, The Post has learned.

Manuel Hernandez, 46, a limo driver without a boating license, was in the US illegally when he capsized the overloaded 21-foot vessel on Aug. 8, drowning Sara Sanchez and her baby daughter, Antonella Garcia, the Department of Homeland Security said on Wednesday.

"This criminal illegal alien was illegally and recklessly conducting unlicensed boat tours in New York

Harbor when his boat capsized, killing a 27-year-old woman and her 5-month-old baby," DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin said.

"Thanks to the hard work of the men and women of the Coast Guard, ICE and our federal, state and local partners, this criminal is off our streets and out of our waterways," Mullin added. "Once he faces justice for his crimes, we will make sure that he is swiftly removed from our country."

Hernandez was arrested and charged in federal court with two counts of misconduct and neglect of a ship officer resulting in death and released on $50,000 bail.

A subsequent investigation by US Coast Guard Investigative Services determined that the bumbling boat captain was an illegal

migrant and he was later snatched up by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Hernandez illegally crossed the southern border through Texas in 2007 by falsely claiming to a border agent that he was an American citizen, according to the feds.

Feds ready to deport

He is now being held without bail by immigration authorities pending the outcome of the criminal case. Federal prosecutors said Hernandez packed 14 passengers into the charter boat for a birthday party cruise near Liberty Island, despite specs that a craft of that size should typically carry no more than 10.

The boat was not equipped with

a child or infant life jacket, investigators found, although Hernandez told the passengers they were not required. The bogus captain turned and accelerated when he hit a swell during the doomed cruise, capsizing the boat and sending everyone into the harbor.

The survivors were plucked from the water by another charter boat along with NYPD, FDNY and Coast Guard boats, but the mom and her baby could not be saved.

Although hired as a limo driver by the tour operator, authorities said Hernandez would periodically captain illegal harbor cruises despite not being licensed or trained to do so.

"Illegal charter operations gamble with human life," Coast Guard investigator Josh Packer said.

Virginia loving its data centers

A lavish Virginia county that's home to hundreds of data centers is raking in more than a billion-dollar windfall off the server farms — and residents are reaping the tech boom benefits with 30% reductions in property taxes and splashy public projects.

Loudoun County, a wealthy suburb outside of Washington, DC, is home to roughly 250 data centers that are operated or leased by tech giants like Amazon, Microsoft and Google to power artificial intelligence and the internet.

A tax on computer equipment inside the expansive facilities and property taxes that include the land where the centers sit on are expected to generate a whopping $1.3 billion next year — accounting for 40% of the county's total tax revenue, according to the county's 2027 fiscal year budget.

The infusion of cash has slashed residential property taxes in the enclave — home to the country's highest median income — by 30% over the past decade, The New York Times reported.

The data centers have also helped bankroll a luxe $102 million recreation center with multiple pools and hydro-massage chairs; a $22 million conversion of former President James Monroe's estate into a park; and the construction of two new schools with a third on the way, according to the outlet.

The county's ballooning $5.4 billion budget has allowed for the expansion of fire and emergency services, roads, bridges and recreational facilities.

The county has also added 15,000 people to the local workforce with the data centers serving as job creators, according to Buddy Rizer, the executive director for economic development in Loudoun.

The success has made Loudoun a model across the nation, with officials in Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Delaware touring its so-called Data Center Alley for a peak at the county's cash cow. Zoe Hussain

■ Business / Page 36

Melania, IndyCar 'drive' for foster kids

WASHINGTON — Melania Trump will announce a new round of scholarships for foster children on Thursday, partnering with IndyCar to bring new opportunities to those in need.

The sanctioning body for

US auto racing will team up with the Trump administration, and Indiana and Purdue universities to fund the investments, joining 24 other schools around the country.

To mark the occasion, IndyCar designed a custom

red, white and blue helmet for the first lady, embossed with her name and the names of her "Be Best" and "Fostering the Future" programs.

"Only 3% of individuals in foster care in the United States go on to complete

some level of college," Marc Beckman, the first lady's exclusive senior adviser, told The Post.

The partnership comes ahead of Sunday's Freedom 250 Grand Prix race through the streets of

Washington DC, where the first lady will join President Trump in taking an honorary lap around the track ahead of the starting flag.

Beckman said 100% of the money goes to the scholarship fund. Emily Goodin

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I WANT TO SAVE A LIFE

Surrogate mother McKenna West was horrified when the parents of the baby she was carrying ordered her to abort the child over a birth defect. West moved to Texas and gave birth, with the biological parents taking the child. With the two sides still locked in a legal battle, West tells The Post the only thing she wants:

McKENNA WEST

I'm a mom and cardiac nurse from Alaska, and I've spent my career keeping people alive. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine I'd spend this year fighting in courtrooms in three states to preserve the heartbeat of a baby I delivered myself.

Due to the onslaught of media coverage about my case — some true, some not — I'd like to set the record straight on what happened and why I'm fighting for this precious baby boy.

Last year, I agreed to be a surrogate for a couple in California. In April, when I was 20 weeks pregnant with the child, a routine ultrasound revealed the reason I now find myself embroiled in multiple bitter legal battles: The baby I carried had hypoplastic left heart syndrome, a serious, but treatable, congenital heart defect.

To treat a baby with HLHS, surgeons perform a staged repair, beginning with the Norwood procedure shortly after birth, followed by two more surgeries. This medical treatment gives children a high chance of going on to live full lives.

Yet when the contracting couple heard about the HLHS diagnosis, my worst fears came true: They ordered me to terminate the pregnancy. They wanted me to abort the precious child I was carrying.

A great shot at survival

No woman should be forced to kill the baby inside her. Most importantly, every child deserves a chance to live.

As a cardiac nurse, I knew this little one had a great shot at survival if given the opportunity to receive the necessary treatment.

After I communicated to the contracting couple that I could not end this baby's life, their lawyer and my own former lawyer sent me letters threatening six-figure penalties if I didn't comply with their demand to terminate. The contracting couple cut off my payments, and I covered the rest of the pregnancy expenses myself.

The threats eventually became real: The contracting couple filed claims against me in Alaska demanding at least $100,000 because I did not end their son's life.

But no threat or amount of money could sway my conviction that this baby had a real chance at a full life, and I could not participate in killing him and depriving him of that opportunity. All I wanted was for the contracting couple to commit to giving this baby lifesaving treatment. But they refused.

So, I made my own plans to save him.

WON'T GIVE UP: Surrogate mother McKenna West was told to abort the child she was carrying because of a heart defect, but as a cardiac nurse, she says she knew the condition was treatable.

My home state didn't have a hospital equipped with the surgery he'd need at birth. After extensive research, I found a hospital in Texas with excellent surgical outcomes, including a 100% survival rate for the Norwood procedure. I also had friends in the area who could support my kids and me through this difficult time.

The contracting couple wanted me to deliver the baby at a hospital in California, but that hospital didn't have the same perfect track record of success, and I had no one to support me there.

Still, I agreed to give up any claim to the baby, if they would simply commit to the surgery that would save his life.

But after months in court, they continued to refuse this common-sense agreement. So, putting my job on hold, I moved

my two children to Texas and delivered where I knew the baby boy would have the best odds at survival and my kids and me would have support. He came into this world on Aug. 12, and I'm told he received his first surgery.

Hardly 'political theater'

People have called this political theater. It isn't. This is about giving an innocent child a shot at the life he deserves. I'm eternally grateful that the Texas family court and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton ordered that the baby boy I carried must receive the necessary surgery.

Yet this matter still isn't settled. The contracting couple is actively working to get the court order that required the

Courtesy of McKenna West

Parents sue for $100K

The biological parents of the child birthed by surrogate McKenna West are reportedly suing her for more than $100,000 for keeping the baby rather than abort it at their request.

Nasheen Gilkar and Omar Ahmed filed a countersuit against West, a 28-year-old nurse from Alaska, weeks before she gave birth in Texas to their baby, who was born with a serious and rare heart defect.

They agreed to pay West $60,000 to carry their child, with an abortion clause that allowed them to terminate the pregnancy if there were issues with the fetus, the lawsuit says.

At around 20 weeks, the child was diagnosed with hypoplastic left heart syndrome. But West refused their request to abort it, and instead traveled to Texas, where state law would recognize her as the birth mother.

The baby was born Aug. 12. West named him Gabriel, but the biological parents say his name is Rumi.

Gilkar and Ahmed are asking a judge to award them more than $100,000 in damages from McKenna for breaking the deal plus damages for her 'malicious' conduct.

Patrick Reilly

baby's continued treatment thrown out.

It is unthinkable to me to give birth to a precious, living, breathing baby boy and yet deny him the chance to survive.

I'm not fighting to try to take someone else's baby. I'm fighting because this baby boy needs someone willing to advocate for and fight alongside him as he gets the ongoing treatment his fragile heart requires. And it turns out that someone is me. With the legal assistance of Alliance Defending Freedom, I have asked for only one thing from the very beginning: A commitment that this baby will be provided the life-saving treatment he needs. That is all it would take to end this.

I haven't been allowed to hold this precious baby boy I carried and protected throughout my pregnancy. The only glimpse I got of him was during a very short 60 seconds while his umbilical cord was still connected. As soon as the cord was cut, he was taken away.

You may know the story of King Solomon. Two women stood before him, claiming to be the mother of a child. But only one was committed to giving the child life. Today, that same story is playing out in US courts. Two sides are in a dispute, but only one of us is committing to lifesaving care. My plea, my only goal, is simple: Let's commit to giving this baby the full treatment he needs to live.

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8

nypost.com

'HOMEWRECKER'

Ron Sachs - CNP

BUSTED: Former Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (left) is being sued by Heather Ammel (right), the now ex-wife of Matthew Ammel, who was Sinema's bodyguard while in Congress. The Arizona pol admitted to having sex with Matthew Ammel (far right in front of Sinema) multiple times in 2024 before Heather caught on and responded to a series of text messages outing the affair. Heather Ammel is suing for $75,000 using North Carolina's 'homewrecker law,' which permits women to seek damages from their ex-spouses' lovers.

How jilted bodyguard wife nailed Sinema in their steamy affair

By JOSH CHRISTENSON and NATALIE O'NEILL

WINSTON-SALEM, NC — Former Sen. Kyrsten Sinema recounted the moment she was caught red-handed texting her bodyguard lover by his wife in dramatic testimony in federal court on Wednesday — as she admitted to sleeping with the father-of-two military vet.

'I'll see you soon,' Sinema texted Matthew Ammel — only to receive the reply 'Are you having an affair with my husband?' — apparently from his wife Heather.

She followed up with the message: 'You took a married man away from his family.'

Ammel's now-ex-wife sued Sinema, 50, last year alleging 'alienation of affection,' taking advantage of North Carolina's 'homewrecker law,' which permits women to seek damages from their ex-spouses' lovers.

Heather Ammel is asking for more than $75,000 in compensation.

But Sinema, the first openly bisexual member of Congress, claimed in court that she had no romantic feelings for Matthew during the final months of her political career in 2024.

'I'm not like that,' Sinema told her attorney, Steven Epstein, when asked under oath about the tone of her conversations with her bodyguard.

'When the opportunity presented itself, and when Mr. Ammel approached me, we had sex,' she added flatly.

'Had her hook' in him

Sinema, who left the Senate in 2025 after serving a single term, pushed the suit to federal court in January in order to argue the dalliance took place outside of North Carolina.

In a July 31 deposition made public last weekend, the 50-year-old

Sex-assault claim vs. 2nd Calif. rep.

WASHINGTON — An unidentified woman has accused Rep. Jimmy Gomez (D-Calif.) of sexual assault as part of a House Ethics Committee investigation that was sparked by a Post exposé, a statement released by her lawyers Wednesday said.

Democrats on Capitol Hill believe Gomez, 51, may resign in the wake of the disclosure — following his close friend Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.), who stepped down in April after multiple women alleged sexual harassment or assault.

Attorneys Lisa Banks and Sarah Nesbitt slammed Gomez (inset) for publicly claiming that the committee is only investigating 'consensual' sexual relations by the married Dads Caucus founder.

'We represent one of the women who was interviewed by the House

Getty Images

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POL'S SEXT-IMONY

Arizona Capitol TV

had been sent around Oct. 16, 2024, prompting Heather Ammel's attorneys to seek to undermine her testimony.

Asked whether she was trying to conceal her affair with Ammel by using auto-deleting Signal messaging, Sinema said, "Absolutely not."

Other Signal messages that Sinema and Heather Ammel both testified about in the hearing included a photo of the senator in a towel with cupping marks showing on her back.

Sinema said she did not view the messages as "enticing," but the ex-wife disagreed, claiming the sultry snaps were meant to be flirty.

"Cupping bruises are very unattractive — so, no," Sinema insisted when asked whether she was trying appeal to Matthew Ammel by sending the photo before they became sexually involved.

The Ammels separated for around six months starting in November 2024 and their divorce was finalized in March of this year.

former senator admitted she and Ammel slept together multiple times between May and October 2024 — including at an Airbnb in Napa, Calif.; while the two were in New York City for CNN anchor Jessica Dean's wedding; in Sinema's DC apartment; on a fundraising trip to Colorado; and at the senator's Phoenix home.

At the height of the sexual affair, in June 2024, Sinema messaged Ammel on the encrypted app Signal: "I keep waking up during my sleep and reaching

over for your arms to hold me."

The bodyguard sent a screenshot of the exchange to Heather Ammel, who texted back in reference to Sinema: "She's insidious. Yes, she might care about you and want to help you, but it's to her own gain. This is a woman who is willing to break up a family... She's a home wrecker [sic]. She knows you're vulnerable and has taken advantage of that... She has you in her web now."

Heather Ammel added to her then-husband: "I'm telling you if

our marriage ends, and you continue this emotional affair (if not physical at this point) the girls will never forgive you... Please do not throw away our family that I love SO much for someone as selfish as she is."

Heather Ammel testified Wednesday that she believed Sinema was "grooming" her husband, an Afghanistan War vet who had been struggling with depression, and claimed the Democrat-turned-independent "had her hook" in him.

On Oct. 3, 2024, one night after the tryst in Arizona, Sinema said she sent Matthew Ammel three Signal messages set to auto-delete after eight hours.

Sultry snaps

That's when Heather apparently responded on Matthew's phone.

Sinema testified Wednesday that she didn't respond to the message, but had mistakenly stated in a prior deposition that it

e Committee on Ethics about her experience of sexual harassment and assault by Representative Jimmy Gomez," Banks and Nesbitt said.

"Contrary to Representative Gomez's assertion in his statement, his actions were not 'consensual in nature' with respect to our client. We fully expect that the House Committee on Ethics will come to the same conclusion in its investigation."

The Ethics Committee started to investigate Gomez after The Post reported in April that he was seen kissing a much younger aide to a different lawmaker in the summer of 2023 outside a backyard party hosted by Swalwell.

Gomez initially denied it, but copped to having an affair in June. Steven Nelson

New Ruben funderstorm

Sen. Ruben Gallego is facing fresh allegations of misspending campaign funds after records show he billed $2,000 for flights for his sister-in-law and au pair — as the Justice Department reportedly probes the Democrat's possible misuse of donor contributions.

Previously unreported records reviewed by The Post indicate that the then-senator-elect's campaign spent $1,227 on airfare in late 2024 for his sister-in-law to visit Washington and another $777.91 for Gallego's Brazilian au pair to fly in from Mexico City ahead of his January 2025 swearing-in.

Then-Rep. Gallego (D-Ariz.) also billed his campaign $661.51

for custom stationery to announce his daughter's birth in July 2023.

Gallego's office claimed the flights by both the au pair and sister-in-law were related to child care, which federal rules allow to be reimbursed in some cases.

The birth announcements "were sent to the campaign's donors and supporters, as a token of appreciation and a way to keep donors and supporters engaged" in Gallego's campaign, his office said.

Gallego has two children with his current wife, Sydney, and a son with his first wife, Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego, whom the senator left in 2016 during her pregnancy.

The new revelations come two months after reports by Politico

and the New York Times revealed Gallego blew tens of thousands of dollars in leadership PAC and campaign funds on family trips — and Axios and CBS News reports that the feds are probing that spending.

A spokesman for Sen. Gallego called the new details of possible campaign wrongdoing "yet another tired effort by the New York Post to slander Senator Gallego for being guilty of balancing being a present father and working senator."

Steven Nelson

NOT SEAT: Sen. Ruben Gallego, already eyed for possible campaign misspending, flew his sister-in-law and au pair to D.C. with campaign funds, sources say.

Acadian via Getty Images

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10

Gettin' capitalism wrong

New right wooed by socialism mixed up

EMIL BARR

FIFTY-THREE percent of self-identified conservatives under 40 support government-run grocery stores. Not Democrats, conservatives. Take that in.

I run a company that tracks layoffs caused by artificial intelligence, and every month I look at spreadsheets that show my generation losing entry-level jobs faster than anyone anticipated. So when the polling says young Americans have soured on capitalism, I'm not surprised by the anger.

I am surprised by who is angry, because the rise of socialism among young Americans is no longer only a Democratic story.

Young conservatives who grew up hearing that government was the problem are increasingly asking why the government isn't doing more to make their lives easier, which in 2026 simply means more affordable. They are increasingly comfortable with taxing billionaires, expanding government programs and blaming some outside group for the sense that the American Dream is further away than it was for their parents.

Shifting views

The left is embracing socialism openly, but we should worry about how the right is arriving at many of the same conclusions by a different route.

In a 2025 survey of young likely voters, 42% of conservatives said they would like to see a democratic socialist win the presidency in 2028. Among 2024 Trump voters, the figure was 35% in another poll. A March 2026 poll found 77% of all voters support raising taxes on billionaires, including 65% of Republicans, 75% of independents, and 91% of Democrats. It also found 62% of voters are more likely to back a candidate who supports an in-

DSA win, sorta

WASHINGTON — The Democratic Socialists of America scored one of their biggest wins ever in Florida's special Democratic Senate primary Tuesday when state Rep. Angie Nixon upset former National Security Council official and Trump impeachment witness Alexander Vindman.

However, operatives from both parties are expecting Nixon and the DSA to get a rude awakening from Republican incumbent Ashley Moody in November.

"Florida was already a stretch," veteran Democratic strategist Adam Bozzi told The Post Wednesday. "This makes it even more difficult, and [Nixon] is unlikely to get the national resources needed to win. That money will likely be directed to other states." "The good news

for Democrats," Bozzi added, "is that they've done an excellent job recruiting strong candidates who have won primaries in many other races like Texas [James Talarico], Ohio [Sherrod Brown], Alaska [Mary Peltola], and Iowa [Josh Turek], giving them a solid chance to win the Senate majority."

The expectations-resetting began the day after Nixon's win, when election handicapper Larry Sabato of the University of Virginia's Center for Politics shifted his rating of the Florida race to "safe R" from "likely R."

Ryan Elijah, the Republican nominee in Florida's 7th Congressional District, told The Post Wednesday of Nixon's victory: "I think that is a problem right now in the Democratic Party. They have people that are moving to that socialist side."

Ryan King

SURPRISE: Florida state Rep. Angie Nixon won a Democratic primary in Florida, but the DSA'er is not expected to win the US Senate race in November against incumbent Republican Ashley Moody (inset).

creased billionaire tax, versus 12% more likely to support a candidate who opposes it.

These aren't disciples of Karl Marx, but they believe the economy is rigged against them, and they increasingly believe the government should step in and fix it.

A July 2026 Fox News poll found that 61% of Republicans view capitalism favorably, down from 72% in 2019, while the share who feel strongly favorable has fallen from 54% to 41%. The share who say the system is rigged toward the wealthy has climbed from 30% in 2018 to 42%.

I'm 23, and I understand why my generation is frustrated. Unaffordable housing is one of the clearest reasons. The striking part of Zohran Mamdani's win in New York is that the language he used — affordability, rent regulation, hostility to concentrated wealth — now sounds completely normal to millions of young Americans who would never call themselves socialists.

I am not going to tell my generation that everything is fine, but I believe we are making a fundamental

mistake when we take a real economic problem and turn it into an argument against capitalism.

Capitalism is failing young Americans, but it isn't the reason young Americans are failing.

On the left, the villain is usually the billionaire or the corporation. On the right, it might be China, immigrants, Israel or whichever group is being blamed that month for why we can't afford what our parents could at our age. The targets of blame change, but the logic stays the same: somebody else took what should have been mine, and whoever it is should pay to give it back.

Invisible handout

This is where the argument gets uncomfortable.

Ask young Americans whether they want universal healthcare, free college, cheaper housing or more government assistance and you will find plenty of support, but when you ask who should pay for it, suddenly the revolutionaries get quieter.

We want the Nordic welfare

state without the Nordic tax bill. We want the government to spend more money while somehow charging none of us for it, which sounds more like a wish list than an economic model.

I think my generation is getting capitalism completely wrong, because those of us who are actually building companies are showing that opportunity hasn't disappeared nearly as completely as some young people believe.

For the first time on record, 2025 saw Gen Z entrepreneurs starting more new businesses than baby boomers, accounting for 9% of new business starts in 2025 against 5% for boomers. Most of those founders used AI to get started; it has never been cheaper to try to be an entrepreneur.

So which is it? Are we a generation that believes the government needs to rescue us from the economy, or are we a generation capable of building our own way out?

My mother brought me to America from Russia when I was 3 because she believed that her son would have more opportunity

nity here, and she was right.

I was able to scale successful businesses as a teenager, negotiate my way through free college, and build a personal net worth of over $20 million all before turning 23. I didn't do that because the government handed me a check, but because America gave me room to try.

Real barriers

There are real barriers making opportunity harder to reach, and the government built most of them. Housing supply is restricted by zoning. Licensing keeps capable people out of professions they could otherwise enter. Permitting turns projects that should take months into year-long exercises.

If those barriers are making life harder for young people, the answer is to remove them. It isn't to convince an entire generation that capitalism itself is the barrier.

Emil Barr is the co-founder of Flashpass and founder of Step Up Social. From The Wall Street Journal.

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Dressed to Rob-bie

Margot Robbie — in a white dress complemented with a black bucket hat, Chanel flap bag and heels — perfects the vintage 1960s look while filming the anticipated “Ocean’s Eleven” prequel in Paris Wednesday.

Trust for Gen Z is a bust

The kids have trust issues.

Gen Z has the lowest interpersonal trust of any generation, with only one in eight teens and young adults believing that most people can be trusted, according to a bombshell new poll.

Only 13% of Gen Z (born between 1997 and 2012) said that they could trust the majority of people, while almost three-quarters (74%) said “you can’t be too careful,” according to a study by political scientist Ryan Burge at Washington University.

Millennials were slightly less paranoid, with roughly a quarter (24%) agreeing that most people could be trusted and two-thirds (67%) erring on the side of caution, as shown by the polling compiled using data from the General Social Survey between 2021 and 2024.

Gen X and Boomers had similar levels of interpersonal trust, with 30% and 29%, respectively, saying most people could be trusted.

The Silent Generation was by far the most trusting, with 41% of those surveyed believing most people are trustworthy, and 51% saying it pays to be careful.

But the data also show a steep drop in interpersonal trust among Gen Z in 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In 2018, just over 20% of Gen Z believed most people could be trusted, but in 2025, that figure is in single digits.

Boomers and Millennials also saw a slight drop in interpersonal trust since 2020, but nowhere as pronounced as with Gen Z.

The data found that across all generations, people with a college education were more likely to believe that others could be trusted than those with a high school diploma or less. Anthony Blair

Aissaou Nacer / SplashNews.com

THE AI TEST TRAP

By ANTHONY BLAIR

Artificial intelligence is great for schoolwork — until you can’t use it on the test, a large-scale new study shows.

Students who used AI to write their homework got better scores and finished their work in record time — but did worse on exams than kids who did things the old-fashioned way, according to new research out of China.

After six months, the students using AI saw their homework scores rise by almost one-fifth (18%) across all subjects, a joint study by David Stromberg of Stockholm University of Victor Lei and Wu Yanhui of the University of Hong Kong found.

All the while, the time they took to complete each assignment dropped from 64 minutes to 45, according to the Economist.

But when it came to exams, students who used AI for their homework scored 20% below their classmates who hadn’t, the study showed.

Experts say the rise of AI may have broken the relationship between homework grades and the amount of knowledge retained for tests.

The study tracked 27,000 students ages 12 to 18 in China, where AI adoption has been turbocharged in recent years.

Some 80% reported using Chinese AI models such as Doubao and DeepSeek, while the remaining 20% formed the control group.

In the West, AI pickup has been even more drastic, with roughly 80-90% of US undergrads, 94% in Britain, and 93% in Germany admitting to using it in their studies, according to a survey last year by ed-tech firm Chegg.

But the evidence doesn’t indicate AI is inherently a bad thing for students.

‘Resist temptation’

In another new study, students at Middlebury College in Vermont were taught an unfamiliar topic either with or without the help of an AI chatbot.

Those using AI scored higher on tests than the control group and had the same advantages when they repeated the task a week later, according to research by Zara Contractor and German Reyes.

“AI can boost learning productivity, but only for those who use the technology intelligently,” reported the Economist.

“Students must resist the temptation to reach for an AI-generated answer before thinking things through for themselves,” added the report.

ablair@nypost.com

Rodrigo’s sweet charity

Pop star Olivia Rodrigo helped a University of Alabama student graduate by paying $5,000 for her final semester’s tuition.

“Olivia, I don’t know if you’ll ever understand how much that means to me,” Jamie Causey, 21, wrote afterward. “You just chose to show kindness to a stranger . . . something I’ll take with me forever.” Adam Silverstein

11 New York Post, Thursday, August 20, 2026 nypost.com

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12

Clancy's ex huddles with new bride

By CHRIS NESI and PRISCILLA DEGREGORY

Lindsay Clancy's ex-husband was spotted with his new wife in New York, appearing visibly stressed as his former wife continues her highly publicized trial for killing their three children, according to a report.

Patrick Clancy and his second wife, reproductive endocrinologist Dr. Rachel Danis, were seen last Thursday in an outdoor seating area at a Manhattan apartment building while the murder trial was on a break, TMZ reported.

The two appeared on edge, with Patrick Clancy taking multiple phone calls and pacing in circles while Danis sat on a couch nearby and took phone calls of her own, a witness told the outlet.

The couple, who wed in April, spent about 30 minutes on and off their phones, looking anxious as they spoke to each other, the witness said.

His ex is facing three counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of their children, Cora, 5; Dawson, 3; and Callan, 8 months, who were killed at the family's home in Duxbury, Mass., in January 2023.

Lindsay Clancy also tried to kill herself that day by throwing herself out of a second-floor window. She is now paralyzed and is wheelchair bound.

Lindsay Clancy's lawyer, Kevin Reddington, wants a jury to find her not guilty by reason of insanity on the grounds she was suffering from severe postpartum psychosis.

"Lindsay Clancy has bad days and worse days," a psychologist, Dr. Paul Zeisel, testified Wednesday.

The 36-year-old is never left

Facing matter of wife & death

NERVOUS LOOK: Patrick Clancy and his new wife, Rachel Danis, appear anxious last week as they sit outside a Manhattan apartment building — while his former wife, Lindsay Clancy (above), is on trial for killing their three young children in Massachusetts.

alone at Tewksbury Hospital where she is being held during her murder case, he told the jury.

"She is on a constant one-to-one to ensure Ms. Clancy doesn't take her own life," said Zeisel, who has met with Clancy dozens of times and was testifying in her defense.

He said she is in good hands, but the concern she could try to kill herself again is always under the surface.

But prosecutors claim Lindsay

Clancy carefully planned the slayings, insisting she couldn't have been experiencing psychosis at the time.

From the witness stand, Patrick Clancy recounted calling 911 after discovering the bodies of his children, who had been strangled with exercise resistance bands.

Jurors have also heard testimony from her psychiatrists and other medical providers who said they didn't believe she was in a

psychotic state.

After strangling them, Lindsay Clancy told her then-husband in a disturbing phone call from her hospital room that she heard a male voice telling her to "kill her children and kill herself," psychologist Zeisel said in court.

On the day of the killings, the couple had a mundane text message exchange about Cora's doctor appointment and their dinner plans for that evening.

LI man busted in Pirro threat

An unhinged Long Island man has been arrested for allegedly threatening to travel to Washington, DC, to "put a bullet" in US Attorney Jeanine Pirro's head.

Daniel Kretsinger, of Hauppauge, posted two videos to X on June 30, threatening harm to Pirro and suggesting he might also attempt to assassinate President Trump, according to a criminal complaint filed earlier this month in the US District Court for the Eastern District of New York.

"Because you're such a lying despicable piece of s-t," Kretsinger allegedly said in a terrifying video replying to an X post from Pirro's account, "I'm specifically targeting you when I come to Washington, D.C., and put a bullet directly between your eyes c-t."

Kretsinger, shirtless and apparently enraged, then warned: "And if Trump keeps up his bulls—I may kill the president too."

In a second video posted minutes later, Kretsinger allegedly doubled down on his threat to the DC US attorney.

"I'm gonna come to DC very f-kin soon sweetheart and I'm gonna put a bullet in your f-kin head," the man said, according to the complaint. "I love you, you evil lying dirt bag thieving f-king bitch!"

Kretsinger was located and interviewed by law enforcement on July 9.

Kretsinger and the US Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York did not immediately respond to The Post's request for comment. Victor Nava & Josh Christenson

Drunken killer boater gets life sentence

A Florida boater was sentenced to life in prison for killing his new drinking buddy in a drunken fight that began on his sailboat before spilling out onto the dock and tossing his body into the water.

Kamal Padlowski was

handed the lifetime sentence on Monday in Hillsborough County Court in Tampa, Fla., for the 2024 Memorial Day Weekend murder of 47-year-old Melvin Jimenez.

Jimenez died after he was shoved during their scuffle,

which caused him to fall backward and smack his head on the fiberglass dock before Padlowski dumped him in the water at the Little Harbor Marina in Ruskin, Fla., on May 25, 2024.

Padlowski, 52, who was found guilty of premeditated

fired first-degree murder in July, will serve his life sentence without the possibility of parole.

Padlowski and Jimenez had met earlier in the day at the tiki-themed Sunset Bar and Grill near the marina before Jimenez was invited

back to the boat.

The pair continued drinking on the vessel with Padlowski's fiancée before the daytime brawl broke out.

Jimenez's blood alcohol level was measured at .26, over three times the legal limit. Nicholas McEntyre

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US stealth keeps oil flowing thru strait

The US has been stealthily shepherding millions of barrels of oil a day across the Strait of Hormuz, helping prevent further shocks to the world's oil markets, analysts said.

The US successfully protected tankers carrying about 5 million barrels of oil daily throughout July by conducting stealth missions near the Omani coast, The New York Times reported.

"They have been extraordinarily effective in keeping that southern corridor operating, despite the attacks," Windward shipping analyst Michelle Wiese Bockmann told the outlet.

The missions began in May with around 70 ships crossing in the first three weeks — many opting to use shadow fleet tactics like turning off radar to be undetected.

Despite repeated attacks from Iran, which claims to control the strait, the ships continued to cross regularly through June and July, which likely kept oil prices from breaking into the triple digits like it did during the war's first months.

US Energy Secretary Chris Wright estimated even more oil was sneaking through, claiming 9 million barrels passed through Hormuz daily.

US Central Command, which oversees the missions, approximates it has helped more than 1,000 ships cross the strait since the war began.

The operation, however, does not come without significant costs, with the US forced to deploy ships, helicopters and planes to intercept Iran attacks.

The cost of intercepting the strikes is notably higher than what it costs Iran to attack using its cheaper suicide drones.

The interceptions are also not foolproof, with at least 15 ships taking damage from Iranian fire since June, according to the United Nations' International Maritime Organization.

Ronny Reyes

KIM-HERE, YOU! Don says he'll meet NoKo leader

By EMILY GOODIN

WASHINGTON — President Trump confirmed Wednesday he plans to meet with North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un later this year, the third sitdown between the two across the commander in chief's two terms.

Trump declined to give a date for the meeting but reports have suggested it could happen in November, when the president is in China for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit.

"I get along with him, and you know what? The fact that I get along with him — that's a good thing, not a bad thing," Trump told reporters at the White House, adding that Kim has '57 very powerful nuclear weapons."

"Should have never allowed it to happen," the president added.

"They should have never allowed it. If I were president, I wouldn't have allowed it. But he's got them."

Kim cool

Past intelligence assessments have indicated North Korea has between 50 and 60 active nuclear warheads, but Trump's comments marked the first time a US official has given a specific number.

Pyongyang did not immediately confirm a Trump-Kim meeting on its end, with the portly dictator's powerful sister Kim Yo-jong telling state media: "We think it's not worth making comments on that and we have not any interest in it."

Over the weekend, Trump announced that he had ordered War Secretary Pete Hegseth to "substantially" cut back a regularly scheduled military drill with South Korea.

The president made the surprising announcement on social media a few hours before the exercises were scheduled to begin. The drill, known as Ulchi Freedom Shield, will now end tomorrow instead of Aug. 27.

The US sees North Korea's nuclear program as a threat to the region and the joint exercise has been considered a useful way to practice responding to potential strikes.

Trump's announcement came after North Ko-

rea complained about the drills, but the president's drawdown order did not appear to appease Pyongyang.

They are not impressed

"The provocative, aggressive nature of the drills won't change even though their duration and size were reduced," Kim's sister said.

But the president on Wednesday shrugged off any concerns about North Korean aggression.

"He's going to be fine as long as we have a smart president," Trump said of Kim Jong-un. "If we have a dumb president, then he's probably not going to be so fine."

Trump and the North Korean leader had a close relationship in his first term. At a rally in 2018, Trump said the two "fell in love" after exchanging letters.

13

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14

ELECTION 2026

By VAUGHN GOLDEN

POUGHKEEPSIE — Battleground Democratic candidate Cait Conley seemingly took an abrupt U-turn Wednesday on tariffs — after repeatedly bashing Republican opponent Rep. Mike Lawler over the issue.

The two bitterly battling for the critical Hudson Valley congressional seat faced off in a candidate forum in Poughkeepsie, where Conley got zapped during a lightning round of “yes” or “no” questions.

Conley — who has lambasted President Trump’s seemingly endless tariffs on imports as “reckless” — admitted some fees justified for “national security” are reasonable.

“Yes, in principle,” she told the Dutchess County Chamber of Commerce forum.

Lawler, a moderate Republican who has coxied up to Trump, leaped on Conley’s apparent flip-flop.

“After a whole year and a half of bashing tariffs, she said she supports them. I mean, frankly that’s fascinating,” Lawler told reporters after the forum.

“If that’s her position, then I’m not really sure what the hell she’s been attacking me on,” he added.

The back-and-forth underscored the high stakes in the 17th Congressional District fight.

Crucial district

The contest is New York’s sole tossup race during the midterm elections. A win by Conley would not only help Democrats pick up an Empire State congressional seat but could be critical as the party nationally hopes to wrest the House of Representatives from GOP control.

Lawler took the seat in 2022 when he defeated former Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney, then the chairman of the House Democratic Campaign Committee.

He coasted to re-election in 2024 and styles himself as an even-keeled, common-sense Republican who’s palatable to swing voters in a suburban district that includes all or parts of Westchester, Putnam and Dutchess counties.

But Democrats have railed against Lawler’s closeness to Trump, who endorsed the con-

Fla.’s Mills tossed

Rep. Cory Mills (R-Fla.) lost his bid for a third congressional term Tuesday night to former Orlando TV news reporter Ryan Elijah.

Elijah, who once hosted “Good Day Orlando” and “Orlando Matters” on Fox affiliate WOFL, led Mills 47.1% to 34.2% with almost all the vote counted.

Mills, 46, had struggled to raise money as he fought a House Ethics Committee investigation of “serious and complex” accusations, including claims of domestic assault, stolen valor and financial misconduct.

Elijah racked up dozens of endorsements in recent weeks, including from Mills’ GOP colleagues Anna Paulina Luna and Mike Haridopoulos.

Elijah, 54, who made an unsuccessful bid for Congress in Indiana in 2010, said the late support from lawmakers showed Mills had “lost trust and confidence.”

“This isn’t personal for me. I’m in it so we don’t lose this seat,” Elijah said during a debate earlier this month.

Elijah will face Democrat Bale Dalton, a Navy veteran and former top NASA official, for the right to represent Florida’s 7th District.

President Trump had endorsed Mills, but notably did not re-up his message of support on Truth Social in recent days. Victor Nava

TARIFF FLIP BY NY DEM

gressman last year. Conley, a former intelligence and national-security official in former President Joe Biden’s administration emerged victorious from a crowded Democratic primary race in which she bested a fellow moderate and a more progressive contender.

As Conley built up steam during the campaign, she echoed the senti-

ments of many Democrats by broadly trashing Trump’s tariffs as “illegal.” “We must stop the bleeding this administration has caused by ending illegal tariffs that are driving up the cost of everything from prescription drugs to housing,” Conley wrote in a June post.

After the forum flip-flop, Conley told reporters that tariffs should be used as a “scalpel” instead of the

“bulldozer” strategy the Trump administration is imposing.

“Tariffs are intended to help foster business development and innovation and cultivate that domestic boom. They have to be accompanied with investment in smart policies to drive that. That is not what’s happening right now,” she said.

Additional reporting by Matt Troutman

Graham slammed in debate 10-pt. Constantino lead: poll

WASHINGTON — Sen. Darline Graham Nordone (R-SC) had two brutal stumbles Tuesday during her primary runoff debate against Rep. Ralph Norman (R-SC) — admitting to being “not that informed” on vital national-security issues and bungling South Carolina’s population.

The sister of the late Sen. Lindsey Graham was asked whether she considers “Taiwan and the South China Sea national-security issues for the United States” and “if so, why.” “I’m just gonna be honest here,” Graham, 62, replied. “I’m not that informed on national security. But I do

support the military.”

Graham’s second error came as she tried to pivot to local issues.

“There’s 50 million people in South Carolina. Half of them live paycheck to paycheck,” said Graham, incorrectly multiplying the Palmetto State’s population by 10. Ryan King

Republican Anthony Constantino holds a comfortable 10-point lead over his Democratic rival in the upstate race to succeed retiring GOP Rep. Elise Stefanik, a new poll finds. Constantino, a pro-President Trump businessman, leads dairy farmer Blake Gendebien 50% to 40%,

with 10% unsure, in the election for New York’s 21st House District, the J.L. Partners survey says.

When undecided voters are pressed on who they lean toward, Constantino’s lead jumps to 13 points, 53% to 40%, with 7% undecided. The findings counter last week’s News Channel 13/

Survey USA poll that found Gendebien was up by 4 points, 43% to 39%. “Though Republicans face a tough race in the House this fall, one thing is clear: New York 21 is not one of those vulnerable districts,” said pollster James Johnson, co-founder of J.L. Partners. Carl Campanile

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Miranda Devine

mdevine@nypost.com

JON OSSOFF must be pleased with himself. The accidental senator for Georgia has finally made a name for himself with a disgustingly sly attack on President Trump that insinuated an adulterous relationship with Natalie Harp, the sweet young woman who posts Trump's social media missives.

Harp, 35, is the last person who deserves such shabby treatment.

She has said that she battled debilitating bone cancer in her 20s that caused her severe pain and trapped her in a wheelchair. She is devoted to President Trump because she believes he saved her life when he gave patients access to experimental drugs in his first term.

She expressed her gratitude to him in a heartfelt speech at the 2020 Republican National Convention while still an anchor at the One America News Network.

He asked her to work for him during his wilderness years between presidencies, and she has been a loyal fixture at his side ever since, through the ordeal of court cases and assassination attempts.

It grieves her that the man she regards as a father figure has been so besieged by evildoers.

Harp is a devout Christian who believes that helping the president combat what she calls the "deranged Radical Left" is God's work — and who is to say she's wrong?

Senator Ossoff, that's who.

Media jackals

The mediocre non-entity who won a fluke runoff for the Democrats in the wake of the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot, harbors lofty ambitions for 2028.

So, on Sunday, in a grandiose recitation of cookie-cutter anti-Trump talking points at a rally in Atlanta, he smuggled in a cheap shot at Harp, using her first name as a sly wink to thrill his base by implying an unsavory familiarity with the president.

Trump "doesn't want to do the job; he wants to build his ballroom and travel with Natalie."

While Dems disingenuously claimed Ossoff was not implying anything untoward, the media took the obvious bait.

CNN, especially, leaped on the smear like ravenous jackals, thrilled for the distraction from the Democrats' Chinese spy scandal, care of Eric "Fang Fang" Swalwell.

The very private Harp doesn't give interviews but she is said to remain upbeat, despite it all, and has told friends she is "staying focused, on mission, 24/7. Too much to do, and too little time to do it."

The willpower home-schooled

OSS-HOLE: Georgia Sen. Jon Ossoff's veiled remark intimating hanky-panky between President Trump and his assistant Natalie Harp was beyond contempt.

For's cheap shot innuendo misses Hanky's. Trump

blonde has a fresh-faced innocence that makes the pile-on seem all the more egregious, which is why an impressive parade of Republican VIPs have lined up to defend her all week.

Nobody believes there is anything in Ossoff's innuendo — even her estranged brother Preston, 38, whom CNN despicably interviewed.

Preston Harp is clearly Trump-deranged, but he ruled out a romantic relationship between the 80-year-old president and his executive assistant.

The worst thing he could say about his sister was that their mother raised them to "believe in American Exceptionalism," a concept he abhors.

"Trump is like everything that my mom taught us to respect," he said. "I think that's where her infatuation for Trump comes from, honestly, because I don't think it's a physical attraction."

The tragedy of their father's sui-

cide in 2020 was dredged up this week as bottom-feeders trawled for dirt.

Turncoat aides from Trump's first term such as former deputy press secretary-turned-Kamala Harris supporter Sarah Matthews were only too happy to be used by CNN to tarnish Harp in an effort to damage the president.

Matthews claimed the Secret Service was "alarmed" by Harp's closeness to the president — but how would she know, since she left the White House before Harp started working for Trump.

Strong women

Her catty remarks are motivated by jealousy, as no doubt were old leaks to the New York Times that Harp once wrote a sycophantic letter to the president. Smoking gun, much?

Does anyone think that White House chief of staff Susie Wiles would allow a Monica Lewinsky

situation on her watch?

Not to mention Melania Trump, a formidable woman who is probably the only person in the world the president fears. The first lady is even less likely to tolerate unseemly shenanigans under her nose.

Throughout his working life, Trump has surrounded himself with strong, competent women such as Wiles, the first female in the job, and Karoline Leavitt, who say he is a fair boss who treats them with respect. His Democrat foes can't fathom such a thing.

Does Ossoff really think a hard-working single professional woman can't succeed without sleeping with her boss? It doesn't say much about his own attitude to female staff.

The president labeled Ossoff "Pee Wee Herman" because he looks like the creepy actor Paul Reubens, whose career collapsed after he was charged with indecent exposure in an adult movie theater

Commie story's chilling

Republicans have struggled to articulate the threat of the far-left insurgency engulfing the Democratic Party to a generation ignorant of the blood-stained history of communism.

But by telling a real story, not delivering a lecture, a clever new ad campaign from Independent Women's Voice has found a way to combat the false lure of the Democratic Socialists of America — especially to women.

In the AI-generated video "Take Me Back!" a young woman falls for the DSA slogans of "free" healthcare and housing, "Defund the police!" and "People over profit!"

She wakes up in 2050 to find utopia is not what it's cracked up to be.

There's a months-long wait at the hospital, the store shelves are empty, criminals run rampant and she has no choice about where to live.

The mini-drama ends with her ripping a DSA poster off her bedroom door.

"Socialism is being sold to a new generation with a very shiny coat of paint," said Heather Higgins, CEO of Independent Women's Voice, a conservative nonpartisan advocacy group focused on women and swing voters.

"But repeating the same warnings louder isn't going to cut through. We need to be more creative, more surprising, and more willing to meet people outside the traditional language of politics."

and later was arrested over alleged child porn.

It's not the only way Ossoff's too-clever-by-half barb has backfired on him. It makes him look grubby and sexist, at odds with the image he has painstakingly cultivated as a decorous Obama wannabe.

Even Democrat grandee David Axelrod called his remarks "gratuitous and unnecessary".

Ossoff has made a name for himself, all right, but it's not what he thought.

15

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Dad's mercy-plea

Ocean County, Jail

TRAGIC: Stephen Schneider (above) was drunk when his boat crashed, prosecutors say, killing his two grandkids (right) last month.

By PRISCILLA DeGREGORY

The New Jersey grandfather who killed his two grandchildren in a drunken boat crash had a blood alcohol level twice the legal limit, prosecutors said — as the kids' dad pleaded for him to be released from jail.

Judge Wendel Daniels granted the release of retired postal worker Stephen Schneider, 64, at an Ocean County court hearing Wednesday, where it was revealed Schneider allegedly had a BAC of .16 — twice the legal limit of .08.

"The defendant consumed enough alcohol to reach a BAC of approximately 0.16 and then operated a vessel and the result was catastrophic," prosecutor Kate Burke said as she asked for Schneider to remain in jail pending trial.

His blood alcohol level "demonstrates the degree of impairment the defendant chose to operate the vessel with," Burke said, noting "two children lost their lives."

Schneider told cops he had three beers over two hours while at dinner with his wife, daughter, son-in-law and two grandkids.

But Schneider's lawyer, William Cunningham, guaranteed the judge that Schneider "will probably

Facebook: Stiggy Galanek

never be on a boat again and he will never be ingesting alcohol again.

"This has cut to the root of his family."

Cunningham also read from a letter written by the dad of the kids and his son-in-law pleading for Schneider's release.

"He's been there for our family in ways that words cannot fully express. Our family is better because of him," the letter read.

"He's a wonderful father-in-law, a loving grandfather and a man with a generous heart."

"I'm grateful for the way he loved my children, the role he played in their lives and the example he set for them," the letter continued.

Cunningham said Schneider was still in the hospital recovering from the injuries from the accident. The incident unfolded July 19 in

Barnegat Bay near Berkeley Township after a family outing at MJ's Restaurant in Bayville.

The grandkids, Mya Golabek, 9, and Sigmund Paul Golabek, 7, were thrown from Schneider's boat after hitting a channel marker. Despite wearing life vests, the siblings were found face-down. Schneider and his wife performed CPR, and the children were taken to the hospital where they died.

Honey pot of gold

A Florida woman accused of posing as a bank representative to scam a senior citizen allegedly carried the scheme all the way to jail, where authorities said they found $3,200 in cash hidden inside her body.

Monique Love Turnbull, 31, of Miami, was arrested after Martin County Sheriff's Office (MCSO) deputies alleged she showed up at a senior citizen's home pretending to work for the alleged victim's bank.

The MCSO said Turnbull told the victim the account had been compromised and tried to obtain the person's debit or credit card under the guise of disposing of it.

The alleged victim became suspicious and contacted law enforcement.

Deputies arrested Turnbull Monday, but the case took another turn after she was brought to jail.

Authorities said Turnbull entered the prison with $3,200 in cash lodged in her vagina.

"It's not clear who the money was taken from, but for now, it's accounted for and sealed in evidence," the MCSO said in a social media post.

"Keep in mind, at some point the cash will be back in public circulation." Fox News

Cyclist dies in Qns. ram

A Queens cyclist was killed when a pickup truck driver rammed into her in Brooklyn on Tuesday, hurting her from her bike and running over her body — before fleeing, authorities said.

Paulina Tec Choc, 29, was stopped at Jamaica Avenue and Cypress Hills Street around 5:50 a.m. when a 2006 Ford F-250 pickup truck smashed into her e-bike from behind, cops said.

The impact threw her to the ground, where the driver then ran over her.

Tec Choc suffered severe trauma and died at Brookdale University Hospital Medical Center, authorities said. Amanda Woods

Goalie Bussi scores with fans in LI

He's a real icebreaker. Hurricanes goalie Brandon Bussi united Islanders and Rangers fans — with the bitter rivals coming together on Long Island Wednesday to celebrate the first Suffolk County native to win the Stanley Cup. The 28-year-old brought

Lord Stanley's hardware to the packed Rinx in Hauppauge, which the champ noted was "the first place I ever put my goalie gear on" for a hockey clinic. County Executive Ed Romaine declared it Brandon Bussi Day and Suffolk Sports Hall of Fame President Chris

Vaccaro named him its inaugural person of the year. "Going to bed as a kid, you definitely dream about that moment — and you never know if it's going to happen," Bussi told The Post before his big day that brought out easily over 1,000 fans. "Fortunately, we're here."

Huntington's Greg Packer showed up first on line at 5:30 a.m. for the 10:15 a.m. event. "Because the Rangers, Islanders, Flyers, Devils — they're not going to see a Stanley Cup for quite some time," he quipped. The crowd was so large

that hundreds couldn't even get into the ice complex before the hometown hero had to leave. But the gracious goalie walked the cup outside down an entire block so every fan in line had a chance to see him with it. Alex Mitchell

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18

Booze & huff order denied

Page Six®

Ian Mohr

imohr@nypost.com

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

It's a Faux start

THE hotly anticipated debut restaurant from George McNally, son of dining legend Keith McNally, has an opening date, Page Six hears. The younger McNally's Tribeca spot, Faux, will open its doors Sept. 3, we're told. According to reports, he's been doing some fairly major construction at the two-story space on Church Street, just across from the Roxy Hotel, even lowering and vaulting the ceilings on the downstairs room. But it's finally ready to take bookings. George says he's helped build his dad's restaurants, but this is his first place of his own. It's inspired in part by Keith's dearly departed Grand Street eatery Lucky Strike and his Soho bar Pravda.

Actress quits Role

MAYBE the wine ran out. Dakota Johnson and Role Model have reportedly called it quits. A source told People yesterday that the "Fifty Shades of Grey" actress, 36, and the "Sally, When the Wine Runs Out" singer, 29, split "a while ago." Johnson (above) and Role Model were first linked romantically in December, less than seven months after she and her ex, Chris Martin, went their separate ways. Johnson and Role Model were last spotted together in April during a night out in LA. Page Six has reached out to reps for Johnson and Role Model for comment.

HAYDEN Panettiere appeared to still be in the throes of addiction three months ago as she tried to reset her life, we're told.

The "Nashville" actress was visiting her hit show's namesake town in May to promote her memoir, "This Is Me: A Reckoning."

Sources told Page Six that while there, she was allegedly seeking out whippits and booze, with an insider claiming she attempted to have nitrous oxide delivered to her hotel, only to be denied.

Security at the hotel allegedly "stopped a [delivery service] order to her hotel room, which was several industrial-grade nitrous oxide cans that she was planning on huffing," a

source familiar with the situation told Page Six.

Another source confirmed the incident, explaining, "She had alcohol and whippits delivered. They wouldn't allow it up to her room."

Our source added Panettiere was only "there for a day," and she "wasn't happy" about them refusing her delivery.

Her rep and friend, Kasey Kitchen, slammed the incident as "false."

"She was in Nashville for a short amount of time and slept for most of it. She also had private security with her," the rep said.

Kitchen and Panettiere appeared in a pre-taped interview on the "Tamron Hall Show" on May 20, two days before her promo tour

stop near Nashville.

Sources familiar with her conversation with Hall told Page Six that Panettiere "was focused on resetting her life."

Kitchen was by her side because the two had struck up a genuine friendship outside of her representing her as a publicist. "[Kitchen] was someone Hayden could trust," a source said.

Panettiere addressed her addiction with Hall, revealing the first time an adult handed her "happy pills" was at 16. She also explained she entered a treatment facility in 2020.

Panettiere died Sunday at age 36 of an apparent drug overdose after being found unresponsive and in cardiac arrest in South Carolina.

madonna/instagram

Krum 'fried' out

DAVID Krumholtz is "frustrated, fed up, fried" after over 30 years in Hollywood. The "Oppenheimer" actor, 48, is taking an "indefinite break" from acting as he took issue with how actors are treated and fears he could go "broke." "I kinda sorta put my acting career on hold the other day," he wrote. "Exploitative art isn't art. And artists deserve a fair pay percentage for work that assists their employers in making profits." He said he is still willing to act if the right opportunity comes along.

We hear

THAT Planet Hollywood's Robert Earl and 50 Cent hosted a bash at the famed restaurant's Times Square flagship to launch its 50 Cent Menu ... THAT Grey Goose Last Serve Bar at Grand Central Terminal will serve US Open favorite Honey Deuces Sept. 2 and 3 ... THAT off-Broadway hit "Shifters" extended its run through Sept. 20 ... THAT San Francisco 49ers player Christian McCaffrey is the newest brand ambassador for Peter Millar.

Sandra's 'secret'

SANDRA Bullock has spoken out about partner Bryan Randall's death three years later. The Oscar winner, 62, appeared on the "SmartLess" podcast this week and explained why she kept Randall's battle with ALS a secret. "He asked me not to share," she said. "I know why he asked me not to." However, she said Randall's request "isolated [her] in the process." Bullock (above) said only her sister, Gesine Bullock-Prado, knew about Randall's health battle, and the actress assumed she could "handle" leaving everyone else in the dark. She said she eventually confided in pals like Jennifer Aniston and "SmartLess" co-host Jason Bateman's wife, Amanda Anka, about what she was going through.

Pop fans Liv'id for tickets

IT'S the art of shoving. Olivia Dean closed out her four-night Madison Square Garden residency Tuesday, and the ticket frenzy surrounding her "Art of Loving" tour was nothing short of wild. All four shows sold out within minutes, sending resale prices soaring and leaving desperate fans to stake out MSG for last-minute box-office drops. Some reportedly arrived as early as 4 a.m., with one fan who got there at 9:45 a.m. receiving wristband No. 398. Others claimed Tuesday's "diabolical" crowd topped 2,000, with the queue wrapping around the block and reports of line-cutting and heated exchanges as fans jostled for position. Others told us many in the line were "very jovial." Fans reported waiting eight, 10 and even 12 hours, with some still in line as Dean took the stage. Nosebleed tickets were reportedly being scalped for around $700 outside the Garden, even as the concert was underway. The frenzy is notable given Dean's stance on ticket prices: Last November, she called sky-high resale prices of tickets to her concerts "vile" and "disgusting." Dean and MSG did not respond to Page Six.

email us: tips @Page Six .com

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Page Six

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20

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'Music' finds

its rhythm

"MUSIC CITY," A new musical but a longtime project. Begun 13 years ago and now playing to jammed audiences at St. Luke's Theatre.

Nine in the cast. "I was involved from the very beginning," said this involvee, being actor Jonathan Judge-Russo, who explained: "It's three of us from very beginning. From the original days. We're country music performers. Resilient onstage. We keep coming back even after the bulls -- t."

Is it doing well? "We're selling out. Tickets available through November. Seats are $59 to $166 and the venue's packed. We even built a bar in the theater and added drinks and snacks. The company is nine of us including musicians.

"So how are we doing? Let's say the producers are

taking care of us but we're not driving sports cars yet."

Happens I know that co-producers Gabrielle Palitz and Francine LeFrak definitely know about driving sports cars.

"We're playing to packed audiences — but it's had its inharmonies. We first tried out 12 years ago. West Side venue. So crummy a place that the experience was rough. The audience included live bedbugs.

"Listen, we're resilient. Only two days prior to opening we lost our lead actress and had to open with an understudy. It's an

ensemble piece, so we rehearsed with her behind the curtain for five days. Listen, we know how to work even with a hiccup. And now we're hoping for Broadway.

"At least we have one thing that no other company has — and that's a f - - kup bucket. Anyone offs up onstage or to one another they have to put $1 into the bucket. It'll all go to charity.

"We're hoping for Broadway but seems we've really found a home at St. Luke's. It's an intimate production and looks like it could run for ever there."

Stephen Michael Spencer (from left), Lauren Pritchard and Jonathan Judge-Russo star in "Music City."

Caution: H'wood tricks 'n' treats

THE death of Hayden Panettiere this week brought back an old memory.

Years ago a Hollywood and Broadway celebrity friend invited me to a Beverly Hills party. Big-time home. Major names. Adjoining the party giver's own deep brown leather chairs was a large wooden table. On it a wide dish piled with goodies. Major names periodically dipped into it.

I figured it's candy. My friend told me not to dip in. It was an open bowlful of drugs.

Reading about Panettiere, it's mentioned that in Hollywood you can get whatever you want while you're on a set. As you work, you can swallow, partake, ingest, take whatever's your choice.

Yeah. True. How do I know? Because I saw it myself.

Ungoverned

PLEASE, let us all take a deep breath and spit out Bernie Sanders and ex-bartender AOC who wouldn't know XYZ unless it dribbled off an IOU.

Let us not dwell on some of the globe's other big nasties. Hitler? We know his end. Putin? He's pay-

ing off his life insurance policy. That beaut who ran Venezuela into the toilet? How's Cuba, which is 200 degrees in the summer and no air-conditioning?

Because of my own enormously overflowing kindness I'm omitting His Crapdaminess. Why? Because he first has to hear what his wife says.

LET all who have interrogated Saddam say he did not know where any weapons of mass destruction were and he absolutely never knew where Osama bin Laden was. He did, however, know who won on "American Idol."

Only in the God-Bless-Us United States of free America!

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'Econ D-Day' for Iran

President Trump announced Wednesday that the US will target Iran and its allies with an operation he dubbed "Economic D-Day."

"Today, I am announcing the MOST CRUSHING ECONOMIC OPERATION EVER TAKEN AGAINST ANY COUNTRY!" Trump wrote on Truth Social. "This will be Economic Warfare and Isolation on an unprecedented scale."

Trump said Iran is "hanging by a thread" as a result of US military strikes — and declared that "ANY country that allows its financial institutions, businesses, airports, or government entities to provide any type of lifeline to Iran will itself face TREMENDOUS Economic Consequences."

"Oil smuggling, swap lines, cash transfers, exchange houses, ship registries, front companies — It all needs to stop NOW. You know who you are," the president warned.

Trump likened the operation to "an ECONOMIC D-DAY" that will require "our Allies to stand with the United States of America to isolate, and defeat, the Iran threat."

Trump's declaration comes after the 60-day period for negotiations to end the war expired Monday.

Victor Nava

Wild brawl at Wis. fair

Sunday Night's Main Event. The family-friendly Wisconsin State Fair descended into a frenzy as scores of fairgoers threw haymakers and kicks during an out-of-control brawl in the final hours of the annual festival. Seven people were arrested in what officials called a series of "disturbances" at the Wisconsin State Fairgrounds in West Allis.

Dozens of unidentified brawlers — who appeared to be teens — raced through the food court to attack each other, according to video obtained by Fox6 Milwaukee.

Nicholas McEntyre

FRAT'S NOT TOO BRIGHT

Venmo coke deals

By ANTHONY BLAIR

A Penn State frat bro charged in a cocaine-trafficking ring was busted after authorities were tipped off that he was allegedly accepting Venmo payments for drugs under his own name.

Authorities were told by a confidential informant that "a male, using the nickname 'T-Rob,' is selling large amounts of cocaine from the Delta Upsilon Fraternity House," according to court documents seen by NBC News.

Alleged drug kingpin "T-Rob" was accepting payment through a Venmo account with the username "Tom-Robinson," the informant told authorities, according to the court documents from 2024.

A database search for "Tom Robinson" eventually led cops to a "Thomas Robinson" with an address for the Delta Upsilon fraternity house in State College, Pa., the outlet reported.

It's not a joke

When authorities executed a search warrant for the frat house in December 2024, Thomas Robinson, now 23, allegedly resisted arrest and "thought the officers were his fraternity brothers playing a prank on him," the complaint said. He was Tasered and taken into custody, while a search of his dorm room allegedly turned up over 8 grams of cocaine, almost 8 ounces of weed, and more than 200 amphetamine and dextroamphetamine pills, according

to the complaint.

A Kimber .45-caliber handgun was also allegedly found in a safe above his mini-fridge.

Robinson was charged in several incidents from September to December 2024, including drug manufacturing and delivery, criminal use of a communication facility, possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Following his arrest, Robinson reportedly ratted on his alleged supplier, fellow student Agostino Abbatiello, a member of Penn State's Sigma Chi fraternity.

Abbatiello and "T-Rob" reportedly met through one of Robinson's fraternity brothers who was already allegedly dealing drugs, according to a filing on Abbatiello seen by NBC News.

That brother allegedly asked Robinson to become "business partners in distributing cocaine" in July 2023, according to the filing.

The unidentified frat brother allegedly told Robinson he wanted out in December 2023, and told a grand jury that Robinson had bought him out of the most recent cocaine supply they had purchased together.

Robinson allegedly made several large cocaine purchases from Abbatiello between January and September 2024, including ones for $18,000 and $22,000.

Penn State said it was placing Delta Upsilon on interim suspension, with an official adding, "We are horrified by these serious allegations."

Colombia quake toll tops 300

A powerful earthquake that struck Colombia last week has killed at least 314 people, with another 262 still missing, President Abelardo De La Espriella said on Wednesday.

The quake caused severe damage across western Colombia, stretching from the Pacific port of Buenaventura through the country's coffee-growing region to major western cities, including Cali and Pereira. Reuters

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22

Secretive 'basement girls' run snobby

By FARAN KRENTCIL

It's 1 a.m. in Tuscaloosa, Ala. and a coven of coeds is divining the fates of peers in the basement of a sorority mansion.

The women pore over data sheets, interview notes and custom-made "grading" software that ranks wannabe sisters in a carefully calibrated scoring system.

They cross-reference the social-media channels of 17-year-old girls, swiping through grids of tanned, smiling teens on Instagram and TikTok.

And then with a nod from their leader, they wordlessly delete the "bottom girls" who won't make the coveted sorority's final cut — even though they've never even met them.

Welcome to the world of the "basement girls," a secret society of young women who eat data like Pop-Tarts and lounge in Parke sweatshirts and Uggs while their sisters are upstairs performing wildly acrobatic dances for potential recruits — and of course for social-media viewers — wearing corset tops, heels and more makeup than an Ulta Beauty kiosk.

Scouring social media

The silent power imbued in these basement girls makes it a coveted gig, said Olivia Bourgeois, a former sorority girl at the University of South Alabama. The social-media executive now makes TikTok videos explaining the behind-the-scenes of rush to sorority hopefuls.

"You got to know everything that was going on," she told The Post, including "what every conversation was about, who was talking to which [girl], the results of the voting."

Bourgeois said during a typical sorority rush, most collegiate members are the "floor girls," tasked with making their chapter look the most exclusive (or at least the most fun and popular) to potential members and TikTok swipers alike.

But it's the basement girls, those hidden from the prying eyes of Instagram, that select the recruits of the country's most exclusive sororities.

Picture	Name	Party	Overall	Open House Round
	Network, Claire	1	Active	Active
	Balcon, Ashleigh	1	Active	Active
	Barber, Sheila	1	Active	Active
	Barber, Sheila	1	Active	Active
	Barber, Sheila	1	Active	Active
	Barber, Sheila	1	Active	Active
	Barber, Sheila	1	Active	Active
	Barber, Sheila	1	Active	Active
	Barber, Sheila	1	Active	Active

SPYING EYES: Sorority "basement girls" compile spreadsheets on prospective members to identify girls with wealth and beauty and weed out those with past scandals.

These groups teem with young women who are hand-selected for their brains and social know-how to manipulate every move of a collegiate hopeful's rush experience, from the sisters they meet to the topics they discuss and the dirty laundry that's either swept under the rug — or not.

fully controlled by the basement girls. C. would know. Now a consulting executive for a top-ranked corporate firm, she also serves as a volunteer "recruitment adviser" — or in her words, a "professional basement girl" — for the national headquarters of her college sorority, which she chron-

cles on her website, The Rush Guide.

She estimates that she has run "over 40" sorority rushes from the basements and back rooms of exclusive, palatial houses across the country.

C. cannot share her full name because national sorority organizations are famously secretive — and litigious — when it comes to recruitment processes.

"You can say that basement girls are like the CIA of sororities," said Bella Lee, 24, who served on her chapter's secret circle of "logistics consultants" during her college years but declined to reveal the chapter, citing the same confidentially concerns as C. "We know everyone coming and going from the

rush rounds, even though they'll never meet us. We know where you went to high school, what sport you played, what your major might be," she said.

Intel portfolios on girls

Lee explained that months before rush even starts, that intel is compiled by the basement girls into confidential portfolios of each member, which include photos, biographical information, social-media highlights and any notes from existing sorority sisters about their potential.

"It was our job to see which girls, from the looks of it, would be great in our chapter," she told The Post.

Trisha Addicks, a professional recruitment coach for wannabe sisters and author of "The Rush Bible," told The Post that base-

ment girls give potential new members — called PNMs — an initial score before they even walk through the house.

"It's based on her high-school GPA, her social-media accounts, her application and her letters of recommendation from alumni," Addicks explained. "Then during rush, these PNMs get a daily score that needs to be analyzed in real time."

Like a reality TV audition, the teens are then evaluated by sorority sisters on their conversation skills, ability to connect with their peers and their appearance — or in Addicks' words, "how they present themselves."

That includes how appealing (read: hot) they might be to fraternity chapters, whose tacit approval often determines a sorority house's standing within the Greek system.

You got to know everything that was going on. What every conversation was about, who was talking to which [girl], the results of the voting.

— Olivia Bourgeois, a former sorority girl at the University of South Alabama, on the "basement girls" judging potential members

"We are the puppeteers of rush week," an Iowa native named C. told The Post. She pledged an elite sorority at a large Midwestern college and served as a basement girl in her chapter for three years — elaborating that everything from rush "talking points" to conversation timing was care-

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online searches to pick sorority sisters

ALPHA DELTA 1

Other green flags for potential recruits include family connections like a mother, sister or aunt who previously belonged to the chapter, statement jewelry from preferred brands including Tiffany and Kendra Scott, and a “résumé” of high-school activities like student government, community service and academics.

Girls from award-winning dance teams and cheerleading squads are also given special preference, as they’re needed to help promote the chapters’ social-media presence on TikTok, especially during rush week.

It’s up to the basement girls to track the girls’ impressions, positive or negative, and develop a “callback list” that determines who lives to see another Lululemon-clad day.

Most important, basement girls have veto power if a young

woman charms her way through rush while hiding an addiction, an undesirable romantic partner — e.g., a sugar daddy — or a past high-school scandal like cheating or bullying, which can be discovered through archived social-media posts or even old school-newspaper clippings.

Red flags from past

The discovery of a potential sorority sister’s OnlyFans page, selfies deemed “too sexy” in bikinis or lingerie, and affiliations with “bad” fraternities known for less-than desirable men can also tank a young woman’s chances.

“You’d be surprised how often cocaine comes up,” C. sighed, noting that for some houses, frequent drug use is automatic grounds for dismissal. For others, it might be seen as a boon that

gives the recruit a leg up on her “social graces” score.

C. also recalled a time when the basement girls did some online investigating on a “great girl who didn’t seem to have much of a résumé” and realized she’d been trying to hide a key fact about her background: She was the daughter of a billionaire CEO. “She didn’t want to be judged differently for her money!” said C. “I respect that, but of course, we found out . . . That was our job.”

Bourgeois said the basement girl assignment was a “dream” for most sorority sisters, even though videos mocking the unseen women as “chopped” and “unc” — Gen Z slang for gross and ugly — have millions of views on TikTok.

“Some people think that the ‘less attractive’ girls are put in the basement,” she conceded, “but

these are actually just the most organized, most responsible girls.”

‘Badge of honor’

“I have seen very beautiful girls, model girls, be basement girls,” said Addicks, the recruitment consultant. “There’s no correlation. You’re not down there because you’re hiding. You’re down there because you’re the one with the power.”

“It’s the biggest badge of honor,” said Lee. “Not having to do TikTok dances? Not having to smile for 10 hours straight? Almost everyone wants that, especially if you’re the type to have your social battery drain a little quicker. But to lead a sorority logistics team, you have to be the smartest and most trusted girl in your whole house.”

SHOW TIME: As sorority rushes such as this one at Mississippi State University go on, the real decisions are being made by basement girls.

In fact, basement girls are so fearsome that corporate recruiters often seek them out post-college. As corporate assistant Libby Basham told her TikTok followers, “As someone who does hiring, I think that if it came down to two applicants and one person was 100% qualified for the job and the second person was 75% qualified, but one of their skills was that they were a basement girl, I would give it to the basement girl . . . If you can handle that, you can handle anything.”

Professional rush consultant C. agreed.

“After college, I worked at a global workplace consulting firm — a company harder to get into than Harvard. At 19, I had run a team of 10 people in a high-stress environment using data. I used my experience being a basement girl to get the job.”

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Links between US pols and extremists

MELANIE PHILLIPS

OVER next month's Labor Day weekend, Michigan Senate hopeful Abdul El-Sayed is to speak at a conference that will platform a rogue's gallery of Islamic extremists.

The conference in Detroit is the 63rd annual convention of the Islamic Society of North America, a Muslim Brotherhood affiliate that was an unindicted co-conspirator in the 2007-28 Holy Land terrorism-funding trial.

Other speakers among a plethora of Islamists include Siraj Wahhaj, a former ISNA vice president who was himself an unindicted co-conspirator in the 1993 World Trade Centre bombing.

Wahhaj, who has called for the full application of sharia law including amputation, stoning and the execution of gay people, makes no secret of his aim to Islamize America.

He has said: "You don't get involved in politics because it's the American thing to do. You get involved in politics because politics are a weapon to use in the cause of Islam."

Another scheduled convention participant, Zaid Shakir, has said: "If only Muslims were clever politically, they could take over the United States and replace its constitutional government with a caliphate. If we put a nationwide infrastructure in place and marshalled our resources, we'd take over this country in a very short time."

Apart from El-Sayed's participation, the question has to be asked how this conference has been able to platform such dangerous extremists year after year. Why are such individuals allowed to run jihadi mosques and other institutions that pose such a threat to the state? How come America has permitted such dangerous extremists to be able freely to promote such jihadi subversion?

Happened in the UK

Two decades ago, in 2006, I published my best-selling and pioneering book "Londonistan," which described how the British establishment — politicians, government officials, even security and counter-intelligence officers — were submitting to the steady Islamization of Britain.

Aware of the threat of Islamic terrorism after 9/11 and the London Tube and bus bombings of

KESLEY/STANLEY/STANLEY

was dismissed in Britain with scorn, while Americans shook their heads in astonishment at what was happening to the British and Europeans, wondering when they would wake up. Now, however, exactly the same process is at work in America.

The Holy Land trial, where Muslim Brotherhood networks and their subversive agenda for America were laid bare, didn't prevent the exponential growth of Islamist extremism.

New York City has elected an Islamist mayor, Zohran Mamdani, who was pictured grinning

alongside Wahhaj in his Al-Taqwa mosque which has long been viewed as jihad central.

Dearborn, Mich., and even Texas now have significant Muslim communities, even though they are still a small minority in America as a whole.

But the conquest agenda doesn't need many Muslims. What matters is their disproportionate rate of both extremism and public engagement — their very high voting turnout at elections, the fact that imams instruct the faithful how to vote, and the sophisticated selection of fanatical candidates for public office who will seduce the gullible and unwary.

BEWARE: Mayor Mamdani with Imam Siraj Wahhaj, an unindicted co-conspirator in the 1993 WTC bombing who's speaking at an event with Senate hopeful Abdul El-Sayed (below).

American on the way.

2005, they nevertheless denied that the problem was rooted in Islamic religion and culture. They blamed it instead on a plethora of other things — grievances over foreign conflicts such as "Israel-Palestine," Islamophobia and unspecified extremist tendencies among angry young men.

In particular, they refused to acknowledge the threat posed by the Muslim Brotherhood's strategy of mass immigration and of using the democratic process to infiltrate extremists into political positions.

They failed to take seriously

the jihadi strategy of demonstrating power to gain power. So they shrugged aside the mass Muslim prayer events in the streets; they didn't understand why minarets on the mosques were being constructed higher than church steeples; and they called the takeover of public space by jihadi hate-marches against Israel "freedom of speech."

The result has been the Muslim rape and grooming

gangs, the arrival of "Gaza First" MPs and a sectarian Islamic political bloc and a teacher in hiding for the past five years after showing pictures of Mohammed to a class on free speech — all either sanitized, downplayed or ignored.

My book was the first to sound the warning that Britain was sleepwalking into this civilizational disaster. At the time, I

Eyes on White House

With Mamdani in New York and El-Sayed in Michigan, the possibility of an Islamist in the White House suddenly doesn't seem so fanciful.

Nevertheless, America is far better placed than Britain to resist this. In the UK, there's no fightback; the country is united in decline and demoralization. The US may lament its deep political divisions, but at least parts of it are fighting back.

Several states are trying to ban or restrict sharia law. In Texas, state leaders are opening investigations into Muslim institutions and attempting to block the development of huge Muslim enclaves. But much more needs to be done.

Britain offers the starkest possible warning of the frog being slowly boiled in the Islamist pot. Time is ticking.

Wake up, America.

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BRUCE A. BLAKEMAN NASSAU COUNTY EXECUTIVE

FREE SUMMER CONCERTS

~~L O U D~~

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with CAFFEINE ACADEMY DJ DENNIS THE MENACE | JUST JOE

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PARKS ADMINISTRATION 516-572-0200 For more information: nassaucountyny.gov/parks

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Shot kills bystander in Bronx

A bystander was fatally shot in the head in front of his Bronx home when a teen gunman opened fire Tuesday evening, cops and sources said.

Klint French, 39, took a single bullet to his head around 6:50 p.m. outside a three-story walk-up on Grand Avenue near West 190th Street in University Heights, police said.

EMS workers pronounced French dead at the scene.

Patrol cops busted Iyahn McIntosh, 18, near the scene hours later and charged him with murder, manslaughter and criminal possession of a weapon, authorities said.

French and McIntosh did not know each other — and the teen was gunning for someone else when he struck French, law enforcement sources said.

It was not immediately clear who was actually being targeted in the shooting.

McIntosh lived more than three miles from the scene, in the Laconia section of The Bronx, cops said.

He has two previous brushes with the law, police said, but further information was unavailable because he was a minor.

Photos showed orange cones marking evidence and a bloodied sheet covering the victim's body. Amanda Woods and Zoe Hussain

West Nile hits NYC

A New Yorker has contracted the potentially dangerous West Nile virus — the first reported human case in the city this year, health officials revealed Wednesday.

The unidentified person fell ill with the mosquito-borne disease after spending time outdoors in several locations both within and outside the city, health department officials said.

The diagnosis comes as 222 human cases of West Nile virus have been reported nationally by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, largely in Arizona, California and Texas. Matt Troutman

© 2016 North American Society of Education. Department of Medicine

RETURN OF BRONX TAIL

First river otter spotted in a century

By KATHERINE DONLEVY

It's otter this world.

A North American river otter was spotted scurrying in the brush along the Bronx River this summer — marking the species' first sighting in the borough in roughly a century.

The slippery critter was captured in June in just one blurry, motion-activated camera shot, with its distinct cone-shaped tail pointed at the lens, the Wildlife Conservation Society at Bronx Zoo announced Wednesday.

The small animal's head is covered by leaves — but the shot was clear enough for researchers to determine it was the rarely seen river otter.

"When I first reviewed the images, I could hardly believe what I was seeing," said RJ Hawkins, a scientist affiliated with the WCS's Bronx Zoo.

"Knowing this may be the first documented river otter in The Bronx in generations was an in-

credible moment. It shows why long-term wildlife monitoring and environmental restoration efforts matter."

Once common

River otters have all but vanished from the Big Apple over the past century, despite once being as common as gray squirrels and rats.

The aquatic mammal population was completely driven out of the five boroughs at the turn of the century due to "unregulated harvest, habitat destruction, and water pollution," according to the state Department of Environmental Conservation.

By the 1990s, it was only found in the western half of the state.

Although river otters have slowly returned to the Hudson Valley and even Long Island, the slick creatures had not been seen in The Bronx until Hawkins' sighting.

While researchers warn that the otter's visit to the Big Apple could have been just a pit stop on a longer journey, they are also hailing the sighting as a good omen.

The water creatures have become known as indicators of healthy freshwater ecosystems because of their dependence on clean water and abundant fish.

"This otter's return is a gift, not just to the Bronx River but to the

communities that have fought for 50 years to bring this river back to life," said Javier Lopez, Interim Executive Director of the Bronx River Alliance.

'Coming back to life'

"For too long, the Bronx River was treated as a neglected afterthought, and our communities bore the burden of that neglect. Today, this otter reminds us that when we invest in nature, nature responds, and when communities lead, change is possible," he said.

"This isn't simply the story of one animal. It's the story of an urban river coming back to life."

River otters eat fish, frogs, crayfish, insects and turtles, according to the Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute.

They reproduce once a year, with female otters typically giving birth to a litter of one to six pups, according to SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry.

Man, 72, shoved onto subway tracks

A crazed stranger pushed an elderly man onto subway tracks in Midtown early Wednesday, police said.

The 72-year-old victim was waiting on the northbound F and D train platform at the 47th-50th Streets-Rockefeller Center

station around 4 a.m. when the attacker approached him from behind and pushed him without saying a word, according to cops.

The gutsy senior then climbed back onto the platform himself and was taken to Mount Sinai Medical

Center, where he was listed as stable.

The alleged shover, identified as Francisco Garcia, 40, was arrested and charged with assault and reckless endangerment. He didn't appear to have a criminal record in the city.

The attack happened weeks after another unhinged straphanger pushed a 27-year-old man onto the E train roadbed at the West Fourth Street station in Greenwich Village during an argument over who stared at whom first, au-

thorities said.

That victim, who was also hospitalized in stable condition, was Aaron Kareem Watson, a US Army soldier on leave to attend his father's funeral. That suspect fled and has not yet been caught. Joe Marino

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Temple ranter said it's 'racial': feds

Central Synagogue

UGLY RAMPAGE: Larry Montes continued to spout religious and racial slurs even as he was arrested Aug. 14 in Midtown's Central Synagogue.

By KYLE SCHNITZER and DAVID DETURRIS

The antisemitic nutjob who stormed a Manhattan synagogue during Shabbat and ambushed two people told police his outburst was religiously motivated — as feds charged the madman Tuesday with hate crimes.

Larry Montes, 46, made the chilling confession after his arrest for the hate-filled attack inside Central Synagogue in Midtown on Aug. 14, admitting to cops the assault was "a racial thing" and "all religious motivated," prosecutors said.

Montes' rant to cops also included antisemitic and anti-Israel statements, including telling them "f-k the Jews."

'Fundamental' right

"I will never affiliate with no filthy f-king synagogues, either here or in f-king Israel," he raged.

"An attack on a house of worship is an attack on the fundamental right to practice one's faith safely," Jamie McDonald, US attorney for the Southern District

'RELIGIOUS HATE' RAPS

of New York, said in a statement. Montes' onslaught began at the beginning of a Shabbat service around 6 p.m., when the creep began shouting obscenities that stunned the nearly 375 congregants, according to the complaint.

Montes launched toward the temple's pulpit, knocking over two candlesticks, according to the complaint.

The synagogue's head of security then rushed to restrain the madman, who screamed "I don't f-k with you people" — and socked a woman in her 60s in the

face knocking her to the floor.

The security guard dragged Montes to the front of the synagogue, where an NYPD officer cuffed the crazed loon, the complaint reads.

But prosecutors said even while Montes was restrained, he continued to spew hate.

While cuffed, Montes screamed "f-k you [n-word]" at a black man in the synagogue, before spitting in his face and head-butting him, according to the complaint.

The maniac also threatened worshippers that he would return

at a later date, as cops rushed him out of the synagogue.

Montes is charged with two counts of committing hate crimes and one count of damage to religious property resulting in bodily injury.

If convicted on all counts, Montes could face up to 40 years in state prison.

"[O]ur office will work tirelessly to ensure the defendant is held fully accountable as we continue to protect all communities from hate driven violence," McDonald added.

'Drunk' rap for Okla. pol

Oklahoma Secretary of State Benjamin Lepak was arrested for public intoxication as he allegedly slurred to cops that "I want to eat my McDonald's" moments before he was taken into custody, police bodycam shows.

Lepak, who only formally assumed office in April, tried to claim he had not been drinking before he was cuffed outside the fast-food restaurant in Edmond, Okla., on Friday, KFOR reported.

"I just wanted to call and see if you guys can come check someone that's out here . . . like he's not causing a scene or anything but he does seem drunk," a caller told 911 dispatchers, reporting the GOP politician.

Cops swooped on the McDonald's, where they met Lepak clutching his brown takeaway bag.

"I'm just gonna be honest, people are calling because they're worried about you being intoxicated," one officer said in bodycam footage.

Lepak, 42, quickly denied he had been drinking before admitting, "I had a beer."

He pleaded guilty to charges of actual physical control of a vehicle while intoxicated and transporting an open container of beer. He was sentenced to community service and probation.

Chris Bradford

Players beat a teen dead

An Arizona teen was fatally beaten when a neighborhood soccer match erupted into a brawl, and he stepped in to protect his brother.

Tumusifu Bazirake, 19, was playing soccer against a group of strangers at Sueno Park in Phoenix on Aug. 6, the Phoenix Police Department said.

His brother, Jeanpaul, who was playing alongside him, said the opposing players launched their attack when they grew angry over losing the match.

Bazirake died from his injuries on Aug. 13, prompting authorities to open a homicide investigation.

Richard Pollina

Dior big, film producer die in car crash

A Dior executive and her film producer partner were killed in a head-on car crash in France.

Mathilde Favier, 57, and beloved French movie producer Nicolas Altmayer, 61, died in the collision near the commune of Airvault in

western France on Monday afternoon, French outlet La Figaro reported.

Favier and Altmayer's Austin Mini car "hit a heavy goods vehicle traveling in the opposite direction while they were overtaking another vehicle," Nicolas

Leclainche, the Niort deputy prosecutor, said as he confirmed a manslaughter investigation had been launched.

The couple was heading to Île de Ré — an island known for its salt marshes, located off the west coast of

France, where Favier had a home.

Favier, a mother of two, was once labeled the "best connected woman in Paris" by the Times of London, and she previously worked for Prada, Chanel and Glamour magazine before

joining Dior in 2011.

Altmayer was best known for producing the films "OSS 117: Cairo, Nest of Spies," "In the House," "Young & Beautiful" and "Summer of 85." His career spanned almost 30 years.

Chris Bradford

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Sally Brompton

Daily Horoscope

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

LEO (July 24-Aug. 23)

The Sun leaves your birth sign at the weekend, but there is no reason why you should slow down or lower your sights when it comes to either your personal affairs or your career. Your momentum will carry you along for some time to come.

VIRGO (Aug. 24-Sept. 23)

As the Sun moves closer to your sign, you will begin to feel more confident about your ability to move events in your favor, rather than being constantly at the mercy of other people's whims and fancies. Self-belief can take you a very long way.

LIBRA (Sept. 24-Oct. 23)

It will pay you to look less at what is going on in the outside world and more at what is going on in your own head and heart. What you choose to think and feel will be the No. 1 factor that determines your future success.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22)

You have worked extremely hard in recent weeks, and no one can deny that you deserve a break. But only you can make the decision to slow down a bit and take life at an easier pace. Not even a Scorpio can move at light speed forever.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23 - Dec. 21)

The Sun's move into the career area of your chart this weekend will encourage you to get serious about your ambitions. Not that you haven't been serious in the past, but it's time to move up a level and show the world you're the best.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22 - Jan. 20)

The past few weeks may not have been easy, but the challenges you faced pushed you past your former limits and

now you know you can do so much better. A more rewarding phase begins for you this weekend. Take full advantage of it!

AQUARIUS (Jan. 21 - Feb. 19)

If a relationship is not showing signs of improvement, then maybe it's time to admit you need to move on. Give it one more go today and tomorrow, but if it's still not happening then get ready to say your goodbyes at the weekend.

PISCES (Feb. 20-Mar. 20)

You may be tempted to crack the whip to get teammates working harder today, but the planets suggest you are unlikely to get much of a response. Maybe it's best to give everyone an early start to the weekend and begin afresh next Monday.

ARIES (March 21-April 20)

You have been extremely busy over the past few weeks but now you must decide which of your many projects you are going to continue with and which of them no longer matter. Be ruthless with yourself, because you can't do it all.

TAURUS (April 21-May 21)

There is light at the end of the tunnel and when the Sun moves in your favor at the weekend, your rivals will be blinded by your brilliance. A positive outlook is a must, as so much depends on your state of mind. Always aim to do better.

GEMINI (May 22-June 21)

You may have to cut back on your social life over the next

few days as family and other personal commitments eat into your time and energy. Don't feel resentful about it, just get on and show you take your obligations seriously.

CANCER (June 22-July 23)

Money matters are important, of course, but not so important that you must spend a large chunk of your time worrying about where the next dollar is coming from. A more relaxed attitude to your finances will pay off in other ways.

BIRTHDAY THURSDAY

You may think you have missed your big chance and that your rivals are catching up with you, but if you commit to upping your game over the next 12 months, they won't get within touching distance. You're still king of the urban jungle.

Post Weather Report

Thursday	Friday
Today: Showers and a heavier t-storm. High 77 to 83.	Tomorrow: Partly sunny. High 77 to 83.
Tonight: A t-storm around early. Low 64 to 70.	Tomorrow night: A passing late-night shower. Low 64 to 70.
Saturday	Sunday
Showers around. High 73 to 79.	Showers around. High 75 to 81.
Evening	Evening
Heavy t-storms. Low 65 to 71.	Partly cloudy. Low 64 to 70.

Almanac

YESTERDAY'S CONDITIONS AT CENTRAL PARK THROUGH 6PM
Temperature
High: 85, Low: 69, Mean: 77
Departure from Normal
Yesterday: +1 degrees
Precipitation
Yesterday: 0.00", Month: 4.21", Year: 26.92", Normal year to date: 31.18"
Cooling Degree days yesterday ... 12
Total for the month (normal) ... 249 (224)
Total since Jan. 1 (normal) ... 1009 (925)
Last year to date ... 1003
Heat index (at noon) ... 83
UV index (for Thu.) ... 3 (Moderate)
Humidity (at noon) ... 49%
AIR QUALITY
Pollen: Moderate Predominant pollen: Weeds
AQI rating: (for Thu.) ... Moderate

Sunset	Preekskill	White Plains	Stamford	Bridgeport	Riverhead	Montauk
77/59	80/63	80/66	81/65	83/64	82/66	82/66
Paterson	Paterson	Garden City	Huntington	Southampton	Southampton	Southampton
79/64	81/66	82/67	81/66	82/66	82/66	82/66
Newark	La G	Deer Park	Deer Park	Deer Park	Deer Park	Deer Park
77/68	81/65	83/66	83/66	83/66	83/66	83/66
Sandy Hook	JFK	Sandy Hook	Sandy Hook	Sandy Hook	Sandy Hook	Sandy Hook
79/69	82/67	79/69	79/69	79/69	79/69	79/69
Asbury Park	Sandy Hook	Sandy Hook	Sandy Hook	Sandy Hook	Sandy Hook	Sandy Hook
80/68	79/69	79/69	79/69	79/69	79/69	79/69
Manasquan	Manasquan	Manasquan	Manasquan	Manasquan	Manasquan	Manasquan
81/68	81/68	81/68	81/68	81/68	81/68	81/68
Toms River	Toms River	Toms River	Toms River	Toms River	Toms River	Toms River
83/67	83/67	83/67	83/67	83/67	83/67	83/67
Long Beach	Long Beach	Long Beach	Long Beach	Long Beach	Long Beach	Long Beach
80/70	80/70	80/70	80/70	80/70	80/70	80/70
Atlantic City	Atlantic City	Atlantic City	Atlantic City	Atlantic City	Atlantic City	Atlantic City
85/67	85/67	85/67	85/67	85/67	85/67	85/67
Ocean City	Ocean City	Ocean City	Ocean City	Ocean City	Ocean City	Ocean City
81/71	81/71	81/71	81/71	81/71	81/71	81/71

AccuWeather

From Superior Accuracy Get the AccuWeather app

New York Tides	TODAY	TOMORROW
High Tide for	1st 2nd	1st 2nd
Coney Island	1:57a 2:27p	2:48a 3:17p
Fire Island	1:49a 2:33p	2:41a 3:40p
Hampstead	5:50a 6:10p	7:04a 7:23p
Huntington	5:40a 6:02p	6:41a 7:03p
Jones Inlet	1:41a 2:11p	2:32a 3:01p
Montauk Point	3:19a 3:57p	4:20a 5:01p
Port Washington	6:00a 6:15p	7:14a 7:31p
Sandy Hook	2:01a 2:31p	2:52a 3:21p
Regional cities	TODAY	TOMORROW
Albany	78/56/pc	82/61/s
Danbury	79/60/sh	80/63/s
Glens Falls	77/53/pc	79/55/s
Gr Burlington	77/55/sh	80/59/pc
Kingston	79/58/sh	83/63/pc
Liberty	73/55/sh	79/59/s
Monticello	73/55/sh	77/59/s
Newburgh	79/59/sh	82/64/pc
Poughkeepsie	78/58/sh	81/61/pc
Saratoga Springs	78/55/pc	81/56/pc
Stroudsburg	75/58/r	81/61/pc
Torrington	81/58/sh	79/60/pc
Syracuse	78/53/pc	82/59/s
World cities	TODAY	TOMORROW
Athens	93/74/s	95/69/s
Baghdad	111/90/s	112/85/s
Beijing	89/74/t	91/74/pc
Berlin	76/56/t	77/58/pc
Cairo	94/74/pc	95/75/pc
Dublin	62/46/c	63/45/sh
Geneva	75/61/sh	67/53/r
Hong Kong	88/82/r	89/82/r
Jerusalem	89/77/s	91/73/s
Kabul	94/67/pc	92/65/pc
London	72/53/sh	71/51/pc
Madrid	88/66/s	89/64/pc
Mexico City	77/58/sh	79/58/r
Montreal	77/58/s	78/60/s
Moscow	73/58/r	73/52/pc
Paris	76/60/pc	73/56/sh
Rio de Janeiro	79/72/pc	80/67/s
Rome	91/77/s	88/73/t
Sydney	72/59/pc	72/53/sh
Tokyo	92/78/pc	91/76/t

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nypost.com

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Anthony appeal judge out

Convicted murderer Karmelo Anthony's legal team scored a major victory Wednesday, successfully getting the judge who presided over his trial in June booted from his appeal.

Anthony's new lawyers argued Judge John Roach, who oversaw the initial trial, should be recused from presiding over the appeal because of an interview he gave to local station WFAA-TV after the trial.

Roach said Anthony seemed like a "nice young man" but said the jury made the right call convicting him of murder.

Anthony's lawyers accused Roach of giving "public comment about an impending proceeding," which should have resulted in an "automatic recusal." Senior Judge Sid Harle granted the defense team's motion. Chris Nesi

Custody & killing

Microsoft widow testifies

By JARED DOWNING

The widow of slain Microsoft executive Jared Bridegan came face-to-face Monday with the man accused of helping to plot his murder, recounting a bitter custody battle and her heartbreaking final phone call with her husband.

Kirsten Bridegan took the witness stand to describe how her husband's ex-wife tried to isolate him from his twin daughters before he was gunned down in Jacksonville Beach, Fla.

Prosecutors allege the ex-wife, Shanna Gardner-Fernandez, helped plan and finance the hit with her new husband Mario Fernandez Saldana, who is on trial

for murder this week.

Fernandez Saldana has pleaded not guilty to planning the hit, which was allegedly carried out by Henry Tenon. Prosecutors say a co-parenting rivalry fueled the alleged murder-for-hire scheme.

Kirsten described bitter fights over parenting time, medical expenses and religious decisions involving the twins. "There's absolutely no trust," she told jurors, saying the families relied almost entirely on texts and emails to communicate.

Bridegan, 33, took their twins — along with Bexley, his daughter — to dinner other than the night of the ambush, Kirsten recalled.

She said she spoke to her husband on the phone after he dropped off the twins; and Bexley chimed in

TRAGIC: Jared Bridegan smiles with wife Kirsten, who testifies at the trial of the man accused of killing him (left).

to tell her they had gotten ice cream. Then the line went quiet.

When Jared didn't return home, she began calling and set out to search for him. When a call was finally answered, it was a police officer, not her husband, on the other end.

Deadly aircraft collision

The pilot of a small plane died after the aircraft collided midair with a Pennsylvania State Police chopper on Wednesday evening, injuring two state troopers, according to authorities.

The Cessna 150 two-seat airplane and Bell 407 helicopter crashed near the Carlisle Airport in Cumberland County around 7:50 p.m., the Federal Aviation Administration said.

The airplane pilot killed is believed to be the only individual onboard the Cessna jet that was "cut into a lot of pieces" from the crash, Lt. Col. George Bivens, Acting Commissioner of the Pennsylvania State Police, said.

The two Pennsylvania State Police elite aviation unit pilots, identified as Corporal Bryce Corman and Trooper Jason Mills, were injured, but are expected to recover, Gov. Josh Shapiro said. Zoe Hussain

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POSTOPINION

Finland Model

Trump's vision for restoring US shipbuilding

THIS month, a national newspaper reduced a major national-security and industrial initiative to a round of golf, a presidential "fixation" and billions in "no-bid" contracts.

The New York Times on Aug. 1 published a fake-news caricature of President Trump's plan to significantly boost America's Arctic icebreaker fleet. But The Times got the story exactly backward.

America's real problem is that Washington spent decades allowing our Arctic capability and shipbuilding industrial base to atrophy — while our adversaries kept building. And this president has decided to reverse that decline.

On Aug. 13, he took the US-Finland icebreaker partnership far beyond the Arctic, directing the Pentagon to use it as a model for rebuilding additional classes of American ships. The White House has given that strategy a name: the "Finland Model."

Under this new policy, a foreign shipbuilder may build two ships at its parent yard overseas — but only if it simultaneously invests in or takes control of an American shipyard, hires and trains American workers, licenses its shipbuilding technology to the US operation and develops a US supply chain to bring in needed materials. Then, every follow-on ship must be built in the United States.

This is not outsourcing, contra the media's biased critique. It is onshoring through alliance.

The urgency is apparent. This month a Chinese operator launched the first regular cargo service to Europe through Arctic waters along Russia's Northern Sea Route. Seven Chinese transit vessels have permits to sail to Europe via the Arctic this season.

By Aug. 11, Russia had already sent about 6 million barrels of crude toward Asia through the Arctic route — nearly half the volume moved during all of last year's navigation season. The Arctic is becoming a shipping corridor, an energy route and a strategic theater, all at the same time.

Trump's icebreaker program

More, please: New icebreakers will soon join the USCGC Healy in the icy Arctic.

shows how the United States can respond. Finland is the obvious partner: All its ports freeze during normal winters.

Finnish companies have designed about 80% of the world's icebreakers, and Finnish yards have built about 60% of them.

Finland, the US and Canada formed the Icebreaker Collaboration Effort, or ICE Pact, in 2024 — a tri-lateral partnership aimed at expanding allied capacity to design, build and market new polar vessels.

The president's new plan will rapidly build up to four new Arctic Security Cutters in Finland for the US Coast Guard, then use Finnish expertise to build up to seven more cutters in American yards. The deal is hardly explained by the phrase "no bid"; it uses an established public-interest acquisition authority for an urgent national-security program to get proven ships into the water years faster.

It is President Trump's job to decide what capabilities the country needs and how quickly it needs them — not an anonymous bureaucrat drafting a planning estimate. Bureaucrats don't make strategy. Presidents do.

And America needs those ships. Russia concentrates its Northern Fleet and nuclear forces on the Kola Peninsula, while Russia and China increasingly operate together near Alaska.

In July the Coast Guard monitored two of China's icebreakers as they headed north through

the US exclusive economic zone and over the US extended continental shelf.

Geography makes the United States an Arctic nation. But only ice-capable ships can make it an Arctic power. Now the Finland Model is carrying that lesson far beyond icebreakers. President Trump has directed his administration to develop Finland Model approaches for surface combatants, replenishment tankers and roll-on/roll-off vessels.

The proposition for our allies is straightforward: Bring us mature designs, invest in American yards, train American workers, share your know-how and build your supply chain here. Use allied capacity to close urgent gaps, then build the follow-on ships in America.

As allied demand for icebreakers grows, the ICE Pact can support a larger order book across Finnish, American and Canadian yards — expanding the shared industrial base and supplier network behind them. That is burden-sharing in steel.

The Times called the president's icebreaker strategy a fixation. It is actually focus — after decades of drift, exactly the focus America needed. The Finland Model proves the larger point.

What media critics demean as an eccentric procurement scandal is in reality a blueprint for bringing shipyards, skills, technology and jobs back to America. Eleven icebreakers are only the beginning.

Howard W. Brodie is the United States ambassador to Finland.

FAST TAKES

From the right: A Swedish Child-Care Lesson

"Sweden, often held up as an exemplar of high-quality early childhood education, does not regulate preschool staffing through mandated child-to-staff ratios," notes Chelsea Follett at City Journal. "The American Left reveres Sweden's taxpayer-funded childcare but ignores this key difference. Even without any explicit mandate," Sweden's "ratio of full-time staff positions to children in preschool is roughly 5:1." The reason? "Sweden gives families the freedom to choose private preschools," putting "reputational consequences" among families on the line. Meanwhile, child-to-staff ratio mandates in "states with the most restrictive child-staff ratio, toddler care costs an average of $20,196." US policymakers should prioritize affordability and follow Sweden's lead by placing "their confidence in childcare professionals and families instead of micromanaging these arrangements."

Campus watch: Harvard Failed Jews . . . Oh, Well!

"Thursday's dismissal" of Team Trump's lawsuit against Harvard suggests "consequences" for campus antisemitism "will be rare," warns The Wall Street Journal Editorial Board, so expect "less change." Judge Richard Stearns did slam the school in 2024 for failing Jewish students but "finds no reason 'to further rehearse' Harvard's two years of likely non-compliance with Title VI." That is, "Harvard may have violated its students' civil rights, but since there has been less of it after the Trump team threatened action, there can be no enforcement or consequences." So: The problem has "persisted," yet Harvard won't be "compelled to make meaningful reforms." "It might as well brush the antisemitism aside with the Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez nondefense of previous political views: Woke 2 in 2023-24, like 2020's Woke 1, 'was craazy.'"

Budget hawks: Pols' $40 Trillion 'Wake-Up Call'

The national debt passes the $40 trillion mark this week, "months ahead of Congressional Budget Office projections," fumes The Washington Post Editorial Board. The feds' July deficit alone hit $432 billion, "the highest monthly level" since the pandemic. And "the excuses" only "highlight the extent to which Washington has lost control" of spending. Interest on the debt alone, nearly $1 trillion, represents money that can't be spent on "defense or education." If left uncontrolled, deficits "will cripple Social Security and Medicare" and make it harder for the military to address munitions shortfalls. Politicians' "failure to control spending remains one of the biggest threats to the country. If only the $40 trillion milestone could be a wake-up call."

Culture critic: H'wood Parents' Child Sacrifices

"So many child stars come to such miserable ends," yet "most children offered up to the god of showbiz are sent by their own parents," marvels Mary Harrington at Unherd. The late Hayden Panettiere's troubles follow such similar horrors as Britney Spears, Lindsay Lohan and Corey Feldman, as well as "darker, less verified rumors" around P. Diddy and his "multi-day drug-fueled freak-off parties." Parents who push their kids into showbiz "ghoulishly invert" the "parental instincts" of care by "are sacrificing important elements" of "normal childhood." And the biographies of troubled child stars frequently evince an "intensity of showbiz-parent enmeshment" that prevents the child from ever "reaching full adult independence."

Britney Spears

Affordability watch: Nix Costly Call Port Rule

"If the Trump administration wants to lower costs for consumers," undoing the Biden waiver that allowed the California Air Resources Board's Vessels At-Berth regulation to kick in "should be an immediate priority," explains Sam Raus in The Hill. The regulation, imposing costs estimated to "exceed $2.2 billion through 2032," forces ships to "plug into shore power and use costly approved equipment." And since "California's ports move nearly 40% of America's imports," the pain is nationwide. Every dollar wasted here boosts costs for "imported goods that ordinary Americans buy on a daily basis." So "repealing this waiver" is "one practical step toward eliminating billions in avoidable supply-chain costs. If the administration is serious about making life more affordable, California's port mandate should be on the chopping block." — Compiled by The Post Editorial Board

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NEW YORK POST

America's oldest continuously published daily newspaper

A Pampered Braintrust

It's no coincidence that all the prominent leaders of the Democratic Socialists of America turn out to be the pampered children of the upper class, drunk on delusions of their purity of heart.

Gustavo Gordillo, who co-chairs the city DSA branch, lives in a million-dollar Brooklyn house that his dad bought (and had remodeled) for him and his brother; he also paid Gustavo's rent for years while the Yale grad pretended to be an electrician while he worked his way up the DSA ladder.

Gordillo's parents — Peruvian immigrants who prospered in America! — own two Florida mansions, one on the rental market for $11,000 per month, but he's never worked a real day in his life.

Which explains his smug assertion that neighborhood groceries driven out of business by city-owned, tax-subsidized stores "shouldn't have been in that business in the first place": He has no idea how a small business owner or any real workingman struggles.

Of course, such is the DSA braintrust. Mayor Mamdani's filmmaker mother Mira Nair modestly allows that her family is "privileged to have three homes," well-appointed apartments in Manhattan and New Delhi, plus the villa in Kampala, Uganda.

City Hall Hates Accountability

Mayor Mamdani's mass doxxing of city property owners was such a PR disaster that his office boycotted the City Council's hearing about the pied-à-terre tax roll-out, preposterously claiming that it couldn't let anyone speak about an issue that's the subject of an active lawsuit.

Rubbish! The city faces constant litigation on all sorts of issues — labor disputes, NYPD policies, charter schools — without preventing the mayor's office from talking freely.

Team Mamdani simply wants to duck accountability. So it boycotted a hearing packed with testimony about the thousands of "prove you're innocent" letters sent to New Yorkers who've lived in and voted (and paid income taxes!) from the same address for decades.

Not to mention the fury over the com-

Cea Weaver, who heads Mamdani's Office to Protect Tenants, calls homeownership a "weapon of white supremacy"; her mom, Celia Applegate, a professor at Vanderbilt University, owns a $1.6 million Nashville manse.

City Councilman Chi Ossé is a nepo baby on both sides: His dad was a prominent music attorney in the hip-hop world, and his maternal grandfather was Grammy-winning songwriter Teddy Vann; college dropout Chi "worked" briefly as a promoter before winning his council seat at 23.

Grace Mausser, Gordillo's fellow co-chair, grew up in comfortable circumstances in a posh Houston suburb before attending George Washington University.

Virtually the whole DSA inner circle comes from wealth and privilege; so much so, they can afford to ignore reality as they preen about supposedly working as class traitors.

These are profoundly silly people . . . except they're now managing to achieve real power, and to impose the lunatic ideas they absorbed in the ivory tower.

Never mind that socialism, hard and soft, has failed all the world over; the lie seems lovely, and it lets the cognoscenti feel superior to the parents who've set them up in life: What more could a Bushwick hipster want?

pletely gratuitous posting of a selected 900,000 names and addresses — supposedly of property owners who might be liable for the tax, even though the city had already identified a far smaller list of candidates that ruled out 98%-plus of the longer one.

City Hall didn't even dare send someone to answer questions like, "How was that not a class-war enemies list?" — which strongly suggests that was the point. Certainly, Team Mamdani's claim that the mass doxxing was just an effort at "transparency" is laughable.

Note, too, that City Hall's boycott of this hearing comes even as Mamdani is spending millions in taxpayer funds to organize mobs to protest at other public hearings.

This mayor and his team call themselves Democratic Socialists, but they plainly have utter contempt for democratic accountability.

Hakeem's War on the Supremes

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries says he isn't backing the Democratic Socialists of America's goals, but he is declaring war on the Supreme Court.

Jeffries vows that Democrats will "push for dramatic reform of the Supreme Court," as its "conservative, right-wing majority" is "a subsidiary of the MAGA Republican Party."

Huh? The Supremes sometimes come down on the GOP's side, but they've also slapped down President Trump repeatedly — on his bid to upend birthright citizenship, his beloved tariffs and a whole lot more.

Yet Jeffries says "a variety" of reforms will be "on the table," from blatantly unconstitutional efforts to impose term limits or Con-

gress' idea of ethics rules on the justices, to simply packing the court with lefties so conservatives can never prevail.

This is a fool's game: Socialists won't settle for a mere call for court-packing, while centrists will see it for what it is: Protecting "democracy" by destroying a bulwark of democratic self-government and the rule of law.

Feeding the radicals' attack on our very form of government can only empower them in the long run. If Democratic leaders want to stop the far left's takeover of their party, they're going to have to reject its agenda and offer one that appeals to the broader public. Too bad that appeasing the left seems to be Jeffries' idea of "leadership."

letters@nypost.com

Dems Turn a Blind Eye To the Dangers of the DSA

• The danger of romanticizing the radical left is akin to the fable wherein a frog that's trying to cross a creek hitches a ride on the back of a scorpion who stings the frog, thus sending it to its death ("Socialist lean for Dems," Aug. 17).

The frog asks why he did that, to which the scorpion responds "because it is what I do."

There is no such thing as a "democratic socialist." The term is used to cloak their real intent of communism and to lull folks into a false sense of safety, similar to the frog who tried to ignore the truth of the scorpion's nature. If we do not acknowledge what democratic socialism really is, we may suffer that same fate.

Ken Kercinell Hewlett

• Democratic Socialists want a government that helps workers rather than the billionaire class. Socialism is not really an accurate term for them. If anything, Republicans are far more socialist.

A socialist government takes over major industries and tells them what to do. Trump has taken government stakes in major corporations and, in some cases, given him-

THE ISSUE: Socialism's growing popularity among Democrats, with several DSA-allied primary winners.

Chuck Schumer

self veto powers. He wants to control the media and have say over who is allowed to be on the air and what they are allowed to say.

Republicans hate the Constitution, our system of government and most Americans. Bruce Ellis Houston, Texas

• The DSA commits to scrapping the Senate, defunding the Department of War, granting amnesty for all immigrants and replacing "the president and Supreme Court with an executive and judiciary chosen by and subordinate to Congress."

I don't understand how they think they can win

when they'd have to take an oath to "protect and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic." They are the enemy. Michael Pacer Kingman, Ariz.

• Senate and House Minority Leaders Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries have the power to save America by telling voters that communism is on the way if the Democratic Socialists win.

Reasonable Dems will listen to them. They must stick up for our democracy, or face the downfall of the nation. Barry Smith Watermill

• The mainstream media uses the term "progressive" when discussing socialists. But progressive is a soft-ball labeling term to obfuscate what these people really are.

They are painted as people who push for the betterment of social equality. But when these alleged progressives seize power, the harsher socialist and communist elements will suddenly appear.

Earl Beal Terre Haute, Ind.

AOC's 'Egg-regious' Priorities

• Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's refusal to pay off her federal student loans, while saving money for an egg-freezing process that can cost up to $20,000 per cycle, is "egg-regious" ("Student loan IOU for AOC," Aug. 15).

When it comes to perverse priorities, Ocasio-Cortez leads the pack. She makes $174,000 a year and has no dependents. It's time for her to pay up.

THE ISSUE: AOC freezing her eggs while owing at least $15,001 on her federal student loans.

She graduated from Boston University with a BA in international relations and economics, but now holds a PhD in BS.

Richard Reif Kew Gardens Hills

• AOC is foregoing paying off her student debt to pay for freezing her eggs. She sees this as a teachable

moment for the masses. Yet she takes an irresponsible pass on her student loans, continuing to push for debt forgiveness, and is putting those dollars towards freezing her eggs. Both are "eggs-pensive."

She's made a private matter a politically expedient one. Peter Cooper Bronxville

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 DC; Mark Cunningham, Editorial Page Editor

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POSTOPINION

'Woke 1' vs. the SAT

DID you know that the SAT is racist? During Woke 1, as Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez now calls it, "antiracists" said the SAT's creators "were avowed eugenicists."

No wonder black people get lower scores, went the claim. And even if the test isn't racist today, woke activists said, it still gives unfair advantages to white kids because their parents are more likely to afford SAT tutoring.

As anti-SAT ads from activist groups like FairTest put it: "Real learning is not standardized, so why judge children just by test scores?"

During Woke 1, FairTest won. Most colleges stopped requiring the test for admissions.

That was ironic, given that standardized tests once brought students from underrepresented groups into colleges. After tests helped Jews get into college in the 1920s, Harvard even reduced focus on tests — to "prevent a dangerous increase in the proportion of Jews."

I confronted FairTest's executive director, Bob Schaeffer, and pointed out that SATs are the best predictor of whether a kid will thrive in college. He scoffed at that, saying testing companies just want money.

"The College Board is a billion-

dollar-a-year business," he said, "like the tobacco industry — giving you the best spin on what they can do."

I pushed back: "If you're a Latino immigrant who goes to a lousy high school but you test well, you've got a shot."

"There are actually very few examples of that being true," he replied. Actually, there are many examples. College Board data shows students with C+ grades but great SAT scores do better in college than A+ students with lower SAT scores.

Better test scores do strongly predict success.

Nevertheless, during Woke 1, cowardly college administrators did what progressives told them to do. Most colleges dropped the test.

It was just unfair. Jason Riley of the Wall Street Journal points out that dropping the test made it easier for colleges to do to Asians what they once did to Jews.

Today, It's Asian parents who most emphasize learning and who are most likely to make their kids study. But colleges don't want "too many" Asians.

"It's about making these campuses look right, using them to make your college catalog look more colorful," Riley told me. "It's about aesthetics, not about learning."

Not using tests did make it easier for schools to admit more blacks and Latinos. But many struggled in college. University of California, Berkeley mathematics professor Zvezdelina Stankova says some students "are five to eight years behind in mathematics."

"There's this assumption: Just get these kids in the door and they'll be fine," complained Riley, who is black. "They're being set up to fail."

"I see no progress in getting a bunch of black kids admitted to MIT and then having them flunk out or struggle when they don't need to be struggling because they could be going to another school and doing quite well and actually

graduate," he explained. "Eliminate the test, you're just going to delay where it shows up elsewhere in this child's life. You're not doing that child any favor." But woke educators cared more about pleasing progressive activ-

ists than about students' success. Now, five years later, colleges finally acknowledge that they made a mistake. Every Ivy League school is bringing back standardized testing. Other schools are following suit.

They finally admit what the data always showed: Tests are useful. And it's cruel and stupid that for years, colleges gave in to woke activists.

NYC Nixes Trump's Public-Housing Save

THE New York City Housing Authority grapples with some obvious ills: Elevators break down all the time, crime and gang violence are common, and fixing up aging NYCHA buildings could cost up to $80 billion the agency doesn't have. But some of the problems facing the nation's largest public housing authority are less visible.

The average time on the NYCHA waiting list is 46 months — largely because the average tenant has lived in the projects for 306 months, or 25 years. A significant number of residents, 31%, are "overhoused" — living in apartments with empty bedrooms — while others in need crowd into shelters. Only 34% of tenants are employed and report "wage income."

President Trump wants to give New York City the tools it needs to do something about those problems. NYCHA is saying, no thanks.

At issue is a new rule proposed by Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Scott Turner that would allow NYCHA and other public-housing authorities across the country to adopt some form of work requirements as well as time limits for tenants — something like the rules that apply to cash welfare. Housing assistance, says Turner, should "actively promote pathways to independence, upward mobility and long-term self-sufficiency."

More than 200 local authorities — including those in Philadelphia, New Orleans and Los Angeles County — support the idea, joining what HUD has dubbed its Work and Dignity Coalition to push for the rule to become final. NYCHA, by far the nation's largest housing authority, with 263,000 units of public or voucher housing, is a notable exception.

It can't stop the new rule from taking effect elsewhere — but it

able two-bedrooms have rents between $1,500 and $2,000.

NYCHA should welcome HUD's lifeline. But its resistance to the federal "work and dignity" concept, which includes supportive services to help residents find and keep employment, reflects the false assumption that low income is a life sentence — and that not even a five-year goal of earning more and moving up the income ladder is possible for the poor to achieve.

Far better to adopt the principle that any job can be the start of upward mobility — and provide an escape hatch from our modern poorhouse. A low-cost public-housing apartment should allow tenants to save for the day when

Any job can be the start of upward mobility — and provide an escape hatch.

can continue its own status quo that lets 457,000 tenants stay for a lifetime. HUD thinks a fresh approach can change that. But NYCHA claims Gotham's housing shortage is just too acute to set an "up and out" goal — even one that exempts the elderly and disabled, as HUD's proposal would do.

In New York, a NYCHA spokesman told me, the city's overall 1.5% housing vacancy rate means any time limit would put residents on the street. "In a city where the average market-rate rent for a one-bedroom is between $3,500 and $4,500, time limits would, in effect, price tens of thousands of New Yorkers out of their homes," he said.

But on close inspection, the argument doesn't hold up. For one thing, the 1.5% vacancy rate is an out-of-date 2023 US Census estimate. The Furman Center on Housing reports more vacancies than NYCHA claims: 2.8% in Queens, for example, and 4.1% in East New York.

And high citywide average rents, pushed up by the pricest neighborhoods, hide the fact many rents are much lower: In The Bronx, for instance, the largest share of avail-

they leave the projects, thereby making way for others who need short-term assistance.

What's more, HUD's work and time-limit rules wouldn't have to apply to NYCHA's full population. The authority could, for example, apply it just to each year's new tenants — who comprise only 6% annually. The proposed HUD program isn't one-size-fits-all; it would let housing authorities set the rule based on local housing conditions.

Yet even a five-year time limit targeted only to new tenants would have immense benefits for NYCHA. It would gradually overhaul the system's dysfunctional culture of gang wars and despair by shifting tenants' focus toward the goal of a post-public-housing future.

It's worked in Champaign County, Ill., which has transitioned 1,100 families out of housing assistance since 2014 using a similar program.

"Housing assistance was never meant to trap work-able individuals on government support their entire lives," Turner said. "Rather, it should be a temporary foundation to launch into a life of self-sufficiency."

New York City would benefit if NYCHA took his words to heart.

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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.

PAR SCORE 150-160 BEST SCORE 215

FOUR RACK TOTAL TIME LIMIT: 20 MIN

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

East dealer N-S vulnerable

NORTH ▲ A ◇ K 6 4 3 ◇ K 10 9 4 ▲ A 8 6 3

WEST ▲ J 4 ◇ A J 10 8 ◇ 6 3 ▲ Q J 10 7 4

EAST ▲ K Q 10 9 8 6 ◇ 9 ◇ J 8 ▲ K 9 5 2

SOUTH ▲ 7 5 3 2 ◇ Q 7 5 2 ◇ A Q 7 5 2 ▲ None

East South West North 2 ▲ Pass Pass Dbl Pass 4 ▼ All Pass

Opening lead - ▲ Q

©2026 Tribune Content Agency, LLC

I sat down to kibitz Unlucky Louie's penny game.

"How goes it?" I asked. "Pain and suffering," he groaned. "Cy the Cynic was Louie's partner. "Pain is inevitable," Cy said.

"Suffering is optional."

In today's deal, East opened two spades, and after two passes, Cy balanced with a double. Louie jumped boldly to four hearts, and West led the queen of clubs. Louie played low from dummy, ruffed in his hand and led a trump: jack, king, nine.

Dummy then led a second trump, and East's discard was excruciating. West took the eight and ace and led another club. Louie took the ace and started the diamonds, but when West waited to ruff the fourth diamond, dummy was left with two club losers. Down two.

Bad breaks are painful -- inevitable if you're Louie -- but he self-inflicted the suffering. After the king of trumps wins, Louie must abandon trumps. He ruffs a club, goes to the ace of spades, ruffs a club and leads diamonds. West gets only his three trump tricks.

Word Force

ACCELERATE

From the word or phrase above, form AT LEAST 16 five-letter words, without using more than one form of the same word. For example, drink or drank (not both).

ANSWERS IN TOMORROW'S POST Yesterday's word: NIGHTCAP

acing china panic antic giant patch aping inapt pinch chain night pitch chant paint thing

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.

NBA CHAMPIONS: NEW YORK KNICKS
S	E	D	A	W	U	I	H	C	A	S
O	A	M	N	O	S	K	R	A	L	C
Y	D	N	O	H	P	D	I	V	I	S
N	L	A	A	C	R	R	I	M	C	B
O	L	M	R	N	A	C	E	L	A	N
H	E	N	I	A	T	P	A	C	O	K
T	H	I	N	O	V	O	B	S	I	R
N	C	S	R	A	M	L	N	R	T	O
A	T	Y	O	I	T	I	A	I	O	Y
L	I	D	K	J	B	T	L	T	O	W
R	M	A	J	O	S	E	A	E	H	E
A	L	D	R	I	N	G	S	H	S	N
K	F	I	N	A	L	S	B	A	N	A
L	S	E	G	D	I	R	B	R	M	A
R	A	T	S	L	L	A	E	T	E	A

© 2026 Andrews McMeel Syndication www.wonderword.com 8/20 Achiuwa, Ali-Star, Alvarado, Assist, Bridges, Brown, Brunson, Captain, Clarkson, Coach, Dadiet, Division, Dunk, Finals, Gotham, Hart, Jordan, Jose, Josh, Karl Anthony, Landry, Manhattan, McBride, Mikal, Mike, Miles, Mitchell, New York, OG Anunoby, Pacôme, Precious, Rings, Robinson, San Antonio, Shamet, Shoot, Team, Three-pointer, Towns, Victory Yesterday's Answer: Mac N Cheese For WONDERWORD apps, books & more, visit Wonderword.com, or call 1-855-232-2367.

POSTS/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 40

© Syndicated Puzzles

Very Easy #7.376

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

Difficult #7.166

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

Quick Crossword

Across

1 Error 8 Radio static sound 15 Do the same as 16 Peaceful getaway spot 17 Hard stuff in rings 18 "You said it!" 20 Ignited 21 Small floral bundle 22 Robin Hood foe 26 Hard stuff in school 32 Gets even with 33 Relativity, for one 35 Bucks and does 36 Org. that oversees food recalls 39 Half a sextet 40 Hard stuff in a bar 45 Utterly exhausted 46 "How amusing" 49 ... culpa 50 Marina ... Rey, California 51 Proper 54 Fuming 56 Nocturnal Rapper 58 Word with circle and tube 60 Hard stuff for a sweet tooth 63 Doesn't just assume 64 Licorice-like herb 65 One-rich vein 66 Appliance alert 67 Numbers for letters 68 Tollbooth pricing unit Down 1 Sports analyst Kimes 2 Mosque leader 3 Place 4 Leave speechless 5 Fossil-preserving gunk 6 Unreliable stat from the fashionably late 7 Bit of hamster food 8 One who always gives star treatment? 9 Belfast-born actor Stephen 10 Bread machine 11 Trim, as a photo 12 Casino game 13 Boyes 14 Marketplace with personalized gifts 18 NNE, SSW, etc. 22 Central location 23 Bucks, but not does

1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14
15							16
17							18
19						20
21				21	22			24	25
23		27	28							27	28	29	30
25								31					31
30						36	37			38	39
40				41	42			43	44
45			45
48	47	48		49				50			51	52	53
54			55			56	57			58	59
60					61			62
63					64					65
66					67					68

24 In shape	25 Dismissive syllable	26 Bit of fishing gear	27 Well-financed gp.?	28 Chocolate substitute	29 Online access username within universities, briefly	30 Grain ground to make masa	31 "The Devil in the White City" writer Larson	32 Nutritional amt.	33 Casual hellos	34 Flowering plant once believed to repel pests	35 In Morse code	36 Rigorous evaluation	37 Big hit at the ballpark	38 Unspecified person	39 Hip-hop pioneer Dr. ...	40 Thing of the past	41 Muslim headscarf	42 Create a clean slate?	43 Ethan of the "Before" trilogy	44 Secondary structure	45 "Bike faster!"	46 Defiant response to a threat

PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER (C) 2026 Tribune Media Services 55 Ingredient meas. 57 Similar (to) 59 Mars rever org. 61 "My conscience whispers in your ..." "King John" 62 High or low follower, in graphics

---

Dow Jones Indust. 119.65 Avg. 53,463.05

Business

Nasdaq Comp. 41.38 Up 26,331.09

35

Getty Images (2), Variety via Getty Images

BUSINESS BRIEFS

Gov't rescue

Stocks rose modestly Wednesday and Treasury yields pulled back sharply after the government said it will buy back more longer-dated bonds. Strong earnings reports also helped support Wall Street, which snapped a three-day losing streak.

Ready to hike

More Federal Reserve officials favored raising rates last month than the three who formally dissented, and others signaled they would back an increase if inflation doesn't improve, according to minutes of the July meeting.

Lowe's warns

Lowe's cut its full-year sales and profit targets, signaling that price-conscious homeowners are delaying major renovations and compounding back-half headwinds.

Crypto cheer

Shares of bitcoin-related companies rose as cryptocurrency industry leaders met with President Trump at the White House. Bitcoin's price also rose to above $68,000, a nearly 6% gain.

A'zon air plan

Amazon announced a major expansion of its drone-delivery service, with plans to roll it out to nearly 500 cities and towns by the end of the year.

Sources: Reuters, Dow Jones, AP

Follow us on

LONE STAR POWER

Paramount boss weighing studio in Texas

By JAMES FRANEY

As an antitrust battle threatens his Hollywood empire, Paramount boss David Ellison is eyeing a new base in Austin, Texas. The Post has learned.

The 43-year-old media mogul — facing heat from California Attorney General Rob Bonta over his plans to merge Paramount with Warner Bros. Discovery in a $110 billion mega deal — is actively evaluating a prospective movie and TV studio in the Texas capital, according to three people familiar with the matter.

While Paramount has not formally committed to the plans, sources said the entertainment giant and its partners are in advanced negotiations and zeroing in on the Bluebonnet Business Center — a hurling commercial development in the east of the city — as a primary target.

Located at 9219 Old Manor Road, the sprawling industrial park's crown jewel is Building 4, a 415,000-square-foot cross-dock mega facility.

By comparison, Paramount's legendary lot in Los Angeles — whose soundstages have produced iconic films including "Rear Window," "The Godfather," "Grease" and "Forrest Gump" — measures about 360,000 square feet.

'Here's looking at you'

Warner Bros. — home of legendary films from "Casablanca" to "Blade Runner" — operates dozens of soundstages across LA with a combined footage of nearly 1 million square feet.

A Paramount spokesperson declined to comment.

Representatives for Hines, the

property's developer, and Aquila Commercial, the main broker, declined to comment.

A spokesperson for Opportunity Austin, a regional economic-development group tasked with luring corporate investments and jobs to Central Texas, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The surprise pivot by the CEO of Paramount Skydance could be framed as a strategy to cut costs by skirting California's high taxes, regulations and its heavily unionized entertainment industry workforce, sources briefed on the plans said.

"Rob Bonta is trying to kill Holly-

wood jobs in California while boosting real estate commissions in Texas. If Bonta's plans were a movie, it would be 'Dumb and Dumber,' fumed one insider with direct knowledge of Ellison's Texas blueprint.

"As for Paramount, they don't want to leave the state, but they are sort of being kicked out by the Democrats," the source added.

If Bonta does not agree to settle his antitrust allegations by Oct. 1, Ellison, son of software giant Oracle's billionaire co-founder Larry Ellison, has reportedly threatened to begin the process of moving out of the Golden State.

Public records show work is already well underway at the Austin site, making it a turnkey fortress for any incoming corporate whale.

Boasting sky-high 36-foot ceilings, 96 dock doors, and a mammoth 4,000-amp power supply, the colossal warehouse already packs the megawatt punch that would be needed to power sprawling Hollywood soundstages.

Filings with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation dated June 27, 2025, reveal that an initial 25,685-square-foot executive landing suite is undergoing a rapid interior build-out.

jfraney@nypost.com

Cinemark joins chains backing merger

All three of the nation's largest movie theater chains are now urging California to settle its antitrust lawsuit against Paramount's mega-merger with Warner Bros. Discovery — a win for Paramount boss David Ellison.

Cinemark on Tuesday became the latest major thea-

ter operator to toss its hat in the ring, after AMC Theatres and Regal Cinemas previously backed the $110 billion Paramount-WBD merger.

"We join those who have recently called for an expedited resolution of the proposed Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros. Discovery

merger as prolonged uncertainty runs the risk of diverting time and resources away from achieving these priorities," the country's third-largest theater chain said in a statement.

Theater chains rushed to support the deal after several concessions from Ellison, in-

cluding a pledge to produce 30 movies theatrically each year and keep them in theaters exclusively for 45 days after release. He has vowed to stick to these commitments for at least three years.

It's also a sign that movie theaters fear a lengthy court battle involving two of Hol-

lywood's largest studios could do more damage to an industry that is finally showing signs of recovery after the pandemic.

A judge set a March 2027 trial date for the lawsuit, a much later date than Paramount had been hoping for. Taylor Herzlich

---

36

By TAYLOR HERZLICH

Big Tech has failed to win over Americans on its rapid build-out of data centers — and souring public opinion on the power-hungry sites could play a critical role in midterm elections across the country.

People would rather see a nuclear power plant built in their neighborhood than a data center, a May Gallup poll found, with a whopping 71% of Americans opposed to the latter.

In comparison, 53% opposed new nuclear energy plants.

This new form of NIMBYism is taking hold on both ends of the political spectrum, and the share of voters who oppose data center construction is growing, according to a July survey conducted by independent polling group Public First.

In January, people who said they voted for Democrat Kamala Harris for president in 2024 were split on the issue, with 36% saying they would support a data center being built within three miles of their home and 33% saying they would not.

By July, 53% of Harris voters opposed a data-center site, while just 22% said they would support it.

Disliked by both sides

Even among those who voted for Republican President Trump — who has praised the rapid rise of AI for drawing billions of dollars in infrastructure investment and potentially creating swaths of jobs — 33% said in July they would oppose a data center, up from 26%.

The share who said they would support a data-center project dropped nine points to 34%.

Increasingly negative opinions of the emerging tech could play a pivotal role in elections around the nation, as more than 200 data centers are being built in dozens of competitive House districts, according to a recent Politico analysis.

Politicians on both sides of the aisle are eager to separate themselves from the controversial centers as their seats are up for grabs this fall — but many are unsure just how far to go in their efforts to limit new construction.

New York Gov. Hochul in July issued a first-of-its-kind moratorium on large-scale data-center construction — though it has drawn backlash from AI supporters who

Pols gingerly face Big Data

Rage against the machines

Wary of centers as elex looms

warn the ban could quash construction jobs. Other critics fear the regulation isn't strict enough.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, a potential Democratic presidential contender in 2028, recently signed an executive order restricting data-center development in the state, taking a stand against what he called 'predatory' developers.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican, issued a pause on data-center approvals and created a set of standards that several companies agreed to follow regarding water and electricity use and quality-of-life for nearby residents.

Tech firms like Google, Meta, Amazon and Microsoft — four of the largest data-center builders —

are anxiously trying to turn the tide as they seek looser government regulations on the rollout of new AI products.

Social-media users who oppose data centers have cited environmental issues, noise and light pollution and economic concerns, like the potential for the new tech to eradicate many jobs.

Personal info-use warning

Merchants have become increasingly skilled at using consumers' personal data, including their online shopping habits and smartphone use, to calculate an individual's tolerance for higher prices. Now the Federal Trade Commission is putting companies on notice that the practice could violate consumer-protection law.

The commission on Wednesday told companies that they must disclose when they use highly detailed information about individuals to personalize a price offer.

Companies must offer 'clear and conspicuous' disclosure of any personalized pricing, including the type of data that was used to generate the offer, the FTC said in its statement. The agency says it lacks authority to prohibit the practice, but will 'deploy enforcement resources' when it spots companies that don't follow its disclosure standards.

The FTC said a 'food delivery company' quoting a higher price to consumers on the basis of data personal to those consumers' would require disclosure. So would ride-share companies that charged a user more based on knowledge that the passenger didn't have a competing app on their phone.

Dow Jones

CEO's fixes lift Target

Target reported a second straight quarter of comparable sales gains, saying that a merchandising overhaul under the retailer's new CEO attracted more customers and boosted sales both in stores and online.

Shares climbed 4% to $159 on Wednesday and are up 63% year to date.

Target said it has lowered prices on more than 10,000 items over the past 12 months, and it is planning to roll out additional price reductions over the remainder of the year.

Second-quarter comparable sales ticked up 3.8%, while total sales rose 5.3% to $26.54 billion. Wires

Journo plagiarism 'apology' Skin cancer Rx hope

Now he's sorry. Disgraced journalist Ross Barkan issued an odd apology for 67 instances of plagiarism that cost him his gig at New York Magazine and the launch of his new book — after initially lashing out at the first people to catch him and claiming the allegations were somehow a

form of 'character assassination.'

Barkan changed his tune Wednesday, days after New York Mag axed him and a publisher killed the release of his new book on Mayor Mamdani, whom Barkan frequently cheered.

'I am truly sorry for the mistakes I made,' Barkan

moaned on X. 'None of them, genuinely, were willful or intentional.'

'In the course of many columns a week, I did not use citations aggressively as I should have and did not paraphrase well enough,' Barkan wrote. 'I never intended to crib from anyone's work.' Alexandra Steigrad

An experimental mRNA-based vaccine succeeded in preventing cancer from coming back or spreading in a study of high-risk melanoma patients. Moderna and its partner Merck said Wednesday, paving the way for a potentially new life-extending treatment for the thousands of people diagnosed with the deadly skin cancer each year.

Moderna shares more than doubled Wednesday, while Merck's stock hit an all-time high. The positive results rippled through drug industry stocks as investors saw the potential for more blockbusters.

The companies tested the vaccine together with Merck's Keytruda.

Dow Jones

---

ARTURO BÉJAR "Don't ask, don't tell" stance.

Meta had kid-safety fail: aide

Mark Zuckerberg and his Meta staffers had a "don't ask, don't tell" policy when child-safety issues arose, preferring to turn a blind eye to protect profits, according to scorching testimony from a former employee on the second day of a historic trial against Meta on Wednesday.

Arturo Béjar, a former Meta safety researcher, told jurors in California federal court that Zuckerberg did little to address the harmful effects of Facebook and Instagram despite having near-unchecked power as the company's CEO.

"You just cannot trust Mark Zuckerberg with kids," Béjar said on the stand.

He was the first witness called by a coalition of 29 state attorneys general who have accused Meta of causing a teen mental health crisis.

"I felt that he created a false and misleading impression of Facebook's commitment to young people," said Béjar, who estimated that he spoke to Zuckerberg about safety issues at least 100 times during his tenure.

Thomas Barrabi, Wires

OpenAI gets Anthwhopped

Anthropic has reportedly overtaken OpenAI in quarterly sales for the first time — a stunning reversal for the ChatGPT maker in its rivalry with the startup founded by former employees.

Claude owner Anthropic more than doubled its second-quarter revenue to $11.6 billion and reported a small adjusted profit, The Wall Street Journal reported. That beat OpenAI's $6.7 billion. Dow Jones

Canaries rewarded

Gregory P. Margo, Reuters

Wrist slaps for SBF crypto pals

By TAYLOR HERZLICH

Caroline Ellison and Gary Wang — who worked with disgraced FTX crypto crook Sam Bankman-Fried — avoided financial penalties in a slap-on-the-wrist settlement with US regulators revealed Wednesday.

Ellison, 31, the nerdy on-again, off-again ex-girlfriend of Bankman-Fried who ran his Alameda hedge fund before testifying against him, will be banned from trading for five years and from registering with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission for 10 years, the agency said.

Wang, 33, FTX's co-founder and chief technology officer, will be banned from trading for five years and from registering with the regulator for eight years, according to the agency's press release.

The CFTC said it did not

seek financial penalties or a return of ill-gotten profits because of Ellison and Wang's extensive cooperation with authorities. Both had testified as prosecution witnesses against Bankman-Fried after the multibillion-dollar collapse of FTX and Alameda.

'Cooperation' key

"Today's resolution further underscores the high value this division places on robust cooperation," CFTC Enforcement Director David Miller said.

"Ellison and Wang were senior executives who committed fraud at Alameda and FTX for which they were found liable. Their sanctions, however, reflect their material assistance in the Commission's FTX-related investigations."

The court-approved settlement followed FTX's

spectacular collapse in 2022, after the firm filed for bankruptcy and exposed an $8 billion scheme in which Bankman-Fried and his cronies stole customer funds from the crypto exchange to cover up losses at Alameda Research.

Bankman-Fried, 34, is serving a 25-year prison sentence — a steep fall from grace for a man once seen a rising crypto industry star. In June, he lost his bid to overturn his 2023 fraud conviction, which found him guilty on all seven felony charges.

Ellison — who penned explicit, since-deleted blog posts about polyamory and sexual fantasies that resurfaced after the exchange's collapse — pleaded guilty and was sentenced to two years in prison in 2024. She was released from federal custody in January.

therzlich@nypost.com

TECH'S NON TO DEMS

News tilt in prez elex

By THOMAS BARRABI

The most-promoted news outlets on Apple News and Google News haven't endorsed a Republican in the last 10 presidential elections — the latest sign of alleged anti-conservative bias by the popular news aggregators, according to a new analysis.

Media Research Center, a conservative watchdog group that tracks media bias, found that newspapers and magazines featured most prominently on the Apple News and Google News feeds have exclusively endorsed Democratic presidential candidates since 1988 — while Republicans received zero endorsements.

Apple News' five most-featured outlets — The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Guardian, the Los Angeles Times and USA Today — endorsed Democrats a combined 28 times since 1988.

The Times editorial board endorsed Democrats in every single election dating back to Michael Dukakis in 1988 — a total of 10 times. WaPo has endorsed Democratic candidates on eight occasions; the Guardian, five times; the LA Times, four times; and USA Today, once.

Google News' five most-featured outlets — The New York Times, The Guardian, The Washington Post, USA Today and The Atlantic —

endorsed Democrats a combined 27 times. The Atlantic did it three times dating back to 2016.

31-0 pro-Dems

All told, the most prominent outlets on Apple News and Google News had a 31-0 endorsement record in favor of Democrats.

"Big Tech executives insist their news platforms serve as objective public squares, but our findings lay bare the massive corporate tilt driving these algorithms," MRC President David Bozell said in a statement. "Apple and Google systematically funnel tens of millions of users into media sources that have backed Democrats for president 31 times without a single Republican endorsement in 40 years."

"Silicon Valley has engineered these news feeds to quietly tilt public debate, insulating voters from conservative reporting while treating partisan, left-wing outlets as the nation's default news authority."

Microsoft's MSN, another prominent news aggregator, is only slightly more balanced.

Google declined to comment. It has repeatedly said it "refutes the methodology" of MRC's studies.

Reps for Apple and Microsoft didn't respond to requests for comment.

Chinese robots skyrocket

Leading Chinese robotics firm Unitree — known for its backflipping humanoid robots and robotic dogs — surged 460% on Wednesday after making its trading debut in Shanghai.

Unitree — whose robots have gone viral with displays of martial arts, while raising US national security concerns — now has a market value of $51 billion. Thomas Barrabi

37

---

38

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SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF QUEENS Citibank, N.A. as Trustee for the MLMI Trust Series 2006-HES, Plaintiff AGAINST Gonzalo A. Vidal, et al., Defendant(s)

Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered September 10, 2010, amended September 22, 2025, and February 28, 2025, I, the undersigned Referee, will sell at public auction at the Queens County Supreme Courthouse, 88-11 Sutphin Boulevard, Jamaica, NY 11435, on the second floor in Courtroom 25 on September 18, 2026, at 10:00AM, premises known as 105-53 1710 Place, Jamaica, NY 11433. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the Borough and County of Queens, City and State of New York, Block 10241 (Job) 83. Approximate amount of judgment $587,438.44 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index# 727647/2021 f/k/a 18582/2007.

Dominic L. Chiarello, Esq., Referee

LOGS Legal Group LLP f/k/a Shapiro, DiCaro & Barak, LLC Attorney(s) for the Plaintiff 175 Mile Crossing Boulevard Rochester, New York 14624 (877) 430-4792

Dated: July 28, 2026

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NOTICE TO BIDDERS SEALED BIDS will be publicly opened by the DEPT. OF SHARED SERVICES, COUNTY OF NASSAU, at its office, 1 West Street, Mineola, New York 11501 at 11:00 A.M. (EST) on the date(s) indicated below. Bid Opening Date: September 1, 2026 a) Medical Supplies Capnography Adaptors; b) 24-7 Mesh Office Chairs. September 3, 2026 a) Poultry Meat and Meat Products; b) Eggs, Cheese, and Soy Based Groceries; c) Fresh Fruit and Vegetables. September 8, 2026 a) Coverall Bio Response Kit. September 15, 2026 a) Service & Maintenance of Laboratory Analytical Instrumentation. All bids must be made on DEPT. OF SHARED SERVICES bidding sheets only, subject to all County terms, conditions and detailed specifications which must be downloaded (https:// eproc.nassaucountyny.gov/ Login). Dated: August 14, 2026 at Mineola, New York

NASSAU COUNTY NOTICE OF FORMATION OF A LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY

Notice of formation of SINNERNAN RECORDS LLC Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of NY (SSNY) on 7/10/2026. Office location Nassau County SSNY designated as an agent of Limited Liability Company (LLC) upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY should mail process to REGISTERED AGENTS INC. 418 BROADWAY, STE R, ALBANY, NY 12207. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

Fill your jobs in the

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NOTICE OF SALE OF COOPERATIVE APARTMENT SECURITY BY VIRTUE OF A DEFAULT

PLEASE TAKE NOTICE: By virtue of a default under a Security Agreement dated August 23, 2006, executed by PETER BRYANT and LINA BRYANT ("Debtor"), as assigned to U. S. BANK TRUST COMPANY, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION AS TRUSTEE FOR CMSI REMIC 2006-05 REMI PASS-THROUGH CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2006-05 ("Secured Party"), said Secured Party, by Auctioneer(s): Terence Gee, John William O'Keefe or Stephan G. Marcelin, will conduct a public sale of the security consisting of 364 and 368 shares of stock of EAST 67TH STREET OWNERS, INC. ("Corporation"), and all right, title, and interest in and to a Proprietary Lease between said Corporation and Debtor for the apartment known as 167 EAST 67TH STREET, UNITS 11E AND 11F, NEW YORK, NY 10065, together with all fixtures and articles of personal property now or hereafter affixed to or used in connection with said apartment on September 15, 2026 at 1:00 PM, at the Portico of the New York County Courthouse, 60 Centre St, New York, NY 10007, in satisfaction of an indebtedness in the unpaid principal amount of $591,953.50 plus interest, late fees, attorney fees, maintenance in arrears, and all other advanced charges.

The apartment is sold "AS IS" AND POSSESSION TO BE OBTAINED BY THE PURCHASER. Said sale is subject to residency requirements of the Corporation, payment of all sums due, if any, to EAST 67TH STREET OWNERS, INC., and the consent if necessary, of said Corporation; any existing tenancy, payment of all expenses and fees of the secured party with respect thereto; terms of sale and auctioneer's fees, flip-tax, State, City, and County transfer tax. The Secured Party reserves the right to bid.

Terms: an official bank or certified check made payable to Stern & Eisenberg, P.C., as attorneys for the Secured Party for ten (10%) percent of price bid. No cash accepted. Balance shall be due within thirty (30) days.

ATTORNEYS FOR SECURED PARTY:

Stern & Eisenberg, P.C. 20 Commerce Drive, Suite 230, Cranford, NJ 07016, and 1131 Route 55, Suite 1, Lagrangeville, NY 12540 P. 516-630-0288 F. 732-726-8719 Dated: August 5, 2026

Firm File No. NY20260000281-1

PLEASE TAKE NOTICE: By virtue of a default under a Security Agreement dated January 14, 2005, executed by ALICIA A. GALITZIN A/K/A ALICIA GALITZIN and DARYL GALITZIN ("Debtor"), as assigned to CITIBANK, N.A. ("Secured Party"), said Secured Party, by Auctioneer(s): Terence Gee, John William O'Keefe or Stephan G. Marcelin, will conduct a public sale of the security consisting of 145 shares of stock of BROADWAY ELEVEN OWNERS, INC. ("Corporation"), and all right, title, and interest in and to a Proprietary Lease between said Corporation and Debtor for the apartment known as 808 BROADWAY, UNIT 4F, NEW YORK, NY 10005, together with all fixtures and articles of personal property now or hereafter affixed to or used in connection with said apartment on September 15, 2026 at 1:30 PM, at the Portico of the New York County Courthouse, 60 Centre St, New York, NY 10007, in satisfaction of an indebtedness in the unpaid principal amount of $56,757.92 plus interest, late fees, attorney fees, maintenance in arrears, and all other advanced charges.

The apartment is sold "AS IS" AND POSSESSION TO BE OBTAINED BY THE PURCHASER. Said sale is subject to residency requirements of the Corporation, payment of all sums due, if any, to BROADWAY ELEVEN OWNERS, INC., and the consent if necessary, of said Corporation; any existing tenancy, payment of all expenses and fees of the secured party with respect thereto; terms of sale and auctioneer's fees, flip-tax, State, City, and County transfer tax. The Secured Party reserves the right to bid.

ATTORNEYS FOR SECURED PARTY:

Stern & Eisenberg, P.C. 20 Commerce Drive, Suite 230, Cranford, NJ 07016, and 1131 Route 55, Suite 1, Lagrangeville, NY 12540 P. 516-630-0288 F. 732-726-8719

Dated: August 5, 2026

Firm File No. NY20260000183-1

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Three NFL players

among those granted restraining order for 5th year of eligibility.

By CHRISTIAN ARNOLD

Three football players currently listed on NFL rosters are among 33 athletes who are part of a law- suit against the NCAA and were granted a temporary restraining order by a Louisiana state court to return to college for one more season.

Former Ole Miss starters Dae'Quan Wright and Wydett Williams and former Oregon State running back Anthony Han- kerson are part of the lawsuit filed in Louisiana on Wednesday, and all appear on current NFL rosters, ESPN reported.

Attorney Ryan Downton said that all three players have ex- pressed an interest in being re- leased from their NFL contracts, and should that happen by Sept. 1, they would be allowed to play col- legitely thanks to the restraining order, according to ESPN.

Wright is listed on the Browns roster, Williams can be found on the Cardinals roster and Hanker- son is part of the Seahawks orga- nization.

The NCAA has faced a number of lawsuits following the change to its eligibility rules as athletes attempt to play a fifth year of col- legiate sports.

The suit alleges that the NCAA is breaching its "covenant of good faith" by not allowing these play- ers the same chance to play a fifth year as past and future student- athletes have received.

Earlier this summer, the NCAA overhauled its eligibility rules to

BACK TO SCHOOL? Wydett Williams, currently with the Cardi- nals, played for Lane Kiffin's Ole Miss team last fall. Imagn Images

allow student-athletes to play for five seasons over a five-year win- dow that begins when they enroll in college or in the school year that follows their 19th birthday, whichever comes first.

The new eligibility rules essen- tially wipe away most waivers that athletes had been able to get in the past in order to extend their college careers due to injuries or other circumstances.

carnold2@nypost.com

Rangers add depth on 'D',

ink Morrow to 1-year deal

By ETHAN SEARS

The Rangers bolstered their defen- sive depth Wednesday, signing Scott Morrow to a one-year, two-way deal.

According to The Post's Mollie Walker, the contract is for $850,000 at the NHL level and $125,000 at the AHL level.

The 23-year-old Morrow, a right- handed defenseman who played 29 games for the Rangers last season after being acquired in the KAnder Miller deal, will enter camp in the running for the seventh defenseman spot.

While Adam Fox, Sean Durzi and Braden Schneider appear locked into the Rangers' right-handed de- fense spots, Morrow and Urho Vaak- anainen could compete for a backup role. Matthew Robertson could also be in that mix, but after being a lineup regular last season, he looks likely to be on the left side of the third pair.

Morrow did not score a goal for the Rangers last season but had six assists. In 34 games with AHL Hart- ford, he scored five times with 14 as- sists.

esears@nypost.com

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NEW YORK POST ACTION

Post Time: 1:10 p.m. scangialosi@nypost.com

Saratoga

Analysis by Vic Cangialosi

Lock of the Day Valtellina (6th) Lock Record: 13 for 29 (45%) Meet Record: 76/300 $495.28

1 mile; $41,000; mdn clm($20,000); 3up(f)

A mile for MS NIKKI D after racing evenly for 3rd at 7 furlongs. The War Dancer filly should appreciate the extra furlong. OATH (7th at Keeneland) and JAYMES TURN (4th at Saratoga) tired late. Both stretch longer for Rice but not sure they want a mile. Franco on Oath; Davis on Jaymes Turn.

PN	Horse Wt.	Jockey	Last 3	Trainer	Odds
1	Spirit Forward(M),121	J Castellano	8-4-4	Donk	5-1
2	Essence L Veel(1),111	C Hargrove	5-7-5	Hennig	10-1
3	Ms Nikki D(1),121	E Zayas	3-10-9	Ferraro	6-1
4	Katerina Ristova(1),126	O Hmdz Mreno	9-8-9	Chichakly	15-1
5	Jayme's Turn(1),121	D Davis	4-10-9	Rice	3-1
6	Oath(1),126	M Franco	7-2-4	Rice	9-5
7	Ready Rosie Jane(1),126	K Davis	6-8-9	Zito	4-1

2 5 1/2 fur(T); $58,000; clm($40,000); 3up

On the turf to back-end the double. LIGHT FANTASTIC led, tired running a route. Graduated 2 back sprinting. Rebounds. Franco rides for Brad Cox. TAMINO Dirt to turf for LaRose. 0 for 2 on grass; both 2nd place finishes. Again? Carmouche on the Kentucky invader. NIGHT is 0 for 4 on turf after turning in a tired 6th of 7 at Gulfstream. Scored 2 back on synthetics. Lisa Lewis takes him lower. ARMET made grass debut at Indiana and rallied to break maiden. Competitively spotted for Asmussen and J Ortiz a good sign.

PN	Horse Wt.	Jockey	Last 3	Trainer	Odds
1	Night(1),126	E Zayas	6-1-5	Lewis	5-1
2	Out of the Fog(1),126	R Santana, Jr	1-7-7	Antonucci	20-1
3	Into Diamonds(1),126	D Davis	8-4-3	Casse	9-2
4	Armet(1),122	J Ortiz	1-8-10	Asmussen	4-1
5	Two Ducks(1),122	L Saez	9-1-2	C Martin	10-1
6	Light Fantastic(1),126	M Franco	8-1-3	Cox	3-1
7	Hong Kong Phoney(1),122	F Prat	4-4-7	Rodriguez	8-1
8	Tamino(1),126	K Carmouche	5-3-3	LaRose	7-2

3 6 fur; $50,000; mdn clm($35,000); 2YO

Two-year-olds. MAX O NIDAS (Asmussen/J Ortiz/Dean The Clock) and MADENBLU (Rice/Franco/Cupid) are dangerous debuters. PARKRIDGE debuted last of 10 after a wide trip. Better, 2nd time around moving lower for Mott. And Santana rides first-time starter BOER WAR, a War Dancer colt for Weaver.

PN	Horse Wt.	Jockey	Last 3	Trainer	Odds
1	Medieval,123	E Zayas	8-6-4	Kantarmaci	6-1
2	Boer War,123	R Santana, Jr	x-x-x	Weaver	8-1
3	Max O Nidas,123	J Ortiz	x-x-x	Asmussen	8-5
4	Parkridge,123	J Lezcano	10-x-x	Mott	4-1
5	Gadget,123	S Gonzalez	x-x-x	Kantarmaci	10-1
6	Maddenbleu,123	M Franco	x-x-x	Rice	5-2
7	Loan Ranger,123	S Bridgmohan	9-x-x	Giddings	15-1

4 5 1/2 fur; $115,000; mdn; 2YO(f)

Debut day for these three 2YO fillies. Here's how we see them crossing the wire. CASH BURN (Klaravich/Brown/Prat/Nyquis), DRY

DRASTIC (Weaver/Johnny V/Upstart) and EARLY RETURNS (Trombetta/Saez/Early Voting).

PN	Horse Wt.	Jockey	Last 3	Trainer	Odds
1	Early Returns,123	L Saez	x-x-x	Trombetta	6-1
2	Dry Drastic,123	J Velazquez	x-x-x	Weaver	2-1
3	Chic in Motion,123	J Alvarado	x-x-x	Breen	6-1
4	Cash Burn,123	F Prat	x-x-x	C Brown	8-5
5	Secret Connection,123	M Franco	8-x-x	Englehart	5-1
6	Early and Often,123	J Castellano	8-x-x	Hennig	8-1

5 1/2 fur(T); $62,000; mdn clm($55,000); 3up

Gonna be DEPORTED. A European import. Makes US debut for Ward. 0 for 1 on turf; that race more than a year ago. J Ortiz is interested; so are we. 1st time lax. NO COMPROMISE MTO. INK LIES is also saddled by Ward. Fell to this level and reported home a troubled 3rd as fave. Katie Davis subs for J Ortiz.

PN	Horse Wt.	Jockey	Last 3	Trainer	Odds
1	Himothy(1),122	K Carmouche	6-8-6	Mouett	10-1
2	Yahaarmenow(M),126	O Hmdz Mreno	9-x-x	Hooper	50-1
3	Oligarch(1),126	E Zayas	7-2-2	Pregman	5-1
4	Ink Lies(1),126	K Davis	3-6-2	Ward	4-1
5	Escapades(1),126	F Prat	4-3-4	Clement	2-1
6	Sunshine Bobalo(M),122	H Harkie	8-8-5	Chichakly	30-1
7	Deported(GB)(M),122	J Ortiz	x-x-x	Ward	8-5
8	Nod to Tran(1),126	D Davis	8-3-7	DiPrima	20-1
9	Enticed Master(1),122	Rider TBA	x-x-x	Jones	15-1
10	No Compromise(1),122	F Prat	4-2-4	Weaver	4-5
11	Cruisin Crossbay(1),122	M Franco	9-4-4	Rice	6-1

6 1 mile; $110,000; alv; 3up(f)

Overmatched in the Grade 2 Shuvve, VALTELLINA retreats and tightens to a mile for Handal. Won the Empire Distaff at Aqueduct last year as well as 2 optional claiming races at this distance but was DSH in both. PRINCESS BECCA won narrowly racing for 25k. Her first win at the distance from 6 starts. ROZED WINE was a well beaten 4th behind Valtellina here in June and in last years Empire Distaff. Winner racing for 50k at Finger Lakes last October. SWEETEST PRINCESS lost by 3-4 this level/distance at the Big A. May move forward, but 0 for 4 at Saratoga.

PN	Horse Wt.	Jockey	Last 3	Trainer	Odds
1	Boxed Wine(1),126	R Santana, Jr	4-4-1	Abreu	9-2
2	Valtellina(1),126	D Davis	5-2-5	Handal	1-1
3	Sweetest Princess(1),126	J Lezcano	2-6-7	Rice	5-1
4	Hello Beauty(1),126	F Prat	6-7-6	Quick	8-1
5	Giant At Work(1),126	K Davis	5-2-5	Baker	10-1
6	Princess Becca(1),126	J Ortiz	1-5-6	Noda	7-2

7 1 mile(T); $150,000; N.Y.S.S.; 3YO

The Cab Calloway division of the New York Sire Series. JAXER makes 3YO debut for Motion. Solid 2 for 4 in his 2YO campaign including a victory in the Notebook mile. SCOLCOS FOLLY MTO. 2 for 2 over the wet. BIG FROSTY is an 0 for 2 maiden but stormed home from last of 10 to be a close 2nd at Aqueduct. Franco on the extreme longshot. HESSUNA

PAGINA Perfect 4 for 4. Three of those were on dirt. The turf win in a NY-bred sprint stake. And CHUMMERS has won 2 in a row, the latest in the Rick Violette. Davis subs for Prat who stays on Jaxer.

PN	Horse Wt.	Jockey	Last 3	Trainer	Odds
1	Chummers,124	D Davis	1-1-8	Handal	3-1
2	Big Frosty,120	M Franco	2-9-4	Pletcher	20-1
3	A Little At First,122	J Castellano	3-1-5	De Paz	3-1
4	Missionatheglen,120	R Santana, Jr	7-1-5	LeCesse	30-1
5	Wit Storm,120	K Davis	6-5-4	Tagg	12-1
6	Spirit of New York,124	J Ortiz	5-3-7	Cox	6-1
7	Jaxer,124	F Prat	1-1-2	Motion	5-2
8	Nessuna Pagina,124	K Carmouche	1-1-1	Barrow	4-1
9	Sunday Boy,124	J Ortiz	1-4-3	Ryerson	7-2
10	Sculcos Folly,124	Rider TBA	2-1-1	R Outrow	3-5
11	Sociably Johnny,124	J Lezcano	2-3-3	Rice	15-1

8 5 1/2 fur(T); $78,000; alv; 3up(f)

We have Prat sweeping the late double with OKLAHOMA SMOKE. Made turf debut here last month and scored from off the pace. Right back; same distance. SHE'S GOT WILL exits a 3rd place finish at the Big A. 2 for 2 at the Springs. Franco rides for Brad Cox. RIVER SEINE dueled as opening 1/4 in 21.1 and wilted at Colonial. Won by a head at Laurel previously. The one to catch in the finale.

PN	Horse Wt.	Jockey	Last 3	Trainer	Odds
1	Oklahoma Smoke(1),126	F Prat	1-3-1	Rice	4-1
2	She's Got Will(1),126	M Franco	3-6-7	Cox	3-1
3	Midnightloweaffair(1),126	J Castellano	1-2-7	Levine	10-1
4	River Tay(IRE)(1),126	D Davis	6-4-2	B Brown	10-1
5	Just Add Water(1),126	K Carmouche	10-4-3	Summers	10-1
6	Grazie's Delight(1),122	J Velazquez	1-6-1	Rice	8-1
7	Quick Power Nap(1),126	E Zayas	4-9-5	Potts	20-1
8	River Seine(IRE)(1),126	S Hess	6-1-2	Maher	7-2
9	From Scratch(1),126	J Ortiz	1-6-4	Asmussen	5-1

PLAY OF THE DAY

We got hosed. And apparently so did the betting public. Gardiner took a bump at the break and never factored. At odds of 3-5. Not Tapping (12-1) lingered at the back of the pack, looked interested, but turned for home about 18 wide.

Loss of -$42. One and done Thursday. In the opener play $20 to win and place on Ms Nikki D who stretches longer after finishing well for third in her last start. — Vic Cangialosi

Saratoga Results

FIRST-7 fur; $59,000; clm($48,000); 3up (f&m)	Winner picked by Vic C
1	Street Vw (Prnco) 11.96 3.88 2.50
2	Save Us Melania (Ortiz) 2.78 2.10
3	All Class (Santana, Jr.) 2.34
4	Scr: Solde
5	$1 Exacta (4-2) pays $12.07 ● $0.1
6	Superfecta (4-2-5-6) $2.00 ● $0.5 Trifecta (4-2-5) $12.52
7	SECOND-1 mile; $125,000; alv; 3up (f&m)
8	Pronghorn (Ortiz) 4.88 3.52 2.60
9	Low Country Mgt (Prnco) 5.56 3.56
10	Concurrently (Prat) 3.00
11	$1 Daily Double (4-6) $20.39 ● $1 Exacta (6-2) $13.25 ● $1 Quinella (2-6) $8.40 ● $0.1
12	Superfecta (6-2-7-3) $8.32 ● $0.5 Trifecta (6-2-7) $16.22

Winner picked by Vic C	1 mile-7 fur; $78,000; osc($75,000); 3YO F
1	Cravings (Santh) 17.48 9.28 5.44
2	Huck's Agend (Velazquez) 7.56 4.68
3	1 Xclair (Ortiz) 3.58
4	Scr: Sparkling Mama
5	$1 Pick 3 (4-6-4) $18.16 ● $1 Daily Double (6-4) $25.17 ● $1 Exacta (4-1) $13.57 ● $0.1
6	Superfecta (4-1-6-7) $64.49 ● $0.5 Trifecta (4-1-6) $114.54
7	FOURTH-6 fur; $65,000; alv; 4up
8	Machuca M (Prnco) 13.70 6.24 3.92
9	Trust Issues (Davis) 7.62 4.38
10	Treaty Obligation (Zayas) 3.56
11	Scr: Runaway Joke

12	$1 Pick 3 (6-4-5) $160.64 ● $1 Daily Double (4-6) $58.50 ● $1 Exacta (5-1) $40.18 ● $1 Quinella (1-5) $20.06 ● $0.1 Superfecta (5-1-3-2) $52.78 ● $0.5 Trifecta (5-1-3) $67.09
13	FIFTH-5% fur; $100,000; mdn spl wt; 3up
14	True Lgnd (Prnco) 10.4 3.88 3.48
15	Story of Roxy (Garfiano) 2.96 3.42
16	Sultan Hassan (Prat) 2.86 3.40
17	Scr: Sweetheadthryfour, Thespian
18	$1 Pick 3 (4-5-6) $250.25 ● $0.5 Pick 4 (6-4-5-6) $403.30 ● $0.5 Pick 5 (4-6-4-5-6) $105.66 ● $1 Daily Double (5-6) $47.30 ● $1 Exacta (6-3) $12.21 ● $1 Exacta (6-4) $12.10 ● $0.1
19	Superfecta (6-3-8-1) $15.07 ● $0.1 Superfecta (6-8-3-1) $11.55 ● $0.5 Trifecta (6-3-8) $23.95 ● $0.5 Trifecta (6-8-3) $24.85

SIXTH-7 fur; $78,000; st alc($55,000); 3up	1 mile-7 fur; $78,000; st alc($55,000); 3up
1	Discotheque (Sez) 8.24 3.96 2.88
2	Sea Vista (Ortiz) 4.06 3.00
3	South Bend Tom (Prat) 3.08
4	Scr: Sergeant Capon
5	$1 Pick 3 (5-6-3) $205.18 ● $1 Daily Double (6-3) $28.51 ● $1 Exacta (3-2) $14.26 ● $0.1
6	Superfecta (3-2-5-4) $11.48 ● $0.5 Trifecta (3-2-5) $20.96
7	SEVENTH-1 mile; $150,000; N.Y.S.S.; 3YO F
8	Greyjoy (Gaffione) 10.90 4.96 2.96
9	Morning Prayer (Sndn) 5.10 3.14
10	Celtic Dawn (Castellano) 2.70
11	Scr: Hanne's Hideaway
12	$1 Grand Slam (1/3-5/5/6/8/9/10-1/2/3/5-2) $69.15 ● $1 Pick 3 (6-3-2) $137.85 ● $1

Daily Double (3-2) $17.18 ● $1 Exacta (2-3) $20.78 ● $0.1 Superfecta (2-3-5-6) $57.86 ● $0.5 Trifecta (2-3-5) $23.88	Winner picked by Vic C
1	EIGHTH-1 1/1line; $16,000; md cl($50,000); 3p
2	Pul's Choice (Ortiz) 3.40 2.68 2.52
3	Two Clicks (Castellano) 6.36 5.20
4	Stella Fortuna (Davis) 6.58
5	Scr: Suited Connectors
6	$1 Pick 6 (4-5-6-3-2-3/12) $196.40 ● $1 Pick 6 (4-5-6-3-2-3/12) $23.10 ● $1 Pick 3 (3-2-3) $35.40 ● $0.5 Pick 4 (6-3-2-3/12) $175.09 ● $0.5 Pick 5 (5-6-3-2-3/12) $195.89 ● $1 Daily Double (2-3) $0.86 ● $1 Exacta (3-9) $14.14 ● $0.1 Superfecta (3-9-11-7) $43.13 ● $0.5 Trifecta (3-9-11) $52.34

Yonkers for Thursday

Post Time: 6:45 p.m.

FIRST: Mile pace; $20,000; NY EX

1	Blast Blue Chip (Y) (Y) (Y) (Y) (Y) (Y) (Y) (Y) (Y) (Y) (Y) (Y) (Y) (Y) (Y) (Y) (Y) (Y) (Y) (Y) (Y) (Y) (Y) (Y) (Y) (Y) (Y) (Y) (Y) (Y) (Y) (Y) (Y) (Y) (Y)
2	Beach Playin (J) (J) (J) (J) (J) (J) (J) (J) (J) (J) (J) (J) (J) (J) (J) (J) (J) (J) (J) (J) (J) (J) (J) (J) (J) (J) (J) (J) (J) (J) (J) (J) (J) (J) (J)
3	Amerillo (C) (C) (C) (C) (C) (C) (C) (C) (C) (C) (C) (C) (C) (C) (C) (C) (C) (C) (C) (C) (C) (C) (C) (C) (C) (C) (C) (C) (C) (C) (C) (C) (C) (C) (C)
4	You Gotta Gopogo (L) (L) (L) (L) (L) (L) (L) (L) (L) (L) (L) (L) (L) (L) (L) (L) (L) (L) (L) (L) (L) (L) (L) (L) (L) (L) (L) (L) (L) (L) (L) (L) (L) (L) (L)

SECOND: Mile pace; $20,000; NY EX

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New York Post, Thursday, August 20, 2026 Nepal New York Post, Thursday, August 20, 2026 Nepal New York Post, Thursday, August 20, 2026 Nepal New York Post, Thursday, August 20, 2026 Nepal New York Post, Thursday, August 20, 2026 Nepal New York Post, Thursday, August 20, 2

AL Standings

East	W	L	Pct.	GB	*WGB	L10	Streak	Home	Away
Tampa Bay	76	50	.603	—	—	6-4	W-1	43-22	33-28
Yankees	71	55	.563	5	+9	6-4	W-3	31-27	40-28
Boston	68	59	.535	8( \frac{1}{2} )	4( \frac{1}{2} )	4-6	L-1	31-32	37-27
Toronto	62	66	.484	15	1	6-4	L-1	33-33	29-33
Baltimore	61	66	.480	15( \frac{1}{2} )	1( \frac{1}{2} )	5-5	L-3	32-32	29-34
Central	W	L	Pct.	GB	*WGB	L10	Streak	Home	Away
Chicago	66	60	.524	—	—	6-4	W-1	37-24	29-36
Minnesota	63	65	.492	4	—	5-5	W-3	35-31	28-34
Cleveland	61	66	.480	5( \frac{1}{2} )	1( \frac{1}{2} )	3-7	L-1	30-34	31-32
Detroit	61	66	.480	5( \frac{1}{2} )	1( \frac{1}{2} )	4-6	L-2	32-31	29-35
Kansas City	54	74	.422	13	9	5-5	W-4	32-30	22-44
West	W	L	Pct.	GB	*WGB	L10	Streak	Home	Away
Houston	64	63	.504	—	—	4-6	W-1	32-32	32-31
Texas	62	65	.488	2	1( \frac{1}{2} )	3-7	L-1	33-28	29-37
Seattle	60	67	.472	4	2( \frac{1}{2} )	4-6	W-1	33-29	27-38
Los Angeles	50	77	.394	14	12( \frac{1}{2} )	5-5	L-1	29-36	21-41
Athletics	49	78	.386	15	13( \frac{1}{2} )	3-7	L-3	23-40	26-38

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

Wednesday

Yankees 5, Baltimore 3

Pittsburgh 4, Detroit 3

Minnesota 6, Atlanta 4

White Sox 3, Cubs 0

Arizona 7, Boston 6, 10

San Francisco 1, Cleveland

Tampa Bay 7, Toronto 6

Kansas City 9, Athletics

Seattle 7, Milwaukee 5

Washington 6, Texas 0

Houston 3, L.A. Angels 2

Thursday

Yankees at Baltimore, 6:35

San Francisco at Cleveland, 1:10

Toronto at Tampa Bay, 1:10

Athletics at Kansas City, 2:10

Atlanta at White Sox, 2:10

Seattle at Milwaukee, 2:10

Washington at Texas, 8:05

L.A. Angels at Houston, 8:10

NL Standings

East	W	L	Pct.	GB	*WGB	L10	Streak	Home	Away
Atlanta	74	53	.583	—	—	4-6	L-3	42-23	32-30
Philadelphia	70	58	.547	4( \frac{1}{2} )	+2	8-2	W-6	35-30	35-28
Miami	64	64	.500	10( \frac{1}{2} )	4	5-5	L-3	38-25	26-39
Washington	61	67	.477	13( \frac{1}{2} )	7	4-6	W-1	27-36	34-31
Mets	58	70	.453	16( \frac{1}{2} )	10	7-3	W-1	30-35	28-35
Central	W	L	Pct.	GB	*WGB	L10	Streak	Home	Away
Milwaukee	78	49	.614	—	—	5-5	L-1	42-23	36-26
Chicago	74	54	.578	4( \frac{1}{2} )	+6	6-4	L-1	38-27	36-27
St. Louis	65	63	.508	13( \frac{1}{2} )	3	6-4	L-1	32-34	33-29
Pittsburgh	63	66	.488	16	5( \frac{1}{2} )	5-5	W-2	34-32	29-34
Cincinnati	61	66	.480	17	6( \frac{1}{2} )	5-5	W-1	32-35	29-31
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	68	60	.531	9	—	7-3	L-1	37-26	31-34
Arizona	67	61	.523	10	1	5-5	W-1	36-27	31-34
San Francisco	52	74	.413	24	15	3-7	W-1	29-33	23-41
Colorado	50	77	.394	26( \frac{1}{2} )	17( \frac{1}{2} )	4-6	L-3	27-35	23-42

Wednesday

Mets 4, San Diego 2

Pittsburgh 4, Detroit 3

Minnesota 6, Atlanta 4

White Sox 3, Cubs 0

Arizona 7, Boston 6, 10

Philadelphia 4, Miami

San Francisco 1, Cleveland

Cincinnati 5, St. Louis 4

Seattle 7, Milwaukee 5

Washington 6, Texas 0

L.A. Dodgers 6, Colorado 4, 10

Thursday

St. Louis at Cincinnati, 12:40

Atlanta at White Sox, 2:10

Seattle at Milwaukee, 2:10

Washington at Texas, 8:05

POSTS OF DOKO

5	1	6	9	3	2	7	8	4	4	2	7	8	6	3	9	1	5
7	8	3	5	6	4	9	1	2	9	8	3	4	5	1	7	6	2
4	9	2	8	1	7	5	3	6	1	6	5	9	2	7	3	8	4
1	4	8	3	7	6	2	9	5	8	4	6	5	1	9	2	7	3
2	7	5	1	9	8	6	4	3	5	9	2	3	7	6	1	4	8
6	3	9	4	2	5	1	7	8	3	7	1	2	4	8	6	5	9
9	5	1	2	8	3	4	6	7	6	5	4	1	3	2	8	9	7
3	2	7	6	4	9	8	5	1	2	1	8	7	9	4	5	3	6
8	6	4	7	5	1	3	2	9	7	3	9	6	8	5	4	2	1
Solution to Very Easy F7,376 Solution to Difficult F7,166

Yankees 5, Orioles 3

Yankees	AB	R	H	BI	BB	SO	Avg
Grisham cf	4	0	1	0	1	1	1.224
Rice dh	5	1	2	1	0	2	251
Garcia 1b	5	0	1	0	0	1	1.275
Ramos H	3	1	1	0	0	0	242
Chisholm 2b	2	2	1	0	2	0	216
Jones H	4	1	1	0	0	0	212
McMahon 3b	3	0	1	1	0	1	216
Cuballero ph-3b	0	0	0	0	0	0	242
Lombard ss	3	0	2	2	0	1	318
Wells c	4	0	0	0	0	0	175
Totals	33	5	10	4	3	10
Baltimore	AB	R	H	BI	BB	SO	Avg
Holliday 2b	4	1	0	0	1	0	235
Alonso dh	4	1	1	1	0	2	267
Henderson ss	3	0	1	0	1	1	220
Basalis 1b	3	0	1	0	0	0	242
Mayo 3b	4	0	0	0	0	0	211
Beavers H	3	1	1	1	1	1	238
Taverson cf	4	0	2	0	0	0	232
Cowser cf	4	0	0	0	0	0	212
Navidec c	2	0	0	0	0	0	170
O'Neill ph	1	0	0	0	0	0	220
Pozo c	0	0	0	0	0	0	250
Encarnacion	1	0	0	0	0	0	1.259
Strand ph	1	0	0	0	0	0	1.259
Totals	33	3	6	2	3	11
Yankees	021	000	020	—	5	10
Baltimore	101	001	000	—	3	6
LOE	New York 7, Baltimore	7, 28
Henderson (23), Taveras (13), HR: Rice (34), off Bassitt, Alonso (29), off Warren; Beavers (4), off Cruz, RBIs: McMahon (32), Lombard (2), Rice (19), Alonso (82), Beavers (25), SB: Henderson (18), Holliday (7), Chisholm (33), CS: Grisham (2), SB: Lombard, Rumers left in scoring position: New York 6 (McMahon, Jones, Ramos, Rice, Wells, 2), Baltimore 4 (Mayo, Taveras, Beavers, Cowser), RSB: New York 2 for 11; Baltimore 0 for 6, Rumers moved up: Garcia, Wells, Bassitt, GIDP: Garcia, DP: Baltimore 2 (Holliday, Henderson, Bassitt, Pozo, Henderson, Pozo)
Yankees	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	NP ERA
Warren	4.0	3	2	2	5	90	4.43
Hill	1.1	0	0	0	1	18	4.41
Cruz, BS, 2-7	0.2	2	1	1	0	2	19.2
Hughes, M, 7, 1.0	0	0	0	0	1	21	1.55
Blackburn, H, 7.0	1.0	0	0	0	1	1	20.1
Beban, S, 29.0	1.0	0	0	0	1	1	12.2
Baltimore	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	NP ERA
Bassitt	5.2	8	3	1	6	95	5.08
Wolfram	0.1	0	0	0	0	5	5.54
Garcia	1.0	1	0	0	1	1	13.35
Sanders, L, 1-0.2	0.2	0	2	1	1	18	6.38
Cano	0.1	1	0	0	0	0	6.24
Hopper	1.0	0	0	0	1	2	15.4

T: 3:12. A: 26,453 (45,971).

Giants 1, Guardians 0

San Francisco	AB	R	H	BI	BB	SO	Avg
Cox	4	0	0	0	0	4	256
Devers dh	4	1	1	0	0	1	244
Adames ss	4	0	3	0	0	0	229
Eldridge 1b	4	0	0	0	0	2	247
Benccato H	3	0	1	1	0	1	260
Gilbert ph-lf	1	0	0	0	0	1	239
Lee rf	4	0	2	0	0	1	294
Basabe 2b	4	0	0	0	0	1	250
Cavanaugh c	3	0	0	0	0	2	241
Koss 3b	3	0	0	0	0	2	195
Totals	34	1	7	1	0	15
Cleveland	AB	R	H	BI	BB	SO	Avg
Kwan lf	3	0	0	0	1	0	264
Ramos g dh	4	0	0	0	0	2	238
Lowe 1b	3	0	0	0	1	1	266
Martinez rf	4	0	2	0	0	1	241
Bazzana 2b	4	0	1	0	0	0	233
Genaa 3b	4	0	2	0	0	0	341
Hajpin H	4	0	0	0	0	2	214
Hedges c	3	0	1	0	0	1	265
Bailoy ph	1	0	0	0	0	1	183
Rochio ss	3	0	0	0	0	0	251
Totals	33	0	6	0	2	8
San Francisco	000	100	000	—	1	7
Cleveland	000	000	000	—	0	6
E: Adames (17), LOB: San Francisco 6, Cleveland 6, SB: Devers (31), Lee (27), Bazzana (16), RBIs: Berico (11), SB: Martinez (10), Rumers left in scoring position: San Francisco 2 (Basabe 2), Cleveland 5 (Martinez, Halpin, Genaa 2), Rochio, RSB: San Francisco 1 for 4; Cleveland 0 for 7, GIDP: Rochio, DP: San Francisco 1 (Basabe, Adames, Eldridge),
San Francisco	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	NP ERA
Wilkinson	2.0	1	0	0	0	25	0.00
Hopper, W, 4-7.5.0	4	0	0	2	3	80	4.08
D.Smith, S, 3-5.2.0	1	0	0	0	5	30	2.73
Cleveland	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	NP ERA
Moesick, L, 9-8.6.2	6	1	1	0	10	98	2.54
Gaddis	0.1	0	0	0	1	4	3.46
Sabrowski	1.0	1	0	0	2	16	3.34
C.Smith	1.0	0	0	0	2	12	2.25

T: 2:19. A: 20,821 (34,788).

Twins 6, Braves 4

Atlanta	AB	R	H	BI	BB	SO	Avg
Acuba rf	5	0	1	1	0	2	240
Baldwin c	5	0	0	0	0	2	275
Olson 1b	3	1	1	0	1	1	271
Harris cf	4	1	1	0	0	1	291
Smith dh	2	0	0	0	0	2	261
Thomas ph-dh	2	1	1	0	0	1	231
Albias 2b	3	0	1	1	0	0	251
Yastrzemski f	2	0	1	0	0	1	227
Dublin ph-lf	2	0	1	0	0	1	260
Riley 3b	3	1	0	0	1	2	221
Jarvis ss	2	0	0	0	2	1	213
Totals	34	6	10	6	4	4
Atlanta	000	013	000	—	4	7	1
Minnesota	001	030	20x	—	6	10
LOE	Arizona 5, Boston 6, 28; Devers (31), Lee (27), Bazzana (16), RBIs: Berico (11), SB: Martinez (10), Rumers left in scoring position: Atlanta 6 (Riley, Jarvis, Harris, Baldwin 3); Minnesota 4 (Lorach, 2), Caralini, BLee; RSB: Atlanta 3 for 11; Minnesota 4 for 11, DP: Atlanta 1 (Olson, Jarvis),
Atlanta	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	NP ERA
Shames	4.1	4	3	3	5	81	3.95
Soto	1.2	1	0	0	0	1	19.48
Doval	1.0	0	0	0	1	15	6.07
Weaver	1.0	0	0	0	1	17	2.25
Metzry, W, 5-1.0	2	0	0	0	2	26	3.40

T: 2:52. A: 20,316 (38,544).

Twinis 6, Braves 4

---

Rays 7, Blue Jays 6

Toronto	AB	R	H	BI	BB	SO	Avg
Balemans cf	2	0	0	0	0	0	271
Straw ph cf	1	1	0	0	1	0	219
Springer ph	1	0	0	0	0	0	233
Lukes cf	4	0	0	1	0	3	259
Kirk dh	5	1	2	2	0	0	282
Okamoto 1b	3	0	1	1	1	1	228
Gimenez ss	4	0	0	0	0	0	238
Sanchez f	2	0	0	0	0	2	260
Caminero ph-ff	2	0	1	0	0	0	333
Smith 2b	3	2	1	0	1	0	220
Valenzuela c	4	1	1	0	0	1	225
McAdoo 3b	4	1	3	2	0	0	292
Totals	35	6	9	6	3	7

Tampa Bay	AB	R	H	BI	BB	SO	Avg
Simpson If	4	0	1	0	1	1	309
Caminero 2b	4	1	1	0	0	1	274
Aranda 1b	4	0	0	0	0	1	283
Diaz dh	3	2	1	2	1	0	306
Hicks c	4	1	2	0	0	0	284
Mollins cf	2	1	0	0	2	0	209
Vilade rf	3	0	0	0	0	2	259
Deluca rf	1	0	1	0	0	0	268
Palacios 2b	4	1	1	2	0	0	243
Walls ss	2	1	1	1	0	0	224
Totals	31	7	8	7	3	5

Toronto	000 141 000 - 6 9 0
Tampa Bay	200 500 00s - 7 8 1

E: Baker (1). LOB: Toronto 6, Tampa Bay 4, 28: McAdoo (2), Caminero (19), Palacios (12). MR: Kirk (7), off Rasmussen; Diaz (19), off Schreier. RBIs: Kirk 2 (27), McAdoo 2 (19), Lukes (23), Okamoto (73), Diaz 2 (72), Palacios 2 (39), Walls (31), Simpson (26), Caminero (80). SB: Walls (19), McAdoo (1). CS: DeLuca (5). SF: Lukes. S: Walls, Simpson. Runners left in scoring position: Toronto 3 (Gimenez, Kirk, Straw); Tampa Bay 3 (Caminero, Walls, Aranda). RISP: Toronto 3 for 7; Tampa Bay 3 for 10. Runners moved up: Vilade, Caminero. GDP: Gimenez. DP: Tampa Bay 1 (Aranda, Walls, Aranda).

Toronto	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	NP	ERA
Schreier, L.1-6.0	5.0	7	5	5	2	5	86	3.01
Houser, H.8	0.2	1	1	1	0	0	5	2.10
Kelly, H.25	1.1	1	0	0	0	1	21	1.86
Wells, H.13	1.0	0	0	0	1	0	20	2.79
Baker, S.36-39.0	0.0	0	0	0	0	1	18	1.44

T:2:38. A:13,015 (25,025).
Redo 5, Cardinals 4
St. Louis AB R H BI BB SO Avg
Wetherholt 2b 4 1 2 0 0 0 243
Herrera dh 4 0 0 0 1 1 244
Burleson 1b 4 1 1 0 1 1 289
Walker rf 4 1 1 2 1 1 288
Church cf 3 1 1 1 0 1 1 235
Fermin ph-2f 2 0 1 0 0 0 242
Winn ss 4 0 0 0 1 2 239
Torres 8 2 0 1 1 0 0 234
Blaiz ph-ff 1 0 1 0 1 0 182
Jordan 3b 3 0 1 0 1 2 248
Cronks c 4 0 0 0 0 2 176
Totals 35 4 9 4 6 12

T:2:38. A:13,015 (25,025).

Redo 5, Cardinals 4

St. Louis	AB	R	H	BI	BB	SO	Avg
Wetherholt 2b	4	1	2	0	0	0	243
Herrera dh	4	0	0	0	1	1	244
Burleson 1b	4	1	1	0	1	1	289
Walker rf	4	1	1	2	1	1	288
Church cf	3	1	1	1	0	1	235
Fermin ph-2f	2	0	1	0	0	0	242
Winn ss	4	0	0	0	1	2	239
Torres 8	2	0	1	1	0	0	234
Blaiz ph-ff	1	0	1	0	1	0	182
Jordan 3b	3	0	1	0	1	2	248
Cronks c	4	0	0	0	0	0	2,176
Totals	35	4	9	4	6	12

Cincinnati	AB	R	H	BI	BB	SO	Avg
De La Cruz ss	4	1	1	0	0	1	259
Stewart 1b	3	1	1	3	1	1	259
Myers cf	4	0	1	1	0	1	260
Suárez 3b	3	0	0	0	1	3	206
Hayes ph-3b	0	0	0	0	0	0	149
Stephenson dh	4	0	0	0	0	2	242
Togita rf	3	0	0	0	0	2	136
Friedl f	1	0	0	0	0	0	157
Bleday ff-rf	3	0	0	0	0	2	218
Treviño c	3	1	1	0	0	0	245
McLain 2b	3	2	3	0	0	0	199
Totals	31	5	7	4	2	12

St. Louis	000 200 002 - 4 9 1
Cincinnati	000 001 02s - 5 7 0

E: Jordan (5). LOB: St. Louis 11, Cincinnati 4, 28: Wetherholt (14), Fermin (13), McLain (17). MR: Walker (25), off Pagán; Stewart (27), off Liberatore. RBIs: Church (41), Torres (16), Walker 2 (90), Stewart 3 (94), Myers (21). SB: Blaez 2 (2), McLain (15). RISP: St. Louis 3 for 11; Cincinnati 4 for 2.

St. Louis	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	NP	ERA
Liberatore, L.	6.0	4	3	3	0	9	100	5.04
S-11
Gastelum	1.0	0	0	0	0	2	12	5.49
Bruhn	1.0	3	2	2	1	1	29	3.50

Cincinnati	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	NP	ERA
Burns	5.0	6.2	2.2	8	104	2.51
Wells, W. 2-7	1.0	1.0	0.0	1.1	23	4.47
Burke, H. 15	1.0	0.0	0.0	2.0	16	2.76
Mey, H. 3	1.0	0.0	0.0	1.3	23	3.44
Pagán, S. 16-19.10	2.2	2.0	0.0	0.0	19	4.30

T:2:56. A:16,097 (43,891).

Royals 9, Athletics 7

Athletics	AB	R	H	BI	BB	SO	Avg
Bolte cf	5	2	2	1	0	1	270
McNeil 2b	4	1	2	2	0	0	264
Geloff f	4	0	1	2	0	1	273
Butler rf	4	0	2	0	0	2	214
White 1b	4	0	0	0	0	0	257
Cortes dh	4	0	0	0	0	1	255
Helen c	4	0	0	0	0	0	210
Walton ss	4	2	2	0	0	0	280
Muncy 3b	4	2	2	2	0	1	219
Totals	37	7	11	7	0	6

Kansas City	AB	R	H	BI	BB	SO	Avg
Lottin 2b	2	0	0	0	1	0	239
Collins ph-lf	1	0	0	1	0	0	226
Witt ss	4	1	0	0	1	0	284
Gaglianone rf	1	0	1	0	0	0	279
Rave ph-rf	3	1	1	3	0	0	207
Garcia 3b	5	1	2	1	0	0	266
Pasquantino 1b	4	3	3	2	1	0	243
Percy dh	3	1	1	1	0	0	215
Jensen c	3	0	1	0	1	1	221
Fulbert lf-2b	3	1	1	0	1	0	213
Isbel cf	4	1	1	0	1	1	229
Totals	33	9	11	9	6	2

Athletics	200 010 002 - 7 11 0
Kansas City	000 101 01s - 9 11 0

LOB: Athletics 3, Kansas City 6, 28: McNeil (16), Percy (16), Rave (5). SB: Garcia (3). MR: Muncy (6), off Cruz; Pasquantino (7), off Springs. RBIs: McNeil 2 (43), Gelof 2 (16), Bolte (26), Muncy 2 (24), Perez (55), Pasquantino 2 (36), Isbel (17), Collins (36), Rave 3 (5), Garcia (32). SB: Gelof (15). SF: Collins. Runners left in scoring position: Athletics 2 (Cortes), Whitey; Kansas City 3 (Isbel 3). RISP: Athletics 4 for 8; Kansas City 5 for 13. DP: 1 (Muncy, White).

Athletics	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	NP	ERA
Springs	5.2	5	2	2	3	1	85	6.02
Blewett, H.1	0.1	1	0	0	0	1	7	2.93
Alvarado, H.8	1.0	0	0	0	0	0	10	4.50
Juniper	0.0	2	1	1	0	0	16	7.98
Rom, L.1-1.	1.0	3	4	4	2	0	26	7.00

Kansas City	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	NP	ERA
Lugo	6.0	9	5	5	0	3	96	4.71
Lange	1.0	0	0	0	0	2	10	5.98
Kimberl, W.	1.0	0	0	0	0	1	13	4.38
Cruz	1.0	2	2	2	0	0	17	4.37

T:2:29. A:11,579 (38,427).

Mariners 7, Brewers 5

Seattle	AB	R	H	BI	BB	SO	Avg
Donovan 1b	3	2	2	0	2	1	266
Arozarena lf	4	2	1	0	0	1	274
Canzone rf	4	2	2	2	1	1	263
Robles f	0	0	0	0	0	0	260
Rodriguez cf	4	0	0	1	0	1	253
Naylor 1b	5	0	3	2	0	0	270
Young 2b	4	1	0	0	1	1	256
Raleigh c	3	0	0	0	1	1	156
Ward dh	4	0	1	2	0	2	240
Rodden ss	4	0	1	0	0	2	294
Totals	35	7	10	7	5	11

Milwaukee	AB	R	H	BI	BB	SO	Avg
Turang 2b	4	0	0	0	1	0	263
Chourio lf	5	0	3	0	0	1	279
Bauers rf	5	0	0	0	0	4	275
Contreras c	4	1	0	0	1	0	257
Yelich dh	2	1	1	0	2	1	230
Vauqueh 1b	3	1	1	0	1	1	303
Lara rf	4	1	1	0	0	1	242
Ortiz 3b	3	1	2	4	0	1	252
Pratt ss	4	0	0	0	0	1	264
Totals	34	5	8	4	5	18

Seattle	430 000 000	-	7	10	2
Milwaukee	020 001 020	-	5	8	0

E: Raleigh (3), Rodden (1). LOB: Seattle 8, Milwaukee 6, 28; Canzone (21). SB: Rodden (1). HR: Ortiz (7), off Gilbert. RBIs: Canzone 2 (54), Ward 2 (12), Rodriguez (53), Naylor 2 (46), Ortiz 4 (37). SB: Turang (18), Chourio (12), Naylor (25). SF: Rodriguez, Ortiz. Runners left in scoring position: Seattle 3 (Arocarena, Raleigh, Rodden); Milwaukee 6 (Contreras, Yelich 2, Bauers, Ortiz, Pratt). RISP: Seattle 4 for 10; Milwaukee 2 for 10.

Seattle	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	NP	ERA
May, L. 6-8	2.0	7	7	7	2	1	66	4.57
Anderson	1.0	0	0	0	1	3	21	3.51
Hall	3.0	0	0	0	2	3	47	2.43
Weldson	2.0	2	0	0	0	2	30	4.40
Senzatela	1.0	1	0	0	0	2	14	3.88

T: 3:02. A: 34,564 (41,700).

Nationals 6, Rangers 0

Washington	AB	R	H	BI	BB	SO	Avg
Abrams ss	5	0	1	0	0	1	279
Ortiz 1b	4	1	1	0	1	1	277
Trout cf	3	2	2	1	1	0	241
Crews rf	1	0	0	0	0	0	211
Butler ss	5	2	3	2	0	0	237
Rojas 2b	5	0	0	0	0	0	276
Ruiz c	5	1	2	0	0	1	272
Young cf	3	0	1	0	0	1	250
Vivas 3b	3	0	0	1	0	0	288
House ph-3b	1	0	0	0	0	0	235
Nuñez 2b	4	0	0	0	0	0	226

Totals	36	6	18	6	3	5	1
Los Angeles	AB	R	H	BI	BB	SO	Avg
McCarthy rf-lf	4	1	1	0	1	1	2.295
Monisk dh	5	1	3	2	0	1	266
Carragg cf	5	0	1	0	0	2	281
Rumfield 1b	4	1	1	0	1	0	292
Veen lf	3	0	0	0	0	2	278
Beck ph-rf	2	0	0	0	0	1	179
Reiny 3b	4	1	2	0	0	2	231
Amador 2b	4	0	1	2	0	2	300
Sullivan c	3	0	0	0	1	0	228
Tovar ss	3	0	0	0	0	2	205
Castro ph-ss	1	0	0	0	0	1	264
Totals	38	4	9	4	3	15

Los Angeles	010 300 000	2	-	6	11	0	0
Colorado	000 200 200	0	-	4	9	0	0

LOB: Los Angeles 8, Colorado 6, 28: Freeman (30), Monisk (15), Norby 2 (16), Amador (1). HR: Betts (16), off Freeland; E.Hernández (2), off Freeland; Monisk (20), off Vesia. RBIs: E.Hernández 3 (5), Betts 2 (44), Freeman (61), Amador 2 (6), Monisk 2 (59). CS: Sullivan (2). SF: Freeman. Runners left in scoring position: Los Angeles 3 (Betts, 7), Hernández, Revivedi; Colorado 3 (Beck, Rumfield, Tovar). RISP: Los Angeles 3 for 6; Colorado 1 for 9.

---

42

NEW YORK POST ACTION

The POST Line

MLB Thursday
Favorite	Money Line	Underdog
Yankees	$101-124	ORIOLES
RAYS	$143-177	Blue Jays
ROYALS	$116-136	Athletics
ASTROS	$155-193	Angels
Cardinals	-108-114	REDS
GUARDIANS	$159-198	Giants
Braves	-105-117	WHITE SOX
BREWERS	$107-132	Mariners
RANGERS	$146-174	Nationals

WNBA Thursday
Favorite	PTS (O/U)	Underdog
Fever	2.5 (186.5)	WINGS
ACES	13.5 (169.5)	Sun
Dream	8.5 (181.5)	SPARKS

CFL Thursday
Favorite	PTS (O/U)	Underdog
ALOUETTES	13.5 (62.5)	Redblacks
ELKS	5.5 (59.5)	Blue Bombers

NFL Thursday
Favorite	PTS (O/U)	Underdog
Raiders	1.5 (37.5)	TEXANS
49ers	1.5 (38.5)	CHARGERS
Favorite	PTS (O/U)	Underdog
Jets	1.5 (36.5)	STEELERS
Panthers	1.5 (37.5)	JAGUARS
BRONCOS	6.5 (41.5)	Packers
Favorite	PTS (O/U)	Underdog
Giants	2.5 (37.5)	DOLPHINS
LIONS	4.5 (37.5)	Commanders
VIKINGS	3.5 (36.5)	Ravens
BROWNS	3 (36.5)	Bills
COLTS	3.5 (36.5)	Falcons
Saints	3 (37.5)	RAMS
Eagles	2.5 (36.5)	PATRIOTS
Bears	1.5 (36.5)	BENGALS
BUCCANEERS	5.5 (37.5)	Chiefs
CARDINALS	1.5 (37.5)	Cowboys
Favorite	PTS (O/U)	Underdog
TITANS	4.5 (38.5)	Seahawks
Home team in CAPS

SPORTS SHORTS

SOCCER: NYCFC fall late to Cincy

Evander scored a goal in stoppage time, Kenji Mboma Dem added a goal and FC Cincinnati beat New York City FC 2-1 in Cincinnati.

● Luighi scored in the 21st minute for NYCFC (7-8-5). The 20-year-old Luighi has scored in each of his two MLS appearances.

● In Harrison, N.J., defender Maxwell Woledzi scored two minutes into second-half stoppage time and MLS-leading Nashville SC pulled out a 1-0 victory over the Red Bulls. Ethan Horvath had a save in each half for the Red Bulls (7-9-4).

● In Chester, Pa., Lionel Messi scored his first goal since the death of his father earlier this month in Inter Miami's 2-2 draw with Philadelphia Union. Messi's father and longtime representative Jorge died at age 68 Aug. 8 in Rosario, Argentina.

MLB: White Sox beat Cubs

José Urquidy pitched six innings of crisp, two-hit relief, rookie Braden Montgomery drove in two runs and the White Sox topped the crosstown Cubs 3-0 to salvage the finale of a three-game series at Wrigley Field in Chicago.

● In St. Petersburg, Fla., Yandy Diaz hit a two-run homer, Drew Rasmussen earned his sixth consecutive win and Bryan Baker converted his 25th straight save opportunity to lead the Rays to a 7-6 win over the Blue Jays.

● In Minneapolis, Kody Clemens and Brooks Lee had RBI singles in the sev-

enth inning and the Twins beat the Braves 6-4 to sweep the three-game series.

● In Pittsburgh, Brandon Lowe homered off Detroit closer Kenley Jansen with two outs in the ninth inning to lift the Pirates to a 4-3 victory over the Tigers.

HOOPS: Watson headed to Cleveland

The Clippers acquired veteran small forward Max Strus from the Cavaliers as part of a sprawling four-team trade centered around restricted free agent Peyton Watson, according to ESPN.

Watson will head from the Nuggets to Cleveland and sign a four-year, $88 million contract that includes a player option and trade kicker. Cleveland will send to Denver an unprotected 2031 first-round pick and a 2032 second-round selection from the Kings. The Cavaliers will subsequently send Tre Mann and a 2027 second-rounder to the Wizards.

● Dallas Wings guard Azzi Fudd is set for season-ending surgery on a sore knee that has sidelined this year's No. 1 overall WNBA pick for the past five games. Fudd will have arthroscopic surgery on her right knee next week in Connecticut, where she starred for UConn.

NFL: Kamara out with injury

Just a little over a month after the Saints and Alvin Kamara came to terms on a new contract, the star running back suffered an MCL sprain during a joint practice with the Cowboys on Tuesday. The 31-year-old is expected to miss at least one month, ESPN reported.

TOP PLAY

Expect defensive struggle between 49ers, Chargers

By ERICH RICHTER

Who doesn't want to gamble on a little late-night preseason NFL action?

Two teams that have been nailed by injuries all training camp are set to play Thursday night as the Chargers face the 49ers in another one of those coin-flip NFL matchups in a meaningless game.

San Francisco has been smashed by injuries early on, as the 49ers are struggling to keep their guys on the field, and it's unclear who will play on Thursday night.

Coach Kyle Shanahan said there's a "good chance" that Brock Purdy will get some action in the second preseason game of the year, the last real dress rehearsal for the season.

Meanwhile, coach Jim Harbaugh expects Justin Herbert to play for a bit in the first quarter, though Los Angeles is without its starting center, Tyler Biadasz, who tore his ACL this week.

Trey Lance will take over for Herbert at some point as he competes for the backup gig

in Los Angeles with former Florida State standout DJ Uiagalelei.

It could be a Lance revenge game after he fizzled out in San Francisco after being selected No. 3 overall as one of the worst draft picks in NFL history.

There are nearly no props available for this game at the time of writing, as playing time for most of the guys is up in the air.

Given the sheer number of injuries on both sides, I am targeting the Under in Thursday night's conference.

The 49ers scored 13 points Thursday, and with starters actually playing in this one, I suspect both teams will handle their players with kid gloves even more than normal.

Under 38.5 total points comes in at -110 on BetMGM, and that's my pregame play for this game.

Feel free to target Lance's props live once those props are released by oddsmakers.

THE PLAY: Under 38.5 total points (-110, BetMGM); Trey Lance props once they're released

Pitching Form

	(Game time)	2026		'26 vs OPP		CAREER		LAST 3 STARTS
		W-L	ERA	*REC	W-L	ERA	vs OPP	W-L	IP	ERA
Yankees	Cole (R)	6-6	3.22	7-8	0-0	0.00	7-3	2-1	18.2	1.93
Orioles	Bradish (R)	7-11	3.65	12-12	1-1	4.50	2-2	0-2	15.0	3.00
Giants	Rough (R)	7-12	4.31	7-17	0-0	0.00	0-0	0-3	15.2	5.74
Guardians	Williams (R)	11-7	3.74	14-11	0-0	0.00	0-0	1-1	15.2	4.02
Braves	Holmes (R)	7-5	3.82	16-7	0-0	7.36	0-0	1-1	15.2	3.45
White Sox	Kay (L)	9-5	4.01	14-9	—	—	0-0	2-0	17.2	2.55
Mariners	Kirby (R)	8-9	3.88	11-12	—	—	0-1	0-0	16.2	3.24
Brewers	Gasser (L)	3-5	4.54	8-6	0-0	0.00	0-0	0-1	16.0	3.94
Nationals	Alvarez (L)	2-4	3.72	4-6	0-0	0.00	0-0	0-1	17.1	2.60
Rangers	deGrom (R)	8-8	3.95	12-11	1-0	0.00	10-4	1-2	10.1	6.97
Blue Jays	Bieber (R)	4-2	4.99	5-5	1-0	1.29	4-2	2-0	17.1	3.63
Rays	Seymour (L)	9-3	4.11	6-4	1-1	3.60	2-2	2-0	18.0	3.00
Athletics	Jump (L)	5-7	4.50	7-8	—	—	—	1-1	15.0	6.60
Royals	Dobrink (R)	2-1	1.73	3-3	0-0	0.00	0-0	1-1	15.2	2.87
Angels	Rodriguez (R)	3-5	7.17	3-10	0-0	3.48	0-1	0-2	15.0	4.80
Astros	Lambert (R)	8-6	3.11	13-8	0-0	3.18	0-0	0-1	15.2	3.45
Cardinals	McGreevy (R)	5-9	3.48	12-12	0-0	3.00	2-0	1-0	16.0	2.81
Reds	Singer (R)	5-11	4.66	9-15	0-1	2.25	2-4	0-1	18.0	4.50

• REC: Won-lost record of pitcher's team in games he has started.

STITCHES

Bravo! Take Atlanta, Holmes

No deal. Jeanie Buss is contesting her siblings' attempts to sell the family's shares of her beloved L.A. Lakers. Jimmy, Johnny, Janie, Joey and Jesse are united in their quest to part with the franchise. Josie, Julie, Joanie, Jackie, Jeremy, Jeffrey, Jerry, Jacoby and Jordy weren't sure. The Buss family has more J's than that club in Toronto.

Quick pick. Braves at White Sox. $50 on Grant Holmes and the Braves.

"Stitch, baby, you will go down as a New York legend. Damon Runyon

couldn't make this up. You're good at snatching defeat from the jaws of victory!" — Pete Borrelli, Rochester

Try this on for size, Pete. The Pirates' Paul Skenes did what he's been doing lately, giving up three runs on four hits and four walks. My Tigers took a 3-2 lead into the 9th inning. Enter closer/chef Kenley Jansen, who served up two bland meatballs to Rafael Flores Jr., who tied it, and Brandon Lowe, who won it. Final 4-3. Tough beat has us at -478 rockycolavitos.

stitches@nypost.com

---

NEW YORK POST ACTION

Home Team Lineups

	TODAY Aug. 20	FRI Aug. 21	SAT Aug. 22	SUN Aug. 23	MON Aug. 24
	Baltimore 6:35 YES 660 AM 101.9 FM	Toronto 7:05 YES 660 AM 101.9 FM	Toronto 1:35 YES 660 AM 101.9 FM	Toronto 1:35 YES 660 AM 101.9 FM	NO GAME
	NO GAME	White Sox 7:40 PIX11 880 AM	White Sox 7:10 SNY 880 AM	White Sox 2:10 SNY 880 AM	NO GAME
	NO GAME	NO GAME	Indiana 7:00 Prime Video	NO GAME	NO GAME

Saturday	Friday
Preseason: Miami 4:00 WNBC 4 101.9 FM	Preseason: Pittsburgh 7:00 WCBS 2 104.3 FM

Saturday	Sunday	Sunday
Chicago Fire 7:30 Apple TV	New England Revolution 4:30 Apple TV	Angel City FC 8:00 ION

Today's Sports on the Air

MLB BASEBALL
2 p.m.	Mariners at Brewers	MLBN
6:35 p.m.	Yankees at Orioles	YES, 660 AM, 101.9 FM
8 p.m.	Nationals at Rangers	FS1
NFL FOOTBALL
8 p.m.	Preseason: Raiders at Texans	ESPN
10 p.m.	Preseason: 49ers at Chargers	NFLN
WNBA BASKETBALL
8 p.m.	Fever at Wings	Prime Video
10 p.m.	Dream at Sparks	Prime Video
GOLF
7:30 a.m.	DP World Tour: Nexo Championship, 1st Round	Golf
10 a.m.	PGA Tour: BMW Championship, 1st Round	ESPN
Noon	Korn Ferry Tour: AdventHealth Championship, 1st Round	Golf
3 p.m.	PGA Tour: BMW Championship, 1st Round	Golf
7 p.m.	LPGA Tour: CPKS Women's Open, 1st Round	Golf
CFL FOOTBALL
7:30 p.m.	Ottawa Redblacks at Montreal Alouettes	CBSSN
TENNIS
11 a.m.	ATP/WTA Cincinnati Open: Quarterfinals	Tennis
MEN'S COLLEGE SOCCER
8 p.m.	Furman at Clemson	ACCN
WOMEN'S COLLEGE SOCCER
7 p.m.	James Madison at Georgia	SECN
7:30 p.m.	North Carolina at Arkansas	ESPNU
8 p.m.	Notre Dame at Nebraska	BTN
LITTLE LEAGUE BASEBALL WORLD SERIES
Noon	Int'l Bracket: Sydney, New South Wales vs. Tijuana, Baja Calif.	ESPN
2 p.m.	United States Bracket: Hamilton, Oh. vs. Henderson, Nev.	ESPN
4 p.m.	Int'l Bracket: Tokyo, Japan vs. Willemstad, Curacao	ESPN
6 p.m.	United States Bracket: Bonita, Calif. vs. Davenport, IA	ESPN2
HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL
8 p.m.	Brentwood Academy (Tenn.) at Baylor School (Tenn.)	ESPN2
HORSE RACING
1 p.m.	Saratoga Live	FS2
5 p.m.	FanDuol Racing	MSGSN
AFL FOOTBALL
5:25 a.m. (Fri.)	Brisbane at Collingwood	FS2

NBA

Favorites to win 2026-27 Defensive Player of the Year

PLAYER	ODDS	PLAYER	ODDS
Victor Wembanyama	-325	Scottie Barnes	40/1
Chet Holmgren	12/1	Giannis Antetokounmpo	50/1
Ausar Thompson	25/1	Sam Adebayo	50/1
Rudy Gobert	30/1	Evan Mobley	50/1

ODDS & ENDS

NBA Favorites to win 2026-27 divisions
ATLANTIC	ODDS
Knicks	+165
76ers	+225
Celtics	+240
Raptors	+750
Nets	500/1
CENTRAL	ODDS
Pistons	+105
Cavaliers	+170
Pacers	+350
Bulls	80/1
Bucks	300/1
SOUTHEAST	ODDS
Heat	+160
Magic	+250
Hawks	+300
Hornets	+750
Wizards	16/1
SOUTHWEST	ODDS
Spurs	-1,200
Rockets	+700
Mavericks	66/1
Pelicans	200/1
Grizzlies	300/1
NORTHWEST	ODDS
Thunder	-550
Nuggets	+850
Timberwolves	11/1
Trail Blazers	35/1
Jazz	80/1
PACIFIC	ODDS
Lakers	-115
Warriors	+260
Suns	+320
Clippers	25/1
Kings	200/1

Favorites to win 2026-27 NBA MVP
PLAYER	ODDS
Victor Wembanyama	+200
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander	+350
Nikola Jokic	+550
Luka Doncic	+600
Giannis Antetokounmpo	10/1
Anthony Edwards	20/1
Jayson Tatum	25/1
Cade Cunningham	30/1
Jalen Brunson	50/1
Donovan Mitchell	100/1
Jaylen Brown	100/1

Favorites to win 2026-27 Rookie of Year
PLAYER	ODDS
Cameron Boozer	+300
Caleb Wilson	+300
Darryn Peterson	+350
AJ Dybanks	+400
Darius Acuff Jr.	14/1
Yaxel Lendeborg	16/1
Mikel Brown Jr.	22/1
Keaton Wagler	50/1
Brayden Burries	80/1

BET SMART

HEAD OF THE GLASS: Karl-Anthony Towns grabbed nearly 12 rebounds a game last year, and The Post's Malik Smith will take him at +750 to lead the NBA in rebounding this season.

Charles Wenzelberg / NY Post

By MALIK SMITH

You would be hard-pressed to find an athlete who is having a better year than Karl-Anthony Towns in 2026.

Towns helped the Knicks finally end their 53-year championship drought in June and became one of the most beloved players to wear the orange and blue in the process.

The 30-year-old superstar added another highlight to his summer when he married his longtime girlfriend Jordyn Woods in a lavish Malibu wedding last weekend.

He should enter this upcoming season with a weight off his back and a more defined role compared to how things started last October. The Knicks reached their zenith with Towns realizing his potential as an elite passer and rebounder, which allowed the offense and defense to flourish during their magical run.

While the offseason has been mostly quiet for the Knicks, Towns has a chance to lean even harder into his role next season. I expect his rebounding will be even more crucial given the state of the Knicks roster.

The Knicks didn't retain backup centers Mitchell Robinson and Ariel Hukport, opting to replace them with the cheaper and older Andre Drummond.

Things may change once the Knicks hit training camp — they still have one roster spot to fill — but as of now, Towns and Drummond are the only centers on the team.

Drummond is a great rebounder in his own right, but it will be difficult for him to see enough minutes for that to mani-

est on the floor.

The drop-off from Robinson to Drummond on the defensive end will be massive. It's unlikely we'll see Drummond on the floor with Towns — Robinson and Towns played just 5.5 minutes per game together in 51 games last season.

Knicks head coach Mike Brown was reluctant to keep Towns on the floor when he got into foul trouble last season and he could get away with it because he had a starting level center in Robinson coming off the bench. If the roster remains the way it is, he won't have a security blanket at center, which should mean more minutes for Towns.

Those extra minutes should boost his rebounding numbers enough to finally push him to the top of the league. Towns finished second in rebounding in his two seasons in New York.

In 2024-25, he averaged 12.8 rebounds, finishing about one rebound short of Domantas Sabonis for the league lead. Last season, he pulled down 11.9 boards and was the runner up to Nikola Jokic by one rebound per game.

Jokic, who is the favorite at bet365 with +270 odds, will be his biggest competition.

The Nuggets don't have a backup center either after waiving Jonas Nianciunas this summer. However, the Nuggets will have to manage Jokic's minutes after a hyperextended knee kept him out for 16 games, which nearly derailed his chances to make the All-NBA team.

Where Jokic is likely to regress a bit, Towns still has some room to grow. I'll grab him at +750 to be the No. 1 glass cleaner next season.

43

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44

Walk-off home run propels Bayonne in Little League World Series opener

GARDEN STATEMENT

By CHRISTIAN ARNOLD

All Bridgewater Little League pitcher Jude DeSimone could do was tip his cap toward Bayonne Little League's Mason Rincon after he hit the game-winning blast to center field in the bottom of the sixth in a 2-1 win for the New Jersey Little Leaguers.

If Bayonne's mantra this tournament is "Bayonne vs. Everyone," then Rincon personified it as he threw 4 1/2 innings of two-hit ball against Bridgewater (Mass.) before playing the hero in the final inning of the game with the solo blast that would have rivaled the big leaguers many of the kids in Williamsport look up to.

Rincon had stepped up to the plate in the sixth with the idea of just getting on base. Instead, he whipped the large contingent of New Jerseyans that made the trip to Pennsylvania into a frenzy.

"It's special, definitely," Rincon told reporters about the walk-off. "My first-ever walk-off home run and for it to be on this stage, it's awesome. To feel the atmosphere of the stadium and feel everybody chanting my name after as soon as I hit the ball, it just felt amazing."

Wednesday's dramatic win continues an impressive run for the Little Leaguers out of Bayonne, N.J., who have won 14 consecutive games and move on to face East Side Little League, based in West Chester, Pa., which represents the Mid-Atlantic region Friday.

The home run that Rincon hit Wednesday was similar to a blast that the 12-year-old clobbered during the regional tournament earlier this month when Bayonne defeated Port Washington Little League en route to

representing the Metro Region in Williamsport.

Pitching to Rincon has been a bit of a no-no for opposing teams this year, with his power on display, and Bayonne coach Justin Smith previously advised opposing teams not to pitch to him.

"They really took it seriously, and they haven't pitched to him until today, so my advice to them is they should pitch to him all the time from now on," Smith said. "That is my new advice."

But Wednesday, Rincon showed the ability he possesses on the mound as well.

The Bayonne starter retired the side in order to start the game and struck out two batters in a row to close out the top of the second. He didn't surrender his first hit until the top of the third when Anthony Sullivan hit a solo home run to tie the game

for Bridgewater.

He finished his time on the mound with eight strikeouts and just three walks before Gabe Garcia Jr. took over for him.

This year's run for Bayonne has been a special one with the Little League making its first appearance in Williamsport, and the team expected a tight game from the onset.

Garcia scored Bayonne's first run on a wild pitch in the bottom of the first inning, which proved to be the only run they'd get until the bottom of the sixth.

Bridgewater's Dominik Mombeleur — also known as the "Dominator" — held Bayonne to just four hits in his 3 1/2 innings of work, which included eight strikeouts. He was on the hill for both of Rincon's earlier at-bats, when the Bayonne star struck out and popped out.

carnold1@nypost.com

Libs' ailing Sabally to sit out World Cup

By MADELINE KENNEY

Liberty forward Satou Sabally won't play for the German national team in next month's FIBA World Cup.

Sabally shared the news in a letter posted to her Instagram story in German and English.

"It's incredibly hard for me to share that I won't be able to be part of the World Cup in Berlin," Sabally wrote. "Competing at the World Cup at home, in front of you, my family, and with this team is something I've worked toward for years."

LIBERTY NOTES

"Right now, I have to listen to my body, put my health first and prioritize my full recovery," she continued. "I feel your support for all these years and I'm so grateful for it. I'm incredibly proud of this team and I'll be with you all in spirit, cheering from afar."

The news comes a week after the Liberty announced that Sabally would be away from the team indefinitely as she remains on the mend from a concussion she suffered during a game in late June.

Sabally has cleared concussion protocol but is still not 100 percent.

There's no timeline for Sabally's return, and coach Chris DeMarco didn't specify whether Sabally would be participating in any basketball-related activities while away from the team.

"We'll get there," DeMarco said last week. "This is under the guidance of our performance team. But just for now, she's just taking some time away, making sure she's healthy."

There's obvious concern for Sabally's long-term physical and mental health as this was her second head injury in less than a year.

Sabally also suffered a concussion in Game 3 of the 2025 WNBA Finals that sidelined her for most of the offseason. She didn't participate in Unrivaled earlier this year and didn't return to basketball activities until March.

The FIBA World Cup is set to run from Sept. 4-13 in Berlin.

➤ The Liberty filled their second developmental spot Thursday, signing Nigerian wing Elizabeth Balogun.

Balogun joined the Toronto Tempo in training camp this season and averaged nine points and 2.5 rebounds in 15 minutes across two pre-season games. The Tempo waived her before the season started.

mkenney@nypost.com

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BUMP IN THE ROAD: Nick Kyrgios is better known for on-court meltdowns and the assault of an ex-girlfriend than he is for his once-prodigious tennis talent. Getty Images

Out of line

By JUSTIN TERRANOVA

This could be the end for Nick Kyrgios. As uncertainty swirls about whether he would ever be healthy enough to play tennis again full-time, another more worrying obstacle has emerged.

The former Wimbledon finalist revealed Wednesday he tested positive for cocaine at a low-level tournament in Mallorca in June and was provisionally suspended from tennis.

Kyrgios admitted that he made a “huge mistake and take full responsibility for it.”

“I’m not going to make excuses, but I do want to give some context about where I’ve been,” Kyrgios wrote on Instagram. “The last couple of years of injuries have taken a huge toll on me, both physically and mentally. My body hasn’t been able to do what my mind expects it to do, and coming to terms with being near the end of my career has been harder than I ever imagined.”

Cocaine is banned as a doping substance during competitions, with lower sanctions possible when used away from events.

Kyrgios said he had difficulties coming to terms with being near the end of his career after two years of injuries.

“I’ve always said I don’t choose tennis — tennis chose me,” Kyrgios said. “But letting go of something that has been my whole life is one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to face. At times I’ve felt helpless and alone. None of that excuses what I did.”

The brash Kyrgios was once considered one of the rising stars in the sports thanks to a powerful all-court game — but frequently made headlines for his brash behavior both on and off the court.

In a 2015 Rogers Cup match, he made a comment to opponent Stan Wawrinka that hinted that fellow Australian Thanasi Kokkinakis had slept with Wawrinka’s girl-

friend, fellow player Donna Vekic.

In one of his final Grand Slams singles appearances, Kyrgios had an epic racket-smashing meltdown during his loss to Karen Khachanov during the 2022 U.S. Open.

Off the court, Kyrgios had a messy breakup with Chiara Passari that included him pleading guilty to assault over a 2021 incident in which he pushed her while she was waiting for an Uber.

The judge ultimately threw out the guilty plea, citing the length of time it took Passari to file charges and the publicity around the case.

Kyrgios has dealt with mental health issues in the past, checking himself into a psychiatric unit with suicidal thoughts after a 2019 second-round loss at Wimbledon.

He has also admitted to “drinking every single night” earlier in his career.

The International Tennis Integrity Agency will prosecute the case and said the player’s sample was taken on June 22 and the positive test was confirmed July 17, after Kyrgios played at Wimbledon.

Kyrgios got a wild card to play doubles at Wimbledon last month and lost in the first round with partner Alexander Bublik.

A mandatory provisional suspension was applied Aug. 4 and has not been appealed by Kyrgios, the ITIA added.

“However, the good news is that this has given me a wake up call,” Kyrgios said. “For the next 28 days, I’ll be stepping away from social media and public while I focus on getting myself right.”

Kyrgios’ career reached its peak in 2022 when he was beaten by Novak Djokovic in the 2022 singles final at Wimbledon, but his career has since been derailed by a series of wrist and knee injuries.

He has plummeted to 919th in the rankings.

45

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46

HIGHTNING POD

By JENNA LEMONCELLI

Knicks stars Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart aren't finished celebrating the team's championship run yet.

In an exclusive interview with The Post, the NBA champs and Matt Hillman, Hart's best friend and business partner, pulled back the curtain on their lives after June 13 — when the Knicks clinched the NBA title in a 94-90 win against the Spurs in Game 5 of the NBA Finals.

"It's been the most chaotic mix of personal and professional time really ever," said Hillman, who is the co-host of the "Roommates Show" weekly podcast with Hart and Brunson.

It's been a nonstop workflow of television appearances, brand deals and new opportunities after the final buzzer rang in San Antonio — and the Roommates have been keeping a secret.

The third edition of their live podcast experience — "The Roommates Show Block Party" — will move from Central Park to Randall's Island Park on Sept. 26 due to high demand for tickets after the Knicks secured their first title in 53 years.

More than 4,000 tickets for this year's show sold out in 90 seconds, with nearly 8,000 fans left on the waitlist, making this potentially the largest live podcast event of all time.

They will welcome special guests including Jose Alvarado, Mariska Hargitay, Jimmy Fallon, Spike Lee, Landry Shamet and more. There also will be musical performances from Fabulous, Jim Jones,

Going nonstop since title, 'Roommates' announce plans for biggest live show yet

EXCLUSIVE

Maino and Dave East.

"I think it'll be a great opportunity to celebrate with the fans and also celebrate the fans themselves," Brunson said. "They showed up for us, so I'm just excited to show up for them in a fun and different environment."

The "Roommates Show" is 2 1/2 years old, launching in February 2024 and entering its fourth season.

"We kind of started [the podcast] and didn't really know what the trajectory was going to be," Hart said. "We didn't have like a goal in mind. We were just like, 'You know, let's start it and just to see if anything comes of it.'"

"And obviously, 2 1/2 years later, or three seasons in, it's definitely grown a little bit bigger than we thought it was going to be. But it's been a fun process. ... Not every day is fun. It's very up and down in terms of getting the episode recorded sometimes."

Hart added that the pair will address the departure of Mitchell Robinson, who signed with the Celtics last month after spending his first eight seasons with the Knicks — among other big moves around the Eastern

Conference — during their live show.

Tickets for "The Roommates Show Block Party" go on sale at noon Friday.

For Hart, it's been a balance of accepting new opportunities off the court, making time for his family and continuing to celebrate being an NBA champion.

"At the end of the day, that [championship] team in its entirety is never going to be back together, you're not going to have that same locker room, guys are going to go in, guys are gonna go out — so it was [important] that we had a bunch of times where we were able to go out and celebrate as a team and I'll leave those details out for another day," Hart said.

The Knicks partied at Chez Margaux, a private supper club, with celebrities after their ticker-tape parade June 18 — and plenty of photos made the rounds online.

Hillman, who was with Hart for much of the summer, explained that it was overwhelming at times.

"From my perspective ... the one thing that caught me by surprise is you never really hear about what happens after the win — you could just kind of think it's all celebrations and fun," Hillman said.

"I'll be honest, I don't think they got to really even enjoy it until multiple weeks after ... when he got to Europe [in July] and then even when he got back [to New York], back from Europe, he had

an equally crazy week with appearances at Fanatics Fest and the [2026 FIFA] World Cup and other things.

"From the moment the buzzer sounds, it's press, and you do all of these different things, and then it's trying to celebrate with your teammates our pretty late — and then 6 a.m., 'Good Morning America,' at 7 a.m. [it's the] 'Today' show.

"So they were just running a million miles an hour for two weeks. And obviously, I was kind of there with him for a lot of it and it was just 24/7. It was brand deals and parades and just integrations into the schedule, it was a lot."

Hart and Hillman have history.

They became best friends in high school, and Hart moved in with Hillman and his family for two years before he went to play at Villanova.

Hart and Hillman, along with their wives, Shannon Hart and Samara Hillman, vacationed together in France — and indulged in wine tastings at Château Lynch-Bages, a winery in the Pauillac appellation of the Bordeaux region in July.

Hart said he and Shannon also enjoyed some R&R in Capri and Rome before heading back to the United States to attend weddings earlier this month.

"I went to Donovan [Mitchell] and Coco [Jones'] wedding and then we just got back from KAT and Jordyn [Woods']," Hart said.

"It was really nice, both of them were. Really cool ceremonies [and] receptions. ... They were both good vibes."

lemoncelli@nypost.com

Surgery to end Polanco's season

By MIKE PUMA

Jorge Polanco's underwhelming first season with the Mets will end in surgery.

The veteran infielder was placed on the injured list Wednesday with left ankle bursitis. Before the Mets beat the Padres 4-2 at Citi Field to complete a series victory, interim manager Andy Green indicated Polanco plans to undergo season-ending surgery for the ailment.

METS NOTES

Green said Polanco, who arrived on a two-year contract worth $40 million, will likely enter spring training in a baseball progression.

"He's battled this all year, something he's had to deal with prior to the season," Green said. "It's gotten to the point he just can't get freedom from the pain. He has gone out there grinding and tried to. He's wanted to post for this team and it's at a point now where surgery is actually his best option."

Polanco, 31, owned a .431 OPS over 37 games this season. Signed to play first base as Pete Alonso's replacement, he appeared in only two games at the position. Polanco's first IL stint lasted three months — he originally was sidelined by a bone bruise in his wrist, but the persistent ankle issues prolonged his absence.

➤ Austin Warren threw a scoreless seventh inning with two strikeouts in his return from a right forearm strain. Warren had last pitched July 7.

➤ Jared Young finished 2-for-4 with an RBI and has an .887 OPS over his past 35 games.

➤ Utility man Eric Wagaman was recalled from Triple-A Syracuse to take Polanco's roster spot. The Mets also recalled RHP Chayce McDermott and optioned RHP Jack Weisenburger.

IN DEMAND: Jalen Brunson (center) and Josh Hart (right), along with "Roommates Show" co-host Matt Hillman, have had a busy summer since the Knicks won the title. Michell Farsi

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A legend of L.I.

St. John's McKoy, remembered as dominating gentle giant, dead at 68

FRANK Gilroy still remembers the first time he saw Wayne McKoy with his own two eyes. This was March 1975, at the old Top Eight Classic that used to determine the very best basketball team in New York state. Gilroy was a precocious sophomore at Holy Cross High then, 6-foot-6 with game, clearly ticketed for Division I.

Then he saw the star sophomore for Long Island Lutheran High on the floor at St. John's Alumni Hall. He was 6-foot-8, maybe 250. And when he took the floor, he took your breath away.

"Wayne," Gilroy says, "he was something else."

Wayne McKoy died Wednesday at his home in Bayside. He was 68. He was an excellent player for St. John's from 1977-81, a cornerstone of the 1979 team that came within a bucket of the Final Four. He scored 1,534 points for the Redmen, averaged more than seven rebounds a game across 117 career games, blocked what was then a school record 164 shots.

"An excellent player," Gilroy says. "No two ways about it."

But to truly appreciate what McKoy was, you need to go back further, to his childhood in Bayside, to a time when he was a 6-foot-4 fourth grader who was bullied for being so big, found solace in basketball, and then a home at LuHi out in Brookville, L.I. Abandoned by his birth parents in North Carolina, he was raised in Queens by his aunt, Beatrice Wooten, and mentored by a pastor, the Rev. Ernie Pflug. By eighth grade he was 6-foot-7 3/4.

"I played CYO ball against him in the eighth grade," says Quinnipiac coach Tom Pecora. "When he came into the gym, we thought he was the other team's coach."

He had a game that year in which he scored 34 points and grabbed 38 rebounds in a 28-minute contest. By then Pflug's college roommate — the Rev. Edward Visscher, the hugely successful basketball coach at Lutheran — had taken notice. And later that summer, before he ever played a second of varsity basketball at LuHi, something arrived in his aunt's mailbox.

It was a letter from North Carolina State. A recruiting letter. He was 14.

By then, Gilroy had heard all about the phenomenon that was Wayne McKoy.

"Everyone did," he says. "If you played ball in those years, you

knew all about him, even before you ever saw him."

McKoy's freshman year, he averaged 20 points and 10 rebounds for the Crusaders. That's when the label came, courtesy of his high school coach: "Better than Kareem."

"We think Wayne is far advanced over Alcindor at a comparable age," Visscher said late in that freshman year,

as in Lew Alcindor, later Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who was — and remains — the most celebrated high school basketball player ever from his years at Manhattan's Power

Memorial.

"By the end of his sophomore year we want Wayne to be as good as [Kareem] was when he graduated high school. By the end of his senior year we want him to be as good as he [Kareem] was when he graduated college. And we think he will be."

And here's the thing: Visscher wasn't alone. It actually took Notre Dame coach Digger Phelps — who would've traded in a year's supply of green-and-white lapel carnations for McKoy's signature on a letter of intent before he even passed freshman algebra — to try to slow the roll.

"It's a shame," Phelps said. "He has to face four years of recruiting when most kids only face one. [Kareem] is the only one who ever faced four years of that, and he was a very lonely kid. I hope he doesn't face that."

In truth, McKoy was every bit as good, every bit as dominant, as his projections. He was named All-Long Island three times. As a senior he averaged 30 and 18. Roosevelt's Julius Erving may be the consensus best all-time player to ever have called Long Island home, but McKoy might've had the best high school career in the Island's history. He had 300 scholarship offers. It came down to N.C. State, South Carolina and St. John's.

"The thing about Wayne," says Gilroy, who sat next to McKoy in the Alumni Hall locker room all four years at St. John's and co-captained the 1980-81 team with him, "was that he loved being a big man. He loved the work underneath. He loved to dominate games. And he was good enough to do it."

When he picked St. John's, the news conference was held on the second floor of the famed Mamma Leone's Ristorante on West 48th Street. He was, by far, the biggest recruit Lou Carnesecca ever signed — far more acclaimed than

even Chris Mullin and Walter Berry. "I can't wait to coach him," Looie said that day in March 1977.

This is the part of the story where you ask: Well, what happened?

And here's the twist: Nothing sinister happened. McKoy never found trouble. He was never taken down by dark forces. And it is important to remember those 1,534 points and those 164 blocks and the shot he made March 16, 1979, in Greensboro Coliseum, when McKoy followed up a Reggie Carter miss with 5 seconds to go to give St. John's a 67-65 win over Rutgers and a berth in the Elite Eight.

Says Gilroy, "He was a great player at St. John's. Not good. Great."

With one fateful problem.

"He just never grew," Gilroy says.

It's true. The kid who grammar school classmates had tortured for being too big, who was 6-7 1/4 by age 13, never grew another millimeter from then on. St. John's rounded up to 6-8, but the fact is even in the late '70s, 6-foot-8 was way undersized for a center. Carnesecca brought in Willis Reed as a volunteer assistant McKoy's senior year specifically to get him ready for the NBA. The Knicks took him in the third round. But he never stuck.

"He was a great kid and he was coachable," Reed said in 1999. "But you can't teach a 6-8 center how to be 6-11. It's just not possible."

Says New York City basketball Hall of Famer Bob McKillop, who succeeded Visscher at LuHi but marveled at McKoy when he coached at neighboring Holy Trinity in the '70s: "He was a sensational player, performer and teammate who lived his life shadowed by extraordinary expectations. I can only imagine what it would've been like for him in today's culture."

McKoy harbored few regrets. Gilroy remembers: "He was never bitter about anything. Whenever a teammate, ex-teammate, alum, kid, approached him, he was the same Wayne he always was: Kind. Generous. A gentle giant."

There was one small lament, though. McKoy and I exchanged a few emails and texts last spring, when St. John's was trying to mimic the run of those 1979 Redmen. He was in Belize on vacation and unable to talk long. But he did say this: "Thank you for thinking about me. Do you think anyone actually remembers me?"

If you ever saw Wayne McKoy when he was young and powerful and unstoppable on a basketball court, the question was actually exactly the opposite: How could you ever forget him?

mvaacaro@nypost.com

LARGER THAN LIFE: Wayne McKoy was nearly 6-foot-8 by the time he was 13, on his way to perhaps the greatest career of any Long Island basketball player — sometimes compared with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's. McKoy starred at St. John's, though he never caught on in the NBA, as he stopped growing at 13. Courtesy St. John's Athletics

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48

MAN OF THE YEAR

Johnson should let Glenn finish season, even if team starts slow

ARON Glenn famously said last September that “big ships turn slow” when referencing the task in front of him of turning around a Jets franchise that has not had a winning record since 2014. Eleven months later, Glenn is still the captain of that big ship, but there are already questions of how quickly owner Woody Johnson might throw him overboard.

Look at any list of “coaches on the hot seat” and Glenn’s name is always at or near the top. It’s not hard to understand why. The Jets went 3-14 in Glenn’s first year, and there were games when he looked overmatched (vs. the Broncos in London), a stretch to end the season when the team was non-competitive and the embarrassing mark of not coming up with an interception all season.

You add all of that into a tough schedule to start the 2026 season and people are going to wonder if Glenn will be still coaching by Halloween. A loss to Robert Saleh and the Titans in Week 1 will ratchet up the pressure, and that is followed

by games with the Packers, Lions and Bears. The Jets will not be favored in any of those games.

But Johnson needs to resist his worst impulses. He made

the mistake of firing Saleh five games into the 2024 season, and he saw how that worked out — the team won three games over the remainder of the season and the defense regressed terribly.

Glenn deserves a full 17 games this season to show what he can do as a head coach. Thursday marks his 575th day on the job. That is not enough of a body of work to know if he can do this job or not.

Glenn has acknowledged he made mistakes in Year 1 and he has “pivoted,” as he likes to say. That started in January with a major shake-up to his coaching staff. It has continued into training camp with tweaks to his coaching style.

The Jets hired Glenn off a successful stint as defensive coordinator with the Lions. Glenn was part of a turnaround in Motown, but it’s worth remembering it took a while before the ship turned there. The Lions went 3-13-1 in Dan Campbell’s first season as head coach. Then, they started off 2022 going 1-6.

If the Jets have a similar start this season, fans will be calling for Glenn to be fired. But Lions owner Sheila Ford Hamp stuck by Campbell, even giving the coaching staff a vote of confidence publicly in October. They responded by going 8-2 to end the 2022 season, and the Lions went to the NFC Championship game a year later.

After the Jets get through that rough four-game stretch to start the season, they have winnable games against the Browns, Cardinals, Raiders and two with the Dolphins. It would not be shocking to see them beat the Bills at home or the Vikings near the end of the season. In other words, the season could be salvaged even after a slow start.

Glenn needs to be given that chance.

“We’ll know exactly where we’re at once the season starts,” Glenn said Wednesday. “I’m excited about where we are, I’ll tell you that.”

I think Johnson will be patient with Glenn this season. Johnson chose Glenn in January 2025 after a long search. What does it say about Johnson’s process if he fires the coach he handpicked before he even completes two seasons on the job?

Plus, Johnson has to realize firing coaches midseason in the NFL does

not work. This is not the NBA or MLB where a team can get a jolt from a firing. In the NFL, the head coach is the heartbeat of the team. Everything emanates from him. Firing the head coach disrupts everything in the organization.

Giving Glenn the full season for an evaluation is the way to go. If after 34 games as head coach, Johnson feels Glenn is not the right captain for his ship, fine. The 2027 off-season looms large over this franchise. With three first-round picks and around $100 million in salary cap space, the Jets can take a massive leap — especially if they get the quarterback decision right. Johnson will need to feel certain Glenn is the right man to partner with Darren Mougey going forward.

For now, Glenn is trying to end 15 years of misery for the franchise he played for. There are positive signs in camp, but no one will know for sure until games are played.

“We’re still turning that ship, we’re still turning it, but I like exactly where we are,” Glenn said.

It could turn out that Glenn is captaining the Titanic, but maybe, just maybe, he’s navigating this ship toward smoother seas. Whichever way it goes, Glenn deserves a full 2026 season for us to find out.

brian.costello@nypost.com

COOL YOUR JETS: Many around the NFL expect Jets coach Aaron Glenn to be on the hot seat this season. But if owner Woody Johnson (inset) has the best interests of his team in mind, he will give Glenn at least the full season to try to get the long-struggling franchise headed in the right direction.

Imagn Images: Charles Wenzelberg / NY Post

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TRAINING DAY

PUT ON 'D' SHOW

The defense got off to a fast start in practice. Safety Dane Belton made a nice play to bat away a pass to Garrett Wilson. Defensive tackle Harrison Phillips would have had a sack of Cade Klubnik in a game.

THING OF THE PASSED

Quarterback Geno Smith looked shaky in practice. His passes were off target several times, and he never seemed to be able to find a rhythm. Smith had one long touchdown pass during a red zone period, but he took so long to throw it that it likely would have been a sack in a game.

CAUGHT MY EYE

Nose tackle T'Vondre Sweat and edge rusher Joseph Ossai returned to practice this week, but they are still being held back as they get back into football shape. They spent a lot of practice Wednesday doing sprints across a side field while the rest of the team did drills.

MEDICAL REPORT

LB Kiko Mauigoa was held out of practice as a precaution. Coach Aaron Glenn said Mauigoa has had more reps than nearly anyone on the team so they wanted to be careful not to overwork him. WR Tim Patrick and DT David Onyemata got veteran rest days. — Brian Costello

Geno status uncertain for Friday's exhibition

By BRIAN COSTELLO

Jets coach Aaron Glenn would not say whether Geno Smith will start at quarterback Friday night against the Steelers in the team's second preseason game.

Smith missed last week's preseason opener with ankle soreness. Cade Klubnik started in his place against the Buccaneers and played two series. Smith returned to practice Monday and has practiced all three days this week.

Glenn has said he wants all the starters to get reps, but he also must manage Smith's pain. Glenn acknowledged that it is a tough decision.

"It is, but I think the thing that we do quite a bit is make sure we have game intensity in practice, and I think our guys do a really good job of that," Glenn said. "It's not just with Geno, it's any player: Breece [Hall], Garrett [Wilson], Dou-

JETS NOTES

ble-D [Demario Davis], any of those guys. As we get to the end of it, we want to make sure we make the right decision on playing the guys or not. Then sometimes, the guys want to get out there and play. I've never been a coach that was afraid of injuries because it's a part of the game, but I also want to be a coach that's smart and makes sure I get our guys ready for Week 1."

Glenn said he has not seen any limitations in Smith in practice this week. If Smith can't go, it will be another chance for Klubnik to strengthen his hold on the backup job.

"I just think there's soreness," Glenn said of Smith's ankle. "I think any player at this point knows that something is going to hurt at some point. He's a competitor and he wants to make sure he gets those reps in.

The thing is that we want to be smart too about how we go about doing things when it comes to him and any of our players."

► CB Qwan'Tez Stiggers was back on the practice field Wednesday for the first time since he collapsed during a joint practice with the Buccaneers on Aug. 11. Stiggers remains in the concussion protocol and was wearing a red non-contact jersey in practice.

► The Jets had a light practice without pads Wednesday after going long Tuesday. NT T'Vondre Sweat, edge Joseph Ossai and LB Kiko Mauigoa were held out to manage their workload. WR Tim Patrick and DT David Onyemata were given veteran rest days. ... The Jets signed WR Junior Bergen and waived WR DT Sheffield with an injury designation.

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50

EVERYTHING CHANGED for Tom Coughlin when he eased up on his Tyrannical Tom persona and implemented a Leadership Council as a bridge between players and coach.

It was composed of 11 players, and the results were immediate: the Super Bowl 42 Championship.

John Harbaugh has long recognized how important it is for his players to feel that they have a voice, and you don't necessarily have to be on the Leadership Council to have one.

"One thing we try to do is that we really try to involve our players in everything we're doing," Harbaugh said once in Baltimore. "That's part of the process. It's their team in the end. They're the guys out there playing the game, and they end up being huge leaders, especially by example."

His Leadership Council 12 years ago: Joe Flacco, Terrell Suggs, Haloti Ngata, Steve Smith Sr., Daryl Smith, Marshal Yanda, Torrey Smith and Sam Koch.

"Anything that Harbaugh feels like would be something to bring to the leaders and veteran guys, he can do that and we can all talk about that," Koch said. "It's great because it gives us a platform where his door is always open and we can have a leadership meeting whenever, and be able to talk about things."

Harbaugh has plenty of candidates for his first New York Football Giants Leadership Council. Here are The Post's 10:

JAXSON DART

It's his team. If it isn't the quarterback's team then your team doesn't have the right quarterback. Teammates call him swaggy, and Harbaugh loves his toughness and lionhearted competitiveness. If Eli Manning was Ice, he is Fire. Wears his emotions on his sleeve. The New York market titillates him.

BRIAN BURNS

The leader of the defense has an unparalleled work ethic and is revered by younger teammates. A career-best 16.5-sack season in 2025 cemented his

UP TO LEAD

Ten players ready to guide Harbaugh's Giants in '26

status and earned him league-wide respect. Sets a standard by the way he practices.

ANDREW THOMAS

Hardly the rah-rah leader, but when he talks, people listen. One of the league's elite left tackles has been a Giant since 2020. The Businessman. The Professional. Kudos to former Giants GM Dave Gettleman for drafting him fourth overall.

KAYVON THIBODEAUX

Has bought what Harbaugh is selling as he enters a contract year. A thinking man's football player whose personality appeals to the coach and has made him a Harbaugh Guy. Has long ago dispelled the predraft speculation that he was more interested in his brand than football. "He's a man on a mission," Darius Slayton told me in West Virginia.

MALIK NABERS

His arduous rehab back to the playing field has won the admiration of his teammates. So, of course, have his otherworldly talent and dawg mentality. There was a reason why John Mara convinced the son of late Giants HOfer Ray Flaherty to allow "Leek" to wear his father's for-

merly retired No. 1 as a rookie. The Giants are a different offense and Dart will be a different quarterback with Nabers back as arguably one of the five best receivers in the league.

TREMAINE EDMUNDS

The first-year Giant is the man in the middle with the green dot. Has seamlessly won the trust of DC Dennard Wilson and teammates. The nine-year veteran has been a godsend for partner in crime, rookie ILB Arvell Reese.

DARIUS SLAYTON

The longest-tenured Giant from Daniel Jones' 2019 draft class. Always a voice of reason and perspective in the locker room. Won the 2024 PFWA George Young-Ernie Accorsi Media Good Guy Award. Will likely be passed on the depth chart sooner rather than later by rookie Malachi Fields. Could be playing his final season as a Giant, so appreciate him while you can.

ABDUL CARTER

He will challenge Burns as best defensive player. Forget his rookie mishaps. He has responded to The Harbaugh Way with an enthusiasm unknown to mankind. Defensive Player of the Year? Not impossible. Harbaugh is a fan.

JERMAINE ELUEMUNDR

Signed by Joe Schoen, re-signed in March. No-nonsense on and off the field. Drafted by Harbaugh in 2017. Wore a suit to his Zoom news conference announcing his return to Giants. Impressive.

JORDAN STOUT

The other first-year Giant. Harbaugh cut his teeth as a special teams guru and a special teams representative he drafted in Baltimore is mandatory.

"We believe in [the] Leadership Council, meet with them weekly as much as we can, and I think the players have a pulse on things, and ultimately it's the players' team, the players are responsible for the team in the end," Harbaugh told me shortly after he was hired. "It's their team, and they should have a say in things." To Harbaugh, it has always been about The Team, The Team, The Team.

steve.serby @nypost.com

Seattle signs ex-Cowboy Diggs with Arnold's future unknown

By DYLAN SVOBODA

The Seahawks are adding to their cornerback room — again.

With Terrion Arnold's status in question, Seattle signed former Pro Bowl corner Trevon Diggs to a one-year deal Wednesday, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Diggs, who turns 28 in September, played six seasons with the Cowboys, making first-team All-Pro in 2021.

Last season, he played eight games for Dallas and dealt with injury issues, including a concussion and a right knee injury, before being released in late December.

Diggs quickly joined the Packers, for whom he ap-

peared in two games before being cut for the second time in a month.

The addition comes a week after the Seahawks reportedly agreed to a deal with Arnold, who is facing eight felony charges in connection with a February robbery and kidnapping in Tampa, Fla., where he allegedly orchestrated the beat-

ing of three men after he wrongly suspected them of robbing him and others of over $250,000.

Arnold has pleaded not guilty and denied the allegations. On Tuesday, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo reported that the Seahawks were "still planning to sign" Arnold "but are working through

the timing and it will take a while."

The former Lions corner is expected to be placed on the NFL commissioner's exempt list if he formally signs the deal with Seattle, meaning he won't be able to play or practice with the team as the league investigates the incident.

Diggs gives Seattle an-

other potential starting option opposite Devon Witherspoon, with Josh Jobe and rookie Julian Neal also competing for snaps, while Arnold's availability remains uncertain.

The reigning Super Bowl champions had a hole at corner coming into training camp after letting Riq Woolen walk in free agency.

TOP OF THE CLASS:

John Harbaugh has plenty of candidates for a Giants Leadership Council, starting with Jaxson Dart, Malik Nabers (inset top), Abdul Carter (far left) and Brian Burns (left), writes The Post's Steve Serby.

The Post's Steve Serby

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52

THE GREATNESS DEBATE

Is Cam Skattebo the next big thing or just a hyped-up social media creation?

By RYAN DUNLEAVY

Cam Skattebo jumps through the front lawn hedges, greets Jim Nantz and screams his signature "Wooo!" as he continues to steamroll through a busy neighborhood.

All that's missing from the scene in Skattebo's starring commercial role for CBS' "See you Sunday" campaign previewing the NFL season — alongside MVP candidate Trevor Lawrence, three-time 1,000-yard receiver Garrett Wilson, Hall of Fame coach Bill Cowher and other big names — is landing a backflip on his surgically repaired right ankle.

With just 101 carries for 410 yards and five touchdowns on his eight-game NFL career résumé, the human wrecking ball already has emerged as one of the league's most viral personalities and a Giants fan favorite.

But what is Skattebo as a player? Will his production ever match the popularity that tickets him to red carpets and WWE matches, and brings followers to his Twitch page to watch him play video games?

"The reason he is popular is because the off-the-field matches on the field," NFL Network analyst and former Pro Bowl running back Maurice Jones-Drew, one of Skattebo's biggest supporters, told The Post. "The energy he brings ... there hasn't been a player like that in the NFL in a long time. He lives 100 miles per hour, and if that's what's going to force him to play like that, keep doing that. Stay who you are."

But the Giants obviously have unspoken doubts about Skattebo's viability as a No. 1 running back. They entertained pursuing Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III in free agency and drafting prized prospect Jeremiah Love before ultimately adding four-time 1,000-yard rusher Najee Harris this week to a crowded backfield.

"Time will tell," one NFL executive said. "Sometimes guys think they have made it. He can't forget what made him good: grind-

STYLE OR SUBSTANCE? With his backflip celebrations and large media presence, including a featured spot in a CBS ad campaign, Cam Skattebo gets a lot of attention for someone who has played in eight NFL games. Corey Sipkin; Getty Images; CBS Sports

ing, doing the dirty work. Sometimes [New York] starts worshipping them a little early. The way he's treated and the way he acts drives me crazy for a guy that has done nothing yet."

NFL analyst Jason McCourty echoed on an ESPN podcast that a win-something-first sentiment exists in corners of the league about Skattebo and his primary social running mate Jaxson Dart.

Skattebo subscribes to the theory that "all publicity is good publicity." But he says he is all-ball behind the scenes, especially at this time of year.

"Everyone loves to talk about me because I'm crazy and do a whole bunch of different things here

and there," Skattebo said. "I'm just going to continue to be the best football player that I can be. People can keep thinking what they want, but I think I'm a really good running back. I want to be the best one day, and that's the goal. I'm going to continue to just keep being me and keep pushing."

Carrying a team

Jones-Drew rated Skattebo — the No. 105 pick in the 2025 draft, after leading an undermanned Arizona State into the College Football Playoff — as a "IB" option to No. 6 overall pick Ashton Jeanty (Raiders).

"He put Arizona State on his back with his rushing ability, catching the ball out of the backfield, short-area quickness,

toughness in pass protection, breaking tackles, contact balance, soft hands," Jones-Drew said. "All those things translate to the NFL."

"The only thing you would question about Skattebo is his speed. Everything else, to me, was very similar to Jeanty. I've taken a lot of criticism because people are like, 'How can you tell?' Game-wise, he's a player. You saw a ton of him knocking guys out blocking at Arizona State."

Therein lies a double-edged sword. Generously listed at 5-foot-11, 215 pounds, Skattebo might be too small to keep running over linebackers the way he did in his breakout 98-yard, three-touchdown performance in primetime against the Eagles last October.

"People love him," one longtime NFL talent evaluator said, "but, as a player, he has limitations, and I think he'll keep getting hurt, as well. The Giants know it — that's why they were in on Jeremiah and Kenneth. He's a rotational guy who adds value with the way he plays and the energy he brings. But to say, 'This guy is going to go out there and put the team on his back and go win games,' I don't see that."

Then again, Jones-Drew excelled at 5-foot-7, 210 pounds and Hall of Fame-bound Frank Gore played 16 seasons at 5-foot-9, 212 pounds. So, why not Skattebo if he prioritizes body maintenance?

Robert Turbin shared a backfield with Gore and remembers seeing his mentor in the weight room with 315 pounds on the squat bar as everyone else cleared out their lockers the day after the season ended.

Turbin and Skattebo crossed paths sharing a trainer and living in the Sacramento, Calif., area.

"The nugget that I got from Frank is the work doesn't stop," said Turbin, an "NFL on CBS" analyst. "What are you doing when you go to Mexico or Europe in the offseason? What are you putting in your body? If Cam can adopt some of that and be

"The reason he is popular is because the off-the-field matches on the field. The energy he brings ... there hasn't been a player like that in the NFL in a long time"

— NFL Network analyst Maurice Jones-Drew

"Sometimes [New York] starts worshipping them a little early. The way he's treated and the way he acts drives me crazy for a guy that has done nothing yet."

— NFL executive

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serious about it, he can have longevity."

Skattebo's gruesome open tibia fracture was a freak rookie-season-ending injury resulting from a hip-drop tackle on an incompletion — unrelated to his punishing running style.

This summer, Skattebo hasn't missed a practice during camp and looked healthy on his four carries in the preseason opener.

"I like to run through people instead of run around them," Skattebo said. "Hopefully, you'll see more running around people this year. If [opponents] think I'm not as good of a running back, they still have to play me that week. So, whether they think that or not, I guess we'll see."

As much as there is a punishing style to the way Skattebo runs, there is a villainous nature in the way Skattebo talks.

"That exists with any player who does stuff a little differently — an attention-grabbing player," one NFL scout said. "The Bulls probably hated Dennis Rodman until he started playing for them. His team loves him."

Unseriously serious

Tim Tebow's enormous popularity cast a shadow over an entire locker room even when he was a third-stringer.

Skattebo's popularity isn't at Tebow's distraction-causing level — nobody's is — and the Giants have other megastars like Dart, Odell Beckham Jr. and Malik Nabers sharing the spotlight. But the anticipation from fans at open practices to hear Skattebo yell "Woooo!" as he ran onto the field couldn't be missed.

There is no hint that teammates feel anything but love for Skattebo's authenticity.

"On the inside, you recognize a guy that has heart and is willing to put it all out on the line for his teammates," Turbin said. "You can feel Cam's passion and the fearless mentality you have to have at running back, but he's a jokester, too. You probably won't leave his space without laughing.

"Marshawn Lynch was like that when I played with him. Marshawn took the game seriously — he just wasn't serious, if that makes sense. He understood we are still just playing a game, but he wanted to be the best at it. That's good energy to have."

Jones-Drew used to resent being described as a "determined" runner because it discounted his ability. Saying that Skattebo has "grit" is a similarly "lazy narrative," he says.

"He can create contact and create space through contact with and without the ball — something that's a lost art in the NFL," Jones-Drew said. "This kid has skill and determination."

Skattebo wants to be more than a gimmick. He doesn't consider last season "successful," setting near-impossible-to-reach goals of 300 carries for 2,000 yards in front of Giants fans in May.

"He's a battering ram, but they are not going to give him enough carries to reach that level," the scout said. "Was Ahmad Bradshaw ever a No. 1 back? That's a good Giants comp for what he is going to end up being. Maybe he gets 1,000 yards a couple times in his career, but does that equal his star power?"

Now there's something to scream about.

Giants get 6th-round pick for OL Faalele

By RYAN DUNLEAVY

Once a Giant, barely a Giant for Daniel Faalele.

The Giants traded Faalele to the Jaguars for a 2027 sixth-round draft pick with no conditions attached, The Post confirmed.

After signing a one-year, $1.4 million free-agent contract to follow head coach John Harbaugh from the Ravens to the Giants, Faalele was the second-team left guard throughout training camp.

The trade leaves the Giants with $187,000 in dead salary cap space while freeing up $500,000 and opening up a spot on the 53-man roster.

Maybe now the Giants can keep former first-round draft bust Evan Neal. Or former third-round draft bust Josh Ezeudu, who has been taking more snaps at guard — at long last — after a failed three-year experiment as a tackle.

There should be three spots available to decide among the quintet of Neal, Ezeudu, Aaron Stinnie, Bryan Hudson and Lucas Patrick as back-ups alongside tackles Marcus Mbow and J.C. Davis.

The Jaguars were short offensive linemen after Patrick Mekari underwent back surgery and joined Cole Van Lanen, Chuma Edoga, Wyatt Milum and Geron Christian on the shelf. The target reportedly was to beef up the front, and the 6-foot-7, 380-pound former fourth-round pick certainly fits the bill.

Faalele started all 34 games over the past two seasons for the Ravens and became a target of fan ire because Harbaugh continually defended him through struggles. He played 13 offensive snaps and two special teams snaps during the preseason opener.

"They have depth on the offensive line for the first time in a long time," NFL Network analyst Brian Baldinger told The Post just hours before the trade. "And a good starting five."

The Giants upped their 2027 draft capital to a first-, a second-, a third-, a fifth- and two sixth-rounders.

The trade is reminiscent of when the Giants sent defensive tackle Jordan Phillips — who was on the roster bubble — to the Cowboys in a pick swap in August 2024.

The Giants filled Faalele's roster spot by claiming defensive lineman Ben Barten off waivers from the Jets. The undrafted rookie began training camp with the Giants, was cut July 30, landed with the Jets and now is returning across town.

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54

LIFE AFTER DEADLINE

By MIKE PUMA

If only their season began at the trade deadline.

One day it's the bats carrying the Mets and another it's a starting pitcher or the rebuilt bullpen. It's created at least something of a murmur for a team buried in the postseason race.

"I think it's fun for the fans, right?" Mets owner Steve Cohen said before his team's 4-2 victory over the Padres at Citi Field on Wednesday. "It's creating a little excitement and hopefully it will carry through to the end of the year and give us good feeling into next year."

METS PADRES

4 2

Boxscore Page 40

This series victory was the fourth in five the Mets have played since the Aug. 3 deadline. Overall, the Mets are 11-4 over that stretch. Even so, the improved play hasn't produced dramatic headway in the NL wild-card race, where the Mets are 10 games behind for the final spot. The Mets were 13 games behind before starting this surge.

Such is life trying to climb over seven teams, including these Padres, who are positioned for the NL's third wild card.

What is the underlying characteristic of this recent surge?

"It feels gritty to me," interim manager Andy Green said. "It feels like the kind of club that is trying to scratch and claw and figure out a way to win a baseball game."

A bullpen that lost four key veterans at the trade deadline — then closer Devin Williams to the injured list — has led the charge. On this day, Jonathan Pintaro, Nate Lavender, Austin Warren and Daniel Duarte combined for 3 1/3 scoreless innings before Kodai Senga surrendered a run in the ninth.

"The bullpen has been phenomenal with this much turnover, to see guys step on the mound and handle tough situations again and again," Green said. "Pintaro getting a double play ball, and Lavender coming in again with an inherited runner and getting out of it on nine pitches, which is more than he's been throwing to get

Hot Mets top Padres in latest series win

out of innings, which is crazy."

Robert Stock gave the Mets a second straight effective abbreviated start, allowing one earned run on two hits and three walks with six strikeouts over 4 1/3 innings. In his previous start, against the Nationals, the right-hander did not allow an earned run over the same length.

The Mets have entrusted a rotation spot to the 36-year-old journeyman following the trades that jettisoned Freddy Peralta and Clay Holmes.

"Hopefully, I am improving," said Stock, who underwent surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome in spring training. "The difference between Triple-A and the big leagues is very big. It's a different strategy. Such incredible hitters that you have to figure out

at White Sox

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things along the way and constantly make improvements, and that is something I'm continuing to try to do."

Carson Benge's two-run homer in the fourth produced the game's first scoring. Benge hit a shot just inside the left field foul pole for his 11th homer this season and second within the week.

Nobody had a better homestand than Benge, who threw out four base runners from right field over a three-game stretch. The highlight was Monday, when he nailed two runners at the plate in the same inning, becoming the first outfielder in franchise history to accomplish that feat.

"I feel like I'm in a good spot," Benge said. "I feel like I am on time with just about every pitch, seeing the ball well. It's a good place to be."

Fernando Tatis stroked an RBI double in the fifth that sliced the Mets lead to 2-1. Xander Bogaerts doubled against Stock to begin the rally. Stock was removed after Tatis' double.

The Mets added insurance in the eighth. Bo Bichette grounded into an RBI fielder's choice and Jared Young's single increased the lead to 4-1.

Senga allowed one run in the ninth but earned his fourth save in as many chances since moving into the closer's role with Williams on the IL.

"I think there's a lot of things to kind of be excited by," Cohen said. "The development of our young players is significant. That creates a nice foundation for next year."

mpuma@nypost.com

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By MIKE PUMA

Steve Cohen expects the Mets president of baseball operations to learn from his mistakes this season.

What were David Stearns' mistakes that contributed to the team's dismal showing this season?

"I can argue, taking too much risk," the Mets owner said Wednesday at Citi Field. "When you look at the changes that were made and whenever you make significant changes sometimes it takes a while to integrate."

The risk included signing Jorge Polanco, a player with an injury history, to a two-year contract worth $40 million as Pete Alonso's replacement at first base. Polanco missed most of the season's first half and was placed on the injured list Wednesday as he awaits surgery on his left ankle.

Stearns also overhauled the coaching staff following last season's second-half collapse that kept the Mets from reaching the postseason.

"When you add new players, add a new coaching staff, adding players with an injury history, you add risk upon risk," Cohen said. "You can have a dispersion of results. It doesn't mean it would have had to turn out bad and maybe the possibility of undesirable results is more of a possibility because of the risk you are taking."

"I equate it to running a portfolio. The more risk you take in a portfolio you can have major upside, but also your downside can be bigger and so you can have bigger variance in those zones. I think that is what happened here."

Cohen indicated he's encouraged by the team's recent play, which includes 11 victories in the past 15 games, and he's optimistic about the farm system following Stearns' selling at the trade deadline.

Previously, Cohen committed to not firing Stearns, whose contract runs through 2028.

"It's a process," Cohen said. "I don't think there's any magic bullets out there. But I am a process guy, and if you

Cohen: Stearns will learn from 'too much risk'

ON HIS OWN: Mets owner Steve Cohen (top left) chats with the media before Wednesday's 4-2 win over the Padres. He said team president David Stearns will learn from a poor offseason, in which he "took too much risk." Robert Sabo

think the processes are good and repeatable processes that generally produce good results over time. I think that's all you can do. You can't manufacture players in your farm system overnight. Free agency, as we have seen, can be dicey. All you can do is make the best decisions you can and then build from that."

Interim manager Andy Green has

said he plans to return to the front office after this season. Cohen was asked what he would like to see in the next manager.

"I want a manager that can really relate to players," Cohen said. "I love the idea of a manager that motivates the players. As we know, baseball is up and down. People have great moments and go into slumps. And so, how do you get the best out of your players? I think that is pretty important."

mpuma@nypost.com

Mets notes / Page 46

Amazin' spite? Not from Alonso

By DAN MARTIN

BALTIMORE — While their recent surge may help the Mets avoid going down as perhaps the most disappointing team in franchise history, Pete Alonso is a few hours south, having another season in which he's been among the league's best hitters.

And after a sluggish start with the Orioles, the first baseman has his new team in wild-card contention, and he is on the verge of another 30-homer season.

With a trip back to Citi Field less than a month away, Alonso said Wednesday he's not seeking revenge on his former team, which didn't want him back on a multi-year deal.

"Honestly, for me, nothing

is spiteful," Alonso said before Baltimore lost 5-3 to the Yankees. "During the free agent process, the Orioles were the front-runners the entire time. For me to be in a place where they see me here not for the short term but a long-term period of time, [and] not just a valuable piece from a production standpoint but a cornerstone of the franchise, I want to make good on their belief in me. I do that by playing well and helping win ballgames. It's as simple as that."

The Mets' plan to replace Alonso and Brandon Nimmo with Jorge Polanco and Marcus Semien in the infield, and Luis Robert Jr. in the outfield, proved to be a disastrous miscalculation.

The team has stunningly

gotten better following the trades of valuable pieces like Clay Holmes, Luke Weaver and other members of the bullpen.

Alonso has kept an eye on his former team and said he's pleased Sean Manaea is pitching better, and Francisco Lindor is healthy and doing well.

But the series against his old team is too far away for him to give it much thought, especially as the Orioles try to get to the playoffs.

"We play the New York Yankees today in a huge divisional battle," Alonso said before belting home run No. 29 in the O's defeat and appearing to hit No. 30, though it was controversially ruled foul. "Obviously, [the series versus the Mets] is not at the

top of my priority list right now. I want to focus on today and every team we're playing. I know it's coming down the road pretty soon, but we have business to take care of every single day."

Since the end of April, few have done that better than Alonso — just three players have an OPS higher than Alonso's 915 over his past 96 games. He credits the improvement to getting comfortable in his new surroundings, as well as adapting to fatherhood.

"It's a big change," Alonso said. "Now, things are firing on all cylinders."

The Orioles opened Wednesday a game out of the final AL wild-card spot.

"It's a really exciting time," Alonso said.

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56

Montefiore Einstein Official Hospital of the New York Yankees

■ Luis Gil pitched two scoreless innings with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Tuesday as he looks to get a September call-up to the Yankees bullpen after missing much of the season with right shoulder inflammation.

ON DECK

at Orioles Thursday, 6:35 p.m., YES, WFAN (660 AM, 101.9 FM)

RHP Gerrit Cole

2026 stats: 6-6, 3.22 ERA Career vs. BAL: 7-3, 2.39 ERA Last start: Fri., at TOR; 6 IP, 1 ER, 5 K

PITCH BREAKDOWN

49% 4-Seamer

19% Slider 15% Change

RHP Kyle Bradish

2026 stats: 7-11, 3.65 ERA Career vs. NYY: 2-2, 3.40 ERA Last start: Sat., at TB; 6 IP, 2 ER, 4 BB

PITCH BREAKDOWN

35% Sinker

26% Slider 22% Curve

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ROOM FOR WON 'MORE

By DAN MARTIN

BALTIMORE — As Pete Alonso's towering fly ball to left field sailed over the foul pole, it sure looked like the Orioles had taken a late lead over the Yankees.

But to the surprise of many at Camden Yards on Wednesday, the ball was called foul — and after a lengthy review, the call stood and the game remained tied.

YANKEES 5 Boxscore ORIOLES 3 Page 40

And these Yankees, while hardly overpowering, took advantage and won their third straight, 5-3.

As Aaron Boone said, "We were able to hold on for dear life."

The winning rally in the top of the eighth featured just one hit, a bases-loaded infield single by George Lombard Jr.

Heliot Ramos was hit by a pitch and Jazz Chisholm Jr. walked before José Caballero, hitting for the injured Ryan McMahon, was also drilled by right-hander Cam Sanders.

Facing Yennier Cano, Lombard came through with the hit, and then with Austin Wells batting, Cano threw a wild pitch that scored Chisholm, who hustled to the plate despite the ball not getting far away from catcher Yohel Pozo.

"I was ready for a ball in the dirt," Chisholm said.

"He was flying," Boone said of Chisholm. "It shows what an instinctive base runner Jazz is."

Still, the eighth inning had a much different feel as a tie game than one in which the Yankees would have trailed by at least one run.

Alonso, who walked down the line holding his bat before flipping it dramatically when he thought it was fair, said he "100 percent" thought the call would be overturned.

Yanks 'hold on for dear life' to top 0's for 3rd straight victory

MUSIC TO BOMBERS' EARS: Jazz Chisholm Jr. slides into home plate and scores on a wild pitch in the eighth inning. Former Met Pete Alonso (below) reacts after hitting what he thought was his second home run of the game during the seventh inning before replay ultimately ruled a foul ball after a lengthy review.

But the MLB replay center said the replay official "could not definitely determine that the ball left the playing field in fair territory."

"The video room and the umpire called it foul," Alonso said. "[Those] are the only opinions that really matter. And kudos to [the Yankees] for responding, for breaking the tie that next half inning and to Headrick for making some really tough pitches after a loud strike one."

Headrick, still effective despite being the most heavily used in a bullpen that's been taxed, breathed a sigh of relief.

"I'm a pitcher, so my van-

tage point was I thought it was foul," the lefty said. "It could have gone either way. It went in our favor. We'll take it. Once that happens, you really have to buckle down and get the out."

For a second straight game, the Yankees got just four innings from their starter, as Will Warren needed 90 pitches to get through four frames.

Five relievers combined to give up just one run, as Fernando Cruz allowed a two-out homer to Dylan Beavers in the sixth. "They've been awesome," Boone said. "The strength of the rotation and the bullpen is why we're in this position."

The Orioles took the lead in the bottom of the first on a double steal, as Jackson Holliday scored from third when Austin Wells threw to second in a failed attempt to get Gunnar Henderson.

Warren retired the next two batters to avoid further damage.

Ryan McMahon delivered a run-scoring single in the second, which was followed by a sacrifice fly by Lombard.

Ben Rice's 431-foot solo homer in the third made it 3-1 and they had a chance to add to their lead when Garcia and Ramos followed with singles.

Chisholm then lined one to first, where Samuel Basallo made a nice diving catch and Jones struck out.

Baltimore got a run back in the third, as Alonso went the other way for his 29th homer of the season to cut the lead to one run.

dan.martin@nypost.com

Montefiore Einstein

Official Hospital of the New York Yankees

---

By DAN MARTIN

BALTIMORE — The comparisons have been there for a while, and certainly since George Lombard Jr. made his debut with the Yankees earlier this month.

At shortstop, he can make plays up the middle and deep in the hole to his right, as Lombard did in Tuesday's win over the Orioles, when he took a hit away from Christian Encarnacion-Strand to open the bottom of the fourth.

At the plate, Lombard has been the second-best Yankees hitter since his Aug. 4 call-up, displaying power and an ability to hit to all fields.

Tuesday, there were a pair of singles through the hole on the right side of the infield that looked familiar.

Lombard spoke with Derek Jeter last offseason but told The Post on Tuesday he hasn't had a conversation with the Hall of Famer since he was promoted from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre two weeks ago.

And when the subject of those comparisons with his famous predecessor came up, Lombard said he'd yet to hear of them.

"I don't think anybody close to me has said that and no coaches ever mentioned it," Lombard said before going 2-for-3 with two RBIs in the Yankees' 5-3 win over the Orioles. "It definitely doesn't hold any weight in my mind. I've always been told to be myself and play your game. That's all I try to do. I know what I can do to help the team win, and I just prepare to play my game."

Asked if he could see why some

Lombard eager to carve own path as Jeter comps begin

might draw parallels between the two tall shortstops with similar builds, skill set and uniform, Lombard said. "I guess a little bit. Some of the line drives to right. I can see why people say it."

But he added quickly, "We're different players."

And that's fine with the Yankees, who were especially struck by the play he made Tuesday to rob Encarnacion-Strand of a single.

"He got those steps off [away from first base] and still was able to get the throw with that carry," Aaron Boone said.

"To throw across his body like that was impressive," said Carlos Rodón, the beneficiary of Lombard's defensive prowess. "I was a fan in the moment. It was fun to watch."

Trent Grisham, behind the play in center, called the throw "eye-popping."

Lombard added a pair of hits that Jeter no doubt would have been proud of. He got a ball through the right side with one out in the fifth for just the second hit of the night off Baltimore right-hander Shane Baz.

Two innings later, with Spencer Jones at first and one out and two strikes, Lombard drove another

ball into right field.

Both he and Jones scored on Grisham's go-ahead single.

"He battled," Boone said of Lombard's at-bat. "He got a couple balls through that hole."

And though questions remain about how well Lombard will hit in the majors, he's made strides throughout his minor league career that the Yankees believe will pay off with them.

"We waited," Boone said of the organization's approach to calling up Lombard. "Part of it was to get his offense to a place [we were comfortable with]. We feel he's really grown and taken big strides as a hitter. We felt he was ready defensively for a long time. Offensively, he continues to get better. It's in line with what he's been the last couple months: a lot of competitive at-bats."

Maybe that will spread to the rest of the lineup, which has looked feeble for much of Aaron Judge's absence since the beginning of June.

But that's not Lombard's concern.

"I've just felt comfortable," Lombard said. "I'm focusing on what I can control, which is helping the team win games. That's what all my energy has gone towards."

McMahon exits early with bum thumb

By DAN MARTIN

BALTIMORE — Ryan McMahon exited Wednesday's 5-3 win over the Orioles in the top of the eighth with a left-hand injury suffered sliding into second base in the top of the second.

The third baseman, who initially remained in the game, underwent X-rays that McMahon said didn't show any damage, although there will be more testing Thursday.

"It's a little sore," McMahon said of his thumb, which got caught on the slide when he was thrown out trying to stretch an RBI single into a double.

As the game went on, McMahon said there was more swelling, so he let Aaron Boone know, and with the game tied in the top of the eighth, Boone opted to pinch hit José Caballero for McMahon with two on and two out.

Caballero ended up getting hit by a pitch to load the bases, and George Lombard Jr. followed with a go-ahead infield single.

McMahon said he hopes not to miss much time.

► Despite their ongoing issues at the plate — the Yankees entered Wednesday with the second-worst OPS and second-fewest runs scored in the majors since losing Aaron Judge to a fractured rib — Boone strongly defended his hitting coaches.

"I think they're great," Boone said. "As a group headed by [hitting coach James Rowson], they're very prepared.

... I think they're providing the right things. Look, it's been a struggle. I get it. I have a ton of confidence in our leadership there. We've just had a hard time getting results, but watching how they go about it, how they prepare, watching things said in meetings, watching what they're giving players, [I have] a ton of confidence."

Perhaps the return of Cody Bollinger, who is scheduled to play in a minor league rehab game with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Thursday, will help.

But there is still no known timeline for Judge's return.

► Boone said Max Fried had "another good day" Wednesday after being placed on the 15-day IL Monday with what was termed an elbow bone bruise but is actually inflammation near the elbow.

RICE TO THE OCCASION: Ben Rice celebrates with Heliot Ramos after hitting a solo home run in the third inning of the Yankees' 5-3 win over the Orioles. Getty Images

YANKEES NOTES

Montefiore Einstein

Official Hospital of the New York Yankees

57

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58

STREAM IT OR SKIP IT

"A Child of My Own" (Netflix) is so thoughtful in its approach to true crime, it risks not being a "true-crime documentary" at all. That's a good thing, of course.

OUR CALL: STREAM IT

WHAT TO WATCH

It's a brand new day (and decade)... but the world of "Camp Rock" still delivers. "Camp Rock 3" (Disney+) takes fans of the DCOM franchise back to the legendary campgrounds where Connect 3 (Joe, Nick, and Kevin Jonas) and Mitchie Torres (Demi Lovato) became stars, and ushers in a new talented crop of campers: Sage (Liamani Segura, left), Fletch (Malachi Barton), Rosie (Lumi Pollack), Desi (Hudson Stone), and Cliff (Casey Trotter).

1

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CHASING A STREAM

Elizaveta Neretin says Taylor Sheridan 'trusted' her to create her 'Lioness' character's backstory

By KAREN KEMMERLE

Elizaveta Neretin was destined to play Ukrainian double agent Oleksandra Balakin on Paramount's hit spy thriller, "Lioness." After wowing creator Taylor Sheridan with her performance as the doomed Vera Sunter in "Mayor of Kingstown" while still studying acting at The Juilliard School, Neretin felt like their paths would cross again. "He knew I was going to school, and he was like, 'Go to school. I'll see you on the other side,'" said Neretin. "After I graduated, I messaged him, and he messaged me back saying that he had something for me." With her "half-Russian, half-Ukrainian" background, Neretin found playing Oleksandra "difficult" at times, especially when her fully Ukrainian character took great offense at being called "Russian" as an insult during an interrogation conducted by Kyle McManus (Thad Luckinbill) and Cruz Manuelos (Laysla De Oliveira). However, as an actor, Neretin noted that "you take on someone's perspective, and you play their truth." For her part, Neretin focused

on "what my mother, my mother's family, and many of my friends are feeling right now" to convey the depths of Neretin's pain. After Joe McNamara's (Zoe Saldaña) identity is exposed and her family is put in danger, Joe recruits an unwilling Oleksandra to join their team to find out the responsible parties and further engage with Russia through spycraft. When asked if—given previous events—this was the optimal result for Oleksandra, Neretin was quick to answer: "Oleksandra didn't want to be recruited. The best-case scenario would be if they just took the latest information she gave them and left her alone." Will Joe eventually come to trust Oleksandra? Audiences will have to wait and find out. "There is respect, but also judgment by Joe when it comes to Oleksandra," said Neretin. Neretin spoke to DECIDER over Zoom to discuss her role on the series, chat about creating Oleksandra's backstory, and more.

DECIDER: You spent a whole seven years studying biology before going to The Juilliard School to get your Master of Fine Arts. When did you know you had to make a career change

felt on set? Is that something you carry? Very much so. It was quite challenging. I am half-Russian, half-Ukrainian. Saying "don't call me Russian" in that one scene was very difficult for me, and yet, as an actor, that is the job. You take on someone's perspective, and you play their truth. You must lean into it. In that particular scene, I focused on what my mother, my mother's family, and many of my friends are feeling right now. It's the pain of the people. In Episode 3, we learn a lot about Oleksandra. We know her father died fighting. Her brothers are soldiers. Did you and Taylor discuss what led her to becoming a double agent? No, actually, those were things that I worked on myself. I created my own backstory for her. Taylor and I spoke about general ideas. I'm Canadian, and I work in the States, so I am definitely removed from the conflict. However, because all of my family is over there, the war is still very much part of my life. It wasn't difficult to create Oleksandra's story. So once Taylor started telling me his ideas about her, I was like, "Oh, I got it." He trusted me with that.

to follow your passion? ELIZAVETA NERETIN: I was on a vacation with one of my best friends after having my heart broken. We sat on the beach, and she kept asking me what I wanted to do. I kept starting my answers off with, "Well, I could..." and then filling in the blank. She snapped at me and said, "I know you could do a lot of things, but what do you want to do?" Growing up, my father pushed me

to do science and made the possibility of becoming an artist feel like a shameful thing. So, I finally said, "I've always wanted to be an actor." She asked me, "Why don't you?" And I didn't have a good enough reason not to [laughs]. "Lioness" is one of—if not the most—topical shows on television—especially since this season explores Russia's war in Ukraine. Is that responsibility

TRENDING NOW

Another high-profile guest star has joined "Only Murders in the Building" Season 6. Olivia Colman (left) was confirmed as a guest star in the upcoming installment, which is currently being shot in the U.K.

WHAT'S NEW

ON DISNEY+ "Disney Worldbuilders," a new documentary.

ON PRIME VIDEO "Novak Djokovic: The Wolf in Winter," delving into the world of the famous tennis pro (left).

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Best Bets

What's on Tonight

THRILLER

Jason Bourne: 4:15 p.m. on AMC. Matt Damon, Tommy Lee Jones. The CIA's most dangerous former operative is drawn out of hiding.

ACTION

Speed: 8 p.m. on USA. Keanu Reeves, Dennis Hopper. An extortionist bomber rigs a Los Angeles city bus to explode if its speed drops below 50 mph.

CRIME

Ocean's Thirteen: 11 p.m. on TNT. George Clooney, Brad Pitt. Danny Ocean rounds up the boys for a third heist after Willy Bank double-crosses the line.

Thursday August 20, 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 Evening News	Inside Edition	Entertainment Tonight	Big Brother		First Marriage (R)	(9:31) Ghosts (R)	(10:01) Elsbeth: Scenes From an Italian Restaurant		CBS News 11pm	(11:35) Comics
4 WNBC	4	4	NBC Nightly News	News 4 New York at 7	Access Hollywood	Law & Order: Parasite (R)		Law & Order: Special Victims Unit: Gimmick (R)		Law & Order: Special Victims Unit: Impropriety (R)		News 4 New York at 11	(11:35) Tonight Show
5 WNYW	5	5	(6:00) 6 O'Clock News	Extra	TMZ (R)	Celebrity Crime Scene: Princess Diana		Best Medicine: Mind Your Own Buboes (R)		The 10 O'Clock News		Good Night New York	Feud Favorites (R)
7 WABC	7	7	ABC World News	Jeopardy!: Tournament	Wheel of Fortune (R)	Celebrity Family Feud: Bow Wow vs Rickey Smiley		(9:01) Press Your Luck: The Biggest Big Banks		The Greatest Average American: Shopping Cart (R)		News	(11:35) Kimmel Live
9 WWOR	9	9	Family Feud (R)	Family Feud (R)	Family Feud (R)	The News on My 9		Dateline: Final Curtain		Family Feud (R)	Family Feud (R)	Dateline: The Mansion on Ocean Boulevard
11 WPIX	11	11	(6:00) PIX11 News at 6	Seinfeld: Lip Reader	The Big Bang Theory	Trivial Pursuit: Breaking Good (R)		Scrabble: Scrabble Club (R)		PIX11 News at Ten		New York Nightcap	Seinfeld: The Implant
13 WNET	13	13	EBC World News	The PBS News Hour		Dolly Parton: Here I Am: The life, career and music of Dolly Parton are reflected in interviews.				Luther Vandross: Live at Wembley			Amanpour
21 WLIW	21	21	(6:00) News	American Experience: Chasing the Moon (R)				Resolve to Solve with		Impossible Builds (R)		BBC News	The Day
25 WNYE	25	25	Laura	Great Conversations		Food. Potluck		Roots	Feet	Hospitality and Politics		My World	LBI Library
31 WPXN	31	31	(6:00) FBI	FBI: Unforeseen		FBI: Behind the Veil		FBI: Phantom		FBI: Best Laid Plans		FBI: Family Affair
41 WXTV	41	41	N Univisi	La rosa de Guadalupe		Tan Cerca de Ti, Nace el		Guardian de mi Vida		Corazon de Oro		Noticias	N Univisi
47 WNJU	47	47	Noticias	Top Chef VIP				El Señor de los Cielos		Lejos de Ti		Noticiero	Noticias
55 WUNY	55	55	Perfect (R)	Last Man	Last Man	News 8pm		48 Hours: Lizzie Borden		Judge Judy	Judge Judy	Neighbor.	Neighbor.
A&E	46	46	Accused	Accused: Guilty or (R)		Accused: Guilty or (R)		Accused: Guilty or		(10:01) Accused: Guilty or		(11:04) Accused: Guilty or
AMC	54	43	Bourne ★★	Unstoppable (2010, Thriller)		Denzel Washington. ★★★		TNA IMPACT!				Gone in 60 Seconds ★★★
BBCAM	71	101	Robin Hood: Men in Tights (1993, Comedy)			Cary Elwes. PG-13 ★★★		The Blues Brothers (1980, Comedy)		John Belushi. R ★★★
BET	37	54	(6:40) Family Feud	Celebrity Family Feud: Neil Patrick				Black Knight (2001, Adventure)		Martin Lawrence. PG-13 ★★			Martin
BRAVO	18	44	Housewives	(6:19) Real Housewives		Housewives of Orange		Ultimate Girls Trip (R)		Housewives		Housewives: Loch Mess
CNBC	15	24	Money	Shark Tank		Shark Tank		Shark Tank		Shark Tank		Shark Tank
CNN	78	25	(6:00) Lead	Erin Burnett OutFront		Anderson Cooper 360°		The Source with Kaitlan		CNN NewsNight		Laura Coates Live
COMEDY	45	50	The Office	The Office	The Office	The Office		The Office: Christmas		The Office	The Office	Family Guy	Family Guy
DISC	66	27	Chasers (R)	Eye of Storm (R)		Eye of Storm (R)		Eye of Storm: Spin City		Eye of Storm (R)		Eye of Storm (R)
DISNEY	49	31	Big City	Big City	Big City	Mulan (1998, Family) Ming-Na Wen. G		Phineas		Phineas	Kiff	Miraculous	Miraculous
E!	24	51	Save the Last Dance (2001) Julia Stiles.			Coyote Ugly (2000, Drama) Piper Perabo. PG-13 ★★		Cocktail (R)		Cocktail (R)		Coyote Ugly (2000) ★★
ESPN	28	36	Sports	NFL Countdown		NFL Preseason Football: Las Vegas Raiders at Houston Texans. Live.						SportsCenter with Scott
ESPN2	29	35	(6:00) Little League Wrld Series Live.			High School Football: Brentwood Academy Eagles at Baylor Red Raiders. Live.						College	LIVING ON:
FBN	43	106	Bottom	Kudlow (R)		Cops	Cops	Cops	Cops	Cops	Cops	Cops	Cops
FNC	44	26	Spc. Rpt.	The Ingralman Angle		Jesse Watters Primetime		Hansity		Gutfeld!		Fox News @ Night
FOOD	50	97	Beat Bobby	Beat Bobby	Beat Bobby	Restaurant Impossible		Ramsay's Secret Service		Ramsay's Secret Service		Kitchen Nightmares
FREE	38	49	Princess and Frog (2009)			(7:35) Moana (2016, Comedy) Dwayne Johnson, Auli'i Cravalho. PG				Project Runway		The 700 Club (R)
FS1	400	99	Harvick	Indycar NICS Racing		MLB Baseball: Washington Nationals at Texas Rangers. Live.						Travis	Greatest
FX	10	40	Captain America: Civil War (2016) ★★★			Thor: Love and Thunder (2022, Action) Chris Hemsworth. ★★★						Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (2024)
HALL	198	200	Love, Fall & Order (2019) Erin Cahill.			Garage Sale Mysteries: The Pandora's Box Murders				Golden	Golden	Golden
HGTV	64	98	Zillow Wild	Zillow Wild	Zillow Wild	My Rental	My Rental	My Rental	My Rental	Totally '90s	Designing	Hunters	Hunters
HIST	40	47	Secrets (R)	Secrets Declassified (R)		Secrets Declassified (R)		Secrets Declassified (R)		(10:05) Engineering Fr.		(11:05) Secrets Declass.
ID	23	171	Monster	American Monster		Married to Evil		A Killer Among Friends		Game Day Murders		Murder Under the Friday
LIFE	62	45	(6:00) NCIS	NCIS: My Other Left Foot		NCIS: One Shot, One Kill		NCIS: Good Samaritan		(10:03) NCIS: Enigma		(11:03) NCIS: Bete Noir
MeTV	33	33	MAS*H	MAS*H	MAS*H	Andy	Andy	Loves Ray.	Loves Ray.	Golden	Golden	Burnett	P. Mason
MSG	27	87	MSG PM	Knicks Classics				MSG Vault				Knicks Classics
MSG Plus	48	88	FanDuel Racing			Golf Life		NHL Hockey: St. Louis Blues at New York Islanders.				NHL Hockey Replay.
MSNOW	14	23	Air Melber	The Weeknight		All in with Chris Hayes		The Briefing Jen Psaki		Lawrence O'Donnell		The 11th Hour with Ali
MTV	20	53	Ridiculous	Jersey Shore: Family (R)		Jersey Shore: Family		Jersey Shore: Family (R)		The Waterboy (1998, Comedy) Adam Sandler. ★★
NATGEO	65	162	2.2.2.2.2.2.2.2.2.2.2.2.2.2.2.2.2.2.2.2.2.2.2.2.2.2.2.2.2.2.2.2.2.2.2.2.2.2.2.2.2.2.2.2.2.2.2.2.2.2.2	Medicine: Queen Anne's		Medicine (R)		Mysterious Islands		Mysterious Islands		Medicine (R)
NICK	6	121	SpongeBob	The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie (2004) PG ★★★				Friends		Band	Band	Band
OWN	173	180	Family	Funniest Home Videos		Funniest Home Videos		Waiting to Exhale (1995, Drama) Whitney Houston. R ★★
PARMT	36	56	Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002, Fantasy) Daniel Radcliffe.					(9:45) Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004, Fantasy) PG
SNY	26	60	Specials	Mets Specials		Mets Classics: New York Yankees at New York Mets. Replay.						Sports	Sports
SYFY	17	68	Freaky (2020, Comedy) Vince Vaughn. R ★★★					Insidious (2011, Horror) Patrick Wilson. PG-13 ★★★					Insidious: 2
TBS	8	39	5.2.2.2.2.2.2.2.2.2.2.2.2.2.2.2.2.2.2.2.2.2.2.2.2.2.2.2.2.2.2.2.2.2.2.2.2.2.2.2.2.2.2.2.2.2.2.2.2.2.	Band	Band	Band	Band	Band	Band	Impactical	Jokers (R)	Jokers	Jokers (R)
TCM	82	41	The Wild One (1953) Marlon Brando. NR			A Streetcar Named Desire (1951) NR				The Fugitive Kind (1959, Drama) Marlon Brando. ★★
TLC	52	28	90 Day (R)	90 Day: Last: Last Knight		90 Day: Last (R)		Little Singles		Jay & Pamela		Baylen Out Loud (R)
TNT	3	37	(6:45) The Equalizer 2 (2018, Action) R			(8:15) The Accountant (2016, Action) Ben Affleck, Anna Kendrick. R ★★★						Ocean's Thirteen (2007)
TVLAND	85	34	Andy	Loves Ray. Loves Ray.		Loves Ray. Loves Ray. (9:20) Loves Raymond				Loves Ray.	Loves Ray.	Queens	Queens
USA	16	38	(6:00) SVU	Law & Order: SVU: Hate		Speed (1994, Action) Keanu Reeves. R ★★★						Speed (1994, Action) Keanu Reeves. R
VH1	19	52	Wife/Kids	Wife/Kids		The Secret Life of Bees (2008, Drama) Queen Latifah. PG-13 ★★★						Set It Off (1996) Jada Pinkett Smith. ★★
WE	59	42	(6:00) NCIS	NCIS: Broken Arrow		NCIS: Enemies Foreign		NCIS: Enemies Domestic		NCIS: False Witness		NCIS: Ships in the Night
YES	53	89	MLB Baseball: New York Yankees at Baltimore Orioles. Live.					Postgame		YanksExtra	Yankees	Homegrown	BK Show
HBO	511	301	Kombat ★★	Mortal Kombat II (2026, Action) Karl Urban. R				Monsters of God		(9:57) Monsters of God		(10:54) Lanterns (R)
MAX	531	321	Opus (2025) Ayo Edebiri. Oracle (2023, Horror) Ryan Destiny. R					Arctic (2019, Action) Mads Mikkelsen.		(10:34) Inconceivable (2017, Thriller) R
MGM Plus	595	3.2.2.2.2.2.2.2.2.2.2.2.2.2.2.2.2.2.2.2.2.2.2.2.2.2.2.2.2.2.2.2.2.2.2.2.2.2.2.2.2.2.2.2.2.2.2.2.2.2
PARSHO	551	321	Top Gun (1986, Action) Tom Cruise. ★★★			Top Gun: Maverick (2022, Action) Tom Cruise. ★★★				(10:15) Bleed for This (2016, Drama) Miles Teller. ★★★

STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?

We'll help you decide! DECIDER DECIDER.COM

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60

LEARNING HIS LESSON

COHEN: STEARNS WILL ADJUST AFTER RISK-FILLED OFFSEASON

SURGING METS

DUMP PADRES

THURSDAY, AUGUST 20, 2026

NEW YORK POST

www.nypost.com

The Sports In Town®

Corey Sipkins

Breaking down the debate over hyped Skattebo

THE

MAN OR MYTH?

Cam Skattebo has played eight NFL games and logged 101 carries, but he's quickly becoming one of the faces of the league — appearing in a CBS ad campaign to promote the season. But while some see him fulfilling that star status, others see more style than substance. DUNLEAVY / PAGES 52-53

HAD IT SMALL THE WAY

PESKY YANKS GRIND OUT WIN OVER O'S / P. 56-57

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