Heartbreaking Homecoming

WAR FACES MLB US hands over Closeness of characters Ballparks sit eerily strategic Q-West diminishing escapism empty on what was base to Iraqis of TV during pandemic to be opening day Page 3 Page 15 Back page Release of Afghan, Taliban prisoners could begin next week » Page 3 Volume 78, No. 245 ©SS 2020 CONTINGENCY EDITION FRIDAY, MARCH 27, 2020 stripes.com Free to Deployed Areas CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK 3.3 million Restrictions Heartbreaking change ship’s in US seek return to port for families jobless aid at Yokosuka homecoming BY CHRISTOPHER RUGABER Associated Press WASHINGTON — Nearly 3.3 million Americans applied for unemployment benefits last week — nearly five times the previ- ous record set in 1982 — amid a widespread economic shutdown caused by the coronavirus. The surge in weekly applica- tions was a stunning reflection of the damage the viral outbreak is inflicting on the economy. Filings for unemployment aid generally reflect the pace of layoffs. Layoffs are sure to accelerate as the U.S. economy sinks into a recession. Revenue has collapsed at restaurants, hotels, movie the- aters, gyms, and airlines. Auto sales are plummeting, and car makers have closed factories. Most such employers face loan payments and other fixed costs, so they’re cutting jobs to save money. As job losses mount, some economists say the nation’s unemployment rate could approach 13% by May. By comparison, the highest jobless rate during the Great Recession, which ended in 2009, was 10%. “What seemed impossible just two weeks ago is now reality,” said Nancy Vanden Houten, an economist at Oxford Economics, a consulting firm. “The U.S. economy will experience the largest BY CAITLIN DOORNBOS would be no welcoming kisses. No hugs. No holding Ashton Andrews and her economic contraction on record Stars and Stripes hands or hoisting children and babies. son, Thomas, pose for a with the most severe surge in un- The U.S. military at home and abroad over the past photo with their husband employment ever.” YOKOSUKA NAVAL BASE, Japan two days has heightened restrictions on the movements and father, Lt. Cmdr. The economic deterioration has aisy Morales was heartbroken Thursday of service members and their families, access to bases Ryan Andrews, waving been swift. As recently as Febru- when her husband, Ensign Matthew Mo- and warships and other measures, to curb the spread of in the distance aboard ary, the unemployment rate was rales, finally arrived back in port aboard the coronavirus, now a global pandemic. the USS Antietam, at at a 50-year low of 3.5%. And the Dguided-missile cruiser USS Antietam after Nonetheless, Morales and other spouses came to the Yokosuka Naval Base, economy was growing steadily if weeks at sea. pier Thursday afternoon to sneak a peek at their loved Japan, on Thursday. modestly. Morales, like other Navy spouses, discovered there SEE HEARTBREAKING ON PAGE 6 CAITLIN DOORNBOS/Stars and Stripes SEE JOBLESS ON PAGE 9 RELATED USS Theodore Roosevelt pauses Esper orders halt to movement Some Army promotion Services vary on STORIES operations after sailors test positive overseas, raises threat level boards move online haircut policies Page 8 Page 6 Page 5 Page 7 PAGE 2 •STARS AND STRIPES• Friday, March 27, 2020 BUSINESS/WEATHER Dakota Access pipeline to have environmental review EXCHANGE RATES Military rates Switzerland (Franc)............................0.9693 Euro costs (March 27) ......................... $1.07 Thailand (Baht) .....................................32.63 Dollar buys (March 27) ................... €0.8884 Turkey (Lira) .........................................6.3932 Associated Press and a more extensive review is Coalition, a group that supports British pound (March 27) .................... $1.17 (Military exchange rates are those Japanese yen (March 27)..................109.00 available to customers at military banking necessary than the environmen- large infrastructure projects, South Korean won (March 27) .....1,195.00 FARGO, N.D. — A federal judge Commercial rates facilities in the country of issuance for Japan, South Korea, Germany, the tal assessment that was done. said the decision could jeopardize Bahrain (Dinar) ....................................0.3771 on Wednesday ordered the U.S. Netherlands and the United Kingdom. For British pound .....................................$1.2022 Standing Rock Chairman Mike the nation’s economic and energy nonlocal currency exchange rates (i.e., Army Corps of Engineers to con- Canada (Dollar) ...................................1.4118 Faith called it a “significant legal security. purchasing British pounds in Germany), duct a full environmental review China (Yuan) ........................................ 7.0750 check with your local military banking win” and said it’s humbling that “This is a stunning decision Denmark (Krone) ................................6.8023 of the Dakota Access pipeline, facility. Commercial rates are interbank Egypt (Pound) ....................................15.7483 the protests continue to “inspire that flies in the face of decades rates provided for reference when buying nearly three years after it began Euro .........................................$1.0975/0.9111 currency. All figures are foreign currencies national conversations” about the of widely accepted practice,” Hong Kong (Dollar) .............................7.7537 carrying oil despite protests by to one dollar, except for the British pound, Hungary (Forint) .................................324.15 environment. Stevens said in a statement. which is represented in dollars-to-pound, people who gathered in North Da- Israel (Shekel) ..................................... 3.6010 kota for more than a year. Officials with the Corps and “The Dakota Access Pipeline is Japan (Yen) ...........................................109.66 and the euro, which is dollars-to-euro.) U.S. District Judge James Energy Transfer, which owns the already the most studied, regu- Kuwait (Dinar) .....................................0.3066 INTEREST RATES Norway (Krone) .................................10.5652 Boasberg wrote that the ease- pipeline, did not immediately related, and litigated pipeline in the Philippines (Peso).................................50.86 Prime rate ................................................3.25 ment approval for the pipeline spond to phone messages left by history of our country and has Poland (Zloty) ..........................................4.15 Discount rate ..........................................0.25 Saudi Arabia (Riyal) ...........................3.7559 Federal funds market rate ................... 0.12 remains “highly controversial” The Associated Press. Craig Ste- been safely operating for nearly Singapore (Dollar) ..............................1.4348 3-month bill ............................................. 0.01 under federal environmental law, vens, spokesman for the GAIN three years.” South Korea (Won) ..........................1,219.21 30-year bond ........................................... 1.41 WEATHER OUTLOOK FRIDAY IN THE MIDDLE EAST FRIDAY IN EUROPE SATURDAY IN THE PACIFIC Misawa 44/40 Kabul 58/48 Seoul 48/41 Baghdad 71/61 Kandahar 69/50 Osan Tokyo Mildenhall/ Drawsko 47/36 65/54 Lakenheath Pomorskie Busan 50/32 50/36 49/45 Iwakuni 55/52 Kuwait Bahrain Zagan Sasebo City 76/69 Brussels 53/34 Guam 72/65 52/34 Ramstein 55/52 81/78 Lajes, 53/33 Riyadh Doha Azores Stuttgart Pápa 90/66 78/64 59/56 55/32 57/39 Aviano/ Vicenza 55/38 Naples 53/49 Okinawa Morón 72/59 63/47 Sigonella Rota 52/39 The weather is provided by the Djibouti Souda Bay American Forces Network Weather Center, 85/77 58/53 58/55 2nd Weather Squadron at Offutt Air Force Base, Neb. T O D A Y IN STRIPES American Roundup ..... 16 Comics ...................... 17 Crossword ................. 17 Faces ........................ 15 Opinion ................ 18-19 Sports ...................21-24 Friday, March 27, 2020 •STARS AND STRIPES• PAGE 3 WAR ON TERRORISM Afghan, Taliban prisoner release to start soon BY PHILLIP WALTER WELLMAN election. lease 100 Taliban prisoners by freed. would not return to battle. Stars and Stripes The rift between the two men the end of March, the National The U.S.-Taliban deal called Ghani two weeks ago proposed has been blamed for stalling the Security Council said in a state- for up to 5,000 Taliban and up a phased release of inmates who KABUL, Afghanistan — Thou- peace process by delaying the ment released after the video to 1,000 detainees held by the would have their biometric de- sands of prisoners in Afghanistan naming of a government delega- conference. Details of further re- insurgents to be freed by March tails recorded and sign a guar- could start being released by tion to hold talks with the Tal- leases would be announced in the 10, when intra-Afghan talks were antee not to return to combat, but early next week, fulfilling a key iban, another key condition of the coming days, the statement said. supposed to begin. It spells out the condition of the nearly month-old Feb. 29 deal between the U.S. and “It was decided in the virtual that freeing the prisoners and the Taliban rejected that offer, U.S.-Taliban deal to bring peace Taliban. meeting that the process of the intra-Afghan talks are conditions insisting 5,000 of their fighters to the country, government and that must be filled if U.S. forces But on Wednesday the govern- prisoner release will practical- must be released at once. Taliban officials said. are to complete their withdrawal ment published the names of its ly start on

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