Weekly Unemployment Report Flawed
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FACES MILITARY COLLEGE FOOTBALL Bad Bunny Flu vaccine Army uniforms for meeting has big year trickles into US with Navy are inspired by on Spotify bases in Europe Wolfhounds of Korean War Page 18 Page 3 Page 21 After incidents, Camp Lejeune begins random testing for LSD ›› Page 5 stripes.com Volume 79 Edition 163 ©SS 2020 WEDNESDAY,DECEMBER 2, 2020 50¢/Free to Deployed Areas GAO: Weekly unemployment report flawed BY MARTIN CRUTSINGER Associated Press WASHINGTON — A govern- ment watchdog has found that the Labor Department’s widely watched weekly unemployment benefits data are providing an in- accurate reading on the number of newly laid off workers because of flaws in the government’s data collection. The Government Accountabil- ity Office said in a report Monday that the Labor Department’s weekly report of the number of people filing new applications for unemployment benefits and those receiving continuing claims contained a number of inaccura- cies. The GAO said the problems in data collection and reporting were making it hard for policy- makers to get a reliable picture of what unemployment was doing during the pandemic. The report said the weekly data included JASON WAITE/U.S. Navy overestimates and at other times The amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard sits pier side at Naval Base San Diego on July 16. It is still unkown what caused a fire on underestimates of the number of July 12 that burned through 11 of the ship’s 14 decks before it was extinguished. people filing for unemployment benefits. SEE GAO ON PAGE 9 Ship to be scrapped Navy says rebuilding Bonhomme Richard after fire would be too expensive BY CAITLIN M. KENNEY which various courses of action the time believed it began in the Stars and Stripes were considered and evaluated, “We did not cargo hold where supplies for the WASHINGTON — The USS we came to the conclusion that it is maintenance work being conduct- Bonhomme Richard will not re- not fiscally responsible to restore come to this ed on the ship were stored. turn to sea after the Navy deter- her.” “This fire probably couldn’t mined that the damage it sus- The 22-year-old Bonhomme Ri- decision lightly.” have been in a worse point on the PATRICK SEMANSKY/AP tained from a fire in July was too chard, a Wasp-class amphibious Navy Secretary ship in terms of its source that al- The Labor Department’s weekly extensive and restoration deemed assault ship, was undergoing lowed it to spread up elevator unemployment benefits data are too expensive, the service an- maintenance at Naval Base San Kenneth Braithwaite shafts as an example, up exhaust providing an inaccurate reading nounced Monday. Diego when the fire started July stacks as an example, to take that on the number of newly laid off “We did not come to this deci- 12. The fire burned through 11 of ors and 23 civilians were treated fire up into the superstructure and workers because of flaws in the sion lightly,” Navy Secretary Ken- its 14 decks, destroying the ship’s for minor injuries, such as heat ex- then forward,” Adm. Mike Gilday, government’s data collection, neth Braithwaite said in a pre- forward mast, and damaging its haustion and smoke inhalation. the chief of naval oper- according to the Government pared statement. “Following an superstructure before it was ex- How the fire started is still un- Accountability Office. extensive material assessment in tinguished July 16. About 40 sail- known, however Navy officials at SEE SCRAPPED ON PAGE 4 PAGE 2 • STARS AND STRIPES • Wednesday, December 2, 2020 BUSINESS/WEATHER This holiday, everyone is shopping from home EXCHANGE RATES Military rates Associated Press Philppines (Peso) 48.11 search firm eMarketer. It expects rily quiet this year. Health offi- Euro costs (Dec. 2) $1.17 Poland (Zloty) 3.72 NEW YORK — The viral pan- online sales to jump nearly 36%, cials had warned shoppers to stay Dollar buys (Dec. 2) 0.813 Saudi Arab (Riyal) 3.7505 British pound (Dec. 2) $1.30 Singapore (Dollar) 1.3400 demic is accelerating a transfor- while sales at physical stores fall home, and stores followed suit by Japanese yen (Dec. 2) 101.00 So. Korea (Won) 1,108.65 South Korean won (Dec. 2) 1,080.00 Switzerland (Franc) 0.9035 mation of America’s holiday shop- 4.7%. putting their best deals online to Thailand (Baht) 30.26 ping season. The online rush was on full dis- discourage crowds. Commercial rates Turkey (Lira) 7.8524 Bahrain (Dinar) 0.3771 (Military exchange rates are those availa Few people showed up at the play Monday, known as Cyber Half as many people shopped Britain (Pound) 1.3349 ble to customers at military banking facil mall this weekend, with millions Monday, a day of sales promoted inside stores this Black Friday Canada (Dollar) 1.2969 ities in the country of issuance for Japan, China (Yuan) 6.5712 South Korea, Germany, the Netherlands of pandemic-wary shoppers stay- by retailers back in 2005. Once the than last year, according to retail Denmark (Krone) 6.2061 and the United Kingdom. For nonlocal cur rency exchange rates (i.e., purchasing Brit ing home to shop online. final numbers are tallied up, this data company Sensormatic Solu- Egypt (Pound) 15.6743 ish pounds in Germany), check with your lo Euro 0.8337 cal military banking facility. Commercial The result? Overall holiday year’s Cyber Monday is projected tions. Hong Kong (Dollar) 7.7524 rates are interbank rates provided for refer sales are projected to rise a slight to become the biggest online shop- Online, sales hit a record $9 bil- Hungary (Forint) 296.74 ence when buying currency. All figures are Israel (Shekel) 3.2981 foreign currencies to one dollar, except for 0.9% in November and December ping day in American history. lion on Black Friday — up a sharp Japan (Yen) 104.48 the British pound, which is represented in Kuwait (Dinar) 0.3050 dollarstopound, and the euro, which is — and even that modest gain will Meanwhile, Black Friday, typi- 22% from last year, according to Norway (Krone) 8.8503 dollarstoeuro.) be due to an explosion in online cally the frenzied kick-off of the Adobe Analytics, which tracks on- shopping, according to the re- holiday shopping season, was ee- line shopping. WEATHER OUTLOOK WEDNESDAY IN THE MIDDLE EAST WEDNESDAY IN EUROPE THURSDAY IN THE PACIFIC Misawa 38/33 Kabul Seoul 55/33 35/29 Baghdad 68/50 Tokyo Drawsko Osan Kandahar Mildenhall/ 36/29 52/54 73/33 Pomorskie Busan Lakenheath 32/28 42/33 45/35 Iwakuni Kuwait City 55/50 Bahrain Brussels Zagan Sasebo 70/62 77/73 Ramstein 33/26 55/51 Guam 42/39 35/31 84/80 Riyadh Lajes, 77/60 Doha Azores Stuttgart Pápa 64/60 36/32 79/68 Aviano/ 33/28 Vicenza 36/31 Naples 58/52 Okinawa Morón 74/70 60/47 Sigonella Rota 59/44 The weather is provided by the Djibouti 59/53 Souda Bay American Forces Network Weather Center, 84/75 62/58 2nd Weather Squadron at Offutt Air Force Base, Neb. TODAY IN STRIPES American Roundup ...... 11 Classified .................... 13 Comics .........................16 Crossword ................... 16 Faces .......................... 18 Opinion ........................ 14 Sports ................... 20-24 Wednesday, December 2, 2020 • STARS AND STRIPES • PAGE 3 MILITARY Flu vaccine trickles in to US bases in Europe BY JENNIFER H. SVAN There haven't been any docu- es for at least part of their vaccine Stars and Stripes mented cases of the flu on Ram- allotment, Mattorano said, al- Many Americans affiliated with stein Air Base so far this season, though they have done that every the U.S. military in Europe Powell said. The European Center year and it has never been an is- haven’t been able to get flu shots for Disease Prevention and Con- sue. Vaccine doses in vials, which this year, due to delays in deliver- trol has documented only 12 posi- medical personnel then have to ing the vaccine that officials are tive cases among more than 14,000 add to syringes, have already ar- struggling to explain. tests so far. rived and been used to inoculate Military and health officials “For the Region as a whole, in- members of the community, he have said the inoculations are par- fluenza activity has been at base- said. ticularly important this year, as line level since the start of the sea- The Navy in Naples did not im- they would help reduce the impact son," the health agency said in its mediately respond to a question of contagious respiratory illnesses most recent report. about whether it had ordered pre- on the broader population and The U.S. Centers for Disease filled syringes or vials. ease the burden on the health care Control and Prevention says flu Another possible explanation system during the overlapping flu activity usually peaks between De- for the delayed delivery is that the season and coronavirus pandemic. KARINA LOPEZMATA/U.S. Marine Corps cember and February and dimin- coronavirus has “impacted global But even as some U.S. bases in A U.S. Navy corpsman at Marine Corps Air Station New River, N.C., ishes by May. Though the effec- industry,” including commercial Japan wrapped up their flu vacci- gives a Marine a flu shot. Many U.S. military bases in Europe are still tiveness of the flu vaccine varies transportation, said Col. Ryan Mi- nation drives in October and oth- waiting to receive their full allotment of the influenza vaccine. from year to year, the vaccination hata, 86th Medical Group com- ers are in the process of complet- is still recommended as it may mander at Ramstein.