MILITARY NATION NFL American soldiers still R. Kelly Former Air Force keeping peace in Kosovo sex abuse cadet ready to after more than 2 decades trial begins take off with Jets Page 3 Page 12 Page 24

Biden sees greater threats than Taliban-controlled Afghanistan ›› Page 7

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Volume 80 Edition 90 ©SS 2021 CONTINGENCY EDITION FRIDAY,AUGUST 20, 2021 Free to Deployed Areas Afghan protesters challenge Taliban Demonstrations met with violent response for 2nd straight day

BY AHMAD SEIR, RAHIM FAIEZ, KATHY GANNON AND JON GAMBRELL Associated Press KABUL, Afghanistan — Afghan protesters defied the Taliban for a second day Thursday, waving their national flag in scattered demonstrations, and the fighters again responded violently as they faced down growing challenges to their rule. A U.N. official warned of dire food shortages and experts said the country was severely in need of cash while noting that the Tali- ban are unlikely to enjoy the gen- erous international aid that the ci- vilian government they dethroned did. In light of these challenges, the Taliban have moved quickly to suppress any dissent, despite their promises that they have become more moderate since they last ruled Afghanistan with draconian laws. Many fear they will succeed in erasing two decades of efforts to expand women’s and human RAHMAT GUL/AP rights and remake the country. Taliban fighters patrol in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Thursday. The Taliban celebrated Afghanistan’s Independence Day by declaring they beat the On Thursday, a procession of United States, but challenges to their rule have begun to emerge. cars and people near Kabul’s air- port carried long black, red and green banners in honor of the Af- ‘They kind of need help everywhere’: ghan flag — a banner that is be- coming a symbol of defiance. At US troops put in long hours in Qatar another protest in Nangarhar province, video posted online BY CHAD GARLAND Cargo plane and refueler activity in the air showed a bleeding demonstrator Stars and Stripes suggested crews were about on target for the with a gunshot wound. Onlookers Military personnel are working around the Pentagon’s one-flight-per-hour pace for the tried to carry him away. clock at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar to facilitate evacuation, said the resident, who wanted to In Khost province, Taliban au- the U.S. airlift from Afghanistan this week, highlight the “flex and give” the operation re- thorities instituted a 24-hour cur- while others launched clothing drives and vol- quired, referring to added workloads and few Thursday after violently unteer efforts, base residents said. hardships. breaking up another protest, ac- People dragged cots and mattresses into “It’s going to put strains everywhere,” he U.S. Air Force cording to information obtained their offices in an operations center, said one said of the effect the mission would have on An Afghan child sleeps on the cargo floor of by journalists monitoring from resident Wednesday, who asked not to be personnel, facilities and equipment. a U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III, kept abroad. The authorities did not named because he was not authorized to speak warm by the uniform of the C-17 loadmaster, to the media. SEE QATAR ON PAGE 9 during an evacuation flight Sunday. SEE CHALLENGE ON PAGE 8 PAGE 2 • STARS AND STRIPES • Friday, August 20, 2021 BUSINESS/WEATHER Judge denies Trump-era OK for Alaska oil project EXCHANGE RATES Military rates South Korea (Won) 1177.16 Associated Press The Trump administration ap- of the project that Gleason found Switzerland (Franc) .9171 Euro costs (Aug. 20) $1.14 Thailand (Baht) 33.34 ANCHORAGE, Alaska — A fed- proved the project in late 2020, flawed. Dollar buys (Aug. 20) 0.8334 Turkey (NewLira) 8.5273 British pound (Aug. 20) $1.33 eral judge on Wednesday threw and the Biden administration de- Conservation groups and Sover- Japanese yen (Aug. 20) 107.00 (Military exchange rates are those available out Trump administration ap- fended the project in court. eign Inupiat for a Living Arctic, South Korean won (Aug. 20) 1143.00 to customers at military banking facilities in the Commercial rates country of issuance for Japan, South Korea, Ger­ provals for a large planned oil pro- Rebecca Boys, a ConocoPhil- described as a grassroots organi- many, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Bahrain(Dinar) .3770 For nonlocal currency exchange rates (i.e., pur­ ject on Alaska’s North Slope, say- lips’ spokesperson, said the com- zation, had challenged the ade- Britain (Pound) 1.3690 chasing British pounds in Germany), check with Canada (Dollar) 1.2757 your local military banking facility. Commercial ing the federal review was flawed pany would review Gleason’s de- quacy of the review process. China(Yuan) 6.4915 rates are interbank rates provided for reference Denmark (Krone) 6.3567 and didn’t include mitigation mea- cision “and evaluate the options Karlin Itchoak, Alaska director Egypt (Pound) 15.7231 when buying currency. All figures are foreign sures for polar bears. available regarding this project.” for The Wilderness Society, in a Euro .8548 currencies to one dollar, except for the British Hong Kong (Dollar) 7.7909 pound, which is represented in dollars­to­ U.S. District Court Judge Sha- Spokespersons for the U.S. Bu- statement called the ruling “a step Hungary (Forint) 399.72 pound, and the euro, which is dollars­to­euro.) Israel (Shekel) 3.2496 ron Gleason in Anchorage vacated reau of Land Management and the toward protecting public lands Japan (Yen) 109.74 INTEREST RATES permits for ConocoPhillips’ Wil- Interior Department said their and the people who would be most Kuwait(Dinar) .3011 Norway (Krone) 9.0017 Prime rate 3.25 low Project in the National Petro- agencies had no comment. The negatively impacted by the BLM’s Philippines (Peso) 50.46 Interest Rates Discount rate 0.75 Poland (Zloty) 3.92 Federal funds market rate 0.09 leum Reserve-Alaska in a 110- Bureau of Land Management con- haphazard greenlighting of the Saudi Arabia (Riyal) 3.7505 3­month bill 0.07 page ruling. ducted the environmental review Willow project.” Singapore (Dollar) 1.3631 30­year bond 1.91 WEATHER OUTLOOK FRIDAY IN THE MIDDLE EAST FRIDAY IN EUROPE SATURDAY IN THE PACIFIC

Misawa 73/68

Kabul Seoul 78/72 Baghdad 109/76 Osan Tokyo Kandahar Drawsko 78/72 82/73 Mildenhall/ Pomorskie Busan Lakenheath 64/58 78/75 72/57 Iwakuni Kuwait City 78/75 Bahrain Zagan Sasebo Guam 103/84 95/91 Brussels Ramstein 67/62 79/76 71/59 71/53 83/80 Riyadh Lajes, 105/80 Doha Azores Stuttgart 101/87 74/71 71/60 Pápa Aviano/ 76/62 Vicenza 80/60

Naples 83/73 Okinawa Morón 83/80 96/71 Sigonella Rota 90/68 The weather is provided by the Djibouti 81/68 Souda Bay American Forces Network Weather Center, 103/83 80/75 2nd Weather Squadron at Offutt Air Force Base, Neb.

TODAY IN STRIPES American Roundup ...... 13 Comics ...... 16 Crossword ...... 16 Faces ...... 14 Opinion ...... 15 Sports ...... 18-24 Friday, August 20, 2021 • STARS AND STRIPES • PAGE 3 MILITARY

US soldiers are still preserving peace ‘Forgotten Battalion’ in Kosovo after more than two decades

BY SLOBODAN LEKIC ians on both sides the breathing Stars and Stripes space they need to sit down at the CAMP BONDSTEEL, Kosovo table and discuss how to resolve — The U.S.-led NATO force that their differences,” said Hopkins, has been keeping the peace for who also heads KFOR’s Regional more than 20 years is on guard Command East headquartered at against disinformation campaigns this austere base. aimed at stoking inter-ethnic ten- After his unit completes its de- sions in Europe’s youngest nation, ployment, it will be followed by the officials said. Virginia Army National Guard Security in Kosovo remains sta- next spring. Each rotation typical- ble overall. But Washington and its ly lasts between nine and 12 NATO allies have no plans to re- months. duce the Kosovo Force — or KFOR KFOR currently includes about — which is still considered essen- 3,600 peacekeepers from 27 na- tial in maintaining peace between tions. The United States has the the Albanian majority and Serb largest contingent, with 660 minority, whose rivalry erupted in troops, most of them based at this a war in the late 1990s in which at sprawling facility in central Koso- least 10,000 people died. vo. “I have no indication of any U.S. Italy has 542 soldiers and Hun- drawdown,” said Col. Brey Hop- gary nearly 400. Some countries, kins, who commands the 86th In- such as Sweden or tiny Montene- fantry Brigade Combat Team gro, contribute just a couple of offi- (Mountain) of the Vermont Army cers each. National Guard, which arrived in The U.S. group, which during Kosovo in July for a regular nine- the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan month deployment. became known as the “Forgotten After a bombing campaign in Battalion,” has traditionally been 1999, the international coalition the biggest part of the NATO force, evicted Serb troops from what was which has shrunk steadily from a then a southern province of a high of about 50,000 in 2000. PHOTOS BY SLOBODAN LEKIC/Stars and Stripes greatly reduced Yugoslavia. Koso- Despite its relatively small size, Col. Brey Hopkins, right, talks to Capt. Jeffrey Jace Rivard of the Vermont Army National Guard at Camp vo, about 90% of whose 1.8 million it consists of elements from 11 state Bondsteel in Kosovo. people are ethnic Albanians, uni- National Guards, as well as Army laterally declared independence Reserve and active-duty troops. that KFOR allow Serbian police from Serbia in 2008. But Belgrade While the headquarters and ma- and army units to deploy in order insists that it remains Serbian ter- neuver battalion are from Ver- to defend their compatriots. These ritory. mont, the aviation task force is have been countered by reports in Since then, the two sides have made up of troops from the Con- some Albanian-language outlets, engaged in sporadic talks aimed at necticut, Maryland, New Hamp- which also have stoked tensions. resolving the decades-old ethnic shire and Puerto Rico National “The primary point is to track rift. Guards. those information operations to They agreed last year at the Security has improved vastly in make sure they don’t become a White House to normalize some the past several years, Hopkins destabilizing factor,” Hopkins economic and energy issues, but said. Most incidents between Ko- said. there has been no progress on the sovars and Serbs now involve de- Several U.S. service members political dispute. The main stick- rogatory graffiti, with occasional interviewed at Bondsteel said they ing point remains Kosovo’s insist- flare-ups of stone throwing and were glad to be contributing to the ence that Belgrade recognize its petty crime. peace. Soldiers who had served in independence, which Serbia re- Still, KFOR keeps a close eye on the Balkans previously said they fuses to even discuss. possible sources of inter-ethnic were surprised by the amount of While Kosovo has been recog- tensions, including “information economic progress in the region nized by the U.S. and most Europe- operations by both sides,” Hop- since the early 2000s. an Union nations, Belgrade has re- kins said. Pvt. Katja Langmaid, from the lied on support from Russia and Serbia’s pro-government media 186th Brigade Support Battalion, Spc. Timothy Gillis, 30, of Denton, Md., is a maintainer with the China in its bid to maintain its has been running numerous alar- said she particularly enjoys her 169th Aviation Regiment of the Maryland National Guard. At Camp claim to its former province. mist stories about the situation in work as a member of the liaison Bondsteel he maintains the base’s UH­60 Black Hawk helicopters. “The purpose (of KFOR) is to Kosovo, claiming that Serbs there team monitoring an ethnic Serb keep a secure and safe environ- are under “daily attack” by extre- community located in a majority- during the deployment without who served in the Balkans in the ment in order to allow the politic- mist Albanians, and demanding Albanian area, where tensions still charge to their leave time. 1990s, said he’s glad to be at Camp occasionally rise up. “There could be a lot worse de- Bondsteel because it gives him a “We go out to meet with the pop- ployments than Kosovo,” said Spc. chance to see how much progress ulace, the village elders and po- Timothy Gillis, of the Maryland has been made since the wars that licemen to feel the pulse of the Army National Guard’s 169th affected the region more than two place,” said the 28-year-old from Aviation Regiment, a Denton, Md., decades ago. Swanton, Vt. resident who serves as a helicopter “It makes my heart happy to see The reception has generally mechanic. “It’s my first deploy- it good now, for lack of a better been very good, she said. ment and I plan to make the best of term,” said Newell, of Milton, Vt. Swanton said she enjoys visiting it.” “When we were here before, ev- old fortresses that dot the land- Camp Bondsteel, set among roll- erything was very fresh. There scape, adding that she plans to ing hills and farmland near the were a lot of people displaced, spend her leave traveling in Eu- town of Ferizaj in central Kosovo, there were a lot of families shat- rope. covers about 955 acres. The perim- tered (and) towns and villages. “Just being here, the history in eter is about 7 miles long at the “To be back in this area and see Europe is so much older than what base, which houses about 1,000 things moving well forward and we have in the U.S.,” she said. troops from the U.S., Turkey, Po- people getting along well … it’s a Guardsmen normally get a full land and Latvia in wooden bar- full circle.” Two members of the Vermont Army National Guard walk down the month of leave after Kosovo as racks. flight line at Camp Bondsteel. well as rest and recreation breaks Sgt. 1st Class Will Newell, 46, [email protected] PAGE 4 • STARS AND STRIPES • Friday, August 20, 2021 PACIFIC Rupp set to lead US Forces Japan, 5th Air Force

BY SETH ROBSON horse airlifter that is the mainstay at Stars and Stripes Yokota. Rupp has served tours of YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan — duty in Iraq and Afghanistan, Air Force Maj. Gen. Ricky Rupp will among other deployments. assume command of U.S. Forces Ja- He holds a bachelor’s degree in pan and 5th Air Force on Aug. 27, ac- accounting from Southwest Texas cording to Indo-Pacific Command. State University and a master’s in SETH ROBSON/Stars and Stripes Rupp will be applied science, aeronautical sci- This Mitsubishi A6M2 Zero fighter is on display at the Kawaguchiko Zero Fighter Museum in Japan. The promoted to lieu- ence, from Embry-Riddle Aeronau- Japanese built almost 11,000 Zeros during World War II but only a handful are still airworthy today. tenant general tical University, along with other before assuming post-graduate degrees. his new, dual-hat- Rupp will take over from Air ted commands at Force Lt. Gen. Kevin Schneider, Rare Zero fighters on display Yokota, in west- who has led USFJ since February ern Tokyo, ac- 2019, during a period of increased cording to an IN- tension with China and challenges in August at Japanese museum Rupp DOPACOM caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. BY SETH ROBSON according to the National Air and fense Force. statement Thursday. USFJ oversees 50,000 American Stars and Stripes Space Museum in Washington, Along with a the Zeros, the Kawa- Rupp was previously command- troops stationed in Japan and the 5th KAWAGUCHIKO, Japan — The D.C. guchiko museum includes the tail er of Air Force District of Washing- Air Force is its air component. USFJ Mitsubishi A6M fighter, commonly The museum, open daily during section of Mitsubishi G4M Betty ton, D.C., and director of operations is also a go-between with Japan for known as the Zero, could outma- August from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., is part bomber flown by the Imperial Ja- at the U.S. Transportation Com- the U.S. military. neuver every airplane it encoun- of a facility that was built in 1981 by panese Navy Air Service. mand, according to the Air Force’s The INDOPACOM chief, Navy tered when the Japanese swept former race car driver Nobuo Ha- Adm. Isoroku Yamamoto, who official website. Adm. John Aquilino, will preside across the Pacific at the start of rada. led the attack on Pearl Harbor in He was nominated by President over the USFJ change of command World War II. Initially, its collection featured 1941, died when the Betty he was Joe Biden on Aug. 2 for promotion to and the Pacific Air Forces com- The Allies eventually built planes only antique cars, but it grew to in- traveling in was shot down over Pa- lieutenant general and command of mander, Gen. Kenneth Wilsbach, that were almost as agile, with more clude a warehouse full of restored pua New Guinea by a U.S. Air Force USFJ and 5th Air Force, according will preside over the 5th Air Force firepower and superior armor. But Japanese military planes reco- Lockheed P-38 Lightning fighter on to a Defense Department news re- change of command, according to the Zero, in the war’s last stages put vered from Pacific battlefields. April 18, 1943. lease. the INDOPACOM statement. to use for kamikaze attacks, has re- The aircraft collection includes The Kawaguchiko museum also As a pilot, Rupp has more than tained its mystique as one of the ulti- three Zeros. A fourth, restored by displays a Nakajima Ki-43 Hayabu-

4,800 flying hours in various air- [email protected] mate dogfighters. museum staff, is displayed at the sa/Oscar fighter flown by the Impe- craft, including the C-130, the work- Twitter: @SethRobson1 During August, some of the few Yushukan Museum at the Yasuku- rial Japanese Army Air Service. surviving examples of the legend- ni shrine in Tokyo. Outside, the museum also has on ary aircraft are on display at the Ka- Near the aircraft, a video shows display several F-86F Sabre fight- waguchiko Zero Fighter Museum Japanese troops dragging Zeros off ers that were flown by the Japan Air COVID-19 wave in Tokyo in Yamanashi prefecture, about an a runway into a field next to Naval Self-Defense Force from the 1950s. hour’s drive from western Tokyo. Air Station Atsugi in preparation Sabres saw more than their share of Admission is 1,500 yen, or a little for the arrival of U.S. Army Gen. combat with the U.S. Air Force dur- above 5K; US military in less than $15 USD. Douglas MacArthur in 1945. The ing the Korean War. The Japanese built almost 11,000 base, in Kanagawa prefecture, is Zeros during the war but only a now a joint base shared by the U.S. Japan has 14 new cases [email protected] handful are still airworthy today, Navy and Japan Maritime Self-De- Twitter: @SethRobson1 BY JOSEPH DITZLER Thursday reported that 14 people Stars and Stripes had contracted the virus. TOKYO — Japan’s capital city The Marine Corps said 11 people logged a second consecutive day of associated with its force on Okinawa Marines’ Camp Blaz on Guam receives more than 5,000 people newly in- tested positive, according to a Face- fected with the coronavirus. book post by Marine Corps Installa- more building contracts totaling $134.5M The Tokyo Metropolitan Govern- tions Pacific. ment reported 5,534 new coronavi- Okinawa prefecture reported an- BY ALEX WILSON build the bachelor officer quarters. United States is spending another rus cases Thursday, according to other record-breaking day Thurs- Stars and Stripes The Navy has awarded $936.5 $5.7 billion. public broadcaster NHK. The city day with 768 new cases, seven more The Navy approved two more million in contracts to build por- Will Boudra, Guam program has reported more than 5,000 new than the previous high set Wednes- construction contracts this week to- tions of Camp Blaz since the Marine management office director for Na- cases five times since Aug. 5. The day, according to the prefectural taling $134.5 million for facilities on Corps commissioned the base in val Facilities Engineering Systems pandemic peak in Tokyo was 5,773 Department of Public Health and Camp Blaz, the new Marine Corps October 2020. It’s the first new Ma- Command Pacific Guam, said in on Aug. 13, according to metro data. Medical Care. One person also died, base on Guam expected to absorb rine installation since the activation the release that with the officer About 3,800 people are hospital- the prefecture reported. troops relocated from Okinawa. in 1952 of Marine Corps Logistics quarters contract, all 18 construc- ized in the city, with 274 of them in Naval Air Facility Atsugi, 26 Cadell-Nan Joint Venture, of Base Albany in Georgia. tion projects in the agreement for serious condition, according to the miles southwest of Tokyo, said three Montgomery, Ala., was awarded a Camp Blaz is expected to accom- fiscal year 2021 have been award- city and NHK. people turned up positive in tests $36.5 million contract Tuesday to modate 5,000 members of the III ed. Japan reached a new high Thursday, according to a news re- build the warehouse at Marine Marine Expeditionary Force who Plans for the bachelor officer Wednesday with 23,987 new cases, lease from the base. Corps Base Camp Blaz, according are set to move in over the next five quarters call for a housing tower according to the Johns Hopkins Two were identified as close con- to a news release that day from Na- years from Okinawa. and one-story common area wing. Coronavirus Resource Center. An- tacts and the third is a recent arrival val Facilities Engineering Systems Japan is paying $3 billion to build The building is scheduled for com- other 30 people died, according to to Japan. The air facility has 10 peo- Command. portions of Camp Blaz, including pletion May 2024. Johns Hopkins. ple under observation. In a separate release on the same the officer quarters and the ware- The warehouse is expected to be More than 39% of Japan’s popula- day, the command announced that house, under the Defense Policy completed by 2023. tion, or 49.4 million people, are fully Stars and Stripes reporter Mari Higa in Okinawa Black Construction-Tutor Perini Review Initiative, an agreement to contributed to this report. vaccinated, the center reported. [email protected] Joint Venture, based at Harmon, relocate some Marine Corps avia- [email protected] U.S. military bases in Japan on Twitter: @JosephDitzler Guam, won a $98 million contract to tion assets from Okinawa. The Twitter: @AlexMNWilson Friday, August 20, 2021 • STARS AND STRIPES • PAGE 5 MILITARY Honor Flight hosts vets in DC for 1st time since pandemic US Navy in Naples

BY NIKKI WENTLING or Flight gathered for photos, then a Stars and Stripes Color Guard presented flags. The WASHINGTON — More than 100 group recited the Pledge of Alle- orders masks for veterans — some standing, others in giance, sang the national anthem, wheelchairs — gathered shoulder- listened to taps and took a moment to-shoulder Wednesday in front of of silence. They also took a few min- the World War II Memorial, saluted utes to walk around the memorial the American flag and sang the na- before loading back onto their char- most indoor places tional anthem in unison. ter buses, which would take them to The veterans were part of the first their next stop. CARLOS BONGIOANNI/Stars and Stripes BY ALISON BATH tal Wednesday and another 20 Honor Flight in 17 months. The The veterans in Washington on Members of a military honor Stars and Stripes were in intensive care. There Honor Flight Network, which sends Wednesday came from Chicago. guard stand at attention as Army NAPLES, Italy — The high were 558 new cases. veterans to Washington to see the Their group included 76 Vietnam veteran Ron Raczak arrives at number of delta variant cases of The U.S. Centers for Disease war memorials, suspended flights War veterans, 34 Korean War veter- the World War II Memorial in COVID-19 in Italy’s southern Control and Prevention says com- Washington on Wednesday. at the start of the coronavirus pan- ans and 3 World War II veterans. Campania region has triggered a munity transmission levels are demic in March 2020. Vietnam War veteran Steven Wil- mandatory indoor mask order at substantial when new cases aver- “Honor Flight trips have long liams, 73, was part of the group. Wil- officer for the Honor Flight Net- Naval Support Activity Naples, age 50 to 99.99 per 100,000 people been called, ‘the experience of a life- liams, a Navy veteran from Down- work, said the 2021 season would be base officials said Thursday. over seven days. time’ for veterans, but today’s long- ers Grove, Ill., had never been to abbreviated. About 25,000 veterans Indoor masks at the NSA Naples Exceptions to the NSA Naples awaited return has made the emo- Washington, and he hadn’t been on are typically invited to Washington Capodichino and Gricignano di mandatory indoor mask order in- tions of experiencing these memo- an airplane in 20 years. He signed on Honor Flights each year from Aversa sites are now mandatory clude people in their own home, rials indescribable,” said David up for an Honor Flight several years March through November. regardless of vaccination status, those working alone in an office Smith, president and chairman of ago and was put on the waitlist. Besides the shorter season, there the base said in a post to its Face- the Honor Flight Network board of “When they called, I was sur- are fewer veterans this year be- with a closed door, or those eating book page. Wearing masks out- directors. prised, actually,” Williams said. “I cause the group is trying to imple- or drinking with proper social dis- Wednesday’s Honor Flight was didn’t think I’d ever get called.” ment social distancing. In addition, doors is required if social distanc- tancing. the first of 124 scheduled flights for Billy Reed, 75, was also surprised the network is requiring all veter- ing of 6 feet or more cannot be Children under 2 years old, peo- the remainder of 2021. In total, about to get the call. Reed, an Army veter- ans, guardians and volunteers to be maintained. ple with a documented medical 8,300 veterans are scheduled to an who served in Vietnam, joined vaccinated against the coronavirus Italy reported 69 COVID-19 necessity and those actively work- come through Washington in that the Honor Flight waitlist in 2007. He or take a coronavirus test 72 hours deaths Wednesday, an increase ing out in a gym were also exclud- time frame. and four other veterans from his before the flight departs, Harlow over 54 the day before, according ed from wearing a mask indoors, After a heavy rain Wednesday af- post-traumatic stress disorder said. to the Italian Health Ministry. the base said. ternoon, the sun broke through the group were all included on the same New infections grew to 7,162 from clouds just in time for a short cere- flight, he said. [email protected] 5,273. In Campania, 336 people [email protected] mony. The 113 veterans on the Hon- Carol Harlow, communications Twitter: @nikkiwentling with COVID-19 were in the hospi- Twitter: @TMSWatchdog PAGE 6 • STARS AND STRIPES • Friday, August 20, 2021 MILITARY 2 US destroyers arrive in Japan, third pulls out

BY ALEX WILSON naval weapons system for air and Stars and Stripes fleet defense against enemy air- YOKOSUKA NAVAL BASE, craft and cruise missiles, accord- Japan — Two replacement de- ing to a Pacific Fleet news release. stroyers took up their new stations The destroyer arrived in 1996 at the home of the U.S. 7th Fleet and during its stay in the Western CARLA OCAMPO/U.S. Navy this week, and another destroyer Pacific took part in Operation To- The guided­missile destroyer USS Higgins, shown here in the Western Pacific in 2013, arrived at with a 25-year history in the Indo- modachi, the recovery effort that Yokosuka Naval Base, Japan, with the destroyer USS Howard on Monday. Pacific region departed. followed the 2011 earthquake and The USS Higgins and the USS The Higgins and the Howard ization, 7th Fleet spokesman Lt. Most recently, the Higgins was tsunami in eastern Japan, human- Howard, two Arleigh Burke-class are now part of the 7th Fleet’s De- Mark Langford told Stars and part of the USS Carl Vinson carri- itarian relief in East Timor, sanc- guided-missile destroyers, ar- stroyer Squadron 15, a component Stripes in an email Tuesday. er strike group. tions enforcement against North rived at Yokosuka Naval Base on of Task Force 71, which frequently The Stethem left in 2019 for San The Howard, commissioned in Korea and many other missions. Monday, according to a U.S. Navy deploys with the USS Ronald Re- Diego and the McCampbell left in 2001, has routinely operated in the news release that day. “For the last 25 years, the ‘Steel agan carrier strike group. July 2020 for Portland, Ore. Eastern Pacific and Western Pa- Wednesday, the guided-missile Hammer of the Fleet’ boldly “These two ships will be an in- Both the Higgins and the Ho- cific regions. It completed a sev- destroyer USS Curtis Wilbur sailed the Indo-Pacific as part of tegral part of the 7th Fleet team ward have seen prior service with en-month deployment with the 7th steamed for San Diego, where it’s the long grey line of warships of for years to come,” Sargeant said the 7th Fleet. Fleet in 2014, and was also part of scheduled for maintenance with Destroyer Squadron 15 that main- in the release. The Higgins, commissioned in the USS Nimitz and Carl Vinson the 3rd Fleet, according to the U.S. tained the freedom of the seas and The two destroyers are replac- 1999, in May 2018 conducted a carrier strike groups, according to Pacific Fleet. protection of our national inter- ing sister ships the USS McCamp- freedom-of-navigation patrol with the U.S. Navy. The Curtis Wilbur was the first ests,” the Pacific Fleet quoted bell and the USS Stethem, both of the guided-missile cruiser USS

U.S. destroyer deployed to Japan Capt. Chase Sargeant, command- which departed the region over Antietam through the South China [email protected] with the Aegis Combat System, a er of Task Force 71, as saying. the past three years for modern- Sea near the Paracel Islands. Twitter: @AlexMNWilson Marines: Fallen Osprey pieces larger than reported BY MATTHEW M. BURKE that information and told the bureau the Government spokespeople in Japan typ- AND MARI HIGA panel was actually about 3 ½ by 2 ¼ feet and ically speak to the media on condition of ano- Stars and Stripes nearly an inch thick, a bureau spokesman nymity as a condition of their employment. CAMP FOSTER, Okinawa — The Marine told Stars and Stripes by phone Thursday. On Thursday, Kunze attributed the error Corps on Wednesday told Japanese author- The panel is normally situated above the to darkness and strict reporting require- ities on Okinawa that two pieces that fell cockpit, he said. ments. from an MV-22B Osprey last week were He said the fairing, from the right engine “They got back in the middle of the night, much larger than the Marines first de- cover, measures 17 by 17 inches. and they have to report those within a few scribed them. The crew did not see the parts fall from hours,” he said by phone to Stars and A spokesman for the Okinawa Defense the aircraft and no injuries or damage have Stripes. “With it being on the top, and the Bureau, an arm of the Japan Ministry of De- been reported, Kunze wrote in an email to wing, and it was dark, that was their best es- fense, on Thursday said that information Stars and Stripes on Monday. timate at the time.” raised more questions. Okinawa Gov. Denny Tamaki said he was The Marines sent the correct measure- “There was no explanation on how the “infuriated” by the incident and called for ments to Japanese and prefectural officials mistake was made,” the bureau spokesman MICHAEL LIEBERKNECHT/U.S. Navy an immediate cessation of flight operations as soon as they had them, he said. said. “We are currently waiting for addition- An MV­22 Osprey lands on the flight deck at the U.S. base. The Marines declined to do The pieces have still not been found, al information from the U.S. side.” of the amphibious assault ship USS so. Kunze said. He said they were likely lost The Osprey crew reported a panel and a Bataan on Oct. 29, 2013. Prefectural officials said they were equal- over water and may wash up on shore. piece of fairing missing when the tilt-rotor ly confused by the error. The Marine Corps is investigating the aircraft returned around 9:30 p.m. Aug. 12 to Ken Kunze on Monday. “The panel suddenly became bigger,” a cause of the incident. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma in Gino- The Marines told the defense bureau the prefectural spokesman told Stars and wan. The crew had flown back, mostly over panel measured 14 by 18 inches and the fair- Stripes by phone on Thursday. “Until we re- [email protected] Twitter: @MatthewMBurke1 water, from the Central Training Area, ac- ing measured 9 by 3, Kunze said at the time. ceive confirming information, I don’t think [email protected] cording to 1st Marine Wing spokesman Maj. Wednesday, the Marine Corps corrected there is much to say.” Twitter: @MariHiga21 Marine Corps Marathon still registering for in-person, virtual events

Stars and Stripes races were held because of the limited this year, and social-dis- virus rules from traveling to the will receive a T-shirt, a runner’s Entries were still available this coronavirus pandemic. tancing rules will be applied at the U.S., can compete in a virtual bib, a medal and other souvenirs week for the 46th Marine Corps Entries are also available for start of the races, where runners marathon or 50K race, but the for completing the race. Marathon, which will be held in the 10K race and the 50K ultram- will be grouped in corrals based 10K virtual race has sold out. De- More than 30,000 runners took person Oct. 31. arathon, which will be held the on their expected finishing times. ployed service members and part in the marathon in October In recent years, the popular same day as the marathon. More restrictions could be in those stationed overseas are con- 2019, the last time it was held live. race has sold out within minutes All the races will be in Wash- force on race day to protect run- sidered U.S. entries. Entries are available at http:// of registration opening in the ington, D.C., and Virginia, taking ners and volunteers against the Virtual runners must register, www.marinemarathon.com/ spring. in iconic monuments and memo- virus, the race organizers said. pay a fee and complete the dis- events/marathon/registration/. In-person events were can- rials along their routes. International runners, many of tance of the race they’ve chosen celed last year, and only virtual Numbers of runners will be whom are still barred by corona- between Oct. 1 and Nov. 11. They [email protected] Friday, August 20, 2021 • STARS AND STRIPES • PAGE 7 AFGHANISTAN Biden: Greater threats than Taliban-governed Afghanistan Associated Press den administration has faced evacuation. WASHINGTON — President sharp criticism for the timing and The question of whether those Joe Biden says even with the Tali- direction of the Afghanistan with- seeking to leave the country be- ban in power in Afghanistan, he drawal, after the Taliban came to fore Biden’s deadline should be sees a greater threat from out- power more quickly than admin- rescued and brought to the air- posts of al-Qaida and its affiliated istration officials predicted. The port has arisen amid reports that groups in other countries, and swift takeover by the Taliban Taliban checkpoints have stop- that it was no longer “rational” to prompted scenes of chaos and vi- ped some designated evacuees. continue to focus U.S. military olence as thousands of Afghans “I don’t have the capability to power there. and Americans sought to flee the go out and extend operations cur- “We should be focusing on country. rently into Kabul,” Austin said. where the threat is the greatest,” Biden also pushed back against “And where do you take that? HEIDI VOGT/AP Biden said in an interview that concerns about the treatment of How far do you extend into Ka- A U.S. soldier stands guard at a checkpoint at Gulruddin pass in Sar aired on ABC’s “Good Morning women and girls in the country, bul, and how long does it take to Hawza district of Paktika province in 2011. America” Thursday. arguing that it’s “not rational” to flow those forces in to be able to “And the idea we can continue try to protect women’s rights do that?” to spend a trillion dollars, and around the globe through mili- Austin, a retired four-star Ar- Poll: Afghan war disliked have tens of thousands of Amer- tary force. Instead, it should be my general who commanded ican forces in Afghanistan, when done through “diplomatic and in- forces in Afghanistan, spoke at we have North Africa and West- ternational pressure” on human his first Pentagon news confer- amid chaotic withdrawal ern Africa — the idea we can do rights abusers to change their be- ence since the Taliban swept to Associated Press probably should stay after seeing, that and ignore those looming havior. power in Kabul on Sunday. WASHINGTON — A significant I guess you’d say, the trouble problems, growing problems, is Up to 15,000 Americans remain He said the State Department majority of Americans doubt that we’ve caused.” not rational.” in Afghanistan after the Taliban was sending more consular af- the war in Afghanistan was worth- Roughly two-thirds also suggest Biden has said repeatedly that took full control of the nation last fairs officers to speed up the proc- while, even as the United States is the Iraq War that coincided with America will not send significant- weekend. Biden said during the essing of evacuees. more divided over President Joe Afghanistan was a mistake. Re- ly more forces to fight in Afghan- same interview that he’s commit- “We’re not close to where we Biden’s handling of foreign policy publicans are somewhat more istan. The U.S. has not had tens of ted to keeping U.S. troops in Af- want to be” in terms of the pace of and national security, according likely than Democrats to say the thousands there for several years ghanistan until every American the airlift, Austin said. to a poll from The Associated wars in both countries were worth and had 2,500 to 3,000 deployed is evacuated, even if that means He said he was mainly focused Press-NORC Center for Public Af- fighting. About 4 in 10 Republi- there when Biden took office. maintaining a military presence on the airport, which faced “a fairs Research. cans do, compared with about 3 in Biden named Syria and East beyond his Aug. 31 deadline for number of threats” that must be Roughly two-thirds said they 10 Democrats. Africa as places where the Islam- withdrawal. monitored. did not think America’s longest Deborah Fulkerson of Pueblo, ic State poses a “significantly Defense Secretary Lloyd Aus- “We cannot afford to either not war was worth fighting, the poll Colo., believes it would be wise for greater threat” than in Afghanis- tin said earlier Wednesday that defend that airfield or not have an shows. Meanwhile, 47% approve the U.S. to remain in Afghanistan. tan and said that ISIS has “metas- the U.S. military does not have airfield that’s secure, where we of Biden’s management of inter- “I feel like us having a presence tasized.” He said while the U.S. the forces and firepower in Af- have hundreds or thousands of ci- national affairs, while 52% ap- there just keeps things more neu- doesn’t have a sizable military ghanistan to expand its current vilians that can access the air- prove of Biden on national securi- tral and safer there for those peo- presence in a place like Syria, it mission from securing the Kabul field,” he said, adding that talks ty. ple and for us,” said the 62-year- does have an “over the horizon airport to collecting Americans with the Taliban were continuing The poll was conducted Aug. 12- old, who describes herself as capability to take them out.” and at-risk Afghans elsewhere in to ensure safe passage for those 16 as the two-decade war in Af- “more conservative,” particularly The comments come as the Bi- the capital and escorting them for evacuating. ghanistan ended with the Taliban on social issues. returning to power and capturing Fulkerson acknowledged that the capital of Kabul. Biden has she does not follow Afghanistan faced bipartisan condemnation in that closely, saying she is more Washington for sparking a hu- concerned with gas prices and lo- manitarian crisis by being ill-pre- cal news. pared for the speed of the Tali- “I’m a Christian and I know ban’s advance. where my future lies, and all of The president has stood by his this stuff that’s going on that I have decision to exit the country, insist- no control over except through ing that he will not allow the war to prayer, I just can’t watch it all the continue indefinitely and betting time,” she said. “I would be nega- that Americans agree with him. tive all the time.” Mark Sohl is among those who About half of Americans say do. The 62-year-old Democrat they are extremely or very con- from Topeka, Kan., said “it wasn’t cerned about the threat to the U.S. worth losing more American lives posed by extremist groups based over a mess.” outside of the United States; about Sohl added: “After 20 years, you another one-third are moderately got to cut loose.” concerned. Only about 1 in 10 say Others felt more conflicted after they are not concerned. seeing grim scenes in Afghanistan But nearly 20 years after the even if they opposed the war over- Sept. 11 attacks that spurred the all. In one image likely to endure, Afghanistan war, more Ameri- Afghans clung to U.S. military cans say they perceive the major planes in a desperate bid to flee national security threats as being the country internal. “I don’t believe we should have Roughly two-thirds say they are been in there to begin with,” said extremely or very concerned Sebastian Garcia, a 23-year-old about the threat of extremist Biden voter from Lubbock, Texas, groups based inside the United who said he had three cousins States. About one-quarter are serve in Afghanistan. “But now somewhat concerned, and about 1 that we’re leaving, I do feel we in 10 are not concerned. PAGE 8 • STARS AND STRIPES • Friday, August 20, 2021 AFGHANISTAN Challenge: Future uncertain as trade, currency on edge

FROM PAGE 1 Beyond the difficulties of bring- ing in food to the landlocked na- immediately acknowledge the tion dependent on imports, she demonstration or the curfew. said that drought has seen over Protesters also took the streets 40% of the country’s crop lost. in Kunar province, according to Many who fled the Taliban ad- witnesses and social media videos vance now live in parks and open that lined up with reporting by spaces in Kabul. The Associated Press. “This is really Afghanistan’s The demonstrations — which hour of greatest need, and we urge come as Afghans celebrated Inde- the international community to pendence Day and some com- stand by the Afghan people at this memorated the Shiite Ashoura time,” she said. festival — were a remarkable Hafiz Ahmad, a shopkeeper in show of defiance after the Taliban Kabul, said some food has flowed VICTOR MANCILLA, U.S. MARINE CORPS/AP fighters violently dispersed a pro- into the capital, but prices have A boy is processed through an Evacuee Control Checkpoint during an evacuation at Hamid Karzai test Wednesday. At that rally, in gone up. He hesitated to pass International Airport, in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Wednesday. the eastern city of Jalalabad, dem- those costs onto his customers but onstrators lowered the Taliban’s said he had to. my Maj. Gen. Hank Taylor said of physical U.S. dollars is “close to selves as sort of gatekeepers to the flag and replace it with Afghanis- “It is better to have it,” he said. Thursday. zero,” which will batter the cur- international community as op- Overnight, President Joe Biden rency, the afghani. The U.S. has posed to coming begging for bil- tan’s tricolor. At least one person “If there were nothing, then that said that he was committed to apparently frozen the country’s lions of dollars,” he said. was killed. would be even worse.” keeping U.S. troops in Afghanis- foreign reserves, and the Interna- There has been no armed oppo- Meanwhile, opposition figures Two of Afghanistan’s key bor- tan until every American is evac- tional Monetary Fund cut off ac- sition to the Taliban. But videos gathering in the last area of the der crossings with Pakistan are uated, even if that means main- cess to loans or other resources for from the Panjshir Valley north of country not under Taliban rule now open for trade. However, taining a military presence there now. Kabul, a stronghold of the North- talked of launching an armed re- traders still fear insecurity on the beyond his Aug. 31 deadline for “The afghani has been defend- ern Alliance militias that allied sistance under the banner of the roads and confusion over customs withdrawal. ed by literally planeloads of U.S. with the U.S. during the 2001 inva- Northern Alliance, which allied duties that could push them to In an interview with ABC’s dollars landing in Kabul on a very sion of Afghanistan, appear to with the U.S. during the 2001 inva- price their goods higher. “Good Morning America,” Biden regular basis, sometimes weekly,” show potential opposition figures sion. Amid that uncertainty and con- said he didn’t believe the Taliban said Graeme Smith, a consultant gathering there. It was not clear how serious a cerns that the Taliban will reim- had changed. researcher with the Overseas De- Those figures include members threat they posed given that Tali- pose a brutal rule, which included “I think they’re going through velopment Institute. “If the Tali- of the deposed government — ban fighters overran nearly the largely confining women to their sort of an existential crisis about ban don’t get cash infusions soon Vice President Amrullah Saleh, entire country in a matter of days homes and holding public execu- do they want to be recognized by to defend the afghani, I think who asserted on Twitter that he is with little resistance from Afghan tions, many Afghans are trying to the international community as there’s a real risk of a currency de- the country’s rightful president, forces. flee the country. being a legitimate government,” valuation that makes it hard to buy and Defense Minister Gen. Bis- The Taliban so far have offered At Kabul’s international air- Biden said. “I’m not sure they do.” bread on the streets of Kabul for millah Mohammadi — as well as no specifics on how they will lead, port, military evacuation flights Indirectly acknowledging the ordinary people.” Ahmad Massoud, the son of the other than to say they will be guid- continued, but access to the air- resistance they face, the Taliban Still, Smith, who has written a slain Northern Alliance leader ed by Shariah, or Islamic, law. port remained difficult. On Thurs- on Thursday asked preachers to book on Afghanistan, said the Tali- Ahmad Shah Massoud. They are in talks with senior offi- day, Taliban fighters fired into the urge congregants to remain in the ban likely won’t ask for the same In an opinion piece published by cials of previous Afghan govern- air to try to control the crowds country and counter “negative billions in international aid sought The Washington Post, Massoud ments. But they face an increas- gathered at the airport’s blast propaganda” against them. by the country’s fallen civilian asked for weapons and aid to fight ingly precarious situation. walls. The Taliban have also urged government — large portions of the Taliban. “A humanitarian crisis of in- After a chaotic start that saw people to return to work, but most which were siphoned off by cor- “I write from the Panjshir Val- credible proportions is unfolding people rush the runway and cling government officials remain in ruption. That could limit the pow- ley today, ready to follow in my fa- before our eyes,” warned Mary to a plane taking off, the U.S. mil- hiding or are themselves attempt- er of the international communi- ther’s footsteps, with mujahideen Ellen McGroarty, the head of the itary is ramping up evacuations ing to flee. ty’s threat of sanctions. fighters who are prepared to once U.N.’s World Food Program in Af- and now has enough aircraft to get The head of the country’s Cen- “You’re much more likely to see again take on the Taliban,” he ghanistan. 5,000 to 9,000 people out a day, Ar- tral Bank warned that the supply the Taliban positioning them- wrote. US families mid-adoption try to get Afghan children out BY MICHELLE L. PRICE forced to turn back. “Once they get to the airport, it’s just a boy out of the country. Associated Press Mujtaba, who spoke to the boy and the matter of waiting time. But it’s a matter of Mary King, executive director of Frank After five frustrating years mired in bu- family early Tuesday, said they hope to try waiting a few hours or a few days,” Bahau- Adoption Center in Wake Forest, N.C., is reaucratic delays, Bahaudin Mujtaba and again to get to the airport Wednesday. din Mujtaba said. Noman is currently in working with the families and said they wife Lisa had hoped to finally bring the 10- “I have tears in my eyes this morning the custody of another family trying to had full permission from Afghan courts to year-old Afghan boy they’re adopting to and my wife has tears in her eyes,” he said. leave. bring the children to the U.S. and finalize their home in Florida this year for a chance “I couldn’t really say much else other than Maybe they can get the boy to a nearby the adoptions. They were awaiting U.S. vi- at a different future. ‘Go for it’ and ‘Be careful.’” country. Maybe Pakistan. Wherever they sas, but everything changed in the past few But with the collapse of the Afghan gov- The Taliban’s dramatic takeover of Af- go, he’s willing to fly there and meet him. days. ernment, the couple is desperately trying ghanistan has reverberated worldwide, “But the first goal is to get him out of Af- “This all came about much faster than to get the boy, Noman, on a flight out of Ka- and for families like the Mujtabas, the fal- ghanistan safely,” Mujtaba said. any of us anticipated, so we don’t know,” bul — going anywhere — before the lout has been swift, deeply personal and It’s unclear how many among the she said. “We have put them on every list. chance to leave disappears. potentially life-altering. Knowing the mil- throngs of people trying to flee Afghanis- We’ve filled out every form we’ve been In the chaos following the Taliban take- itant group is almost certain not to uphold tan include potential adoptive children. told about. Their names are everywhere over, Noman and another family tried to the adoption agreements from the col- One other U.S. family, based in Indiana, is we can get them, as far as with the appro- get to the airport Tuesday through clogged lapsed Afghan government, the American working with the same adoption agency as priate U.S. authorities. And so now we are streets, checkpoints and gunfire but were couple’s best hope is to get the boy out, fast. Mujtaba and is trying to get a 2-year-old waiting to hear what may happen next.” Friday, August 20, 2021 • STARS AND STRIPES • PAGE 9 AFGHANISTAN Qatar: Service members helping out beyond scheduled hours

FROM PAGE 1 The rapid Taliban advance last week caught the Biden adminis- tration flat-footed, leaving tens of thousands of Americans, allies and desperate Afghans stuck in the country awaiting the possibil- ity of evacuation — if they can get into Kabul’s Hamid Karzai Inter- national Airport, which is sur- rounded by armed Taliban mili- tants. The U.S. could have the capac- ity to evacuate 5,000 to 9,000 peo- ple each day at “full throttle,” Pen- tagon spokesman John Kirby told reporters Thursday. VICTOR MANCILLA/U.S. Marine Corps But a day earlier at Al Udeid, MARK ANDRIES/U.S. Marine Corps A Marine checks two civilians during processing through a checkpoint people were already scrambling Marines assigned to the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit await a flight during an evacuation at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, to prepare the base as the flights at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar, on Tuesday. Afghanistan, on Wednesday. started arriving, the resident said. Officials appeared not to have showed. menter said, though evacuees “I don’t have anything,” said the That’s likely a quarantine area, planned for security escorts from “The most important thing I do were being given shampoo, towels Afghan, a U.S. green card holder dubbed “Q town,” which the base the flight line. Some airmen were in my time here is not even going and bar soap. who declined to be named for fear resident described as a fenced surprised at the end of a normal to be during work hours,” one U.S. Air Forces Central re- the Taliban may target his family compound with about 15 buildings shift to be suddenly assigned the group member said on a personal ferred inquiries on the evacua- members left behind. and beds for about 1,000 people. It extra duty earlier this week, the page earlier this week. tions to the Pentagon, which did After arrival in Qatar, he and his was full, he said. Beds were also resident said. People were volunteering at one not respond to questions about Qa- wife and children were taken to a set up in the gyms and two base The influx has also put pressure of the hangars after work, that us- tar or other sites. hangar where they stayed over- theaters, while those and other on some base services, with er said in response to a question An Afghan at the base was night. There were some free morale facilities were closed, giv- dumpsters filling up so fast that an about how to pitch in. A call went forced to leave behind almost all clothes and sandals, but he strug- ing residents few options for tak- email went out telling all person- out for volunteers to assist with of his belongings, he told Stars and gled to find something that fit him ing a break to unwind. nel to begin crushing their trash. force protection, another user Stripes by phone, and the one bag and was too exhausted after sever- In one good sign, the dining fa- The base’s water supply, which is said. he did bring with his wallet and al sleepless days to keep looking, cility’s warehouse seemed to have already limited in summer, could “I volunteered today,” another other important documents was he said. stocked up, he said, and so far the also be strained. commenter said. “They kind of stolen as he pushed through the He and others underwent coro- cafeterias on base were handling Still, some service members need help everywhere.” crowd outside the airport. He and navirus tests and were then the added demand well. were looking to do whatever they People were organizing a cloth- four family members arrived in moved to an area that has its own could to help, a discussion on a ing and shoe drive. Hygiene sup- Qatar with little more than the dining facility and laundry, he [email protected] Facebook group for base residents plies were also needed, one com- clothes on their backs. said. Twitter: @chadgarland Russia was ready for Taliban’s win due to longtime contacts BY VLADIMIR ISACHENKOV list. Any contact with such groups is bilateral and multilateral meetings. Taliban spokesman Mohammad security. Associated Press punishable under Russian law, but “We have maintained contacts Sohail Shaheen said during a visit “Russian diplomats are doing all MOSCOW — When the Taliban the Foreign Ministry has responded with the Taliban for the last seven last month to the Russian capital they can to consolidate the contacts swept over Afghanistan, Russia was to questions about the seeming con- years, discussing many issues,” that “we won’t allow anyone to use they have established with the Tali- ready for the rapid developments tradiction by saying that its ex- Kremlin envoy on Afghanistan Za- the Afghan territory to attack Russia ban,” Moscow-based analyst Alexei after working methodically for changes with the Taliban are essen- mir Kabulov said. “We saw them as or neighboring countries,” noting Makarkin said in a commentary. years to lay the groundwork for rela- tial for international efforts to stabi- aforce that will play a leading role in that “we have very good relations “Russian representatives cast the tions with the group that it still offi- lize Afghanistan. Afghanistan in the future even if it with Russia.” Taliban as moderate and responsib- cially considers a terrorist organiza- Unlike many other countries, doesn’t take all power. All those fac- Russian diplomats say they trust le, acting as their advocates in the tion. Russia said it wouldn’t evacuate its tors, along with guarantees given to the group’s assurances, noting the public sphere.” Russian Foreign Minister Sergey embassy in Kabul, and its ambassa- us by the Taliban’s top leaders, give Taliban’s focus on fighting Islamic He argued that the Taliban might Lavrov emphasized this week that dor quickly met with the Taliban for us reason for a calm view of the lat- State, which Moscow sees as the not try to project their influence to Moscow was “in no rush” to recog- what he described as “constructive” est developments, although we re- main threat from Afghanistan. Mos- the ex-Soviet Central Asian nations nize the Taliban as the new rulers of talks after they took over the capital. main vigilant.” cow has also hailed their pledge to for now, but that could change later Afghanistan, but he added there The Soviet Union fought a 10-year Amonth before Taliban militants combat drug trafficking and stem after securing a hold on Afghanis- were “encouraging signals” of their war in Afghanistan that ended with unleashed their offensive that end- the flow of drugs from Afghanistan tan. readiness to let other political forces its troops withdrawing in 1989. Since ed with the seizure of Kabul, their via Central Asia. “The Taliban’s leaders will be un- join the government and allow girls then, Moscow has made a comeback delegation visited Moscow to offer Russia’s ambassador to Kabul, likely to launch an expansion now, into schools. as an influential power broker in in- assurances that they wouldn’t Dmitry Zhirnov, praised the Tali- but that doesn’t mean that they The Taliban were added to the ternational talks on Afghanistan. It threaten the interests of Russia and ban as “reasonable guys” following won’t take such steps in the future,” Russian list of terrorist organiza- has worked continuously to culti- its ex-Soviet allies in Central Asia — a “positive and constructive meet- Makarkin observed, noting that tions in 2003, and Moscow has not vate ties with the Taliban, hosting a sign that they consider ties with ing” this week. He added that the multiple factions inside the Taliban yet moved to take the group off the their representatives for a series of Russia a priority. Taliban guaranteed the embassy’s may have varying goals. PAGE 10 • STARS AND STRIPES • Friday, August 20, 2021 AFGHANISTAN Hold heads high, military leaders tell vets BY DAVID CHOI erful, and important,” the two men of Kabul without much resistance Berger and Black encouraged Both McConville and Grinston Stars and Stripes wrote. from the Afghan National Army the troops to “come together” and served tours in Afghanistan. The highest-ranking leaders of “You put the good of others be- prompted U.S. and coalition forces reach out to their fellow Marines, McConville, as commander of the the Army and Marine Corps told fore yourself. You fought to defend to speed up their timetable for “particularly those you served 101st Airborne Division, deployed U.S. veterans of Afghanistan that your country, your family, your evacuating citi- with overseas.” there as head of Combined Joint their service mattered, even as the friends, and your neighbors. You zens and Af- Likewise, Army Chief of Staff Task Force 101. Taliban effectively controls the fought to prevent terror from re- ghans with spe- Gen. James McConville, in a letter “I’m proud of everyone that de- country and former Afghan allies turning to our shores,” they wrote. cial immigrant Tuesday, asked soldiers to “check ployed in support of the Afghan flee for their lives. “You fought for the liberty of visas. in on your teammates” who may be mission and honor the sacrifice of Marines watching the chaotic young Afghan girls, women, boys, Chairman of struggling with events unfolding in those who did not return,” Grin- events unfold in Kabul, the Afghan and men who want the same indi- the Joint Chiefs Kabul and elsewhere in Afghanis- ston said in a series of tweets capital where the Taliban took con- vidual freedoms we enjoy as of Staff Army tan. Wednesday. “The events of the trol earlier this week, “may be Americans. You fought for the Ma- Gen. Mark Mil- “The attacks on September 11, past week are in no way a reflec- Berger struggling with a simple question: rine to your left and the Marine to ley in a press 2001, reminded us of the true tion on that service and sacrifice.” ‘Was it all worth it?’ ” wrote Marine your right.” briefing Wednesday said, “I did strength of our nation and our mil- Rep. Jason Crow, of Colorado, an Corps Commandant Gen. David Berger previously commanded not, nor did anyone else see a col- itary,” McConville wrote in the let- Afghanistan veteran who served Berger in an open letter published the 1st Marine Division-Forward lapse of an army that size in 11 ter published throughout the Ar- with the 75th Ranger Regiment, on the service’s social media ac- during Operation Enduring Free- days.” my’s social media accounts. “You said he empathized with “my fel- counts Wednesday. dom in Afghanistan. Black also de- Roughly 6,000 U.S. troops are are a reflection of what makes us low veterans” on Thursday. “We see videos and photos, we ployed to the country with 3rd Bat- expected to deploy to Hamid Kar- the best Army in the world, and I “So many of us left a part of our read stories that bring back memo- talion, 7th Marines and with Com- zai International Airport to aid in ask that you remain committed as heart in Afghanistan,” Crow said ries for some of us, and it becomes bat Logistics Battalion 5. the evacuation. President Joe Bi- we work to get through this tough on Twitter. “Now, more than ever, intensely personal,” Berger wrote, “Was it worth it? Yes,” the two den said Wednesday on ABC News time.” please take care of yourself. Ask- along with Sgt. Maj. of the Marine Marines wrote. “Does it still hurt? that the Aug. 31 deadline to end The Army’s top enlisted leader, ing for help is a sign of strength.” Corps Troy Black. Yes.” U.S. operations could be extended Sgt. Maj. of the Army Michael

Those Marines’ service in Af- The Taliban’s rapid advance to get all Americans out of Afghan- Grinston, also said the troops’ ser- [email protected] ghanistan was “meaningful, pow- across the country and its capture istan. vice in Afghanistan was not in vain. Twitter: @choibboy Legal petitions seek evacuation of all Afghan visa applicants BY SARAH CAMMARATA evacuate all of these individuals un- many cases, their lives is a histori- Stars and Stripes der Operation Allies Refuge, the cally unprecedented failure that on- WASHINGTON — An advocacy Defense Department-led operation ly a sustained attempt to hold the group that provides legal services to to airlift at-risk Afghans from Af- Kabul airport and meaningfully displaced people around the world ghanistan. evacuate people can even begin to filed multiple petitions for protec- “Tens of thousands of SIV appli- remedy. The timing could not be tion to the State Department on cants were left out of the first phase more urgent,” Heller said. Wednesday to demand the United of Operation Allies Refuge — in- The State Department has told States evacuate all Afghans seeking cluding a significant number of U.S. citizens as well as Afghans who special immigrant visas to safety re- IRAP clients — because they had are attempting to flee the country gardless of the status of their appli- not yet received their visas or reac- that they cannot guarantee safe cations. hed medical exams, which is the fi- travel to the airport. The International Refugee As- nal stage of visa processing. For sev- “Communications, even to U.S. sistance Project filed one of the legal eral reasons, we ask that the evacua- citizens from State Department, as MARC TESSENSOHN, BUNDESWEHR/AP claims on behalf of all applicants in tion be expanded to include the SIV recently as a few hours ago, said in People evacuated from Afghanistan pose in front of a German the Special Immigrant Visa Pro- applicants who remain in Afghanis- all caps ‘The United States govern- Bundeswehr airplane after arriving at the airport in Tashkent, gram and multiple others on behalf tan,” according to the petition for all ment cannot assist you with safety Uzbekistan, on Tuesday. An advocacy group filed multiple petitions of specific individuals. The group applicants. or cannot guarantee your safety on for protection to the State Department on Wednesday to demand the said it marks the first time the State Members of the group said the the journey to Kabul,’ ” said Mi- U.S. evacuate all Afghans seeking special immigrant visas to safety. Department has been petitioned to State Department has justified chael Breen, president and CEO of carry out its legal duty under the Af- evacuating a smaller number of ap- Human Rights First, an internation- many threats and warnings to stop access to safety has been needlessly ghan Allies Protection Act. plicants by only accepting people al human rights organization. serving the United States. Yet, she delayed for years,” Heller said. The law requires the U.S. to pro- who have completed the first stage Breen said SIV applicants and saw the projects through to the end Khaled Hosseini, an Afghan tect all SIV applicants when they are of the application process, which is other refugees within sight of the “because of my commitment and American novelist and humanitar- in “imminent danger,” according to often the most arduous and dysfunc- airport have been beaten severely loyalty to U.S. government,” she ian worker who spoke during the Becca Heller, the group’s executive tional. by Taliban fighters and killings at said. teleconference, said his family and director. “[The administration] is blaming individual homes are already taking Now, she and her family are hid- friends who are in Afghanistan are State Department officials said our own allies for their failure to place throughout the country. ing from the Taliban. “terrified.” the U.S. has already evacuated have a functioning application proc- Heller said the group’s client told “We all are worried and afraid. I “Some of the people that I’ve spo- 2,000 Afghans who worked with ess. And then using that as an excuse her that at least five translators have can’t face them as a lone woman in ken to, friends in Kabul, aligned Americans as translators and inter- to argue that they shouldn’t have to been killed by the Taliban in the last this situation. I’m thinking how themselves with American initia- preters during the 20-year war in evacuate them. It’s morally repre- two days. much more I can hide from them, tives knowing that will turn them in- Afghanistan. However, President hensible,” Heller said during a tele- An Afghan women’s rights advo- myself and my family. They can find to targets to the Taliban and other Joe Biden’s administration has said conference with reporters to dis- cate and International Refugee As- us out any moment, any day, and kill insurgent groups. But they did it up to 22,000 additional special visa cuss the petitions. sistance Project client Fatima, a us all,” she said on the recording. anyway, because they believed in a applicants are expected to be evac- The petitions come as the Taliban pseudonym in place of her real International Refugee Assistance better future for their country, be- uated. have taken control of Afghanistan name for fear of speaking out, said Project has sued the U.S. govern- cause they believed in the promise But the International Refugee As- and the Defense Department is at- on a pre-recorded message provid- ment twice over the extreme delays of a peaceful and stable Afghanis- sistance Project estimates the num- tempting to boost evacuations from ed by IRAP during the teleconfe- in administering special immigrant tan. … America has a moral obliga- ber of individuals with pending ap- Kabul’s international airport to be- rence that she applied for a special visa applications and the group is tion to evacuate those people as plications is more likely to be tween 5,000 and 9,000 people from immigrant visa in 2018 and is still now arguing the government has quickly as possible and bring them 100,000, which includes all the pri- Afghanistan each day. waiting for a response. not done enough to fix the “broken to safety,” Hosseini said. mary applicants for SIVs and their “The unwillingness of the U.S. Fatima said she worked on U.S.- system.” families. The group said the Biden government to protect our allies, af- funded projects for several years. In “SIV applicants who are stuck in [email protected] administration does not intend to ter they sacrifice their safety and, in that time, she said she received Afghanistan are there because their Twitter: @sarahjcamm Friday, August 20, 2021 • STARS AND STRIPES • PAGE 11 VIRUS OUTBREAK US jobless claims hit new low as hiring strengthens Associated Press ed Thursday that jobless claims and drawn consumers back to nt could disrupt the economy’s re- market’s health. But their reliabil- WASHINGTON — The number fell by 29,000 to 348,000. shops, restaurants, airports and covery from last year’s brief but ity has deteriorated during the of people seeking unemployment The weekly pace of applications entertainment venues. intense recession. Some econo- pandemic. In many states, the benefits fell last week for a fourth for unemployment aid has fallen Still, the number of applications mists have already begun to mark weekly figures have been inflated straight time to a pandemic low, more or less steadily since topping remains high by historic stan- down their estimates for growth by fraud and by multiple filings the latest sign that America’s job 900,000 in early January. The dards: Before the pandemic tore this quarter as some measures of from unemployed Americans as market is rebounding from the dwindling number of first-time through the economy in March economic activity, like air travel, they navigate bureaucratic hur- pandemic recession as employers jobless claims has coincided with 2020, the weekly pace amounted have started to weaken. dles to try to obtain benefits. boost hiring to meet a surge in con- the widespread administering of to around 220,000 a week. And Filings for unemployment ben- Those complications help explain sumer demand. vaccines, which has led business- now there is growing concern that efits have traditionally been seen why the pace of applications re- The Labor Department report- es to reopen or expand their hours the highly contagious delta varia- as a real-time measure of the job mains comparatively high. US health officials urge booster shots Associated Press Officials said that before any lated. WASHINGTON — U.S. health booster program starts up, the They said the U.S. needs to get officials Wednesday announced Food and Drug Administration out ahead of the problem before it plans to dispense COVID-19 and a CDC advisory panel would takes a more lethal turn here and booster shots to all Americans to need to evaluate the safety and ef- starts leading to increasing hospi- shore up their protection amid the fectiveness of an extra dose. talizations and deaths among the surging delta variant and signs “We have a responsibility to vaccinated. that the vaccines’ effectiveness is give the maximum amount of pro- Dr. Anthony Fauci, the govern- slipping. tection,” President Joe Biden said ment’s foremost expert on CO- The plan, as outlined by the at the White House. He added that VID-19, said one of the key lessons chief of the Centers for Disease extra doses are also “the best way of the coronavirus is that it’s better Control and Prevention and other to protect ourselves from new var- to “stay ahead of it than chasing af- top health authorities, calls for an iants that could arise.” ter it.” extra dose eight months after peo- The first boosters would go to The announcement came the ple get their second shot of the people in high-priority groups that JAY REEVES/AP same day the Biden administra- Pfizer or Moderna vaccine. The received the initial U.S. vaccina- A worker from USA Health prepares to vaccinate a person for tion said it would require nursing doses could begin the week of tions: nursing home residents, COVID­19 during a drive­up clinic in Mobile, Ala., on Aug. 12. homes to mandate vaccinations Sept. 20. health workers and those with un- for staffers in order to continue re- “Our plan is to protect the derlying health conditions. “We’re planning to hand out ex- White House officials noted that American people, to stay ahead of ceiving federal funds. Hundreds Top scientists at the World tra life jackets to people who al- the U.S. has donated 115 million this virus,” CDC Director Dr. Ro- of thousands of nursing home Health Organization bitterly ob- ready have life jackets, while doses to 80 countries, more than chelle Walensky said as the agen- workers remain unvaccinated, de- jected to the U.S. plan, noting that we’re leaving other people to all other nations combined. They cy cited a raft of studies suggesti- spite the heightened risk of fatal poor countries are not getting drown without a single life jack- said the U.S. has plenty of vaccine ng that the vaccines are losing infections among elderly resi- enough vaccine for their initial et,” said Dr. Michael Ryan, the to dispense boosters to its own ground while the highly conta- dents. rounds of shots. WHO’s emergencies chief. population. gious variant spreads. Officials said it is “very clear” People who received the single- that the vaccines’ protection dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine against infections wanes over will also probably need extra time, and they noted the worsen- shots, health officials said. But ing picture in Israel, which has they said they are waiting for seen a rise in severe cases, many more data. of them in people already inocu- PAGE 12 • STARS AND STRIPES • Friday, August 20, 2021 NATION Calif. wildfire siege continues, burning dozens of houses Associated Press stopped its progress, fire officials GRIZZLY FLATS, Calif. — A said at an evening briefing. small wildfire swept through a Rows of homes were destroyed mobile home park, leaving dozens on at least two blocks and televi- of homes in ashes, the latest in a sion footage showed crews dous- series of explosive blazes pro- ing burning homes with water. pelled by gusts that have torn Children were rushed out of an through Northern California elementary school as a field mountains and forests. across the street burned. The drought-parched region Some 1,600 people were or- NOAH BERGER/AP was expected to see red flag warn- dered to flee, with Lake County Detective Steve Hobb searches for possible victims at Cache Creek Mobile Home Estates where the ings for dangerously high winds Sheriff Brian Martin warning of Cache Fire leveled dozens of homes Wednesday in Clearlake, Calif. and hot, dry weather through “immediate threat to life and Thursday. property.” smoke clouds. Flames have also mas and Tehama counties, where across the spine of California, Those conditions have fed a doz- Lake County has experienced leapfrogged miles ahead of the some people hadn’t seen their where the Sierra Nevada and Cas- en uncontrolled wildfires, includ- repeated wildfires in the past dec- front lines as winds scattered em- homes for a month. cade mountains meet. It had ing the month-old Dixie Fire and ade that have destroyed hundreds bers, hot ash and chunks of wood But the Dixie and Caldor fires burned more than 1,000 square the nearby Caldor Fire in the of homes. into dry vegetation, said Thom still menaced many small clusters miles and was only a third con- northern Sierra Nevada that in- At least 16,000 other homes re- Porter, chief of the California De- of homes within and around na- tained. cinerated much of the small rural main threatened by California partment of Forestry and Fire tional forests along with larger On Wednesday, dozens of fire towns of Greenville and Grizzly wildfires, which are among some Protection. communities, including Pollock engines and crews were trans- Flats. 100 burning throughout a dozen “This is not going to end any- Pines, with a population of 7,000, ferred from that battle to fight the No deaths have been reported Western states, fire officials said. time soon,” he said of the Dixie and Susanville, population 18,000, Caldor Fire, which exploded despite the speed and damage of Tens of thousands of people re- Fire. “Everybody’s going to be which is the county seat of Lassen through heavy timber in steep ter- the blazes. main under evacuation orders. sucking smoke for a long time.” County. rain since erupting over the week- On Wednesday, a grass fire dri- No deaths have been reported, Fire crews were able to make Eldorado National Forest and end southwest of Lake Tahoe. ven by winds up to 30 mph de- despite the speed and ferocity of some progress on the Dixie Fire Lassen Volcanic National Park The fire has blackened nearly stroyed dozens of mobile homes in the blazes, which have at times on Wednesday, increasing con- were closed. 220 square miles and on Tuesday Lake County and injured at least created their own erratic winds tainment to 35%, and some evac- The Dixie Fire is the first to ravaged Grizzly Flats, a commu- one resident before firefighters from heated air swirling into uation orders were lifted in Plu- have burned from east to west nity of about 1,200. Accuser says R. Kelly made her dress like Girl Scout Associated Press ual encounters that Kelly often vid- cating she agreed she never re- mostly referred to in court as “Jane came more than a decade after Kel- NEW YORK — A key accuser at eotaped. vealed to Kelly that she was a mi- Does” — expected to testify at a trial ly was acquitted in a 2008 child por- the R. Kelly sex-trafficking trial re- On cross examination, defense nor. She said it was in exchange for scheduled to last several weeks. nography case in Chicago. The re- turned to the witness stand on attorney Deve- hush money. Other likely witnesses include prieve allowed his music career to Thursday, saying he often video- raux Cannick The questioning fit a theme that cooperating former associates who continue until the #MeToo era taped their sexual encounters and sought to show defense lawyers have repeatedly have never spoken publicly before caught up with him, emboldening demanded she dress like a Girl Pace hid her true pushed early in the trial: Kelly was about their experiences with Kelly. alleged victims to come forward. Scout during a relationship that be- motivations re- victimized by groupies who hound- The Associated Press doesn’t The women’s stories got wide ex- gan when she was a minor. garding Kelly ed him at shows and afterward, only name alleged victims of sexual posure with the Lifetime documen- Jerhonda Pace resumed her tes- and deceived him to turn against him years later when abuse without their consent unless tary “Surviving R. Kelly.” The se- timony in Brooklyn federal court a by lying about public sentiment shifted against they have shared their identities ries explored how an entourage of day after telling jurors she was a 16- her age. him, they allege. publicly. Pace has appeared in a supporters protected Kelly and si- Kelly year-old virgin and a member of “You were in To bolster their claims against documentary and participated in lenced his victims for decades, fore- Kelly’s fan club when he invited her fact stalking him, right?” Cannick Kelly, prosecutors showed jurors media interviews. shadowing the federal racketeering to his mansion in 2010. While there, asked. screenshots from Pace’s phone Kelly, 54, has denied accusations conspiracy case that landed Kelly she said, she was told to follow “That is not right,” she respon- showing several communications that he preyed on Pace and other in jail in 2019. “Rob’s rules” — edicts restricting ded. with Kelly in January 2010, includ- victims during a 30-year career The trial is occurring before an how she could dress, who she could Pace had testified earlier the she ing a text from him reading, “Please highlighted by his smash hit “I Be- anonymous jury of seven men and speak with and when she could use told Kelly she was 19 when they met call.” There was also a photo of her lieve I Can Fly,” a 1996 song that be- five women. Following several de- the bathroom. but had informed him she was only with “Rob” tattooed to her chest. came an inspirational anthem lays due mostly to the pandemic, She said Kelly — born Robert 16 by the time he sexually abused She said she’s since “covered it up played at school graduations, wed- the trial unfolds under coronavirus Sylvester Kelly — sometimes de- her. with a black heart.” dings, advertisements and else- precautions restricting the press manded she wear pigtails and Cannick confronted her with a Pace, the trial’s first witness, was where. and the public to overflow cour- “dress like a Girl Scout” during sex- lawsuit settlement she signed indi- among multiple female accusers — The openings and testimony trooms with video feeds. Census reportedly hit by cyberattack, but US count is unaffected Associated Press Wednesday. tack in a timely manner. The sta- tain access to the system through were compromised, nor was the U.S. Census Bureau computer The attack took place in Janu- tistical agency also failed to keep a backdoor, but unauthorized nation’s once-a-decade head servers were exploited last year ary 2020 on the bureau’s remote sufficient system logs, which hin- changes were still made, includ- count affected in any way. during a cybersecurity attack, access servers. dered the investigation, and was ing the creation of user accounts, “Furthermore, no systems or but it didn’t involve the 2020 cen- According to the Office of In- using an operating system no the report said. data maintained and managed by sus, and hackers’ attempts to spector General, the Census Bu- longer supported by the vendor, In a written response, acting the Census Bureau on behalf of keep access to the system were reau missed opportunities to limit the watchdog report said. Census Bureau director Ron Jar- the public were compromised, unsuccessful, according to a its vulnerability to the attack and The bureau’s firewalls stopped min reiterated that none of the manipulated or lost,” Jarmin watchdog report released didn’t discover and report the at- the attacker’s attempts to main- systems used for the 2020 census wrote. Friday, August 20, 2021 • STARS AND STRIPES • PAGE 13 AMERICAN ROUNDUP

Man, 84, gets 21 years in prison for bank robbery PHOENIX — An 84- AZ year-old man who spent most of his adult life behind bars for robbing banks was sentenced Tues- day to more than 21 years in prison for carrying out an armed heist at an Arizona credit union. Authorities say Robert Krebs carried out the January 2018 holdup in Tucson about seven months after he was released from prison as he was struggling to adjust to life on the outside. Krebs, who was in a wheel- chair and had difficulty hearing during his sentencing, declined to answer a judge’s question about whether he accepted responsibility for his actions. Krebs’ attorney, Erin Carrillo, said her client committed the Tuc- son robbery to return to prison be- cause he didn’t feel like he fit into so- ciety after spending decades in pris- on. “To get out of the freedom busi- ness and go back to the penitentiary — that’s what he told me,” Carrillo said. Thousands of live sand dollars wash up on coast SEASIDE — Scores of OR live sand dollars began washing ashore on the Oregon coast Sunday, mystifying locals. CHRIS DILLMANN, VAIL (COLO.) DAILY/AP The Seaside Aquarium posted photos of the sand dollars to Face- book on Sunday, reporting that Thrills under the big top thousands washed up with the after- The Flynn Creek Circus performers dazzle the audience Saturday in Avon, Colo. The circus goes to Snowmass this weekend. noon high tides on the south end of Seaside Beach, The Oregonian/ the suspect tried to steal his car, po- THE CENSUS Grambling said its first female OregonLive reported. lice said. drum major was Velma Patricia “At this time, we do not know Police said Rybolt tried to steal a The starting price for a rare framed photograph of Susan B. Patterson, who served through what has caused this, and these personal watercraft from an unoc- $5K Anthony that is being auctioned. The 20-by-16-inch photo 1952. The school did not say when types of incidents usually have sev- cupied home but was recaptured was found in an concealed attic space in a building in Geneva, N.Y., after the she started. eral contributing factors,” the when a Lake Ozark officer jumped property was sold. The Rochester Democrat and Chronicle reported Tuesday This year’s other drum majors aquarium wrote on Facebook. into the lake and found him — still that David Whitcomb, now owner of the building, has worked with an antiques are head drum major Deante Gib- Sand dollars can only live a few shackled and cuffed — in the water. dealer to bring some 350 items that he discovered to auction. One Source son, a senior from Jeanerette, La., minutes out of the ocean, the aquar- Auctions of Canandaigua will hold the auction Sept. 18. Anthony was a leader and Sheavion Jones, a junior from of the campaign for women’s suffrage, writing the text of what became the 19th ium said. They are a species of sea Dallas. Trial continued when too Amendment when it was passed in 1920, giving women the right to vote. urchin covered in tube feet and few show for jury duty spines that they use to move and eat. Bug that could hurt In rough waters they lie flat partially DANVILLE — The trial The Wake County Sheriff’s Office tha’s Vineyard Savings Bank ATMs Christmas trees found buried in the sand, but in calmer wa- VA for a man charged in the said a deputy working off-duty at the in the summer of 2013, prosecutors ters they stand upright like wheels. death of a Virginia cab driver was rodeo on the site alerted dispatchers said. The devices allowed them to ROCKFORD — An inva- continued Monday when too few about the incident. obtain card information, including MI sive bug that could Fleeing man accused of people showed up for jury selection. Sheriff’s office spokesman Eric personal identification codes, from threaten Michigan’s Christmas tree stealing police cruiser Danville Circuit Court Judge Curry said witnesses reported customers, which were then used to industry has been discovered in the James Reynolds set a new trial date about a dozen people were seen create counterfeit ATM cards and western part of the state. LAKE OZARK — A in December for James Fultz IV, dancing and jumping on the bleach- withdraw funds from the compro- The Michigan Department of MO Missouri man is jailed who is charged with first-degree ers before they collapsed. The arena mised accounts. Agriculture and Rural Develop- after he allegedly rammed one po- murder in the death of Wendy Har- is located on a farm in Wendell. ment said Monday it had confirmed lice cruiser and stole another cruis- ris in January, news outlets report. University has just its 2nd the presence of the balsam woolly er before being arrested as he tried Thirty-five potential jurors were 2nd man pleads guilty in female drum major adelgid near Rockford in Kent to hide under a dock at the Lake of needed at 9 a.m., but only about 25 ATM skimming scam County. A homeowner noticed sev- the Ozarks, police said. showed by then. Twelve jurors and GRAMBLING — A his- eral Fraser firs in their yard were Kenneth Rybolt, 26, of Columbia, an alternate were needed for the BOSTON — A Bulgar- LA torically black public uni- declining and contacted an arborist, is facing five felony counts and one two-day trial. MA ian man has pleaded versity in Louisiana has its second who spotted the infestation and misdemeanor after the chase in “It’s a damning statement on our guilty to his role in a scheme to cre- female drum major, nearly 70 years alerted the state, the agency said. Miller and Camden counties. community,” Reynolds said. ate counterfeit ATM cards that after the first. It’s unclear how the bug reached Lake Ozark police said when offi- Fultz and the commonwealth are were then used to steal money from Candace Hawthorne, of Dallas, is Michigan or how long it’s been in the cers responded to a shoplifting call entitled to a trial by jury and 15 wit- other people’s bank accounts, feder- one of three drum majors this year state. on Saturday, the suspect rammed a nesses had set aside two days, he al prosecutors said Tuesday. for Grambling State University’s “This invasive insect is a threat to police car and drove off before hit- said. Anatoli Mitrev, 34, pleaded guilty marching band, the school said in a the nearly 1.9 billion balsam fir trees ting another vehicle and crashing in the so-called skimming scam to news release. in Michigan’s forests,” Rob Miller, the car, KRCG-TV reported. Injuries reported when conspiracy to commit access device “It’s extremely mind-blowing,” an invasive species prevention and He was apprehended and placed bench collapses at arena fraud in federal court on Monday, said Hawthorne, a senior majoring specialist for MDARD, said in a in the back of a cruiser with his an- according to a statement from the in both engineering technology and news release. “... As the third largest kles shackled and hands cuffed be- WENDELL — A bench U.S. attorney’s office in Boston. He music. “I never would have expect- Christmas tree-growing state in the hind his back but managed to drive NC collapsed at a North Car- faces 8 ½ years at sentencing sched- ed for me to make history like this.” country, Michigan produces nearly off in the cruiser, police said. olina arena that was hosting a rodeo, uled for Oct. 19. She said she had always wanted to 13.5 million fir trees each year.” A Porto Cima resident later re- leaving nearly a dozen people with Mitrev and another man installed be a drum major but had lacked the ported the cruiser had crashed and minor injuries, a sheriff’s office said. skimmers and cameras on two Mar- confidence to audition. From The Associated Press PAGE 14 • STARS AND STRIPES • Friday, August 20, 2021 FACES Quietly assertive

BRENT N. CLARKE/AP Meganne Young has Garth Brooks performs on stage during the Gershwin Prize Honoree’s Tribute Concert at the DAR Constitution a few things in common Hall on March 4, 2020, in Washington. with her character in ‘The Kissing Booth 3’ Garth Brooks cancels remaining show dates From wire services Country star Garth Brooks is canceling his remaining stadium tour dates in five cities due to rising COVID-19 NETFLIX/TNS cases. Joel Courtney as Lee and Meganne Young as Rachel in “The Kissing Booth 3.” Brooks had said weeks ago that he would be reassessing the tour in light of the surge in cases. Tickets will be refund- BY RUTH ETIESIT SAMUEL pat baby” who has lived in Nigeria, really taken with when I first read the ed for shows scheduled in Cincinnati; Charlotte, North Car- Los Angeles Times Switzerland and more, thanks to her script was seeing how she’s quite an olina; Baltimore; Foxborough, Massachusetts, and Nash- n the trilogy-capping Netflix father’s work. even-keeled character. She doesn’t ville, Tennessee. He had also planned to play in Seattle but rom-com “The Kissing Booth “That experience made me quite want to overstep, but she also wants to declined to put tickets on sale. 3,” heroine Elle Evans (Joey adaptable and interested in other peo- assert herself and be true to herself “In July, I sincerely thought the pandemic was falling be- IKing) has a lesson to learn: pri- ple’s perspectives and stories. I want- and her feelings.” hind us,” Brooks said in a statement on Wednesday. “Now, oritize yourself in the journey to love. ed to explore all these different ave- After Rachel and Lee locked lips in watching this new wave, I realize we are still in the fight and But one character grasped that nues, all these different roads, and the the first “Kissing Booth,” Young saw I must do my part.” message early and quietly: Rachel, best way I could come up with to do her character’s importance grow. In Brooks said he is hopeful that he can resume touring be- played by Meganne Young. that was acting. If I had not been an “The Kissing Booth 3,” Rhode Island fore the end of the year and reschedule those tour dates. The 31-year-old South African ac- actor, I probably would have studied School of Design-bound Rachel ree- tress reprises the role of Rachel, a psychology because I’m always inter- valuates her future with Lee after Elle Country star Sam Hunt pleads guilty to DUI thoughtful, creative student at Los ested in why people make the choices and Noah’s relationship hits the rocks. Country singer Sam Hunt has pleaded Angeles Country Day High School they make. I think that is so key to act- “I hate saying that love is not guilty to drinking and driving in Tennes- and love interest to Elle’s best friend ing,” said Young. enough,” said Young, referencing a see. Lee Flynn (Joel Courtney) in the Young said that she believes per- line from the movie. “Because I am Hunt entered the plea Wednesday in threequel, which started streaming spective does change when navigating such a romantic. But ... as you get ol- Davidson County Circuit Court to misde- last week. different countries, cultures and prac- der and you start investigating more meanor DUI charges, the Tennessean re- While Elle remains the focus of tices. Those lived experiences made serious relationships, you have to take ported. “The Kissing Booth 3” — embarking her attentive to societal gaps, the im- in other factors. At the end of the day, He was arrested in 2019 and charged on a summer mission to finish a child- portance of nuance and perception you have to take care of yourself. If with driving under the influence and vio- Hunt hood bucket list with Lee, while decid- beyond the black-white binary. you aren’t happy and there’s too much lating open container law. An arrest war- ing whether or not to join boyfriend “Sometimes I worry that we want to strain on your relationship, for what- rant said officers found Hunt swerving between lanes and Noah (Jacob Elordi) at Harvard in the boil everything down and make it sim- ever reason, you need to make sure pulled him over. fall — Rachel’s maturity, intuitive- ple, instead of finding that complexity, that you feel safe enough to navigate it ness and decisive pursuit of self slow- trying to understand it, embrace it then make decisions based on that.” Johansson, Jost welcome baby boy ly take center stage. and work within it. When you simplify As Young navigates her career, she Scarlett Johansson is a mom to two now. The “Black Wid- While Rachel is an aspiring interior things, that’s when you start pushing says a dream of hers is to play a char- ow” star recently gave birth to a son, Cosmo, with husband designer — and the visual arts are not out other groups, especially minori- acter that seems brash, tough and Colin Jost, the “Saturday Night Live” star wrote on Insta- Young’s strong suit — she sees paral- ties,” Young said. “I love complexity. I “ugly” at first glance and “bring com- gram Wednesday. This is the first child for the couple, who lels between herself and her charac- live for that. That is why I work in this passion into that.” Her hope is to chal- were married last October. ter, notably the strength of her re- industry ... but I also understand for a lenge herself, tell “engaging and relat- People magazine first reported the birth of the baby, served nature. lot of people, it’s intimidating. I don’t able” stories, and compel audiences to which came as a shock to many since news of the pregnancy “I went to film school ... and people think we can shy away from it if we see different perspectives. came out only days earlier after Jost reportedly mentioned would always think I was in makeup really want to fix things.” In “The Kissing Booth 3,” both Elle it in a stand-up set in Connecticut. No other details were or wardrobe because I was really Her first-ever performance in front and Rachel are presented with choic- provided. quiet,” Young said recently by phone. of an audience was as a student at the es. The question is who they’re mak- It’s the first child for Jost, 39, who is known for hosting “I was like, ‘Oh, am I supposed to be Grange School in Lagos, Nigeria, ing decisions for: themselves or to “Weekend Update” on “Saturday Night Live.” Johansson, loud? Is that confidence? Is that what where she played a sugar plum fairy please the people around them. Young 36, also has a 6-year-old daughter, Rose, from a previous you need to be an actor?’ It rattled me in a Christmas performance. Fast for- hopes that audiences take a note from marriage to Romain Dauriac. for the first few years, but as I’ve got- ward to 2018 and Young received an Rachel and understand it’s not a mis- ten older and the more that I’ve email from her agent: More “Kissing take to look after yourself. Other news worked on sets, I’ve become quite em- Booth” films were to come (the first “[Rachel] really looks at what’s ■ British pop star, Ed Sheeran announced Thursday powered in my quietness. I love that was an unexpected Netflix hit), but happening around her and she checks that his upcoming studio album “=,” which is pronounced for Rachel, and I think that’s some- the future of her character was still in with herself and she makes choic- “Equals,” will release on Oct. 29. He unveiled his 14-song thing that’s really similar between unknown. es,” Young said. “They’re not easy track list, which includes his recently released single “Bad us.” When she went home to Cape Town choices, but she makes choices that Habits.” As a child, Young sought to be the for Christmas, she was met with a ho- she feels are best and will protect her. ■ The Rolling Stones are celebrating the 40th anniver- center of attention. Her love for per- liday surprise. Finding that trust in yourself — I hope sary of their album “Tattoo You” with a remastered collec- forming spurred her to seek out the “I sat down with [director Vince people take that away [from the film], tion that includes nine previously unreleased tracks. The stage, but moving from country to Marcello and producer Michele Weis- and knowing that what is meant for newly-remastered 11-track album is out on Oct. 22, includ- country shaped her understanding of ler] and they told me face to face what you will come back to you. If that ing songs “Hang Fire,” “Waiting on a Friend” and the open- the human condition. Born in Johan- was going to happen with Rachel doesn’t come back, that means that ing track, “Start Me Up.” The deluxe formats will also in- nesburg but a “Cape Town girl” at through both movies. I just was so ex- there’s something else meant for clude the albums “Lost & Found: Rarities” and the 26-track heart, Young is a self-described “ex- cited,” Young said. “Something I was you.” “Still Life: Wembley Stadium 1982.” Friday, August 20, 2021 • STARS AND STRIPES • PAGE 15 OPINION

Max D. Lederer Jr., Publisher Lt. Col. Marci Hoffman, Europe commander Lt. Col. Michael Kerschbaum, Pacific commander Recommendation on booster shots is a mistake Michael Ryan, Pacific chief of staff BY WILLIAM F. PARKER booster shots should be subject to a rando- step for these companies, as they can pro- AND GOVIND PERSAD mized, controlled trial comparing three dos- duce a billion more doses than the U.S. pop- Special to The Washington Post es to two doses with power to detect signif- ulation needs by the end of the year. Should EDITORIAL he Biden administration an- icant differences in hospitalizations or we pay high prices for biyearly boosters for Terry Leonard, Editor nounced on Wednesday that it will deaths. the 190 million and counting vaccinated [email protected] start offering coronavirus vaccine With the delta variant running rampant Americans, which will require hundreds of booster shots next month, recom- through the unvaccinated population, such a millions of additional doses? Or should we Robert H. Reid, Senior Managing Editor T mending that Americans who received their trial, similar to the vaccine trials for initial build on the 100 million doses we have donat- [email protected] original doses from Pfizer or Moderna to approval, would be easy to complete. In fact, ed globally so far and pledge at least 10 mil- Sean Moores, Managing Editor for Presentation seek a booster eight months after their initial Pfizer has just such a trial ongoing, the Food lion additional doses per week to low-in- [email protected] shot. and Drug Administration should require come countries? The latter strategy would This decision is a mistake. Not only does it they complete it before amending the vac- ensure domestic supply for unvaccinated BUREAU STAFF risk depriving millions throughout the cine Emergency Use Authorization. This Americans while we await evidence that world of the vaccine, but there also is no evi- trial should be the first in an ongoing series boosters meaningfully protect healthy, fully Europe/Mideast dence that additional shots meaningfully re- of adaptive clinical trials, using the power of vaccinated Americans. Erik Slavin, Europe & Mideast Bureau Chief duce death or hospitalization from CO- randomization to determine the optimal Finally, the administration made a mis- [email protected] +49(0)631.3615.9350; DSN (314)583.9350 VID-19 for healthy Americans. Far better dosing strategy for vaccines over time. And take by letting its booster recommendations would be to wait for solid trial data on boost- these trials should examine actual outcomes become public through a series of anony- Pacific er shots. such as hospitalization — not “surrogate” mous leaks to the media. Other major vac- Aaron Kidd, Pacific Bureau Chief U.S. health officials ought to heed the endpoints such as antibody levels. cine decisions came after careful delibera- [email protected] warning from Tedros Adhanom Ghebreye- That boosting all adults would be inappro- tion by both the FDA and CDC, relying heav- +81.42.552.2511 ext. 88380; DSN (315)227.7380 sus, director general of the World Health Or- priate without compelling evidence of im- ily on rigorous analysis and advice from the ganization, that the world had fallen into a proved efficacy does not mean the CDC was Advisory Committee for Immunization Washington state of “vaccine apartheid.” High-income wrong to provide targeted booster access for Practices. Perhaps this was done as a trial Joseph Cacchioli, Washington Bureau Chief [email protected] countries have used bilateral contracts with small populations, such as organ transplant balloon to assess the public’s reaction. But (+1)(202)886-0033 vaccine manufacturers to achieve vaccina- recipients on immunosuppressive drugs. that’s not how public health should be done. tion rates as much as 50 times that of low-in- Unlike the general population, these pa- Based on the suggested eight-month in- Brian Bowers, Assistant Managing Editor, News [email protected] come countries. A campaign for boosters tients have a poor immune response to two terval for third doses, the United States will could lock in that apartheid. This profound doses and face a high risk of hospitalization need more than 120 million additional CIRCULATION global inequity would not only be a human- despite two-dose vaccination. Observational mRNA doses by the end of 2021. That’s itarian disaster, but also a significant long- data show a third dose is needed to give anti- enough doses to vaccinate the population of Mideast term risk for Americans, as scientists agree bodies to immunocompromised patients, COVID-decimated Botswana 26 times over. Robert Reismann, Mideast Circulation Manager [email protected] that accelerating global vaccination is the making access to boosters a reasonable pre- Will already-protected Americans line up to [email protected] only way to prevent the formation of deadly cautionary approach. Just as importantly, boost their antibodies while the virus rages DSN (314)583-9111 new variants. offering the more than 50 million vaccines and mutates overseas, evidence be damned? The administration points to recent re- already distributed and sitting in freezers Or will we demand that our government rec- Europe ports from the Centers for Disease Control throughout the United States to these pop- ognize that global pandemics require global Karen Lewis, Community Engagement Manager and Prevention showing that the efficacy of ulations presents little risk of global depri- solutions? Vaccinating the unvaccinated, not [email protected] [email protected] the vaccines against mild infection is wan- vation compared to purchasing millions of buffing up the antibody levels of the already +49(0)631.3615.9090; DSN (314)583.9090 ing to justify boosters. This is an important additional doses, not yet distributed to protected, is our way out of the pandemic. concern, but the same reports demonstrate states, for use as boosters in the general pop- Pacific full vaccination is still highly protective ulation. Mari Mori, [email protected] against severe COVID-19 disease. The Unit- Moderna and Pfizer are already profiting William F. Parker is an assistant professor of pulmonary and +81-3 6385.3171; DSN (315)227.7333 critical care medicine at the University of Chicago and assistant ed States should address this issue with the from their vaccines to the tune of hundreds director of the MacLean Center for Clinical Medical Ethics. same thoughtfulness and regulatory scruti- of millions of dollars. The United States Govind Persad is an assistant professor at the University of CONTACT US Denver Sturm College of Law and Greenwall Foundation Faculty ny as initial vaccine approval. That means must now decide how to incentivize the next Scholar in Bioethics. Washington tel: (+1)202.886.0003 633 3rd St. NW, Suite 116, Washington, DC 20001-3050 The Taliban are only pretending they aren’t barbaric Reader letters [email protected] BY ELI LAKE It’s easy to see why. Mujahed’s boss, that the Treasury Department has frozen Bloomberg Opinion Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, the likely in- all Afghan government assets in U.S. Additional contacts he Taliban would like the world terim president of Afghanistan, managed banks. stripes.com/contactus to know that they’re no longer the to sucker U.S. envoy Zalmay Khalilzad into But one never knows with the Biden ad- child-bride-marrying mass mur- thinking the Taliban were interested in a ministration. After all, it is still trying to ne- OMBUDSMAN Tderers that they used to be. political settlement to share power. It’s now gotiate the lifting of sanctions and return of Ernie Gates At a press conference Tuesday, Taliban apparent that the Taliban used those nego- frozen assets with another Islamic regime, spokesman Zabihullah Mujahed said there tiations as a political weapon to demoralize in Iran, that shows as much respect for hu- The Stars and Stripes ombudsman protects the free flow of news and information, reporting any attempts by the would be no reprisals against Afghans who the Afghan military, with no intention of man rights — and as much hospitality to military or other authorities to undermine the newspaper’s worked with the U.S. military. Women ever reaching an agreement. The plan international terrorists — as the Taliban. independence. The ombudsman also responds to concerns and questions from readers, and monitors coverage for would be free to work and study, and the worked surprisingly well, as the rapid col- When Afghanistan’s rapid collapse became fairness, accuracy, timeliness and balance. The ombudsman media free to broadcast what it wished, so lapse of the Afghan army attests. apparent last week, Khalilzad dangled the welcomes comments from readers, and can be contacted by email at [email protected], or by phone at long as both stayed “within our cultural So now the Taliban are hoping to fool prospect of U.S. aid for a Taliban-led gov- 202.886.0003. frameworks.” How enlightened. America twice. Until this weekend, the Bi- ernment if it spared the U.S. Embassy in its These promises are discredited by den administration had committed to at rout of Kabul. Stars and Stripes (USPS 0417900) is published week- days (except Dec. 25 and Jan. 1) for 50 cents Monday events on the ground. Those Afghans hang- least $300 million in reconstruction assist- Biden would be wise to reject proposals through Thursday and for $1 on Friday by Pacific Stars and ing from a U.S. military jet taking off from ance after the U.S. withdrawal to “demon- that try to leverage U.S. assistance to re- Stripes, Unit 45002, APO AP 96301-5002. Periodicals postage paid at San Francisco, CA, Postmaster: Send Kabul clearly do not take the Taliban at strate our enduring support for the Afghan form the Taliban. They are irredeemable. address changes to Pacific Stars and Stripes, Unit 45002, their word. Nor do the women who Taliban people.” And the Afghan people certainly It was bad enough that Biden abandoned APO AP 96301-5002. This newspaper is authorized by the Department of Defense for members of the military services gunmen escorted from their jobs at a Kan- need it. According to a 2019 World Bank Afghanistan despite the warnings of his overseas. However, the contents of Stars and Stripes are dahar bank and ordered not to return. Nor study, 75% of the Afghan government bud- military leaders. Worse still was how the unofficial, and are not to be considered as the official views of, or endorsed by, the U.S. government. As a DOD newspa- do the journalists who work at a radio sta- get is funded by international donors, with administration failed to plan for the rescue per, Stars and Stripes may be distributed through official channels and use appropriated funds for distribution to tion in Kabul who saw their station manag- the U.S. the largest by far. of American civilians and Afghan allies be- remote locations where overseas DOD personnel are located. er murdered earlier this month by Taliban The good news is that the Biden adminis- fore the military withdrawal. To subsidize The appearance of advertising in this publication does not constitute endorsement by the Department of Defense or gunmen. tration has begun to set out conditions for the barbaric regime that has now taken Stars and Stripes of the products or services advertised. But Mujahed is not trying to convince Af- recognizing the Taliban. Secretary of State over would be a final, ignominious blow to Products or services advertised shall be made available for purchase, use or patronage without regard to race, color, ghans about the intentions of the Taliban. Antony Blinken on Sunday told CNN that America’s honor. religion, sex, national origin, age, marital status, physical He is hoping his make-believe will per- the U.S. would recognize and work with a handicap, political affiliation or any other nonmerit factor of the purchaser, user or patron. suade President Joe Biden and his admin- Taliban emirate in Afghanistan if it re- Bloomberg Opinion columnist Eli Lake covers national security © Stars and Stripes 2021 istration to keep subsidizing the Afghan spected the rights of its citizens and didn’t and foreign policy. This column does not necessarily reflect the government these jihadis just overthrew. harbor terrorists. More promising is news opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners. stripes.com PAGE 16 • STARS AND STRIPES • Friday, August 20, 2021 Eugene Sheffer Crossword Frazz Dilbert

ACROSS 56 Postpone 24 Museum- 1 Pouch 57 — Moines funding org. 4 Sound booster 58 Map lines (Abbr.) 25 Biblical boat 7 “Speed-the- 26 Mao — -tung

Pearls Before Swine Pearls Before Plow” playwright DOWN 28 Misery 12 “Ben- —” 1 Pointy 30 Doctrine 13 Happy hour 2 Emanations 31 USO audience venue 3 Thin pancake 32 Tours season 14 Livid 4 “Waterloo” group 33 Madrid Mrs. 15 Verb for you 5 Director 36 Gloomy 16 “Continental” fare Scorsese 37 Flee 6 Fourth estate 18 Knock 40 Golf great Sam 7 Brzezinski of 42 Prom duds 19 Confused

Non Sequitur MSNBC 43 To date 20 Incubator noise 8 “Bow-wow!” 44 Looks intently 22 Medit. nation 9 Goat’s cry 45 Follow orders 23 Body sci. 10 UFO pilots 46 Stretches (out) 27 Have 11 Asian holiday 48 Passing craze 29 NHL team 17 Saab model 49 Get older 31 Painter’s 21 Suggest 50 Erie Canal mule undercoat 23 Choir members 51 FDR project 34 Tent securer Answer to Previous Puzzle 35 “Did my best” Candorville 37 Punk rock offshoot 38 Plane reservation 39 CIA forerunner 41 Male deer 45 Pound fraction 47 “Born in the —” 48 Basketball ploy

Carpe Diem 52 Alphabet end 53 Tequila source 54 Mimic 55 Shoe width Beetle Bailey Bizarro Friday, August 20, 2021 • STARS AND STRIPES • PAGE 17 PAGE 18 • STARS AND STRIPES • Friday, August 20, 2021 SCOREBOARD/GOLF

PRO SOCCER PRO BASKETBALL PRO FOOTBALL MLS WNBA NFL

EASTERN CONFERENCE EASTERN CONFERENCE Thursday’s game WLTPts GF GA WLPct GB New England at Philadelphia Friday’s games New England 14 3 4 46 40 25 Connecticut 16 6 .727 — Cincinnati at Washington Nashville 7 2 11 32 32 20 Chicago 11 11 .500 5 Kansas City at Arizona NYCFC 9 6 4 31 34 19 New York 11 12 .478 5½ Saturday’s games Philadelphia 8 5 7 31 26 19 Washington 8 12 .400 7 Buffalo at Chicago Orlando City 8 4 7 31 29 24 Atlanta 6 15 .286 9½ N.Y. Jets at Green Bay D.C. United 8 9 3 27 31 29 Indiana 4 18 .182 12 Atlanta at Miami CF Montréal 7 7 6 27 26 25 Baltimore at Carolina WESTERN CONFERENCE Detroit at Pittsburgh Columbus 6 8 6 24 21 25 Tennessee at Tampa Bay Atlanta 5 6 9 24 23 25 WLPct GB Houston at Dallas Indianapolis at Minnesota New York 6 9 4 22 23 24 Las Vegas 17 6 .739 — Denver at Seattle Chicago 5 10 5 20 23 32 Seattle 16 7 .696 1 Las Vegas at L.A. Rams Inter Miami CF 5 9 4 19 18 30 Minnesota 13 8 .619 3 Sunday’s games Cincinnati 3 7 8 17 18 30 Phoenix 11 10 .524 5 N.Y. Giants at Cleveland San Francisco at L.A. Chargers Toronto FC 3 11 6 15 24 41 Dallas 10 13 .435 7 Monday’s game WESTERN CONFERENCE Los Angeles 8 13 .381 8 /AP Jacksonville at New Orleans CHARLES KRUPA WLTPts GF GA Tuesday’s games Friday, Aug. 27 Dustin Johnson holds the trophy after winning the Northern Trust last Seattle 11 3 6 39 33 16 Connecticut 72, Minnesota 60 Dallas 80, Chicago 76 Indianapolis at Detroit year at TPC Boston in Norton, Mass. Johnson opens the tournament Sporting KC 11 4 5 38 36 21 Las Vegas 93, Washington 83 Philadelphia at N.Y. Jets this year at No. 17 in FedEx Cup points standings. Phoenix 84, Indiana 80 Pittsburgh at Carolina LA Galaxy 11 7 2 35 31 30 Minnesota at Kansas City Colorado 10 4 4 34 27 18 Los Angeles 85, Atlanta 80, OT Saturday, Aug. 28 Real Salt Lake 7 6 6 27 29 21 Wednesday’s game New York 83, Seattle 79 Green Bay at Buffalo Minnesota 7 6 6 27 22 23 Baltimore at Washington Portland 7 9 3 24 26 36 Thursday’s games Chicago at Tennessee LAFC 6 8 5 23 24 26 Minnesota at Connecticut Arizona at New Orleans Washington at Phoenix Tampa Bay at Houston Johnson attempting San Jose 5 7 8 23 22 28 Atlanta at Los Angeles L.A. Rams at Denver L.A. Chargers at Seattle FC Dallas 5 9 6 21 23 28 Friday’s games Vancouver 4 7 8 20 21 29 Sunday, Aug. 29 Seattle at New York Houston 3 8 9 18 21 30 Indiana at Dallas Jacksonville at Dallas Austin FC 4 11 4 16 14 23 Las Vegas at San Francisco Saturday’s games Miami at Cincinnati to regain top form Note: Three points for victory, one point Phoenix at Atlanta New England at N.Y. Giants for tie. Minnesota at Chicago Cleveland at Atlanta Wednesday’s games DEALS BY DOUG FERGUSON New England 3, D.C. United 2 Associated Press Atlanta 1, Toronto FC 0 Reed withdraws CF Montréal 0, Cincinnati 0, tie Wednesday’s transactions PHILADELPHIA 76ERS — Waived G Ray- JERSEY CITY, N.J. — A short Philadelphia 1, New York City FC 0 jon Tucker. Miami 3, Chicago 2 BASEBALL Women’s National Basketball memory is one of the greatest as- with ankle injury New York 1, Columbus 0 Major League Baseball Association Orlando City 1, Nashville 1, tie American League SEATTLE STORM — Signed F Cierra Bur- sets of Dustin Johnson consider- JERSEY CITY, N.J. — Pa- Portland 1, Sporting Kansas City 1, tie BALTIMORE ORIOLES — Claimed RHP dick to a rest of season contract and re- ing all the cruel circumstances trick Reed withdrew from Seattle 1, FC Dallas 0 Zack Burdi off waivers from the Chicago leased her from her 7-day contract. Vancouver 2, Austin FC 1 White Sox and optioned him to Norfolk WASHINGTON MYSTICS — Signed C he has endured on the golf course The Northern Trust on Real Salt Lake 2, Houston 1 (Triple- A East). Designated LHP Ryan Megan Gustafson and G Shatori Walker- Friday’s game Hartman for assignment. Kimbrough to a ROS contract and released over the years. Thursday with an ankle inju- San Jose at LA Galaxy BOSTON RED SOX — Optioned RHP Tan- them from their 7-day contracts. That’s not to suggest he forgets ry, missing the first of two ner Houck to Worcester (Triple-A East). FOOTBALL Saturday’s games DETROIT TIGERS — Sent LF Akil Baddoo National Football League everything. events remaining before the Sporting Kansas City at Minnesota and CF Derek Hill to Toledo (Triple-A East) ARIZONA CARDINALS — Signed LB Reg- Seattle at Columbus on rehab assignments. Reinstated Isaac gie Walker. Johnson recalled with great end of Ryder Cup qualifying. Chicago at Orlando City Paredes from th 10-day IL and optioned ATLANTA FALCONS — Re-signed DL Eli detail his FedEx Cup playoffs de- The PGA Tour did not re- CF Montréal at Philadelphia him to Toledo. Ankou. Atlanta at D.C. United LOS ANGELES ANGELS — Recalled RHPs CAROLINA PANTHERS — Signed DT Wal- but in 2008. The format was dif- ceive details on the nature of Cincinnati at New England Aaron Slegers and Andrew Wantz from ter Palmore. Placed OT Matt Kaskey, DT New York City FC at New York Salt Lake (Triple-A West). Optioned RHP Mike Panasiuk and LB Nate Hall on the in- ferent then, with 144 players the injury. Toronto FC at Miami James Hoyt to Salt Lake. Placed LHP Pa- jured reserve list. qualifying for the first event and Reed is No. 22 in the FedEx FC Dallas at Houston trick Sandoval on the 10-day IL, retroac- CHICAGO BEARS — Placed CB Michael Portland at Austin FC tive to Aug. 15. Joseph and LB Ledarius Mack on the in- the field whittled to 120 for the Cup and already assured of Real Salt Lake at Colorado MINNESOTA TWINS — Recalled LHP Le- jured reserve list. Los Angeles FC at Vancouver wis Thorpe from St. Paul (Triple-A East). DALLAS COWBOYS— Placed LB Anthony next round. Johnson was No. 117 being in the field next week Designated RHP Nick Vincent for release Hines III on the injured reserve list. and feeling a rare sense of urgen- outside Baltimore. But with NWSL or assignment. DENVER BRONCOS — Placed RB LeVante NEW YORK YANKEES — Optioned RHP Bellamy and DT Deyon Sizer on the injured cy. the points tripled in value for  W L Tts P GF GA Luis Gil, OF Jonathan Davis and RHP Nick reserve list. Nelson to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (Tri- DETROIT LIONS — Signed OLB Rashod “I actually remember on the the postseason, reaching the Portland 9 3 2 29 21 8 ple-A East). Reinstated OF Trey Amburgey Berry and QB Jordan Ta’amu. Released LS 36th hole, I had about a 4-footer Tour Championship be- North Carolina 7 4 3 24 18 9 from his rehab assignment and the 10-day Don Muhlbach. injured list then optioned him to Scranton/ GREEN BAY PACKERS — Signed QB Jake to make the cut on the number, comes a little more difficult. Gotham FC 5 2 6 21 14 9 Wilkes-Barre. Reinstated INF Anthony Riz- Dolegala. Released CB Stanford Samuels Orlando 5 4 6 21 18 17 zo from the COVID-19 IL. Reinstated LHP III. Placed TE Isaac Nauta and WR DeAndre which would have gotten me into Of more immediate con- Chicago 6 7 3 21 16 22 Aroldis Chapman from the 10-day IL. Thompkins on the injured reserve list. OAKLAND ATHLETICS — Placed RHP HOUSTON TEXANS — Released OT Ro- the next week. And I horseshoed cern is the Ryder Cup. Washington 5 5 4 19 17 17 Chris Bassitt on the 10-day IL. Selected the derick Johnson. it, and I missed the cut,” he said The top six automatically Reign FC 6 7 1 19 17 15 contract of RHP Paul Blackburn from Las INDIANAPOLIS COLTS — Placed CB Nick Houston 5 6 3 18 17 20 Vegas (Triple-A West). Nelson and WR Quartney Davis on the in- Wednesday. “So I had three qualify after the BMW TAMPA BAY RAYS— Activated LHP Ryan jured reserve list. Louisville 4 6 4 16 12 20 Yarbrough from the 10-day IL. Designated JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS — Placed WR weeks off.” Championship next week. Kansas City 1 9 4 7 7 20 RHP Chris Ellis for assignment. Sent RHPS Josh Imatorbhebhe on the injured reserve The pressure remained, for the Reed is No. 9 in the U.S. Note: Three points for victory, one point J.P. Feyereisen and Ryan Thompson to list. for tie. Durham (Triple-A East) on rehab assign- KANSAS CITY CHIEFS — Placed TE Evan fall in 2008 was a time for players standings. Six more players ments. Baylis and WR Antonio Callaway on the in- Wednesday’s game TORONTO BLUE JAYS — Reinstated LHP jured reserve list. to finish in the top 125 on the will be captain's picks after Chicago 1, Louisville 1, tie Tim Mayza from the 10-day IL. Selected MIAMI DOLPHINS — Placed LB Sam money list to keep their PGA the Tour Championship. Saturday’s games the contract of INF Kevin Smith from Buffa- Eguavoen on the reserve/COVID-19 list. lo (Triple-A East) and has activated him for Placed CB Jaytlin Askew on the injured re- Tour cards. Johnson was No. 128 Kansas City at North Carolina today’s game. Placed RHP Alek Manoah on serve list. Gotham FC at Reign FC the bereavement list. Designated RHP Ra- NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS — Placed TE when he won at Turning Stone for From the Associated Press fael Dolis for assignment. Troy Fumagalli on the reserve injured list. the first of what now is 24 victo- TENNIS National League NEW ORLEANS SAINTS — Signed CB CHICAGO CUBS — Selected the contract Brian Mills and Natrell Jamerson, WR Ke- ries on the PGA Tour. Chicago 125 of RHP Adrian Sampson from Iowa (Tri- vin White, OTs Jordan Mills Caleb Bene- ple-A East). Designated OF Johneshwy noch. Waived CB Adonis Alexander and OT Johnson was not where he ex- for next week outside Baltimore, Wednesday Fargas for assignment. Michael Brown due to injury and also WR pected to be when the FedEx Cup and then the top 30 advance to the At XS Tennis Village COLORADO ROCKIES — Reinstated RHP Jake Lampman and DB Lawrence Woods. Chicago Chi Chi González from the COVID-19 IL. NEW YORK GIANTS — Placed CB Jarren playoffs started Thursday with Tour Championship. Purse: $115,000 Placed OF Yonathan Daza on the 10-day IL. Williams on the injured reserve list. Surface: Hardcourt outdoor Transferred INF/OF Chris Owings to the NEW YORK JETS— Placed RB Austin Wal- The Northern Trust at Liberty Johnson only needs to look at Women’s Singles 60-day IL. Sent RHP Peter Lambert to Spo- ter and DT Michael Dwumfour on the in- Round of 16 kane (High-A West) on a rehab assign- jured reserve list. National. He didn’t feel a great last year to realize how quickly it Claire Liu, United States, def. Anna Kalin- ment. PHILADELPHIA EAGLES — Placed OT sense of urgency, either. can change. He was at No. 15 in skaya, Russia, 6-4, 4-6, 6-3. NEW YORK METS — Recalled C Chance Casey Tucker, C Luke Juriga and RB Ker- Storm Sanders, Australia, def. Varvara Sisco Syracuse (Triple-A East). Optioned ryon Johnson on the injured reserve list. He is No. 17 in the FedEx Cup, the FedEx Cup a year ago when Gracheva (8), Russia, 5-7, 6-3, 6-4. RHP Yennsy Díaz Syracuse. TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS — Placed C Ann Li (3), United States, def. Oceane Do- ST. LOUIS CARDINALS — Recalled RHP Donell Stanley on the injured reserve list. a product of not winning on the the switch flipped on in a big way. din, France, 6-3, 6-1. Junior Fernandez from Memphis (Triple-A Waived DB Raven Greene and OT Brandon PGA Tour since the Masters last He won The Northern Trust by Women’s Doubles East). Placed RHP Justin Miller on the 10- Walton. Round of 16 day IL. TENNESSEE TITANS — Signed LB Jamal November — that counts toward 11 shots at the TPC Boston. He Aldila Sutjiadi and Beatrice Gumulya, In- SAN DIEGO PADRES — Placed LHP Matt Carter. donesia, def. Samantha Murray Sharan, Strahm on the 10-day IL. Selected the con- SOCCER this season — and rarely being in lost in a playoff at the BMW Britain, and Kimberley Zimmermann, Bel- tract of RHP Jake Arrieta from El Paso (Tri- Major League Soccer contention. Championship when Jon Rahm gium, 6-3, 6-0. ple-A West). Announced Edwin Rodriguez MLS — Named Noah Beck and Cobi Jones Ankita Raina, India, and Ekaterine Gor- will be stepping down from his position as (MLS) and Juanpa Zurita and Jorge Cam- “Obviously, need a good couple made a 65-foot birdie putt at godze, Georgia, def. Renata Voracova, manager of El Paso Chihuahuas, effective pos (Liga MX), as guest coaches for the Czech Republic, and Julia Wachaczyk (2), immediately. Pitching coach Eric Junge 2021 MLS All-Star Skills Challenge. of weeks here,” he said. Olympia Fields. And with the Germany, 6-2, 2-6, 10-8. will serve as manager for the for the re- MLS INDEPENDENT REVIEW PANEL— Re- The 124-man field at Liberty staggered start at East Lake — as Alison van Uytvanck and Greet Minnen, mainder of the 2021 season. scinded the one-match suspension and Belgium, def. Lesley Pattinama Kerkhove, BASKETBALL accompanying fine for the red card issued National — Louis Oosthuizen at the No. 1 seed, Johnson started at Netherlands, and Kaitlyn Christian (1), National Basketball Association to Austin FC’s D Julio Cascante in the United States, 6-4, 6-4. CHICAGO BULLS — Signed G Ayo Dosun- match against Real Salt Lake on Aug. 14. No. 8 is sitting out to rest a sore 10-under par — he finally won the Kristina Mladenovic and Clara Burel, mu and C Marco Simonovic. COLLEGE neck — will be reduced to the top FedEx Cup and the $15 million France, def. Harriet Dart, Britain, and Car- NEW ORLEANS PELICANS — Signed F MILWAUKEE — Named Austin Hansen as oline Dolehide (3), United States, 6-1, 6-2. Daulton Hommes to a two-way contract. men’s basketball assistant coach. 70 in the FedEx Cup who qualify bonus prize. Friday, August 20, 2021 • STARS AND STRIPES • PAGE 19 SPORTS BRIEFS/LITTLE LEAGUE WORLD SERIES

BRIEFLY A’s Bassitt out of hospital, recovering from line drive Associated Press gers should pitch to Ohtani in the OAKLAND, Calif. — Oakland sixth inning, Morris adopted an ex- Athletics ace Chris Bassitt has a aggerated East Asian accent while broken bone in his cheek that will saying “be very, very careful.” need surgery to repair but he sus- When Ohtani came back up in the tained no eye damage after being ninth, Morris issued a lengthy apol- struck on the side of the head by a ogy. line drive. “It’s been brought to my atten- Bassitt was taken to the hospital tion and I sincerely apologize if I of- after getting hit by a ball from fended anybody, especially in the Brian Goodwin’s bat in the second Asian community, for what I said inning of a 9-0 loss to the Chicago about pitching and being careful to White Sox on Tuesday night. The Shohei Ohtani,” Morris began, be- veteran right-hander has shown no fore going on to talk about his re- signs of a concussion and a scan of spect for Ohtani’s talent. his brain was normal, though Bas- Women’s world hockey sitt can’t recall everything that hap- pened during the ordeal. championship begins A’s athletic trainer Nick Papar- CALGARY, Alberta — The puck GENE J. PUSKAR/AP esta said the pitcher is in “really drops Friday on a women’s world River Ridge, La., takes a victory lap around the field at Lamade Stadium after winning the Little League good spirits, doing well” a day later, hockey championship more than World Series Championship game against Curacao in South Williamsport, Pa., in 2019. even with his right eye still swollen two years after the last one. shut. Ten countries will compete for a Bassitt tweeted his appreciation world title in Calgary with the 2022 Wednesday for the support he has Winter Olympics in Beijing less received. than six months away. The pan- LLWS returns, but without “From the bottom of my heart, demic forced the cancellation of I’d like to thank the @whitesox and the event that had been scheduled @Athletics staff, front offices, and to be held in Nova Scotia in 2020 owners. The support my family and then earlier this year after a fans, international teams and I’ve received has been over- postponement. whelming. I’d also like to thank Rush University Medical Center Osaka wins first WTA BY ANDREW DESTIN and their staff. God is good. Can’t Associated Press “I think Little League is doing the wait to get back!” Bassitt wrote. match since French Open The Little League World Series In other baseball news: Down a set and a break to 17- is back. There won’t be interna- right thing and everything they can ■ Bill Freehan, an 11-time All- year-old Coco Gauff, second- tional teams or 22,000 fans in the Star catcher with the Detroit Ti- ranked Naomi Osaka fought back stands when the championship do to make it as good of an gers and key player on the 1968 to pull out a 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 win at the rolls around, but the tournament World Series championship team, Western & Southern Open in Ma- in South Williamsport, Pa., is set experience as possible.” has died at age 79. son, Ohio., on Wednesday. It was to start Thursday. The cause of death was not dis- Osaka’s first WTA Tour event since The coronavirus forced the can- Ben Ludwig closed, but family members in re- the French Open in late May. cellation of the tournament in Manager of Oaks, Pa. Little League team cent years have publicly said that “It’s definitely been a while since 2020, and this year, the delta vari- Freehan had Alzheimer’s disease. I played a tough opponent in a ant surge resulted in Little League of COVID-19 and the international equipped for elite competition. Freehan played his entire career three-set match,” she said. “It was tournaments for several older age travel restrictions the pandemic “Based on what we just went with the Tigers, from 1961 through definitely really tough, but I feel re- groups being scrapped. But what brought about. Typically, eight through, it seems like ‘all right, 1976. Besides All-Star appearances ally good right now. I’m super ex- most fans understand as the Little teams from different geographic this is going to be nothing out of — he played all 15 innings in the cited to play another match.” League World Series, featuring regions represent the United the ordinary,’ ” Ludwig said. “It’s 1967 game — he was awarded five In other tennis news: 10- to 12-year-old players, will States, with the rest of the world going to be something that our Gold Gloves. ■ Two-time champion Venus take place over the next week and broken into another eight regions. kids are ready for, and they’re go- ■ Detroit Tigers broadcaster Williams will be back at the U.S. a half, with the championship set This year, each U.S. region’s ing to step up to the challenge.” Jack Morris has been suspended Open after being given a wild card for Lamade Stadium on Aug. 29. champion and runner-up moved Other teams, like Florida’s indefinitely for racist comments he Wednesday into the Grand Slam “It won’t be the same as what on, instead of just the champ. Martin County North Little made about Los Angeles Angels tournament. they’ve seen on TV and from Though manager Ben Ludwig’s League, took advantage of the ex- star Shohei Ohtani during Tues- The 41-year-old Williams has years past, but I told them, ‘I don’t Upper Providence Little League panded U.S. bracket. Manager day’s game. won seven major titles, including care if there’s 10,000 people or 10, team, northwest of Philadelphia, Mark Rodgers’ team finished run- When asked by play-by-play an- victories at Flushing Meadows in you shouldn’t have any problem won the Mid-Atlantic region out- ner-up to Tennessee’s Nolensville nouncer Matt Shepard how the Ti- 2000 and 2001. getting up to play here,’ ” said right, he feels good about letting Little League. Dustin Rader, manager of Ne- the so-called B teams participate. For Rodgers’ team, preparing braska’s Hastings Little League “I think Little League is doing for the tournament while adher- team, the top club in the Midwest the right thing and everything ing to COVID-19 guidelines was region. they can do to make it as good of no easy chore. “I think they’re just really excit- an experience as possible,” Lud- “We practiced on three differ- ed for the opportunity.” wig said. “A 16-team tournament ent fields. We did nothing together Though there won’t be fans is more robust, so I think it’s great as a team, except a little bit of in- packing the hill at Lamade Stadi- what they’ve done here to expand field-outfield. We kept everybody um, those close to the players can it out, given the circumstances.” apart because where we live, CO- still see them in action. Each team Ludwig and company are well- VID was all around us,” Rodgers will receive 250 game passes to prepared for adverse situations. said. “We were all living the hor- distribute to friends, families and His team lost its second game of ror stories.” community members. the Pennsylvania state tourna- Despite the ongoing pandemic, Instead of splitting 16 teams in- ment, meaning it had to win five Little League spokesman Kevin to U.S. and international brackets, games in five days to advance to Fountain said many of its leagues CHARLES REX ARBOGAST/AP Little League’s championship the Mid-Atlantic tournament. returned to the field this year, Oakland Athletics pitcher Chris Bassitt is attended to after getting hit tournament will feature strictly His group succeeded, leading though 2021 participation has not in the head by a line drive Tuesday in Chicago, American squads in 2021 because Ludwig to believe they’re been totaled. PAGE 20 • STARS AND STRIPES • Friday, August 20, 2021 MLB

Bauer to Scoreboard American League invoke the East Division WLPct GB Tampa Bay 74 47 .612 _ Fifth in New York 69 52 .570 5 Boston 69 54 .561 6 Toronto 63 56 .529 10 Baltimore 38 81 .319 35 hearing Central Division

BY ANDREW DALTON WLPct GB Associated Press Chicago 71 50 .587 _ Cleveland 58 61 .487 12 LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles Detroit 58 64 .475 13½ Dodgers pitcher Trevor Bauer in­ Minnesota 54 67 .446 17 tends to invoke his Fifth Amend­ Kansas City 52 67 .437 18 ment right against self­incrimina­ West Division tion and will answer no questions WLPct GB in the case of a woman seeking a Houston 70 50 .583 _ five­year restraining order Oakland 68 53 .562 2½ against him, his attorney said in Seattle 65 56 .537 5½ Los Angeles 61 61 .500 10 court Wednesday. Texas 42 78 .350 28 Bauer’s lawyer Shawn Holley National League told a judge the only questions he East Division will answer are “his name and WLPct GB what he does for a living,” and cit­ PAUL SANCYA/AP ed a pending criminal investiga­ Los Angeles Angels pitcher Shohei Ohtani threw eight strikeouts and allowed six hits over six innings and Atlanta 65 56 .537 _ Philadelphia 61 59 .508 3½ tion by police in Pasadena, Calif. homered in his team’s 3­1 defeat of the Tigers on Wednesday in Detroit. New York 60 60 .500 4½ The legal team seeking the or­ Washington 52 68 .433 12½ der for a woman who says Bauer Miami 51 70 .421 14 choked her into unconsciousness ROUNDUP Central Division and punched her in two sexual en­ WLPct GB counters said that Bauer was the Milwaukee 74 47 .612 _ last remaining witness they in­ Cincinnati 65 57 .533 9½ tended to call at the hearing. St. Louis 61 58 .513 12 Chicago 54 69 .439 21 Holley asked Los Angeles Supe­ Ohtani dominant on mound, Pittsburgh 42 79 .347 32 rior Court Judge Dianna Gould­ West Division Saltman to allow Bauer to avoid WLPct GB taking the stand entirely, as de­ San Francisco 78 43 .645 _ fendants in criminal cases do. homers in Angels’ victory Los Angeles 75 46 .620 3 Normally in civil matters, a wit­ San Diego 67 56 .545 12 ness would invoke the Fifth Associated Press Yankees 5, Red Sox 2:Andrew brough came off the COVID­19 in­ Colorado 55 66 .455 23 Amendment on a question­by­ DETROIT — Shohei Ohtani hit Heaney pitched seven smooth in­ jured list and worked five scoreless Arizona 40 81 .331 38 Wednesday’s games question basis. his 40th homer and pitched eight nings, Anthony Rizzo hit a two­run innings as AL East­leading Tampa Minnesota 8, Cleveland 7, 11 innings Gould­Saltman adjourned the sharp innings, helping the Los An­ single in his return from CO­ Bay handed visiting Baltimore its Washington 8, Toronto 5 L.A. Angels 3, Detroit 1 hearing for the day, saying she geles Angels beat Miguel Cabrera VID­19, and host New York 14th consecutive loss. Tampa Bay 8, Baltimore 4 N.Y. Yankees 5, Boston 2 would read legal precedents pro­ and the Detroit Tigers 3­1 on matched a season best with its sixth White Sox 3, Athletics 2: Luis Kansas City 3, Houston 2 vided by Holley and issue a deci­ Wednesday night. straight victory. Robert had three hits and two Seattle 3, Texas 1 Chicago White Sox 3, Oakland 2 sion Thursday morning. The The crowd of 27,282 was hoping Substitute shortstop Andrew Ve­ RBIs, sending host Chicago to the Chicago Cubs 7, Cincinnati 1 Colorado 7, San Diego 5 judge may also issue her decision to see Cabrera hit his 500th career lazquez, born nearby in the Bronx, victory over Oakland. N.Y. Mets 6, San Francisco 2, 12 innings Atlanta 11, Miami 9 on the domestic violence restrain­ homer, but the slugger went 1­for­4 delivered a pair of RBI singles from Brewers 6, Cardinals 4 (10): Milwaukee 6, St. Louis 4, 10 innings ing order on Thursday, after hear­ with a first­inning single. the No. 9 spot in the batting order Jackie Bradley Jr. scampered Arizona 4, Philadelphia 2 L.A. Dodgers 9, Pittsburgh 0 ing final arguments from the two “He’s obviously one of the best and combined with Rizzo on a ter­ home on a wild pitch in the 10th in­ Thursday’s games sides. hitters of all time and he’s also a rific defensive play for the dramat­ ning, and Avisail Garcia hit two Baltimore at Tampa Bay L.A. Angels at Detroit Bauer, who is fighting the order great person,” Ohtani said. “I ic final out. homers to help Milwaukee rally for Seattle at Texas Houston at Kansas City and has said through representa­ would have been OK with giving it Mets 6, Giants 2 (12):Kevin Pil­ the win at St. Louis. Oakland at Chicago White Sox tives that everything that hap­ up, and I hope he does it sooner lar hit a three­run homer in the 12th Rockies 7, Padres 5: Jake Ar­ Minnesota at N.Y. Yankees Philadelphia at Arizona pened between him and the 27­ rather than later.” inning, lifting New York to a win at rieta got clobbered by host Colora­ Miami at Cincinnati Milwaukee at St. Louis year­old San Diego woman was Instead, Ohtani put on a show. San Francisco hours after owner do and left with an injury in his San N.Y. Mets at L.A. Dodgers consensual, has attended all three The Japanese right­hander al­ Steve Cohen called out his team’s Diego debut. Friday’s games Kansas City (Keller 7-12) at Chicago days of the hearing and had been lowed six hits, struck out eight and hitters for a lack of production. Twins 8, Indians 7 (11): Jorge Cubs (Davies 6-9) expected to take the stand. walked none in a 90­pitch outing. Six Giants pitchers combined to Polanco drove in the game­ending Atlanta (Fried 10-7) at Baltimore (Akin 0-7) Minnesota (Barnes 0-2) at N.Y. Yankees “I don’t know what you can say blank the Mets until the ninth in­ run for host Minnesota for the third (Cortes Jr. 1-1) Detroit (Alexander 2-2) at Toronto (Ray 9-5) about him that hasn’t been said be­ ning, when J.D. Davis provided a time in four games, lining a bases­ Chicago White Sox (Giolito 9-9) at Tam- pa Bay (Wacha 2-4) fore,” Angels manager Joe Maddon tying sacrifice fly. loaded single in the 11th inning. L.A. Angels (Barria 2-1) at Cleveland (TBD) said. “He’s not going to win the Tri­ Dodgers 9, Pirates 0: Max Mariners 3, Rangers 1: Kyle Texas (Dunning 5-7) at Boston (Sale 1-0) Seattle (Kikuchi 7-6) at Houston ple Crown, but he’s in the discus­ Muncy slugged two homers and Seager hit a two­run homer for vis­ (McCullers Jr. 9-4) San Francisco (Wood 10-3) at Oakland sion for everything else. If you are a drove in five runs to highlight a iting Seattle, and Marco Gonzales (Kaprielian 6-4) 1 Miami (Hernandez 0-0) at Cincinnati (Gray 4-6) Cy Young or MVP voter, your eyes power performance by host Los pitched 5 ⁄3 shutout innings. Washington (TBD) at Milwaukee (An- have to be wide­open at this point.” Angeles. Royals 3, Astros 2:Hunter Do­ derson 4-6) Pittsburgh (Keller 3-10) at St. Louis (Mi- Ohtani (8­1) became the first ma­ The Dodgers earned their sixth zier hit a two­run homer in the sev­ kolas 0-0) Arizona (Gilbert 1-1) at Colorado (Gom- jor leaguer to hit 40 homers in a sea­ straight win and moved within enth inning, and host Kansas City ber 9-7) N.Y. Mets (Carrasco 0-1) at L.A. Dodgers son in which he pitched at least 15 three games of the NL West­lead­ earned its third straight win over (Buehler 12-2) games. The previous record was 29 ing Giants. Houston. Philadelphia (Moore 2-3) at San Diego (Snell 6-4) by Babe Ruth in 1919. Diamondbacks 4, Phillies 2: Cubs 7, Reds 1: Michael Her­ Saturday’s games Braves 11, Marlins 9: Freddie Arizona’s Humberto Castellanos mosillo homered for the first time Minnesota at N.Y. Yankees Chicago White Sox at Tampa Bay Freeman hit for the cycle for the earned his first major league win since 2018, Ian Happ and Sergio Al­ Kansas City at Chicago Cubs Detroit at Toronto second time, powering visiting At­ and added two hits at the plate in a cántara also went deep, and deplet­ San Francisco at Oakland lanta to its sixth consecutive win. win over visiting Philadelphia. ed Chicago won at Cincinnati. L.A. Angels at Cleveland Seattle at Houston The reigning NL MVP doubled The Phillies lost for the sixth Nationals 8, Blue Jays 5: Josh Atlanta at Baltimore Texas at Boston ALEX GALLARDO/AP in the first and tripled in the fourth. time in eight games and continued Bell hit a three­run homer off for­ N.Y. Mets at L.A. Dodgers Washington at Milwaukee Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher He singled in the fifth and hit a two­ to lose ground in the National mer teammate Brad Hand, sending Miami at Cincinnati Trevor Bauer is fighting a run drive in the sixth for his 27th League playoff race. host Washington to the victory over Pittsburgh at St. Louis Arizona at Colorado restraining order. homer. Rays 8, Orioles 4: Ryan Yar­ Toronto. Philadelphia at San Diego Friday, August 20, 2021 • STARS AND STRIPES • PAGE 21 COLLEGE FOOTBALL Nebraska confirms NCAA investigation

Associated Press their investigation,” Alberts said. LINCOLN, Neb. — Nebraska an- “We will continue to do whatever nounced Wednesday that the the NCAA has asked us to do. Our NCAA is looking into its football coaches, including coach Frost, program amid allegations Corn- have done a great job and have been huskers staff improperly used anal- very accessible in working with the ysts and consultants with the NCAA as we’ve worked through knowledge of these allegations.” coach Scott Frost Alberts said he couldn’t com- and even moved ment further because of the ongo- workouts off ing investigation. campus last year The report comes less than two when such activ- weeks before the Huskers open ities were banned Frost’s fourth season with a game at during the pan- Illinois. Frost, who quarterbacked demic. the Huskers to the 1997 national Alberts Nebraska Ath- championship, returned to his alma letic Director Trev Alberts con- mater in his home state after being firmed the investigation first re- named national coach of the year ported by The Action Network for leading Central Florida to a 13-0 while Frost said any workouts were record in 2017. approved by his superiors. Frost has struggled at Nebraska, “Everything we did through CO- going 12-20 in his first three years JOHN RABY/AP VID was in the best interest and and never finishing higher than Marshall football player Will Ulmer sings and plays guitar on July 18 in Huntington, W.Va. Ulmer and other health of our players in mind and fifth in the Big Ten West. The pro- athletes are now able to show off their creative, artistic sides and earn money while they’re at it. everything we did was approved by gram has had four straight losing athletic department administration seasons, its most in a row since the and campus administration,” Frost late 1950s. said after practice. Frost is under contract through Citing unidentified sources, The 2026, and his current buyout is $20 Action Network report said Ne- million. Creativity on display braska has “significant video foot- The NCAA investigation in- age” confirming practice violations cludes Nebraska’s impermissible occurred in the presence of Frost use of experts running special College players cashing in on artistic talents and other assistants. teams drills. Analysts are not Alberts said the investigation among the 10 full-time on-field as- BY JOHN RABY certain point in his life. He also started before his hiring was an- sistants and are not allowed to Associated Press runs a separate nonprofit group to nounced July 14 and that he found speak with players. HUNTINGTON, W.Va. promote social justice and com- out about it after he started. Ayear ago, the NCAA disallowed ill Ulmer doesn’t munity conflict resolution. “We thought it was important the organized workouts because of the have to hide any- “My art, it is me,” Kazadi said. two of us come out and validate pandemic. According to the report, more. “Hopefully when people see it, what you all have read on the inter- Nebraska allegedly relocated its W The Marshall of- they kind of see me. They kind of net and the reports that are out strength workouts to an undis- fensive lineman, all 6-foot-4 and see what I’m thinking, how I’m there nationally,” Alberts said. closed off-campus location to avoid 300 pounds of him, unleashed a feeling. So I feel like a lot of what I The NCAA has interviewed detection at the direction of NU’s year’s worth of energy in his first don’t say is communicated Frost, current and former staff strength and conditioning staff. on-stage performance since the through my art.” members, administrators and foot- Frost and former Nebraska ath- start of the pandemic, playing gui- Before the NCAA change earlier ball players, and Frost has hired an letic director Bill Moos had been tar and belting out songs in his this summer, Kazadi wasn’t al- attorney. The alleged violations oc- vocal in wanting to play in 2020 af- Kentucky baritone for a modest lowed to connect his face to his curred in the last 12 months. ter the Big Ten initially canceled its crowd outside a Huntington ice LM OTERO/AP work. A Texas law that debuted “We want you to know we have season. The Big Ten reversed cream store. SMU defensive back Ra­Sun last month letting students profit complied 100% with the NCAA, course and set up an eight-game His keychain fastened to a belt Kazadi is selling his paintings. off their name, image or likeness been very collaborative in our ap- conference-only schedule starting loop and a can of smokeless tobac- “has made a huge change in my proach with them in terms of all of in late October. co bulging from a back pocket, Ul- braska volleyball player Lexi Sun, life,” in part through art sales off mer spent an hour singing country it has meant helping design sports his website. favorites along with one he wrote apparel. For SMU defensive back Sun wanted her deal with volley- before finishing up with his spin on Ra-Sun Kazadi, it means he can ball apparel company Ren Athlet- a West Virginia favorite, John sell his art. ics to allow her personality and Denver’s “Take Me Home, Coun- “College athletes for the longest style to shine through in the launch try Roads.” time haven’t really had a lot of op- of her clothing line — a black This time, he used his real name, portunities to make money,” Ul- sweatshirt with her name and a too. mer said. “I think this is a great one golden outline of the sun’s rays. The NCAA’s decision to allow for me. But it’s not really about the “They gave me like an open slate athletes to be paid for their fame money.” to create whatever I wanted and I and celebrity has led to scores of Like Ulmer, Kazadi sees his was just super excited about that deals big and small from coast to craft as an extension of himself. freedom and being able to take ad- coast since July 1. Sponsorships His works are a wide-ranging as- vantage of that,” Sun said. and endorsements are the most sortment that includes paintings of It quickly sold out. Company common, but there has been an- athletes, civil rights leaders, Egyp- spokeswoman Natalie Hagglund other welcome wrinkle: Ulmer tian Queen Nefertiti and the late said the Sunny Crew shirt was the and other athletes are now able to rapper Tupac Shakur. Among his biggest promotion in the compa- show off their creative, artistic digital works is Emmy-winning ny’s nearly 10 years in business sides and earn some money while actress and singer Zendaya. and that additional products with WILL NEWTON /AP they’re at it. A junior, Kazadi, who goes by Sun’s name are under considera- Head coach Scott Frost and the Nebraska football program are being For Ulmer, it means being able Ra, has been painting only since tion. investigated by the NCAA for improperly using analysts and to play his music at gigs without high school. Some works are light- consultants and moving workouts off campus last season when such masking his identity under the hearted and fun. Some were done AP sports writer Hank Kurz in Richmond, Va., activities were banned during the pandemic. pseudonym “Lucky Bill.” For Ne- as stress relief. Others reflect a contributed to this report. PAGE 22 • STARS AND STRIPES • Friday, August 20, 2021 NFL Denver’s QBs try to separate Lock, Bridgewater ‘even-Steven’

BY ARNIE STAPLETON Fangio said afterward that their Associated Press performances validated his notion ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Erratic that “they’re even-Steven” in this practices throughout training QB clash in which they’ve traded camp and a stellar preseason off good days for bad and have opener for both Drew Lock and even been inconsistent from one Teddy Bridgewater have left Den- series to the next. ver fans — and Fangio hopes to have a better maybe even idea of who will lead his offense in coach Vic Fangio 2021 after the Broncos’ game at himself — still Seattle on Saturday night, whether wondering who Seahawks coach Pete Carroll will win the plays his starters. Broncos’ start- Denver’s three preseason oppo- DAVID ZALUBOWSKI/AP ing quarterback nents — the Rams, Seahawks and Broncos quarterbacks Teddy Bridgewater, front, and Drew Lock are competing for the starting job. job. Vikings — are the three teams that Fangio Fangio said played the fewest front-line start- tices 1s on 1s against ourselves are “Like I said after the game, if I’m you figure it out. It really comes neither nudged into the lead last ers last weekend. very telling. And we can’t control worrying about so much about a down to the basics — control what weekend at Minnesota, where Asked if that handicapped his what the other teams (do) in these decision being made, then I’m do- you can control and worry about Lock (153.3) and Bridgewater quarterback competition by giv- preseason games,” Fangio said. ing a disservice to this team and yourself and how you can get bet- (144.8) posted the two best passer ing him a less-than-ideal barome- Asked if he already has all the in- the 10 other guys that are out there ter and make this team better. ratings in the NFL’s opening slate ter, Fangio said, “It could. But I formation he needs to make a deci- with me.” “I feel like I can make this team of exhibitions games in dicing up don’t make up the preseason sion, Fangio said, “Pretty damn Lock said he’s not stressing out better by being a better me. That the Vikings’ backups 33-6. schedule.” close. But we’ve got more informa- over the decision as he did early was my main focus going through Lock got the start and went 5- At any rate, Fangio said he’s not tion coming.” on. this.” for-7 for 151 yards and two touch- just basing his decision on presea- While everyone around them “The human nature is to dive in- Notes: First-round pick Patrick downs, including an 80-yard strike son games, so even if it’s a bevy of seems to be evaluating every sin- to it, think about it and almost over- Surtain II was held out of practice to K.J. Hamler, and Bridgewater backups they’re facing again this gle snap, Bridgewater and Lock analyze sometimes. That’s just hu- with a lower leg injury, but Fangio completed 7 of 8 passes for 74 weekend, “I think we can judge it are focused on the bigger picture. mans being humans,” Lock said. said he should be fine. ... OLB Von yards and a touchdown in relief. very accurately.” “Honestly, I really don’t even “To say that I’ve never done that in Miller returned to practice after a He also had a 12-yard TD run that “I think the practices against think about a decision being this process, I’d be lying to you. But two-day absence to attend the was called back. Minnesota are telling. I think prac- made,” Bridgewater insisted. through the process, you grow, and birth of his son. Attorney: FBI probing allegations tied to Watson

BY JUAN A. LOZANO thorities, but he does not know details about Associated Press them. HOUSTON — An attorney for 22 women At his news conference, Hardin read what who have filed lawsuits accusing Houston he said were text messages to Watson from Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson of the woman he is accusing of extortion. In sexual assault and harassment said them, she does not mention an alleged attack Wednesday that he and some of his clients on Dec. 28, 2020, during a massage session, have spoken to the FBI about the case. Hardin said. Tony Buzbee told The Associated Press According to Hardin, the woman said in that the FBI “reached out to me, and I re- one text, “Hey Deshaun just wanted to say sponded.” The FBI’s invol- thank you for trusting me with your massage vement was first reported today. I’ll be here til Jan. 3 if you’d like to get Tuesday by League of Jus- another one.” tice, a website that reports Hardin said that in another text, the wom- on sports and the law. an wrote, “I just want to say I apologize for The revelation by Buz- my actions. That was not me. And if I could bee of the FBI’s involve- take back that moment I would. I really de- ment prompted Watson’s valued my integrity and professionalism.” lead attorney to hold a Buzbee accused Hardin of attacking the Buzbee news conference on women who have sued Watson. Wednesday to say that the “Deshaun Watson has a problem and his FBI had spoken with the quarterback earli- lawyer is not focused on that,” Buzbee said. er this year about allegations of extortion by JUSTIN REX/AP “He’s focused on trying to attack me or my one of his accusers. Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson has been accused of sexual assault and clients and I’m tired of it.” In their lawsuits, the 22 women accuse harassment by 22 women. Watson’s lawyers have sought to balance Watson of exposing himself, touching them their defense of the NFL star while simulta- with his penis or kissing them against their the accusations, but no charges have been The woman alleges Watson forced her to neously condemning sexual violence will during massage appointments. filed. The NFL has launched its own probe. perform oral sex. against women. Watson and his lawyers have denied the At a news conference Wednesday, Rusty In an email, Christina Garza, a spokeswo- But Watson’s attorneys have called the accusations. His lawyers have said “some Hardin, Watson’s lead attorney, said FBI man for the FBI’s Houston office, said she lawsuits against him a “money grab” and sexual activity” happened during some of agents approached him in April over allega- could neither confirm nor deny the exist- fired back that all 22 women who have filed the appointments but that he never coerced tions that one of the women who has sued ence of an investigation. suit are lying, a strategy some experts and anyone. Watson tried to extort $30,000 from him. Hardin said grand jury subpoenas have advocates say relies on long-used tropes de- Houston police are investigating some of Hardin said agents interviewed Watson. been sent out in the investigation by local au- signed to minimize such accusations. Friday, August 20, 2021 • STARS AND STRIPES • PAGE 23 NFL Rookie QBs fuel hype with impressive debuts

BY ROB MAADDI Associated Press Justin Fields outshined his fel- low first-round quarterbacks in their preseason openers. Trevor Lawrence, Zach Wilson, Trey Lance and Mac Jones also made a positive impression in their debuts. So did Jordan Love, who isn’t a rookie but didn’t take a snap last year. A few series against backups, third-stringers and future practice squad guys won’t determine much about any young player but a strong start is better than a poor one. “We all want him to play really well,” Bears coach Matt Nagy said of Fields. “That’s a good thing for him to go out and play well.” While fans and analysts will overhype preseason performanc- es, most coaches put more stock in- to practices than games, especially the joint sessions against other clubs. Fields, the fourth QB selected in the NFL Draft at No. 11 overall, was 14-for-20 for 142 yards in just over two quarters of action for Chicago against Miami’s reserves. He made impressive throws out- side the pocket and overcame a fumble during a scramble follow- ing a spin move.

The former Ohio State star had NAM Y. HUH/AP no problem adjusting to the game Bears quarterback Justin Fields, left, prepares to throw against the Miami Dolphins during Saturday’s preseason game in Chicago. speed. “It was actually kind of slow to But Nagy also wants to see Fields completed 6 of 9 passes for 71 yards plans to give him more reps against ess has been consistent, and it’s me, to be honest,” Fields said. play against a starting defense at in two series. the Packers on Saturday and play been consistently good. Hopefully, It’ll get much faster, especially some point. Lawrence started over Gardner him in the final preseason game we can continue to build on it.” when the games count. “It can be good to see what he Minshew but Jaguars rookie coach next week. Lance, selected No. 3 by San Nagy plans to start veteran Andy does against a first-team defense,” Urban Meyer hasn’t officially giv- “To me, he’s so far ahead with re- Francisco, made the biggest play of Dalton in Week 1 regardless of how Nagy said. “It’s part of the evalua- en him the job. Despite the appear- gards to how he sees the game,” Sa- all the rookie QBs last week. He well Fields performs in the presea- tion process. There’s zero schem- ance of an open competition, Law- leh said Tuesday about Wilson’s rolled to his left, stopped, set his son. Dalton is expected to take ing going on in these preseason rence is expected to be behind cen- progression. “It’s not just, ‘What’s a feet and launched an 80-yard more snaps against Buffalo on Sat- games.” ter on Week 1. formation, what’s my play call?’ touchdown pass. Aside from a cou- urday. Lawrence, the No. 1 overall pick, Wilson, the No. 2 overall pick, He’s looking at the other side of the ple of dazzling plays, Lance was “Justin understands the plan, he got sacked and fumbled on his first was 6-for-9 for 63 yards and led the ball and he’s doing a really nice job spotty. He finished 5-for-14, includ- understands the process,” Nagy play from scrimmage with Jack- New York Jets to a field goal in two and the results are changing but ing three dropped passes, for 128 said. sonville. He bounced back and series. Jets coach Robert Saleh that can flip another time. His proc- yards and was sacked four times. Career: Former Air Force standout getting opportunity with Jets

FROM PAGE 24 Serving five years of active mil- training camp with the Cardinals Lewis has three interceptions in itary service is required of Air before being a late-camp cut. The team drills during camp, flashing Force Academy graduates. The Jets claimed him the next day and the type of playmaking ability that Department of Defense adopted a he was reunited with Chip made him a star his last two years policy in November 2019 that al- Vaughn, a defensive assistant in at Air Force. lows athletes to delay their active- New York who was Lewis’ second- “Obviously, there’s a learning duty service. They must eventual- ary coach at Air Force. process that he’s got to go through, ly fulfill their obligation or have to Lewis was among the Jets’ final going from corner to safety,” repay the costs of their education. cuts but was signed to the practice coach Robert Saleh said. “I Lewis became the first Air squad, where he spent the season. thought he’s done a really nice job Force senior to apply for deferred Now he’s trying to make the Week through OTAs and training camp. service time, a process that took a 1 roster. Being at Air Force cer- He’s stacked up some good days few months and requires service tainly helped Lewis prepare for and he’s got to continue to stack athletes to provide proof they have the rigors of training camp. things up. But I’m encouraged a viable professional career path. “Going through basic training, with the way it has gone so far.” Lewis went undrafted last year, that was very tough — long, long Last Friday, the Jets and Giants but was signed as a free agent by days,” he said. “In the morning, Air Force Academy photo hosted their first Salute to Service Arizona — fulfilling that major re- they’re screaming at you and go- Air Force Academy cornerback Zane Lewis breaks up a pass during a Bowl at MetLife Stadium — a quirement. ing, ‘Get up! Wake up!’ You have 48­7 victory over Colgate on Aug. 31, 2019, at USAF Academy, Colo. game that consisted of teams of ac- “I’m thankful for the Force al- to be up and do things very fast. tive-duty service members from event. Instead, he was on the field Lewis said. lowing me to be able to play this And yeah, throughout the whole all branches of the armed forces. the following night for the Jets in This NFL opportunity didn’t sport I love,” Lewis said, “and pur- day, you have to be on your game. Given other circumstances, Lewis their preseason opener. come without overcoming a few sue this dream of mine.” And that’s how it has to be on the might have been playing in that “There’s still lots of work to do,” hurdles. Lewis spent last summer in field, too.” PAGE 24 • STARS AND STRIPES • Friday, August 20, 2021 Dominance continues SPORTS Angels’ Ohtani fans eight, hits 40th HR in victory over Tigers ›› MLB, Page 20

NFL Spreading his wings Former Air Force star Lewis’ career set to take off with Jets

BY DENNIS WASZAK JR. Associated Press

ane Lewis enjoyed the serenity of the sky, soaring through the air in his single-engine plane high above the world below. Z As a cadet in the Air Force Academy’s powered flight program, Lewis would strap into the cockpit with a trainer and take off. He’d glide the Cirrus SR20 over the campus and get breathtaking views of Colorado Springs. “At first, it definitely is scary, but the more you do it, it’s more calming,” the New York Jets safe- ty said. “You’re up there and it’s just, like, you. When you’re driving, there’s cars going past you left and right, But up there, it’s mostly just you.” The worst part for Lewis, though, was coming back down. Literally. “Landing was very, very tough for me,” Lewis said with a big laugh. “They aren’t big planes. Lewis They’re smaller planes, so there are times you’re coming in and you’re on a straight path and there’s like a gust of wind and you blow off to the side and you’re offline and you’re like, ‘Dang, I’m off path!’ And it’s tough to kind of get back on track. So the trainer will take it and they’ll land it from there.” Touchdown, Lewis. Conquering challenges is nothing new for the Richmond, Va., native. The latest has the 23-year-old Lewis making the switch from cornerback, the position he has played most of his career, to safety in New York’s defense.

SEE CAREER ON PAGE 23 DID YOU KNOW?

There were three former Air Force players on NFL rosters last season: Offensive lineman Ben Garland (2010 graduate) with San Francisco, tight end Garrett Griffin (2016 graduate) with New Orleans, and long snapper Austin Cutting (2019 graduate) with Minnesota. SOURCE: Pro-football-reference.com

As a cadet in the Air Force Academy’s powered flight program, New York Jets safety Zane Lewis always enjoyed the serenity of the sky. “At first, it definitely is scary, but the more you do it, it’s more calming,” Lewis said, words that should serve him well as he transitions from his collegiate position of cornerback.

FRANK FRANKLIN II/AP

LLWS returns without fans, international teams ›› Little League World Series, Page 19