Volume 78, No. 185A ©SS 2020 CONTINGENCY EDITION SATURDAY, JANUARY 4, 2020 stripes.com Free to Deployed Areas

US attacks American strike kills top Iranian general Soleimani

US plans to deploy 3,000 Iran vows ‘harsh’ response

BY QASSIM ABDUL-ZAHRA AND ZEINA KARAM additional troops to region Associated Press BAGHDAD — Iran vowed “harsh retaliation” for a U.S. airstrike BY CHAD GARLAND near Baghdad’s airport that killed a top Iranian general who had Stars and Stripes been the architect of its interventions across the Middle East. IRBIL, Iraq — A U.S. airstrike killed the general in charge The killing of Gen. Qassem Soleimani, the head of Iran’s elite of Iran’s elite Quds Force early Friday in Baghdad, a move that Quds Force, marks a major escalation in the standoff between Wash- prompted threats from Iran and plans for the deployment of 3,000 ington and Iran, which has careened from one crisis to another since additional U.S. troops to the Mideast. Top: A photo released by the President Donald Trump withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal and “At the direction of the President, the U.S. military has taken de- Iraqi Prime Minister Press imposed crippling sanctions. cisive defensive action to protect U.S. personnel abroad by killing Office shows a burning vehicle Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned that [Qassem] Soleimani,” the Pentagon said in a statement. “Soleimani at the Baghdad International “harsh retaliation is waiting” for the U.S. after the airstrike, call- was actively developing plans to attack American diplomats and ser- Airport following an airstrike ing Soleimani the “international face of resistance.” Khamenei vice members in Iraq and throughout the region.” early Friday. The Pentagon said declared three days of public mourning and appointed Maj. Gen. Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei declared three that the U.S. military killed Esmail Ghaani, Soleimani’s deputy, to replace him as head of the days of mourning for Soleimani, stating “severe revenge awaits the Gen. Qassem Soleimani, Quds Force. criminals who bloodied their foul hands with his blood and other above, the head of Iran’s Iranian President Hassan Rouhani called the killing a “heinous martyrs’ in last night’s incident,” according to news reports. elite Quds Force. crime” and vowed his country would “take revenge.” SEE STRIKE ON PAGE 4 AP photos SEE RESPONSE ON PAGE 4

NATION MOVIES Dems call for key witnesses, The Associated Press documents at impeachment lists its top 10 films trial after release of report of the past decade Page 6 Page 12

Titans’ Henry ready to carry the load » NFL playoffs, Back page PAGE 2 •STARS AND STRIPES• Saturday, January 4, 2020 BUSINESS/WEATHER EXCHANGE RATES Military rates Switzerland (Franc)...... 0.9713 Some flavors exempt from Trump’s vaping ban Euro costs (Jan. 6) ...... $1.1425 Thailand (Baht) ...... 30.15 Dollar buys (Jan. 6) ...... €0.8753 Turkey (Lira) ...... 5.9771 British pound (Jan. 6) ...... $1.36 Associated Press (Military exchange rates are those tridge-based e-cigarettes favored banned all vaping flavors — in- Japanese yen (Jan. 6) ...... 107.00 available to customers at military banking South Korean won (Jan. 6) ...... 1,130.00 by high school and middle school cluding menthol — from all types Commercial rates facilities in the country of issuance WASHINGTON — U.S. health for Japan, South Korea, Germany, the Bahrain (Dinar) ...... 0.3770 students. But menthol and tobac- of e-cigarettes. The new policy Netherlands and the United Kingdom. For officials will begin cracking down British pound ...... $1.3080 co-flavored e-cigarettes will be will spare a significant portion nonlocal currency exchange rates (i.e., Canada (Dollar) ...... 1.2989 on most flavored e-cigarettes that purchasing British pounds in Germany), allowed to remain on the market. of the multibillion-dollar vaping China (Yuan) ...... 6.9662 check with your local military banking are popular with underage teen- Denmark (Krone) ...... 6.6929 The targeted flavor ban will market. And the changes mark facility. Commercial rates are interbank Egypt (Pound) ...... 16.0403 agers, but their plan includes rates provided for reference when buying also entirely exempt large, tank- a major victory for thousands of Euro ...... $1.1166/0.8956 major exceptions that benefit based vaping devices, which are vape shop owners who sell the Hong Kong (Dollar) ...... 7.7780 currency. All figures are foreign currencies vaping manufacturers, retailers Hungary (Forint) ...... 295.73 to one dollar, except for the British pound, primarily sold in vape shops that tank-based systems, which allow Israel (Shekel) ...... 3.4757 which is represented in dollars-to-pound, and adults who use the nicotine- cater to adult smokers. users to mix customized nicotine Japan (Yen) ...... 108.21 and the euro, which is dollars-to-euro.) delivery devices. Together, the two exemptions flavors. Kuwait (Dinar) ...... 0.3031 INTEREST RATES The Trump administration Norway (Krone) ...... 8.8199 represent a significant retreat Anti-tobacco advocates imme- Philippines (Peso)...... 51.09 Prime rate ...... 4.75 announced Thursday that it will from President Donald Trump’s diately condemned the decision, Poland (Zloty) ...... 3.80 Discount rate ...... 2.25 Saudi Arabia (Riyal) ...... 3.7521 Federal funds market rate ...... 1.55 prohibit fruit, candy, mint and original plan announced four accusing the administration of Singapore (Dollar) ...... 1.3493 3-month bill ...... 1.50 dessert flavors from small, car- months ago, which would have caving to industry pressure. South Korea (Won) ...... 1,165.34 30-year bond ...... 2.34 WEATHER OUTLOOK SATURDAY IN THE MIDDLE EAST SATURDAY IN EUROPE SUNDAY IN THE PACIFIC

Misawa 31/26 Kabul 34/11 Seoul 36/26 Baghdad 62/44 Kandahar 55/40 Osan Tokyo Mildenhall/ Drawsko 37/27 43/33 Lakenheath Pomorskie Busan 46/37 39/35 46/32 Iwakuni 48/44 Kuwait Bahrain Zagan Sasebo City 76/70 Brussels 35/30 Guam 68/61 45/37 Ramstein 53/44 83/79 Lajes, 39/35 Riyadh Doha Azores Stuttgart Pápa 82/66 83/64 65/61 41/36 38/34 Aviano/ Vicenza 48/31

Naples 50/42 Okinawa Morón 69/65 54/43 Sigonella Rota 55/37 The weather is provided by the Djibouti Souda Bay American Forces Network Weather Center, 83/74 57/48 56/52 2nd Weather Squadron at Offutt Air Force Base, Neb.

T O D A Y IN STRIPES American Roundup ..... 14 Comics ...... 16 Crossword ...... 16 Health & Fitness ...... 11 Movies ...... 12-13 Opinion ...... 15 Sports ...... 17-24 Saturday, January 4, 2020 •STARS AND STRIPES• PAGE 3 MIDEAST Trump takes gamble with death of Soleimani

BY TRACY WILKINSON, leading to the strike began late in MELISSA ETEHAD December when a missile attack AND CHRIS MEGERIAN against an Iraqi military base Los Angeles Times killed an American contractor. U.S. officials blamed the attack WASHINGTON — In ordering on Iranian-backed militia groups the killing of Gen. Qassem Solei- and responded with airstrikes mani, one of Iran’s highest-rank- that killed 25 people. ing officials, President Donald That, in turn, led to the storm- Trump has taken one of the big- ing this week of the U.S. Embassy gest gambles of his presidency compound in Baghdad by pro- — a step that appears to lead the Iranian militia members. At that U.S. on a path to- point, a senior administration of- ANALYSIS ward escalated ficial said Thursday, the “game warfare and that has changed.” marks a sharp Administration supporters said break from his the strike would be a major set- often-stated desire to pull Ameri- back to Iran. can forces out of conflicts in the Soleimani’s “death is a huge Middle East. loss for Iran’s regime and its Iraqi Throughout his presidency, proxies, and a major operational Trump has made fiery state- and psychological victory for the ments but has typically resisted United States,” said James Cara- dramatic belligerent actions. He fano of the conservative Heritage has promised his supporters that Foundation, which often advises he would use decisive violence Trump on foreign policy. against U.S. enemies, but he also Ariane Tabatabai, a Middle promised to stay out of wars in East expert at Rand Corp., said the Middle East and to bring U.S. Soleimani “single-handedly con- troops home. trolled Iran’s relationships with Outside analysts — and some of KHALID MOHAMMED/AP various militia groups and ter- Trump’s former advisers — have rorists in the region.” From Af- Pro-Iranian militiamen and their supporters set a fire during a sit-in in front of the U.S. embassy in repeatedly warned that those two ghanistan to Lebanon and Yemen pledges could not be reconciled. Baghdad, Iraq, on Wednesday . The embassy assault was part of the chain of events leading to the U.S. strike that killed Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani. and Syria, he played a key role in Until now, when his goals building Iran’s network of allied clashed, Trump has typically groups across the Middle East, ine the limitations of the violence waiting.” time, Moammar Gadhafi has the pulled back. In June, for example, which included Shiite militias in they can bring to the table,” said “The U.S. and Iran have been U.S. taken an action comparable he gave a last-minute order to stop Iraq and groups such as Hezbol- one senior congressional Repub- engaged in a dangerous tit-for-tat to the attack on Soleimani. an airstrike against Iran planned lah in Syria and Lebanon. lican official, speaking on condi- for months now, but this is a mas- To heighten the political risk, in retaliation for Tehran’s shoot- Soleimani was a major figure in tion of anonymity. The official sive walk up the escalation lad- Trump appears to have acted ing down of an unmanned Ameri- the highest levels of Iranian deci- can drone. Nor did he order a predicted “some face-saving re- der,” said Charles Lister, a senior without advance consultation with sion making, reporting directly to military response to attacks taliation in Yemen or Lebanon, fellow at the Middle East Institute Congress, breaking with long- the supreme leader and oversee- on Saudi oil installations in the maybe Afghanistan,” but not in Washington. “There really is standing practice. Congressional ing military training and financ- fall that U.S. and Saudi officials more. no underestimating the geopoliti- Democrats quickly criticized the ing as well as weapon sales and blamed on Iran. Others were deeply skeptical cal ramifications of this.” president for acting unilaterally. transfers. He also took a highly The decision to kill Soleimani, of such assertions. While the U.S. While U.S. forces have killed Administration officials say public role as an Iranian symbol, the head of the Islamic Revolu- undoubtedly has overwhelming leaders of al-Qaida and other mil- that Trump authorized the strike often photographed on regional tionary Guard Corps’ elite Quds superiority in conventional mili- itant groups, targeting high-rank- because Soleimani, who has long battlefields to underscore Iran’s Force, who was sometimes de- tary power, the Iranians, even ing officials of other governments directed the actions of Iranian- support for its allies. scribed as the second-most pow- without Soleimani, will be able to has been a line that American backed militia groups that have “He would run around the erful official in Iran, marks a launch guerrilla-style operations officials have seldom crossed ex- attacked U.S. forces in Iraq and battlefield in Syria and talk to the radical shift. It appears to rep- throughout the Middle East and cept during wars. elsewhere, was planning further fighters and try to boost their mo- resent a bet that Iran, faced by a possibly beyond, they said. Not since President Ronald Rea- attacks on American personnel. rale,” Tabatabai said. decisive U.S. military action, will Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatol- gan ordered an airstrike against Critics, however, accused As a result, killing him sent a back down, not escalate. lah Ali Khamenei, said in a state- Libya in 1986 that came close to Trump of recklessness. strong symbolic message to Iran Iran will now have to “reexam- ment that “a harsh retaliation is killing that country’s leader at the The immediate chain of events and its allies, she said. Congress divided over US strike on Iranian commander

BY HANNAH KNOWLES of those attacking our sovereign with no notification or consul- The Washington Post ‘ In a display of resolve and strength, we U.S. territories,” he said. tation with Congress. To push Senate Foreign Relations Com- ahead with an action of this grav- WASHINGTON — The U.S. struck the leader of those attacking our mittee Chairman James Risch, ity without involving Congress airstrike that killed a powerful sovereign U.S. territories. R-Idaho, offered his “congratula- raises serious legal problems and Iranian commander Thursday ’ tions to President Trump on his is an affront to Congress’s powers has sharply divided Washing- House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy decisive action and successful as a coequal branch of govern- ton lawmakers and revitalized outcome” and said in a statement ment. Even if this strike was in a debate over presidential war that “the U.S. will always vigor- self-defense, no current congres- powers. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, — cannot afford to have tensions ously defend our interests and sional authorization covered it Republicans praised President allies in the face of terrorist con- D-Calif., criticized “provocative escalate to the point of no return,” and the President needs to notify Donald Trump for a decisive duct and provocations.” and disproportionate actions,” Pelosi said. Congress within 48 hours pursu- blow against a general the United saying in a statement that the air- House Minority Leader Kevin House Foreign Affairs Commit- ant to the War Powers Resolution. States regards as a war crimi- strikes were conducted “without McCarthy, R-Calif., praised the tee Chairman Eliot Engel, D-N.Y., The law requires notification so nal responsible for hundreds of the consultation of the Congress” killing of Soleimani as a “state- had a different outlook. Soleimani American deaths. and that the full body “must be ment to those seeking to attack “had the blood of Americans on the President can’t plunge the Democrats expressed concern immediately briefed on this se- America.” Trump, McCarthy his hands and I won’t grieve his United States into ill-considered that the escalation of tensions rious situation and on the next said, had responded appropriate- death,” he said in a statement. wars.” But Sen. Lindsey Gra- with Iran is a dangerous step to- steps under consideration by the ly to violence by Iranian-backed “But many will consider him a ham, R-S.C., said Friday morn- ward war and complained that Administration, including the groups in Iraq, including an at- martyr and I’m deeply concerned ing on Fox News that he had been Trump ordered the strike against significant escalation of the de- tempt to storm the U.S. Embassy about the repercussions of to- “briefed about the potential oper- Quds Force commander Qassem ployment of additional troops to in Baghdad. night’s strike.” ation when I was down in Florida. Soleimani without congressional the region.” “In a display of resolve and Echoing Pelosi, Engel added I appreciate being brought into input. “America — and the world strength, we struck the leader that the strike “went forward the orbit.” PAGE 4 •STARS AND STRIPES• Saturday, January 4, 2020 MIDEAST Response: Iranian council conducts special session to make ‘appropriate decisions’

FROM FRONT PAGE Iran twice summoned the Swiss envoy, the first time de- livering a letter to pass onto the United States. Thousands of worshippers in the Iranian capital Tehran took to the streets after Friday Mus- lim prayers to condemn the kill- ing, waving posters of Soleimani and chanting “Death to deceitful America.” The targeted strike, and any retaliation by Iran, could ignite a conflict that engulfs the whole region, endangering U.S. troops in Iraq, Syria and beyond. Over the last two decades, Soleimani had assembled a network of heav- ily armed allies stretching all Protesters demonstrate in the way to southern Lebanon, on Tehran over the U.S. airstrike. Israel’s doorstep. However, the attack may act as he “was actively developing plans a deterrent for Iran and its allies to attack American diplomats PHOTOS BY VAHID SALEMI/AP to delay or restrain any potential and service members in Iraq and response. Oil prices surged on throughout the region.” It also ac- Protesters in Tehran, Iran, burn a U.S. flag during a demonstration over the U.S. airstrike in Iraq that news of the airstrike and markets cused Soleimani of approving the killed Iranian Revolutionary Guard Gen. Qassem Soleimani on Friday. were mixed. orchestrated violent protests at The killing promised to fur- the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad. that of Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, did not identify. mani’s killing. Frictions over oil ther strain relations with Iraq’s The strike, on an access road deputy commander of the Irani- While Iran’s conventional mili- shipments in the Gulf could also government, which is allied with near Baghdad’s airport, was an-backed militias in Iraq known tary has suffered under 40 years increase, and Iran’s elite Revolu- both Washington and Tehran and carried out Friday by an Ameri- as the Popular Mobilization Forc- of American sanctions, Iran can tionary Guard has built up a bal- has been deeply worried about can drone, according to a U.S. es. A senior politician said Solei- strike asymmetrically in the re- listic missile program. becoming a battleground in their official. mani’s body was identified by the gion through its allied forces like Iran’s Supreme National Secu- rivalry. Iraqi politicians close Soleimani had just disembarked ring he wore. Iran’s state TV said Lebanon’s Hezbollah, Iraqi mili- rity Council said it in a statement to Iran called for the country to from a plane arriving from either Friday 10 people were killed in tias and Yemen’s Houthi rebels. Friday that it had held a special order U.S. forces out. Syria or Lebanon, a senior Iraqi the airstrike, including five Revo- Hezbollah leader Hassan Nas- session and made “appropriate The Defense Department said security official said. The blast lutionary Guard members and rallah called on “the resistance decisions” on how to respond, it killed Soleimani, 62, because tore his body to pieces along with Soleimani’s son-in-law, whom he the world over” to avenge Solei- though it didn’t reveal them. Strike: US plans to deploy troops from 82nd Airborne to Middle East

FROM FRONT PAGE time, manner, and place of our “This strike was aimed at deter- The Associated Press reported ‘ This strike was aimed at deterring future choosing.” ring future Iranian attack plans.” later Friday that the U.S. planned Iranian attack plans. Soleimani’s Quds Force trains, Iraqi Prime Minister Adil to deploy nearly 3,000 more ’ funds and equips Iranian proxy Abdul-Mahdi, whom Esper had troops from the 82nd Airborne Pentagon groups, including Kataeb He- warned of the strikes on Kataeb Division to the Mideast, citing zbollah and others that fought Hezbollah shortly before they defense officials who spoke on American forces after the 2003 were carried out, criticized the Pentagon’s strikes as a violation condition of anonymity to discuss deaths in a statement to the coun- of, and which included Kataeb invasion of Iraq. Both the Quds of the country’s sovereignty. a decision not yet announced by try’s state-owned Tasnim news Hezbollah and other Iran-backed Force and Kataeb Hezbollah are U.S.-designated foreign terrorist Mahdi, who is acting in a care- the Pentagon. agency. militias, as well as other groups organizations. taker role after recently resigning The troops are in addition to The attack reportedly hap- that have fought the Islamic State After rocket attacks on bases his post, has called for a review of about 700 soldiers from the 82nd pened at about 1 a.m. Social since 2014. housing American troops in early Iraq’s relationship with the Unit- Airborne who deployed to Kuwait media users said they heard ex- A State Department security December — some of the 11 car- ed States. Iran-backed militia earlier this week after the storm- plosions, followed by sounds of alert Friday urged all Americans ried out in the past two months groups also promised to press the ing of the U.S. Embassy com- military aircraft. to leave Iraq immediately due to pound in Baghdad by Iran-backed that have mostly wounded Iraqis Iraqi parliament to move to evict The strike was confirmed about the “heightened tensions in Iraq — U.S. officials called on the Iraqi the U.S., which has been aiding militiamen and their supporters. 45 minutes later by the Iraqi gov- and the region,” reiterating an Also reportedly killed in Friday government to do more to prevent Iraq in the fight against ISIS. ernment’s security information advisory issued Wednesday after morning’s attack was Abu Mahdi them and warned of decisive ac- The U.S. has sent roughly cell, which posted photos of burn- Iran-backed militias attacked Muhandis, a senior leader of a tion if they continued. 14,000 troops to the Middle East ing vehicles near the airport on the U.S. Embassy compound in paramilitary wing of Iraq’s secu- Then, last Friday, a barrage of since last summer. In response to rity forces and founder of Kataeb its Facebook page, attributing the Baghdad. rockets hit the K1 base in Kirkuk, the embassy siege, Esper ordered Hezbollah, an Iran-backed Shi- damage to a rocket attack. The militia members breached killing an American civilian con- some 750 infantry troops from ite militia group with a long his- A drone actually conducted the embassy gates on New Year’s tractor and wounding four U.S. the Army’s 82nd Airborne Divi- tory of fighting American forces the strike, a security official with Eve, withdrawing from the area and two Iraqi service members. sion to deploy to the region. in Iraq. The Pentagon blamed knowledge of the event who spoke the next day after a contingent of The Defense Department coun- The first wave of the troops the group for a rocket attack in on condition of anonymity told about 100 Marines arrived from tered with airstrikes targeting from the division’s 1st Brigade Kirkuk that killed a U.S. civilian Stars and Stripes. Kuwait to bolster the diplomatic five Kataeb Hezbollah sites in Combat Team arrived at Ku- contractor last week. Seven people were killed in compound’s security. Iraq and Syria. wait’s Ali Al Salem Air Base on Defense Department officials Friday’s strike, an official with an The attack on Soleimani came The air raids killed at least 25 Thursday. accused Soleimani of orchestrat- Iran-backed paramilitary force hours after Defense Secretary and wounded dozens more, which “The United States will con- ing last week’s Kirkuk attack, told the AP. Mark Esper urged Iran and its spurred the U.S. Embassy militia tinue to take all necessary action as well as many others in re- Also among the dead was Mo- proxies to stand down. attack. to protect our people and our in- cent months that have killed and hammed Redha, a senior mem- “We will not accept continued “General Soleimani also ap- terests wherever they are around wounded both American and co- ber of Iraq’s Popular Mobilization attacks against our personnel and proved the attacks on the U.S. the world,” the Pentagon said alition service members. Units — an umbrella group of forces,” he said in a statement Embassy in Baghdad,” the Penta- early Friday. Iran’s Islamic Revolution- paramilitary forces that Mu- Thursday. “Attacks against us gon said in its statement confirm- [email protected] ary Guard Corps confirmed the handis was deputy commander will be met with responses in the ing the attack that killed him. Twitter: @chadgarland Saturday, January 4, 2020 •STARS AND STRIPES• PAGE 5 MIDEAST Iranian commander blamed for US deaths Gen. Qassem Soleimani crafted policy in Syria, Iraq for more than a decade

BY NASSER KARIMI land under the Shah Mohammad secured Green Zone in Baghdad AND JON GAMBRELL Reza Pahlavi, but later became in 2009. Another cable in 2007 Associated Press encumbered by debts. outlines then-Iraqi President By the time he was 13, Solei- Jalal Talabani offering a U.S. offi- TEHRAN, Iran — For Irani- mani began working in construc- cial a message from Soleimani ac- ans whose icons since the Islamic tion, later as an employee of the knowledging having “hundreds” Revolution have been stern-faced Kerman Water Organization. of agents in the country while clergy, Gen. Qassem Soleimani Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution pledging, “I swear on the grave widely represented a figure of swept the shah from power and of (the late Ayatollah Ruhollah) national resilience in the face of Soleimani joined the Revolution- Khomeini I haven’t authorized a four decades of U.S. pressure. ary Guard in its wake. He de- bullet against the U.S.” For the U.S. and Israel, he was ployed to Iran’s northwest with U.S. officials at the time dis- a shadowy figure in command forces that put down Kurdish un- missed Soleimani’s claim as they of Iran’s proxy forces, respon- rest following the revolution. saw Iran as both an arsonist and sible for fighters in Syria backing Soon after, Iraq invaded Iran a fireman in Iraq, controlling President Bashar Assad and for and began the two countries long, some Shiite militias while simul- the deaths of American troops in bloody eight-year war. The fight- taneously stirring dissent and Iraq. ing killed more than 1 million launching attacks. U.S. forces Solemani survived the horror people and saw Iran send waves would blame the Quds Force for of Iran’s long war in the 1980s of lightly armed troops into mine- an attack in Karbala that killed with Iraq to take control of the fields and the fire of Iraqi forc- five American troops, as well as Revolutionary Guard’s elite Quds es, including teenage soldiers. for training and supplying the Force, responsible for the Islamic Solemani’s unit and others came bomb makers whose improvised Republic’s foreign campaigns. under attack by Iraqi chemical explosive devices made IED Relatively unknown in Iran weapons as well. — improvised explosive device until the 2003 U.S. invasion of Amid the carnage, Soleimani — a dreaded acronym among Iraq, Soleimani’s popularity and became known for his opposition soldiers. mystique grew after American to “meaningless deaths” on the In a 2010 speech, U.S. Gen. officials called for his killing. A battlefield, while still weeping at David Petraeus recounted a mes- decade and a half later, Soleimani times with fervor when exhorting sage from Soleimani he said ex- had become Iran’s most recog- his men into combat, embracing plained the scope of Iranian’s nizable battlefield commander, each individually. powers. ignoring calls to enter politics After the Iraq-Iran war, Solei- “He said, ‘Gen. Petreaus, you but becoming as powerful, if not mani largely disappeared from should know that I, Qassem Solei- more, than its civilian leadership. public view for several years, mani, control the policy for Iran “The warfront is mankind’s lost something analysts attribute to with respect to Iraq, Lebanon, paradise,” Soleimani recounted his wartime disagreements with in a 2009 interview. “One type Gaza and Afghanistan,’” Petrae- Hashemi Rafsanjani, who would us said. of paradise that is portrayed for serve as Iran’s president from mankind is streams, beautiful The U.S. and the United Na- 1989 to 1997. But after Rafsan- tions put Soleimani on sanctions nymphs and greeneries. But there OFFICE OF THE IRANIAN SUPREME LEADER/AP jani, Soleimani became head of lists in 2007, though his travels is another kind of paradise...The The commander of Iran’s Quds Force, Qassem Soleimani, sits in the Quds force. He also grew so warfront was the lost paradise of continued. In 2011, U.S. officials a religious ceremony at a mosque in the residence of Supreme close to Khamenei that the Su- the human beings, indeed.” also named him as a defendant in Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Tehran, Iran. A U.S. airstrike Friday preme Leader officiated the wed- A U.S. airstrike killed Solei- an outlandish Quds Force plot to near Baghdad’s airport killed Soleimani, who was considered the ding of the general’s daughter. mani, 62, and others as they trav- allegedly hire a purported Mexi- architect of Iran’s policy in Syria. As chief of the Quds — or Jeru- eled from Baghdad’s international can drug cartel assassin to kill a salem — Force, Solemani oversaw airport early Friday morning. The Saudi diplomat. an adviser to Iran’s President Rabor, famous for its forests, its the Guard’s foreign operations Pentagon said President Donald The attention the West gave So- Hassan Rouhani, wrote on the so- apricot, walnut and peach har- and soon would come to the at- Trump ordered the U.S. military leimani only boosted his profile at cial media app Telegram. “Who- vests and its brave soldiers. The tention of Americans following to take “decisive defensive action home. He sat at Khamenei’s side ever put his foot beyond the red U.S. State Department has said the 2003 invasion of Iraq and the to protect U.S. personnel abroad at key meetings. He famously met line should be ready to face its he was born in the Iranian reli- overthrow of Saddam Hussein. by killing” a man once referred Syria’s Assad in February togeth- consequences.” gious capital of Qom. In secret U.S. diplomatic cables to by Iran’s Supreme Leader Aya- er with the supreme leader — but Born March 11, 1957, Soleimani Little is known about his child- released by WikiLeaks, U.S. of- tollah Ali Khamenei as a “living without Iran’s Foreign Minister was said in his homeland to have hood, though Iranian accounts ficials openly discussed Iraqi ef- martyr of the revolution.” Mohammad Javad Zarif being grown up near the mountainous suggest Soleimani’s father was a forts to reach out to Soleimani to Soleimani’s luck ran out after present, sparking a momentary and the historic Iranian town of peasant who received a piece of stop rocket attacks on the highly being rumored dead several resignation by the top Iranian times in his life. Those incidents diplomat. included a 2006 airplane crash Polling data routinely showed that killed other military officials Soleimani rated more favorably in northwestern Iran and a 2012 Founder of Kataeb Hezbollah killed in Friday airstrike than other public figures, accord- bombing in Damascus that killed ing to the Center for International top aides of Assad. More recently, Associated Press Hezbollah shadow wars, emerged as a Studies at the University of Mary- rumors circulated in November movement, public face of the force, a tall land. But Soleimani always re- BAGHDAD — Abu Mahdi al- 2015 that Soleimani was killed or for a rocket man with a gray beard and fused entreaties to enter politics. Muhandis, a veteran Iraqi mili- seriously wounded leading forc- attack in thick glasses who was often Soleimani’s greatest notoriety tant who was closely allied with would arise from the Syrian civil es loyal to Assad as they fought northern Iraq seen on the front lines directing Iran and rose to be a senior war and the rapid expansion of around Syria’s Aleppo. last week that his fighters by radio. militia commander during the the Islamic State. Iran, a major Iranian officials quickly vowed killed a U.S. He was killed in an Ameri- war against the Islamic State Al-Muhandis backer of Assad, sent Soleimani to take revenge amid months of contractor. can airstrike near Baghdad’s tensions between Iran and the group, was killed overnight The mili- into Syria several times to lead international airport around U.S. following Trump pulling Friday in a U.S. strike that also tias, many of which are backed attacks against ISIS and others midnight along with Gen. Qas- out of Tehran’s nuclear deal with felled Iran’s top general. by Iran and trace their roots opposing Assad’s rule. While a world powers. While Soleimani Al-Muhandis was the depu- back to the Shiite insurgency sem Soleimani, the commander U.S.-led coalition focused on air- was the Guard’s most prominent ty commander of the Popular against U.S. forces following of Iran’s elite Quds Force and strikes, several ground victories general, many others in its ranks Mobilization Forces, an um- the 2003 invasion, mobilized the architect of its regional for Iraqi forces came with pho- have experience in waging the brella group of mostly Shiite in 2014 when the Islamic State military alliances. Also killed tographs emerging of Soleimani asymmetrical, proxy attacks for paramilitaries. He was also the group swept across northern was al-Muhandis’ son-in-law leading, never wearing a flak which Iran has become known. founder of the Kataeb Hezbol- and western Iraq. Mohammed Rida al-Jaberi. jacket. “Trump through his gamble lah, or Hezbollah Brigades. The Al-Muhandis, who had spent The PMF said in a statement “Soleimani has taught us that has dragged the U.S. into the U.S. blamed the group, which much of his life as a secretive that al-Muhandis’ body was de- death is the beginning of life, not most dangerous situation in the is separate from the Lebanese operative in Iran’s regional stroyed beyond recognition. the end of life,” one Iraqi militia region,” Hessameddin Ashena, commander said. PAGE 6 •STARS AND STRIPES• Saturday, January 4, 2020 NATION Dems call for key witnesses after release of report

BY JOHN WAGNER meeting with Trump that includ- AND FELICIA SONMEZ ed senior administration officials, The Washington Post Duffey told McCusker, “Clear di- rection from POTUS to hold.” WASHINGTON — Democrats A redacted version of that on Thursday seized on a new re- email — and several others cited port citing unredacted emails in the report by Brannen, a vet- JAE C. HONG/AP that bolster the case that Presi- eran Pentagon reporter — had dent Donald Trump was directly previously been made public as Pastor Joshua Nink, right, prays for then-Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump at First involved in withholding military the result of Freedom of Informa- Christian Church in Council Bluffs, Iowa, on Jan. 31, 2016. Trump aims to show his support to aid to Ukraine as he was seeking tion Act litigation. evangelicals in a bid to expand support in his 2020 presidential campaign. investigations that could benefit “The newly-revealed unre- his reelection bid. dacted emails are a devastat- House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, ing blow to Senator McConnell’s D-Calif., joined Senate Minority push to have a trial without the Trump looks to boost evangelical Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., documents and witnesses we’ve in pressing for key witnesses requested,” Schumer said in a and documents to be included in statement Thursday. “These support despite searing editorial a Senate impeachment trial of emails further expose the seri- Trump after the report’s release. ous concerns raised by Trump BY JONATHAN LEMIRE Georgia. “We used to see politi- envisions a message to those Senate leaders remained at administration officials about AND ELANA SCHOR cians once every four years but evangelical Christians who have an impasse Thursday over the the propriety and legality of the Associated Press this one is totally different in con- remained stalwart Trump back- scope of a trial, and aides to president’s decision to cut off aid stantly reach- ers “in spite of his blackened Schumer and Senate Majority to Ukraine to benefit himself.” WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. ing out to the moral record.” Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., Schumer has sought guaran- — In his first campaign move of ‘ I think faith com- “Remember who you are and said the two men had not spoken tees from McConnell that several the 2020 election year, President munity and whom you serve,” Galli’s editorial over the holidays about the stand- administration officials will be Donald Trump on Friday will his record we even get a states. “Consider how your justi- off. Pelosi has yet to send the subpoenaed to testify in a Sen- visit a mega-church in Miami in the chance to tell fication of Mr. Trump influences articles of impeachment — alleg- ate trial who declined to par- to highlight his support among past three him when we your witness to your Lord and Sav- ing abuse of power and obstruc- ticipate in House impeachment evangelicals as he aims to shore disagree.” ior. Consider what an unbelieving tion of Congress — to the Senate proceedings, including acting up and expand support from an years Campaign world will say if you continue to as Democrats seek guarantees White House chief of staff Mick influential piece of his political is rock- officials said brush off Mr. Trump’s immoral about witnesses and documents Mulvaney, former national se- base. the Miami words and behavior in the cause that would be subpoenaed re- curity adviser John Bolton and The president will host the solid in event was of political expediency.” garding Trump’s conduct toward Duffey. McConnell has said the kickoff meeting of “Evangelicals things that in the works The piece, which comes in a Ukraine. Senate should decide on what if for Trump” just days after he was the faith well before magazine founded by the late Rev. The report by Kate Brannen, any witnesses to call after hear- the subject of a scathing editorial the Christian- Billy Graham, was denounced by published by Just Security, ref- ing opening statements from in Christianity Today magazine community ity Today op- Trump, who tweeted “No presi- erenced an email from Michael House impeachment managers that called for his removal from cares ed that raised dent has done more for the evan- Duffey, associate director of na- and Trump’s lawyers. office. But Trump’s campaign fresh ques- gelical community.“ tional security programs at the Schumer said the unredacted believes that his record in office, about. ’ tions about Graham’s son, Franklin Gra- Office of Management and Bud- emails raise “questions that can including the installation of two Jentezen the durability ham, a major Trump supporter, get, to Elaine McCusker, the act- only be answered by having the Supreme Court justices, will ce- Franklin of his support also criticized his father’s former pastor ing Pentagon comptroller, on Aug. key Trump administration of- ment the votes of religious con- among the magazine. But most political ob- 30, a little more than a month ficials … testify under oath in a servatives this year. conservative servers doubt it will cause many after Trump pressed Ukrainian Senate trial.” “I think his record in the past evangelicals who have proven to evangelicals to desert Trump, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy “The American people deserve three years is rock-solid in things be a critical component of his po- who received more than 80% of for investigations during a phone a fair trial that gets to the truth, that the faith community cares litical base. their vote in 2016. call. not a rigged process that enables about ...,” said Jentezen Frank- The magazine’s editorial, writ- More than 5,000 people are ex- In the email, which followed a a cover-up,” Schumer said. lin, a pastor to a megachurch in ten by editor-in-chief Mark Galli, pected to attend the event. Video edited to suggest former VP Biden made racist remark

BY BEATRICE DUPUY In the edited clip, which was about changing the culture, our Associated Press less than 20 seconds long, Biden culture, our culture, it’s not im- says, “Our culture is not import- ported from some African nation A video of Democratic presi- ed from some African nation or or some Asian nation. It is our dential candidate Joe Biden that some Asian nation.” Social media English jurisprudential culture, was selectively edited to falsely users paired the video with com- our European culture that says it suggest he made racist remarks ments like “It’s almost like Joe is all right.” during a recent speech made the Biden is a Racist.” Posts with Earlier in the discussion, rounds Thursday on social media, the video surfaced across social Biden, when asked about his work raking in more than a million media platforms on Wednesday. with women and sexual assault views on one tweet alone. The clip was taken from ABC victims, talked about the need to Experts have been warning News coverage of Biden speaking change an entrenched “cultural about the dangers of selectively for more than an hour in Derry, problem,” that dates back cen- edited videos being used as a mis- N.H. , on Monday. A review of the turies, noting that in the 1300s information tactic ahead of the full video shows that Biden was many wives were being beaten to 2020 presidential election. They commenting on changing the death by their husbands without CHARLIE NEIBERGALL/AP are easier to make and do not re- culture around violence against repercussions. Former Vice President Joe Biden, a Democratic presidential quire the sophisticated technol- women. In discussing the dif- Biden’s campaign confirmed candidate, speaks during a community event Thursday in Anamosa, ogy needed to produce deepfake ficulty victims face reporting to The Associated Press that the Iowa. An edited video of Biden seemingly spouting racist remarks videos, which are fabricated to sexual assault on college cam- presentation in the edited video was seen across the internet. look realistic. puses, he said, “Folks, this is was inaccurate. Saturday, January 4, 2020 •STARS AND STRIPES• PAGE 7 NATION Calls reveal rough conditions before sinking 5 crew members of Alaska fishing boat feared dead; Coast Guard ends search

BY BECKY BOHRER a crisis. AND MARTHA BELLISLE Others listed as missing were Associated Press David Lee Cobban, Arthur Ga- nacias, Brock Rainey and Seth JUNEAU, Alaska — Calls to Rousseau-Gano, according to the loved ones in the lead-up to the Coast Guard. The Coast Guard sinking of a crab boat in the cold said it used helicopters, planes waters off Alaska revealed the and a boat as part of a search ef- rough conditions the crew faced, fort that covered 1,400 square including icing that did not seem miles and ended Wednesday to rattle the boat’s captain. evening. Gary Cobban Jr., the captain, Ashley Boggs of Peru, Ind., said was among five fishermen miss- Rainey called her shortly before ing and feared dead after the the ship sank and said conditions Scandies Rose sank late Tues- were bad. The two had planned to day. Two others aboard were marry after Rainey returned. rescued. The Coast Guard did “I’m just praying and hoping not release details Thursday on they find him on land or some- a possible cause, saying that talk- thing,” Boggs told The Associated ing to the survivors is part of the Press on Thursday. investigation. Those rescued told authorities Cobban’s ex-girlfriend, Jeri they were the only ones who made Lynn Smith, told the Anchorage it into a life raft, the Anchor- Daily News he called her in North age Daily News reported. Dean /AP Carolina about two hours before Gribble Jr., who’s appeared on TED S. WARREN the boat sank to wish her a happy the Discovery Channel documen- Fishing boats and boats used for other purposes are shown parked near the Seattle Fishermen’s new year. She said the conditions tary series “Deadliest Catch,“ Memorial on Thursday . Items left at the memorial Thursday included a ball cap with the name of the hadn’t seemed to worry him. and John Lawler suffered hypo- crab fishing boat Scandies Rose, from Dutch Harbor, Alaska, that sank on New Year’s Eve. “When I talked to him, he thermia but were released from told me the boat was icing and a hospital. warnings about strong winds and had sent out a mayday call. suspended the search after it had a list to it, but he didn’t The boat was carrying a load of heavy freezing spray, said Lou- Rescue crews battled winds of “exhausting all leads and care- sound alarmed. He didn’t sound crabbing pots for the start of the ise Fode, a warning coordination more than 40 mph , 15- to 20-foot ful consideration of survival scared,” Smith said. “The boat winter season, Dan Mattsen, a meteorologist with the National seas and visibility that was lim- probability.” ices. The boat ices every winter. partner in the vessel managed by Weather Service. ited to a mile , Petty Officer 2nd McKenzie said the air temper- It’s just something they deal with. Seattle-Based Mattsen Manage- Its last known position was 170 Class Melissa McKenzie said. ature was about 10 degrees . The I didn’t worry about it.” ment, told the Seattle Times. miles southwest of Kodiak Island, “That’s rough conditions,“ she estimated water temperature was Smith said she wouldn’t have The 130-foot Scandies Rose and it sank about 10 p.m. Tuesday, said. 43 degrees , the weather service hung up if she thought he was in was traveling in an area with the Coast Guard said. The vessel The Coast Guard said it said.

Judge says hospital Conservatives seek purge of Wis. voters can take baby off BY SCOTT BAUER was not on the panel when the legal fight Associated Press began. life support despite Democratic Attorney General Josh Kaul, MADISON, Wis. — A conservative law who is representing the elections commis- her family’s wishes firm on Thursday asked a judge to find sion in the case, said it “strongly disagrees” the Wisconsin Elections Commission in with arguments in the contempt motion. BY JAMIE STENGLE contempt and impose $12,000 a day in “This case should not effectively be Associated Press fines until it immediately purges more ended before the appeals process plays than 200,000 voters from the rolls, a move out,” Kaul said in a statement. DALLAS — A Texas judge on Thursday Democrats are fighting in the key battle- The affected voters come more heav- sided with a hospital that plans to remove ground state. ily from Democratic areas of Wisconsin, A judge last month ordered the purge of an 11-month-old girl from life support after TEXAS RIGHT TO LIFE/AP a key state in the 2020 presidential elec- voters who may have moved and didn’t re- her mother disagreed with the decision by tion. President Donald Trump narrowly A Texas judge sided with a hospital that spond within 30 days to notification sent by doctors who say the infant is in pain and won the state in 2016 by fewer than 23,000 that her condition will never improve. plans to remove Tinslee Lewis from life the elections commission in October. The votes and Wisconsin is expected to again Trinity Lewis had asked Judge Sandee support. Her mother disagreed with bipartisan commission has deadlocked be one of the most hotly contested states Bryan Marion to issue an injunction in Tar- doctors who say that the girl is in pain twice on attempts by Republicans to do the this year. rant County district court to ensure that and that her condition will not improve. purge immediately while an appeal to the Democrats fear forcing voters whose Cook Children’s Medical Center doesn’t court order is pending. registration was nullified to re-register end her daughter Tinslee Lewis’ life-sus- time just like I do if Tinslee were their Rick Esenberg, leader of the conser- taining treatment. Texas Right to Life, an baby,” she said. vative Wisconsin Institute for Law and would create a burden on them and hurt anti-abortion group that is advocating for The hospital said in a statement Thurs- Liberty that brought the lawsuit, said the turnout. Republicans argue that removing Tinslee, said the girl’s mother will appeal day that in order to keep Tinslee alive, commission must purge the voters now. the voters would ensure that the rolls are the judge’s decision. she’s on a constant stream of painkillers, The judge in December ruled that the not full of people who shouldn’t be voting. Doctors at the Fort Worth hospital had sedatives and paralytics. She currently has commission was breaking state law by not Esenberg’s group has asked that the con- planned to remove Tinslee from life sup- severe sepsis, which isn’t uncommon when removing voters who did not respond to the servative-controlled Wisconsin Supreme port Nov. 10 after invoking Texas’ “10-day patients require deep sedation and chemi- October mailing asking that they confirm Court immediately take the state’s appeal rule,” which can be employed when a fam- cal paralysis, it said. their address. of the case. The case is currently before a ily disagrees with doctors who say life-sus- “Even with the most extraordinary mea- “Court orders are not suggestions,” Es- state appeals court. The commission has taining treatment should be stopped. The sures the medical team is taking, Tinslee enberg said on WISN-AM. “They are not asked the appeals court to put the original law stipulates that if the hospital’s ethics continues to suffer,” the hospital said. rendered inoperative by the fact that you ruling on hold, but it has not yet acted. The committee agrees with doctors, treatment Tinslee has been at Cook Children’s since filed an appeal.“ Supreme Court has not said yet whether it can be withdrawn after 10 days if a new her premature birth. The hospital said she Esenberg filed a motion Thursday in will take the case. provider can’t be found to take the patient. has a rare heart defect and suffers from Ozaukee County Court asking the judge The League of Women Voters of Wiscon- In a statement issued by Texas Right chronic lung disease and severe chronic to fine the commission and five of the six sin also has filed a federal lawsuit to stop to Life, which opposes the “10-day rule,” high blood pressure. She hasn’t come off a commissioners $2,000 each, or $12,000 the purge. That lawsuit argues that it would Lewis said she was “heartbroken“ over the ventilator since going into respiratory ar- total each day, for being in contempt of the be a violation of constitutional due process judge’s decision. “I feel frustrated because rest in early July and requires full respira- order. The motion does not name one of the rights to deactivate the registrations of the anyone in that courtroom would want more tory and cardiac support. three Republicans on the commission who voters without proper notice. PAGE 8 •STARS AND STRIPES• Saturday, January 4, 2020 NATION US starts sending asylum-seekers to wait in Mexico BY ASTRID GALVAN a capacity of about 400. AND CHRISTOPHER SHERMAN “We’re going to take up to the Associated Press capacity we have,” she said. Critics say the Remain in PHOENIX — The U.S. govern- Mexico program, one of several ment on Thursday began sending Trump administration policies asylum-seekers back to Nogales, that have all but ended asylum in Mexico, to await court hearings the U.S., puts migrants who fled that will be scheduled roughly 350 their home countries back into miles away in Juarez, Mexico. dangerous Mexican border towns Authorities are expanding a where they are often kidnapped, program known as Remain in robbed or extorted. Mexico that requires tens of thou- A Human Rights First report sands of asylum seekers to wait released in December document- JOSH GALEMORE, ARIZONA DAILY STAR/AP out their immigration court hear- ed at least 636 public reports of ings in Mexico. Until this week, violence against asylum-seekers Asylum seekers load into the back of a Mexican police vehicle as they are returned to Nogales, Sonora, the government was driving some returned to Mexico including Mexico, after making claims in the United States, on Thursday. asylum seekers from Nogales, rape, kidnapping and torture. Ariz., to El Paso, Texas, so they Human Rights First said that was Mexico to await court hearings. ed States. program has been “an extremely could be returned to Juarez. a steep increase over October The policy was introduced in Jan- But U.S. authorities have laud- effective tool.” Now, asylum-seekers will have when the group had identified uary 2018 in San Diego. ed the program, saying it’s helped “I am confident in the pro- to find their own way through dan- 343 attacks, and noted the latest More than 56,000 people were to significantly reduce illegal gram’s continued success in gerous Mexican border roads. figure is surely an under-count sent back to Mexico by the end of border crossings. The Border Pa- adjudicating meritorious cases About 30 asylum seekers were because most crime victims don’t November, according to Syracuse trol apprehended just over 33,000 quickly and preventing fraudu- sent to Nogales, Mexico, on Thurs- report. University’s Transactional Re- people along the Southwest bor- lent claims,” Wolf wrote. day, said Gilda Loureiro, director The government calls the cords Access Clearinghouse. Of der in November, compared to A three-judge appeals court of the San Juan Bosco migrant program Migrant Protection the more than 24,000 cases that 144,000 in May, when border panel heard arguments Oct. 1 in shelter in Nogales, Sonora. Protocols. have been decided, only 117, or crossings peaked. San Francisco on a lawsuit filed Loureiro said the migrants Nogales is now the seventh bor- less than 1%, have been granted In a statement, acting De- by the American Civil Liberties hadn’t made it to the shelter yet der crossing through which U.S. asylum or some other form relief partment of Homeland Security Union to block the policy. The but that it was prepared and has authorities returns migrants to allowing them to stay in the Unit- Secretary Chad Wolf said the court has yet to rule. 4th inmate killed within a week in Miss. prison system

BY JEFF AMY clined to identify pending noti- a “major disturbance” Sunday at lets. Burton said Gates, who had cuts to the head. AND EMILY WAGSTER PETTUS fication of relatives, had multiple the South Mississippi Correction- a 2015 burglary conviction, re- The violence came even as U.S. Associated Press stab wounds. al Institution ceived multiple stab wounds. District Judge William Barbour Sunflower in Greene Then one inmate was killed ruled Tuesday that while condi- JACKSON, Miss. — Another County Sher- County. In- and two were injured in a fight tions may have previously been Mississippi inmate has died at the iff James mate Ter- early Thursday at Chickasaw poor at East Mississippi Correc- hands of a fellow inmate, bring- Haywood randance County Regional Correctional tional Facility near Meridian, ing the death toll to four in distur- said other in- Dobbins, 40, Facility, a county-run facility that there’s no longer any evidence bances over the past week in the mates were was killed holds state inmates. that the privately run prison is state prison system. The violence injured. and two oth- “We had it under control in violating inmates’ rights. comes even as a federal judge has Deputies ers were three minutes,” Chickasaw Coun- A lawsuit suit filed in 2013 al- rejected claims that conditions in from mul- hurt. ty Sheriff Jim Meyers told The one Mississippi prison are uncon- tiple coun- On Tues- Associated Press. leged that inmates were being stitutionally harsh. ties and state day evening systematically denied health care Gates Emary Meyers identified the dead in- Sunflower County Corner agencies re- at Parch- mate as Gregory Emary, 26, of and mental health care, were in Heather Burton told The Asso- sponded to the sprawling and iso- man, inmate Walter Gates, 25, Hernando, serving a 16-year sen- danger of violence from guards ciated Press a 32-year-old male lated Parchman prison, Haywood died and several others were in- tence for burglary. and other prisoners, and were prisoner died before noon Thurs- said. jured during a fight among pris- Another inmate was in inten- forced into long stretches in soli- day at the Mississippi State Peni- Earlier in the week, prisons oners. The fight broke out in one sive care after surgery at a Tu- tary confinement, where cells tentiary at Parchman. Burton statewide were put under lockdown unit and spread to others around pelo hospital, Meyers said, and a were often dark and where in- said the inmate, whom she de- after what the department called the prison, Burton told news out- third was at another hospital with mates often set fires. Change sought for Minn. constitution’s approval of slavery for convicts

Associated Press “For some time now, I’ve been troubled in the 14-article constitution that ushered ment to the U.S. Constitution, features by a clause in the Minnesota State Consti- Minnesota into statehood in 1858. It drew similar language, stating that slavery is ST. PAUL, Minn. — A Minnesota police tution. It involves the word slavery, which chief said he wants to change state con- Axtell’s attention a few months ago when banned throughout the country, “except as doesn’t reflect our state values.” Axtell he read about other states confronting a punishment for crime whereof the party stitution to remove a pre-Civil War refer- said, referring to a section of the state ence to slavery being an acceptable form slavery passages in their constitutions. shall have been duly convicted.” constitution that reads: “There shall be Axtell’s campaign got off to a fast start. Steve Linders, a spokesman for Axtell, of punishment. neither slavery nor involuntary servitude Minnesota Rep. John Lesch responded that said the chief “is focused on the state con- Even though slavery has been illegal in the state otherwise than as punishment throughout the country for more than a for a crime of which the party has been he intends to draft a document to remove stitution but would support any effort that century, St. Paul Police Chief Todd Axtell convicted.” the slavery reference and give it a hearing that helps ensure that the U.S. Constitution wrote in a Facebook post Tuesday that his It is “beyond time to move forward to- in the House Judiciary Committee. reflects our country’s shared values.” goal is to “ignite a movement” to have the gether and strike out slavery from our Although Axtell and Lesch are push- Lesch said he hopes to see the document reference dropped from the Minnesota shared constitution,” he wrote. ing to remove slavery references from the pass through the Legislature and appear Constitution. The phrase is among the first sentences Minnesota Constitution, the 13th Amend- on the 2020 general election ballot. Saturday, January 4, 2020 •STARS AND STRIPES• PAGE 9 NATION ‘Affluenza teen’ jailed for parole violation

Associated Press FORT WORTH, Texas — A Texas man who used “affluenza“ as a defense at his trial for killing four people while driving drunk was arrested Thursday after au- thorities say he violated the terms of his probation. Ethan Couch, 22, was booked into a jail in Fort Worth after he tested positive for THC, the psy- choactive compound in marijua- na, court records show. Couch’s attorneys, Scott Brown TARRANT COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE /AP and Reagan Wynn, said their cli- ent has been intensely monitored Ethan Couch appears in a 2016 for alcohol and illegal substance booking photo.

JULIUS CONSTANTINE MOTAL/AP use for more than 20 months and “has never been positive for the A judge originally sentenced Police officers escort Grafton Thomas to a police vehicle Sunday in Ramapo, N.Y. Thomas is accused use of any substance before.” Couch to 10 years of probation. of stabbing multiple people as they gathered to celebrate Hanukkah at a rabbi’s home in the Orthodox “We cannot make any further But he was later jailed after at- Jewish community north of New York City. statement until we have the op- tending a party where alcohol portunity to conduct an investiga- was served and then fleeing to tion to determine if, in fact, Ethan Mexico with his mother to avoid ingested THC and, if so, if it was a punishment. He was released in voluntary act on his part,“ Brown 2018 after serving a nearly two- Suspect questioned in prior and Wynn said in a statement. year sentence. In 2013, Couch Jail records did not indicate lost control of his family’s pickup whether his bond had been set truck after he and his friends had Thursday afternoon. played beer pong and drank beer Couch became known as the stolen from a Walmart. He veered anti-Semitic stabbing in NY “affluenza teen“ during his man- into a crowd of people helping the slaughter trial for the 2013 crash. driver of a disabled vehicle on the Couch, 16 at the time of the crash, side of the road. Authorities later BY JIM MUSTIAN The Rockland County District his mother’s home after refusing was found to have a blood-alcohol estimated that he was going 70 AND RYAN TARINELLI Attorney’s Office declined to to put down a knife that a police level three times the legal limit mph in a 40 mph zone. Associated Press comment on the request. officer ordered him to drop. for adult drivers after the crash. The crash fatally injured the Marine Corps officials said Thomas did not undergo a psy- But a psychologist told a juvenile stranded motorist, a youth min- NEW YORK — The man Tuesday that Thomas also had chological evaluation following court that he was affected by ister who stopped to help her and charged in the machete attack begun boot camp but was sepa- that arrest, Sussman said, though “affluenza,” or irresponsibility a mother and daughter who came on a Hanukkah celebration north rated from the service a month mental health treatment was caused by family wealth. out of their nearby home. of New York City had been ques- later for “fraudulent enlistment.” made a condition of the case’s tioned by local authorities in con- A Marine Corps spokeswoman dismissal. nection with an earlier stabbing would not provide details. “Those Sussman said Thomas had been of an Orthodox Jewish man in the specifics are administrative in “mischaracterized” as an anti- More scrutiny for Tesla same town, police said Thursday. nature and therefore information Semite by elected leaders who do Grafton Thomas faces state we are required to keep private,” not yet know all the facts. and federal charges in Saturday’s Capt. Karoline Foote said. “There’s something here that’s tech after 3 more crashes Hanukkah attack, which wound- Military law defines fraudulent seriously wrong,” he said, refer- ed five people at a rabbi’s home in enlistment as a “knowingly false ring to Thomas’ lack of sufficient Monsey, New York. BY TOM KRISHER operating on Autopilot, a Tesla representation or deliberate con- treatment. “How it manifested is That attack came as police in Associated News system designed to keep a car in cealment as to” a recruit’s quali- a great tragedy.” the same town were investigating its lane and a safe distance from fications. That could involve a Sussman spoke hours after the DETROIT — Three crashes a Nov. 20 stabbing in which a man other vehicles. Autopilot also can recruit failing to disclose certain daughter of a man gravely wound- involving Teslas that killed three was critically injured while walk- change lanes on its own. medical conditions, past drug use ed in the machete attack made an people have increased scrutiny of ing to a synagogue. Tesla has said repeatedly that its or an arrest record, including emotional plea to end hatred and the company’s Autopilot driving Ramapo Police Chief Brad Autopilot system is designed only cases that are sealed because the anti-Semitism. system just months before CEO Weidel said police questioned Elon Musk has planned to put fully to assist drivers, who must still Thomas based on video evidence recruit was a juvenile or for other “We want our kids to go to school reasons. and feel safe,” Nicky Kohen, the self-driving cars on the streets. pay attention and be ready to in- that suggested a Honda Pilot may On Sunday, a Tesla Model S tervene at all times. The company have been involved in the Novem- Sussman said he learned more daughter of Josef Neumann, told about Thomas’ history of men- reporters in front of her home in sedan left a freeway in Gardena, contends that Teslas with Autopi- ber stabbing. Thomas’ mother California, at a high speed, ran lot are safer than vehicles without drives a Honda Pilot, and authori- tal health problems after visit- Rockland County. “We want to go a red light and struck a Honda it, but cautions that the system ties said they seized and searched ing Thomas’ former residence to synagogues and feel safe. We in Sullivan County and finding want to go to grocery stores and Civic, killing two people inside, does not prevent all crashes. that vehicle following Thomas’ police said. arrest in Saturday’s attack. “rambling writings” and un- malls and feel safe.” Even so, experts and safety ad- opened bottles of psychotropic Neumann, 72, has been uncon- On the same day, a Tesla Model vocates say a string of Tesla crash- Weidel said investigators have 3 hit a parked firetruck on an In- not tied Thomas to the earlier medication. scious since Saturday’s attack es raises serious questions about He said none of the writings and remains in intensive care diana freeway, killing a passenger stabbing. in the Tesla. whether drivers have become too contained signs of anti-Semitism, at Westchester Medical Center, “We have to operate with evi- And on Dec. 7, yet another reliant on Tesla’s technology and though he added he has not seen where he was undergoing sur- dence,” Weidel told reporters at Model 3 struck a police cruiser on whether the company does enough gery Thursday. a news conference. “We had no the materials federal authorities a Connecticut highway, though no to ensure that drivers keep paying evidence, and we had no probable seized from Thomas’ home in The family released a state- one was hurt. attention. Some critics have said cause to do anything other than Greenwood Lake. ment this week saying Neumann, The special crash investigation it’s past time for NHTSA to stop follow a lead.” Authorities have said Thomas, a father of seven, may have per- unit of the National Highway Traf- investigating and to take action, 37, had handwritten journals con- manent brain damage. They also The police chief’s remarks fic Safety Administration is look- such as forcing Tesla to make sure taining anti-Semitic references released a photograph of Neu- came as local prosecutors were ing into the California crash. The drivers pay attention when the preparing to present evidence on and had recently used his phone mann showing his head injuries. agency hasn’t decided whether its system is being used. Friday to a grand jury that will be to look up information on Hitler “The doctors do not have high special-crash unit will review the NHTSA has started investiga- asked to indict Thomas in connec- and the location of synagogues. hopes for him,” Kohen said. “If he crash that occurred Sunday near tions into 13 Tesla crashes dating tion with the Hanukkah attack. Sussman described Thomas as wakes up he may never be able to Terre Haute, Indiana. In both Thomas’ defense attorney, Mi- a man with “tremendous men- walk, talk or even process speech cases, authorities have yet to de- to at least 2016 in which the agen- chael Sussman, said he asked tal derangement who never re- again.” termine whether Tesla’s Autopilot cy believes Autopilot was operat- the district attorney to delay that ceived the care and treatment he “We hope he wakes to a changed system was being used. ing. The agency has yet to issue proceeding and allow Thomas to needed.” He provided new details world with peace, unity and love NHTSA also is investigating the any regulations, though it is study- undergo an inpatient psychiatric about a September 2018 incident for all,” she added. “Let’s stand Connecticut crash, in which the ing how it should evaluate similar evaluation. in which Thomas was arrested at up together and stop the hatred.” driver told police that the car was “advanced driver assist” systems. PAGE 10 •STARS AND STRIPES• Saturday, January 4, 2020 Saturday, January 4, 2020 •STARS AND STRIPES• PAGE 11 HEALTH & FITNESS

iStock illustrations Ward off weight gain this winter

BY JILL U. ADAMS comfort foods over fruits and vegetables are some of University of Memphis and fi rst author on the military Special to The Washington Post the eating habits that could occur. personnel’s weight-gain studies. Study participants Some researchers have narrowed the time win- used electronic scales that sent data directly to the hese cold, dark winter days make me want to dow to look at weight gain over the weeks spanning researchers. Fahey and her colleagues observed that curl up with a book, perhaps while munching Thanksgiving through New Year’s. In the NIH study, during the winter months, people often skipped their on holiday cookies. people gained 0.8 pounds, on average, during that daily weigh-ins. T One could describe my conduct this way: period. And in a second study with military personnel, The researchers also noticed that the participants sedentary behavior combined with snacking on sugary it was 0.4 pounds. who had most recently enrolled in weight-loss inter- treats. A regular practice of these things might well People celebrate a variety of things over the holi- vention gained the least weight. That suggests that lead to weight gain. days — seeing family, religious events, the turning of when motivation is high, winter weight gain can be Is winter weight gain a thing? Yes, says Larry Che- the calendar — and they do it with rich foods, desserts avoided. skin, who chairs the nutrition department at George and drinks. Perhaps we should mention the holiday Motivation can help you stick to good weight main- Mason University in Northern Virginia. “There is spirit — a spirit of permission to overindulge. I mean, tenance behaviors, such as daily weigh-ins, as well as good evidence that it is a thing.” we’re celebrating! tracking diet and activity. There are a number of apps On average, research shows that people gain one to “The holidays are not insignifi cant,” Cheskin says. that can make it easier to track what you eat and how two pounds over the winter months. For instance, a There are more social events, an increase in the vari- much you move. study of 195 people at the National Institutes of Health ety of foods and more drinking. Alcohol adds calories “Winter weight gain is common,” Fahey says. found weight gain of about one pound between late and undermines self-control. “Which might indicate that weight maintenance strat- September and March. But it’s not just overeating at holiday parties that’s egies are important to implement during winter.” A study of 248 U.S. military personnel, who were to blame. When it’s cold and snowy — or slushy or icy Gavin recommends being mindful of your eating enrolled in a weight-loss program, found that people — outside, people spend more time habits, but not overly restrictive. Don’t try to avoid added about two pounds from fall to winter. indoors, which in turn can mean get- cookies altogether, he says, but limit yourself to one Here’s something else. There also is evidence that ting less physical activity. or two cookies. American adults gain one to two pounds each year, Research backs up the exercise Cheskin says it’s important to understand gradually accumulating weight over decades. Winter slowdown. A review of 37 studies your own tendencies. When weight gain might be a major culprit, so perhaps we found that people are most physi- counseling patients who should view the season as a particularly risky time for cally active in spring and summer want to lose weight, adding excess padding. and least in winter. he starts by ask- Indeed, 165 subjects in the NIH study returned for a Also, it’s easy to feel bored ing them what September weigh-in and, on average, were 1.4 pounds when you’re cooped up in- they think has heavier than the year before. side — and boredom may contributed to A note: One to two pounds on average means that lead you to snack more. their weight gain. some people don’t gain any weight, while others gain So if wintertime in Do you eat when you’re fi ve pounds or more. And in a rude twist of fate, the general, and the holidays sad or bored? Do you plan your people who gain the most are more likely to be already in particular, are a precarious time meals? Do social outings — or overweight or obese. for gaining weight — weight that you family — interfere with healthy Why does winter weight gain happen? “The reasons might keep forever — then what can be eating? Are there medical issues are not that clear,” Cheskin says. “I suspect that much done? involved? of it is what we would call behavioral.” First, be aware that winter weight gain “You hear about lots of factors That means eating more and exercising less. can happen. Pay attention to your diet and relating to weight,” Cheskin “The change in eating behavior is key,” says Mi- try to keep your activity level up. says. You don’t need to attend chael Gavin, a physician at the University of Rochester Weighing yourself every day is key, says to all of them, he says — just the Medical Center. Overeating, snacking and choosing Marg aret Fahey, a doctoral student at the ones that are specifi c to you. PAGE 12 •STARS AND STRIPES• Saturday, January 4, 2020 MOVIES TOP he last 10 years will probably go down as the decade of Marvel’s domination and Netfl ix’s ascension. FILMS But despite all the tumult and the perpetual rumors of cinema’s supposed demise, good stuff — no, great stuff — kept getting made. OF THE It can be harder to fi nd. Mega-blockbusters suck up most of the big screens and the small ones are 2010s increasingly crowded with infi nite choice. Yet the medium is as vibrant as ever, thanks to the infl ux ofT new voices (though still not enough of them) and the undying need of fi lmmakers to tell stories with light and BY LINDSEY BAHR sound. The movies abide. AND The impossibility of an exercise like this is only a reminder of just how very alive cinema is. The next 50 JAKE COYLE Associated Press movies on our list, or yours, might be just as good.

1. ‘Tree of Life’ All the mystery and harmony of life, in the memory-tinged detail of a small-town 1950s Texas family but writ across time and the cosmos. Terrence Malick’s radiant 2011 fi lm maps individual existence against eternity, turning an intimate tale epic. It’s got Brad Pitt and Jessica Chastain and dinosaurs and it’s one of the most sublime and soul- stirring movies ever made. — Jake Coyle

FOX SEARCHLIGHT/AP Brad Pitt is pictured in a scene from director Terrence Malick’s ambitious, experimental 2011 epic, “Tree of Life.”

2. ‘Phantom Thread’ 4. ‘Lady Bird’ Paul Thomas Anderson was al- A Sacramento teen navigating her senior year of high ready having an incredible decade school in the early aughts doesn’t necessarily sound with “The Master,” from 2012 like “important cinema,” but that’s exactly why Greta and “Inherent Vice,” from 2014. Gerwig’s semi-autobiographical solo directing debut Then, three years later, “Phantom is so great. The naivete and angry restlessness of Thread” came along and with young adulthood is given a crackling form in Chris- its lush haute couture, blushing tine “Lady Bird” McPherson (Saoirse Ronan), a per- heroine, ornery genius and poison fectly imperfect heroine who clashes with her mother mushrooms, he somehow blew all and desperately yearns for something — anything the others out of the water. Ander- — that takes her away from the familiar, whether son made a black romantic comedy that’s a boy on the nice side of town or a college on the for his eighth feature but imbued other side of the country. It is, ultimately, a loving look it with enough prestige dressings A24/AP at a young woman who hasn’t yet become her fully re- to elevate it above such a “pedes- alized self and the town that, despite her best efforts, trian” form. Saoirse Ronan, above, is a high school senior at odds with has shaped her to her core. — Lindsey Bahr her hometown in Greta Gerwig’s “Lady Bird.” — Bahr

3. ‘Margaret’ 5. ‘Moonlight’ Kenneth Lonergan’s other two, also exceptional, features Barry Jenkins’ coming-of-age tale is (“You Can Count on Me,” “Manchester by the Sea”) are separated into three sections — “Lit- better known partly because “Margaret” was tied up for tle,” “Chiron” and “Black” — but its years in a legal battle and an editing nightmare. But Loner- lyricism, beauty and ache is undi- gan’s longer cut (not what was briefl y released in theaters vided. There’s a haunting, even radical but what’s available on DVD) is a New York masterwork of intimacy to “Moonlight.” Years later, great depth and scope. A teenager (Anna Paquin) comes to Chiron feels like someone you once met question everything after witnessing a traffi c death. Culmi- and will know forever. The movie’s soft nating with an embrace in a theater (with an extraordinary blue light shines and shines and shines. A24/AP — Coyle J. Smith-Cameron), “Margaret” is about a self-centered young woman awakening to the dramas all around her. Mahershala Ali, left, and Alex Hibbert are two of — Coyle the reasons “Moonlight” shines so brightly. CONTINUED ON PAGE 13 Saturday, January 4, 2020 •STARS AND STRIPES• PAGE 13 MOVIES Female-led ‘Black Widow,’ ‘Wonder Woman 1984’ are among ’20’s most anticipated

BY NARDINE SAAD Los Angeles Times The future is female ... at least when it comes to the cineplex. For the fi rst time, four fi lms starring and direct- ed by women — “Wonder Woman 1984,” Marvel’s “Black Widow” and “Eternals” and Disney’s live- action “Mulan” — topped a Fandango audience survey of the most anticipated movies of the new year, the fi lm hub announced Dec. 27. The movies, helmed by Patty Jenkins, Cate Shortland, Chloe Zhao and Niki Caro, respec- tively, were selected in an online survey con- ducted in the last weeks

FOCUS FEATURES/AP of December. More than 2,000 millen- Stephen Dorff and Elle Fanning, right, are shown in a scene from Sofia Coppola’s “Somewhere.” nial fi lm fans cast their votes for the top movies 6. ‘Somewhere’ and performances they Writer-director Sofi a Coppola has always been able to see the dreamy banality in the sensational, whether it’s in the life of were most looking for- Marie Antoinette, the suicides of fi ve sisters, or, in the case of “Somewhere,” the life of a movie star (Stephen Dorff) living ward to seeing on the in the most tabloid-ridden hotel in Los Angeles: the Chateau Marmont. Quiet and restrained and with the roads and cars big screen in 2020. Rounding out the and excess of Los Angeles as the backdrop, “Somewhere” gazes in on a father coming to the realization that very soon top 10 are a bevy of his almost teenage daughter (Elle Fanning) won’t need him at all. It’s neither cold nor depressing, however, but a warm- sequels, spin-offs and hearted look at the isolation, the silliness and even the universality of this rarefi ed world. adaptations, including — Bahr Gal Gadot the next James Bond installment (“No Time to Die”), John Krasinski’s “A Quiet Place II,” the 7. ‘Cold War’ female superhero team-up fl ick “Birds of Prey,” Pawel Pawlikowski made two stag- the musical “In the Heights,” Pixar’s animated gering masterpieces in the last fi lm “Soul” and the ninth chapter of the “Fast & decade, both expressively black-and- Furious” franchise. “Soul,” about a middle-school white, both devastatingly taut. First music teacher who dreams of playing at a New was “Ida,” then came “Cold War.” York jazz club, appears to be the only original fare. It’s a stunning back-to-back. The But it’s the “Wonder Woman” sequel that fans two fi lms, so austere yet so expres- seem particularly stoked about, topping the most sive, feel like they come from anoth- anticipated actress (Gal Gadot), actor (Chris Pine) er time. Choosing one isn’t fair, but and villain (Kristen Wiig) categories as well. I gravitate more to “Cold War” for Here’s how those four fi lms fared and the other the sensual performances of Joanna releases moviegoers can expect in the new year: Kulig and Tomasz Kot as lovers MOST ANTICIPATED MOVIE brought together and torn apart in postwar Poland. It’s a romantic and “Wonder Woman 1984” (directed by Patty Jenkins, June 5) bleak portrait of love and art under “Black Widow” (Cate Shortland, May 1) totalitarianism. Marvel’s “Eternals” (Chloe Zhao, Nov. 6) — Coyle “Mulan” (Niki Caro, March 27) CBS Films “No Time to Die” (Cary Joji Fukunaga, April 10) Oscar Isaac is the titular folk singer in “Inside Llewyn Davis.” “A Quiet Place Part II” (John Krasinski, March 20) 8. ‘Certified Copy’ “Birds of Prey” (Cathy Yan, Feb. 7) Can a fi ction be truth? That’s the 9. ‘Inside Llewyn Davis’ “In the Heights” (Jon M. Chu, June 26) heady question behind the great Pixar’s “Soul” (Pete Docter and Kemp Powers, June 19) As they were in the two previous decades, the Coen brothers were as vital Abbas Kiarostami’s “Certifi ed “Fast & Furious 9” (Justin Lin, May 22) as any fi lmmaker over the past 10 years. Their output: “True Grit,” “Hail, Copy,” in which an antiques dealer Caesar!”, “The Ballad of Buster Scruggs” and, most of all, this melancholy gem (Juliette Binoche) and a writer (Wil- MOST ANTICIPATED MOST ANTICIPATED set in the Greenwich Village folk scene in the winter of 1961. The title charac- liam Shimell) debate the essence ACTRESS VILLAIN ter (Oscar Isaac) is a musician, recently made solo by the death of his singing of authenticity in art and what, Gal Gadot 1. Kristen Wiig as Cheetah partner, whose talent isn’t quite enough, whose luck is lacking and whose cat- (“Wonder Woman 1984”) (“Wonder Woman 1984”) exactly, constitutes a reproduction wrangling abilities are defi nitely insuffi cient. Llewyn never catches a break. Scarlett Johansson 2. Rami Malek as Safi n (perhaps everything). The fi lm has Thank God the Coens did. (“Black Widow”) (“No Time to Die”) its own metamorphosis of sorts too — Coyle as the nature of even their rela- Emily Blunt (“A Quiet Place 3. Ewan McGregor as Black tionship becomes amorphous and Part II,” “Jungle Cruise”) Mask (“Birds of Prey”) obscured when a farce about the two Margot Robbie 4. Jim Carrey as Dr. Ivo being married ends up becoming 10. ‘Grand Budapest Hotel’ (“Birds of Prey”) Robotnik very real. It was an audacious and Wes Anderson’s precise and beautiful aesthetics have a way of becoming the Zendaya (“Dune”) (“Sonic the Hedgehog”) provocative fi lm to kick off a decade only thing people talk about or seem to remember from his fi lms, which is MOST ANTICIPATED 5. Charlize Theron as of cinema and while the answers unfortunate because it’s also something ACTOR Cipher (“Fast & Furious 9”) remain elusive, the experience and that can be weaponized against him. Chris Pine MOST ANTICIPATED ideas are those that nine-plus years But “The Grand Budapest Hotel’s” (“Wonder Woman 1984”) HORROR FILM on have continued to provoke. Paul Rudd mastery is undeniable. Within this fun “A Quiet Place Part II” — Bahr and sumptuous caper confection about (“Ghostbusters: Afterlife”) “Halloween Kills” a dandy concierge, Gustave H. (Ralph Ryan Reynolds (“Free Guy”) “The Invisible Man” Fiennes), who presides over a splendid Daniel Craig “The Conjuring: The Devil Also: “Dawson City Frozen Time,” old-world hotel that is quickly becom- (“No Time to Die”) Made Me Do It” “Melancholia,” “The Florida ing as much of a relic as his aristocrat- Robert Downey Jr. “The Grudge” Project,” “The Social Network,” ic-servant values, is an unexpectedly (“Dolittle”) “Timbuktu,” “Cameraperson,” “The moving commentary on the last vestig- MOST ANTICIPATED MOST ANTICIPATED Immigrant,” “A Separation,” “I Am es of civilization in a time between two FAMILY FILM LIVE-ACTION COMEDY FOX SEARCHLIGHT/AP Love,” “Burning,” “Senna,” “Once dehumanizing world wars. It’s the kind “Mulan” “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” Upon a Time ... in Hollywood,” From left: Paul Schlase, Tony of fi lm that has the audience yearning Pixar’s “Soul” “Bill & Ted Face the Music” “Phoenix,” “Mad Max: Fury Road,” Revelori, Tilda Swinton and Ralph for and mourning something that never “Sonic the Hedgehog” “Bad Boys For Life” “Faces Places,” “At Berkeley,” “The Fiennes are pictured in a scene even really existed. “Dolittle” “Legally Blonde 3” Deep Blue Sea” from “The Grand Budapest Hotel.” — Bahr “Jungle Cruise” “The Lovebirds” PAGE 14 •STARS AND STRIPES• Saturday, January 4, 2020 AMERICAN ROUNDUP Police: Woman uses dog urine for screening

PINEVILLE — A Ken- KY tucky woman gave her probation officer a dog urine sample during a drug screening, police said. Julie Miller, 40, of Arjay, was arrested Monday on a charge of tampering with physical evidence, the Pineville Police Department said in a release on its Facebook page. She also was charged with a parole violation and trafficking in a controlled substance. Miller admitted she tried to use the dog urine as her own sample given to officers at the Bell Coun- ty Probation and Parole Office during a regular probation visit, the statement said. Corvette speared by a flying highway sign

HALLANDALE FL BEACH — A flying highway sign gave a driver an unwelcome New Year’s Eve gift when it impaled the rear window of his Corvette during a highway mishap that left multiple vehicles damaged in south Florida. The large highway merge sign speared the rear window of the car Tuesday afternoon on the northbound lanes of Interstate 95, about 20 miles from Miami, WSVN-TV reported. Investigators think the sign flew into the air when it was struck by another vehicle and was launched into the Corvette’s windshield, authorities told the station. JIM WEBER, DAILY MEMPHIAN/AP Police: Man robbed Domino’s with machete Making a splash Ashley Piskorski, right, tumbles off of siblings Cole, left, and Kayla Piskorski during the 43rd annual Ski Freeze at Mud Island River Park in ASHEVILLE — Police Memphis, Tenn., on Wednesday . Hosted by Collierville Ski Club, water skiers, barefooters and wakeboarders braved the Wolf River’s cold NC in North Carolina say water to raise money for The Dream Factory of Memphis, which grants wishes for critically and chronically ill children ages 3 through 18. a man robbed a Domino’s Pizza with a machete and then tried to set the store ablaze. were located, and it was deter- THE CENSUS night when he became trapped in The Citizen Times reported mined that no shots had been a concrete retention ditch. He had that the alleged incident occurred fired. The number of cars that were shot at while driving along Inter- to be rescued by the fire depart- late Monday night in Asheville. A 23-year-old Lakewood man states 4 and 95 in central Florida, authorities say. No injuries ment and taken to a hospital. Police said in a statement that told police he had set off the were reported and the damage by the Wednesday shootings ap- The Pinellas County Sheriff’s Curtis Andrew Wallace Jr., 29, fireworks as part of his friend’s 15 pears to have been caused by a BB or pellet gun, according a Office said Dustin Anthony De- marriage proposal at the other told Domino’s employees that he statement by the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office. moss was later taken to jail and business. would “chop heads off” before booked on charges of driving locking them in an office and under the influence and leaving then a freezer. Skiers evacuated from The company decided to pull couldn’t believe the number, but the scene of an accident. Police said that Wallace took lift after chair incident the aging Kissmobiles out of safe- her manager assured her the tip nearly $700 from a safe. They ty concerns for employees and was legitimate. Couple heats up frozen said Wallace then tried to start a MISSOULA — Mon- the public, Hershey Co. spokes- She said she was living in a pizza – and a snake fire in one of the pizza ovens when MT tana authorities have man Jeff Beckman said. It has homeless shelter a year ago. the employees were still trapped. also become more difficult to find Franzoni plans to use the money confirmed dozens of people were WAKE FOREST — A He was taken into custody when evacuated from a chairlift at Mon- replacement parts for the custom to reinstate her driver’s license couple in North Caroli- police arrived after an employee tana Snowbowl after an empty vehicles. and build savings. NC na say they popped a frozen pizza called 911. chair separated from the cable. One of the Kissmobiles will be “They don’t know nothing about Two skiers had just gotten off available for public viewing at the my story. They don’t know where into the oven only to discover that Marriage-proposal the chair when it caught on part AACA Museum in Hershey. I’ve come from. They don’t know a snake was burning inside about fireworks cause panic of the lift and completely ripped how hard it’s been,” Franzoni 10 minutes later. off the cable, the Missoulian Server at restaurant said of the couple who left the tip. Amber Helm told the Raleigh reported. “They’re really just doing this out News & Observer on Wednesday HOWELL — A man who No one was injured. gets $2,020 tip of the kindness of their heart.” that her family had hoped to have NJ set off fireworks near a Franzoni later went to a restau- an easy dinner on Monday night movie theater as his friend made Hershey is retiring ALPENA — The res- rant and left a $20.20 tip. in Wake Forest. a marriage proposal created MI taurant bill was $23. But Helm said the oven started panic among moviegoers who fleet of Kissmobiles But the tip at a small-town res- Man flees solo car crash smoking and smelling terrible mistook the fireworks for gun- taurant in Michigan was much as they waited for their pizza to shots, leading to 911 calls and an HERSHEY — The Her- larger: $2,020. and gets stuck in ditch cook. evacuation, authorities said. “Things like this don’t happen PA shey Co. will soon retire “I opened up the oven and Howell Township police re- its vehicles that are shaped like to people like me,” server Dani- CLEARWATER— A thought, ‘Is that part of the oven?’ sponded to the Xscape Theater its Hershey’s Kisses. elle Franzoni told The Alpena Florida man tried to flee FL I looked more closely and it was a around 6 p.m. Wednesday and The Hershey Kissmobiles, News. a traffic accident only to require snake,” she said. soon learned the theater manag- which are each made up of three Franzoni, 31, got the tip while rescuing when he got stuck in a er had confronted a man who had massive Kisses candies, have working Sunday at Thunder Bay ditch, authorities said. She said she left the pizza be- set off fireworks outside another traveled across the country since River Restaurant in Alpena. The The Tampa Bay Times report- hind and took her young sons out business near the theater, author- 1997. The chocolate company has credit card receipt said “Happy ed that the 42-year-old fled a sin- to eat. Her husband stayed behind ities said. confirmed that the 26-foot-long New Year. 2020 Tip Challenge.” gle-vehicle crash scene but soon to deal with the snake. The remnants of the fireworks vehicles won’t return in 2020. Franzoni, a single mother, found himself in trouble Sunday From wire reports Saturday, January 4, 2020 •STARS AND STRIPES•PAGE 15 OPINION Max D. Lederer Jr., Publisher Lt. Col. Sean Klimek, Europe commander Lt. Col. Richard McClintic, Pacific commander Killing Soleimani might’ve opened Pandora’s box Caroline E. Miller, Europe Business Operations BY DANIEL W. DREZNER The probability of further escalation from that’s now the problem Iran faces. I do not Joshua M. Lashbrook, Pacific Chief of Staff Special to The Washington Post the Iranian side is high. How prepared is know of a single Iranian who was more in- the Trump administration for such escala- dispensable to his government’s ambitions EDITORIAL raqi state television reports that an tion? Is the DOD rushing Marines to every in the Middle East.” airstrike has killed Iranian Quds embassy and consulate in the region, as it This really depends on whether you Terry Leonard, Editor Force commander Qassem Soleimani did in the wake of the breach in Baghdad? think Iran’s power projection in the region [email protected] Ias well as Naim Qassem, the second- Based on the hypotheses I have about needed Soleimani to be the vital node or Robert H. Reid, Senior Managing Editor in-command of Lebanon’s Hezbollah, in his decision-making style, it would not sur- whether that node can be easily replaced. [email protected] Baghdad. Multiple reporters confirmed prise me in the slightest if this was an im- If Dubowitz and Exum are correct, then Soleimani’s death, and Newsweek’s James pulse decision. If that is the case, this will Soleimani will be extremely difficult to re- Tina Croley, Managing Editor for Content LaPorta reported that it was from a U.S. be an excellent test of how well the D-team place and this represents a major setback [email protected] drone strike. The Defense Department an- national security machinery will work for Iran. If not, then one would expect a Sean Moores, Managing Editor for Presentation nounced that it carried out this attack “at during a crisis. coordinated ramping up of attacks on U.S. [email protected] the direction of the President.” 2) Does a decapitation strategy work assets across the world. Soleimani, an important figure in the re- on a state actor? Iran is a state with sig- 3) What are the limits of escalation? The Joe Gromelski, Managing Editor for Digital gion, had been destabilizing U.S. interests nificant capacity to make mischief in its U.S. just killed an agent of another govern- [email protected] for decades. His death will have conse- neighborhood. The death of Soleimani ment. That is escalating tensions with Iran. quences, and those should be explored. does not wish the Quds Force, Islamic On the other hand, Soleimani had been di- BUREAU STAFF But there are three factors that make me Revolutionary Guard Corps or Islamic Re- recting attacks against U.S. personnel in reticent to opine with any confidence. The public of Iran out of existence. An awful lot the region for at least a decade, so relations Europe/Mideast first is that we still do not know an awful of Iranians and other Shiites will want to were already pretty tense. Furthermore, Erik Slavin, Europe & Mideast Bureau Chief lot about how this went down. The second retaliate. Standard international relations neither President Donald Trump nor Iran’s [email protected] +49(0)631.3615.9350; DSN (314)583.9350 is that the greater Middle East is its own theory suggests that decapitating a key leadership wants a full-scale conventional special policy morass and I am loath as a leader would not fundamentally affect that war. What will both sides do short of out- Pacific non-area expert to enter those waters. The state’s capacity to act. right war to weaken the other side? The Aaron Kidd, Pacific Bureau Chief third is that the variance of possible out- On the other hand, if one believes Mark United States has already imposed punish- [email protected] comes is huge. +81.42.552.2511 ext. 88380; DSN (315)227.7380 Dubowitz of the Foundation for the Defense ing sanctions. What Iran might do in the So rather than make any confident pre- of Democracies, Soleimani was a uniquely Persian Gulf in response bears watching. Washington dictions about what will happen, let me in- networked actor in the region. 4) What are the wild cards? Will there Joseph Cacchioli, Washington Bureau Chief stead pose some questions that need to be “For two decades, Suleimani has been be spontaneous violent reactions from the [email protected] answered: the most powerful, savvy & effective terror- Shiites across the region? Iraq’s govern- (+1)(202)886-0033 1) Just how much planning has the ist on the planet. He’s enjoyed full backing ment has been wobbling for months — will Brian Bowers, Assistant Managing Editor, News [email protected] Trump administration done for the after- of powerful terrorist state. Irreplaceable,” this cause it to collapse? If it does collapse, math? This escalated very quickly from Dubowitz tweeted Jan. 2. “It’s like losing what happens then? CIRCULATION the breach of the U.S. Embassy grounds in your JSOC commander, CIA director & So there are lots of ways this could go Baghdad two days before. We know from foreign minister — all at once.” badly in the next few weeks. But not every Mideast the Trump years that any time this admin- Andrew Exum, who served as the U.S. predicted bad thing happens. Soleimani’s Robert Reismann, Mideast Circulation Manager istration has increased pressure on the deputy assistant secretary of defense for death in the abstract is not the worst thing [email protected] [email protected] Iranian regime, there has been an asym- Middle East policy during the Obama ad- for U.S. interests in the region. We are DSN (314)583-9111 metric response that involves attacks on ministration, made a similar observation about to see whether the abstract matches U.S. forces and the strategic assets of its in the Atlantic: “From a military and dip- the real. Europe allies. We also know that Iran has a pretty lomatic perspective, Soleimani was Iran’s Daniel W. Drezner is a professor of Karen Lewis, Community Engagement Manager large network of loyalists across the region David Petraeus and Stan McChrystal and [email protected] international politics at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. [email protected] that could be activated for such an attack. Brett McGurk all rolled into one. And +49(0)631.3615.9090; DSN (314)583.9090 Pacific Mari Mori, [email protected] +81-3 6385.3171; DSN (315)227.7333 Russians are masters of deception on cyberwars CONTACT US BY DAVID IGNATIUS group. Chertoff notes that although State mestic protests, argued that it has been “a Washington Washington Post Writers Group and Justice Department officials have victim of cyber weapon[s],” presumably a tel: (+1)202.886.0003 tried to counter Russian efforts, there has reference to the alleged Stuxnet attack by 633 3rd St. NW, Suite 116, Washington, DC 20001-3050 WASHINGTON been little top-level focus from the Trump the U.S. and Israel. hen it comes to international White House. “I don’t think cybersecurity A leading architect of Russia’s inter- Reader letters cybersecurity issues, you have has been elevated to a priority in the way [email protected] net strategy has been Andrey Krutskikh, to credit Russia for its bald- that tariffs have been, even though it’s a special representative of President faced hypocrisy. The fox, as it Additional contacts W more important to the global economy in Vladimir Putin for information security. were, has just managed to get itself elected stripes.com/contactus the 21st century.” Sources described a comment he made to chairman of the committee to protect the “The Russians see information secu- a Moscow audience in February 2016, as OMBUDSMAN henhouse. rity as security against information they the Russians were about to launch their Last week Russia won approval from the don’t like,” Chertoff explains. Russia tries Ernie Gates U.N. General Assembly for its resolution to to block reporting that challenges its gov- hacking assault on the U.S. presidential begin drafting a new global treaty to com- ernment narratives, just as China uses its election: “I’m warning you: We are at the The Stars and Stripes ombudsman protects the free flow bat cybercrime. Yes, that’s right, the coun- verge of having ‘something’ in the infor- of news and information, reporting any attempts by the “Great Firewall” to restrict the flow of military or other authorities to undermine the newspaper’s try that hacked the 2016 U.S. presidential negative information inside its borders. mation arena, which will allow us to talk to independence. The ombudsman also responds to concerns elections and various European campaigns Both countries are exporting these censor- the Americans as equals.” and questions from readers, and monitors coverage for fair- Krutskikh and his Russian colleagues ness, accuracy, timeliness and balance. The ombudsman is now leading the process to write interna- ing technologies to other nations that want welcomes comments from readers, and can be contacted tional rules about hacking. to suppress dissent. have been wooing foreigners toward what by email at [email protected], or by phone at What’s the Russian word for “People should pay attention,” agrees he described in March as “depoliticized 202.886.0003. “chutzpah”? Chris Painter, who was the Obama admin- expert dialogue” about cybersecurity. The Russian plan was opposed — fee- istration’s top cyber diplomat. He notes One example was his meeting in Mos- bly, it must be said — by the U.S. and some Stars and Stripes (USPS 0417900) is published week- that the Russians have been trying for two cow in November with Henri Verdier, days (except Dec. 25 and Jan. 1) for 50 cents Monday European countries. A State Department decades to shape global internet rules that France’s ambassador for digital affairs. through Thursday and for $1 on Friday by Pacific Stars and official warned reporters on Dec. 19, eight match their interests. But with the cyber- The two agreed on “the need to develop Stripes, Unit 45002, APO AP 96301-5002. Periodicals postage paid at San Francisco, CA, Postmaster: Send days before the measure passed, that the crime treaty, “they’ve taken it to the next international cooperation” in cyberspace, address changes to Pacific Stars and Stripes, Unit 45002, U.S. had “very serious concerns” about level.” within a U.N. framework, according to a APO AP 96301-5002. such a treaty that would “stand against The Russians never joined the U.S.-led This newspaper is authorized by the Department of Russian press release . How’s that again? Defense for members of the military services overseas. fundamental American freedoms.” A 2001 Budapest Convention on cybercrime, Isn’t France one of America’s digital allies, However, the contents of Stars and Stripes are unofficial, similar caution came from a coalition that signed by 67 nations, viewing it as too in- and wasn’t President Emmanuel Macron a and are not to be considered as the official views of, or included the European Union and promi- trusive. They took part in a U.N. “Group victim of Russian hacking during his 2017 endorsed by, the U.S. government. As a DOD newspaper, nent nongovernmental organizations. “The of Governmental Experts” on the inter- Stars and Stripes may be distributed through official chan- presidential campaign? It’s complicated, nels and use appropriated funds for distribution to remote approach taken ... is fundamentally flawed net and embraced its consensus norms in locations where overseas DOD personnel are located. and would restrict the use of the internet for 2013 and 2015, but they balked in 2017 and apparently. Kommersant, the Russian The appearance of advertising in this publication does newspaper, quoted Verdier saying after the not constitute endorsement by the Department of Defense human rights, and social and economic de- formed a rival U.N. oversight organization or Stars and Stripes of the products or services advertised. velopment,” an open letter signed by NGOs called the “Open-Ended Working Group” meeting: “France has not officially attrib- Products or services advertised shall be made available for said. But the measure, backed by China, in 2018. The working group has received uted cyberattacks to anyone.” purchase, use or patronage without regard to race, color, As I said, you have to hand it to the Rus- religion, sex, national origin, age, marital status, physical passed 79 to 60, with 33 abstentions. submissions from nations that suppress handicap, political affiliation or any other nonmerit factor “I think this is a pretty big deal, espe- internet freedom. China inevitably called sians when it comes to information wars. of the purchaser, user or patron. cially in how we control the internet and for “win-win cooperation” but insisted They are masters of deception and denial, © Stars and Stripes 2020 who gets to govern it,” says Michael Cher- that “the principle of sovereignty applies never more effectively than in the internet toff, a former secretary of homeland se- in cyberspace.” Iran, which closed off the age. They pick your pockets, and then they stripes.com curity who runs a large cyber consulting internet in November to try to suppress do- offer to help you call the police. PAGE 16 • S TARS AND STRIPES• Saturday, January 4, 2020 Saturday, January 4, 2020 •STARS AND STRIPES•PAGE 17 SCOREBOARD/COLLEGE FOOTBALL Bowl roundup Sports College basketball College football on AFN Thursday’s men’s scores Thursday’s women’s scores Bowl schedule EAST EAST Friday, Dec. 20 Vols’ late Boston U. 73, Lafayette 72 Albany (NY) 58, Vermont 49 Bahamas Bowl Brown 85, Rhode Island 75 American U. 63, Colgate 61 Buffalo 31, Charlotte 9 Bryant 67, St. Francis (Pa.) 63 Bucknell 63, Army 52 Frisco (Texas) Bowl Go to the American Forces Bucknell 67, Army 65 Fairfield 65, Siena 35 Kent State 51, Utah State 41 Network website for the most Colgate 65, American U. 51 Fairleigh Dickinson 62, St. Francis Saturday, Dec. 21 TDs stun Dayton 84, La Salle 58 Brooklyn 57 Celebration Bowl up-to-date TV schedules. Holy Cross 64, Loyola (Md.) 56 NC A&T 64, Alcorn State 44 Duquesne 73, Saint Louis 59 New Mexico Bowl Loyola (Md.) 80, Holy Cross 70 Iona 75, Quinnipiac 71 myafn.net Lafayette 59, Boston U. 57 San Diego State 48, Central Michigan 11 Maine 75, Columbia 72 Lehigh 70, Navy 40 Cure Bowl Hoosiers Marshall 89, Rice 69 Maine 87, Hartford 73 Liberty 23, Georgia Southern 16 Merrimack 65, Sacred Heart 57 Manhattan 68, Canisius 50 Boca Raton (Fla.) Bowl Deals Navy 64, Lehigh 58 Marist 76, Monmouth (NJ) 66 FAU 52, SMU 28 Northeastern 77, Elon 68 Mass.-Lowell 58, New Hampshire 53 Camellia Bowl Robert Morris 89, CCSU 78 Mount St. Mary’s 78, Wagner 63 Arkansas State 34, FIU 26 in Gator Thursday’s transactions St. Francis Brooklyn 79, Fairleigh Dick- Notre Dame 60, Pittsburgh 52 Las Vegas Bowl inson 63 Penn 90, Chaminade 39 Washington 38, Boise State 7 BASEBALL Vermont 77, Dartmouth 68 Rider 79, Niagara 75 New Orleans Bowl Major League Baseball Wagner 66, Mount St. Mary’s 47 Robert Morris 86, CCSU 56 Appalachian State 31, UAB 17 Associated Press MLB — Announced New York Yankees William & Mary 88, Hofstra 61 Sacred Heart 63, Merrimack 60 Monday, Dec. 23 pitcher Domingo German accepted an SOUTH St. Francis (Pa.) 63, Bryant 60 Gasparilla Bowl UCF 48, Marshall 25 JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Ten- 81-game suspension under Major League Austin Peay 78, SE Missouri 63 Stony Brook 57, UMBC 45 Baseball’s Joint Domestic Violence, Sex- Tuesday, Dec. 24 Charleston Southern 89, SC-Upstate 75 Syracuse 90, Florida St. 89 nessee sure knows how to get out ual Assault and Child Abuse Policy. Hawaii Bowl Charlotte 51, UAB 44 UConn 83, Wichita St. 55 of a huge hole. American League Yale 68, Mercer 60 Hawaii 38, BYU 34 Coll. of Charleston 81, Towson 69 Thursday, Dec. 26 BOSTON RED SOX — Signed C Kevin SOUTH The Volunteers scored twice in Plawecki to a one-year contract. Desig- E. Kentucky 74, Tennessee Tech 59 Independence Bowl FAU 79, UTSA 64 Belmont 69, SIU-Edwardsville 48 Louisiana Tech 14, Miami 0 a 30-second span late, using an nated 1B-OF Sam Travis for assignment. Charlotte 83, UAB 75 CHICAGO WHITE SOX — Agreed to FIU 69, UTEP 67 Quick Lane Bowl onside kick to help escape a 13- Gardner-Webb 67, Campbell 65 E. Illinois 73, Tennessee St. 52 Pittsburgh 34, Eastern Michigan 30 terms with OF Luis Robert on a six-year Furman 62, Newberry 43 contract. Georgia Southern 70, Coastal Carolina 67 Friday, Dec. 27 point deficit, and then held on to Georgia 58, Mississippi 51 Military Bowl TEXAS RANGERS — Named Doug Georgia St. 69, Appalachian St. 60 Georgia Southern 64, La.-Monroe 47 stun Indiana 23-22 in the Gator Mathis bullpen coach and Darwin Barney North Carolina 55, Temple 13 Jacksonville St. 76, Morehead St. 72 Georgia Tech 61, Miami 54 manager of Nashville (PCL). Signed OF James Madison 64, UNC-Wilmington 60 Pinstripe Bowl Bowl on Thursday night. Henry Ramos to minor league contract. LSU 71, Alabama 60 Michigan State 27, Wake Forest 21 Lamar 74, New Orleans 67 Louisiana-Lafayette 75, Georgia St. 65 The rally was indicative of Ten- BASKETBALL Liberty 59, Florida Gulf Coast 46 Texas Bowl Louisville 75, Clemson 50 Texas A&M 24, Oklahoma State 21 National Basketball Association Lipscomb 66, Stetson 63 nessee’s season, which started 1- Mississippi St. 93, Florida 47 Holiday Bowl NBA — Fined Sacramento C Dewayne Louisiana-Monroe 79, Troy 63 Dedmon $50,000 by the NBA for public Morehead St. 67, Jacksonville St. 48 Iowa 49, Southern Cal 24 4 and ended with six consecutive Murray St. 89, UT Martin 76 statements detrimental to the NBA and N. Kentucky 75, Youngstown St. 56 Cheez-It Bowl wins. its teams. Nicholls 76, Incarnate Word 60 NC State 76, Virginia Tech 69 Air Force 31, Washington State 21 FOOTBALL North Alabama 62, Jacksonville 57 North Carolina 65, Virginia 47 Saturday, Dec. 28 “Everybody in the country had National Football League North Florida 76, Kennesaw St. 57 Old Dominion 67, Middle Tennessee 56 Camping World Bowl given up on these guys,” second- ATLANTA FALCONS — Announced Old Dominion 70, Middle Tennessee 60 SE Missouri 79, Austin Peay 66 Orlando, Fla. the resignations of defensive passing Presbyterian 79, UNC-Asheville 77 South Alabama 81, Appalachian St. 66 Notre Dame 33, Iowa State 9 year coach Jeremy Pruitt said. game coordinator and secondary coach Richmond 84, Saint Joseph’s 52 South Carolina 99, Kentucky 72 Cotton Bowl Classic Pruitt was talking about the Jerome Henderson and assistant defen- SIU-Edwardsville 79, Belmont 69 Tennessee 77, Missouri 66 Arlington, Texas sive line coach Travis Jones. Sam Houston St. 94, McNeese St. 75 Tennessee Tech 60, E. Kentucky 42 Penn State 53, Memphis 39 season. He could have been talk- DETROIT LIONS — Announced the res- South Alabama 60, La.-Lafayette 57 Texas A&M-CC 72, Northwestern St. 59 Peach Bowl ing about the game. Troy 84, Coastal Carolina 77 ignation of defensive coordinator Paul Stephen F. Austin 82, SE Louisiana 71 Atlanta The Hoosiers (8-5) looked to be Pasqualoni. Announced defensive line Tennessee St. 84, E. Illinois 79 UT Martin 89, Murray St. 64 LSU 63, Oklahoma 28 Vanderbilt 77, Auburn 55 coach Jeff Davidson is taking an indefi- VCU 64, Fordham 46 Fiesta Bowl in control in the second half after nite leave from coaching. Wake Forest 60, Duke 58 Glendale, Ariz. W. Kentucky 93, North Texas 84 Wofford 82, Brevard College 34 Clemson 29, Ohio State 23 scoring two touchdowns in a 1:03 WASHINGTON REDSKINS — Named Winthrop 91, Longwood 67 Jack Del Rio defensive coordinator. MIDWEST Monday, Dec. 30 MIDWEST span, the second one coming on HOCKEY Detroit 70, Ill.-Chicago 62 SERVPRO First Responder Bowl National Hockey League Michigan St. 76, Illinois 56 IUPUI 76, Oakland 41 Dallas Jamar Johnson’s 63-yard inter- ANAHEIM DUCKS — Recalled D Chris N. Dakota St. 94, W. Illinois 74 S. Dakota St. 58, Oral Roberts 44 Western Kentucky 23, Western Michi- ception return, and later adding a Wideman from San Diego (AHL). Purdue 83, Minnesota 78 W. Illinois 79, N. Dakota St. 78 gan 20 ARIZONA COYOTES — Assigned F Mi- S. Dakota St. 96, Oral Roberts 79 Wright St. 78, Cleveland St. 62 Music City Bowl pair of field goals. chael Chaput to Tucson (AHL). UMKC 90, Seattle 86 SOUTHWEST Nashville, Tenn. Indiana was up 22-9 before BUFFALO SABRES — Traded D Marco Utah Valley 94, Chicago St. 73 FAU 80, UTSA 53 Louisville 38, Mississippi State 28 Scandella to the Montreal Canadiens for SOUTHWEST Incarnate Word 53, Nicholls 51 Redbox Bowl Tennessee (8-5) shocked most of a fourth-round draft pick. Acquired F Mi- Houston Baptist 111, Cent. Arkansas 107 New Orleans 62, Lamar 57 Santa Clara, Calif. the nearly 62,000 fans on hand. chael Frolik from the Calgary Flames for Texas A&M-CC 67, Northwestern St. 62 North Texas 61, W. Kentucky 54 California 35, Illinois 20 Montreal’s fourth round draft pick. Texas-Arlington 73, Arkansas St. 52 Rice 81, Marshall 43 Orange Bowl Quavaris Crouch scored on a 1- DALLAS STARS — Recalled LW Joel Ki- UALR 72, Texas State 68 Sam Houston St. 92, McNeese St. 59 Miami Gardens, Fla. Florida 36, Virginia 28 yard plunge and then fellow run- viranta from Texas (AHL). FAR WEST Stephen F. Austin 77, SE Louisiana 51 SOCCER Texas A&M 84, Arkansas 77 Tuesday, Dec. 31 ning back Eric Gray recovered a California Baptist 76, Rio Grande 67 Belk Bowl Major League Soccer Colorado 74, Oregon 65 Texas-Arlington 71, Arkansas St. 44 surprise onside kick that barely Signed D Emiliano In- Charlotte, N.C. LA GALAXY — Gonzaga 85, Portland 72 UALR 78, Texas State 66 sua. UTEP 64, FIU 34 Kentucky 37, Virginia Tech 30 went the mandatory 10 yards. PORTLAND TIMBERS — Acquired M Idaho 72, Portland St. 61 Sun Bowl Loyola Marymount 64, San Diego 58 FAR WEST Gray scored from 16 yards out a Yimmi Chara from Clube Atletico Mineiro Cal Poly 100, Holy Names 35 El Paso, Texas (Brazil). Montana 60, S. Utah 58 Gonzaga 55, BYU 43 Arizona State 20, Florida State 14 few plays later to put the Vols on COLLEGE N. Colorado 68, Montana St. 59 Montana 81, S. Utah 74 Liberty Bowl top for good. ARMY — Named Nate Woody defen- North Dakota 82, Denver 71 Montana St. 91, N. Colorado 58 Memphis, Tenn. sive coordinator. Pacific 59, Pepperdine 56 New Mexico St. 57, California Baptist 56 Navy 20, Kansas State 17 “Obviously, very very disap- MISSISSIPPI — Named D.J. Durkin as- Saint Mary’s (Cal) 69, San Francisco 58 Pacific 76, Loyola Marymount 67 Arizona Bowl pointing to have a fourth-quar- sistant defensive coach. Southern Cal 65, Washington St. 56 Portland St. 74, Idaho 53 Tucson, Ariz. NORTH CAROLINA — Announced Stanford 68, California 52 Saint Mary’s (Cal) 85, Pepperdine 78 Wyoming 38, Georgia State 17 ter lead and let it slip away,” said outside linebackers coach and special UC Santa Barbara 87, Westmont 66 San Diego 74, Portland 55 Alamo Bowl Indiana coach Tom Allen, whose teams coordinator Scott Boone won’t re- UCLA 66, Washington 64 San Antonio UMKC 76, Seattle 65 Texas 38, Utah 10 turn next season. Utah 81, Oregon St. 69 Utah Valley 89, Chicago St. 58 team was seeking its first nine- PURDUE — Named Bob Diaco defen- Wednesday, Jan. 1 sive coordinator and linebackers coach. Citrus Bowl win season since 1967. “I’m not RUTGERS — Named Tiquan Under- Orlando, Fla. going to sit here and point fingers wood wide receivers coach. AP sportlight Alabama 35, Michigan 16 Outback Bowl and blame. At the end of the day, Tampa, Fla. it’s my responsibility for us to find Jan. 4 2005 — Matt Leinart throws five touch- Minnesota 31, Auburn 24 Golf 1970 — The Minnesota Vikings become down passes and Southern California Rose Bowl a way to win the game. We didn’t the first expansion team to win the NFL overwhelms Oklahoma 55-19 in the Or- Pasadena, Calif. do that.” title by beating the Cleveland Browns 27- ange Bowl. USC (13-0) is the first team to Oregon 28, Wisconsin 27 Tournament of Champions 7 in 8-degree temperatures in Blooming- repeat as AP national champions since Sugar Bowl Gray was named the game’s ton, Minn. Nebraska in 1994-95 and joins Florida New Orleans Most Valuable Player. Thursday 1970 — Kansas City’s defense, high- State in 1999 as the only teams to go Georgia 26, Baylor 14 At Plantation Course at Kapalua lighted by four interceptions, three in wire-to-wire — from preseason to post Thursday, Jan. 2 “It’s amazing,” he said. “When Kapalua, Maui, Hawaii the final quarter, carries the Chiefs to a bowls — as No. 1. Birmingham (Ala.) Bowl adversity hits, you got to put on Purse: $6.7 million 17-7 victory over Oakland Raiders in the 2006 — Second-ranked Texas ends Cincinnati 38, Boston College 6 Yardage: 7,596; Par 73 (36-37) last AFL title game. Southern California’s 34-game winning Gator Bowl more steam.” First Round 1976 — The Dallas Cowboys become streak, beating the two-time defend- Jacksonville, Fla. No. 23 Cincinnati 38, Bos- Joaquin Niemann 32-34—66 -7 the first wild-card team to make it to the ing national champion 41-38 in the Rose Tennessee 23, Indiana 22 Justin Thomas 35-32—67 -6 Super Bowl with a 37-7 rout of the Los Bowl. The Longhorns also snap USC’s re- Friday, Jan. 3 ton College 6: Desmond Rid- Matt Kuchar 33-35—68 -5 Angeles Rams in the NFC title game. cord string of 33 consecutive weeks as Famous Idaho Potato Bowl der ran for 105 yards and three Rickie Fowler 33-35—68 -5 1986 — Eric Dickerson shatters the the No. 1 team in The Associated Press Boise Tyler Duncan 36-33—69 -4 NFL playoff record with a 248-yard rush- Top 25. The Longhorns, a unanimous Ohio (6-6) vs. Nevada (7-5) touchdowns and threw a scoring Matthew Wolff 35-34—69 -4 ing performance and two touchdowns to choice, wins a national championship Saturday, Jan. 4 pass to lead the Bearcats past the Patrick Cantlay 34-35—69 -4 lead the Los Angeles Rams to a 20-0 win for the first time since 1969. Armed Forces Bowl Fort Worth, Texas Jon Rahm 34-35—69 -4 over the Dallas Cowboys. 2012 — Geno Smith ties a record for Eagles in the lightning-delayed Xander Schauffele 34-35—69 -4 1992 — Mike Gartner of the New York Southern Miss (7-5) vs. Tulane (6-6) any bowl game with six touchdown Monday, Jan. 6 Birmingham Bowl. J.T. Poston 36-34—70 -3 Rangers scores his 1,000th NHL point passes, including four to Tavon Austin, with a power-play goal in the third peri- Lendingtree Bowl Brendon Todd 37-34—71 -2 and West Virginia sets a bowl scoring Cincinnati (11-3) reached 11 Lanto Griffin 33-38—71 -2 od of a 6-4 loss to the New Jersey Devils. Mobile, Ala. record by beating Clemson 70-33 in the Nate Lashley 34-37—71 -2 1997 — The Jacksonville Jaguars, in Miami (Ohio) (8-5) vs. Louisiana-La- wins for the second straight sea- Collin Morikawa 38-33—71 -2 their second year, beat the Broncos in Orange Bowl. fayette (10-3) son and fourth in program history, Ryan Palmer 36-35—71 -2 Denver to advance to the AFC Champion- 2013 — Heisman Trophy winner John- Monday, Jan. 13 Sebastian Muir 35-37—72 -1 ship game. ny Manziel runs for two touchdowns, College Football Championship bouncing back from two straight Dylan Frittelli 37-35—72 -1 2000 — Top-ranked Florida State, the passes for two more and has a Cotton New Orleans losses to No. 15 Memphis. Boston Sung Kang 35-37—72 -1 preseason No. 1, holds off Virginia Tech Bowl-record 516 total yards as Texas Clemson (14-0) vs. LSU (14-0) Dustin Johnson 35-37—72 -1 46-29 in the Sugar Bowl to finish 12-0 and A&M wraps up its first SEC season with Saturday, Jan. 18 College (6-7) was outgained 459- Kevin Kisner 36-36—72 -1 win the national championship. Florida a 41-13 win over Oklahoma. Manziel sets East-West Shrine Classic 164 in total yards to finish a tur- Patrick Reed 38-34—72 -1 State is the first team to go wire-to-wire an FBS bowl record with his 229 yards At St. Petersburg, Fla. Jim Herman 35-38—73 E in The Associated Press’ poll since pre- rushing on 17 carries and completes 22 East vs. West bulent postseason. Cameron Champ 37-36—73 E season rankings began in 1950. of 34 passes for 287 yards. NFLPA Collegiate Bowl Coach Steve Addazio was fired Corey Conners 36-37—73 E 2002 — Michael Jordan becomes the 2013 — Mikaela Shiffrin becomes the At Pasadena, Calif. Gary Woodland 36-37—73 E fourth player in NBA history to score first American woman to win two World American vs. National after seven seasons and star tail- Martin Trainer 37-37—74 +1 30,000 points, reaching the milestone for Cup races before turning 18. The 17-year- back A.J. Dillon declared for the Adam Long 36-38—74 +1 the Washington Wizards in an 89-83 win old captures a slalom in Zagreb, Croatia NCAA FCS playoffs Graeme McDowell 39-35—74 +1 over his old team, the Chicago Bulls. by a massive 1.19-second margin. Her NFL Draft and skipped the bowl Paul Casey 38-36—74 +1 2003 — Bode Miller wins his second first victory came last month in Sweden. Championship game. Chez Reavie 36-38—74 +1 straight World Cup giant slalom in Kranjs- 2016 — Colorado’s Jarome Iginla be- Saturday, Jan. 11 Max Homa 38-37—75 +2 ka Gora, Slovenia, to move into first place comes the 19th member of the 600-goal At Toyota Stadium Dillon was clearly missed. Bos- Kevin Na 38-38—76 +3 in the World Cup overall standings. It’s the club, scoring a power-play goal in the Frisco, Texas Keith Mitchell 36-40—76 +3 first time an American man has held the third period, and the Avalanche beat Los North Dakota State (15-0) vs. James ton College got its only points on J.B. Holmes 37-41—78 +5 overall lead since Phil Mahre in 1983. Angeles 4-1. Madison (14-1) special teams. PAGE 18 •STARS AND STRIPES• Saturday, January 4, 2020 COLLEGE BASKETBALL Conference races prepare to heat up

BY JOHN MARSHALL Michigan to 43 points earlier in Associated Press December, They also have one of the nation’s best players in Jordan The holidays gave teams a Nwora, who averages 20.2 points chance to recover, recharge and and 7.2 rebounds. reset from the first two months of the season. The Seminoles (11-2, 1-1) made As the calendar flips to 2020, a Sweet 16 run last season after conference play begins for some being overlooked and have the leagues, heats up for those that type of experienced team that already started. could prove projections wrong The road to March is about to again this year. heat up. This weekend features four Nittany Lions and games between ranked opponents and several other Top 25 teams the Hawkeyes facing stiff tests. The Big Ten will have a match- It starts Saturday with a Big 12 up of ranked teams on Saturday, bruiser: No. 16 West Virginia at when No. 21 Penn State faces No. 3 Kansas. STEVE DIPAOLA/AP No. 23 Iowa at The Palestra in The Jayhawks (10-2) won the Portland’s Quincy Ferebee, left, and Theo Akwuba, right, pressure Gonzaga’ Ryan Woolridge during the Maui Invitational, knocked off Philadelphia. first half on Thursday in Portland, Ore. The top-rannked Bulldogs had to rally for the victory. a ranked Colorado team and The Nittany Lions (11-2) were stomped Stanford on Sunday. blown out by Ohio State, but Kansas has one of the most formi- bounced back by beating then- Top 25 roundup dable front courts in the country No. 4 Maryland. with Udoka Azubuike and David The Hawkeyes have losses to McComack, and talented guards No. 13 San Diego State and No. 12 to play with them. Michigan, but beat No. 22 Texas The Mountaineers (11-1) are Tech. Tillie sparks Gonzaga’s rally back to playing don’t-give-an- Both teams have dynamic scor- inch defense under Bob Huggins ers. Penn State’s Lamar Stevens Associated Press after missing the NCAA Tourna- averages 16.4 points and 7.2 re- rimeter. The teams finished with eight three-point- ment last season. West Virginia ers apiece in the end. bounds after testing the NBA PORTLAND, Ore. — Challenged by Portland to won the Cancun Challenge by The Bulldogs closed the gap early in the second waters during the offseason. Iowa open conference play, top-ranked Gonzaga leaned knocking off No. 24 Wichita State half on Woolridge’s layup and three-pointer to pull forward Luke Garza leads the on the experience and leadership of Killian Tillie. and pushed around No. 5 Ohio to 47-46. Tillie’s layup and dunk gave Gonzaga back State in a 67-59 win on Sunday league in scoring at 21.5 points Tillie had 22 points, Corey Kispert added 18 and the lead at 50-47. Tillie’s free throws capped the 16- the Bulldogs rallied from a second-half deficit to after laboring in a win against per game and averages 10.0 re- 0 run, which made it 55-47. Youngstown State. bounds. This one should be fun to beat Portland 85-72 on Thursday night for their 12th Tillie’s three-pointer extended Gonzaga’s lead to straight victory over the Pilots. “I think it’s that old adage of watch. 67-55. Five Zags finished in double figures. respect all and fear none,” Hug- “I tried to tell them, ‘We’re good, we’ve been like “Listen, Portland, they did a good job, man. They that before. We’ve just got to answer. We have to get gins said after the Ohio State vic- Tough tests took it to us in every facet of the game,” Few said. tory. “We came off not respecting the crowd going and get ourselves going with hustle “They played harder than us, they were way tough- plays on the floor,’ ” Tillie said about his team falling Youngstown and they gave us a A handful of Top 25 teams face er than we were, and they were executing better heck of a game. Hopefully our difficult games against unranked behind at halftime. “And we did that.” and stepping up and making tough shots and mak- The senior from France scored 18 points in the guys learned from that. We’re not opponents this week. ing free throws, and we weren’t. They deserve a lot afraid to play people, obviously, Oregon climbed to No. 4 this second half. of credit for that.” or why would we do this?” week to match it highest ranking, Gonzaga coach Mark Few said Tillie’s leadership Colorado 74, No. 4 Oregon 65: McKinley calms the team, even though Tillie has been slowed Wright IV scored 11 of his 21 points in the final 5 with the 2017 Final Four team. by injuries again this season. After the game, his left minutes, and the host Buffaloes beat another ranked Rivaly renewed The Ducks have a difficult start ankle was wrapped in ice. to the Pac-12 season. They lost at team, taking down the Ducks. No. 12 Michigan (10-3, 1-1 Big “Tillie’s leadership has been great,” Few said. Tyler Bey added 15 points and grabbed 14 re- Ten) has fallen back since match- Colorado on Thursday and play at “He’s really been fighting a lot of things, but his bounds as Colorado (12-2, 1-0 Pac-12) improved to ing a record by debuting at No. 4 Utah on Saturday. leadership has been spectacular, his toughness has 9-0 all-time against Oregon (11-3, 0-1) in Boulder. in the AP Top 25 on Dec. 2. The The Buffaloes were picked right been spectacular, and just his ability to calmly make Colorado also moved to 2-1 against ranked teams Wolverines lost to Louisville after behind Oregon in the Pac-12 pre- plays.” this season. The Buffaloes are 19-32 under coach their monumental poll climb and season poll and were ranked ear- Ryan Woolridge had 15 points for Gonzaga (15- Tad Boyle against teams in the AP Top 25 since he followed with losses to Illinois lier this season. Utah has been up 1), which began West Coast Conference play with took over in 2010-11. and No. 4 Oregon. and down, but one of the ups was its seventh straight win. The Bulldogs’ lone loss This was a matchup between the teams picked to Following a pair of easy victo- a victory over No. 17 Kentucky in this season came in the Bahamas on Nov. 29 to finish first (Oregon) and second (Colorado) in the ries, Michigan gets a huge test Michigan. Las Vegas. Pac-12 preseason media poll. on Sunday, facing rival Michigan No. 25 Arizona (10-3) has It was the fifth consecutive loss for Portland (8-8, Payton Pritchard had 21 points to lead Oregon, State. dropped off some since a strong 0-1). JoJo Walker led the Pilots with 15 points. while Chris Duarte added 10. The Buffs held Or- The 14th-ranked Spartans start to the season, losing at No. The Bulldogs entered as the highest-scoring team egon to 3 of 18 shooting from three-point range. (10-3, 2-0) are trying to figure 18 Baylor, at home to top-ranked in the nation, averaging 88.5 points per game, but No. 14 Michigan State 76, Illinois 56: Cassius things out since star guard Cas- Gonzaga and to St. John’s in San the Pilots surprisingly took a 42-35 lead into half- Winston had 21 points and Xavier Tillman scored 19 sius Winston’s brother was hit by time, stunning the sizable contingent of Zags fans at to lead the host Spartans past the Illini. a train and killed in early Novem- Francisco. the Chiles Center. Michigan State (11-3, 3-0 Big Ten) has won six ber. They may also be without the The Wildcats open Pac-12 play A 16-0 run early in the second half gave the lead straight and has won its first three conference All-American senior against the with a rivalry game, facing Ari- back to Gonzaga, which led by as many as 18. games to stay alone in first place. Wolverines. zona State on Saturday. The Sun “Obviously, they’re the No. 1 team in the nation. The Spartans pulled away early in the second half Winston suffered a bone bruise Devils have been inconsistent Having the chance to host them in our building, with a 15-3 run. in his left knee during practice and were run out of the gym in a (it was) a pretty special opportunity for us and I Ayo Dosunmu scored 13 of his 18 points in the last week and did not play in loss to Saint Mary’s, but have tal- thought our guys in the first half did a great job of first half for the Illini (9-4, 1-2). Michigan State’s win over West- ent and will certainly be up for stepping up to the challenge,” Portland coach Terry No. 20 Dayton 84, La Salle 58: Obi Toppin ern Michigan on Sunday night. playing their biggest rival. Porter said. “But in the second half they just turned scored 20 points and the visiting Flyers used a big No. 13 San Diego State is one of it up, we just started getting loose with the ball, start first-half run to cruise past La Salle in their Atlantic ACC showdown two remaining undefeated Divi- turning over and some intangibles, some injured 10 opener. players, and that allowed them to get back in and Toppin was one of five Dayton players to score The ACC is always tough and sion I teams — with No. 8 Auburn allowed them to build a lead.” in double figures as the Flyers clamped down de- Saturday will be no different for — but will face a big challenge Portland led 32-27 following Isaiah White’s three- fensively on the Explorers, holding them without No. 7 Louisville and No. 18 Flor- Saturday, playing at Utah State. pointer, and the Pilots’ bench celebrated wildly when a three-pointer until midway through the second ida State. The Aggies were ranked ear- Walker’s fast-break layup fell to make it 34-29. half. The Cardinals (11-2, 2-0 ACC) lier this season and have one of The Pilots shot 6-for-8 on three-pointers in the The Flyers (12-2, 1-0) broke the game open mid- are smarting after losing to rival the nation’s top guards in Sam first half, while Gonzaga was 2-for-10 from the pe- way through the first half with an 18-0 run . Kentucky on Dec. 28, but held Merrill. Saturday, January 4, 2020 •STARS AND STRIPES• PAGE 19 NBA Around the NBA Teams rising in the East

BY TIM REYNOLDS hovering in seventh — Brooklyn Associated Press in the East, Oklahoma City in the Scoreboard West. he West is used to being Then there’s a below-.500 team loaded at the top. in eighth — Orlando in the East, Eastern Conference The East, not so much. San Antonio in the West. Atlantic Division But a new year has W L Pct GB T The East and West have split Boston 23 8 .742 — arrived with a new look in the the past eight NBA Finals, so it’s Toronto 23 12 .657 2 NBA’s Eastern Conference. The Philadelphia 23 13 .639 2A not like there’s been a huge dis- Brooklyn 16 17 .485 8 league woke up Wednesday — the New York 10 24 .294 14A parity in talent at the very top. first day of 2020 — with six East Southeast Division But the West, top to bottom, has Miami 25 9 .735 — teams with winning percent- Orlando 15 19 .441 10 unquestionably been the stronger Charlotte 14 23 .378 12A ages of .600 or better, the first Washington 10 23 .303 14A time that’s been the case on New side of the league for some time. Atlanta 7 27 .206 18 Things seem different now. Central Division Year’s Day since 1998. Milwaukee 31 5 .861 — “This is a tough part of the “It’s really competitive and you Indiana 22 13 .629 8A Chicago 13 22 .371 17A country, a tough part of our have to like this,” Miami coach Detroit 12 23 .343 18A league,” Philadelphia coach Brett Erik Spoelstra said. “You have to Cleveland 10 24 .294 20 Brown said. enjoy it as a competitor. People Western Conference have been disparaging the East- He didn’t say “finally,” but he Southwest Division could have. ern Conference for so long. You W L Pct GB Houston 23 11 .676 — LYNNE SLADKY/AP Just last spring, Brooklyn got have some really good teams Dallas 22 12 .647 1 the No. 6 seed in the East play- here in the East and the teams San Antonio 14 19 .424 8A Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler, left, reacts after center Bam Memphis 13 22 .371 10A offs at 42-40. This season, it won’t are proving it.” New Orleans 11 23 .324 12 Adebayo scored against the Toronto Raptors on Thursday in Miami. Northwest Division Adebayo had 15 points and 14 rebounds as the Heat won 84-76. be inconceivable if two teams in Denver 24 10 .706 — the East reach 50 wins and start Utah 22 12 .647 2 Decade in review Oklahoma City 19 15 .559 5 the playoffs on the road anyway Portland 14 21 .400 10A Roundup — which would be amazing, con- There were seven franchises Minnesota 13 21 .382 11 Pacific Division sidering that every 50-win team with at least one NBA champion- L.A. Lakers 27 7 .794 — ship in the 2010s. L.A. Clippers 25 11 .694 3 in the East since 1998 has gotten Phoenix 13 21 .382 14 a top-four seed. Golden State led the way with Sacramento 13 22 .371 14A Golden State 9 27 .250 19 Has there been a power shift three, followed by Miami with Wednesday’s games from one conference to another? two. Orlando 122, Washington 101 Heat edge Raptors New York 117, Portland 93 And can what seems to be hap- San Antonio was one of the five Milwaukee 106, Minnesota 104 pening in the East race last until L.A. Lakers 117, Phoenix 107 clubs with one — but a case could Thursday’s games April? be made for the Spurs being the Charlotte 109, Cleveland 106 Denver 124, Indiana 116 “My gut feel is, I think it can,” team of the decade. Miami 84, Toronto 76 Brown said. “To your overall The Spurs had the most wins Minnesota 99, Golden State 84 in defensive battle Utah 102, Chicago 98 question, is there a power shift, in the 2010s, whether just count- Dallas 123, Brooklyn 111 Associated Press I’m biased but I think quite ing the regular season or adding Oklahoma City 109, San Antonio 103 quarter, and seven rebounds. possibly.” Sacramento 128, Memphis 123 Clippers 126, Pistons 112: the regular season and the play- L.A. Clippers 126, Detroit 112 MIAMI — Bam Adebayo had That one could easily be ar- Friday’s games Montrezl Harrell scored 23 offs together. Oklahoma City was Atlanta at Boston 15 points and 14 rebounds and gued. Going into 2020, the basic Miami at Orlando points and Los Angeles survived No. 2 in regular-season wins, fol- the Miami Heat put together structure of the standings in each Portland at Washington without Paul George in the sec- lowed by Golden State, Houston Philadelphia at Houston their best defensive performance conference is basically the same. New York at Phoenix ond half to beat visiting Detroit, and Miami. of the season in an 84-76 vic- There’s a team that has broken New Orleans at L.A. Lakers winning consecutive games for The fewest wins? That would be Saturday’s games tory over the Toronto Raptors on a bit away atop the pack — Mil- Memphis at L.A. Clippers the first time since Dec. 13. Sacramento, followed by Minne- Toronto at Brooklyn Thursday night. George didn’t return after half- waukee in the East; the Los An- Utah at Orlando The Raptors’ total was their geles Lakers out West. sota, Brooklyn, Phoenix and New Indiana at Atlanta time because of left hamstring York. But a special decade long Oklahoma City at Cleveland lowest in more than four years — tightness. He scored 12 points. Then there are five teams Boston at Chicago also coming in a game at Miami jostling for spots 2 through 6 award for futility should go to De- Denver at Washington Thunder 109, Spurs 103: troit — the only team in the NBA Charlotte at Dallas on Nov. 8, 2015 — and the second- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 25 — Miami, Boston, Toronto, Phila- Detroit at Golden State lowest by any team in the NBA that didn’t win a playoff game in San Antonio at Milwaukee points and Oklahoma City over- delphia and Indiana in the East; New Orleans at Sacramento this season. Denver, the Los Angeles Clip- the 2010s. The Pistons have lost Sunday’s games came 30 by DeMar DeRozan to New York at L.A. Clippers “We took it to heart,” Adebayo beat the Spurs, snapping a nine- pers, Houston, Dallas and Utah 14 consecutive postseason con- Portland at Miami said. “We need to defend and in the West. tests since winning Game 4 of the Minnesota at Cleveland game skid in San Antonio. Memphis at Phoenix that’s what we did tonight.” Chris Paul had 10 of his 16 There’s a team around .500 2008 Eastern Conference finals. Detroit at L.A. Lakers Tyler Herro and Goran Dragic points in the fourth quarter to each scored 13 for Miami. The help Oklahoma City win its fourth Briefs Heat are 2-0 against the Raptors straight. this season and improved to 9-0 Timberwolves 99, Warriors after a loss. Miami and Milwau- 84: Shabazz Napier and Robert kee are the only teams to not lose Covington each scored 20 points Top pick Williamson returns to practice consecutive games this season. to help host Minnesota beat Gold- Derrick Jones Jr. scored 10 en State in a matchup of injury- Associated Press Doncic, Antetokounmpo lead voting points and Jimmy Butler finished ravaged teams. with eight points, 12 rebounds METAIRIE, La. — Zion Williamson returned to Hornets 109, Cavaliers 106: Dallas’ Luka Doncic received more fan votes than and seven assists for Miami. Devonte’ Graham hit a three- practice with the New Orleans Pelicans on Thurs- any other player in the opening week of balloting for Serge Ibaka had 19 points and day for the first time since he pointer with 26 seconds left the NBA All-Star Game. 10 rebounds for Toronto. Kyle to break a tie and cap visiting had arthroscopic knee surgery The NBA released the first voting totals Thursday Lowry scored 15 points, Rondae Charlotte’s late rally against shortly before the season. and Doncic has received 1,073,957 — 599 more than Hollis-Jefferson added 13 and OG Cleveland. The NBA’s top overall draft Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo. Anunoby had 12 points and 12 re- Kings 128, Grizzlies 123: choice out of Duke cannot yet LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers is the bounds. The Raptors shot 31.5% De’Aaron Fox scored 10 of his 27 say when he’ll make his regu- only other player to top a million votes so far. and were 6-for-42 from three- points in the final five minutes lar-season debut James, Lakers teammate Anthony Davis and the point range. and host Sacramento overcame a “I felt really good out there,” Los Angeles Clippers’ Kawhi Leonard are the run- Nuggets 124, Pacers 116: 20-point deficit in the first half to he said. away leaders in the Western Conference frontcourt. Michael Porter Jr. scored a ca- beat Memphis, ending an eight- Williamson, 6-foot-6 and 285 Williamson Doncic and Houston’s James Harden also are off to reer-high 25 points and Jamal game losing streak. pounds, said he first must pass enormous leads in the West guards race. Murray added 22 in visiting Den- Mavericks 123, Nets 111: “assessments” by team medical In the East, Antetokounmpo, Philadelphia’s Joel ver’s victory over Indiana. Luka Doncic scored 15 of his 31 staff before the decision can rest solely with him. Embiid and Toronto’s Pascal Siakam are the lead- The Nuggets have won three of points in the fourth quarter as Coach Alvin Gentry said Williamson participated ers for the starting frontcourt spots. Atlanta’s Trae four and earned this one despite host Dallas beat Brooklyn. fully in the on-court work, but the practice wasn’t Young has gotten the most votes so far in the East having Nikola Jokic in serious foul Jazz 102, Bulls 98: Bojan particularly strenuous. Gentry said Williamson is guard race, about 11,000 ahead of Brooklyn’s Kyrie trouble all night. Jokic finished Bogdanovic scored 19 points and not expected to play Friday or Saturday. Irving. with 22 points, 12 in the fourth visiting Utah held off Chicago. PAGE 20 •STARS AND STRIPES• Saturday, January 4, 2020 NHL/SPORTS BRIEFS NHL roundup NHL scoreboard Briefl y

Eastern Conference Wyche, Atlantic Division Avs top Blues to snap skid GP W L OT Pts GF GA Boston 42 24 7 11 59 139 107 Toronto 42 23 14 5 51 152 135 innovative Tampa Bay 39 22 13 4 48 139 121 Florida 40 21 14 5 47 145 137 Buffalo 42 18 17 7 43 124 133 Associated Press Montreal 41 18 17 6 42 132 133 Ottawa 41 16 20 5 37 114 138 NFL coach, Detroit 41 10 28 3 23 89 157 DENVER — With a big of- Metropolitan Division fensive push, the Colorado Ava- Washington 41 27 9 5 59 146 122 N.Y. Islanders 39 25 11 3 53 115 102 dead at 74 lanche turned the page on a tough Pittsburgh 40 24 11 5 53 138 107 stretch at home and against the Carolina 40 24 14 2 50 136 112 Philadelphia 41 22 14 5 49 131 123 St. Louis Blues in particular. Columbus 41 19 14 8 46 107 113 Associated Press Nazem Kadri scored twice, Na- N.Y. Rangers 40 19 17 4 42 132 136 New Jersey 40 15 19 6 36 104 139 than MacKinnon had a goal and Sam Wyche, who pushed the three assists, and the Avalanche Western Conference boundaries as an offensive inno- beat the Blues 7-3 Thursday Central Division vator with the Cincinnati Bengals GP W L OT Pts GF GA and challenged the NFL’s proto- night to snap a four-game skid at St. Louis 42 26 10 6 58 131 114 home. Colorado 41 24 13 4 52 151 122 cols along the way, has died. He Dallas 41 23 14 4 50 111 103 was 74. Rookie defenseman Cale Winnipeg 41 22 16 3 47 128 126 Makar added a power-play goal Minnesota 41 19 17 5 43 126 137 Wyche, who had a history of and an assist for the Avalanche, Nashville 39 18 15 6 42 134 131 blood clots in his lungs and had a Chicago 42 18 18 6 42 123 139 heart transplant in 2016 in Char- who also ended a six-game losing Pacific Division streak to the Blues, including two Vegas 44 23 15 6 52 139 129 lotte, N.C., died Thursday of mel- Arizona 43 23 16 4 50 122 110 anoma, officials with the Bengals losses earlier this season in St. Vancouver 41 22 15 4 48 139 124 Edmonton 43 21 17 5 47 127 137 confirmed. Louis. Mikko Rantanen J.T. Com- Calgary 43 21 17 5 47 118 130 “Sam was a wonderful guy. We pher also had power-play goals, San Jose 42 18 21 3 39 112 141 Los Angeles 42 17 21 4 38 109 132 got to know him as both a player and Joonas Donskoi had the other Anaheim 41 16 20 5 37 105 128 and a coach,“ Bengals president goal for the Avalanche. Samuel Note: Two points for a win, one point for overtime loss. Top three teams in Mike Brown said. “As our coach, Girard finished with four assists. each division and two wild cards per conference advance to playoffs. he had great success and took us “Today was a good start in the Thursday’s games to the Super Bowl. He was friends right direction,” said Avalanche JACK DEMPSEY/AP Columbus 2, Boston 1, OT Buffalo 3, Edmonton 2, OT with everyone here, both during goalie Philipp Grubauer, who had Tampa Bay 2, Montreal 1 his tenure as head coach and af- 24 saves. “Everybody was going. Avalanche right wing Joonas Donskoi, left, battles Blues center New Jersey 2, N.Y. Islanders 1 Brayden Schenn during the second period on Thursday in Denver. San Jose 3, Pittsburgh 2, OT terwards. We not only liked him, We need that. (The Blues) are a Florida 6, Ottawa 3 we admired him as a man.” really good team, so huge points Toronto 6, Winnipeg 3 Tristan Jarry 2:02 into the extra four-goal outburst in the second Arizona 4, Anaheim 2 One of the Bengals’ original for us. We didn’t do well the last Calgary 4, N.Y. Rangers 3 quarterbacks, Wyche was known couple games against them. It was period to give the Sharks only period. Colorado 7, St. Louis 3 their third win in 14 games. Joe Evgenii Dadonov scored his Vancouver 7, Chicago 5 for his offensive innovations as a a good statement game for us. We Vegas 5, Philadelphia 4 coach. He led the Bengals to their need to keep collecting points and Thornton got the primary as- second power-play goal of the Friday’s games sist to move past Adam Oates for game to tie it at 2-all for Florida Washington at Carolina second Super Bowl during the playing the right way. You miss a Detroit at Dallas 1988 season by using a no-huddle seventh place with 1,080 career (21-14-5), and 89 seconds later Saturday’s games point here and there, it’s going to Edmonton at Boston offense that forced the league to assists. Noel Acciari gave the Panthers cost you in the end.” Florida at Buffalo change its substitution rules. Patric Hornqvist scored twice the lead. Vatrano and Colton San Jose at Columbus MacKinnon said he liked the Winnipeg at Minnesota And that wasn’t the only way he for Pittsburgh, which lost for just Sceviour scored 44 seconds apart way the Avalanche responded St. Louis at Vegas made waves throughout the NFL. the second time in nine games. in the final minute of the second Pittsburgh at Montreal with a big third period after the Colorado at New Jersey A nonconformist in a button-down Blue Jackets 2, Bruins 1 period to put the game out of Blues had fought back from a Tampa Bay at Ottawa league, Wyche refused to comply (OT): Pierre-Luc Dubois scored reach. N.Y. Islanders at Toronto three-goal deficit to make a game Philadelphia at Arizona with the NFL’s locker room poli- 52 seconds into overtime, Elvis Sergei Bobrovsky made 28 of it. N.Y. Rangers at Vancouver cy for media, ran up the score to Merzlikins stopped 25 shots and saves and earned his first road Nashville at Los Angeles “I think we were just due, hon- Sunday’s games settle a personal grudge, and be- visiting Columbus beat Boston. win since Oct. 30. San Jose at Washington estly,” MacKinnon said. “We littled the city of rival Cleveland Sonny Milano also scored for Maple Leafs 6, Jets 3: Wil- Tampa Bay at Carolina were giving all the opponents Florida at Pittsburgh during his eight seasons in Cin- the Blue Jackets, tying the game liam Nylander had two goals and Calgary at Minnesota cinnati. He later coached Tampa their goals in the third, we had two minutes into the third period. an assist and Toronto extended its Detroit at Chicago bad breakdowns. Something just Nashville at Anaheim Bay for four seasons. Dubois won it by finishing off a 2- points streak to nine games with Monday’s games felt kind of different tonight when Winnipeg at Montreal on-1 rush with Seth Jones. a win over host Winnipeg. Colorado at N.Y. Islanders Yankees’ German they made it 3-2. There was no David Pastrnak scored his 30th Kasperi Kapanen had a goal Edmonton at Toronto panic and Cale had a big goal, goal of the season for Boston, and and assist, and Travis Dermott, Columbus at Los Angeles suspended 81 games and that kind of iced it. We knew Tuukka Rask made 31 saves as Pierre Engvall and Mitch Marn- NEW YORK — Yankees pitcher we needed some maturity from the Bruins lost in overtime or a er also scored for the Leafs, who New York fell to 1-2-0 on a four- everybody at that time.” game road trip that wraps up Sat- Domingo German will miss the shootout for the third time in four are 8-0-1 during their streak. first 63 games of the 2020 season Robert Thomas had two goals games. The Jets have one win in their urday night in Vancouver. and Alex Pietrangelo also scored Canucks 7, Blackhawks 5: as part of an 81-game ban for vio- Lightning 2, Canadiens 1: An- last five games (1-3-1) and have lating Major League Baseball’s for St. Louis, which lost its second Adam Gaudette scored a third- drei Vasilevskiy stopped 38 shots lost five straight (0-4-1) at home. domestic violence policy. in a row after winning the previ- period goal and host Vancouver and Tampa Bay extended its win- Coyotes 4, Ducks 2: Chris- The league announced the sus- ous eight. rallied from a two-goal deficit, ning streak to five games with a tian Dvorak triggered a three- pension Thursday. German has Sabres 3, Oilers 2: Jack Eichel extending its winning streak to win at Montreal. goal third period by scoring in agreed not to appeal. scored on a penalty shot 1:09 into Anthony Cirelli and Nikita the opening minute, Antti Raanta six games. German was put on adminis- overtime and host Buffalo rallied Kucherov scored for the Light- stopped 27 shots and host Arizona Bo Horvat had two goals, in- trative leave on Sept. 19 while from a two-goal deficit to beat ning (22-13-4), who improved to rallied past Anaheim. cluding an empty-netter, and an MLB investigated an alleged do- Edmonton. 15-2-0 against Atlantic-division The Coyotes came out of the assist. J.T. Miller had a goal and mestic violence incident involv- Eichel was awarded the pen- opponents this season. locker room buzzing to start the three assists, while Elias Petters- ing his girlfriend, with whom he alty shot after Edmonton’s Oscar Defenseman Jeff Petry scored third period and cashed in on son had a goal and two assists for has at least one child. He missed Klefbom interfered with the Sa- for the Canadiens (18-17-6), who Dvorak’s goal. Brad Richardson the Canucks (21-15-4). the final nine games of the 2019 bres’ captain as he attempted to have lost four games in a row. followed with his second goal and Patrick Kane scored twice for regular season and all nine of break in alone across the Oilers’ Devils 2, Islanders 1: Nico Carl Soderberg had his 12th a the Blackhawks (18-18-6), who New York’s postseason games. blue line. Hischier scored the tiebreaking minute later. had their three-game winning Those missed games will count Eichel then scored when he goal early in the third period, Jakob Silfverberg scored his streak snapped. toward his ban. drove in on net from the left wing Mackenzie Blackwood stopped 15th goal of the season for the Golden Knights 5, Flyers 4: In other MLB news: and snapped a shot inside the far 29 shots, and visiting New Jersey Ducks, who have lost six of eight. Max Pacioretty scored two goals  The Chicago White Sox and post. beat the Islanders. Flames 4, Rangers 3: Johnny and host Vegas beat Philadelphia. Luis Robert agreed Thursday to Reinhart and Curtis Lazar also P.K. Subban also scored to help Gaudreau opened the scoring and Marc-Andre Fleury made 34 a $50 million, six-year contract, scored for Buffalo, which snapped the Devils win their third straight then set up the winning goal mid- saves, including a penalty shot, clearing the way for the prized a four-game skid. and improve to 6-2-1 in their past way through the second period as and the Golden Knights improved outfielder to open the season in Sharks 3, Penguins 2 (OT): nine games. Calgary snapped a five-game los- to 14-6-3 since Nov. 17 and lead the majors. Brent Burns’ power-play goal just Semyon Varlamov made ing streak at home. the NHL with 31 points in that The deal, which also includes more than two minutes into over- 29 saves as the Islanders lost Less than three minutes after span. club options for 2026 and 2027, time gave visiting San Jose a win their fourth straight at Nassau New York tied it 3-all, Sean Mo- Sean Couturier scored twice removes the incentive for the over Pittsburgh. Coliseum. nahan gave the Flames their third for the Flyers, who played their White Sox to keep the 22-year-old Burns picked up his seventh Panthers 6, Senators 3: Frank lead at 8:22 of the second when he fourth game on a six-game trip Cuban off their opening day ros- goal of the season when his slap Vatrano scored the deciding neatly finished off a pretty tic- — with the first five against Pa- ter to limit his service time and shot from high in the slot beat goal as part of visiting Florida’s tac-toe passing sequence. cific Division teams. delay his eventual free agency. Saturday, January 4, 2020 •STARS AND STRIPES• PAGE 21 YEAR IN REVIEW GAMES OF THE YEAR Some made memorable by blown calls

BY PAUL NEWBERRY After romping to a 3-0 win in the first “It was great,” Leonard said. “It was Associated Press game of the home-and-home, total- a blessing to be able to get to that goals series, Barca seemed a lock for point and make that shot and feel that The New Orleans Saints looked the final. moment.” around in disbelief, searching But, back on their home turf at An- for a yellow flag that never came field, Liverpool pulled off a stunning 4- Megan’s moment during the NFL playoffs. 0 victory that propelled the club to its Megan Rapinoe capped a remark- The Auburn Tigers were sure sixth European title. able year of sporting excellence and they’d get the ball after a Virginia “This club has a big heart, and to- social activism by leading to United player appeared to double-dribble night the heart was pounding like States to its second straight Women’s in the closing seconds of a thrill- crazy,” manager Juergen Klopp said. World Cup title. ing Final Four game, but the refs “You could feel it all over the world.” Rapinoe broke a scoreless tie in the let it go. Twenty-four hours later, Tottenham final with a second-half penalty kick, Not long after, the guys in overcame a three-goal halftime deficit and the Americans went on to beat the stripes weren’t so lax, whistling a on the road, stunning Ajax in the other Netherlands 2-0. disputed foul that sent the Cava- Champions League semifinal. Rapinoe won the Golden Ball as top liers to the line for the winning “We saw Liverpool last night,” Totten- player and the Golden Boot as top scor- free throws. ham fullback Danny Rose said. “It goes er in the monthlong tournament, but Some of the year’s most memo- to show it’s not over until it is over.” her impact went far beyond the field. rable games were decided by con- Super over She sparred with U.S. President Don- troversial calls — or, perhaps it GERALD HERBERT /AP ald Trump and was one of the leading would be more appropriate to say, After more than nine stomach-churn- voices on a squad that loudly demand- the calls that didn’t get made. Rams defensive back Nickell Robey-Coleman interferes with Saints ing hours, the first Super Over in Crick- receiver Tommylee Lewis as he breaks up a pass late in the NFC ed equal pay with the men’s team. Let’s take a look back at the Top et World Cup history — and perhaps “We’re such a proud and strong and 10 from 2019: championship game. A penalty was not called, and the Rams won 26- the most extraordinary over ever played 23. The NFL changed its rules to allow reviews of interference calls. defiant group of women,” Rapinoe said. Bayou bungle — came down to one last ball. Her trademark victory pose, looking England calmly prevailed in the fad- skyward with arms outstretched, also The Los Angeles Rams advanced to three shots to give Virginia a disputed misconduct. ing sunlight of Lord’s as New Zealand’s became a worldwide sensation. the Super Bowl with an overtime win 63-62 win. Two nights later, in another The Golden Knights were livid — es- desperate scramble to score what against the Saints that would not have overtime thriller, the Cavaliers captured pecially after the Sharks erupted for four would have been the winning run Brave blossoms their first national title by beating Texas goals during those five minutes with an been possible without an egregious came up short. So ended the home In the wake of Typhoon Hagibis, host mistake by the officials in the closing Tech. extra skater. team’s agonizing 44-year wait to be Japan turned in a thoroughly inspiring minutes of regulation. “We kind of thought we had it “They called five minutes for that?” crowned world champion of the sport performance at the Rugby World Cup Los Angeles cornerback Nickell sealed,” Auburn’s Bryce Brown said. “I Vegas forward Jonathan Marchessault it invented. in its final group stage match against Robey-Coleman committed a blatant just didn’t agree with the call.” said. “It’s a joke, that’s what it is.“ “The most ridiculous game of cricket Scotland. interference penalty with a helmet-to- The Golden Knights tied the game Pavelski payback to have ever been played,” said Jos A brilliant display by the team known helmet hit on Tommylee Lewis well with a goal late in regulation, but Bar- Buttler, England’s wicket-keeper. as the “Brave Blossoms” gave them a before the pass arrived inside the 5, Auburn and New Orleans weren’t clay Goodrow’s overtime goal won it for “The guys are shattered,” countered big halftime lead. Then they held off a forcing the Saints to settle for Wil Lutz’s the only teams to gripe about the the Sharks, 5-4. New Zealand captain Kane Williamson. furious Scottish comeback to preserve 31-yard field goal. officiating, “The boys got together and said this “It’s devastating.” “I got away with one,” Robey-Cole- The NHL season ended for the Vegas is for Pavs,” San Jose’s Joe Thornton a 28-21 victory. man conceded. Golden Knights in Game 7 of the play- said. “It was just a matter of will, and Follow the bouncing ball Japan advanced to the quarterfinals Jared Goff had enough time to lead offs after a major penalty sparked the we willed that one for him.” Kawhi Leonard got the bounce. for the first time. Even though they lost the Rams down the field for Greg San Jose Sharks to a 5-4 overtime The Sharks became just the second Then another. Then another. And, yes, to eventual champion South Africa, Zuerlein’s tying field with 15 seconds victory. team to overcome a three-goal deficit in one more. their tournament run was just what remaining. On a faceoff in San Jose’s offen- the third period to win a Game 7. Finally, the shot fell through, giving their battered nation needed after the Then Zuerlein won it, 26-23, with a sive zone with Las Vegas leading 3-0 As for the Golden Knights, they had the Toronto Raptors a 92-90 victory ferocious storm. 57-yard kick in overtime. midway through the third period, Cody to be content with a call from the NHL that bounced the Philadelphia 76ers Burrow bests Tua “It happened right there in front of Eakin cross-checked Sharks captain apologizing for a penalty that was too out of the NBA playoffs. the person who would be the one to Joe Pavelski in the chest. Paul Stastny harsh. Leonard’s shot from the corner over Joe Burrow propelled LSU to the Col- then bumped Pavelski as he fell to the lege Football Playoff and himself to the make the call, and everyone in the Miracle at Anfield Joel Embiid was the first winning buzz- stands saw it, everyone watching at ice, his helmet slamming down. Pavel- er-beater in a Game 7 in NBA history. Heisman Trophy with a dazzling display home on TV saw it,” Saints quarter- ski was knocked out and bleeding on Add another entry to Liverpool’s long The ball danced on the rim four times against Tua Tagovailoa and Alabama in back Drew Brees said. the ice. list of storied comebacks. before dropping. It was quite a capper college football’s game of the year. In response to the uproar, the NFL The officials huddled as a dazed This time, Lionel Messi and mighty to Leonard’s 41-point masterpiece. Burrow passed for 393 yards and changed its rules to allow video reviews Pavelski was helped to the locker Barcelona were on the receiving end The Raptors went on to claim their three touchdowns, answered challenge of interference calls, though that has room. They gave Eakin a five-minute in the semifinals of soccer’s European first NBA title by beating the defending after challenge, and helped end LSU’s seemingly led to even more confusion major for cross-checking and a game Champions League. champion Golden State Warriors. eight-year string of futility against the and complaints this season. Crimson Tide. After the Tigers’ 46-41 victory, Bur- Final Four two-step row was carried off the field at Bryant- One year after becoming the first top Denny Stadium by his teammates. seed to lose to a No. 16 seed, Virginia “We’ve finally got the tools that we appeared headed for more heartbreak need to beat those guys,” coach Ed in the NCAA Tournament. Orgeron said. “To have a championship The Cavaliers squandered a 10-point team, you’ve got to have a champion- lead in the final five minutes to Auburn. ship quarterback.” But they managed to pull it out, with a Angel on the pitcher’s mound big helping hand from the officials. Virginia’s Ty Jerome appeared to dou- In their first home game after the ble-dribble for what could have been death of pitcher Tyler Skaggs, the Los a decisive turnover. Or Jerome might Angeles Angels honored his memory have been fouled before the mishandle. with a combined no-hitter from Taylor There was no whistle for either. Cole and Felix Pena in a 13-0 victory With 1.5 seconds left and in need over Seattle. of some magic, Virginia got the ball to The Angels played a practically per- Kyle Guy in the corner. He turned and fect game on the day before what would fired as Samir Doughty, hands straight have been Skaggs’ 28th birthday. up in the air, bumped into Guy’s hip. “He was definitely looking over us The shot was short, bouncing off the tonight,“ said Mike Trout, who contrib- rim as Auburn started to celebrate. uted a 454-foot homer and six RBIs. Game over? Nope. Later, officials ruled that Skaggs’ MARCIO JOSE SANCHEZ/AP Official James Breeding called a foul died from an accidental drug overdose, on Doughty, sending Guy to the free- Members of the Los Angeles Angels place their jerseys with No. 45 in honor of pitcher Tyler Skaggs on prompting Major League Baseball to throw line. He calmly knocked down all the mound after the team combined for a no-hitter on July 12 against the Seattle Mariners. start testing for cocaine and opioids. PAGE 22 •STARS AND STRIPES• Saturday, January 4, 2020 NFL PLAYOFFS Texans’ Watt will play ‘quite a bit’

All-Pro DE returns from injury and wants ‘to create that magic’ from rookie season

BY KRISTIE RIEKEN the NFL. Associated Press The Cincinnati Bengals haven’t won a playoff game since January HOUSTON — J.J. Watt was a 1991. The Detroit Lions have the rookie in the 2011 playoffs when second-longest streak, with their his spectacular performance last win coming in January 1992. against the Cincinnati Bengals Members of Buffalo’s 1990 led the Houston Texans to the teams, who made and lost four first postseason win in franchise consecutive Super Bowl appear- history. ances, are rooting for the Bills to The spotlight will be on Watt finally break the streak. again on Saturday, when he’ll re- “We’re all about these guys. turn to the field a little more than We love them. We think they’re two months after surgery to re- great,” former Bills receiver and DAVID DERMER/AP pair a torn pectoral muscle when special teams star Steve Tasker the Texans host the Buffalo Bills In making his NFL playoff debut against the Texans this weekend, second-year Buffalo Bills quarterback said, noting he was speaking for Josh Allen gets an opportunity to show how far he’s come since his last trip to Houston 14 months ago. in the first round of the playoffs. numerous teammates. “The cul- Watt had a good first season in ture and feel around the building the NFL but was relatively un- reminds us of us.” known nationally when he made This Bill is now due: Allen comes his playoff debut against Cincin- nati. The game was tied at 10-all Watson’s opportunity in the second quarter when Watt Houston quarterback Deshaun into his own in his second season tipped a pass from Andy Dalton Watson is looking for his first and grabbed it for an intercep- playoff win after struggling in his BY JOHN WAWROW maintaining an even keel. tion, which he returned 29 yards playoff debut last season, a 21-7 Associated Press By the numbers “The juices get flowing, it’s for a touchdown to put Houston loss to the Colts. a competitive time of year and on top for good. The defensive “We earned this opportunity ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — you’ve got to do a good job of try- end also had four tackles, a sack and it’s real dope,” he said. “No Whatever bad memories Bills ing to stay as level-headed as you and a quarterback hit in the 31-10 one in our locker room wants it quarterback Josh Allen had of his can,” offensive coordinator Brian victory. to end and we’ll continue to keep first and only game NFL game at Daboll said. “You want to win it Watt recalled that game this working and keep fighting for- Houston have been pushed aside 85.3 so bad, but you’ve got to stay con- week and said the energy and at- ward to try to improve and get to some 14 months later. sistent with your routine and the mosphere in the stadium that day the next week.” There’s no need to remind the Passer rating this season things you’ve done all throughout was incredible. Though Watson is only in his second-year player of leaving the year.” “As a guy who’s been here for for Buffalo Bills quarterback third season, he’s the undisput- the game in the third quarter If there’s a concern, it’s Allen nine years, that feeling is what I Josh Allen, who has ed leader of the offense and has with a sprained throwing elbow acknowledging he’s experienced want to capture and magnify,” worked this week to make sure his that eventually led to him miss- 20 touchdowns and early game jitters, most recently he said. “I feel like, not that we teammates are focused. Running ing five weeks. And Allen doesn’t 10 interceptions. following a 24-17 loss at New haven’t had that (since), but there back Carlos Hyde said Watson need to hear of the telltale rookie England two weeks ago. It was was something magical about that awkwardness he displayed after sent a group text to the players on a game in which he went 6-for- and I want to create that magic being thrust into a starting role offense with the simple message 13 for 62 yards and a touchdown again. The only way to do that is ahead of schedule as a result of of “let’s be great.” in the first half, before finishing by winning. There’s no special Nathan Peterman’s turnover- 67.9 13-for-26 for 208 yards and two sauce. You just have to win.” prone issues. touchdowns. After sitting out since October, Hello again, Houston However raw Buffalo’s first- Slow starts have been an issue it’s unclear how much impact round draft pick looked in the Passer rating last season Bills cornerback Kevin John- this season. Watt will have on the game. But weeks leading up to a 20-13 loss to for Allen, who had son and rookie defensive tackle Buffalo’s game-opening drives coach Bill O’Brien said Thursday Ed Oliver have ties to Houston. the Texans on Oct. 14, 2018, Allen 10 touchdowns and that Watt would play “quite a bit,” believes he’s made considerable have produced just one touch- Johnson spent his first four sea- 12 interceptions as down and four field goals. And which should help a pass rush sons with the Texans after being strides in preparing to make his that ranked 26th in the NFL with playoff debut in an AFC wild-card a rookie for the Bills. the Bills have combined to score selected with the 16th pick in the just 12 points in the first quarter just 31 sacks. 2015 draft. Oliver, Buffalo’s first- game at Houston on Saturday. Watt and the Texans will face “Obviously, going through that of their past eight games, and 43 round pick, grew up and spent SOURCE: NFL.com overall. an offense led by Josh Allen, his three-year college career at game there’s not great memories. Nobody likes getting hurt,” he “That’s on my shoulders. We’ve who will make his playoff debut Houston. Thanksgiving and the Steelers in said following practice Tuesday. got to go and start faster,” Allen after finishing the regular season Oliver shrugged off questions Pittsburgh in prime-time, Allen with 3,089 yards passing with 20 “I feel like a different player said. about his homecoming, saying, can appreciate how the playoffs touchdowns and 510 yards rush- from last year ... just as far as see- As for the jitters? “The most exciting part besides represent the next step in his ing and nine more scores. ing things, seeing defenses, trust- “Just got to ride it,” he said. playing Houston is (it’s) my first development. “(It’s) still the game of football, ing the guys around me and not “It’s OK to be hyped at times. It playoff game.” “It’s a new game. It’s a differ- the dimensions are the same, we trying to make the big play all the means that you care.” He’s treating it like any other ent situation,” he said. “All the have the same plays that we’ve time.” Backup Matt Barkley cred- road game despite having family marbles are on the table.” had in all year,” Allen said. Allen’s progress has been ap- ited Allen for showing growth and friends in the stands. No pressure, said Allen, who “We’re not trying to do anything parent during a season in which and maturity. Barkley noted how “Doesn’t matter where we different ... we got to go out there he’s posted five fourth-quarter can become Buffalo’s first quar- Allen is no longer scrambling out play,” Oliver said. “My fans and and execute.” comebacks and helped Buffalo terback to win a playoff game of the pocket at the first sign of people can’t come down on the (10-6) to its best finish in 20 years. since Hall of Famer Jim Kelly pressure, and has cut down on 24 years and waiting field and help me play.” He’s doubled his touchdown pass- oversaw a 37-22 wild-card victory trying to force plays which lead to As for Johnson, he said he’s ing total to 20; his completion per- over Miami on Dec. 30, 1995. negative gains or turnovers. The Bills have lost five straight focused on the outcome and not centage has jumped by 6 points to “I don’t have to be the best That’s different to the player playoff games since a 37-22 win holding a grudge against the team 58.6; and his 3,089 yards passing quarterback out there,” Allen Barkley saw when he first arrived over Miami in a wild-card game that cut him last offseason. are the most by a Bills player said. “I have to be the best quar- in Buffalo two weeks after Allen on Dec. 30, 1995. The Jim Kelly- “It’s a good opportunity and the since Ryan Fitzpatrick had 3,400 terback for this team to help us was hurt against the Texans. led team followed with a 40-21 goal is to win the game,” he said. in 2012. win a football game regardless of “I do think there was a drastic loss at Pittsburgh the next week. “That’s what my focus is.” Having shown a flair for per- the circumstances.” change from the first half of the Buffalo’s drought is the third AP Sports Writer John Wawrow con- forming in national settings by Allen’s comments echo what season and when he came back,” longest active playoff drought in tributed to this report. beating the Cowboys at Dallas on his coaches have emphasized on he added. Saturday, January 4, 2020 •STARS AND STRIPES• PAGE 23 NFL PLAYOFFS Scoreboard

Playoff glance Wild-card Playoffs The ties that bind Saturday, Jan. 4 Buffalo at Houston Tennessee at New England Sunday, Jan. 5 Minnesota at New Orleans ‘Patriot Way’ squares off with burgeoning ‘Titan Way’ Seattle at Philadelphia Divisional Playoffs Saturday, Jan. 11 Buffalo Bills (10-6) Philadelphia, Seattle or Minnesota at BY KYLE HIGHTOWER San Francisco Associated Press at Houston Texans (10-6) Houston, Buffalo or Tennessee at Bal- timore AFN-Sports Sunday, Jan. 12 FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — New England, Houston or Buffalo at 10:35 p.m. Saturday CET Kansas City When Tennessee GM Jon Robin- New Orleans, Philadelphia or Seattle son fi red coach Mike Mularkey 6:35 a.m. Sunday JKT at Green Bay Conference Championships after he lost to the Patriots in the Sunday, Jan. 19 divisional round of the playoffs AFC NFC following the 2017 season, he leaned on his past to plot a course NFL injury report for the Titans’ future. NEW YORK — The National Football Five days later Robinson, who League injury report, as provided by the got his NFL start as a scout with league: Saturday New England from 2002-13, hired BUFFALO BILLS at HOUSTON TEXANS Mike Vrabel — winner of three — BILLS: LIMITED: DE Shaq Lawson (ham- string), T Ty Nsekhe (ankle), WR Andre Super Bowl rings as a linebacker Tennessee Titans (9-7) Roberts (foot), CB Levi Wallace (ankle). with the Patriots — as his new FULL: LB Lorenzo Alexander (not injury coach. at New England Patriots (12-4) related), DE Jerry Hughes (not injury re- lated). TEXANS: LIMITED: S Jahleel Addae With former Patriots corner- AFN-Sports (achilles), TE Jordan Akins (hamstring), back Logan Ryan already on the 2 a.m. Sunday CET WR Will Fuller (groin), CB Johnathan Joseph (hamstring), CB Bradley Roby roster, Vrabel added more play- (hamstring). FULL: TE Jordan Thomas (ill- ers and staff with ties to New Eng- 10 a.m. Sunday JKT AP ness), LB Jacob Martin (knee), WR Kenny land. That group included former Stills (knee), T Laremy Tunsil (ankle), DE J.J. Watt (shoulder). Patriots assistant Dean Pees as his Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel, left, greets New England TENNESSEE TITANS at NEW ENGLAND defensive coordinator, 2015 Super Patriots head coach Bill Belichick before a game in Nashville, Tenn., PATRIOTS — TITANS: DNP: WR Adam Humphries (ankle). LIMITED: S Dane Bowl savior cornerback Malcolm on Nov. 11, 2018. Vrabel played for Belichick for eight seasons in Cruikshank (Illness), WR Cody Hollister Butler, and running back Dion New England and won three Super Bowls. (ankle), WR Kalif Raymond (concussion). Lewis. FULL: T Jack Conklin (knee), LB Daren Bates (shoulder), CB Adoree’ Jackson It seemed like a transparent ef- about the Titans and our prepara- if it’s ‘on to Cincinnati’ or what- (foot). PATRIOTS: LIMITED: LB Ja’Whaun fort to plant seeds in Tennessee of tion to go up there and face a team ever it may be. It’s one game at a Bentley (knee), S Terrence Brooks (groin), T Marcus Cannon (ankle), LB Jamie Col- New England coach Bill Belich- that’s won three Super Bowls in time in the playoffs. You’ve got to lins (shoulder), WR Julian Edelman (knee, ick’s disciplined, team-fi rst “Do the last fi ve years. They’re 8-0 at give all you got. It’s not a best of Minnesota Vikings (10-6) shoulder), CB Jonathan Jones (groin), CB your job” culture that has come to home in that span. They’ve got the Jason McCourty (groin). seven, it’s not a best of fi ve.” at New Orleans Saints (13-3) Sunday be known as “The Patriot Way.” No. 1 defense, they’ve got the best New England’s loss to Miami in MINNESOTA VIKINGS at NEW ORLEANS “Isn’t that the street the movie coach, they’ve got the best quar- AFN-Sports SAINTS VIKINGS: its regular-season fi nale relegated — DNP: CB Mackensie theater is on?” Vrabel joked this terback, so it’s quite a challenge.” 7 p.m. Sunday CET Alexander (knee), S Andrew Sendejo (ill- it to the wild-card round for the ness), DE Stephen Weatherly (illness). week when asked what the moni- The Patriots will face one of fi rst time since 2009, when it lost 3 a.m. Monday JKT LIMITED: LB Eric Kendricks (quadri- ker meant to him. the hottest teams heading into the 33-14 to Baltimore. The Patriots cep), CB Mike Hughes (neck), DE Ifeadi Two seasons later the efforts of Odenigbo (hamstring). FULL: RB Dalvin postseason. The Titans won seven are 2-1 in wild-card games under Cook (shoulder), S Jayron Kearse (foot), Robinson and Vrabel, combined of their fi nal 10 games to earn Belichick and that “best quarter- RB Alexander Mattison (ankle), CB Xavi- with a boost from former Miami their second playoff berth in three er Rhodes (ankle), DT Shamar Stephen back,” Tom Brady, but have never (knee). SAINTS: DNP: CB Eli Apple (an- Dolphins quarterback and Patri- seasons and fi rst under Vrabel. made it to the Super Bowl when kle), RB Zach Line (knee). FULL: S Vonn ots’ AFC East nemesis Ryan Tan- Ryan was drafted by the Patri- Bell (knee), WR Michael Thomas (hand), opening the playoffs as a wild- RB Dwayne Washington (knee), WR Mar- nehill, have culminated in a wild- ots in 2013 and spent the fi rst four cus Williams (groin). card matchup Saturday with the seasons of his career in New Eng- card team during their era. SEATTLE SEAHAWKS at PHILADELPHIA franchise the Titans appear to be land, winning Super Bowl rings “We have a chance to go on a EAGLES — EAGLES: DNP: WR Nelson Ag- revenge tour,” Patriots linebacker holor (knee), RB Miles Sanders (ankle). striving to emulate. during the 2014 and 2016 seasons. LIMITED: DE Derek Barnett (ankle), DT True or not, Vrabel said the ties He said he’s carried lessons from Kyle Van Noy said. “What better Seattle Seahawks (11-5) Fletcher Cox (triceps), TE Zach Ertz (ribs, way than to start out with Tennes- back), T Lane Johnson (ankle). FULL: CB between the teams aren’t on his his time with the Patriots that at Philadelphia Eagles (9-7) Sidney Jones (back), CB Avonte Mad- mind. stick with him. see, who we lost to last year. It’s a dox (abdomen), CB Jalen Mills (ankle). “This isn’t about my career, my “It’s a new season, and we have big motivation. We weren’t happy AFN-Sports SEAHAWKS: DNP: T Duane Brown, WR 10:30 p.m. Sunday CET Jaron Brown, DE Jadeveon Clowney, G eight years in New England,” said to play well on Saturday. That’s about our performance. They’re Mike Iupati, LB Marvin Kendricks, WR Vrabel, who coached the Titans to the one thing I learned from being coming into our house. What bet- 6:30 a.m. Monday JKT Malik Turner. LIMITED: G Phil Haynes, C Joseph Hunt. FULL: S Quandre Diggs, TE a 34-10 victory over New England a Patriot,” he said. “It doesn’t mat- ter way to get it started for the Luke Willson. in Nashville last season. “This is ter what you did, it doesn’t matter playoffs.” Carrying: Titans rank third in rushing yardage

FROM BACK PAGE “You have to run the ball to get to the that just can’t get close enough to wrap him Super Bowl, so I think running the ball ef- up — he just pushes them away.” Coach Mike Vrabel told his Titans before fectively is a big key to winning games in Henry’s best season yet is perfect timing. they clinched the AFC’s second wild card the playoffs,” Henry said. The running back who lasted until the No. that being able to run is how teams win New England (12-4) finished sixth 45 pick overall in the second round before in the postseason. Tennessee (9-7) ranks against the run, allowing only 95.5 yards Tennessee selected him out of Alabama third in averaging 138.9 yards a game. a game. Patriots coach Bill Belichick said is in the final year of his rookie contract. “You control the ball, control the tempo,” it’s impossible to mimic the 6-foot-3, 247- Henry made clear during the offseason Vrabel said. “I would say that there’s prob- pound Henry’s size, speed and physical that his contract status was not an issue. ably less turnovers on running plays than play in practice, though there’s not many His motivation is simple: “I love there are on passing plays, and turnovers guys like him in the NFL. The Patriots have playing.“ at this point in the year are critical. The last game the Patriots lost was Jan. 20, seen Henry up close most recently during Henry and the Titans had to balance an 2013 in the playoffs at home, and they had joint practices in August, which helps. injury over the past month. A sore left ham- three turnovers and the Ravens had zero. “He can make you miss in space, he can string prompted Tennessee to hold him out So, that’s a telling stat.” drop his pads and run with power and run of a Dec. 22 loss to New Orleans, and he How well Tennessee runs Saturday over you. He’s a good inside runner, good is averaging 149.3 yards rushing over his night against the Patriots will hinge on outside runner, and catches the ball well past six games, including a season-high MARK ZALESKI/AP Henry, who averaged 20.2 carries in 15 and he’s got speed to go the distance. He 211 yards in last week’s win in Houston. games played this season. He is averaging doesn’t get caught much. He gets a step “We like to call that being a professional Titans running back Derrick Henry is 5.1 yards per carry, and also has had three and then he’s able to finish it off,” Belich- — trying to make the hard look easy,” Vra- introduced before a game against the touchdowns on runs of 53 yards or longer ick said. bel said. Houston Texans on Dec. 15 in Nashville, this season. “He’s got a good stiff arm. He breaks a Henry is very good at that, and he’s not Tenn. Henry averaged 20.2 carries in the Henry knows that. lot of tackles in the secondary from guys on the injury report this week. 15 games he played this season. S TARS AND STRIPES Saturday, January 4, 2020 New Year, new look Eastern Conference has gotten SPORTS tougher at the top » NBA, Page 19

NFL PLAYOFFS CARRYING THE LOAD League rushing leader Henry ready Inside: Patriots, Titans to take ball often against Patriots share ‘do your job’ philosophy, Page 23 BY TERESA M. WALKER Associated Press Bills QB Allen ready NASHVILLE, Tenn. to show how far he has o one is a harsher critic of Titans running back Der- come, Page 22 rick Henry than himself. Texans’ Watt set “I just want to do my job very well,” Henry said to return from surgery NWednesday. “If I don’t, I’m hard on myself. I just keep working until I get it right.” to face Buffalo, The NFL rushing leader and first-time Pro Bowl running Page 22 back will get a chance Saturday night to improve on his last performance against the Patriots in the playoffs. Henry ran 12 times for 28 yards — a 2.3-yard average per carry — with noth- Tennessee Titans running back ing over 4 yards. He did catch three passes for 21 yards, but the Derrick Henry averaged Titans lost 34-14 in the divisional round on Jan. 13, 2018. 5.1 yards a carry during the regular season. He ran better the last time Tennessee played New England, averaging 5.3 yards on just 11 carries, as the Titans routed the BEN MARGOT/AP Patriots 34-10 on Nov. 11, 2018, in Nashville. Since then, the 2015 Heisman Trophy winner has been pun- ishing defenders, piling up yards in his best year yet. Henry capped his fourth season with 1,540 yards rushing and tied for the league lead with 16 rushing touchdowns, which he calls a “team accomplishment.” SEE CARRYING ON PAGE 23

Blown calls factored into some of 2019’s biggest games » Page 21