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Volume 79 Edition 240 ©SS 2021 TUESDAY,MARCH 23, 2021 50¢/Free to Deployed Areas Male, female soldiers have new scoring tiers in ACFT

BY COREY DICKSTEIN Stars and Stripes The Army has for a third time in three years adjusted its long- awaited, combat-driven fitness test to include new scoring tiers for male and female soldiers meant to acknowledge their “bio- logical differences,” top service officials announced Monday. The Army will begin testing its soldiers on the Army Combat Fit- ness Test version 3.0 in April, Sgt. Maj. of the Army Michael Grin- ston told reporters. The test’s new version will include new gender- based performance scoring tiers and the permanent implementa- tion of the plank as an option for the six-event test. The changes come as Army offi- cials work to alleviate concerns raised by lawmakers that past ver- sions of the ACFT were unfair to women, who posted a sub-50% pass rate of the Crossfit-style eval- uation. In January, Congress halt- ed the Army from fully imple- ALEXANDER BURNETT/U.S. Army menting the ACFT until it was ad- A paratrooper assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division receives the COVID-19 vaccination at Sports USA on Fort Bragg, N.C., in January. justed and studied by an inde- pendent group to ensure it did not favor men. The new scoring system has not been finalized, but planning calls for the creation of five perform- ance tiers for each gender, said Leading by example Army Maj. Gen. Lonnie Hibbard, who leads the Army Center of Ini- Officials at one base take steps to counter vaccine skepticism among service members SEE SCORING ON PAGE 3

BY ALEX HORTON RELATED shown promise: listen to soldiers, walk them BEST OF THE BEST The Washington Post through concerns and mint ambassadors out of Planning for the new scoring system In early February, as military officials faced Vaccination campaigns at skeptical soldiers who changed their minds. has not been finalized, but calls for a wave of skepticism among service members Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has encour- the creation of five performance about the coronavirus vaccine, leaders at Fort US bases in Europe stall aged service members to get vaccinated, join- tiers for each gender: A platinum Bragg took a hard look at what soldiers were Page 5 ing leaders who point to inoculations as a way tier for soldiers who score within the hearing. to help prepare troops for worldwide missions. top 1% of their gender on the ACFT; The feedback was concerning. Misinforma- Fort Bragg, N.C., said they would get the vac- The virus has strained global movement, has a gold tier (top 10%), a silver tier tion on social media fueled doubt about its safe- cine, an Army official said. The vaccine is vol- delayed training with key allies and took an air- (top 25%), a bronze tier (top 50%), ty and efficacy, and endorsements from ex- untary for troops at the moment. craft carrier out of commission for weeks last and a green tier for those in the perts were not getting through. By the end of So officials at the Army's most populated in- bottom 50% among passing grades. February, fewer than half of the soldiers at stallation developed a solution they say has SEE STEPS ON PAGE 5 SOURCE: Stars and Stripes PAGE 2 • STARS AND STRIPES • Tuesday, March 23, 2021 BUSINESS/WEATHER Americans charged in Japan for helping Ghosn flee EXCHANGE RATES Military rates South Korea (Won) 1128.67 Associated Press Prosecutors said the Taylors detained. A court will decide Switzerland (Franc) .9261 Euro costs (March 23) $1.16 Thailand (Baht) 28.42 TOKYO — Japanese prosecu- were formally charged with help- whether they will be granted bail. Dollar buys (March 23) 0.8175 Turkey (NewLira) 7.8601 British pound (March 23) $1.35 tors charged two Americans, Mi- ing a criminal escape, although Yamamoto said prosecutors Japanese yen (March 23) 106.00 (Military exchange rates are those available chael Taylor and his son Peter, dates and other details of a trial are requesting continued deten- South Korean won (March 23) 1104.00 to customers at military banking facilities in the Commercial rates country of issuance for Japan, South Korea, Ger­ Monday in the escape of former were undecided. The prosecutors tion on the grounds the two might many, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Bahrain(Dinar) .3770 For nonlocal currency exchange rates (i.e., pur­ Nissan Chairman Carlos Ghosn sought their extradition for flee or conceal evidence. He de- Britain (Pound) 1.3827 chasing British pounds in Germany), check with Canada (Dollar) 1.2508 your local military banking facility. Commercial to Lebanon, while he was out on months after they were arrested clined to elaborate on the Taylors' China(Yuan) 6.5086 rates are interbank rates provided for reference Denmark (Krone) 6.2400 bail. and detained in the U.S. last May. health and other conditions but Egypt (Pound) 15.7681 when buying currency. All figures are foreign Tokyo District Prosecutors Tokyo Deputy Chief Prosecu- said appropriate procedures Euro .8392 currencies to one dollar, except for the British Hong Kong (Dollar) 7.7660 pound, which is represented in dollars­to­ have been questioning the Tay- tor Hiroshi Yamamoto said Mon- were being taken. Hungary (Forint) 307.69 pound, and the euro, which is dollars­to­euro.) Israel (Shekel) 3.3013 lors since they were extradited day was the last day the Taylors “We continue to be grateful to Japan (Yen) 109.85 INTEREST RATES from the United States earlier could have been detained without the U.S. authorities for their Kuwait(Dinar) .3020 Norway (Krone) 8.5125 Prime rate 3.25 this month. They have been de- charges under Japanese law. cooperation and hope to proceed Philippines (Peso) 48.53 Interest Rates Discount rate 0.75 Poland (Zloty) 3.86 Federal funds market rate 0.07 tained at a Tokyo detention cen- Now that they have been with the trial,” he said, referring Saudi Arabia (Riyal) 3.7503 3­month bill 0.01 ter since March 2. charged they can continue to be to the Taylors' extradition. Singapore (Dollar) 1.3413 30­year bond 2.45 WEATHER OUTLOOK TUESDAY IN THE MIDDLE EAST TUESDAY IN EUROPE WEDNESDAY IN THE PACIFIC

Misawa 53/41

Kabul Seoul 51/42 57/39 Baghdad 86/63 Drawsko Osan Tokyo Kandahar 58/40 60/38 Mildenhall/ Pomorskie Busan 70/51 Lakenheath 40/32 51/35 55/43 Iwakuni Kuwait City 54/48 Bahrain Brussels Zagan Sasebo Guam 84/63 74/69 Ramstein 42/33 57/47 46/37 42/33 82/79 Riyadh Lajes, Stuttgart 95/65 Doha Azores Pápa 57/54 43/36 91/60 Aviano/ 47/28 Vicenza 51/28

Naples 49/41 Okinawa Morón 71/66 72/41 Sigonella Rota 50/44 The weather is provided by the Djibouti 63/53 Souda Bay American Forces Network Weather Center, 87/67 56/53 2nd Weather Squadron at Offutt Air Force Base, Neb. TODAY IN STRIPES American Roundup ...... 11 Comics ...... 16 Crossword ...... 16 Faces ...... 14 Opinion ...... 15 Sports ...... 18-24 Tuesday, March 23, 2021 • STARS AND STRIPES • PAGE 3 MILITARY Postpartum soldiers get more time to shape up

BY NANCY MONTGOMERY mit a weight loss plan to their search has shown that many new fitness standards and had lower away with separate scoring Stars and Stripes command. mothers require far longer to test scores up to 2½ years after curves based on gender and age. Soldiers will have a year to get The new policy applies to both heal from childbirth — up to a giving birth, compared to women In an early test among 14,000 sol- back in shape after giving birth, active-duty and reserve soldiers, year or more — than the previ- who had not given birth. Core diers, 65% of a small set of women the Army has announced. the Army said Friday. Women ously assumed six to eight weeks. strength and cardiovascular en- failed, while 10% of men failed. The service previously gave comprise about 15% of the active- Female soldiers have identi- durance scores were significant- Congress, in response, ordered postpartum soldiers six months duty Army, a 2020 Government fied balancing work, child care ly lower in women at one year the Army to conduct an inde- to meet body fat standards and Accountability Office report concerns, and a new baby as bar- postpartum compared to other pendent review of the new test — pass its physical fitness test. found, and about 23% of reserv- riers to regaining fitness. women. which includes leg tucks and a Soldiers who are between 181 ists. The armed services all provide “Our findings show that addi- heavy deadlift — over concerns and 365 days postpartum will In February, the Marine Corps women with six weeks of conva- tional interventions may be need- that it has made it harder for have any flags on their records also extended its exemption on lescent leave after giving birth ed to assist women in returning to women to succeed and over ques- removed and will no longer be postpartum physical fitness tests and six weeks of “primary care- prepregnancy fitness up to 1 year tions about how big a role fitness entered into the Army Body and body composition standards giver” leave. postpartum,” the study said. should play in the modern Army. Composition Program, which re- to 12 months, up from nine Last year, a Navy study found The extended timeline also quires soldiers to make a series of months. that postpartum women had in- comes as the Army is revising its [email protected] medical appointments and sub- The changes come after re- creased odds of failing to meet physical fitness test and doing Twitter:@montgomerynance US troops based in Japan could have chance to see Olympic torch BY ERICA EARL The flame arrived from Athens, ku, Tokyo, on July 23 for the start Stars and Stripes Greece, aboard a special aircraft of the summer games. TOKYO — The Olympic torch shortly before 10 a.m. Friday at Specific time breakdowns for will pass near several U.S. mili- the Japan Air Self-Defense each location may be found on the tary installations this spring and Force’s Matsushima Air Base in Tokyo 2020 website. summer as it begins its journey Miyagi prefecture, according to The torch relay may be as close INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE Thursday through each of Japan’s Olympic.org. as spectators get to an Olympic Japanese gold medalists Tadahiro Nomura, right, and Saori Yoshida 47 prefectures toward one of the The 121-day torch relay starts at event in person. The International light an Olympic cauldron with the flame brought from Greece to most unique Olympic games in re- the J-Village National Training Olympic Committee announced Matsushima Air Base in Miyagi prefecture, Japan, on Friday. cent history. Center in Fukushima and will pass Saturday that overseas spectators Thanks again to the coronavirus closely by several military instal- will be barred from the games for urday to the Tokyo 2020 website. The concept for the Tokyo 2020 pandemic, spectators will not be lations along its zig-zagging route. the first time in history, due to the The IOC and local organizers Olympic Torch Relay across Ja- allowed to attend the ceremony in The torch is scheduled to pass ongoing pandemic. are asking that torch-relay specta- pan will be “hope lights our way.” Fukushima, Japan, that kicks off through Okinawa City on May 1; The IOC, during a virtual meet- tors observe coronavirus safety Torchbearers will run the flame the torch relay. But onlookers may Sasebo City on May 8; Iwakuni on ing, also said it will be reevaluat- measures such as wearing masks, by famous landmarks and sites, watch from the street as torch- May 13; Misawa on June 11; Yoko- ing guidelines for Japan resident keeping distance from one anoth- according to the website. bearers run through Japan with suka and Atsugi on June 29; and spectators and plans to have a de- er and refraining from traveling the iconic symbol, according to Fussa, in western Tokyo, on July cision by the end of April, accord- from prefecture to prefecture to [email protected] the Tokyo 2020 official website. 12. The journey will end in Shinju- ing to a press release posted Sat- see the relay. Twitter:@ThisEarlGirl Scoring: Army’s new system will combat promotion worries for women en and removes the direct compe- requirement to enter and remain challenging for soldiers, Grinston ting them to improve that strength FROM PAGE 1 tition between males and fe- in the Army. said. can drive down the high number tial Military Training, which has males.” For now, scores do not count for Last year, the Army decided to of troops who struggle with joint spearheaded ACFT efforts. The Lawmakers, when they halted or against soldiers, as the Army is allow soldiers to substitute the and back injuries that make them revised test would create a plati- the Army’s ACFT efforts earlier using its ACFT testing primarily plank for the leg-tuck, but they unable to perform combat-related num tier for soldiers who scored this year, said they were worried to gather data to adjust its scoring could only receive 60 total points tasks. within the top 1% of their gender struggles with the new test among system. But Hibbard and Grinston for completing it. Grinston said For now, Grinston said, the Ar- on the ACFT. It also creates a gold female soldiers might slow the said the service aims to re-intro- they can now receive the full 100 my needs more soldiers taking the tier for those scoring in the top 10% rate of promotions for women in duce the testing as a requirement points for completing the two- ACFT and it needs unit leaders re- of their gender, a silver tier for the service, who compete with by March of next year. minute plank instead of the leg- porting scores in the Defense those scoring in the top 25%, a their male counterparts for ad- The new version of the test, tuck. Training Management System, or bronze tier for those scoring with- vancements and jobs. however, does scrap the job-based The decision was driven by the DTMS, which allows the service to in the top 50% and a green tier for Grinston said he has spent re- scoring tiers that the Army origi- struggles that female soldiers had evaluate anonymous test scoring those who score in the bottom 50% cent weeks speaking with law- nally planned to make part of its with the leg-tuck and similar trou- among soldiers. To date, only 25% among passing grades within their makers about their concerns and ACFT effort. Army officials ini- ble older soldiers had with the new of the Army’s soldiers have an gender. the forthcoming changes the Ar- tially proposed three job-based event meant to measure soldiers’ ACFT score reported in DTMS A soldier’s performance tier my intends to make to the ACFT. scoring tiers, which would require core strength, Hibbard said. and only 7% have two or more would then be included on evalua- “It’s been received very well” different minimum scores on the “It allows for us to account for scores reported. tions and reported to boards to in- by lawmakers, he said. “My final ACFT based on the physical re- those in the service who have been Grinston said the more data the form promotion decisions, instead question when speaking with quirements of a military occupa- in for 15, 20, 30 years that have service has, the better it can tailor of just a soldier’s actual ACFT them has always been, ‘Are we tional specialty, but ultimately never been asked to build the up- the test. He expects future chang- score. moving in the right direction?’ dropped that effort as unneces- per body strength that’s necessary es to come as more soldiers take “This new [tiered] evaluation And, predominantly, they all be- sary, Hibbard said. to do something like a pull up or the test. He also expects scores to system has a goal of achieving two lieve that, yes, we are.” Another change that will be im- the leg-tuck,” the general said. scale higher in the future as sol- objectives,” Hibbard said. “First, The actual scoring system for plemented with ACFT 3.0 is the “It’s significantly hard to [build diers adjust to the ACFT events it recognizes above average phys- the test will not change, Hibbard permanent inclusion of the two- strength] at that age, so by having versus the old, three-event Army ical performance — something said. All soldiers, regardless of age minute plank as an alternative an alternative event [the plank] Physical Fitness Test, which the that’s inherent to the Army’s cul- or gender, must score a minimum event to the leg-tuck. The leg-tuck, we can still evaluate core service phased out last year. ture. And, second, it accounts for of 360 of a possible 600 points — in which soldiers hang from a pull- strength.” the recognized physiological dif- 100 points per event — to pass the up bar and tuck their knees up to The Army hopes measuring sol- [email protected] ferences between men and wom- test, which in the future will be a their chins, has proven the most diers’ core strength and motiva- Twitter: @CDicksteinDC PAGE 4 • STARS AND STRIPES • Tuesday, March 23, 2021 WAR/MILITARY In Kabul, Austin talks ‘responsible end’ to war

Associated Press heen, a member of the Taliban ne- KABUL, Afghanistan — U.S. gotiation team, told reporters that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, if American troops were to stay on his first visit to Afghanistan as beyond May 1, “it will be a kind of Pentagon chief, said Sunday that violation of the agreement. That the Biden administration wants to violation would not be from our see “a responsible end” to Amer- side ... Their violation will have a ica’s longest war, but the level of reaction.” violence must decrease for “fruit- A statement released by the ful” diplomacy to have a chance. presidential palace on the Ghani- With questions swirling about Austin meeting said both sides how long U.S. troops will remain condemned the increase in vio- in the country, Austin said that “in lence in Afghanistan. There was terms of an end date or setting a no mention of the May 1 deadline. specific date for withdrawal, Washington is reviewing the that’s the domain of my boss.” He agreement the Trump adminis- said his stop in Kabul, the capital, tration signed with the Taliban where he met with military com- last year and has been stepping up manders and senior Afghan gov- pressure on both sides in the pro- ernment officials, including Presi- PRESIDENTIAL PALACE/AP tracted conflict to find a swift dent Ashraf Ghani, was intended U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, left, meets Afghan President Ashraf Ghani at the presidential palace route to a peace agreement. to let him “listen and learn” and Sunday in Kabul, Afghanistan. “It’s obvious that the level of vi- “inform my participation” in re- olence remains pretty high in the viewing the future of the Ameri- to withdraw troops from Afghan- longer.” you know, doing what’s necessary country,” Austin said. “We’d real- can force. istan. But Biden said that if the Austin, who arrived after a visit to bring about a responsible end, a ly like to see that violence come President Joe Biden said last deadline, which is laid out in an to India, said, “There’s always go- negotiated settlement to the war.” down and I think if it does come week in an ABC News interview agreement between the Trump ing to be concerns about things The Taliban on Friday warned down, it can begin to set the condi- that it will be “tough” for the Unit- administration and the Taliban, is one way or the other, but I think of consequences if the U.S. doesn’t tions for, you know, some really ed States to meet a May 1 deadline extended, it wouldn’t be by a “lot there’s a lot of energy focused on, meet the deadline. Suhail Sha- fruitful diplomatic work.” Saudi Arabia offers plan for a cease-fire to Yemen rebels Associated Press hold remains another question, as Saudi Arabia has had direct DUBAI, United Arab Emirates a unilaterally declared Saudi contact with the Houthis prior to — Saudi Arabia announced a plan cease-fire collapsed last year. Monday’s announcement, as well Monday to offer Yemen’s Houthi Fighting rages around the crucial as through intermediaries like the rebels a cease-fire in the country’s city of Marib and the Saudi-led U.N., the U.S. and the sultanate of yearslong war and allow a major coalition launched airstrikes as Oman. airport to reopen in its capital, the recently as Sunday targeting Ye- Saudi Arabia made two conces- kingdom’s latest attempt to halt men’s capital, Sanaa. A United sions to the Houthis in the plan, fighting that has sparked the Nations mission said another sus- while not offering everything the world’s worst humanitarian crisis pected airstrike hit a food-produc- rebels previously wanted. The in the Arab world’s poorest nation. tion company in the port city of first involves reopening Sanaa In- The move by Saudi Arabia Hodeida. ternational Airport, a vital link for comes after Yemen’s Houthi re- “It is up to the Houthis now,” Yemen to the outside world that bels stepped up a campaign of Saudi Foreign Minister Prince hasn’t seen regular commercial drone and missile attacks target- Faisal bin Farhan told journalists flights since 2015. Officials did not ing the kingdom’s oil sites, briefly in a televised news conference in immediately identify what com- shaking global energy prices Riyadh. “The Houthis must de- mercial routes they wanted to see U.S. Navy amid the coronavirus pandemic. cide whether to put their interests resume. USS Winston S. Churchill arrives at Naval Station Norfolk, Va., after a It also comes as Riyadh tries to re- first or Iran’s interests first.” The second would see taxes, nearly eight­month deployment habilitate its image with the Unit- Saudi Arabia said that the plan customs and other fees generated ed States under President Joe Bi- would be presented both to the by Yemen’s Hodeida port while den. Saudi Arabia has waged a Houthis and Yemen’s internation- importing oil put into a joint ac- USS Winston S. Churchill war that saw it internationally ally recognized government later count of Yemen’s Central Bank. criticized for airstrikes killing ci- Monday. Both would need to ac- That money would be accessible vilians and embargoes exacerbat- cept the plan in order for it to to the Houthis and Yemen’s rec- sailors opt for vaccination ing hunger in a nation on the brink move forward, with any timeline ognized government to pay civil The (Newport News, Va.) That work included escorting of famine. likely to be set by U.N. Special En- servants and fund other pro- Daily Press merchant vessels through danger- Whether such a plan will take voy to Yemen Martin Griffiths. grams, officials said. Coming home after nearly nine ous waters, intercepting weapons months at sea, sailors on USS Win- and even helping an Iranian dhow ston S. Churchill took a moment with food and supplies when it got UK to boost navy, cial operations “Ranger Re- a shift in priorities due to a per- before leaving the guided missile into difficulties on the Arabian special forces giment” to be used in high-risk en- ceived reduced risk of a conven- destroyer to get a first dose of CO- Sea. vironments, the Ministry of De- tional land war involving Britain. VID-19 vaccine. But awareness of the pandemic The U.K. government plans to fense said in a statement Monday, Prime Minister Boris Johnson set While the pandemic hung over never faded. bolster its navy and special forces ahead of the publication of a com- out a 100-page blueprint for the the ship — as with the rest of the “I’d say a majority of the crew as part of an overhaul of its de- mand paper on the United King- nation’s diplomacy and defense world — through its mission in the are getting vaccinated,” Stanley last week, detailing an ambition to fense strategy, planning to be dom’s defense strategy. Middle East, Churchill completed said, speaking shortly after re- tilt toward the Indo-Pacific re- “more active” in combating A focus on maritime security its work without a single sailor ceiving his own shot. He credited gion, bolster Britain’s nuclear de- threats globally. and counterinsurgency comes as falling ill, said Cmdr. Timothy strict attention to Navy guidelines terrent and fight terrorists. the U.K. is also set to cut troop Stanley, the ship’s commanding about masks and social distanc- Britain will deploy more ships and submarines, and create a spe- numbers by 10,000, a reflection of officer. ing. From wire reports Tuesday, March 23, 2021 • STARS AND STRIPES • PAGE 5 VIRUS OUTBREAK Vaccination pace frustrates military families in Europe BY JENNIFER H. SVAN with U.S. Army Garrison Benelux administered for those who have Stars and Stripes and SHAPE leaders. had a first dose, she added. KAISERSLAUTERN, Germa- Army officials said they expect William Black, 67, a Marine ny — Coronavirus infections are more vaccine to arrive in Europe Corps retiree with underlying soaring and new lockdowns are this week, but were unable to say health conditions who lives in looming across Europe, but vacci- when vaccinations will be availa- Wiesbaden, got himself and his nation campaigns have ground to ble beyond the top two priority wife on the list in Naples, Italy, for a halt on some U.S. bases on the groups, which include medical their first shots March 6, after the Continent, with officials blaming workers, deployable forces, some Navy base opened its inoculation lagging supplies and uneven dis- critical workers and people over effort to the general U.S. military tribution. 75 years old. population. As of last week, about 8% of Ar- “Senior military leaders in Eu- But when he contacted the base JENNIFER H. SVAN/Stars and Stripes my personnel and their families in rope are working very hard with recently to say they planned to Staff Sgt. Jessica Campfield, an allergy immunizations technician with Europe were fully vaccinated, and the Department of the Army to get drive from Germany for the jabs, the 86th Airlift Wing, prepares a dose of the Moderna vaccine in about 18% had received one dose us more vaccine,” the commander they were told vaccinations had January at Ramstein Air Base, Germany. of the coronavirus vaccine, offi- of Regional Health Command Eu- temporarily been stopped, he said. cials said. rope, Brig. Gen. Mark W. Thomp- “It was a good try, but no suc- nificant increase in our supply,” to go to any pharmacy or mass The largest U.S. military hospi- son, said in an online video mess- cess,” he said. “They probably said Lt. Col. Will Powell, a spokes- vaccination event in their town to tal overseas, Landstuhl Regional age last week. didn’t want a flood of old retirees man for the 86th Airlift Wing. be vaccinated,” she said on condi- Medical Center, last week can- Air Force and Navy vaccination driving or flying to Naples to get A military spouse in Belgium tion of anonymity because of con- celed appointments for shots be- efforts in Europe have also stalled, their shots.” told Stars and Stripes that person- cerns about access to the vaccine cause of a vaccine shortage, it with officials blaming a supply About 14% of eligible Air Force nel in the same position as her hus- for her family. said, although some appointments crunch. personnel in Europe have had two band were vaccinated in Decem- The Army is allocating between were reinstated at the end of the U.S. Naval Hospital Naples was doses of the Moderna vaccine, and ber, but neither he nor anyone else 12,000 and 15,000 first doses each week. able to fully vaccinate 40% of eligi- 22% have had one dose, U.S. Air in his unit in Europe has had the week meant for the 157,000 per- In Belgium, “all of our vaccine ble personnel, but is now placing Forces in Europe – Air Forces shot. sonnel in its top two priority tiers. has been given out … we’re not anyone who wants the shot on a Africa spokeswoman 1st Lt. Han- “I feel that we have been aban- The service directs how to distrib- getting it in as fast as we thought,” standby list, spokeswoman Chris- nah Durbin said. doned by the Department of De- ute it to about 80 vaccination sites Army Col. Kathleen G. Spangler, tina Clarke said. At Ramstein Air Base, a hub for fense, who are sending thousands worldwide, said Maj. Jackie commander of the SHAPE They will be contacted “as soon U.S. operations in Europe, Africa of doses of COVID-19 vaccines to Wren, an Army spokeswoman. Healthcare Facility and Brussels as more vaccine becomes availa- and the Middle East, people in the military bases within the U.S.,

Army Health Clinic, said Friday ble,” she said. top two tiers will be prioritized for where those military members [email protected] during a virtual town hall meeting Follow-up shots are still being the vaccine “until we receive a sig- and their families have the option Twitter:@stripesktown Okinawa spike prompts military to backtrack on indoor dining BY JOSEPH DITZLER with seven on Feb. 21, according Okinawa in both the local popula- cluding waiting in malls and food Monday. Stars and Stripes to the prefecture’s data. In be- tion and in the joint-service com- courts. Kadena had lifted that U.S. Forces Korea reported five TOKYO — The Marine Corps tween, case numbers rose munity,” a spokesman for III Ma- prohibition March 4. new infections going back to and Air Force ordered an indefi- through the low teens to 28 on rine Expeditionary Force, Capt. Carey’s order Monday cites ris- March 8, all but one of them new nite end Monday to indoor dining March 4 and into the 30s by mid- Pawel Puczko, wrote Monday by ing infection numbers on and off arrivals to the peninsula. at off-base restaurants on Okina- month. The winter surge on the is- email to Stars and Stripes. base. Kadena has reported 11 Of the four new arrivals, three wa, citing an increase in coronavi- land peaked at 131 new patients on He said most service members cases so far in March, including flew into Osan Air Base aboard rus cases on the island and at their Jan. 27. and eligible civilians offered the four new coronavirus patients the Patriot Express, a govern- respective installations. The Okinawa Marines on COVID-19 vaccine are choosing Sunday. ment-chartered air service, be- Since March 5, the Marines March 5 lifted a ban on indoor to receive it. III MEF is in phase Three developed COVID-19 tween March 8 and 15, according have seen “a steady rise in CO- dining, with limits on group size 1c of the Defense Department pri- symptoms and isolated them- to a USFK news release. The VID-19 cases both on and off- and table spacing. They last publi- ority table, which includes DOD selves before testing positive, ac- fourth arrived at Incheon Interna- base,” Marine Corps Installations cly reported one new COVID-19 beneficiaries ages 65 to 74 and cording to a base Facebook post. tional Airport on a commercial Pacific announced in a Facebook patient on March 10. those ages 16 to 64 with increased The fourth tested positive after flight March 15. post. “Due to this result, the U.S. Forces Japan on its web- risk for severe illness if they con- contact with a previously infected The fifth, a service member at [health protection condition] site, however, listed 13 active cor- tract the virus. person. Camp Humphreys, tested positive measures were re-evaluated and onavirus patients within the Ma- At Kadena Air Base on Okina- Kadena health officials quaran- after developing COVID-19 symp- changed for the health and safety rine Corps on Okinawa as of wa, 18th Wing commander Brig. tined an unspecified number of toms. of everyone on island.” Thursday — 11 at Camp Foster Gen. Joel Carey also ordered an the four’s close contacts. Okinawa prefecture reported and two at Camp Hansen. end to off-base indoor dining “and No other U.S. bases in Japan re- Stars and Stripes reporter Matthew M. Burke contributed to this report. 66 new infections Saturday, the “In the past week, we have seen physically waiting inside a restau- ported new coronavirus patients [email protected] peak of a steady rise that began an increase in COVID cases on rant for carryout/takeout,” not in- between 6 p.m. Friday and 6 p.m. Twitter: @JosephDitzler Steps: Podcast, following commanders help to persuade skeptical soldiers to take vaccine

FROM PAGE 1 ulation. About a third of U.S. where they are as they try to vacci- vaccine was developed too fast or vaccinated. spring, when a quarter of the troops opted out of the vaccine, de- nate more of the force. could complicate her ability to get “Once they got it, it made me roughly 4,900 sailors aboard the fense officials testified last month, The podcast also strays from pregnant. She opted out of the vac- feel comfortable,” Holbrook told USS Theodore Roosevelt were in- using preliminary data. typical military information ses- cine earlier this year, then was in- The Washington Post. “It was a fected. But the approach at Fort Bragg sions of videos and sterile present- fected by the virus, she said. sigh of relief.” Hesitancy among service mem- — including a recent podcast that ations often derided by troops as But her attitude changed once She received her first dose of bers — who have said they fear the hosted three skeptical soldiers “death by PowerPoint.” her company commander and the vaccine in late February, she vaccine was rushed, believe it has discussing how they went from no Staff Sgt. Kiera Holbrook, who first sergeant brought in experts said. Her soldiers followed her been politicized and worry about to yes on vaccination — could help appeared on the podcast, was at to dispel rumors and answer ques- along the way, first opting out, long-term effects — in many ways commanders throughout the Ar- first a hard no. The 29-year-old lo- tions. Her position flipped when then scheduling their own shots mirrors doubts in the civilian pop- my tailor a plan to meet soldiers gistics specialist had concerns the she learned her superiors were when Holbrook received hers. PAGE 6 • STARS AND STRIPES • Tuesday, March 23, 2021 VIRUS OUTBREAK AstraZeneca: Vaccine did well in US study BY MARIA CHENG efficacy results in people over 65 for vere disease and hospitalization. AND LAURAN NEERGAARD the first time.” ”It would be good to know how Associated Press A Food and Drug Administration many severe cases occurred in the LONDON— AstraZeneca report- advisory committee will publicly control group and so what the confi- ed Monday that its COVID-19 vac- debate the evidence behind the dence intervals are for this 100% fig- cine provided strong protection shots before the agency decides ure," said Hunter, who was not con- among all adults in a long-anticipat- whether to allow emergency use. nected to the study. “But this should ed U.S. study, raising hopes that the Ruud Dobber, an AstraZeneca ex- add confidence that the vaccine is findings could help rebuild public ecutive vice president, said that if doing what it is most needed for.” confidence in the beleaguered shot the FDA OKs the vaccine, the com- Britain first authorized the vac- in other countries and moving a step pany will deliver 30 million doses cine based on partial results from closer to clearance for American immediately — and another 20 mil- testing in the United Kingdom, Bra- use. lion within the first month. zil and South Africa that suggested AstraZeneca said the vaccine was The AstraZeneca shot, which has the shots were about 70% effective. 79% effective overall at preventing been authorized in more than 70 But those results were clouded by a symptomatic cases of COVID-19 — countries, is a pillar of a U.N.-backed manufacturing mistake that led including in older people — and that project known as COVAX that aims some participants to get just a half none of the study volunteers who to get COVID-19 vaccines to poorer dose in their first shot — an error the were vaccinated were hospitalized countries, and it has also become a researchers didn’t immediately ac- or developed severe disease. The key tool in European countries’ ef- knowledge. Then came more ques- company also said its experts did not forts to boost their sluggish vaccine tions, about how well the vaccine identify any safety concerns related rollouts. That important role in the protected older adults and how long to the vaccine, including finding no global strategy to stamp out the pan- to wait before the second dose. Some increased risk of rare blood clots demic make doubts about the shot European countries including Ger- identified in Europe. especially worrying. many, France and Belgium initially The findings bolster AstraZene- Stephen Evans, of the London withheld the shot from older adults ca's prior research in Britain and School of Hygiene & Tropical Med- and only reversed their decisions af- other countries, and add to real- FRANK AUGSTEIN/AP icine, said the new data could help to ter new data suggested it was offer- world evidence that the shots are of- Nurse and Clinical Pod Lead Lily Harrington prepares to administer allay concerns about the vaccine. ing seniors protection. fering good protection as they're the AstraZeneca vaccine to Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson in “The benefits of these results will Last week, more than a dozen used more widely. But confidence in London on Friday. AstraZeneca said Monday that advanced trial data mainly be for the rest of the world countries, mostly in Europe, tempo- the vaccine has been repeatedly hit from a U.S. study shows its COVID vaccine is 79% effective. where confidence in the AZ (Astra- rarily suspended use of the AstraZe- because of concerns about how data Zeneca) vaccine has been eroded, neca shot after reports it was linked was reported from some previous plies of three other vaccines — from ceived the vaccine and how many in largely by political and media com- to rare blood clots — even as interna- trials, confusion over its efficacy in Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & those who got dummy shots. Two- ment,” he said. tional health agencies insisted the older adults and a recent scare over Johnson — that already are in use. thirds of the volunteers received Dr. Paul Hunter, a professor of benefits of the vaccine outweighed clotting. AstraZeneca’s interim results are vaccine. medicine at the University of East the risks. On Thursday, the Europe- AstraZeneca said it will seek based on 141 COVID-19 cases in the “These findings reconfirm previ- Anglia, said the results were reas- an Medicines Agency concluded clearance in the United States “in 30,000-person trial, but officials de- ous results observed,” said Ann Fal- suring but that more details were that the vaccine did not raise the the coming weeks,” putting it on clined to tell reporters during a news sey, of the University of Rochester needed to back up AstraZeneca's overall risk of blood clots, but could track to arrive just as the country is conference Monday how many School of Medicine, who helped lead claim that the vaccine was com- not rule out that it was connected to projected to have a big boost in sup- were in study volunteers who re- the trial. “It’s exciting to see similar pletely effective at preventing se- two very rare types of clots. Vaccinated pregnant women pass 3rd dose of Sinopharm antibodies to baby, research shows needed for some in UAE

BY LINDSEY BEVER and harm may be proven quite the It also showed that in 10 women after low immune response The Washington Post opposite. In fact, it may be proven who delivered their babies during The Washington Post doctor to contact health authorities Pregnant women who receive a that the vaccines actually provide the study, all had detectable anti- DUBAI — A limited number of and an appointment would be made coronavirus vaccine not only ac- protection to the developing fe- bodies in their cord blood, and people in the United Arab Emirates for them to have another dose, he quire protective antibodies against tus,” said Hughes, who is also co- nearly all of the lactating women are being invited to have a third shot said, though generally it is the offi- the virus for themselves but also chair of the American College of had antibodies in their breastmilk. of the Sinopharm coronavirus vac- cials that approach the person. may pass along immunity to their Obstetricians and Gynecologists’ One woman who had received only cine after antibody tests indicated He likened the need for a third babies, emerging research shows. COVID-19 task force. She was not one dose of a two-dose vaccine they did not have a sufficient im- shot as similar to a flu booster shot Several preliminary studies involved in the studies. when she gave birth also had anti- mune response following two doses and said those requiring it was a “ve- suggest that women who received Researchers have already seen bodies in the cord, but it was a low- of the Chinese-made vaccine, its dis- ry small number.” The need for a an mRNA vaccine (Pfizer or Mod- that pregnant women who recover er amount than in those who were tributor confirmed Sunday. third shot was originally mentioned erna) during pregnancy had CO- from COVID-19, the disease fully vaccinated. Walid Zaher, chief researcher for on March 10 by the spokeswoman VID-19 antibodies in their umbili- caused by the coronavirus, can Andrea Edlow, who co-authored G42 Healthcare, which distributes for the health sector, Farida al-Ho- cal cord blood. Another study also pass along their natural immunity the study, said one interesting as- the Sinopharm vaccine in the UAE, sani, to the National newspaper. detected antibodies in their to their babies. But the observation pect was that the researchers were told Dubai Eye radio that a study According to doctors spoken to by breastmilk, indicating that at least that vaccine-induced antibodies able to compare antibody re- was underway to give some people The Wall Street Journal, there were some immunity could be trans- may reach a fetus through cord sponses between the Moderna and third doses, explaining that not ev- cases of people with little or no anti- ferred to babies both before and blood and a newborn through Pfizer vaccines. They found that eryone was having an adequate im- body response after two doses of Si- after birth. breastmilk is a new discovery that the women who had received the mune response after just two. nopharm. The revelations could Brenna Hughes, vice chair for may have broader implications in Moderna vaccine had higher lev- “When some people are found to raise doubts about the effectiveness obstetrics and quality at Duke Uni- the fight against the virus. els of one type of antibody, called be not really responsive to the vac- of the vaccine, which is being widely versity, said several recent pre- One preprint, which was pub- IgA. This mucosal antibody is typ- cines, which is expected with all vac- used around the world as countries prints, which are papers that have lished this month, studied more ically found in breastmilk and pro- cines, there was an initiative to ap- scramble to locate vaccines. Many not yet been peer-reviewed, are than 130 vaccinated women — 84 tects breastfed babies against dis- proach these people and give them a of the more effective, Western- “the first to show what we had of whom were pregnant and 31 lac- eases, such as COVID-19, that at- third shot of the Sinopharm vaccine, made vaccines have been snapped hoped would be true, which is that tating. It found that these women tack mucosal areas, particularly which has shown, within the context up by wealthier nations. these vaccines could be potentially had similar immune responses to the respiratory tract. of the study, to boost their immuni- The Sinopharm vaccine has a protective through antibodies the vaccine as nonpregnant wom- Edlow said the researchers will ty,” he said. self-reported efficacy rate of 79%, passed on to the fetus.” en, suggesting that the vaccine soon study the effects of the John- Anyone with low levels of anti- but its data has not been publicly re- “So worries about possible risk would be just as effective for them. son & Johnson vaccine. bodies after a test could ask their leased. Tuesday, March 23, 2021 • STARS AND STRIPES • PAGE 7 VIRUS OUTBREAK Germany looks set to extend lockdown restrictions again Associated Press what to do about Easter holidays. BERLIN — German authorities Restaurants, bars and many lei- were expected to extend lockdown sure facilities in Germany have measures again Monday and possi- been shut since early November, bly tighten some restrictions as and hotels have been closed for they face a steady rise in new coro- tourists. navirus infections. At the same time, Germany’s cri- Chancellor Angela Merkel and teria for assessing the virus situa- the country’s 16 state governors, tion abroad meant that a travel who in highly decentralized Ger- warning for parts of Spain was lift- many are responsible for imposing ed earlier this month, prompting a HOLGER JOHN, DPA/AP and lifting restrictions, were hold- much-criticized surge of bookings Teacher Jakob Meier, right, and headmaster Jan Riedel explain the use of rapid tests for the coronavirus to ing a videoconference nearly three to the popular vacation island of students at the Lyonel Feininger Gymnasium in Halle, Germany, on Monday. weeks after they agreed to a sever- Mallorca. al-step plan paving the way to relax There have been calls for people some rules. returning even from places abroad Teachers lament ‘chaotic’ Since then, infections have in- that aren’t deemed “risk areas” to creased steadily as the more conta- face obligatory tests and quaran- gious variant first detected in Bri- tine. The government has stressed tain has become dominant. Most that it continues to discourage tour- rules in German schools lockdown restrictions are current- ist trips. ly set to run through March 28. The Drawing up legally watertight chancellery is proposing an exten- rules also has been a headache at BY FRANK JORDANS Gromotka, who is married to a free tests for staff and students, sion to April 18. times. A court in Germany’s most Associated Press fellow teacher and has a child in there is no requirement for any- Rather than new moves toward a populous state, North Rhine-West- BERLIN — Under pressure to primary school, said the back and body to take them before going to more normal life, one focus now is phalia, said Monday that it had ease Germany’s virus restrictions, forth reflects the absence of a co- school. pressing regional officials to use struck down rules requiring people officials last month agreed to herent strategy in Germany for Gromotka launched a petition consistently an “emergency wanting to go to some shops to get gradually reopen schools. Con- how to safely keep schools open. demanding that secondary school brake” mechanism under which appointments beforehand. It said firmed COVID-19 cases started Authorities in Berlin purchased teachers be given priority when it relaxations granted in recent they violated a requirement that climbing again, leading some about 1,900 air filters that experts comes to getting coronavirus vac- weeks — such as the partial reo- businesses get equal treatment. states to backtrack while others say will reduce the risk of the virus cines, arguing that they deserve pening of nonessential shops — are Meanwhile, Germany is trying to pressed on and insisted that in- spreading throughout classrooms. the same protection as elementary supposed to be restricted if new speed up its vaccination campaign class teaching must be the rule. But the available number is only school and kindergarten teachers weekly infections in an area exceed after a slow start. On Friday, Mer- Caught in the middle are stu- enough to supply each of the cap- because of the large number of 100 per 100,000 residents on three kel and the state governors agreed dents, parents and teachers such ital’s 900 schools with about two students they come into contact consecutive days. to gradually bring on board ordi- as Michael Gromotka, whose devices. with each week. “Unfortunately, we will have to nary doctors’ practices just after plans to teach art to his year 7-9 Berlin’s online teaching plat- Figures published by Germa- make use of this emergency Easter. So far, Germany has large- students were upended last week form is so overloaded during the ny’s disease control agency, the brake,” Merkel said Friday. ly relied on special vaccination when the state of Berlin nixed day that some elementary school Robert Koch Institute, show the The weekly infection rate per centers. their return to school after months students must wait until 6:30 p.m. number of weekly confirmed 100,000 people stood at 107 nation- As of Saturday, 8,7% of the pop- of remote learning. to have their video lessons. More cases among under-15s more than wide Monday, up from the mid-60s ulation had received at least a first “It was all very chaotic,” Gro- reliable commercial systems were doubled over the past month as three weeks ago. dose of vaccine and 3.9% had re- motka said. “We got less than a rejected over privacy concerns. more children returned to schools Officials also face the question of ceived both doses. week’s notice.” And while Berlin now offers and kindergartens. PAGE 8 • STARS AND STRIPES • Tuesday, March 23, 2021 VIRUS OUTBREAK France’s limited lockdown beset by confusion

Associated Press nonessential shops were closed PARIS — Residents of Paris but people are not required to and several other regions of spend most of the day confined at France spent their first weekend home. The government an- under a limited monthlong lock- nounced the measures on Thurs- down. While the French govern- day as the coronavirus picked up ment insisted the rules would be speed again in some parts of less strict than in the past, the France. measures have been criticized as The country reported 35,327 HIRO KOMAE/AP messy. new confirmed cases on Saturday, People get into a restaurant on the first night after a state of emergency was lifted in Tokyo on Monday. A travel authorization certifi- when the number of COVID-19 cate posted online was so ridi- patients in French intensive care culed by French media for its un- units rose to 4,353, the most so far Japan’s PM vows no virus rebound necessary complexity that the In- this year, the Health Ministry re- terior Ministry scrapped it within ported. hours. For now, simple proof of “When you look at the numbers, as Tokyo emergency measures end residence is required to stroll they’re unsustainable, and it is go- within a 6.2-mile radius. ing to become ever-harder as the BY MARI YAMAGUCHI ima, northeast of Tokyo and the health and sought their coopera- The form the French govern- virus continues to circulate,” Associated Press site of the 2011 nuclear crisis, as a tion in doing what they can to get ment still obliges citizens to fill out Anaelle Aeschliman, a nurse at TOKYO — Japan’s Prime Min- symbol of reconstruction. infections under control and “re- to travel greater distances — up to the Ambroise Pare clinic in the ister Yoshihide Suga pledged Sun- Suga renewed his pledge to gain the peace of mind and daily 18.6 miles — also was not accessi- western Paris suburb of Neuilly- day to do his utmost to prevent a achieve the Olympics in July as “a lives.” ble online because of a technical sur-Seine, told The Associated resurgence of the coronavirus proof of the victory against the cor- The measures have been in glitch. A website Sunday simply Press. “I admit I was a bit disap- ahead of the Olympic torch relay onavirus,” after its one-year post- place for the Tokyo region since said, “Available soon.” pointed that we aren’t being and his upcoming visit to Wash- ponement due to the pandemic. Jan. 7 after daily infections surged Under the new restrictions, locked down nationwide.” ington. Olympic officials decided Satur- to new highs in the area. The non- Suga was addressing his ruling day to bar spectators from abroad. binding measure relied on re- Liberal Democratic Party’s an- “We will deliver courage and quests for restaurants and bars to nual convention, just hours ahead hope from Japan to the world,” Su- close at 8 p.m. and take preventive of the lifting of a virus state of ga said. measures. emergency in the Tokyo region. Suga also wants to keep the in- The government will step up vi- Suga said after the state of emer- fections low ahead of his planned rus tests, monitoring for more con- gency is lifted is “an extremely im- Washington visit in early April for tagious new variants and pay sub- portant time” for virus prevention. his first in-person summit with sidies for restaurants and bars “We must not put our guards President Joe Biden. He will be who cooperate to close at 9 p.m. down ... to prevent the infections the first foreign leader to meet in Japan has not imposed a hard from rebounding,” he said. person, underscoring the impor- lockdown and has kept infections Suga last week announced that tance of the Japan-U.S. alliance. lower than the United States and the monthslong emergency mea- Suga, who received the first shot many European nations. Japan sures for Tokyo, Kanagawa, Chiba of a COVID-19 vaccine last week, has recorded fewer than a million and Saitama would end at mid- said he looks forward to discussing cases and about 8,800 deaths since night Sunday, a move underscor- pandemic measures, as well as the pandemic began, the health ing his government’s eagerness to cooperation in dealing with Chi- ministry said. minimize burdens on businesses na’s growing influence in the re- Experts have said they worry and keep the economy going, de- gion. about a the potential for a resur- spite concerns raised by experts “We would still face ups and gence of infections now that the RAFAEL YAGHOBZADEH/AP about the potential for an upsurge. downs, but we will surely find a decrease in infections in the Tokyo Champs Elysees avenue is empty as the 7 p.m curfew starts in Paris The lifting of the measure light ahead of us,” Suga said. area has leveled off and people on Saturday. The French government announced lockdown measures comes just days before the Olym- Suga vowed to do the utmost to grow fatigued with taking virus on Thursday for Paris and several other regions as the coronavirus pic torch relay starts from Fukush- protect the people’s lives and prevention measures. picked up speed again in some parts of France. China seeks herd immunity, urges unhurried public to get vaccinated

Associated Press 14 days, even if they have received a inoculated would be less, as some He warned that no one is immune 90,099 cases during the pandemic. BEIJING — In China, the prob- vaccine. people have taken two shots. to the disease, and that with the pan- “Now that we have vaccines, we lem doesn’t seem to be a shortage of “China will continue the current China, with 1.4 billion people, has demic still ravaging other parts of must let more people get immunity vaccine. Rather, with the COVID-19 prevention control measures to pre- a much lower rate of vaccination the world, imported cases could and protection through inocula- outbreak largely under control at vent imported cases and rebound of than many other countries. trigger fresh outbreaks in China. tion,” He said. “I once again suggest home, not enough people want to get domestic cases,” Feng Zijian, the “Many people mistakenly think Chinese officials want to get that people get vaccinated as soon the shot. deputy director general of China’s there is no practical meaning to be enough people vaccinated to as possible so as to acquire immuni- Chinese health officials appealed Center for Disease Control and Pre- vaccinated because the epidemic achieve herd immunity. Because ty.” to the public Sunday to get inoculat- vention, said at a news conference. situation is under effective control the outbreak was not widespread in The relatively low rate of vacci- ed. They also said that with vaccina- Through Saturday, nearly 75 mil- and the virus is far away from us,” China, a relatively small proportion nation in China was one reason tions not a guarantee against infec- lion vaccine doses have been given, He Qinghua, a National Health of the population acquired immuni- Feng cited for maintaining the cur- tion, they would still require anyone the country’s National Health Com- Commission official, said at the ty through past infection, He said. rent measures for overseas arriv- arriving in China to quarantine for mission said. The number of people same news conference. Mainland China has reported als. Tuesday, March 23, 2021 • STARS AND STRIPES • PAGE 9 VIRUS OUTBREAK Navajo Nation COVID-19 cases now above 30K

Associated Press new guidelines adopted by the The Navajo Nation has re- state as school officials figure ported nine new COVID-19 out how to reopen campuses cases but no new deaths, push- closed for a year during the ing the total number of cases coronavirus pandemic. since the pandemic past 30,000. The state recommendations The latest numbers released announced Saturday came a Sunday bring the tribe’s pan- day after federal health offi- demic total to 30,0007 con- cials relaxed social distancing DAMIAN DOVARGANES/AP firmed cases. The number of guidelines for schools nation- Parents pick up school materials outside Aurora Elementary School in Los Angeles last week. If their known deaths remains 1,233. wide. The U.S. Centers for Dis- county approves, students in California classrooms can sit 3 feet apart instead of 6 under new guidelines The Navajo Nation had a soft ease Control and Prevention adopted by the state as officials figure out how to reopen campuses during the coronavirus pandemic. reopening last week with 25% advises at least 3 feet of space capacity for some businesses between desks in most schools, days is 1.8%, the state Depart- traveled recently, officials said ing. under certain restrictions. even in towns and cities where ment of Public Health said Sun- in a news release. Health offi- Still, mask mandates and dai- community spread is high, so day. cials are doing further investi- Washington ly curfews remain. long as students and teachers gation of the patient and any OLYMPIA — Washington Tribal President Jonathan wear masks and take other pre- Michigan potential contacts. state is set to advance to Phase Nez reiterated in a statement cautions. DETROIT — Michigan is set The Brazilian variant was 3 of its COVID-19 reopening the importance of getting vac- Local education leaders will to expand vaccine eligibility first detected in the U.S. in Ja- plan Monday. cinated. However, he said have the final say on distancing starting Monday, a move that nuary, and the Centers for Dis- All of the state’s 39 counties those who are vaccinated in California. The Los Angeles comes as public health experts ease Control and Prevention will be allowed to relax corona- should not take vacations or Unified School District said it voice fresh concerns about the has reported nearly 50 con- virus restrictions. hold large in-person gatherings would stick with the 6-foot rule, state’s rising COVID-19 infec- firmed cases nationwide. It has Under Phase 3, all indoor with the ongoing spread of CO- the LA Times reported Sunday. tion rate. been considered potentially spaces — including indoor din- VID-19 variants. Some districts across the Residents age 50 and older more severe than earlier varia- ing at restaurants, indoor fit- The Navajo reservation cov- state will likely embrace the re- will be eligible for vaccines nts and possibly more resistant ness centers, and retail — can ers parts of Arizona, New Mex- vised rules. But many school starting Monday. Ford Field in to current vaccines, though increase capacity from 25% to ico and Utah. systems, including Los Angeles Detroit is set to open Wednes- some recent research has indi- 50%. Larger events like con- Unified, have approved agree- day as Michigan’s first federal- cated it may not be as resistant certs and graduation ceremo- Arkansas ments with their teachers ly run mass vaccine site. to the vaccines as initially nies will also be OK since up to LITTLE ROCK — Arkansas unions that stipulate a 6-foot However, the state’s CO- thought. 400 people will be allowed to Gov. Asa Hutchinson said Sun- desk separation, the Times VID-19 cases have been in- gather for indoor and outdoor day that he believes his propos- said. creasing. Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, North Carolina activities as long as physical al to remove a mask mandate “The recent CDC guidance Michigan’s chief medical exec- DURHAM — Duke Universi- distancing and masking are en- intended to slow the spread of will not change our current re- utive, said the state’s case rate ty has lifted a stay-in-place or- forced. the coronavirus will take place opening plans,” LA Unified Su- spiked 77% over the past four der it issued last week for all Counties will be evaluated as planned at the end of the perintendent Austin Beutner weeks to 172.9 cases per million undergraduate students fol- every three weeks, starting on month. said Sunday. “Our challenge is people. lowing a spike in COVID-19 April 12. If statewide ICU ca- On CNN’s “State of the convincing families that “I am quite worried that cases that officials blamed pacity tops 90%, all counties Union,” Hutchinson said goals schools are safe, not finding we’re entering another surge,” largely on students attending will move back to the most re- announced in February to lift ways to stuff more kids into Dawn Misra, a professor of epi- fraternity rush events. strictive first phase, which in- the mask mandate, which in- classrooms.” demiology and biostatistics at The lifting of the order Sun- cludes a prohibition on indoor clude a positivity rate below After soaring late last year Michigan State University’s day morning means all in-per- restaurant dining. 10%, or fewer than 750 hospital- and in January, the rates of CO- College of Human Medicine, son courses will resume their izations, are being met and he VID-19 infection are so low in told the Detroit Free Press. “If standard delivery method, West Virginia believes the mask requirement Los Angeles and across the you’ve been watching the num- whether in-person or hybrid. CHARLESTON — A member will be lifted. state that LA Mayor Eric Gar- bers the last couple of weeks ... Students living in university- of the West Virginia House of “I set some goals. And we’re cetti said he’s feeling hopeful you could just see it all com- provided housing are again al- Delegates has contracted the making those goals. So, I expect for the first time in a year. As ing.” lowed to move about campus, coronavirus and is under quar- that (mandate) to be lifted,” vaccinations ramp up, Los An- Michigan reported 3,730 new but are being asked to leave antine, a House leader said. Hutchinson said. “Common geles and most other California COVID-19 cases Friday, the campus only for essential trav- Raleigh County Republican sense is going to replace man- counties have started easing vi- most since Jan. 8, according to el and health-related activities Brandon Steele tested positive dates. And I think that’s where rus restrictions, allowing res- the newspaper. through March 28. for COVID-19 on Saturday, we are right now. You cannot taurants, movie theaters and Students living off-campus in House Majority leader Amy go beyond the toleration of the gyms to reopen with limited ca- New York the Durham area are permitted Summers said in a statement. American public” to a man- pacity. NEW YORK — The first case to be on campus only to attend Steele chairs the House Gov- date. “Here in Los Angeles, we of a COVID-19 variant known in-person classes and essential ernment Organization Commit- Hutchinson said he believes have a positivity rate of 1.9%, as the Brazilian variant was academic activities, participa- tee. people will continue wearing and we estimate that anywhere confirmed in New York. te in surveillance testing, seek Steele addressed legislation masks when social distancing between half and two-thirds of Gov. Andrew Cuomo an- medical care or pick up food or- in the packed House chambers is not possible or they are oth- our population has antibodies nounced that scientists at ders. without a mask on Friday. Del- erwise at risk of virus expo- in it now, either because of ex- Mount Sinai Hospital identified The stay-in-place order was egates are allowed to remove sure. posure to COVID-19 and vacci- the case, which was then ver- imposed March 13 after a week their masks when recognized to nation,” Garcetti told CBS’ ified by the state Department in which more than 180 stu- speak. California “Face the Nation.” “So this is a of Health’s Wadsworth Center dents were in isolation after Virus testing will be offered LOS ANGELES — Students very, very optimistic moment.” Laboratories. testing positive, and another at the state Capitol starting in California classrooms can sit Across California the positiv- The patient is a Brooklyn res- 200 students were in quaran- Monday, including a drive-thru 3 feet apart instead of 6 under ity rate over the past seven ident in their 90s who hasn’t tine as a result of contact trac- option, the statement said. PAGE 10 • STARS AND STRIPES • Tuesday, March 23, 2021 NATION Border woes may tip balance of Biden agenda BY JONATHAN LEMIRE from the White House’s efforts to Associated Press promote the recently passed $1.9 WASHINGTON — The Biden trillion COVID-19 relief bill. administration is scrambling to Biden told reporters Sunday at manage a growing humanitarian the White House that “at some and political challenge at the U.S.- point” he would go to the border Mexico border that threatens to and that he knows what is going on /AP overshadow its ambitious legisla- in the border facilities. JULIO CORTEZ tive agenda. “A lot more, we are in the proc- U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents take people into custody Saturday near the U.S.­Mexico border in Hidalgo, Texas. With the number of migrants ess of doing it now, including mak- surging, administration officials ing sure we re-establish what ex- straightforward — the border is ter the November election and the “We have seen large numbers of say Biden inherited an untenable isted before, which was they can closed,” Mayorkas said. “We are news that Trump’s hard-line pol- migration in the past. We know situation that resulted from what stay in place and make their case expelling families. We are expell- icies were being reversed. how to address it. We have a plan. they say was President Donald from their home countries,” Biden ing single adults. And we’ve made In the first days of his term, Bi- We are executing on our plan and Trump’s undermining and weak- said upon returning from a week- a decision that we will not expel den acted to undo some of we will succeed,” Mayorkas said. ening of the immigration system. end at Camp David. young, vulnerable children.” Trump’s measures, a rollback in- But, he added, “it takes time” and But as Congress pivots to immi- The White House dispatched The White House has steadfast- terpreted by some as a signal to is “especially challenging and dif- gration legislation, stories of unac- Homeland Security Secretary ly refused to call the situation a travel to the United States. While ficult now” because of the Trump companied minors and families Alejandro Mayorkas to four Sun- “crisis,” leading to a Washington the new administration was work- administration’s moves. “So we trying to cross the border and seek day news shows in an effort to battle over the appropriate de- ing on immigration legislation to are rebuilding the system as we asylum and of overwhelmed bor- stress that it was working to get scription of the tense situation. Ca- address long-term problems, it address the needs of vulnerable der facilities have begun to dom- things under control. reer immigration officials had didn’t have an on-the-ground plan children who arrived at our bor- inate the headlines, distracting “Our message has been warned there could be a surge af- to manage a surge of migrants. ders.”

Russian man in US pleads Donations pour in for guilty to bribery, fraud NEW BERN, N.C. — A Russian Atlanta victims’ kin national living in North Carolina who had been accused by author- BY KIMBERLEE KRUESI massage businesses. ities of involvement in a $150 million Associated Press Rani Ban contributed to Park kickback scheme while working for Shortly after his mother was just to show kindness. a Russian military contractor has killed in the Atlanta-area shoot- “It’s important that he knows pleaded guilty to unrelated charges ings, Randy Park launched a Go- there are still good people. That’s including bribery and visa fraud. FundMe page asking for $20,000 simply it,” said Ban, who is from Leonid Teyf, 59, of Raleigh, to pay for funeral expenses. By the San Francisco Bay Area. pleaded guilty Friday to bribery of a Sunday, the donations were ap- “We all have to stand up for all public official, visa fraud, and false proaching $3 million. the innocent lives that fall victim statements on a tax return. His ex- With many people seeking a to such reckless hate,” Mallory wife, Tatiana, 43, pleaded guilty to way to support the families of the Spalding wrote on a GoFundMe making a false statement in an im- dead, Park’s page and others have page set up for Suncha Kim, 69, migration matter. offered an outlet for tens of thou- who was fatally shot in the chest. Both agreed to forfeit nearly $6 sands of donors, and the accounts The page has seen more than ALEXANDRA WIMLEY, PITTSBURGH POST­GAZETTE/AP million in assets. have surpassed their goals only $125,000 in a single day. An attendee holds a sign during a candlelight vigil, Sunday, outside of Teyf pleaded guilty to offering a days after they were opened. “It brings tears to our eyes that the City­County Building, in downtown Pittsburgh, in honor of the $10,000 bribe to an employee of the “I’ve never had a good under- you are all standing with us and victims of the shootings in Atlanta. Department of Homeland Security standing how much money was our beloved halmoni, mother, and in 2018 to cause the deportation of a worth, but every cent of it will be wife. Suncha was such a strong, A page for Delaina Yaun has more than $94,000. man who he thought was having an used only in pure necessity,” loving presence in all of our lives, collected more than $102,000, and The donations will help pay for affair with Tatiana. He also pleaded wrote Park, son of Hyun Jung and we miss her so much,” the one for survivors of Paul Michels travel for family members who guilty to making a false claim on a Grant, 51, who was one of the eight family said in a statement posted has raised more than $57,000. A would otherwise be unable to at- visa application in 2018 and falsely people killed in the attacks on on the page. page for Yong Yue’s family drew tend funerals. denying overseas financial interests on his 2012 tax return. Prosecutors also had said Teyf used his position as an executive Boston Marathon bomber’s death sentence may be restored with a Russian military supplier be- tween 2010 and 2012 to extract kick- BY MARK SHERMAN The justices agreed to hear an Tsarnaev’s case. The initial prose- court in Boston threw out Tsar- backs from subcontractors seeking Associated Press appeal filed by the Trump admin- cution and decision to seek a death naev’s sentence because, it said, to do business with Russia’s armed WASHINGTON — The Su- istration, which carried out execu- sentence was made by the Obama the judge at his trial did not do forces. preme Court said Monday it will tions of 13 federal inmates in its fi- administration, in which Biden enough to ensure the jury would Teyf thwarted a Russian govern- consider reinstating the death nal six months in office, including served as vice president. not be biased against him. ment probe into the kickback sentence for Boston Marathon three in the last week of President Biden has pledged to seek an The Justice Department had scheme by bribing the investiga- bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, pre- Donald Trump’s term. end to the federal death penalty, moved quickly to appeal, asking tors, prosecutors said. senting President Joe Biden with The case won’t be heard until but he has said nothing about how the justices to hear and decide the an early test of his opposition to the fall, and it’s unclear how the he plans to do so. case by the end of the court’s cur- capital punishment. new administration will approach In late July, the federal appeals rent term, in early summer. From The Associated Press Tuesday, March 23, 2021 • STARS AND STRIPES • PAGE 11 AMERICAN ROUNDUP

Man refuses mask, stabs worker at restaurant LEAGUE CITY — Po- TX lice in Texas were searching for a man accused of re- fusing to wear a mask at a Jack in the Box restaurant and then stab- bing the shift manager with what was believed to be a pocketknife. League City police said James Schulz, 53, is wanted in connection with the stabbing. Police Chief Gary Ratliff said an arrest warrant was issued for Schulz charging him with aggra- vated assault with a deadly weap- on. His bond will be set at $40,000. Police said the incident started when Schulz refused to follow the restaurant’s policy requiring him to wear a mask to protect against the spread of the coronavirus. Po- lice said he then attacked the man- ager. The manager had three stab wounds in the arm and upper tor- so, police said. He was taken to the hospital, where he was treated and re- leased. Rescuers save worker after sewer line collapses PACHUTA — Work- MS ers in east Mississippi spent five hours rescuing a man after a trench collapsed while he was installing a sewer line. The collapse happened as Clar- ke County employee Tyler Kirk- JACQUELINE DORMER/AP man was working at the intersec- tion of Highways 11 and 18 in Pachuta, WTOK-TV reported. Hoppy Easter During the five-hour rescue, Sophia Shenk, 3, of Schuylkill Haven, Pa., poses for a photo with the Easter Bunny as her mother, Ashley Jabs, takes her photo at the Drive­by Clarke County emergency man- Egging hosted by the Actors Guild of Schuylkill County at their theater on North Mill Street in Saint Clair, Pa. The event was to help with funds agement director Eddie Ivy got in- for a new roof and updates of their building. to the hole with Kirkman to help set him free. Kirkman said that THE CENSUS which people record the harming provided him assurance that ev- Park authorities plan of animals for the sexual gratifica- erything would be OK. His legs 4 spring fires for park The annual salary, in thousands, of a former top aide to a dis- tion of viewers, the Miami Herald were angled in opposite direc- 125 trict attorney in suburban Philadelphia before he was demot- reported. tions. CHESTERTON — Au- ed because he was caught moonlighting for DoorDash during work hours. Kirkman said he thanks every- IN thorities plan four pre- Bucks County District Attorney Matt Weintraub announced the punishment Police can now impound one who was at the scene and scribed fires at Indiana Dunes Na- against prosecutor Gregg Shore, who was demoted to being a deputy district street racing vehicles those who prayed and checked on tional Park this spring, totaling attorney. Shore told the Bucks County Courier Times that he was motivated by him. more than 900 acres. They said personal circumstances during the COVID-19 pandemic to work the delivery PHOENIX — Drivers job. He said he was happy to be re- prescribed fires are used to re- AZ who are caught street united with his daughter and store the park. racing or driving recklessly in mother, and he plans to be back at Exact dates have not been an- ka, officials said. newspaper reported. Phoenix could now have their car work. nounced yet. Humidity and wind Julie Fair, a spokesperson with impounded for 30 days under a speed and direction must be ideal NOAA Fisheries in Juneau, said in Veterinarian held on child new city ordinance. Fire destroys reptile to complete each planned fire, the an email to The Associated Press porn, bestiality charges The Phoenix City Council unan- house at petting zoo National Park Service said in a that her agency received reports imously approved the ordinance statement. of a beached whale. She said the MIAMI — A South Flor- allowing police to tow and im- VALLEY MINES — The National Park Service said U.S. Coast Guard helped provide FL ida veterinarian is fac- pound vehicles involved in illegal MO A fire destroyed a one of the fires is planned for transportation for members of the ing charges of possessing child street racing or reckless driving reptile house at an eastern Mis- about 300 acres of prairie and special team authorized to con- pornography and sexually abus- for up to 30 days, KPHO-TV re- souri petting zoo, killing all 11 ani- woodland in the east half of the duct the necropsy. ing a dog, authorities said. ported. mals inside. park. The three other fires are Jan Straley, a University of Prentiss Madden, 40, was ar- Drivers must now pay for the The St. Louis Post-Dispatch re- planned in the west end of the Alaska Southeast biology profes- rested by federal agents and or- tow, storage and administrative ported that the fire was reported park. sor authorized to respond to dered held pending a bond hear- fees before the vehicle will be re- at the Critter Lane Petting Zoo in The northwest Indiana park in- stranded marine mammals, told ing, court records show. leased. Valley Mines. cludes 15 miles of Lake Michigan the Daily Sitka Sentinel the ne- Madden was medical director City officials and authorities in Big River Fire Department As- shoreline and 15,000 acres of cropsy involved taking samples of Caring Hands Animal Hospital Phoenix have seen an increase in sistant Chief Allen Stegall said beaches, woods, prairies and from the carcass and photographs in Miami until he was fired two street racing in the last two years, that the structure was almost com- marshes. that could help determine how the weeks ago, when colleagues and created the Street Racing pletely gone when crews arrived. whale died. learned he was under investiga- Task Force to combat complaints He said the neighboring bird Team performs necropsy The team included University tion for “these heinous and un- over reckless driving. Members of house also suffered some smoke on whale found on island of Alaska Southeast faculty mem- thinkable crimes,” the hospital the task force have said races and water damage, but none of the bers and marine scientists, a local said in a statement. could attract groups up to 500 peo- animals inside it were injured as SITKA — A necropsy high school biology teacher, two Madden’s charges fall under a ple. far as he knew. AK was conducted on a volunteers and a member of the federal law outlawing animal Stegall said the cause of the fire humpback whale carcass found NOAA office of law enforcement abuse, which was initially created is still unknown. washed up on an island west of Sit- designated as a “bear guard,” the in response to a genre of cruelty in From The Associated Press PAGE 12 • STARS AND STRIPES • Tuesday, March 23, 2021 WORLD

NYU Shanghai Myanmar frees held seeks answers after police BBC journalist as held 9 students Associated Press SHANGHAI — New York Uni- versity said Monday it was seek- protests continue ing more information from Chi- nese authorities after nine stu- Associated Press On Monday, lawmakers from dents from its Shanghai campus YANGON, Myanmar — The the Association of Southeast Asian were temporarily detained in BBC said Monday that a journalist Nations urged regional leaders to what appeared to be a police drag- from its Burmese-language ser- meet and devise a “strong and de- net for drug suspects. vice was released by authorities in cisive response” to increased vio- A statement from the university Myanmar but gave no details, as lence against protesters by Myan- said two students were held as protesters in the Southeast Asian mar’s military. The lawmakers part of a police action outside a bar nation continued their broad civil urged the 10-nation bloc to send a AP and the other seven were at a disobedience movement against delegation alongside the U.N. spe- Anti­coup protesters release red balloons, calling for foreign birthday party at an off-campus last month’s military coup. cial envoy to Myanmar to help ne- intervention to aid them, in downtown Yangon, Myanmar, on Monday. apartment March 12 when police The journalist, Aung Thura, was gotiate a “democratic and human arrived and brought all present in detained March 19 by men who rights-based solution.” an increasingly brutal crackdown San Suu Kyi, who was ousted in for drug testing. appeared to be plainclothes secu- ASEAN has a policy of non-in- and sought to limit information re- the coup and detained. Many also “None of the students were rity agents while reporting outside terference in each other’s affairs, aching the outside world. Security wore red shirts, the color of her found to have used or been in pos- acourt in the capital of Naypyitaw. but some regional leaders have re- forces have opened fire on crowds National League for Democracy session of drugs and none were ar- Arrests of media workers have buked the violence and urged re- and killed hundreds, internet ac- party. rested,” NYU Shanghai said in a been part of the junta’s intensify- straint in Myanmar. cess has been severely restricted, Protesters have called for for- statement. China hosts a large ing efforts to choke off informa- Since the military seized power, private newspapers have been eign intervention to aid them un- number of foreign students, a tion about resistance to the Feb. 1 many citizens from teachers to barred from publishing and pro- der the doctrine of Responsibility number increased by the opening coup. Some 40 journalists have doctors, traders and railway testers, journalists and politicians to Protect — also known as R2P — of satellite campuses by British been arrested since the coup, half workers have joined a civil disobe- have been arrested in large num- devised to deal with matters such and American universities. of whom are still in detention — in- dience movement that uses wide- bers. as genocide, war crimes, ethnic Police who arrived at the birth- cluding Thein Zaw of The Associ- spread boycotts, strikes and other Protesters on Monday sent hun- cleansing and crimes against hu- day party were apparently looking ated Press — according to the actions in an attempt to force a re- dreds of red balloons into the air in manity. Attached to the balloons for a specific individual, but it Myanmar-based Assistance Asso- turn to a civilian government. Myanmar’s biggest city, Yangon, were papers with R2P written on wasn’t clear who that was and no ciation for Political Prisoners. The junta has responded with in support of civilian leader Aung them. one was arrested. Tuesday, March 23, 2021 • STARS AND STRIPES • PAGE 13 WORLD Dozens of towns isolated by flooding in Australian state BY ROD MCGUIRK forecast to continue until Wednes- New South Wales Premier Gla- Associated Press day. dys Berejiklian said up to 38 parts of CANBERRA, Australia — Hun- Prime Minister Scott Morrison the state had been declared natural dreds of people have been rescued told Parliament that 35 communi- disaster areas. from floodwaters that have isolated ties in northern New South Wales “I don’t know any time in our dozens of towns in Australia’s most had been isolated and emergency state’s history where we have had populous state New South Wales services had conducted more than these extreme weather conditions in and forced thousands to evacuate 700 flood rescues. such quick succession in the middle DEAN LEWINS, AAP IMAGE/AP their homes as record rain continues “We are grateful at this point that of a pandemic,” Berejiklian told re- The New Windsor Bridge is seen inundated by flood waters from the to inundate the country’s east coast. no lives have been lost so far,” Mor- porters. “So, they are challenging Hawkesbury River in Windsor, New South Wales, on Monday. Around 18,000 people had been rison said. “But weakened founda- times for New South Wales.” evacuated from flooding in New tions for buildings, for roads and Thousands of people have been ern Sydney. Houses had been sub- risk on Tuesday for the Mid North South Wales by Monday and emer- trees, they all create risk, as do affected with 40 flood warnings and merged and destroyed while several Coast, where communities are fac- gency services feared up to 54,000 downed power lines and rising wa- 20 evacuation orders along the communities had lost power. ing the worst flooding conditions people could be displaced with rain ter levels.” state’s Mid North Coast, and in west- Heavy rain will remain a serious since 1929.

German lawmaker dies back from Cuba with her husband, clear what the cause of death was the central bank governor over the key was committed to free market after collapsing on flight said Eckhardt Rehberg, a fellow or why she had traveled to Cuba. weekend for hiking interest rates. rules and to a liberal currency ex- lawmaker with their center-right The lira was trading at around change regime. BERLIN — A lawmaker with Christian Democratic Union par- Turkish lira drops after 7.9 against the dollar — nearly 10% Erdogan, who advocates keep- German Chancellor Angela Mer- ty, according to news agency dpa. central bank chief fired down from Friday’s close. It had ing interest rates low to tame in- kel’s party has died after collaps- The plane made an emergency been weaker earlier Monday at 8.4 flation, unexpectedly fired Naci ANKARA, Turkey — The Turk- Agbal with a decree Saturday, just ing on a plane during a flight home landing in Ireland, but rescuers per dollar but recovered some of it ish currency plummeted against four months after he took office. to Germany. were unable to save Strenz, Rehb- losses after Finance Minister Lut- the U.S. dollar Monday after Pres- Karin Strenz, 53, was flying erg said late Sunday. It was un- fi Elvan assured markets that Tur- ident Recep Tayyip Erdogan fired From The Associated Press PAGE 14 • STARS AND STRIPES • Tuesday, March 23, 2021 FACES ‘I had to ... die to wake up’ Demi Lovato says drug overdose left her just minutes from death

BY MURI ASSUNÇÃO which premiered last week at the virtual the singer. “What happened?” New York Daily News South by Southwest festival, will stream on “I was probably 24 when we did the in- Demi Lovato revealed she was just min- YouTube this week as a four-part docuser- terview [and I was] in recovery for a bunch utes away from death during her July 2018 ies: two episodes will air on Tuesday, and of things,” a visibly emotional Lovato said. drug overdose and had to “essentially die to then a new episode will air the following two But even after being sober for many years, wake up.” Tuesdays. she was still feeling “miserable,” the Gram- The pop superstar spoke Sunday about Lovato, who had used heroin laced with my-nominated singer said. the aftermath of her very public health fentanyl that night, said that after she over- That prolonged period of sadness led to emergency during an interview with “CBS dosed, she was sexually molested by her her near-death experience. Sunday Morning.” drug dealer. During her revealing interview, Lovato “The doctors told me that I had five to 10 “I was literally left for dead after he took talked about her new music, her documen- minutes. If no one had found me, then I advantage of me,” she said in the documen- tary, and her first televised performance af- wouldn’t be here,” the “Sorry Not Sorry” tary. ter the overdose — a touching rendition of singer told CBS News’ Tracy Smith. When she woke up in the hospital, Lovato “Anyone,” a track she reportedly wrote just “I’m grateful that I am sitting here to- said she was legally blind. Today, more than days before her medical emergency, at the day,” she added. two years later, the singer still deals with 2020 Grammy Awards ceremony. The 28-year-old singer, actress and activ- blind spots in her vision, as well as hearing Lovato also revealed that her path for- ist is releasing a brutally honest documen- loss, and tinnitus. ward includes the moderate use of alcohol OBB Media tary, in which she opens up about her strug- The former Disney star had previously and marijuana. Demi Lovato, shown in her docuseries gles with addiction, as well as her experi- discussed her addiction struggles in anoth- “I would say that, like, I think the term “Dancing with the Devil,” revealed more ences as a sexual assault survivor. er interview with the program. “We had a that I best identify with is ‘California so- details over the weekend about her “Demi Lovato: Dancing with the Devil,” similar conversation in 2016,” Smith told ber,’” she said. near­deadly July 2018 drug overdose. Writers Guild honors ‘Borat,’ ‘Promising Young Woman’ From wire reports Other awards included “Ted Sacha Baron Cohen’s “Borat Lasso” for comedy series; “The Subsequent Moviefilm” was part- Crown” for drama series; “The ly improvised and scripted by nine Great” for episodic comedy; and writers, but it still walked away “Ozark” for episodic drama. Sunday night with one of the Writ- Oscars plans solidify: ers Guild Awards’ top honors, best adapted screenplay. No Zoom, no sweatshirts At the guild’s virtual, pre-re- Details are trickling out about corded 73rd annual awards, the the 93rd Oscars, and sweatshirts biggest winners were a pair of and Zoom did not made the cut. awards-season dark horses. Best “Our plan is that this year’s Os- original screenplay went to the cars will look like a movie, not a script for the feminist revenge television show,” said show pro- thriller “Promising Young Wom- ducers Jesse Collins, Stacy Sher an,” by writer-director Emerald and Steven Soderbergh in a state- Fennell. The film, which is nomi- ment March 18. They’ve enlisted nated for five Oscars including Emmy- and Tony Award-winning PATRICK T. FALLON/Bloomberg best picture, triumphed over Aa- director Glenn Weiss to direct the Some theaters such as this Regal Cinemas in Los Angeles are open, but they don’t have much to show. ron Sorkin’s “The Trial of the Chi- live broadcast on April 25. cago 7,” along with “Sound of Met- Although considerably scaled al,” “Judas and the Black Mess- down from a normal year, the pro- iah” and “Palm Springs.” ducers have said they are commit- Some theaters in US reopening, The “Borat” sequel win came ted to holding an in-person event over “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” at Los Angeles’ Union Station for “News of the World,” “One Night nominees, presenters and limited but new films still just a trickle in Miami” and “The White Tiger.” guests. BY KELLY GILBLOM will bring a major backlog of potential new block- Due to guild regulations, several But unlike the Golden Globes, Bloomberg busters later in the year. of this year’s best-picture nomi- which combined in-person and The popcorn is popped and the doors have reo- “With more movie theaters open and vaccina- nees at the Academy Awards we- Zoom elements, the Oscars are not pened at theaters in Los Angeles for the first week- tions helping to rebuild consumer confidence, stu- ren’t nominated, including making a virtual element possible end in a year, giving Hollywood some confidence dios have also shown signs of their renewed confi- “Mank,” “Nomadland,” “Minari” for nominees who either can’t or that moviegoing is bouncing back. dence,” said Paul Dergarabedian, senior analyst at and “The Father.” don’t feel comfortable attending. Major studios are still waiting to see just how Comscore Inc. Baron Cohen and his fellow The producers said they plan to eager people are to return to cinemas. The top In New York and Los Angeles, auditoriums are eight credited writers for the treat the event like an active mo- movie this weekend is still Walt Disney Co.’s “Raya only allowed to reach 25% capacity. Some chains film’s screenplay and story ac- vie set with on-site COVID safety and the Last Dragon,” an animated film that was have yet to fully reopen, with the lack of new films cepted the award by Zoom. teams and testing protocols. released two weeks ago and is also available to and seating limits making it too expensive to oper- “Thank you for this incredible And, yes, they expect attendees at-home audiences for $30 on the Disney+ stream- ate some locations. Regal Theatres, the second- award, though I can’t help think- to dress up. ing service. “Raya” took in $5.15 million in domes- largest chain in the U.S., is still temporarily closed. ing we won it because 60% of the “We’re aiming for a fusion of in- tic sales over the weekend. The only new wide release over the weekend was Writers Guild worked on this mo- spirational and aspirational, Still, a year after a near-total shutdown of the “The Courier,” a Cold War spy drama starring vie,” said Baron Cohen. which in actual words means for- business, the industry is looking like it’s closer to a Benedict Cumberbatch. The movie came in at No. Best documentary screenplay mal is totally cool if you want to go strong return. After Los Angeles theaters were 3, generating $2 million. went to the Jamal Khashoggi doc- there, but casual is really not,” allowed to open on March 15, every major market The second spot was claimed by the Warner umentary “The Dissident,” writ- producers said. in the U.S. is now back in business, and so far stu- Bros. classic cartoon-based film “Tom & Jerry,” ten by director Bryan Fogel and The 93rd Oscars will be broad- dios are sticking to their 2021 release dates. That which brought in $3.84 million. Mark Monroe. cast live on ABC on April 25. Tuesday, March 23, 2021 • STARS AND STRIPES • PAGE 15 OPINION

Max D. Lederer Jr., Publisher Lt. Col. Marci Hoffman, Europe commander Lt. Col. Richard McClintic, Pacific commander Biden’s foreign policy is indefensible in 2021 BY ELBRIDGE COLBY terms that promote a broad-based national straight after. Special to The Washington Post prosperity. This requires ensuring that key This will require working with whoever EDITORIAL he central theme of President Joe markets, particularly Asia, are not dominat- would help achieve U.S. goals. The Biden Terry Leonard, Editor Biden’s foreign policy is a global, ed by a hostile power. Such a state could ex- team seems to be betting that democracies [email protected] muscular liberalism. Ensuring clude us from these markets and use its will align in a global struggle against what that democracy “will and must growth and power advantages to dominate Secretary of State Antony Blinken calls Robert H. Reid, Senior Managing Editor T prevail,” Biden told the Munich Security our national life. “techno-authoritarianism.” But full-scale [email protected] Conference, is “our galvanizing mission.” This is not a partisan issue: Strong constit- alignment is unlikely. As German Chancel- Tina Croley, Managing Editor for Content This appears to mean taking on threats to de- uencies on both the left and right are tired of lor Angela Merkel has demonstrated, most [email protected] mocracy wherever they lie — challenging and frustrated by the proposition that U.S. prominently by striking a major investment Sean Moores, Managing Editor for Presentation both China and Russia, which Biden has said foreign policy should entail safeguarding pact with Beijing shortly before Biden’s in- [email protected] posits “just as real” a threat as Beijing — the success of democracy and development auguration, rhetorical fondness for the while continuing the “forever wars,” halting around the globe. Global, muscular liberal- “rules-based international order” can exist Joe Gromelski, Managing Editor for Digital reductions of U.S. forces in Europe, sanc- ism of both parties has manifestly failed to alongside pursuit of self-interest. Many de- [email protected] tioning the new military government in deliver the strength and broad-based pros- mocracies, especially in Europe, don’t share Myanmar, signaling a firm line against perity to allow us to shape our future on our U.S. threat perceptions, given our country’s BUREAU STAFF North Korea and more. own terms. Americans deserve better. history as a Pacific power. Recognizing this, This might have been a defensible policy This doesn’t mean withdrawing from ev- we need to work with those countries willing Europe/Mideast decades ago, when U.S. wealth dwarfed that erywhere and hoping for the best. Nor does it to invest resources in confronting China, Erik Slavin, Europe & Mideast Bureau Chief [email protected] of the Soviet Union and China. Or in 1999, be- mean muzzling ourselves about human such as India and Vietnam, or those willing +49(0)631.3615.9350; DSN (314)583.9350 fore China’s rise, the sapping wars in the rights abuses or democracy. But we need to to help us shift effort away from lesser Pacific Middle East or the profound effects of the fi- look after U.S. interests in a competitive, ri- threats like Iran — even if those partner Aaron Kidd, Pacific Bureau Chief nancial crisis had all been felt. But it is not a valrous world — enlightened interests that countries are not model democracies. [email protected] sensible policy today. frequently align with others, yes, but our in- For the first time in a long time, the United +81.42.552.2511 ext. 88380; DSN (315)227.7380 For the first time since the 19th century, terests all the same. “Realpolitik” has a cyn- States is not overwhelmingly predominant. Washington the United States is not clearly the world’s ical, old-world overtone. Yet it means focus- That means we cannot afford to be profligate Joseph Cacchioli, Washington Bureau Chief largest economy. China is already larger by ing on what matters and working with others with our power, wealth and resolve. Rather, [email protected] many measures and growing faster than we who share our interests. we must manage the threats we face — (+1)(202)886-0033 Brian Bowers, Assistant Managing Editor, News are, including in the wake of COVID-19. And To start, this involves concentrating on above all China — in ways that promote U.S. [email protected] traditional U.S. allies are declining in rela- China, which is by far the most important en- power and well-being, rather than vainly ex- tive wealth and power. Meanwhile, the Unit- tity in the international system other than pending them in a global ideological strug- CIRCULATION ed States and its allies face challenges as var- the United States. If Beijing dominates Asia, gle or retreating in hopes that the world will ied as Russia, Iran and North Korea; non- the world’s largest market, China will be favorably stabilize on its own. Such a course Mideast state terrorists; pandemics; economic re- globally preeminent — and is likely to use its is the only option responsive to the needs and Robert Reismann, Mideast Circulation Manager [email protected] covery; and climate change. power to coerce and weaken the United risk tolerances of the great bulk of Ameri- [email protected] Given all this, Americans must refocus on States. Consider what China is already doing cans. It is thus the only responsible foreign DSN (314)583-9111 what our foreign policy should be about. to Australia, Taiwan and other states. No policy for our democracy in this day and age. Europe That means, beyond defending ourselves other global threat — not Russia, Iran or Karen Lewis, Community Engagement Manager from attack, making sure we can determine North Korea — can do this. As Winston Elbridge Colby is a principal at the Marathon Initiative. While [email protected] our future free of external coercion and be- Churchill said, if we get things right in the serving as deputy assistant secretary of defense from 2017 to [email protected] 2018, he led the development of the 2018 National Defense +49(0)631.3615.9090; DSN (314)583.9090 ing able to trade and invest overseas on decisive theater, we can put everything Strategy. Pacific Mari Mori, [email protected] +81-3 6385.3171; DSN (315)227.7333 Sen. Johnson was clear. Hold him to his words. CONTACT US BY KATHLEEN PARKER handy, leaving one dead and wounding bought himself some cover. But his defense Washington Washington Post Writers Group more than 100 others. Enough to hurl death doesn’t ring true. tel: (+1)202.886.0003 t used to be that racists at least tried to threats at the vice president while a hang- Black Lives Matter protests, as a Wash- 633 3rd St. NW, Suite 116, Washington, DC 20001-3050 hide their identities, lest they bring man’s noose dangled outside. Enough to in- ington Post analysis found, are overwhelm- Reader letters shame upon their friends, families vade House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s offices, ingly peaceful. The protesters and terror- [email protected] Iand communities. menacingly sing-songing, “Nancy, where ists who disrupted congressional leaders But thanks to Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., are you, Nancy? We’re looking for you.” certifying the 2020 Electoral College votes Additional contacts we’ve now seen what a racist looks like. To each his own when it comes to love of — and trying to overturn the election by do- stripes.com/contactus Undoubtedly, Johnson would swear he’s country, but I reject Johnson’s definition. ing so — came loaded for bear. They came OMBUDSMAN nothing of the sort. He seems like a pleas- This is not one of those times when a colum- prepared to do violence and, possibly, to ex- ant-enough fellow, if you ignore his Trum- nist needs to explain what a public official ecute elected leaders. We all know the casu- Ernie Gates pian record of advancing the election-fraud really meant. We all know precisely what alty figures from that day. And we’ve all The Stars and Stripes ombudsman protects the free flow myth, playing down the pandemic and gen- Johnson meant by what he said next: “Now, seen the pictures. So, basically, Johnson of news and information, reporting any attempts by the erally embracing whatever crackpot con- had the tables been turned — now, Joe, this was saying that he’s afraid of Blacks but not military or other authorities to undermine the newspaper’s independence. The ombudsman also responds to concerns spiracy burbles up from the far-right’s pri- will get me in trouble — had the tables been whites. and questions from readers, and monitors coverage for mordial ooze. turned and President Trump won the elec- There was another tell in Johnson’s fairness, accuracy, timeliness and balance. The ombudsman welcomes comments from readers, and can be contacted by He hardly looks the part, if looks ever told tion and those were tens of thousands of words that, unless checked, is a harbinger of email at [email protected], or by phone at 202.886.0003. you anything about a person’s heart. John- Black Lives Matter and antifa protesters, I bad days ahead. Johnson said he’d “get in son is a central casting prototype for a sen- might have been a little concerned.” trouble” for saying what he was about to say Stars and Stripes (USPS 0417900) is published week- ator or CEO with neatly trimmed gray hair I suppose we can be thankful that John- — and then said it, anyway. Why would he days (except Dec. 25 and Jan. 1) for 50 cents Monday and a photogenic smile. In another time and son spoke so transparently, because it is one do that? Either he’s dotty — or he was inten- through Thursday and for $1 on Friday by Pacific Stars and Stripes, Unit 45002, APO AP 96301-5002. Periodicals place, he might have gotten away after his of those rare moments when a white man tionally tossing chum to the far right, hoping postage paid at San Francisco, CA, Postmaster: Send appalling “commentary” on conservative has testified so conclusively — and so publi- to buoy his reelection chances next year. address changes to Pacific Stars and Stripes, Unit 45002, APO AP 96301-5002. This newspaper is authorized by the radio’s “The Joe Pags Show” with hardly cly — to his racism. One needn’t cause harm This was a tactic employed regularly by Department of Defense for members of the military services anyone noticing. to others unlike themselves to be racist. One former reality show host Donald Trump to overseas. However, the contents of Stars and Stripes are unofficial, and are not to be considered as the official views But not anymore. Not here. Not now. need only apply different standards solely animate a dormant right wing in the United of, or endorsed by, the U.S. government. As a DOD newspa- During a discussion about the violent on the basis of race or ethnicity, which John- States. That tactic worked in 2016 and put per, Stars and Stripes may be distributed through official channels and use appropriated funds for distribution to storming of the Capitol on Jan. 6, Johnson son plainly did. Trump in the White House. Given what remote locations where overseas DOD personnel are located. said he wasn’t frightened because he knew Johnson rejects any such interpretation transpired over the next four years, it is The appearance of advertising in this publication does not constitute endorsement by the Department of Defense or that the people breaching the barricades of his remarks. In the wake of criticism, in- doubly despicable for Johnson to use rac- Stars and Stripes of the products or services advertised. Products or services advertised shall be made available for “loved this country,” and “truly respect law cluding being called a racist by fellow Sen. ism to advance his political position and will purchase, use or patronage without regard to race, color, enforcement.” Robert Menendez, D-N.J., Johnson has ex- only invite others to follow suit. religion, sex, national origin, age, marital status, physical handicap, political affiliation or any other nonmerit factor of Talk about cognitive dissonance. plained that he was talking about riots, not When you single out Blacks as a threat the purchaser, user or patron. We all witnessed how much the rioters race. Yes, by mentioning antifa, a mostly while signaling approval to white domestic © Stars and Stripes 2021 “loved” the United States. Enough to beat white anarchist group that has never met a terrorists who, in fact, committed murder, stripes.com Capitol Police officers with whatever was protest it couldn’t turn into a riot, Johnson you are, sir, a racist. PAGE 16 • STARS AND STRIPES • Tuesday, March 23, 2021 Eugene Sheffer Crossword Frazz Dilbert

ACROSS DOWN 25 QB’s goals 1 Mosque leader 1 Apple desktop 26 Lettuce variety 5 Vintage computer 27 Shade tree 8 Congers 2 Word heard over 28 Gym unit

Pearls Before Swine Pearls Before 12 Poet Angelou a baby monitor 29 Snake’s warning 13 Stephen of 3 Pro votes 31 Coop dweller “Still Crazy” 4 Christie 34 Dangerous fly 14 Harvest sleuth Jane 35 Taylor of 15 From the U.S. 5 Killer whales “Mystic Pizza” 16 Notorious lover 6 Low-fat 36 “— the 18 “Sea” that’s 7 “— Kapital” season ...” really a lake 8 Papa Hemingway 37 Entry 20 Pie variety 9 Fair-hiring org. 39 “Olympia” 21 — Angeles 10 Volcanic flow painter Edouard Non Sequitur 40 Frozen desserts 22 “Certainly!” 11 Bridge 41 — Hari 23 Ritzy spreads 17 Tarzan’s clique 42 Unpaid TV ads 26 Furniture wheels 19 Cyclades island 22 Chatter 43 Apple center 30 Moreover 23 Lobbying gp. 44 Car 31 Short trip 24 Political strategist 45 Colorless 32 Guitar master Navarro 46 Billions of years Paul 48 Speed (up) 33 Royal residences Answer to Previous Puzzle 36 Packs down Candorville 38 Go astray 39 Karaoke prop, for short 40 Spur on 43 Waterfall 47 Skillet makeup 49 Franc replacer 50 Greek vowels 51 Before

Carpe Diem 52 Ollie’s pal 53 RSVP enclosure 54 Animal doc 55 Weeps Beetle Bailey Bizarro Tuesday, March 23, 2021 • STARS AND STRIPES • PAGE 17 PAGE 18 • STARS AND STRIPES • Tuesday, March 23, 2021 SCOREBOARD

COLLEGE BASKETBALL AUTO RACING GOLF Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 The Honda Classic Men's Basketball Invitational Colorado State-NC State winner vs. Fort Worth, Texas Boise State-Memphis winner PGA Tour Regional Championship NASCAR Cup Series Sunday Quarterfinals Mississippi St.-Richmond winner vs. W. Monday, March 22 Sunday Monday, March 22 Kentucky-La. Tech winner At PGA National Champions Course Cal Baptist vs. Rice At Atlanta Motor Speedway Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. Stetson (11-14) vs. Bowling Green (14- Championship Consolation Championship Hampton, Ga. Purse: $7 million 11) Sunday, March 28 Monday, March 22 Lap length: 1.54 miles Yardage: 7,048; Par: 70 Coastal Carolina (16-7) vs. Bryant (15-6) Semifinal winners (Start position in parentheses) Arizona St. vs. Houston Final Round Longwood (12-16) vs. Pepperdine (12- Women's Basketball Invitational CHARLOTTE REGIONAL 1. (10) Ryan Blaney, Ford, 325 laps, 57 12) At Bojangles' Coliseum points. Matt Jones, $1,260,000 61-70-69-68—268-12 Bellarmine (13-7) vs. Army (12-9) Championship Charlotte, N.C. 2. (6) Kyle Larson, Chevrolet, 325, 55. Brandon Hagy, $763,000 69-62-76-66—273 -7 Cleveland St. 67, Portland 64 Regional Championship 3. (14) Alex Bowman, Chevrolet, 325, 47. Russell Henley, $320,600 64-69-73-68—274 -6 Consolation Championship Monday, March 22 4. (1) Denny Hamlin, Toyota, 325, 41. Denny McCarthy, $320,600 68-65-74-67—274 -6 NCAA Men’s Division II FIU 59, Manhattan 58 Villanova vs. Delaware 5. (19) Kyle Busch, Toyota, 325, 48. C.T. Pan, $320,600 67-72-65-70—274 -6 Third Place Game 6. (13) Austin Dillon, Chevrolet, 325, 35. Tournament Consolation Championship Chase Seiffert, $320,600 67-74-69-64—274 -6 N. Arizona 51, Stetson 48 Monday, March 22 7. (17) Chris Buescher, Ford, 325, 35. 8. (9) William Byron, Chevrolet, 325, 36. Brendan Steele, $320,600 73-65-71-65—274 -6 Quarterfinals Seventh Place Game Ohio vs. UMass At the Ford Center Loyola Chicago 74, Abilene Christian 55 MEMPHIS REGIONAL 9. (2) Martin Truex Jr, Toyota, 325, 32. Adam Hadwin, $190,750 72-65-70-68—275 -5 Evansville, Ind. At My Town Movers Fieldhouse 10. (7) Kevin Harvick, Ford, 325, 27. Sungjae Im, $190,750 68-68-69-70—275 -5 NCAA Women’s Division II 11. (20) Matt DiBenedetto, Ford, 325, 31. Wednesday, March 24 Collierville, Tenn. Zach Johnson, $190,750 67-68-70-70—275 -5 Lincoln Memorial vs. Colorado Mines Tournament 12. (12) Ricky Stenhouse Jr, Chevrolet, Regional Championship 325, 25. Sam Ryder, $190,750 69-63-72-71—275 -5 West Texas A&M vs. Daemen Monday, March 22 NW Missouri St. vs. West Liberty Quarterfinals 13. (28) Ryan Newman, Ford, 325, 24. Camilo Villegas, $190,750 69-65-72-69—275 -5 At Columbus, Ohio Mississippi vs. Colorado 14. (21) Ross Chastain, Chevrolet, 325, 23. Kevin Chappell, $125,417 66-70-75-65—276 -4 Flagler vs. Truman Consolation Championship Tuesday, March 23 15. (3) Joey Logano, Ford, 324, 22. Adam Scott, $125,417 69-67-72-68—276 -4 Monday, March 22 16. (15) Bubba Wallace, Toyota, 324, 21. Drury vs. Charleston, W.Va. Robert Streb, $125,417 69-66-70-71—276 -4 Lander vs. Azusa Pacific UT Martin vs. Illinois St. 17. (25) Daniel Suarez, Chevrolet, 324, 21. NAIA Division I Men’s Tournament Lubbock Christian vs. Daemen ROCKFORD REGIONAL 18. (27) Cole Custer, Ford, 324, 19. Steve Stricker, $125,417 66-71-70-69—276 -4 Semifinals Belmont Abbey vs. Central Miss. At UW Health Sports Factory 19. (18) Michael McDowell, Ford, 324, 18. Cameron Tringale, $125,417 67-68-69-72—276 -4 Monday, March 22 Rockford, Ill. 20. (16) Aric Almirola, Ford, 324, 17. Aaron Wise, $125,417 64-64-75-73—276 -4 St. Francis vs. Shawnee St. Regional Championship 21. (8) Christopher Bell, Toyota, 323, 16. Stewart Cink, $82,950 71-64-70-72—277 -3 Monday, March 22 22. (39) Austin Cindric, Ford, 323, 0. Lewis-Clark St. vs. SW Assemblies NAIA Division I Women’s Lucas Glover, $82,950 71-66-69-71—277 -3 Championship Saint Louis vs. N. Iowa 23. (24) Chase Briscoe, Ford, 323, 14. Tuesday, March 23 Tournament Consolation Championship 24. (22) Erik Jones, Chevrolet, 323, 13. Harry Higgs, $82,950 68-67-74-68—277 -3 Semifinal winners Monday, March 22 25. (23) Ryan Preece, Chevrolet, 323, 12. John Huh, $82,950 68-70-70-69—277 -3 Men's NIT Semifinals Bowling Green vs. Drake 26. (29) Tyler Reddick, Chevrolet, 323, 11. Michael Thompson, $82,950 71-66-73-67—277 -3 Monday, March 22 NIT Semifinals 27. (32) Anthony Alfredo, Ford, 322, 10. Harold Varner III, $82,950 71-65-71-70—277 -3 28. (4) Brad Keselowski, Ford, 321, 9. At Comerica Center Thomas More vs. Concordia-Morning- At My Town Movers Fieldhouse Brice Garnett, $54,950 71-64-70-73—278 -2 side winner 29. (30) Corey Lajoie, Chevrolet, 319, 8. Frisco, Texas Collierville, Tenn. Chris Kirk, $54,950 68-71-67-72—278 -2 Quarterfinals Westmont vs. Indiana Wesleyan Friday, March 26 30. (26) Justin Haley, Chevrolet, 319, 0. Thursday, March 25 Championship 31. (33) Cody Ware, Chevrolet, 316, 0. Phil Mickelson, $54,950 71-68-69-70—278 -2 Fort Worth Regional winner vs. Char- 32. (34) James Davison, Chevrolet, 316, 5. Colorado State vs. NC State Tuesday, March 23 lotte Regional winner Joaquin Niemann, $54,950 69-67-73-69—278 -2 Semifinal winners 33. (35) Quin Houff, Chevrolet, 314, 4. Roger Sloan, $54,950 71-69-66-72—278 -2 Boise State vs. Memphis Memphis Regional winner vs. Rockford 34. (31) BJ McLeod, Ford, 313, 0. Mississippi State vs. Richmond Women's NIT Regional winner Keegan Bradley, $45,850 69-69-67-74—279 -1 NIT Championship 35. (36) Joey Gase, Ford, 308, 2. W. Kentucky vs. Louisiana Tech 36. (38) Timmy Hill, Ford, 305, 0. Chase Koepka, $45,850 69-69-74-67—279 -1 Semifinals FORT WORTH REGIONAL Sunday, March 28 37. (37) Josh Bilicki, Ford, 285, 1. Jhonattan Vegas, $45,850 71-68-69-71—279 -1 Saturday, March 27 At Wilkerson-Greines Activity Center Semifinal winners 38. (5) Chase Elliott, Chevrolet, engine, Cameron Davis, $39,900 66-71-70-73—280 E 220, 4. Tyler McCumber, $39,900 70-69-70-71—280 E 39. (11) Kurt Busch, Chevrolet, accident, 113, 8. Sepp Straka, $39,900 68-70-69-73—280 E COLLEGE HOCKEY PRO BASEBALL Will Gordon, $29,785 67-69-72-73—281 +1 NCAA Division I Tournament Race Statistics Mackenzie Hughes, $29,785 68-72-71-70—281 +1 Spring Training Baltimore 2, N.Y. Yankees 1 Average Speed of Race Winner: 144.589 Satoshi Kodaira, $29,785 70-71-71-69—281 +1 Minnesota 2, Tampa Bay 1 mph. Nate Lashley, $29,785 68-71-74-68—281 +1 BRIDGEPORT REGIONAL Texas 6, Seattle 5 Time of Race: 3 hours, 27 minutes, 41 Tom Lewis, $29,785 74-66-71-70—281 +1 At Webster Bank Arena American League Milwaukee 4, Cincinnati 1 seconds. Bridgeport, Conn. Margin of Victory: 2.083 seconds. Shane Lowry, $29,785 67-66-74-74—281 +1 First Round Sunday’s games Caution Flags: 5 for 25 laps. Matthew NeSmith, $29,785 70-68-73-70—281 +1 Friday, March 26 WLPct. Lead Changes: 11 among 6 drivers. Adam Schenk, $29,785 72-66-72-71—281 +1 N.Y. Mets 6, Washington 2 Lap Leaders: D.Hamlin 0-27; K.Larson 28- Wisconsin (20-9-1) vs. Bemidji St. (15- Pittsburgh 9, Boston 4 Kevin Streelman, $29,785 69-67-73-72—281 +1 9-3) Kansas City 13 6 .684 63; Ku.Busch 64; W.Byron 65-66; K.Larson Vincent Whaley, $29,785 73-67-68-73—281 +1 Minnesota 12, Baltimore 7 67-118; R.Blaney 119; K.Larson 120-160; UMass (16-5-4) vs. Lake Superior St. (19- New York 13 6 .684 Detroit 5, Philadelphia 3 Brian Gay, $19,070 71-67-73-71—282 +2 6-3) D.Suarez 161; K.Larson 162-221; R.Blaney Championship Texas 10 7 .588 Atlanta 11, Tampa Bay 1 222-236; K.Larson 237-316; R.Blaney 317- Talor Gooch, $19,070 72-69-72-69—282 +2 Miami 4, Houston 2 Saturday, March 27 Toronto 11 8 .579 325 Lucas Herbert, $19,070 70-69-70-73—282 +2 N.Y. Yankees 8, Toronto 3 Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Led, Wisconsin-Bemidji St. winner vs. Los Angeles 10 8 .556 Chicago Cubs 11, Cincinnati 6 J.B. Holmes, $19,070 69-67-67-79—282 +2 UMass-Lake Superior St. winner Laps Led): K.Larson, 5 times for 269 laps; Mark Hubbard, $19,070 68-73-69-72—282 +2 Boston 10 8 .556 Kansas City 6, Colorado 1 D.Hamlin, 1 time for 27 laps; R.Blaney, 3 FARGO REGIONAL Cleveland 7, Texas 2 Alex Noren, $19,070 71-68-69-74—282 +2 At Scheels Arena Oakland 10 9 .526 times for 25 laps; W.Byron, 1 time for 2 San Francisco 10, L.A. Dodgers 4 laps; D.Suarez, 1 time for 1 lap; Ku.Busch, 1 Pat Perez, $19,070 72-69-71-70—282 +2 Fargo, N.D. Seattle 8 8 .500 San Diego 4, L.A. Angels 1 First Round time for 1 lap. Jason Dufner, $16,478 68-68-75-72—283 +3 Detroit 9 10 .474 Seattle 3, Milwaukee 1 Wins: K.Larson, 1; M.Truex, 1; R.Blaney, Friday, March 26 Chicago White Sox 4, Arizona 4 Scott Harrington, $16,478 66-67-79-71—283 +3 Minn. Duluth (14-10-2) vs. Michigan (15- Minnesota 8 10 .444 1; W.Byron, 1; C.Bell, 1; M.McDowell, 1. Jim Herman, $16,478 70-71-69-73—283 +3 10-1) Top 16 in Points: 1. D.Hamlin, 277; 2. Cleveland 8 13 .381 Monday’s games K.Larson, 234; 3. J.Logano, 214; 4. M.Truex, Keith Mitchell, $16,478 69-69-74-71—283 +3 North Dakota (21-5-1) vs. American In- Charl Schwartzel, $16,478 70-69-71-73—283 +3 ternational (15-3-0) Chicago 6 10 .375 Baltimore vs. Pittsburgh at Bradenton, 212; 5. B.Keselowski, 206; 6. K.Harvick, 203; Championship Baltimore 7 12 .368 Fla. 7. R.Blaney, 191; 8. W.Byron, 188; 9. C.Bell, Ryan Armour, $15,960 70-71-66-77—284 +4 183; 10. C.Elliott, 183; 11. A.Dillon, 170; 12. Saturday, March 27 Tampa Bay 7 12 .368 Boston vs. Tampa Bay at Port Charlotte, Jimmy Walker, $15,960 69-68-77-70—284 +4 Minn. Duluth-Michigan winner vs. North Fla. Ky.Busch, 163; 13. M.McDowell, 158; 14. Dakota-AIC winner Houston 3 12 .200 Atlanta vs. Minnesota at Fort Myers, Fla. A.Bowman, 157; 15. Ku.Busch, 152; 16. ALBANY REGIONAL N.Y. Mets vs. Houston at West Palm C.Buescher, 144. At Times Union Center Beach, Fla. PGA Tour winners National League NASCAR Driver Rating Formula Albany, N.Y. St. Louis vs. Miami at Jupiter, Fla. Sept. 10-13 — Safeway Open (Stewart First Round WLPct. San Diego vs. Kansas City at Surprise, A maximum of 150 points can be at- Cink) Saturday, March 27 Ariz. tained in a race. Sept. 17-20 — U.S. Open Championship Boston College (17-5-1) vs. Notre Dame Chicago 12 5 .706 San Francisco vs. Chicago White Sox at The formula combines the following cat- (Bryson DeChambeau) (14-13-2) Glendale, Ariz. egories: Wins, Finishes, Top-15 Finishes, Sept. 24-27 — Corales Puntacana Resort St. Cloud St. (17-10-0) vs. Boston U. (10- Miami 9 4 .692 Milwaukee vs. Cleveland at Goodyear, Average Running Position While on Lead & Club Championship (Hudson Swafford) 4-1) Los Angeles 10 6 .625 Ariz. Lap, Average Speed Under Green, Fastest Sept. 25-27 — Ryder Cup, Kohler, Wis. Lap, Led Most Laps, Lead-Lap Finish. Championship Atlanta 11 8 .579 Arizona vs. Oakland at Mesa, Ariz. (canceled) Sunday, March 28 Chicago Cubs vs. L.A. Angels at Tempe, Oct. 1-4 — Sanderson Farms Champion- Boston College-Notre Dame winner vs. New York 9 7 .563 Ariz. ship (Sergio Garcia) St. Cloud St.-Boston U. winner St. Louis 7 6 .538 Texas vs. Colorado at Scottsdale, Ariz. Oct. 8-11 — Shriners Hospitals for Chil- Philadelphia vs. N.Y. Yankees at Tampa, DEALS LOVELAND REGIONAL Washington 8 7 .533 dren Open (Martin Laird) First Round Fla. Oct. 15-18 — The CJ Cup @ Shadow Creek At Budweiser Events Center Milwaukee 10 9 .526 Detroit vs. Toronto at Dunedin, Fla. Sunday’s Transactions (Jason Kokrak) Loveland, Colo. Colorado 9 10 .474 L.A. Dodgers vs. Seattle at Peoria, Ariz. Oct. 22-25 — ZOZO Championship @ BASEBALL Sherwood (Patrick Cantlay) First Round Philadelphia 9 10 .474 Major League Baseball Saturday, March 27 Tuesday’s games Oct. 29-Nov. 1 — World Golf Champion- Pittsburgh 9 10 .474 American League ships-HSBC Champions, Shanghai (can- Minnesota St. (20-4-1) vs. Quinnipiac Washington vs. St. Louis at Jupiter, Fla. Agreed to (17-7-4) San Francisco 8 9 .471 KANSAS CITY ROYALS — celed) Tampa Bay vs. Baltimore at Sarasota, terms with C Salvador Perez on a four- Oct. 29-Nov. 1 — Bermuda Champion- Minnesota (23-6-0) vs. Omaha (14-10-1) San Diego 8 11 .421 Fla. Championship year contract from 2022-25. ship (Brian Gay) Arizona 7 10 .412 Minnesota vs. Pittsburgh at Bradenton, OAKLAND ATHLETICS — Optioned RHP Nov. 5-8 — Vivint Houston Open (Carlos Sunday, March 28 Fla. Minnesota St.-Quinnipiac winner vs. Cincinnati 6 14 .300 Jordan Weems to Las Vegas (Triple-A Ortiz) Boston vs. Atlanta at North Port, Fla. West). Nov. 12-15 — Masters Tournament Minnesota-Omaha winner N.Y. Yankees vs. Detroit at Lakeland, Fla. FROZEN FOUR National League (Dustin Johnson) Miami vs. N.Y. Mets at Port St. Lucie, Fla. CINCINNATI REDS — Optioned C Deivy Nov. 19-22 — The RSM Classic (Robert At PPG Paints Arena Saturday’s games L.A. Angels vs. Texas at Surprise, Ariz. Pittsburgh Grullon, SS Jose Garcia, RF Scott Heineman Streb) Detroit 3, Pittsburgh 1 Chicago White Sox vs. Chicago Cubs at and RHPs Hector Perez and Art Warren to Dec. 3-6 — Mayakoba Golf Classic (Vik- National Semifinals St. Louis 5, Houston 2 Mesa, Ariz. Louisville (Triple-A East). tor Hovland) Thursday, April 8 Toronto 3, Philadelphia 1 Colorado vs. Oakland at Mesa, Ariz. Dec. 3-6 — Hero World Challenge, Nas- Fargo Regional Champion vs. Bridgeport Atlanta 8, Boston 2 San Francisco vs. Cleveland at PITTSBURGH PIRATES — Agreed to terms with RHP Steven Wright to a minor sau, Bahamas (canceled) Regional Champion Chicago Cubs 4, Colorado 2 Goodyear, Ariz. Jan. 7-10 — Sentry Tournament of Cham- Albany Regional Champion vs. Loveland league contract. Chicago White Sox 6, Cleveland 2 Cincinnati vs. San Diego at Peoria, Ariz. BASKETBALL pions (Harris English) Regional Champion L.A. Dodgers 4, San Diego 4 L.A. Dodgers vs. Milwaukee at Phoenix Jan. 14-17 — Sony Open in Hawaii (Kevin National Championship Kansas City 6, Arizona 6 Toronto vs. Philadelphia at Clearwater, National Basketball Association NBA — Fined Toronto Raptors head Na) Saturday, April 10 Oakland 11, L.A. Angels 2 Fla. Jan. 21-24 — The American Express (Si Semifinal winners Washington 7, Miami 4 Seattle vs. Arizona at Scottsdale, Ariz. coach Nick Nurse $50,000 for an incident during a March 19 game against Utah. Woo Kim) FOOTBALL Jan. 28-31 — Farmers Insurance Open National Football League (Patrick Reed) TENNIS AP SPORTLIGHT Feb. 4-7 — Waste Management Phoenix CHICAGO BEARS — Signed OLB Jeremiah Open (Brooks Koepka) Attaouchu to a two-year contract. Feb. 11-14 — AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am March 23 SEATTLE SEAHAWKS — Acquired OG ia Kichenok (1), Ukraine, def. Sabrina San- (Daniel Berger) WTA St. Petersburg 1939 — Long Island University finishes Gabe Jackson from Las Vegas in exchange Feb. 18-21 — The Genesis Invitational tamaria and Kaitlyn Christian (2), United for a fifth-round pick. Ladies Trophy States, 2-6, 6-3, 10-8. the season undefeated after a 44-32 victo- (Max Homa) ry over Loyola of Chicago in the NIT cham- HOCKEY Feb. 25-28 — World Golf Championships- Sunday WTA Abierto Monterrey pionship. National Hockey League Workday Championship at The Conces- St. Petersburg, Russia 1994 — Wayne Gretzky scores his 802nd NEW JERSEY DEVILS — Placed F Nathan sion (Collin Morikawa) Purse: $565,530 Sunday goal, passing Gordie Howe as the greatest Bastian on injured reserve retroactive to Feb. 25-28 — Puerto Rico Open (Branden Surface: Hardcourt indoor At Club Sonoma goal-scorer in NHL history. March 18. Recalled F Michael McLeod from Grace) Women’s Singles Monterrey, Mexico 2002 — Iowa State’s Cael Sanderson be- the taxi squad. Reassigned D Josh Jacobs March 4-7 — Arnold Palmer Invitational Championship Purse: $235,238 comes the first undefeated four-time and G Gilles Senn from the taxi squad to presented by Mastercard (Bryson De- Daria Kasatkina (8), Russia, def. Margar- Surface: Hardcourt outdoor NCAA wrestling champion at the NCAA Binghamton (AHL). Assigned Ds Jeremy Chambeau) ita Gasparyan, Russia, 6-3, 2-1, ret. Women’s Singles Championships. Sanderson beats Le- Groleau and David Quenneville from Bing- March 11-14 — THE PLAYERS Champion- Women’s Doubles Championship high’s Jon Trenge, 12-4, to win at 197 hamton (AHL) to the taxi squad. ship (Justin Thomas) Championship Leylah Annie Fernandez, Canada, def. pounds and finish his career with a perfect NEW YORK RANGERS — Placed D Jack March 18-21 — The Honda Classic, Palm Raluca-Ioana Olaru, Romania, and Nadi- Viktorija Golubic, Switzerland, 6-1, 6-4. 159-0 record. Johnson on injured reserve. Beach Gardens, Fla. (Matt Jones) Tuesday, March 23, 2021 • STARS AND STRIPES • PAGE 19 NBA

Scoreboard Eastern Conference Paul passes 10,000 assists in win Atlantic Division WLPct GB Suns roll, injury-depleted Philadelphia 30 13 .698 — Lakers lose 2nd straight Brooklyn 29 14 .674 1 Boston 21 21 .500 8½ New York 21 22 .488 9 BY DAVID BRANDT Toronto 17 25 .405 12½ Associated Press Southeast Division PHOENIX — Chris Paul says he WLPct GB knows the secret for why he’s still a dominant NBA point guard at an Atlanta 22 20 .524 — Miami 22 21 .512 ½ age when most of his peers are get- Charlotte 20 21 .488 1½ ting into coaching or figuring out Washington 15 26 .366 6½ their next steps in life. Orlando 14 28 .333 8 “I told the guys in the locker room Central Division I’ve got the easy job,” Paul said WLPct GB grinning. “I just pass it to them.” Milwaukee 27 14 .659 — The 35-year-old Paul continued Indiana 19 22 .463 8 adding to the resume of his Hall of Chicago 19 22 .463 8 Fame-worthy career on Sunday Cleveland 16 26 .381 11½ Detroit 12 30 .286 15½ night, passing 10,000 assists in the Western Conference Phoenix Suns’ 111-94 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers. Southwest Division The 11-time All-Star hit 10,000 in WLPct GB spectacular fashion, throwing a perfect alley-oop pass to Deandre San Antonio 22 17 .564 — Dallas 22 19 .537 1 Ayton, who was streaking down the Memphis 19 20 .487 3 lane and finished with a powerful New Orleans 18 24 .429 5½ two-handed jam. Paul finished with Houston 11 30 .268 12 a triple-double on Sunday, contrib- Northwest Division uting 11 points, 13 assists and 10 re- RICK SCUTERI/AP WLPct GB bounds. Phoenix Suns guard Chris Paul (3) drives around Los Angeles Lakers guard Dennis Schroder (17) during Utah 30 11 .732 — Paul is just the sixth player in the Suns’ 111­94 win Sunday in Phoenix. Paul became the sixth player to reach 10,000 assists. Denver 25 17 .595 5½ NBA history to reach the 10,000-as- Portland 25 17 .595 5½ sist milestone along with John was in college at Wake Forest and known each other for years and ship now because we’re both ol- Oklahoma City 18 24 .429 12½ Minnesota 10 32 .238 20½ Stockton, Jason Kidd, Steve Nash, no one could see this on the horizon. Williams was Paul’s coach in New der.” Pacific Division Mark Jackson and Magic Johnson. It comes down to a lot of hard work, Orleans a decade ago. Now they’re Later Williams added: “When At his current rate, Paul will pass sacrifice, an unreal family that he reunited and Williams is proud to we’re done with this I’m going to be WLPct GB Johnson this season and might comes from and a dedication to the call Paul a friend. checking up on his kids when Phoenix 28 13 .683 — L.A. Lakers 28 15 .651 1 catch Jackson and Nash. game.” “Chris is somebody I’ll ask for ad- they’re getting 10,000 assists when L.A. Clippers 27 16 .628 2 “I just enjoy watching him get Williams and Paul have a unique vice,” Williams said. “He’s some- they’re in the league. I think it’s a Golden State 22 21 .512 7 these achievements along the way,” relationship, operating almost as body that I can tell the truth to and cool thing to have players you’re Sacramento 17 25 .405 11½ Suns coach Monty Williams said. equals instead of the usual coach- he can tell me the truth. You’d have close to, but also that you can coach Sunday’s games “It’s amazing. I remember when he player dynamic. The two have to ask him, but I value our relation- and push.” Indiana 109, Miami 106, OT Oklahoma City 114, Houston 112 New Orleans 113, Denver 108 Boston 112, Orlando 96 Chicago 100, Detroit 86 ROUNDUP Brooklyn 113, Washington 106 Cleveland 116, Toronto 105 Philadelphia 101, New York 100, OT Dallas 132, Portland 92 Phoenix 111, L.A. Lakers 94 Monday’s games Rockets drop team-record 20th straight Sacramento at Cleveland Oklahoma City at Minnesota Charlotte at San Antonio Associated Press ing streak. Boston at Memphis Indiana at Milwaukee HOUSTON — The Houston Rockets lost The Celtics made 23 three-pointers, one Toronto at Houston their team-record 20th straight game, falling short of the franchise record. Brown was 10- Utah at Chicago Atlanta at L.A. Clippers 114-112 to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sun- for-18 from the distance. Tuesday’s games day when John Wall missed two shots in the fi- Cavaliers 116, Raptors 105: Collin Sexton Denver at Orlando nal 10 seconds. scored 23 of his 36 points in the second half, L.A. Lakers at New Orleans Washington at New York The skid is tied for the ninth-worst in NBA Jarrett Allen had 17 points and 15 rebounds Phoenix at Miami Brooklyn at Portland history and the longest since Philadelphia’s re- and Cleveland handed visiting Toronto its Philadelphia at Golden State cord-setting 28-game losing streak across the eighth straight loss. Leaders 2014-15 and 2015-16 seasons. Dean Wade scored 16 points, and Darius Through Sunday Houston took a 110-109 lead with less than Garland had 15 points and six assists for the Scoring three minutes remaining. After the Rockets Cavaliers, who had dropped five of six. GFG FT PTS AVG went ahead, Lu Dort blocked Wall’s layup from 76ers 101, Knicks 101 (OT):Tobias Harris behind to protect a 113-112 edge. Wall then mis- made two free throws with 5.3 seconds left in Beal, WAS 38 429 276 1219 32.1 Lillard, POR 41 386 296 1244 30.3 sed a deep three at the buzzer. overtime and visiting Philadelphia ran its win-

Embiid, PHI 31 293 304 928 29.9 Dort scored 23 points and Isaiah Roby had 18 MICHAEL WYKE/AP ning streak against New York to 15 games. Curry, GS 39 375 198 1130 29.0 for Oklahoma City. The 76ers improved to 30-13 with their Antetokounmpo, MIL 40 422 271 1161 29.0 Thunder center Moses Brown, middle, Christian Wood had 27 points, eight re- reaches for a rebound between Rockets eighth win in its last 10 games. Rebounds bounds and two blocks for Houston. guard Victor Oladipo (7) center Christian Pelicans 113, Nuggets 108: Brandon In- GOFF DEF TOT AVG Nets 113, Wizards 106:Kyrie Irving scored Wood (35), forward Danuel House Jr. (4) and gram and Zion Williamson each scored 30 Capela, ATL 36 179 331 510 14.2 28 points and James Harden had 26 to lead guard John Wall (1) during Oklahoma City's points and New Orleans overcame another tri- Gobert, UTA 41 140 414 554 13.5 Brooklyn past visiting Washington. 114­112 win, Sunday, in Houston. ple-double by Nikola Jokic to win at Denver. Valanciunas, MEM 34 126 285 411 12.1 Vucevic, ORL 42 83 413 496 11.8 Blake Griffin dunked for the first time since Pacers 109, Heat 106 (OT):Justin Holiday December 2019 in his Nets debut and Nicolas shots and finished 8-for-9. Overall, he shot 13 scored 15 points and hit consecutive three- Assists Claxton added 16 points, including two three- -for-19 from the field and added seven re- pointers in overtime to lead Indiana past host GAST AVG point plays down the stretch. bounds and four assists. Miami for a series sweep. Harden, BKN 37 410 11.1 Mavericks 132, Trail Blazers 92: Luka Celtics 112, Magic 96:Jaylen Brown hit a Bulls 100, Pistons 86: Laurie Markkanen Westbrook, WAS 34 348 10.2 Young, ATL 40 376 9.4 Doncic scored 37 points in three quarters, career-high 10 three-pointers and scored 34 had 16 points and eight rebounds and Chicago Doncic, DAL 38 349 9.2 leading to an easy victory at Portland for Dal- points, Jayson Tatum added 23 and Boston used a strong defensive performance to win at Paul, PHO 40 351 8.8 las. Doncic made his first eight three-point beat visiting Orlando to snap a three-game los- Detroit. PAGE 20 • STARS AND STRIPES • Tuesday, March 23, 2021 AUTO RACING/NHL

NHL scoreboard ROUNDUP Blaney bides time East Division GP WLOT Pts GF GA Lightning win key Washington 31 20 7 4 44 106 92 N.Y. Islanders 32 20 8 4 44 96 72 Pittsburgh 32 19 11 2 40 100 88 for win in Atlanta Boston 28 16 8 4 36 77 66 matchup in Central Philadelphia 29 15 11 3 33 93 105 N.Y. Rangers 30 13 13 4 30 89 79 Associated Press Dominant Larson fades to second on old tires New Jersey 29 11 14 4 26 71 90 qvist answered with a power-play Buffalo 29 6 19 4 16 61 101 TAMPA, Fla. — Tyler Johnson goal at 6:25 before Johnson re- BY PAUL NEWBERRY welcome change from last June Central Division broke a tie on a power play mid- gained the lead for the Lightning. Associated Press when no fans were allowed for At- GP WLOT Pts GF GA way through the third period to “It’s one of those games where HAMPTON, Ga. — Ryan Blaney lanta’s makeup race. help the Tampa Bay Lightning you play these guys, it’s going to be Tampa Bay 31 23 6 2 48 115 73 knew he had to let Kyle Larson go. The Cup series will be back July Florida 31 20 7 4 44 105 88 beat the Florida Panthers 5-3 on tight,” Florida defenseman Keith Patience was the key, especially 11, the first time since 2010 that At- Carolina 30 20 7 3 43 101 78 Sunday. Yandle said. “I really liked our ef- on a day when Larson looked un- lanta has hosted two races in a sea- Columbus 32 13 12 7 33 86 103 Yanni Gourde and Brayden fort. I thought we worked hard, we beatable. son. Chicago 32 14 13 5 33 95 106 Point each had a goal and an assist, played hard for 60 minutes.’’ Nashville 32 14 17 1 29 77 103 In the end, Larson faded on an Alex Killorn and Mathieu Joseph Devils 2, Penguins 1 (OT):Jesp- Who’s hot Dallas 28 10 10 8 28 80 75 battered set of tires, and Blaney Detroit 32 10 18 4 24 71 104 also scored, and Curtis McElhin- er Bratt scored on a wraparound at raced by him for an improbable vic- Pole-sitter Denny Hamlin contin- West Division ney stopped 29 shots to improve to 2:50 of overtime to lift visiting New tory Sunday. ues to lead the season standings af- GP WLOT Pts GF GA 3-3-1. The Lightning opened a Jersey past Pittsburgh. “I was not going to be able to stick ter another strong run. He was four-point lead over the Panthers Bratt took a pass from Pavel Za- Vegas 29 21 7 1 43 95 66 with him,” Blaney said. “I’ve got to fourth behind Blaney, Larson and Colorado 29 19 8 2 40 97 65 in the Central Division standings. cha and quickly circled the net, save my tires ... and see what hap- Alex Bowman. Minnesota 29 18 10 1 37 87 75 Gustav Forsling, Patric Horn- tucking a shot between the post pens.” Hamlin has finished in the top St. Louis 31 16 10 5 37 96 99 qvist and Carter Verhaeghe and the goalie Tristan Jarry’s Blaney became the sixth driver to five in every race but Homestead, Los Angeles 30 13 11 6 32 88 84 scored for Florida, which lost in skate for his first career overtime Arizona 31 13 13 5 31 77 92 win in six races to start NASCAR’s where he was 11th. San Jose 29 11 14 4 26 83 103 regulation for the third time in 14 goal. Cup season, surging to the front Still, he’s clearly perturbed about Anaheim 32 9 17 6 24 71 110 road games. The Devils won two of three with nine laps to go after Larson failing to take the top spot. North Division Sergei Bobrovsky finished with games in the series. easily won the first two stages and “We’re just not fast enough,” 19 saves for the Panthers. Sidney Crosby scored for the GP WLOT Pts GF GA led 269 of 325 laps on the 1.54-mile Hamlin said. “We need more After Florida rallied twice to tie Penguins and Jarry made 33 trioval. speed.” Toronto 32 20 10 2 42 107 83 it, Johnson put Tampa Bay in front saves. Edmonton 34 21 13 0 42 116 97 Larson’s tires didn’t stand up to Winnipeg 31 18 11 2 38 100 91 for good at 10:56 of the third peri- Kings 3, Golden Knights 1: the punishing track after making his Who’s not Montreal 31 14 8 9 37 100 87 od, driving to the net to tap in a Sean Walker and Dustin Brown final pit stop with 56 laps to go. Stewart-Haas Racing is off to a Vancouver 35 16 16 3 35 99 111 pass from Yanni Gourde. The scored 51 seconds apart in the sec- Blaney stayed close enough to tough start in 2021. Calgary 32 15 14 3 33 87 97 Lightning then had to kill off a Pan- ond period and host Los Angeles Ottawa 33 10 20 3 23 87 130 make his move, hugging the outside Kevin Harvick, who had won two thers power-play chance with 4:27 ended Vegas’ winning streak at Saturday’s games wall through the fourth turn and of the last three races in Atlanta, Pittsburgh 3, New Jersey 1 left before Point scored into an five. cutting to the inside to pass Larson was never in a mix after having to Florida 2, Nashville 0 empty net with 14.3 seconds left. Cal Petersen made 41 saves and Colorado 6, Minnesota 0 as they crossed the line in front of make an extra pit stop early on to Tampa Bay 4, Chicago 1 “We kept inching away and they fell just short of his second career N.Y. Islanders 6, Philadelphia 1 the main grandstands. change a flat that resulted from a Dallas 3, Detroit 0 kept coming back so there was no shutout. Blaney pulled away to win by broken tire stem. Toronto 2, Calgary 0 time to hang your heads,’’ Tampa Tomas Nosek scored for the Columbus 3, Carolina 2, SO 2.083 seconds in his No. 12 Team He did battle back for a 10th- Montreal 5, Vancouver 4, SO Bay coach Jon Cooper said. “So the first-place Golden Knights to end St. Louis 5, San Jose 2 Penske Ford, having gone just as place finish. N.Y. Rangers 3, Washington 1 boys just kept coming and in the Petersen’s shutout bid with 3:27 to Arizona 5, Anaheim 1 long as Larson on the final set of The other Stewart-Haas drivers Edmonton 4, Winnipeg 2 end our special teams got through, play, but Jeff Carter scored a tires but getting much more out of were even farther back: Cole Custer Boston at Buffalo, ppd killed off a couple big PPs and breakaway goal 55 seconds later to them. was 18th; Aric Almirola was 20th; Sunday’s games scored one ourselves and then seal it. New Jersey 2, Pittsburgh 1, OT “It’s cool to win at a place where and Chase Briscoe 23rd. None has Tampa Bay 5, Florida 3 (McElhinney) came through for Predators 4, Stars 3 (SO):Calle you’ve got to finesse it a little bit and cracked the top 10 this season. Los Angeles 3, Vegas 1 us, so it was a team effort.’’ Jarnkrok scored in the fifth round Nashville 4, Dallas 3, SO think about it,” Blaney said after his Kurt’s crash Monday’s games The Panthers opened the scor- of the shootout and Nashville fin- fifth career victory. Buffalo at N.Y. Rangers ing on Verhaeghe’s 12th of the sea- ished a franchise-record eight- Calgary at Ottawa He led just 25 laps, but was out Kurt Busch had the look of a con- Carolina at Columbus son at 3:28 of the first period but game trip the same way it started front for the one that mattered. tender until the restart to begin the Edmonton at Montreal the Lightning answered on the it, with a shootout victory at Dallas. N.Y. Islanders at Philadelphia When it was over, Blaney strolled second stage. Anaheim at Minnesota next shift as Gourde found a re- Eeli Tolvanen had the tying goal Colorado at Arizona over to the stands and grabbed the As the cars stacked up behind St. Louis at Vegas bound from Barclay Goodrow’s with six minutes remaining in reg- checkered flag, which he handed to Larson, Busch got bumped from be- Winnipeg at Vancouver initial chance 32 seconds later. ulation and two assists for his first Los Angeles at San Jose a young fan wearing the driver’s T- hind by Hamlin and slammed into Tuesday’s games The two teams exchanged goals career three-point game. Ryan Jo- shirt. the outside wall going into turn one, N.Y. Islanders at Boston, ppd in the second, Killorn at 11:23 and hansen had a power-play goal in New Jersey at Philadelphia It was a bitter loss for Larson, who sustaining heavy damage that end- Detroit at Nashville Forsling on the power play at the first period, and Filip Forsberg missed a chance to become 2021’s ed his day. Florida at Chicago 18:24. Joseph put Tampa Bay in pulled the Predators to 3-2 late in Tampa Bay at Dallas first two-time winner after a victory Busch conceded that Hamlin Colorado at Arizona front at 5:22 of the third, but Horn- the second. at Las Vegas two weeks ago. “didn’t do anything vicious or mali- Still, he is off to a strong start in cious,” but he was still ticked off. his new job at Hendrick Motor- “These are the days that hurt the sports, less than a year after blurt- worst,” said Busch, who finished ing out a racial slur on the live- last in the 39-car field. “It’s a restart. stream of a late-night video racing Where are we gonna go, man? Just game, which cost him his job at Chip chill.” Ganassi Racing. “I hate to lead a lot of laps and Chase flounders lose,” Larson said. “The car was stu- It was also a tough day for defend- pid fast for a long time there.” ing Cup champion and home-state The Cup series returned to the favorite Chase Elliott. track where the racing world came Scheduled to start from the fifth to a halt a year ago. Atlanta was the position, he had to take the green first NASCAR Cup race to be post- from the back of the field after fail- poned because of the coronavirus ing multiple inspections before the pandemic. race. This time, the race went off as Then, shortly after a restart to be- scheduled before a socially dis- gin the final stage, Elliott’s No. 9 tanced crowd of about 20,000 — far Chevy blew the engine coming off CHRIS O'MEARA / AP below capacity because of the lin- turn four. The car was pushed to the Lightning right wing Mathieu Joseph, right, celebrates his goal against the Panthers with the bench during gering COVID-19 outbreak, but a paddock with a 38th-place finish. the third period on Sunday in Tampa, Fla. Tuesday, March 23, 2021 • STARS AND STRIPES • PAGE 21 NCAA WOMEN'S TOURNAMENT/SPORTS BRIEFS

Scoreboard

ALAMO REGION First Round Freshmen show no signs of jitters Sunday, March 21 Stanford 87, Utah Valley 44 BY TERESA M. WALKER Oklahoma St. 84, Wake Forest 61 Associated Press Monday, March 22 Missouri St. (21­2) vs. UC Davis (13­2) Several freshmen showed no jit- Arkansas (19­8) vs. Wright St. (18­7) ters on the opening day of the Oregon (13­8) vs. South Dakota (19­5) Georgia (20­6) vs. Drexel (14­8) women’s NCAA Tournament. Northwestern (15­8) vs. UCF (16­4) Louisville (23­3) vs. Marist (18­3) In fact, they embraced the Second Round bright lights of the Big Dance. Tuesday, March 23 It came as no surprise that Io- Stanford vs. Oklahoma St. Wednesday, March 24 wa’s Caitlin Clark, the nation’s Arkansas­Wright St. winner vs. Missouri leading scorer during the regular St.­UC Davis winner Georgia­Drexel winner vs. Oregon­ season, began a run of impressive South Dakota winner performances in the first game of Louisville­Marist winner vs. Northwest­ ern­UCF winner the tournament. UConn’s Paige HEMISFAIR REGION Bueckers showed why she’s All- First Round Sunday, March 21 American as a freshman, while South Carolina 79, Mercer 53 teammate Aaliyah Edwards start- Oregon St. 83, Florida St. 59 Georgia Tech 54, Stephen F. Austin 52, OT ed with a double-double. West Virginia 77, Lehigh 53 There were others, including Monday, March 22 Anaya Boyd, who averages only UCLA (16­5) vs. Wyoming (14­9) Texas (18­9) vs. Bradley (17­11) eight minutes a game for Georgia Alabama (16­9) vs. North Carolina (13­ 10) Tech but made major contribu- Maryland (24­2) vs. Mount St. Mary's tions down the stretch to help the (17­6) Second Round Yellow Jackets avoid being upset Tuesday, March 23 in the first round. South Carolina vs. Oregon St. West Virginia vs. Georgia Tech A look at some of the freshmen Wednesday, March 24 who made an impact in their wom- Texas­Bradley winner vs. UCLA­Wyom­ en’s NCAA Tournament debuts: ing winner Maryland­Mount St. Mary's winner vs. Alabama­North Carolina winner Clark’s numbers ERIC GAY / AP RIVER WALK REGION First Round Clark didn’t match her 26.7- UConn guard Paige Bueckers, left, drives to the basket against High Point during her team’s opening­ Sunday, March 21 point a game scoring average, but round win Sunday in San Antonio. Bueckers had 24 points, nine rebounds and six assists. UConn 102, High Point 59 Syracuse 72, S. Dakota St. 55 she finished with 23 points, seven Iowa 87, Cent. Michigan 72 rebounds seven assists playing a South Dakota State. The 6-foot-7 forth didn’t come close to her sea- Kentucky 71, Idaho St. 63 Boyd brings it for Jackets Michigan 87, Florida Gulf Coast 66 team-high 36 minutes. She also ACC freshman of the year blocked son-high, but she knocked down 5 Georgia Tech coach Nell Fortn- Tennessee 87, Middle Tennessee 62 had two steals to go with three South Dakota State’s first shot at- of her 7 shots for 14 points and Virginia Tech 70, Marquette 63 er had no problem calling fresh- Baylor 101, Jackson St. 52 turnovers. tempt, grabbed Syracuse’s first grabbed three rebounds. man Anaya Boyd’s number in Second Round rebound and scored the first point Teammate Talia von Oelhoffen Tuesday, March 23 crunch time. Boyd played 10 of her UConn Buckets of the game on a free throw. could still be in high school but UConn vs. Syracuse, 12 minutes in the Yellow Jackets’ Kentucky vs. Iowa The guard nicknamed Buckets She finished with six blocks and chose to arrive at Oregon State Baylor vs. Virginia Tech win against Stephen F. Austin in Tennessee vs. Michigan turned in one of the best tourna- diverted countless other shots early. She played 27 minutes, the fourth quarter and overtime. MERCADO REGION ment debuts by a freshman in with her long arms in the paint. scoring seven points and handed First Round She showed no signs of being Sunday, March 21 UConn history. She scored 24 She scored 12 points on 4-for-9 out four assists in an 83-59 rout of tight. The 44.4% free throw shoo- NC State 79, NC A&T 58 points as the top-seeded Huskies shooting from the floor and 4-for-6 Florida State. South Florida 57, Washington St. 53 ter during the season made two routed High Point and wasn’t far shooting from the line. Teammate Monday, March 22 with 1:12 remaining in regulation from a triple-double with nine re- Emily Engstler said Cardoso’s Washington State wonder Gonzaga (23­3) vs. Belmont (20­5) to tie the game at 48, then Boyd Indiana (18­5) vs. VCU (16­10) bounds and six assists. Edwards growth has been better than hers Freshman Charlisse Leger- Rutgers (14­4) vs. BYU (18­5) blocked a layup by Avery Britting- Arizona (16­5) vs. Stony Brook (15­5) showed serious efficiency in 25 as a freshman. Walker had 18 points but it wasn’t Iowa St. (16­10) vs. Michigan St. (15­8) tham with 55 seconds left to force Texas A&M (23­2) vs. Troy (22­5) minutes, making 8 of her 10 shots overtime. enough for Washington State, Second Round for 17 points and grabbing 12 re- Oregon State’s freshmen which fell to South Florida 57-53 Tuesday, March 23 Orange anchor NC State vs. South Florida bounds for the double-double. Sasha Goforth came to Oregon in an opening round game on Sun- Wednesday, March 24 “This has been like an ongoing Syracuse freshman center Ka- State from Fayetteville, Ark., as a day night. Indiana­VCU winner vs. Gonzaga­Bel­ thing all year where us freshmen milla Cardoso, who hails from McDonald’s All-American. She The Pac-12 Freshman of the mont winner Arizona­Stony Brook winner vs. Rutg­ need to perform in order for us to Montes Claros, Brazil, showed no added a start in her first tourna- Year also had five rebounds and ers­BYU winner win, so we just try to do that each signs of nerves in her first tourna- ment game to every other game four assists, and was 8-for-8 from Texas A&M­Troy winner vs. Iowa St.­Mi­ chigan St. winner and every day,” Bueckers said. ment game, a 72-55 win over this season for the Beavers. Go- the line.

BRIEFLY Stanford coach: Differences in virus testing show sexism by NCAA Associated Press veer issued a statement Saturday draw from the Miami Open. to a broken right wrist, according matched the largest in tourna- night critical of the NCAA. Williams pulled out Sunday, cit- to a person familiar with the situa- ment history, tying the mark set Add COVID-19 testing to the “Women athletes and coaches ing recent oral surgery. Novak tion. The Hornets said in a release by Jack Nicklaus in 1977 and differences between the women’s are done waiting, not just for up- Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger earlier Sunday that Ball had an matched by Camilo Villegas in and men’s tournaments that has grades of a weight room, but for Federer announced earlier they MRI exam in San Antonio that re- 2010. The 40-year-old Australian coaches and players unhappy in equity in every facet of life,” she would skip the tournament, which vealed the injury. The team said earned $1.26 million. Texas about what they say is a said in the statement. “Seeing begins Tuesday. he would be listed as out indefi- Brandon Hagy (66) finished 7 growing list of inequities. men’s health valued at a higher Williams, who lives in Palm nitely. under and alone in second. The NCAA had run 8,015 tests level than that of women, as evi- Beach Gardens, Fla., has won the through Saturday with only one denced by different testing proto- event a record eight times, most Jones coasts to win Veteran WR Jackson confirmed positive at the women’s cols at both tournaments, is dis- recently in 2015. tournament using daily antigen heartening.” Honda Classic by 5 shots signs with Rams testing. The men are using daily LaMelo Ball breaks wrist, Matt Jones won the Honda Clas- Veteran receiver DeSean Jack- PCR tests, considered more accu- Serena withdraws sic by five shots Sunday in Palm son has signed a one-year deal rate. False positives at the wom- likely out for season Beach Gardens, Fla., a final round with the Los Angeles Rams, re- en’s tournament have been quick- from Miami Open Charlotte Hornets rookie La- of 2-under 68 good enough to fin- turning to his native Southern Cal- ly retested with the PCR test. Serena Williams is the latest Melo Ball is expected to miss the ish the week at 12-under 268 at ifornia after 13 NFL seasons on the Stanford coach Tara VanDer- Grand Slam champion to with- remainder of the NBA season due PGA National. The margin East Coast. PAGE 22 • STARS AND STRIPES • Tuesday, March 23, 2021 NCAA TOURNAMENT

ROUNDUP Scoreboard

EAST REGIONAL First Round Saturday, March 20 Michigan 82, Texas Southern 66 LSU 76, St. Bonaventure 61 Beavers oust Cowboys, Cunningham Colorado 96, Georgetown 73 Florida St. 64, UNC­Greensboro 54 UCLA 73, BYU 62 Associated Press Abilene Christian 53, Texas 52 Maryland 63, UConn 54 INDIANAPOLIS — Oregon Alabama 68, Iona 55 State embraced the role of the Second Round Monday, March 22 Hickory Huskers — results and Michigan vs. LSU all. Florida State vs. Colorado Abilene Christian vs. UCLA Hours before their second- Alabama vs. Maryland round NCAA Tournament game Regional Semifinals against Oklahoma State, the Bea- Sunday, March 28 Michigan­LSU winner vs. Florida St.­Col­ vers’ basketball Twitter account orado winner Alabama­Maryland winner vs. UCLA­ posted a video of center Roman Abilene Christian winner Silva carrying guard Gianni Hunt SOUTH REGIONAL First Round to the basket on his shoulders to Friday, March 19 measure the rim’s height. Baylor 79, Hartford 55 Wisconsin 85, North Carolina 62 It recreated a scene from the Villanova 73, Winthrop 63 1986 movie “Hoosiers,” in which North Texas 78, Purdue 69, OT Texas Tech 65, Utah St. 53 small-town Hickory’s coach tried Arkansas 85, Colgate 68 Florida 75, Virginia Tech 70, OT to help his team relax about play- Oral Roberts 75, Ohio St. 72, OT ing at massive Butler Fieldhouse. Second Round Hickory went on to win that fic- Sunday, March 21 Baylor 76, Wisconsin 63 tional state title. On Sunday, the Villanova 84, North Texas 61 building now known as Hinkle Arkansas 68, Texas Tech 66 Oral Roberts 81, Florida 78 Fieldhouse was the site of a real- Regional Semifinals life underdog story. Saturday, March 27 Baylor vs. Villanova Ethan Thompson scored 26 Arkansas vs. Oral Roberts points and No. 12 seed Oregon MIDWEST REGIONAL First Round State neutralized Oklahoma State Friday, March 19 and star freshman Cade Cunning- Illinois 78, Drexel 49 ham, rolling to an 80-70 upset. Loyola Chicago 71, Georgia Tech 60 Oregon St. 70, Tennessee 56 Oklahoma St. 69, Liberty 60 The Beavers (19-12) were PAUL SANCYA / AP picked to finish last in the Pac-12 Syracuse 78, San Diego St. 62 Oregon State forward Maurice Calloo shoots over Oklahoma State guard Keylan Boone during the Bea­ West Virginia 84, Morehead St. 67 and had to win the conference Rutgers 60, Clemson 56 vers’ 80­70 upset win in a Midwest Regional second­round game Sunday in Indianapolis. Houston 87, Cleveland St. 56 tournament just to make the Second Round Sunday, March 21 NCAA field. They pulled that off, halftime to lead the 11th-seeded game away with three late free 76-63 win over the Badgers on then cruised past No. 5 seed Ten- Loyola Chicago 71, Illinois 58 Orange past the third-seeded throws. Sunday. Oregon St. 80, Oklahoma St. 70 nessee in the first round. They be- Syracuse 75, West Virginia 72 Mountaineers. Houston 63, Rutgers 60: Villanova 84, North Texas 61: Houston 63, Rutgers 60 came the third double-digit seed Jim Boeheim’s team got the bet- Quentin Grimes scored 22 points, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl scored Regional Semifinals to reach this year’s Sweet 16, join- Saturday, March 27 ter of another legend, Bob Hug- Tramon Mark converted a soaring 18 points, Jermaine Samuels Jr. ing 15 seed Oral Roberts and Syra- Loyola Chicago vs. Oregon St. gins, in the second March Mad- three-point play with 24 seconds had 15 and the Wildcats knocked Houston vs. Syracuse cuse, an 11. ness meeting between coaches left, and the Cougars beat the down 15 three-pointers, emphati- WEST REGIONAL “We’ve always had that confi- First Round with at least 900 Division I victo- Scarlet Knights. cally ending 13th-seeded the Saturday, March 20 dence,” Thompson said. “But it ries. Huggins won No. 900 when DaJon Jarreau overcame a se- Mean Green’s bid for a second up- Gonzaga 98, Norfolk St. 55 kind of took us — we had to go to Oklahoma 72 Missouri 68 West Virginia beat Morehead ries of bumps and bruises to score set. Creighton 63, UC Santa Barbara 62 take a further step and kind of be- State in the first round on Friday. a key bucket down the stretch and Villanova (18-6) will play the Ohio 62, Virginia 58 lieve in ourselves and trust in each Southern Cal 72, Drake 56 Boeheim got his 982nd at Hug- finished with 17 points for second- second weekend of the tourna- Kansas 93, E. Washington 84 other. And as you can see, these Oregon vs. VCU, no contest gins’ expense. seeded Houston (26-3). ment for the third time in the last Iowa 86, Grand Canyon 74 wins that we’ve been having have Syracuse (18-9) advanced to five. Second Round been great team efforts.” Monday, March 22 face second-seeded Houston. South Arkansas 68, Texas Tech 66: Gonzaga vs. Oklahoma Midwest Buddy “Buckets” Boeheim Baylor 76, Wisconsin 63: Da- Justin Smith had 20 points and Creighton vs. Ohio Kansas vs. Southern Cal Syracuse 75, West Virginia 72: erupted in the second half, when vion Mitchell scored 16 points and played a key role in a final-play de- Iowa vs. Oregon he made all but one of his six spearheaded a dominant defen- fensive stop, helping the Razor- Regional Semifinals Buddy Boeheim carried his fa- Sunday, March 28 ther, Jim, to the Hall of Fame three-pointers. He finished 6- sive first half, helping the top- backs beat the Red Raiders and Gonzaga­Oklahoma winner vs. Creight­ coach’s 20th Sweet 16 appearance, for-13 from deep and 8-for-17 seeded Bears avoid another secure the program’s first trip to on­Ohio winner Iowa­Oregon winner vs. Kansas­South­ scoring 22 of his 25 points after overall, and he helped put the NCAA Tournament upset with a the Sweet 16 in a quarter-century. ern Cal winner Upset: Mid-majors continue to make mark on March Madness

FROM PAGE 24 are playing each other. If Abilene mal seasons, they don’t have the wig, who had 19 points and 12 re- Texas Tech, respectively. enough to win 75-72. Christian somehow manages to budget to smooth out all the rough bounds in the win over Illinois. Syracuse was handed an 11 But it felt like the little guys’ pull the rug out from under UCLA, spots, and because they’re always Krutwig looks like a bigger ver- seed, and while it was only mildly day. After becoming only the sec- that’s three more mid-majors for a farther back in the recruiting line, sion of Dick Butkus, but moves surprising that the Orangemen ond No. 15 seed to make the Sweet total of five in the Sweet 16. Which their players stick around because just like Justin Timberlake and slipped by No. 3 West Virginia to 16, ORU coach Paul Mills updated would indeed be something big. precious few are good enough to doesn’t rattle easily. “We just advance, the twist-of-fate this his numbers-don’t-mean-any- But it’s possible, too, that some- turn pro early. Nearly every time stuck to the game plan,” he added time around is that Buddy Boe- thing postgame speech from the thing a bit more subtle is going on. they venture out the conference, matter-of-factly. heim, son of Hall of Fame coach upset over Ohio State. Because of the pandemic, teams they do so as underdogs. For all that, plenty of the usual Jim, is driving the bus. “We,” Mills said bravely, since had to navigate a stop-and-start In normal seasons, those disad- Big Six conference suspects are He scored 22 of his 25 points af- his Golden Eagles will face No. 3 regular season, then slapdash con- vantages are a chip on their shoul- hanging around and a few are flex- ter halftime and helped put the Arkansas in the next round, “are ference tournaments and then get ders. This time around, qualities ing. game away with three late free not capitulating to anybody here.” seeded by an NCAA selection like resilience and cohesion are No. 1 seed Baylor toyed with throws. Then he revealed what his Meanwhile, four more of the 16 committee that, lacking the usual turning what might have been Wisconsin 76-63 and No. 5 Villano- father said during what looked teams in action Monday can call comparisons, might as well have moral victories into actual W’s. va methodically broke down like a heartfelt moment just after themselves mid-majors, including been throwing darts. “Nobody was really doing any- North Texas 84-61. No. 2 Houston the buzzer sounded. overall top seed Gonzaga, and two Mid-majors are used to being thing out of body or out of mind,” and No. 3 Arkansas both got close “He said, ‘Yeah, you missed that more, Creighton and Ohio, who treated as an afterthought. In nor- said Loyola center Cameron Krut- shaves, but outlasted Rutgers and last free throw,’ ” Buddy laughed. Tuesday, March 23, 2021 • STARS AND STRIPES • PAGE 23 NCAA TOURNAMENT Oral Roberts just second No. 15 to reach Sweet 16 Obanor, Abmas send Golden Eagles into second weekend

MARK HUMPHREY / AP BY TIM BOOTH Loyola of Chicago players celebrate and acknowledge fans after Associated Press upsetting No. 1 seed Illinois on Sunday in the second round of the INDIANAPOLIS — Dunk City, NCAA Tournament. say hello to Max Abmas and soar- ing Oral Roberts. The fraternity of No. 15 seeds to reach the second week of the Loyola Chicago NCAA Tournament has its second member. “It’s really just mind blowing,” stuns No. 1 Illinois forward Kevin Obanor said. “We’re grateful. Just happy that BY EDDIE PELLS nervous. We have a great opportu- we got the win.” Associated Press nity to convert rebounds as this Abmas and Obanor led the way INDIANAPOLIS — If the pre- team makes about 50% of layups as Oral Roberts pulled off another game prayer sounded more like a and 30% of its three points. Our de- surprise Sunday night, reaching scouting report, it was. And if Sis- fense can take care of that.” the round of 16 with an 81-78 vic- ter Jean didn’t have any plans for From her mouth to their ears. tory over Florida. next weekend, well, she does now. Illinois (24-7) earned top seed- The Golden Eagles erased an Loyola Chicago carried out its ing for the first time since its own 11-point deficit on the way to their 101-year-old superfan’s plans to a Final Four run in 2005, but fell be- seventh straight victory. Next up AJ MAST / AP T on Sunday, moving to the Sweet hind by 14 in the first half and nev- for the Summit League Tourna- Oral Roberts forward Kevin Obanor shoots over Florida forward Colin 16 with a 71-58 win over Illinois, er got within striking range. The ment champions, who eliminated Castleton in the Golden Eagles’ second­round NCAA Tournament win the first No. 1 seed bounced from Illini committed 16 turnovers and No. 2 seed Ohio State in the first on Sunday. Obanor led Oral Roberts with 28 points. this year’s NCAA Tournament. scored 23 points fewer than their round, is a matchup with No. 3 Cameron Krutwig delivered a season average. seed Arkansas next weekend. Oral Roberts took a 77-76 lead Gators coach Mike White was 19-point, 12-rebound masterpiece Illinois’ 7-foot second-team All- “As I told the guys, we’re not — its first lead since late in the worried about fatigue with his and the quick-handed, eighth- American, Kofi Cockburn, fin- going to let somebody put a num- first half — on Obanor’s basket players and playing slower back- seeded Ramblers (26-4) led wire ished with 21 points on 7-for-12 ber in front of our name and tell with less than 3 minutes remain- fired. to wire. The team with the nation’s shooting, but worked hard for ev- us that that’s our worth, or that’s ing. Noah Locke answered for “We were tired. These guys get leading defense befuddled power- ery shot against the pestering our value,” Oral Roberts coach Florida, but DeShang Weaver, you in rotation. I was hoping slow- ful Illinois to return to the second presence of Krutwig and Co. Paul Mills said. “We’re not capit- who missed his first five shots, hit ing it down would help us make weekend three years after its last The Ramblers’ handsy guards, ulating to anybody here.” an open three-pointer for an 80-78 better decisions,” White said. “We magical run to the Final Four. Lucas Williamson and Keith Obanor scored 28 points and lead with 2:08 remaining. made some erratic decisions. We A hard habit to break for Loyola Clemons, kept first-team All- Abmas (pronounced ACE-mus), The Gators had a chance but made some passes that boy I wish Chicago. And a classic case of nun- American Ayo Dosunmu from ev- the regular-season national lead- failed to get good shots on their we had back.” and-done for the Illini. er finding his comfort zone. He ing scorer, finished with 26 as the final few possessions. They had a In the eight previous instances The Ramblers next play Oregon finished with nine points, 11 under Golden Eagles (18-10) closed the pair of turnovers, Locke missed a of a No. 15 seed playing in the State, which topped Oklahoma his season average. game on a 25-11 run to overcome corner three-pointer and, after round of 32, only Florida Gulf State 80-70 later Sunday. Loyola held its lead in the eight- the 11-point lead the Gators held Obanor split free throws, difficult Coast was able to keep its magical “We just executed, played our to-12-point range through most of with less than 10 minutes remain- three-point attempts by Tre Mann run going. “Dunk City” ousted game and controlled the game the second half, and the Illini nev- ing. and Scottie Lewis were off line. San Diego State in the second from the start,” Krutwig said. er got this to a one-possession Oral Roberts joins Florida Gulf Mann led Florida (15-10) with round before losing to Florida in “Nobody was really doing any- game. Coast — those guys from “Dunk 19 points, but went quiet late in the Sweet 16. thing out of body or out of mind. “We tried everything in the City” — as the only No. 15 seeds to the second half, failing to score Most times, the elation of pull- We just stuck to the game plan.” bag,” Illinois coach Brad Under- reach the round of 16 in tourna- over the final 17 minutes. ing off the first-round upset led to Who wrote it? wood said. “Everything that’s ment history. The private evan- “I just missed shots,” Mann a second-round rout. Only Coppin Some of Loyola’s wisdom comes made us one of the most efficient gelical university in Tulsa, Okla., said. “We made the same plays State in 1997 lost by less than 10 from Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt, offensive teams, today, just for has won twice in the tournament we did in the first half. I got the points, an 82-81 defeat to Texas. the venerable team chaplain, who whatever reason, didn’t work.” for the first time since 1974, when same shots. I just missed shots. I Oral Roberts faced Arkansas headlined the team’s 2018 run to Krutwig is also an All-American it reached the region final before didn’t get the wide-open looks I earlier this season, losing 87-76 to the Final Four and received both — a third-teamer who looked all- losing to Kansas. was getting.” the Razorbacks on Dec. 20. COVID-19 vaccination shots so world in this one. The Golden Eagles fans inside Locke finished with 17 points she could travel to Indianapolis to Posting up, pivoting, dishing Indiana Farmers Coliseum chant- and Colin Castleton and Tyree Smart foul see what inspiration she could when necessary and causing all ed “Cinderella” during a wild cel- Appleby both added 14 for the Ga- One of the biggest decisions of provide in 2021. kinds of trouble on defense in the ebration after the victory. tors. the game came with 3:11 left after Before taking in this game from paint, the 6-9 senior played bigger. The chance to reach the Sweet There will be plenty of anger the Golden Eagles pulled within a luxury suite — sitting in her And there’s a chance for more. 16 was a message hammered and frustration for Florida after 76-75. Oral Roberts fouled Flor- wheelchair and decked out in her It’s a turn of events that Sister home by Mills after the opening losing in the second round for the ida’s Osayi Osifo, a 50% free- trademark maroon and gold scarf Jean could see happening. Before victory over Ohio State. If they en- third straight NCAA appearance throw shooter on the season, as — Jean delivered a pregame the game, she suggested the Ram- joyed beating the Buckeyes, Mills and a game the Gators felt they soon as the ball got in his hands. prayer that could’ve been stripped blers, the MVC champs who allow said, a week reveling in moving gave away. Osifo missed the front end of a 1- straight from a John Wooden only 55.7 points per game and onto the next round would be They shot 55%. They outre- and-1, and Obanor scored to give handbook. were ranked 17th in the final AP even better. bounded the smaller Golden Ea- the Golden Eagles the lead. “As we play the Fighting Illini, poll, might have gotten a raw deal They’ll get that chance. gles 37-24 and had 42 points in the “We’re not getting stops. We’re we ask for special help to over- with a No. 8 seeding that put them “I told them, ‘I told you so,’ paint. But Florida committed 20 not getting rebounds. We’re down come this team and get a great up against a 1 so early. when we got to locker room,” turnovers and had just three one, so we need to give ourselves win,” she said. “We hope to score Turns out, it was the Illini that Mills said. “I told you the Sweet 16 made baskets over the final 9½ a chance here and so we took the early and make our opponents got the bad break. was a much better feeling.” minutes. gamble and it paid off,” Mills said. PAGE 24 • STARS AND STRIPES • Tuesday, March 23, 2021 10,000 dimes SPORTS 35-year-old Suns PG Paul passes another career milestone ›› Page 19

NCAA TOURNAMENT Mid­major Madness Big upset day could signal shift in college basketball’s balance of power

BY JIM LITKE Hard to say. Because this one isn’t like any other season. Associated Press Just two of the teams that won Sunday qualify as mid- n any other college basketball season, four upsets in majors: eighth-seeded Loyola of Chicago, which manhan- the eight second-round games played at the NCAA dled No. 1 seed Illinois from the get-go and won 71-58; and Tournament would be a sign that something big is 15th-seeded Oral Roberts, which used a late run to squeeze Ibrewing. past Florida 81-78. The other two upsets were No. 15 Oregon Were those the opening shots in the long-rumored mid- State fending off third-seeded Oklahoma State 80-70, and major revolution? Have enough talented kids and smart No. 11 Syracuse smothering third-seeded West Virginia just coaches finally taken up residence at programs outside the Big Six to nudge the balance of power? SEE UPSET ON PAGE 22

Top: Loyola Chicago center Cameron Krutwig reacts to a basket during the Ramblers' 71­58 win over No. 1 seed Illi­ nois during the second round of the NCAA tournament at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Sunday. Right: Oral Roberts forward Francis Lacis (22) celebrates after Sunday's 81­78 win over seventh­seeded Florida in the second round of the NCAA tournament at Indiana Farmers Coliseum in Indianapolis. PHOTOS BY PAUL SAYNCA, TOP, AND AJ MAST, RIGHT/AP

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