MLB NATION FACES Astros adjusting Sanders faces brunt Up-and-comer Justice to departure of of attacks at debate Smith opens up about ace Gerrit Cole in South Carolina role in new Netflix film Back page Page 10 Page 15 US-Taliban pact could help ease election drama in Afghanistan » Page 6 stripes.com Volume 78, No. 224 ©SS 2020 THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2020 50¢/Free to Deployed Areas CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK US soldier is infected with virus BY KIM GAMEL AND YOO KYONG CHANG Stars and Stripes SEOUL, South Korea — An American sol- dier tested positive for the new coronavirus, the military said Wednesday as it tightened restrictions aimed at keeping the pneumonia- like illness off-base. The 23-year-old soldier, stationed at Camp Carroll, is the first U.S. service member known to be infected with COVID-19, which has spread globally with alarming alacrity since it first appeared in China in December. The widow of a military retiree who had base access also was reported to be infected earlier this week in the nearby city of Daegu, which is at the epicenter of the recent outbreak. SEE VIRUS ON PAGE 8 A 2nd Infantry Division soldier checks for a temperature as dozens of vehicles line up to enter the Dongchang-ri gate at Camp Humphreys, South Korea, on Wednesday . Matthew Keeler/Stars and Stripes More coverage on pages 8-9 Esper pitches $705B budget amid possible showdown with Congress over border wall BY STEVE BEYNON U.S.-Mexico border wall could spark tional warfare,” Esper said testify- lion to construct more border wall, a Stars and Stripes a fight when it comes time to approve ing before the House Committee on key campaign promise from Trump. a federal budget. Armed Services. The move sparked a chorus of Dem- WASHINGTON — Defense Sec- “We are in the midst of rapid tech- However, Congress and President ocratic outrage and a rare rebuke retary Mark Esper said Wednes- nological change that has the potential Donald Trump’s administration from Republicans as the administra- day that the United States needs to to fundamentally alter the character could brawl over the military’s bud- tion attempts to circumvent congres- embrace “critical and emerging” of war. Our adversaries are system- get, which seeks to move billions of sional control of federal spending in technology completely as it aims to atically and strategically developing dollars to southern border security an election year. continue its edge over near-peer ad- and fielding advanced systems, erod- to curtail illegal immigration, drug “This is an enormous problem,” versaries China and Russia. How- ing the advantage the United States smuggling and human trafficking. said Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash., ever, clashes with Congress over the Esper military has maintained in conven- The Pentagon plans to divert $3.8 bil- SEE BUDGET ON PAGE 3 PAGE 2 F3HIJKLM •STARS AND STRIPES• Thursday, February 27, 2020 BUSINESS/WEATHER Disney CEO steps down in surprise announcement EXCHANGE RATES Military rates Switzerland (Franc)........................... 0.9768 Euro costs (Feb. 27) .......................... $1.1157 Thailand (Baht) .................................... 31.87 Dollar buys (Feb. 27) ........................€0.8963 Turkey (Lira) ........................................ 6.1561 British pound (Feb. 27) ........................$1.33 Associated Press (Military exchange rates are those products business. day-to-day basis. Japanese yen (Feb. 27) ......................108.00 available to customers at military banking “Did not see this coming South Korean won (Feb. 27) ..........1,187.00 facilities in the country of issuance “It was not accelerated for any Commercial rates NEW YORK — Disney CEO — Wowza,” tweeted LightShed for Japan, South Korea, Germany, the Bob Iger, who steered the com- particular reason other than I felt Bahrain (Dinar) ................................... 0.3766 Netherlands and the United Kingdom. For media analyst Rich Greenfield. the need was now to make this British pound .................................... $1.2951 nonlocal currency exchange rates (i.e., pany’s absorption of Star Wars, Canada (Dollar) .................................. 1.3282 purchasing British pounds in Germany), Iger will remain executive change,” Iger said on a conference China (Yuan) ....................................... 7.0410 check with your local military banking Pixar, Marvel and Fox’s entertain- facility. Commercial rates are interbank chairman through the end of his call with reporters and analysts. Denmark (Krone) ............................... 6.8790 ment businesses and the launch of contract Dec. 31, 2021. Besides Egypt (Pound) ................................... 15.6003 rates provided for reference when buying Chapek, 60, is only the seventh Euro ....................................... $1.0860/0.9208 currency. All figures are foreign currencies a Netflix challenger, is stepping leading the board, Iger said he Hong Kong (Dollar) ............................ 7.7933 to one dollar, except for the British pound, down immediately, the company CEO in Disney history. Chapek Hungary (Forint) ................................ 312.79 which is represented in dollars-to-pound, will spend more time on Disney’s and the euro, which is dollars-to-euro.) said in a surprise announcement was head of the parks, experi- Israel (Shekel) .................................... 3.4337 creative endeavors, including the Japan (Yen) .......................................... 110.60 Tuesday. ESPN sports network, the newly ences and products division since Kuwait (Dinar) .................................... 0.3064 INTEREST RATES The Walt Disney Co. named it was created in 2018. He was Norway (Krone) .................................. 9.3908 acquired Fox studios and the Philippines (Peso)................................ 51.06 Prime rate ................................................4.75 as his replacement Bob Cha- Hulu and Disney Plus streaming previously head of parks and re- Poland (Zloty) ......................................... 3.97 Discount rate ..........................................2.25 pek, most recently chairman of services. He said he could not do sorts and before that president of Saudi Arabia (Riyal) .......................... 3.7521 Federal funds market rate ...................1.58 Singapore (Dollar) ............................. 1.3976 3-month bill ............................................. 1.51 Disney’s parks, experiences and that while running Disney on a consumer products. South Korea (Won) .........................1,214.59 30-year bond ...........................................1.81 WEATHER OUTLOOK THURSDAY IN THE MIDDLE EAST THURSDAY IN EUROPE FRIDAY IN THE PACIFIC Misawa 34/27 Kabul 64/41 Seoul 40/36 Baghdad 70/50 Kandahar 77/50 Osan Tokyo Mildenhall/ Drawsko 46/36 46/27 Lakenheath Pomorskie Busan 43/37 38/32 45/38 Iwakuni 45/40 Kuwait Bahrain Zagan Sasebo City 67/63 Brussels 39/34 Guam 67/53 38/34 Ramstein 50/40 82/78 Lajes, 39/34 Riyadh Doha Azores Stuttgart Pápa 73/50 70/59 63/59 41/33 45/35 Aviano/ Vicenza 46/31 Naples 54/43 Okinawa Morón 68/64 64/46 Sigonella Rota 57/39 The weather is provided by the Djibouti Souda Bay American Forces Network Weather Center, 84/71 62/46 60/54 2nd Weather Squadron at Offutt Air Force Base, Neb. T O D A Y IN STRIPES American Roundup ..... 14 Classified .................. 13 Comics ...................... 17 Crossword ................. 17 Faces ........................ 15 Opinion ..................... 16 Sports .................. 18-24 Thursday, February 27, 2020 •STARS AND STRIPES• F3HIJKLM PAGE 3 MILITARY Budget: Move to divert money to border wall blasted by committee FROM FRONT PAGE budget for fiscal year 2021, which “More so than any other emerg- the chairman of the committee, begins Oct. 1. However, the re- ing technology, AI is transform- who argued the money is being quest is a 0.1% increase from this ing our society and affecting the diverted from other defense re- year’s budget and a far cry from ways in which we do business, in- sources. “The message it sends the Department of Veterans Af- teract socially, and conduct war,” is that the Pentagon has plenty of fairs’ 10.2% requested budget Esper said. “Our competitors have money. It undercuts the congres- increase for next year. The bud- also recognized the transforma- sional process. This basically says get plateau tive potential of AI and are invest- that Congress doesn’t spend the comes after ing heavily in it as they modernize money, the president does.” years of their military forces. Maintaining big bumps a competitive advantage in AI is Rep. Mac Thornberry, R-Texas, /Stars and Stripes by Presi- PHOTOS BY CARLOS BONGIOANNI the top Republican on the com- essential to our national security.” dent Don- Esper said the Pentagon re- mittee, also blasted the move, Defense Secretary Mark Esper, left, and Chairman of the Joint ald Trump mains committed to a serious saying it is “substituting the judg- Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley listen to a question during a House since he took boost in the Navy’s fleet, but the ment of the administration for the Armed Services Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington on office. future fleet will look much differ- judgment of Congress. I am deep- Wednesday . The Pen- ent than today, including “autono- ly concerned about where we’re tagon’s pro- mous” ships. saying the Navy should amass an you are to submit the shipbuild- headed with the constitutional posed budget “The future force will empha- even larger force — mostly with issue.” Thornberry ing plan, and