See STORIES on pages 21, 28 and

NEW YORK (AP)—André Leon Talley, a towering figure who made fashion history as a rare Black editor in an overwhelmingly white industry, has died. He was 73.

The death Tuesday of Talley, the influential former creative director and editor at large of Vogue magazine, was confirmed on his Instagram page early Wednesday. No details were given as to his cause of death, but he was known to have had health struggles in recent years.

Often dressed in sweeping capes, Talley was a highly visible regular in the front row of fashion shows in New York and Europe for decades. At 6-feet-6 inches tall, he cut an imposing figure wherever he went.

In a 2013 Vanity Fair spread titled “The Eyeful Tower,” Talley was described as “perhaps the industry’s most important link to the past.” Designer Tom Ford told the magazine Talley was “one of the last great fashion editors who has an incredible sense of fashion history. … He can see through everything you do to the original reference, predict what was on your inspiration board.”

Among the many celebrities offering condolences on Wednesday was Kerry Washington, who wrote on Instagram: “Oh Andre! Heaven

Andre Leon Talley on stage with the broadcaster, Tamron Hall (Rebecca Greenfield photo courtesy of BAM)

Invitation to Prequalify and to Bid

Rehabilitation and Flood Mitigation of the New York Aquarium, Brooklyn, NY: Turner Construction Company, an EEO Employer, is currently soliciting bids for the Rehabilitation and Flood Mitigation of the New York Aquarium from subcontractors and vendors for the following bid packages:

BP #055 – Cleaning/Laborer (Bid, Payment & Performance Bond Required)

BP #048 – Misc. Metal & Railing (Bid, Payment & Performance Bond Required)

BP #043 –Carpentry (Including Temp Shed & HMW) (Bid, Payment & Performance Bond Required)

BP #064 – Spray on Fireproofing (Bid, Payment & Performance Bond Required)

BP #046 – Paint (Bid, Payment & Performance Bond Required)

BP #054 – Pre-Construction Surveying (Report/Pictures) (Bid, Payment & Performance Bond Required)

BP #056 – Surveying (Bid, Payment & Performance Bond Required)

BP #045 – Masonry (Bid, Payment & Performance Bond Required)

Only bids responsive to the entire scope of work will be considered and, to be successful, bidders must be prequalified by Turner. Certified M/WBE and Small Business (13 CFR part 121) companies are encouraged to submit. In order to receive the bid packages, potential bidders either (1) must initiate the prequalification process by submitting a Subcontractor/Vendor Prequalification Statement to Turner, or (2) must be prequalified based on a prior submission to Turner. (Note: Prior prequalification submissions that remain current will be considered as previously submitted or may be updated at this time.) All bidders must be prequalified by the bid deadline: February 7th, 2022 and initial submission of a prequalification statement not later than February 7th, 2022 is strongly encouraged. All bidders must have an acceptable EMR, and will be subject to government regulations such as 44 CFR and Federal Executive Order 11246. Successful bidders will be required to use LCP Tracker compliance verification software. Note that while this is a New York City prevailing wage project, union affiliation is not required for BP #055, #048, #043, #064, #046, #054, #056 and #045. For BP#055 – Union 79 labor force is required. A Webcast about the above Bid Package/s will be held on January 13, 2021. Attendance is optional for all; the Webcast is designed to assist potential M/WBE subcontractors/vendors. Link: Please join this meeting from your computer, tablet or smartphone.

https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetupjoin/19%3ameeting_NWFmNDViZmQtNzNkZi00M2ZhLWIzYjAtMDdhMTM2ZDQ5YTMy%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%2 2%3a%2220e27700-b670-4553-a27c-d8e2583b3289%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%2281be9e3a-0656-4e94-9245fa214eb20ab2%22%7d is not ready for you darling!!!!!! The whole afterlife is going to be just too fabulous now…You will shine so brightly from the heavens that we will know what true stardom looks like.”

Designer Diane von Furstenberg also praised Talley on Instagram, writing: “No one saw the world in a more glamorous way than you did…no one was grander and more soulful than you were.”

In his 2003 memoir, “A.L.T.: A Memoir,” Talley focused on two of the most important women in his life: his maternal grandmother, Bennie Frances Davis and the late fashion editor Diana Vreeland.

“Bennie Frances Davis may have looked like a typical, African American domestic worker to many of the people who saw her on an ordinary day, but I, who could see her soul, could also see her secret: that even while she wore a hair net and work clothes to scrub toilets and floors, she wore an invisible diadem,” he wrote.

His relationship with Vogue started at Duke University, where his grandmother cleaned dorms; Talley would walk to campus in his youth to read the magazine.

Talley was also a familiar figure to TV audiences, serving as a judge on “America’s Top Model” and appearing on “Sex and the City” and “Empire.”

Raised in Durham, North Carolina, Talley worked assorted jobs before arriving in New York in the 1970s, soon meeting Vreeland, striking up a friendship that lasted until her death in 1989.

Talley worked as a park ranger in Washington, D.C., and Maryland, where he told visitors about slaves who built Fort Washington and dressed up like a Civil War soldier, he told The Associated Press in 2003.

After stints with Interview magazine and Women’s Wear Daily, Talley was hired at Vogue in 1983 by Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour and was appointed its creative director in 1988.

Talley released another memoir in 2020, “The Chiffon Trenches,” that included gossipy behind-thescenes tales about Wintour and other fashion figures like the late designer Karl Lagerfeld.

Of all the elements of a person’s apparel, Talley considered shoes to be most important.

“You can tell everything about a person by what he puts on his feet,” Talley told the AP.

“If it’s a man and you can see the reflection of his face on the top of his black shoes, it means they’ve been polished to perfection. … If it’s a woman and she’s wearing shoes that hurt…well, shoes that hurt are very fashionable!”

Talley’s death was first reported by celebrity website TMZ.

By VINCENT DAVIS Special to the AmNews

The NFL playoffs began last weekend with many interesting storylines. The AFC games featured the Kansas City Chiefs, Buffalo Bills and the Cincinnati Bengals, the Nos. 2, 3 and 4 seeds respectively living up to expectations, all defeating their lower seeded opponents.

The Chiefs defeated the 7th seed Pittsburgh Steelers, the Bills eliminated the No. 6 seed New England Patriots, and the Bengals got by the No. 5 Las Vegas Raiders. Cincinnati will play in Tennessee against the Titans, the conference’s top seed, which had a bye in the opening round, on Saturday (4:30 p.m.). The 12-5 Titans have the AFC’s best record. It’s their second consecutive season in the postseason.

This will be the first time the teams meet this season as Cincy has returned to the postseason for the first time since 2015. “It’s exciting for the city, for the state,” said the Bengals sophomore QB Joe Burrow, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. “But we are not going to dwell on that. We are moving forward.”

Burrow threw two touchdowns, completing 24 of 34 of his passes for 244 total yards in his team’s 26-19 over the Raiders. “This isn’t like the icing on top of the cake. This is the cake,” added Burrow, eager to take on the Titans.

The Bills dominated New England on Saturday, winning 47-17. Quarterback Josh Allen was sensational in throwing for 308 yards and five touchdowns. Running back Devin Singletary accounted for 81 yards on 16 carries and two touchdowns. They will next play the Chiefs on the road Sunday at 6:30 p.m. The Chiefs easily ended the Steelers’ season with a 42-21 victory behind QB Patrick Mahomes’ 404 yards passing and five TDs.

The matchup will be the second between the Bills and Chiefs this season. Buffalo won the first 38-20 Week 5 in October. It was the Bills’ fourth win in five games as the Chiefs struggled at the season’s start. They were able to turn it around, winning 10 of their final 12 regular season games.

Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry will make his return on Saturday versus the Cincinnati Bengals after being out since Oct. 31 with a fractured foot

Will Super Bowl wins define Aaron Rodgers’ place among the game’s great QBs?

By JAIME C. HARRIS AmNews Sports Editor

For all of his individual greatness, Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers’ place among the best to ever play the game will in large part be measured by Super Bowl wins. Many football historians opine that he is the most talented QB of all time. More gifted than Tom Brady, Joe Montana and Peyton Manning.

Patrick Mahomes is the only signal caller who longtime followers of football view as Rodgers’ equal in packaging skill, creativity, instinct and football intellect. Yet Brady stands alone in compiling seven Super Bowl victories. Montana is a four-time Super Bowl champion and threetime Super Bowl MVP, all with the San Francisco 49ers. Manning has two Super Bowl titles, one as an Indianapolis Colt and another with the Denver Broncos. At only 26, Mahomes has already played in two Super Bowls, winning one.

The 38-year-old Rodgers has appeared in just one Super Bowl, earning a title in 2011 and capturing the game’s MVP award in the Packers 31-25 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers. This season may be his best chance to get another ring. Rodgers, drafted by the Packers in 2005 out of the University of California with the 24th overall pick of the first round, has taken Green Bay to four NFC Championship Games going 1-3.

The Packers are the conference’s No. 1 seed and after receiving a bye in the opening round of the NFL postseason last weekend, will host the No. 6 seed San Francisco 49ers on Saturday night (8:15 p.m.). The 49ers upset the No. 3 seed Dallas Cowboys on the road by 23-17 last Sunday. The other conference pairing has the Los Angeles Rams taking on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on the road Sunday at 3 p.m.

“There’s four teams left on the NFC side. We’re one of them. We get to host playoff games,” said Rodgers on Tuesday as reported by Packers.com. “This is a special opportunity. We’re not gonna make it bigger than it is.

“We’ve gotten this far being level-headed and evenkeeled and not riding a roller coaster of emotions, and we’re gonna keep on doing the same thing. If it was good enough to get us this far, it’s good enough to get us past this point.”

Rodgers, a three-time NFL MVP, is the favorite to win his fourth this season. In 16 games— he missed Week 9 in the league’s health and safety protocols—the Chico, California native passed for 4,115 yards, 37 touchdowns and a mere four interceptions, the lowest of any regular starting quarterback.

Falling short of a trip to the Super Bowl perhaps won’t diminish Rodgers’ legacy in the view of those who hold him above the NFL’s other historically great QBs. But for others it will lend evidence to their argument that championships should define him more than individual accolades and his immense talent.

(Wikipedia photo)

The Nets try to maintain a top spot without Durant and a part-time Irving

B VINCENT DAVIS

Special to the AmNews

With All-Star forward Kevin Durant now sidelined for four to six weeks due to a sprained MCL of his left knee, an injury that occurred while colliding with teammate Bruce Brown on Saturday at the Barclays Center in a 120-105 Nets win, the team may be close to sending out a red alert distress signal. And it’s not a call to famed Harlem Hip Hop DJ Red Alert either.

Playing without Durant, their most productive player, is a huge void for the Nets to try to fill. He is the NBA’s leading scorer at 29.3 points per game and is also second on the team in rebounds (7.4) and assists (5.8). Guard James Harden, whose stats are 22.7 points, 8 rebounds and 10 assists, and his part time backcourt mate Kyrie Irving, who is at 20 points, 5 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game, expected to generate the bulk of the offense.

The Nets will also look to players such as veterans Patty Mills, fourth in scoring on the team at 13.4, and LeMarcus Aldridge, who was putting up 13.3 points and 5.6 rebounds when the Nets faced the Washington Wizards on the road last night (Wednesday), to continue to provide leadership and strong numbers. The Nets were 27-16 when the NBA schedule began on Tuesday night, third in the Eastern Conference behind the 27-15 Chicago Bulls and 28-16 Miami Heat. Irving said Durant’s injury will not change his decision to remain unvaccinated. He is unable to play home games due to the New York City mandate that requires proof of vaccination to enter large indoor public venues.

“Kev’s going to heal, Kev’s going to be OK, and we’re going to have to deal with that as his teammates,” said Irving speaking about Durant after dropping a team-high 27 points in a 114107 road defeat to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday. “But in terms of where I am with my life outside of this, I stay rooted in my decision. And that’s just what it is…

“Again, I respect everyone else’s decision, I’m not going to ever try to convince anyone of anything or any of that, I’m just standing rooted in what I believe in. And though we’re dealing with this right now with Kev, I just know that I’m protected by the organization, I’m protected by my teammates, I’m protected by all the doctors I’ve talked to. And I just stand rooted.”

The Nets will play away games against the San Antonio Spurs on Friday and the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday. They will return to Brooklyn to host the Los Angeles Lakers next Tuesday and the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday. The Nets will then go on a nine-day, five-game Western Conference road trip from Jan. 29 to through Feb. 6.

Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant is expected to be out four to six weeks with a sprained MCL of his left knee

The unsettled Knicks try to break through mediocrity

By JAIME C. HARRIS AmNews Sports Editor

The Knicks’ 112-110 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday night was emblematic of their season thus far as they have passed the midpoint of their 82-game schedule. The Knicks have been unable to sustain a record above .500 for most of this campaign just as they have labored to win games versus teams above .500 and or distinctly more athletic.

Having risen to 22-21 by winning eight of 11 games from Christmas Day through last Saturday, the Knicks dropped to 22-23 after two straight defeats, both at home. The Charlotte Hornets, who came into New York 23-20, took them down on Monday by 97-87 in the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day game, ending the Knicks’ five-game home winning streak. The Timberwolves subsequently evened their record at 22-22 with a victory at the Garden.

Since Nov. 30 when they were 11-10, the Knicks have been over .500 just once. Last Saturday’s 117-108 victory against the Hawks in Atlanta moved them to 22-21. But the breakthrough proved to be fleeting. Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau has yet to cement a reliable regular rotation and has shown reluctance in playing reserves, notably second-year forward Obi Toppin, in high leverage moments.

With center Nerlens Noel out on Tuesday for the third straight game with knee soreness, Thibodeau went with guard Alec Burks to close out the game instead of inserting Toppin after center Taj Gibson fouled out with three minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. The Knicks held a 107104 lead when Gibson was disqualified. Starting center Mitchell Robinson had picked up his sixth foul at the 6:29 mark of the quarter.

With Burks, RJ Barrett, Julius Randle, Evan Fournier and Kemba Walker on the floor, the Knicks’ small lineup was outscored eight to three by the bigger Timberwolves. Burks, who was scoreless on the night in 17 minutes, missed a potential game-winning, 26-foot threepointer slightly left of the top of the arc with one-second to go. The Knicks were in large part undone by 18 turnovers—seven by Barrett— and nine missed foul shots (24-33).

Fournier led the Knicks with 27, Randle added 21 and Walker, in his return after being out nine consecutive games with a sore left knee, had 19, 17 in the second half. Fournier expressed Walker’s value being back in the fold.

“He brings speed. He brings an attitude to our team…With him on the floor it adds like another weapon,” said the 6-foot-6 shooting guard. “He’s so good at the pick and roll and off the bounce. Great to have him back.”

The Knicks will face the New Orleans Pelicans at MSG tonight and the Clippers at the Garden on Sunday (1 p.m.) before going on a three-game road trip next week contesting the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday, the Miami Heat on Wednesday and the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday, three of the best teams in the Eastern Conference.

(Bill Moore photo)

By LOIS ELFMAN

Special to the AmNews

There hasn’t been a single season of Jaida Patrick’s collegiate career that hasn’t been impacted by the pandemic. While this year hasn’t been without interruptions, the junior guard who began her college playing days at Duke University said she’s incredibly happy with her transfer to Columbia University and is pleased to be part of the Lions’ emergence as a powerhouse presence.

After canceling a game against Hofstra and postponing two Ivy League conference games, Columbia was back in action last weekend, defeating long-time rival Harvard. The team takes on Cornell this afternoon.

“I feel we’ve been working really hard and we were all super excited to go back in,” said Patrick. “I’m excited to start playing and get back in the groove.”

Attending an academically and intellectually demanding university has been a priority for Patrick, who was on the dean’s list at Saddle River Day (NJ). “We try to stick to a schedule and plan our days— let’s handle basketball, really go at it, and then after that let’s focus in on academics,” said Patrick, a sociology major, of how she prioritizes both athletics and academics. After deciding to leave Duke, she chose Columbia for the overall culture of the team. Her brother played football at Cornell and encouraged her to check out the Ivy League. A huge draw was the idea of building a legacy, which coach Megan Griffith has been doing season by season. Although the Ivy League canceled the entire 2020-’21 basketball season, Columbia’s players connected off campus and continued to practice while attending classes virtually. Patrick joined a team determined to sustain the momentum it

had established in the 2019-’20 season. “I felt I really connected with the coaches,” Patrick said. “The environment is unlike anything I’ve experienced before and it really drew me to this program. … The trajectory of where we’re going. I’m really grateful to be part of something so special.” Playing close to home, it’s been nice to have her parents come to games. Right now, Columbia is not allowing spectators, but she’s hopeful they’ll be back courtside by the end of the season. “I’m super close Jaida Patrick is a powerful addition to the Columbia roster to my family, so that was another thing that attracted me to Columbia,” said Patrick. “Being less than an hour from home is definitely something I am grateful for. It’s been great being able to see them. … Even though this [team] is my second family, it’s nice to be around your first family as well. It’s great being in the city I grew up near.”

(Columbia Athletics photo)

Maame Biney is keeping cool heading into Olympics

By LOIS ELFMAN

Special to the AmNews

As short track speed skater Maame Biney heads into her second Olympic Winter Games, she’s vowing not to worry about other people’s expectations. She earned her trip to Beijing at the Olympic trials in Salt Lake City. Four years ago, Biney was a wide-eyed teenager who got a bit overwhelmed by the scope of the Olympics. Now she is a more seasoned competitor.

“I’m definitely a lot more calm going into this Olympics because I know what to expect and I have a really good community behind me that keeps me in check and keeps me calm,” said Biney, the first Black woman to qualify for the U.S. Olympic team in short track.

Biney, who will turn 22 at the end of this month, immigrated to the U.S. from Ghana with her father when she was five and is only the second African-born athlete to represent the U.S. at the Winter Olympics. She grew up and began skating in Northern Virginia and relocated to Salt Lake City, Utah for training after high school.

“I feel like the past three years have been pretty tough on me, but I persevered and I’m here now,” said Biney. “The team that I have behind me now is definitely a stronger team. That will show in Beijing.”

Her team is composed of her coach, Simon Cho, as well as mentors and teammates, and Biney said they’ve helped become a better skater. Cho has implemented new technology to improve Biney’s technique, and she’s also started using a meditation app. To fuel her intellectual curiosity, she’s taken courses at the University of Utah and plans on returning for summer school.

Biney is aware that young girls of color see her as a representative of possibility in winter sports. She hopes to see more diversity as she continues her short track career.

“I really hope to enjoy my experience and be proud of what I do,” said Biney. “I’ve had to work extremely hard and mentally a lot more than I ever had to get to this point. Going to the Olympics with the results that I had at Olympic trials is super reassuring. I hope to go to these Games and just do my best.

“I hope that no matter my result young girls are still able to see me in the sport,” she added. “I’m trying to do what I can and I’m going to enjoy the sport. I’m going to give it my all.”

Short track speed skater Maame Biney (Photo courtesy of Robert Snow/Red Bull Content Pool)