MUSIC: A heartfelt playlist for Mother’s Day Page 19 GAMES: Under-the-radar MMA titles for Switch Page 22 UFC hopefuls have limited FOOD: German eateries get opportunities during pandemic creative with takeout Page 25 Back page stripes.com Volume 79, No. 15 ©SS 2020 FRIDAY, MAY 8, 2020 $1.00 CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK Unemployment claims surpass 33 million in US BY CHRISTOPHER RUGABER Associated Press WASHINGTON — Nearly 3.2 million laid-off workers applied for unemployment benefits last week as the business shutdowns caused by the viral outbreak deepened the worst U.S. econom- ic catastrophe in decades. Roughly 33.5 million people have now filed for jobless aid in the seven weeks since the coro- navirus began forcing millions of companies to close their doors and slash their workforces. That is the equivalent of one in five Americans who had been em- ployed back in February, when the unemployment rate had reached a 50-year low of just 3.5%. The Labor Department’s report Thursday suggests that layoffs, while still breathtakingly high, Public health are steadily declining after sharp spikes in late March and early April. Initial claims for unem- ployment aid have now fallen for five straight weeks, from a peak announcement of nearly 6.9 million during the week that ended March 28. Applications for jobless aid rose in just six states last week, including Maine, New Jersey and Analysts say US operations in South China Sea Oklahoma, and declined in the 44 others. aimed at quelling doubts over post-virus readiness The report showed that 22.7 million people are now receiv- ing unemployment aid — a rough AUDREY M.C. RAMPTON/U.S. Marine Corps measure of job losses since the shutdowns began. Marines with Battalion Landing Team, 1st Battalion, 5th Marines, 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit load onto an MV-22B Osprey during a combat mission rehearsal aboard the amphibious assault ship USS America on April 21 in the South China Sea. SEE CLAIMS ON PAGE 10 BY WYATT OLSON The U.S. Navy has been particularly hard hit by RELATED STORIES Stars and Stripes the virus, with the carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt sidelined in Guam since March 26 as it grapples U.S. Forces Korea maintains restrictions for now he U.S. military for years stayed large- with the pandemic. More than 1,100 sailors on the ly mum about its missions in the South ship have tested positive, with one death. despite South Korea’s initial moves to reopen China Sea, where the Navy and Air The Roosevelt contagion has left the regional Page 6 Force routinely conduct surveillance and freedom-of-navigation operations allies and partners speculating about the U.S. T military’s readiness to respond to Indo-Pacific V-E Day 75th anniversary commemorations with an eye on China’s ambitions there. But in past weeks, the Defense Department has flashpoints, said Collin Koh, a naval expert at the moved from streets to screens because of virus highlighted sea and air operations in the contested Institute of Defense and Strategic Studies at the sea, which some military experts say is an effort S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Page 8 to dispel doubts over the capabilities of the Ameri- Singapore. can military as it contends with the coronavirus Online: Get the latest news on the virus outbreak pandemic. SEE HEALTH ON PAGE 4 stripes.com/coronavirus PAGE 2 F3HIJKLM •STARS AND STRIPES• Friday, May 8, 2020 BUSINESS/WEATHER EUROPE GAS PRICES EXCHANGE RATES Country Super E10 Super unleaded Super plus Diesel Military rates Switzerland (Franc)............................0.9775 Germany $2.052 $2.484 $2.742 $2.662 Azores -- -- $3.132 -- Euro costs (May 8) ................................$1.05 Thailand (Baht) ..................................... 32.41 Change in price +1.6 cents -0.5 cents +0.1 cents -3.8 cents Change in price -- -- +1.4 cents -- Dollar buys (May 8) ..........................€0.9494 Turkey (Lira) .........................................7.1478 Netherlands -- $3.057 $3.259 $3.358 Belgium -- $2.834 $2.190 $2.252 British pound (May 8) ..........................$1.21 (Military exchange rates are those Change in price -- +1.8 cents +1.9 cents -1.3 cents Change in price -- +7.2 cents No change -67.8 cents Japanese yen (May 8) ........................105.00 available to customers at military banking South Korean won (May 8 .............1,196.00 facilities in the country of issuance U.K. -- $2.394 $2.652 $2.572 Turkey -- -- $2.543 $2.463* Commercial rates for Japan, South Korea, Germany, the Change in price -- -0.5 cents +0.1 cents -3.8 cents Change in price -- -- +0.1 cents -3.8 cents Bahrain (Dinar) ....................................0.3777 Netherlands and the United Kingdom. For British pound .....................................$1.2291 nonlocal currency exchange rates (i.e., Canada (Dollar) ...................................1.4063 purchasing British pounds in Germany), China (Yuan) ........................................ 7.0891 check with your local military banking PACIFIC GAS PRICES Denmark (Krone) ................................6.9213 facility. Commercial rates are interbank Egypt (Pound) ....................................15.7489 rates provided for reference when buying Country Unleaded Super unleaded Super plus Diesel Euro ........................................ $1.0779/0.9277 currency. All figures are foreign currencies Japan -- $2.529 -- $2.449 South Korea $1.869 -- $2.559 $2.479 Hong Kong (Dollar) ..............................7.7511 to one dollar, except for the British pound, Change in price -- No change -- -4.0 cents Change in price +1.0 cents -- No change -4.0 cents Hungary (Forint) .................................325.26 which is represented in dollars-to-pound, Israel (Shekel) .....................................3.5126 Okinawa $1.839 -- -- $2.449 Guam $1.849** $2.289 $2.539 -- and the euro, which is dollars-to-euro.) Change in price +1.0 cents -- -- -4.0 cents Change in price +1.0 cents No change No change -- Japan (Yen) ...........................................106.61 Kuwait (Dinar) .....................................0.3094 INTEREST RATES Norway (Krone) .................................10.2274 Philippines (Peso).................................50.57 Prime rate ................................................3.25 * Diesel EFD ** Midgrade Poland (Zloty) ..........................................4.22 Discount rate ..........................................0.25 Saudi Arabia (Riyal) ...........................3.7564 Federal funds market rate ...................0.04 For the week of May 8-14 Singapore (Dollar) ..............................1.4183 3-month bill ............................................. 0.12 South Korea (Won) ..........................1,224.07 30-year bond ........................................... 1.41 WEATHER OUTLOOK FRIDAY IN THE MIDDLE EAST FRIDAY IN EUROPE SATURDAY IN THE PACIFIC Misawa 58/49 Kabul 78/48 Seoul 63/57 Baghdad 90/63 Kandahar 99/59 Osan Tokyo Mildenhall/ Drawsko 64/58 66/47 Lakenheath Pomorskie Busan 68/49 59/42 63/59 Iwakuni 62/59 Kuwait Bahrain Zagan Sasebo City 82/79 Brussels 65/41 Guam 91/73 71/47 Ramstein 69/63 84/80 Lajes, 67/44 Riyadh Doha Azores Stuttgart Pápa 92/71 95/78 63/60 69/47 71/41 Aviano/ Vicenza 66/47 Naples 69/51 Okinawa Morón 74/70 81/58 Sigonella Rota 71/57 The weather is provided by the Djibouti Souda Bay American Forces Network Weather Center, 89/82 68/59 64/60 2nd Weather Squadron at Offutt Air Force Base, Neb. T O D A Y IN STRIPES American Roundup ............46 Classified ......................... 41 Comics ..................38, 42-43 Crossword .............38, 42-43 Faces ............................... 39 Opinion .......................44-45 Sports .........................49-56 Weekend ..................... 17-38 Friday, May 8, 2020 •STARS AND STRIPES• F3HIJKLM PAGE 3 MILITARY Pentagon reports on civilian deaths overseas BY JOHN VANDIVER ian casualties connected to U.S. “For example, a report of civil- an airstrike in Somalia, the re- in what it said is an effort to boost Stars and Stripes airstrikes in Yemen or Libya. ian casualties would be assessed port said. transparency. The most deaths occurred in as not credible if U.S. military Activist groups, however, have In 2019, the Pentagon made 611 STUTTGART, Germany — Afghanistan, where 108 civilians operations were not conducted said the military has a long track payments connected to property U.S. military forces killed 132 were killed, the Pentagon said. at the reported time or place or record of undercounting civilian damage, civilian deaths and in- civilians and injured 91 others U.S. military authorities in Af- the reported casualties related to deaths. Amnesty International jury, the report said. during operations last year in ghanistan received 541 reports of the incident were assessed to be also has put out numerous re- The report did not detail how Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan and So- civilian casualties for operations enemy combatants rather than ports over the past year that say those payments were doled out, malia, the Pentagon said. involving U.S. forces, which came civilians,” the Pentagon report airstrikes in places like Somalia The Defense Department is- from sources such as activists said. and Syria are higher than previ- but the Defense Department is sued its annual assessment groups, the national government There also were 22 civilians ously reported. authorized to spend up to $3 mil- Wednesday on civilian casualties and media organizations. The killed during operations against For its part, U.S. Africa Com- lion annually on such payments.