MILITARY MILITARY FACES Eye-catching RV Coast Guard on Questlove on his was made from Guam sees arrival of directorial debut, C-47 fuselage fast-response cutter ‘Summer of Soul’ Page 5 Page 6 Page 18 Hawks rout Bucks to even Eastern Conference finals ›› NBA Playoffs, Page 24 stripes.com Volume 80 Edition 54 ©SS 2021 THURSDAY,JULY 1, 2021 50¢/Free to Deployed Areas VIRUS OUTBREAK Japan mulls no fans at Olympics, report says BY MATTHEW M. BURKE Stars and Stripes Japanese officials are mulling whether to prolong emergency COVID-19 mitigation measures that would interfere with this month’s Tokyo Olympics, as infec- tions begin to surge again in the country’s metropolitan areas. The Japanese government is considering an extension of To- kyo’s quasi-state of emergency by ‘A historic chapter “two to four weeks,” which would clash with the start of the games on July 23, Bloomberg reported Tuesday evening, citing Japan’s Mainichi newspaper. is coming to an end’ Such a declaration would likely mean Olympic events without PHOTOS BY TORSTEN KRAATZ/German army spectators. The German mission in Afghanistan ends as service members head to the last Airbus A400M leaving the Mazar-e-Sharif airfield Tuesday. Meanwhile, the U.S. military in Japan reported no new COVID-19 infections on Wednesday. German, Italian troops withdraw from Afghanistan as US forces continue to leave Japan had 1,765 new cases Wednesday, 692 more than the BY J.P. LAWRENCE second largest contribution to the previous day and 13 less than the Stars and Stripes NATO mission after the United same day last week, according to KABUL, Afghanistan — The States. It focused on northern Af- public broadcaster NHK and the last German and Italian military ghanistan and last had bases in World Health Organization. troops left Afghanistan and ar- Mazar-e-Sharif and Kabul. Fifty- There were 38 deaths nationwide. rived home Wednesday, ending nine German troops died during The government has counted the war for two of the NATO coali- the nearly 20 years of war, The As- more than 795,000 COVID-19 in- tion’s largest contributors as the sociated Press reported. fections during the pandemic and withdrawal of foreign forces ac- Three transport aircraft landed 14,500 deaths, the WHO said. celerates. at Wunstorf air base in northern Tokyo on Wednesday reported “A historic chapter is coming to Germany on Wednesday after- another 714 cases, 238 more than an end,” German Defense Minis- noon, the AP reported. The troops, the previous day and 95 more than ter Annegret Kramp-Karren- wearing masks, lined up on the the same day last week, according bauer said in a statement. She tarmac for a brief ceremony, but to NHK, which cited metropolitan thanked the more than 150,000 the military dispensed with a big- government data. There were troops who served in the country ger reception because of the coro- three deaths. since 2002 and said that the na- navirus pandemic. Okinawa prefecture, home to tion’s military had “proved itself “We have worked long and hard most U.S. troops in Japan, report- in battle.” The commander of German forces in Afghanistan, Brig. Gen. Ansgar Germany most recently had the SEE WITHDRAW ON PAGE 6 Meyer, prepares to leave Camp Marma in Mazar-e-Sharif. SEE JAPAN ON PAGE 8 PAGE 2 • STARS AND STRIPES • Thursday, July 1, 2021 BUSINESS/WEATHER US home prices jump at fastest pace since 2005 EXCHANGE RATES Military rates South Korea (Won) 1,129.94 Associated Press homes in suburbs rather than blistering price increases are like- Switzerland (Franc) 0.9238 Euro costs (July 1) $1.16 Thailand (Baht) 32.06 WASHINGTON — U.S. home apartments or smaller homes in ly to cool off soon. Dollar buys (July 1) 0.8198 Turkey (NewLira) 8.6732 British pound (July 1) $1.35 prices soared in April at the fastest cities. Historically low mortgage Even as demand rose during the Japanese yen (July 1) 108.00 (Military exchange rates are those available pace since 2005 as potential rates, restrained in part by the pandemic, fewer Americans were South Korean won (July 1) 1,104.00 to customers at military banking facilities in the Commercial rates country of issuance for Japan, South Korea, Ger­ buyers bid up prices on a limited Federal Reserve’s low-interest willing to sell their properties, many, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Bahrain(Dinar) 0.3769 For nonlocal currency exchange rates (i.e., pur­ supply of available properties. rate policies, have also spurred perhaps reluctant to have waves Britain (Pound) 1.38 chasing British pounds in Germany), check with Canada (Dollar) 1.2370 your local military banking facility. Commercial The S&P CoreLogic Case-Shill- demand, just as the large millen- of potential buyers troop through China(Yuan) 6.4574 rates are interbank rates provided for reference Denmark (Krone) 6.2624 er 20-city home price index, re- nial generation ages into a peak their homes. That sharply re- Egypt (Pound) 15.6980 when buying currency. All figures are foreign leased Tuesday, jumped nearly home-buying period. The price duced the number of houses avail- Euro 0.8422 currencies to one dollar, except for the British Hong Kong (Dollar) 7.7665 pound, which is represented in dollars­to­ 15% in April from the previous gains have been so dramatic that able, setting off bidding wars for Hungary (Forint) 296.21 pound, and the euro, which is dollars­to­euro.) Israel (Shekel) 3.2591 year. That is up from a 13.4% an- home sales have started to slow as most properties. Last month, Japan (Yen) 110.69 INTEREST RATES nual gain in March. more would-be buyers are priced nearly half of homes sold were Kuwait(Dinar) 0.3012 Norway (Krone) 8.5746 Prime rate 3.25 Many Americans have sought out of the market. selling for above their asking Philippines (Peso) 48.87 Interest Rates Discount rate 0.75 Poland (Zloty) 3.81 Federal funds market rate 0.09 more living space since the pan- Still, economists said there is lit- price, according to realty compa- Saudi Arabia (Riyal) 3.7503 3­month bill 0.04 demic began, seeking larger tle sign that the housing market’s ny Redfin. Singapore (Dollar) 1.3441 30­year bond 2.10 WEATHER OUTLOOK THURSDAY IN THE MIDDLE EAST THURSDAY IN EUROPE FRIDAY IN THE PACIFIC Misawa 67/64 Kabul Seoul 87/55 86/70 Baghdad 117/80 Tokyo Drawsko Osan Kandahar 86/69 72/66 Mildenhall/ Pomorskie Busan 102/60 Lakenheath 65/60 61/50 75/69 Iwakuni 75/72 Kuwait City Bahrain Brussels Zagan Sasebo Guam 111/87 93/87 Ramstein 68/59 62/54 61/55 81/71 84/81 Lajes, Riyadh Stuttgart 113/79 Doha Azores Pápa 70/67 61/54 110/87 Aviano/ 77/61 Vicenza 73/60 Naples 82/70 Morón Okinawa 83/80 94/64 Sigonella Rota 96/71 Souda Bay The weather is provided by the Djibouti 76/65 American Forces Network Weather Center, 103/88 90/79 2nd Weather Squadron at Offutt Air Force Base, Neb. TODAY IN STRIPES American Roundup ...... 11 Classified .................... 13 Comics .........................16 Crossword ................... 16 Faces .......................... 18 Opinion ........................ 14 Sports .................... 19-24 Thursday, July 1, 2021 • STARS AND STRIPES • PAGE 3 MILITARY SD to send Guard troops to Texas-Mexico border BY ROSE L. THAYER Stars and Stripes Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has called upon other states to assist with security at the U.S.-Mexico border and South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem responded Tuesday Stars and Stripes with a pledge to send up to 50 Na- Protesters march outside Ramstein Air Base, Germany, in 2018. tional Guard troops to Texas using Peace activists plan to demonstrate again this year, starting Sunday. funds from a private donation. Noem’s office declined to say whether troops had already left for Texas or when they expect to de- Peace activists to ploy, but the initial rotation should last between 30 to 60 days. South Dakota Adjutant General Jeff return to Ramstein Marlette and the South Dakota De- partment of the Military are work- ing with their counterparts in Tex- starting July 4 as to finalize the details of the mis- sion. BY MARCUS KLOECKNER they say are illegal wars. They are “The Biden administration has BREANNE DONNELL/Army National Guard Stars and Stripes demanding an end to what they say failed in the most basic duty of the South Dakota National Guard troops greet Gov. Kristi Noem during a KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany is the use of the air base to relay te- federal government: keeping the 2019 training exercise in Custer State Park, S.D.. Noem announced — An annual peace protest outside lemetry to drones that collect infor- American people safe,” Noem, a Tuesday that she will send up to 50 National Guard troops to Texas' Ramstein Air Base will start for mation on terrorist groups and at- Republican, said in a statement. border with Mexico, using funds from a private donation. about a week beginning Sunday, fol- tack designated targets. The attacks “The border is a national security lowing last year’s cancellation due on suspected terrorists and mili- crisis that requires the kind of sus- April to support law enforcement he believes in the work of both gov- to the coronavirus pandemic. tants are extrajudicial and have tained response only the National at his state’s border. Other states ernors and “wanted to help out as The activists from the Stopp Air killed civilians, the group has said. Guard can provide.” have responded to Abbott and Du- an American citizen.” Base Ramstein Campaign will set Air Force officials have denied In March, Abbott, also a Repub- cey by sending state law enforce- He built his Tennessee-based up a “peace camp” near the base for years that any data is relayed lican, sent about 500 Texas Nation- ment personnel to help.