Financial Ruin Looms for At-Risk Americans Extra Federal Unemployment Aid Expires As Pandemic – and Pessimism – Threatens to Overwhelm Nation
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Volume 79, No. 70B ©SS 2020 CONTINGENCY EDITION SUNDAY, JULY 26, 2020 stripes.com Free to Deployed Areas VIRUS OUTBREAK Financial ruin looms for at-risk Americans Extra federal unemployment aid expires as pandemic – and pessimism – threatens to overwhelm nation Associated Press ‘ The pressure’s employment checks that states send. That in- economy cratered. crease ended Saturday, and with Congress still The money also helps his daughter, who lost LOS ANGELES — As public health officials not on (politicians), warned Friday that the coronavirus posed haggling over next steps, most states will not her restaurant job. With the boost, she can af- new risks to parts of the Midwest and South, it’s on all of us be able to offer nearly as much. ford diapers, baby formula, rent and utilities. enhanced federal payments that helped avert blue-collar workers The extra federal aid helped keep Wally Without it, Wendt said, his daughter and her financial ruin for millions of unemployed Wendt and his family afloat. two children might move in with him. Americans were set to expire — leaving who are struggling Wendt, 54, of Everett, Wash., was laid off “The politicians need to get their ducks in a threadbare safety nets offered by individual to make a living. ’ from the fitness company where he worked row.” Wendt said. “The pressure’s not on them, states to catch them. for 31 years. The extra federal benefits helped it’s on all of us blue-collar workers who are Since early in the pandemic, the federal Wally Wendt him pay a loan to put a new roof on his house government has added $600 to the weekly un- 54, from Everett, Wash. that he took out before the virus struck and the SEE AID ON PAGE 7 Feds use tear gas to clear protests BY GILLIAN FLACCUS AND SARA CLINE Associated Press PORTLAND, Ore. — Thou- sands of protesters gathered outside the federal courthouse in Portland, Ore., into the early hours of Saturday shooting fire- works at the building as plumes of tear gas, dispensed by U.S. agents, lingered above. The demonstration went on for hours until federal agents entered the crowd around 2:30 a.m. and marched in a line down the street, clearing remaining protesters with tear gas at close range. They also extinguished a large fire in the street outside the courthouse. SEE PROTESTS ON PAGE 10 Federal officers advance on Black Lives Matter protesters early Saturday morning at the Mark O. Hatfield U.S. Courthouse in Portland, Ore. MARCIO JOSE SANCHEZ/AP SPORTS MILITARY MILITARY Pioneering Giants Trump, Inhofe insist Commandant says Marines coach Alyssa Nakken bases will maintain need to be more attentive proves ready on field Confederate names on matters of diversity Back page Page 3 Page 3 Bridgers perfect singer-songwriter for life in modern age » Music, Page 12 PAGE 2 •STARS AND STRIPES• Sunday, July 26, 2020 BUSINESS/WEATHER EXCHANGE RATES Military rates Thailand (Baht) ..................................... 31.64 Wall Street down after worldwide slide Euro costs (July 27) ..............................$1.13 Turkey (Lira) .........................................6.8493 Dollar buys (July 27) ......................... €0.8403 (Military exchange rates are those British pound (July 27) ........................ $1.24 available to customers at military banking Associated Press Japanese yen (July 27) ......................105.00 facilities in the country of issuance spending, including Olive Garden owner Darden South Korean won (July 27) ..........1,169.00 for Japan, South Korea, Germany, the Restaurants, homebuilder PulteGroup and retailers Commercial rates Netherlands and the United Kingdom. For Stocks closed broadly lower for the second day in Bahrain (Dinar) ....................................0.3771 nonlocal currency exchange rates (i.e., Target and Best Buy. Stocks also sank across Asian a row Friday as Wall Street gave back some of its British pound .....................................$1.2764 purchasing British pounds in Germany), and European markets. Canada (Dollar) .................................. 1.3424 check with your local military banking gains from a mostly solid July rally. China (Yuan) ........................................ 7.0184 facility. Commercial rates are interbank Cautious investors shifted money into gold, driv- Denmark (Krone) ................................ 6.4101 rates provided for reference when buying The S&P 500 fell 0.6% and ended the week with its ing its price to an all-time high of nearly $1,900 an Egypt (Pound) ....................................15.9907 currency. All figures are foreign currencies first weekly loss in four weeks. The pullback, which ounce. The last record high for gold was set in 2011. Euro ........................................$1.1614 /0.8611 to one dollar, except for the British pound, Hong Kong (Dollar) ............................. 7.7517 which is represented in dollars-to-pound, eased somewhat by afternoon, came as traders Treasury yields held relatively steady, but remain Hungary (Forint) .................................298.55 and the euro, which is dollars-to-euro.) turned cautious amid increased tensions between close to their lowest levels since April. Israel (Shekel) .................................... 3.4152 Japan (Yen) ...........................................105.81 the world’s two largest economies and a mixed batch The S&P 500 dropped 20.03 points to 3,215.63. The Kuwait (Dinar) .....................................0.3064 of company earnings reports. Dow Jones Industrial Average slid 182.44 points, or Norway (Krone) .................................. 9.2106 INTEREST RATES Technology and health care companies accounted Philippines (Peso).................................49.37 0.7%, to 26,469.89. The Nasdaq composite fell 98.24 Poland (Zloty) ......................................... 3.80 Prime rate ................................................3.25 for much of the selling, with chipmaker Intel posting Saudi Arabia (Riyal) .......................... 3.7504 Discount rate ..........................................0.25 points, or 0.9%, to 10,363.18. Federal funds market rate ................... 0.10 Singapore (Dollar) ..............................1.3850 the biggest drop in the S&P 500. Those losses out- Each of the indexes had been down more sharply 3-month bill ............................................. 0.11 South Korea (Won) .......................... 1203.72 30-year bond ...........................................1.25 weighed gains by companies that rely on consumer in the morning. Switzerland (Franc)............................0.9237 WEATHER OUTLOOK SUNDAY IN THE MIDDLE EAST SUNDAY IN EUROPE MONDAY IN THE PACIFIC Misawa 66/63 Kabul 99/70 Seoul 79/72 Baghdad 122/87 Kandahar 109/79 Osan Tokyo Mildenhall/ Drawsko 78/73 90/72 Lakenheath Pomorskie Busan 72/58 78/57 77/74 Iwakuni 86/73 Kuwait Bahrain Zagan Sasebo City 106/93 Brussels 78/59 Guam 107/91 72/55 Ramstein 88/75 86/80 Lajes, 79/53 Riyadh Doha Azores Stuttgart Pápa 108/86 104/92 80/70 80/60 84/59 Aviano/ Vicenza 84/66 Naples 88/76 Okinawa Morón 91/81 105/71 Sigonella Rota 90/70 The weather is provided by the Djibouti Souda Bay American Forces Network Weather Center, 97/84 89/74 92/73 2nd Weather Squadron at Offutt Air Force Base, Neb. T O D A Y IN STRIPES American Roundup ..... 17 Books ....................... 14 Comics/Crossword ...... 15 Lifestyle .................... 11 Music ....................12-13 Opinion ..................... 18 Sports .................. 19-24 Sunday, July 26, 2020 •STARS AND STRIPES• PAGE 3 MILITARY Berger: USMC must focus more on diversity BY CAITLIN M. KENNEY across the country. are not as represented in specific that way, we cannot fix it when are in all the ranks from major up Stars and Stripes The Defense Department and career fields, such as in combat somebody is a lieutenant colonel to general, combined. the Navy have recently estab- arms or aviation. Berger said they or a colonel. We can’t make major Advancement in the Marine WASHINGTON — The Marine lished organizations to examine are starting to look at the begin- adjustments at that point.” Corps is dependent on a Marine’s C or ps mu s t l i s ten mor e to M a r i ne s diversity, inclusion, and biases ning of a Marine’s career in their Berger said the service is look- performance and potential. Ev- when it comes to issues of diversi- among the force and put forth initial training and education to ing into how discussions occur erything is earned. ty and inclusion amid the national a policy to fix issues that are see what can be improved. with Marines when they are se- “You have to perform, you’ve conversation about systemic rac- found. Marine officers compete dur- lecting a specialty and how those got to carry the load. You have to ism that erupted a few months The Marine Corps already has ing their six-month initial course discussions impact their career be able to do the job. So they are ago, said Gen. David Berger, the a talent management council and at Marine Corps Base Quantico, choice. not going to be any handouts,” service’s commandant. executive Va., because the better they per- In 2015, the Defense Depart- Berger said. “I’ll never have lived the life council that form, the better chance they have ment opened all military posi- The commandant said he does of an African American officer was set up by of selecting the specialty they tions to female service members, not know how long it will take in the Marine Corps, I will not former com- want. But the Marine Corps has removing all restrictions on ca- for the first woman to become have lived that life. What I can mandant found not many African Ameri- commandant, but it is his job to do? Listen, understand, try to reers and roles they can pursue. Gen. Robert ensure that paths for career ad- empathize, so that we can make can Marines are choosing combat This allowed more women to pur- Neller within vancement for women in the Ma- adjustments within our service to arms, Berger said. For African sue careers in combat roles such the service’s change the way that some people American Marines who go to avi- as infantry, which historically rines are available.