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Volume 79 Edition 165B ©SS 2020 CONTINGENCY EDITION SUNDAY,DECEMBER 6, 2020 Free to Deployed Areas

DOD blocks Biden from meeting with spy agencies

BY GREG MILLER AND MISSY RYAN The Washington Post WASHINGTON — The Trump administration has refused to al- low members of President-elect Joe Biden’s transition team to meet with officials at U.S. intelli- gence agencies that are controlled by the Pentagon, undermining prospects for a smooth transfer of power, current and former U.S. of- ficials said. The impasse has prevented the Biden team from engaging with leaders at the National Security Agency, the Defense Intelligence Agency and other military-run spy services with classified bud- gets and global espionage plat- forms. The Defense Department re- jected requests from the Biden team this week, officials said, de- spite a General Services Adminis- tration decision Nov. 23 that clear- ed the way for federal agencies to

CHRISTOPHER RUANO/U.S. Army meet with representatives of the No country has been involved in Somalia's future as much as the United States, but the Trump administration is withdrawing the several incoming administration. hundred U.S. military troops from the nation at what some experts call the worst possible time. The rejections came even as Bi- Trump orders Somalia withdrawal SEE BLOCKS ON PAGE 4 Pentagon announces plans to pull US troops assisting terrorist fight in East African nation

BY COREY DICKSTEIN gon statement, which did not provide specifics on AND CAITLIN KENNEY how many troops would remain in Somalia. The INSIDE Stars and Stripes withdrawal was to be completed by an unspecified WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump has date in early 2021, according to the statement. Circumstances ordered the Pentagon to remove most of its about Pentagon spokespersons on Friday declined to 700 troops in Somalia working to assist the East Afri- provide further details on the number of troops to unclear in attack can nation’s military with its long battle against al- remain in Somalia or precisely when those with- Shabab terrorists, the Pentagon announced Friday. drawing were to leave. on cargo ship off ANDREW HARNIK/AP Most of the troops to be removed from Somalia Trump’s withdrawal order comes on the heels of Yemen's coast President-elect Joe Biden's team will be relocated to neighboring countries, from his decisions last month to draw down troops in Iraq has been prevented from where they will continue efforts against the al-Qai- Page 5 meeting with leaders of da-aligned al-Shabab group, according to a Penta- SEE ORDERS ON PAGE 5 military-run spy services. PAGE 2 • STARS AND STRIPES • Sunday, December 6, 2020 BUSINESS/WEATHER US stocks climb amid optimism EXCHANGE RATES Military rates So. Korea (Won) 1084.01 Bloomberg while the yield on the 10-year port "grim" and said it shows Switzerland (Franc) 0.8895 Euro costs (Dec. 7) $1.19 Thailand (Baht) 30.16 U.S. stocks climbed to all-time Treasury note reached the highest "there's no time to lose" for Con- Dollar buys (Dec. 7) 0.8015 Turkey (NewLira) 7.7873 British pound (Dec. 7) $1.32 highs and Treasury yields jumped in nine months. gress to pass a new relief bill. Japanese yen (Dec. 7) 102.00 (Military exchange rates are those available after a report showing U.S. em- "One of the recurring themes House Speaker Nancy Pelosi South Korean won (Dec. 7) 1062.00 to customers at military banking facilities in the Commercial rates country of issuance for Japan, South Korea, Ger­ ployment gains slowed in Novem- this year is the resiliency of the said there's momentum building many, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Bahrain(Dinar) 0.3770 For nonlocal currency exchange rates (i.e., pur­ ber bolstered expectations for market, it's been amazing and im- toward a compromise fiscal stim- Britain (Pound) 0.7398 chasing British pounds in Germany), check with Canada (Dollar) 1.2811 your local military banking facility. Commercial more federal stimulus. pressive," said John Porter, head ulus plan, though Republicans China(Yuan) 6.5308 rates are interbank rates provided for reference Denmark (Krone) 6.1222 All major indexes for U.S. equi- of equities at Mellon Investments. complained about the scale of aid Egypt (Pound) 15.6689 when buying currency. All figures are foreign ties — the S&P 500, the Dow Jones Labor Department figures to states included in the bipartisan Euro 0.8226 currencies to one dollar, except for the British Hong Kong (Dollar) 7.7507 pound, which is represented in dollars­to­ Industrial Average, the Russell showed nonfarm payrolls in- proposal that's become the best Hungary (Forint) 294.85 pound, and the euro, which is dollars­to­euro.) Israel (Shekel) 3.2676 2000 and the Nasdaq Composite creased by a less-than-forecast chance yet for a deal. Japan (Yen) 104.01 INTEREST RATES index — closed at records. Such 245,000 from the prior month, as "The market is betting that we'll Kuwait(Dinar) 0.3041 Norway (Krone) 8.7667 Prime rate 3.25 synchronized highs were last seen the unemployment rate dipped 0.2 get a relief package soon," said Philippines (Peso) 48.10 Interest Rates Discount rate 0.75 Poland (Zloty) 3.68 Federal funds market rate 0.25 in January 2018. The dollar posted percentage point to 6.7%. Presi- Matt Maley, chief market strate- Saudi Arab (Riyal) 3.7508 3­month bill 0.9 its biggest weekly decline in five, dent-elect Joe Biden called the re- gist at Miller Tabak + Co. Singapore (Dollar) 1.3318 30­year bond 1.73 WEATHER OUTLOOK SUNDAY IN THE MIDDLE EAST SUNDAY IN EUROPE MONDAY IN THE PACIFIC

Misawa 46/36

Kabul Seoul 55/35 43/24 Baghdad 71/49 Tokyo Drawsko Osan Kandahar Mildenhall/ 42/26 55/37 68/39 Pomorskie Busan Lakenheath 47/40 42/33 51/33 Iwakuni Kuwait City 57/37 Bahrain Brussels Zagan Sasebo Guam 71/64 79/71 Ramstein 49/42 59/45 43/34 40/33 86/79 Riyadh Lajes, 82/66 Doha Azores Stuttgart Pápa 64/59 39/33 86/72 Aviano/ 52/44 Vicenza 52/38

Naples 58/46 Okinawa Morón 68/62 55/46 Sigonella Rota 57/42 The weather is provided by the Djibouti 58/47 Souda Bay American Forces Network Weather Center, 84/76 64/53 2nd Weather Squadron at Offutt Air Force Base, Neb. TODAY American Roundup ...... 11 Gadgets & Tech ...... 16 Comics ...... 15 Crossword ...... 15 Music ...... 12-13 Opinion ...... 19 Sports ...... 20-24 Sunday, December 6, 2020 • STARS AND STRIPES • PAGE 3 MILITARY Soldier found dead in NC was Green Beret

BY CHAD GARLAND chief warrant officer 3 and prop- ly shot in Fayetteville on March 21 ABC News in late March 2018 that he remained at the command Stars and Stripes erty book officer, he served from of that year. the shooter was an active-duty throughout the remainder of his Two men connected to the spe- November 1996 to March 2016, an Leshikar’s sister, Nicole Rick, member of a Special Missions career. cial operations community were Army spokesman at the Pentagon told Connecting Vets on Friday Unit, known as Delta Force. Rick He earned numerous awards found dead on an Army post in said. He was assigned to Fort that Lavigne and her brother were said Lavigne was also in Delta and decorations during his ser- North Carolina where both had Bragg for nearly all that time, a close friends, but had gotten into Force. vice, including a Bronze Star Med- served for years — one a soldier in LinkedIn account showed. an altercation that night. Lavigne “Master Sgt. Lavigne dedicated al, Joint Service Commendation an elite unit and the other a veter- The post is home to USASOC, as locked Leshikar out of the house, himself to the Army for 19 years Medal, four Army Commendation an. well as the XVIII Airborne Corps, but his young and deployed multiple times in the Medals, a parachutist badge and a Master Sgt. William J. Lavigne Army Forces Command, 82nd daughter un- defense of our nation,” Duvall driver and mechanic badge. II, 37, with U.S. Army Special Op- Airborne Division and the Army locked the door. said. Lavigne was a graduate of the erations Command’s Headquar- Reserve Command. More than 30 When Leshikar Lavigne enlisted in the Army in Army Airborne and jump master ters and Headquarters Company, soldiers assigned to the base have came into the 2001 and graduated the Special courses, and the Military Free Fall and Timothy Dumas, 44, an Army died this year, about half by sui- home, he and La- Forces Qualification Course in Parachutist and jump master veteran from Pinehurst, N.C., cide. vigne had a con- 2007, after which he was assigned courses, as well as the Special were found Wednesday in a train- No more information about the frontation that to the 1st Special Forces Group Forces Intelligence Course; sur- ing area on Fort Bragg, near deaths of Lavigne and Dumas will ended with the (Airborne), then to USASOC, the vival, evasion, resistance and es- Lavigne Fayetteville. be released while the Army Crimi- shooting. La- command said. cape school; and a special oper- The Army has given few details nal Investigative Command inves- vigne told Rick that her brother He deployed several times to ations language course in Tagalog, about the circumstance of their tigates, USASOC said. had a screwdriver, she said, but Afghanistan and Iraq, the com- which is spoken in the Philippines. deaths but has said they were not CID did not respond to a request she claimed nothing was found at mand said, though it did not pro- His awards and decorations in- related to official training. Foul for comment Friday, but an un- the scene and “no real investiga- vide an exact number. clude two Bronze Star medals, one play is suspected and they may named defense official told ABC tion was ever held.” Dumas had deployed to Afghan- with a “V” device for valor, the have been involved in criminal ac- News that foul play was suspect- A sergeant with the Cumber- istan four times, according to a Meritorious Service Medal, Joint tivity at the time of their deaths, ed. land County Homicide Unit inves- service history Army spokesman Service Commendation Medal, unnamed military officials told The two men may have been in- tigated the death, said Lt. Sean Sgt. 1st Class Anthony Hewitt pro- two Army Commendation medals, some news outlets. volved in criminal activity, a de- Swainn, a spokesman for the coun- vided via email. Hewitt declined to three Army Achievement medals, Lavigne had spent about a doz- fense official familiar with the in- ty sheriff’s office. An incident re- provide further information about aJoint Service Achievement Med- en of his 19 years in the service as- cident told The Washington Post, port on the sheriff’s website lists it what unit Dumas had served with al and five Army Good Conduct signed to Special Forces and USA- speaking on condition of anonym- as a justifiable homicide, but in re- at the end of his career. medals. He had also earned a SOC, the command said in a state- ity to discuss the matter still under sponse to an email seeking further Beginning in 2001, Dumas Combat Infantry Badge and Com- ment Friday. investigation. details, Swainn offered little more served as a property book officer bat Action Badge. “The loss of a soldier is always Lavigne had been investigated information and directed Stars with the 7th Special Forces Group, “Our condolences go out to his tragic,” said Lt. Col. Justin Duvall, in the 2018 death Sgt. 1st Class and Stripes to a statement the his LinkedIn account shows, family during this difficult time,” the soldier’s company command- Mark Leshikar, 33, USASOC con- sheriff issued the day after the which is supported by Cumber- Duvall said. er. firmed in an email. A member of shooting, which said no charges land County records showing he

Fort Bragg identified Dumas in the National Guard’s 19th Special had been filed. was delivered legal documents at [email protected] a separate statement. A former Forces Group, Leshikar was fatal- A senior defense official told 7th Group in 2002. It’s unclear if Twitter: @chadgarland Defense bill directs $2 million to plan renaming of bases BY STEVE BEYNON The bill directs the Pentagon to establish that will detail a list of assets to be removed Stars and Stripes a commission within 45 days to look over all or renamed and the cost associated with do- WASHINGTON — The final version of base names and assets of the Department of ing so. the defense spending bill for fiscal 2021 in- Defense that commemorate the Confeder- During the summer, Trump had threat- cludes $2 million to form a commission to acy and anyone who voluntarily served with ened to veto the NDAA over the Confeder- plan the renaming of the military bases that the its army during the Civil War. ate base names issue, demanding the names honor Confederate leaders, defying a veto The eight-person commission will then remain. Some Republicans were accused of threat from President Donald Trump. develop a plan to remove names, symbols, delaying the bill over the issue. The 2021 National Defense Authorization displays, monuments, and paraphernalia Yet Trump shifted his focus recently and Act, which sets funding and policy for the that honor the Confederacy. The effort will made another veto threat against the $740 military, includes a measure from Sen. El- have a $2 million budget. billion defense funding bill unless it repeals izabeth Warren, D-Mass., to scrub Confed- U.S. Army The defense secretary will appoint four Section 230 of the 1996 Communications erate names within three years. Bernie Beck gate at Fort Hood, Texas. individuals to the commission, one will be Decency Act, calling it a “liability shielding To the ire of Trump, Congress has turned selected by the chairman of the Senate gift” to “big tech.” Section 230 provides le- its attention to scrubbing Confederate ref- gard and Fort Polk in Louisiana; Fort Ben- Armed Services Committee and another by gal protection for technology companies erences on military bases to reconcile with ning and Fort Gordon in Georgia; Fort the ranking member to ensure bipartisan- over content from users and third parties. racial injustice after the May 25 killing of Bragg in North Carolina; Fort A.P. Hill, Fort ship. Another two will be picked by the Both chambers passed their respective George Floyd by police in Minneapolis and Lee and Fort Pickett in Virginia; Fort Ruck- chairman and ranking member of the defense bills during the summer with veto- subsequent nationwide protests over police er in Alabama, and Fort Hood in Texas. The House Armed Services Committee. proof majorities. brutality. installations were named primarily during The commission will be required to brief

The 10 Army posts named in honor of the south’s Jim Crow era in the 1910s and Congress by October on their progress and [email protected] Confederate generals are Camp Beaure- 1940s. then issue a formal plan by October 2022 Twitter: @StevenBeynon Appeals court rules for Trump taking military money for border wall

Associated Press Network for Human Rights did harmed by Trump’s move. The government shutdown in history. ready agreed to review a different HOUSTON — A federal appeals not have the standing to challenge court reversed a December 2019 President-elect Joe Biden has ruling on the use of military con- court ruled Friday that a lower President Donald Trump’s redi- ruling by U.S. District Judge Da- pledged to end that national emer- struction funds. The 9th U.S. Cir- court was wrong to bar the Trump recting funds from more than 100 vid Briones. gency, though the Trump admin- cuit Court of Appeals previously administration from taking $3.6 military construction projects, in- Trump took roughly $6 billion istration has locked in construc- agreed with a coalition of border billion from military construction cluding a $20 million road project from military funds under a na- tion contracts with the funding states and environmental groups projects for a border wall. at a base located in the city. The tional emergency he declared in and already built many new that contended the transfer of A panel of the 5th U.S. Circuit appeals court found that neither early 2019 after Congress refused stretches of wall across the south- money was unlawful and that Court of Appeals said that El Paso the county nor the Border Net- to fully fund his demands for wall west border. building the wall would pose envi- County and the nonprofit Border work proved it was directly funding, leading to the longest The U.S. Supreme Court has al- ronmental threats. PAGE 4 • STARS AND STRIPES • Sunday, December 6, 2020 MILITARY/MIDEAST DOD installs 2 Trump allies on defense board

BY ROBERT BURNS demonstrated leadership that will Associated Press serve our department and our na- WASHINGTON — The Penta- tion well,” Miller said. gon has appointed two close allies The Miller statement initially of President Donald Trump, Co- said the nine individuals removed rey Lewandowski and David Bos- from the board had been serving sie, to a defense in ”expired posi- advisory board, tions," implying continuing a they were over- post-election due to leave. But purge in the final later the Penta- weeks of the ad- gon amended the MAJDI MOHAMMED / AP ministration. statement to say Relatives carry the body of Ali Abu Alia, 13, who was shot dead by Israeli military forces during clashes The acting some board with stone­throwing Palestinians, at his funeral in al­Mughair village near the West Bank city of Ramallah, secretary of de- members had on Saturday. Bossie Lewandowski fense, Chris- been “terminat- topher Miller, who was installed ed.” It gave no reason for the fir- by Trump on Nov. 9 after he fired ings. then-Defense Secretary Mark The board's charter says mem- Mourners gather for Palestinian Esper, said in a written statement bers are appointed for terms rang- Friday that nine members of the ing from one to four years, with teen shot, killed by Israeli forces Defense Business Board had been annual renewals. replaced with the appointment of The board's charter says mem- Associated Press toward Israeli forces and set Israeli military said “dozens of 11 new members. bers must possess “a proven track RAMALLAH, West Bank — tires aflame during the gather- rioters” hurled rocks at Israeli Lewandowski and Bossie are record of sound judgment and Clashes between Israeli security ing. Israeli soldiers responded soldiers and border police, who among Trump's most vocal sup- business acumen in leading or forces and Palestinians erupted with intermittent barrages of responded with “riot dispersal porters. governing large, complex private on Saturday, at the funeral of a tear gas. means.” It denied that its forces The nine other appointees are 13-year-old killed by Israeli gun- Late Friday, the top U.N. politi- used live ammunition. sector corporations or organiza- Henry Dreifus, Robert McMahon, fire in the occupied West Bank. cal envoy in the region said he Clashes between Palestinian tions and a wealth of top-level, Cory Mills, Bill Bruner, Chris- Hundreds of Palestinians had was “appalled” by the killing of youths and Israeli forces enter- global business experience in the topher Shank, Joseph Schmidt, gathered to mourn the death of the teen. Israel should “swiftly” ing Palestinian-controlled areas areas of executive management, Keary Miller, Alan Weh and Earl Ali Abu Alia in the Almugayer and independently “investigate of the occupied West Bank are Matthews. corporate governance, audit and village, where the Palestinian this shocking and unacceptable common. The military often “These individuals have a pro- finance, human resources, eco- youth was hit in the stomach and incident,” Nikolay Mladenov raids Palestinian towns to arrest ven record of achievement within nomics, technology, or health- died later at a hospital Friday. wrote on Twitter. people suspected of planning or their respective fields and have care.” Dozens of people threw stones Commenting on the death, the taking part in attacks. Blocks: Pentagon denies claims, says meetings to happen next week unprecedented tensions sur- weapons proliferation and foreign replacing them with perceived rine Corps general who previous- FROM PAGE 1 rounding the transition, fueled by interference in U.S. elections. Trump loyalists including chief of ly served as DIA director and is a den advisers spent much of this a president who refuses to con- Officials said that rejections re- staff Kash Patel and Undersecre- leading member of the Biden in- week meeting with officials at the cede that he lost the election and layed this week to the Biden team tary of Defense for Intelligence telligence transition team. Office of the Director of National spent much of his tenure accusing cited seemingly petty procedural Ezra Cohen-Watnick. In her state- Other spy agencies have been Intelligence and the CIA, agencies the nation’s spy agencies of disloy- barriers. ment to The Post, Gough indicated far more receptive. At the CIA, for that are part of the U.S. intelli- alty to him. One person said the Pentagon that Cohen-Watnick has played a example, the Biden transition gence community but independ- Aspokesman for the Biden tran- had asked repeatedly for rosters central role in matters related to team has been granted extensive ent of the Defense Department. sition team declined to comment, of those who would take part in a the transition. access to senior officials, comput- Sue Gough, a Defense Depart- as did officials from the NSA and visit, lists of topics, and estimates Pentagon officials in turn er equipment connected to the ment spokeswoman, said Friday DIA. of time to be allotted — informa- blamed Biden advisers. One de- agency’s classified systems, and that the Biden team “has not been Current and former officials, tion that in some cases had been fense official, who spoke on the office space at “Scattergood,” a denied any access.” In what offi- who spoke on the condition of ano- provided at the outset. condition of anonymity, citing the historic homestead on the CIA cials in the Biden camp interpret- nymity to discuss a sensitive mat- “If they were in a cooperative sensitivity of the subject, said that compound often used for enter- ed as a change in the Pentagon po- ter, said the delays have impaired mood, none of this would be hap- Biden transition officials had im- taining VIPs. sition, she said the requested meetings could take place as early the Biden team’s ability to get up pening,” said another person with properly contacted agencies di- Biden recently named Avril as next week. to speed on espionage operations knowledge of the interactions. rectly to arrange visits and brief- Haines, a former top White House By then, Biden advisers will against Russia, China, Iran and The Pentagon has been in sig- ings, and were told that they in- official and deputy director of the have waited more than a month other U.S. adversaries. nificant turmoil since the election. stead needed to submit requests to CIA, as his nominee to become di- since the election to have mea- The inability to meet with the Acting secretary of defense Chris- the Pentagon. rector of national intelligence. Bi- ningful contact with intelligence NSA was described as particular- topher Miller was installed last The result has been an awkward den has made no other announce- agencies that have multibillion- ly worrisome. The agency is the month after President Donald standoff in which former officials ments about his intelligence team, dollar budgets, satellite networks largest U.S. intelligence service, Trump fired Mark Esper, his Pen- were spurned by agencies they but former deputy CIA director that circle the planet and vast sur- and its eavesdropping capabilities tagon chief. formerly helped run. Among David Cohen is seen as a leading veillance authorities. have been a critical source of in- Miller has presided over the re- those ex-officials is Vincent Stew- candidate to become director of The delays have added to the telligence on threats as varied as moval of senior Pentagon officials, art, a retired three-star U.S. Ma- that agency. Sunday, December 6, 2020 • STARS AND STRIPES • PAGE 5 MIDEAST Cargo ship attacked off Yemen coast

BY JON GAMBRELL early Saturday morning, accord- tack. The U.S. Navy’s Bahrain- Tartous declined to immediately coalition accused the Houthis of Associated Press ing to an alert from the United based 5th Fleet, which patrols comment. using a so-called “drone boat” Kingdom Maritime Trade Organi- Mideast waterways, said it was The eastern part of Yemen loaded with explosives to try to at- DUBAI, United Arab Emirates zation that is overseen by Britain’s aware of the incident, but declined where the ship was attacked is tack a ship off Nishtun. — A cargo ship traveling past Ye- Royal Navy. to comment further. held by the country’s internation- Later Saturday, the U.K. mari- men in the Gulf of Aden came un- “Vessel and crew are safe,” the Ambrey Intelligence, a British ally recognized government, amid time organization reportedthat up der attack in unclear circum- organization said. private maritime intelligence its yearslong war against the Ira- to 20 small boats swarmed toward stances, maritime authorities said No group immediately claimed firm, identified the vessel at- nian-backed Houthis. a tanker southeast of Aden. Am- Saturday. responsibility for the attack. Ye- tacked as the MV Hasan, a cargo It marked the fourth known at- brey said an armed security force The Gulf of Aden is a crucial men’s Houthi rebels, who have ship flagged out of Sierra Leone tack against shipping in the east- on that ship apparently scared off route for global trade and has seen held the capital, Sanaa, since Sep- that had been on its way to Salalah, ern Gulf of Aden in 2020, accord- the boats. It wasn’t immediately attacks attributed to Yemen’s tember 2014, did not respond to re- Oman. ing to the private security firm clear who was on those boats. Houthi rebels as its civil war rages quests for comment. The Hasan is registered to Oasis Dryad Global. In late November, a mine in the on. A number of Somali pirate at- Nishtun’s port has been used by Shipping Co., a Marshall Islands- “Analysis of previous incident Red Sea off Saudi Arabia’s coast tacks that once plagued the region a Saudi-led coalition battling the registered firm with an address data suggests a number of inci- near Yemen exploded and dam- have mostly stopped in recent Houthis on behalf of Yemen’s in- linking it to a Beirut address for dents occurring in the vicinity of aged an oil tanker. Suspicion im- years. ternationally recognized govern- Barhoum Maritime Co. the eastern Gulf of Aden that are mediately fell on the Houthis, who The ship ended up off the small ment. A similarly named company al- likely connected to the war in Ye- have been identified by United port city of Nishtun in Yemen’s far The British Defense Ministry so operates out of Tartous, Syria. men,” the firm said. Nations experts as using sea east after coming under attack declined to elaborate on the at- An employee at the company in In one incident, the Saudi-led mines in the conflict. Yemeni university teacher killed in drive-by shooting Associated Press The officials said that the gun- out against the militants or their aged his students to organize and ment. SANAA, Yemen — A Yemeni men are believed to have been ei- ideology. take part in mixed-gender cultur- A Saudi-led coalition allied with university professor and secular ther members of al-Qaida in the The officials said two gunmen al and artistic activities at Dhale the government intervened to thinker was killed on Saturday in a Arabian Peninsula, which the U.S. on a motorcycle shot al-Hameidi University. fight the Houthis the following drive-by shooting in southern Ye- considers the world’s most dan- in the city of Dhale, where he was Thousands took part in al-Ha- year. men, local officials said. gerous offshoot of the terror net- dean of the university's education meidi’s funeral Saturday in a show Militias established and funded Khalid al-Hameidi was a known work, or an affiliate of the Islamic faculty. of solidarity against extremist by the United Arab Emirates, critic of Islamic extremists, at a State . The officials spoke on condition groups, the officials said. which intervened alongside its al- time when dissent has become The two militant groups regu- of anonymity because they were Yemen plunged into chaos and ly Saudi Arabia, mostly control dangerous amid Yemen’s year- larly strike security and military not authorized to brief the media. civil war when Iranian-backed Dhale province. slong civil war. targets in drive-by shootings, sui- Known for his secular thinking, Houthi rebels took over the capi- The war in Yemen has led to No group immediately claimed cide bombings and other attacks. al-Hameidi was a harsh critic of tal, Sanaa, in 2014 from the inter- what the U.N. has called the responsibility for the shooting. They also target those who speak religious extremism, and encour- nationally recognized govern- world’s worst humanitarian crisis. Orders: US troops to continue to fight Al-Shabab from other locations FROM PAGE 1 to locations from where they could conduct and Afghanistan to 2,500 service members cross-border operations into Somalia. The in each of those countries by Jan. 15, just U.S. has troops at bases in countries that five days before he leaves office. It also border Somalia, including Djibouti to its comes just days after Army Gen. Mark Mil- north and Kenya to the south. ley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, U.S. officials have said American forces said no decision had been made regarding in Somalia have typically trained Somali the troop presence in Somalia, and he char- soldiers to lead operations against al-Sha- acterized al-Shabab as a threat to the U.S. bab, but U.S. troops do sometimes see com- homeland “if left unattended.” bat in the country. An American service The brief Pentagon statement announc- member was injured in a bomb attack by al- ing the withdrawal said it had not changed Shabab in September, AFRICOM said at its policy toward the country, vowing it that time. Two American troops have been would continue to fight al-Shabab and other killed in action in Somalia in recent years. terrorist groups in Somalia. KRISTIN SAVAGE / Combined Joint Task Force — Horn of Africa Staff Sgt. Alexander Conrad, 26, was killed “The U.S. will retain the capability to con- U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Damian T. Donahoe, deputy commanding general, Combined Joint in 2018 and a Navy SEAL, Senior Chief Pet- duct targeted counterterrorism operations Task Force — Horn of Africa (CJTF­HOA), expresses his gratitude to service members ty Officer Kyle Milliken, 38, died in combat in Somalia, and collect early warnings and for their hard work and dedication during their deployment, Sept. 5 in Somalia. there in 2017. indicators regarding threats to the home- A CIA officer was also killed in combat in land,” the statement read. lamic State contingent in Somalia, but it tractors, Dustin Harrison, 47, and Bruce Somalia last month. Officials have not re- The announcement came just one week does not have the capability of al-Shabab, Triplett, 64. leased the fallen CIA officer’s name, but after acting Defense Secretary Christopher defense officials have said. A Defense Department inspector general Milley said this week that he was a former Miller made a surprise visit to Somalia’s Al-Shabab seeks to overthrow the U.S.- report released Nov. 25 stated that U.S. Navy SEAL. capital, Mogadishu, on Nov. 27 to meet with backed Somali government and establish a Africa Command has seen “a definitive “None of these operations are without American forces stationed there during the hardline Islamist nation. It is active across shift” in recent months of the group’s focus risk,” Milley said Wednesday of U.S. troops’ Thanksgiving holiday. the country and it has conducted bombings to attack U.S. interests in the region. AFRI- role in Somalia. “But, we think we're ap- Miller, who personally announced the Af- and high-profile attacks in Somalia and COM also said it believes al-Shabab is the proaching it rationally and responsibly to ghanistan and Iraq drawdowns, did not im- neighboring countries, including the 2013 most “dangerous, capable, and imminent adjust the footprint to what is necessary in mediately comment Friday on the Somalia attack on a shopping mall in Nairobi, Ke- threat” on the continent, according to the order to continue operations against the ter- decision. nya, that left 67 dead. report. The group has the intent to attack rorists that are out there.” The about 700 American troops in Soma- More recently, it claimed responsibility the American homeland but does not have lia are charged with conducting counterter- for an attack on the Manda Bay Airfield the ability now to do so, that report said. rorism operations and train, advise and give along Kenya’s coast just south of Somalia, The Pentagon said Friday that some of [email protected] Twitter: @CDicksteinDC support to Somalian forces primarily killing a U.S. soldier, Spc. Henry Mayfield the troops in Somalia might be moved out of [email protected] against al-Shabab. There is also a small Is- Jr., 23, and two Defense Department con- East Africa, but most would be repositioned Twitter: @caitlinmkenney PAGE 6 • STARS AND STRIPES • Sunday, December 6, 2020 VIRUS OUTBREAK CDC suggests mask wearing when indoors The Washington Post ber of the household has been in- The Centers for Disease Con- fected or potentially exposed to trol is urging “universal mask the virus, including those with use” indoors for the first time as high-risk occupations such as the country shatters records for meatpacking or agricultural proc- coronavirus hospitalizations and essing. deaths ahead of the holiday sea- “Compelling evidence now sup- JACQUELYN MARTIN / AP son. ports the benefits of cloth face House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, of Calif., speaks during her weekly briefing, Friday, on Capitol Hill. The CDC has for months en- masks for both source control (to couraged mask-wearing in public protect others),” the report said, spaces with people outside the “And to a lesser extent, protection household. The new guidance, of the wearer.” Congress makes progress with published Friday, asks people to Mitigation measures are partic- put on masks anywhere outside ularly essential in light of recent their homes. research that suggests roughly 50 relief bill; topics still disputed In its weekly Morbidity and percent of transmission of the cor- Associated Press about to expire, on Dec. 31. Any this spring. It’s a top priority of Pe- Mortality report, the CDC warned onavirus is from asymptomatic WASHINGTON — After nu- deal is sure to extend the emer- losi and other Democrats but is Friday that the U.S. has entered “a people, the report said. It also rec- merous fits and starts and months gency benefits, and a bipartisan opposed by many Republicans, phase of high-level transmission” ommended that communities of inaction, optimism is finally compromise framework that’s who warn it would bail out states as colder weather and the ongoing make a plan for distributing building in Washington for a CO- helping guide the talks calls for run by Democrats like California holiday season push Americans masks to people who might strug- VID-19 aid bill that would offer re- restoring half of the bonus benefit, and New York. Trump doesn’t like indoors, and said that “consistent gle to access them. lief for businesses, the unemploy- or $300 per week more. the idea as well, but Pelosi’s de- and correct” use of face masks is Robert Redfield, head of the ed, schools, and health care pro- mands for the money have been critical to taming the virus. CDC, has called masks “the most viders, among others struggling as Business subsidies slashed from earlier amounts ap- Mask use is most crucial in- important, powerful public health caseloads are spiking. Another sure thing is a reauth- proaching $1 trillion. Revenue doors, and in outdoor spaces tool” in combating the coronavi- Under pressure from moder- orization of the Paycheck Protec- losses due to COVID-19 haven’t where social distancing cannot be rus. A growing body of research ates in both parties, House Speak- tion Program, also established by been as large as feared. But small- maintained, the CDC said in the shows widespread mask use can er Nancy Pelosi and Senate Major- the CARES Act, to give a second er localities left out of the first report. The agency recommended save scores of lives and stave off ity Leader Mitch McConnell have round of subsidies to businesses tranche of payments are eager for mask use at home when a mem- economic damage. initiated late-game negotiations in struggling through the pandemic funding. A plan endorsed by mod- hopes of combining a relief pack- and make other changes to the erates would provide $160 billion. age of, in all likelihood, less than $1 program, which enjoys bipartisan trillion with a separate $1.4 trillion support but is particularly re- Liability shield governmentwide omnibus spend- vered by Republicans. Leftover Businesses reopening during Moscow opens dozens ing bill. PPP funds from two springtime the pandemic have for months Success is not certain and con- infusions into the program would been seeking a shield against law- of vaccination centers siderable differences remain over cover almost half of the $300 bil- suits claiming negligence for CO- items such as aid to states and lo- lion or so cost. VID-19 outbreaks. McConnell is Associated Press country’s new daily infections, cal governments, liability protec- the most potent backer of the idea MOSCOW — Thousands of moved ahead of the curve, open- tions for businesses and universi- Direct payments and he’s drafted sweeping protec- doctors, teachers and others in ing 70 vaccination facilities on ties reopening during the pan- President Donald Trump has tions against lawsuits for business- high-risk groups have signed up Saturday. Doctors, teachers and demic, and whether to issue a sec- long supported another $1,200 es, universities, and other organi- for COVID-19 vaccinations in municipal workers were invited ond round of $1,200 direct round of direct payments to most zations. The powerful trial lawyers Moscow starting Saturday, a pre- to book a time to receive the shot, payments to most Americans. Americans, subject to income lim- lobby — which still holds great in- cursor to a sweeping Russia-wide and Moscow Mayor Sergei So- But renewing soon-to-expire its that make upper-bracket tax- fluence with Democrats — is op- immunization effort. byanin said that about 5,000 jobless benefits, providing a sec- payers ineligible. House Demo- posed, and McConnell’s fears of a The vaccinations come three signed up in a few hours after the ond round of “paycheck protec- crats support the idea, but it is un- wave of COVID-related lawsuits days after President Vladimir Pu- system began operating on Fri- tion” subsidies, and funding to dis- popular with many Senate Repub- haven’t materialized. Veteran tin ordered the launch of a “large- day. tribute vaccines are sure bets to be licans and was left out of a Senate Judiciary Committee scale” COVID-19 immunization Russia boasted that Sputnik V included in any deal. scaled-back Senate GOP plan. A members Dick Durbin, D-Ill., and campaign even though a Russian- was the world’s “first registered Here are the top issues for the bipartisan bill by Sens. Susan Col- John Cornyn, R-Texas, have been designed vaccine has yet to com- COVID-19 vaccine” after the gov- end-stage COVID-19 relief talks. lins, R-Maine, and others, leaves deputized to negotiate the issue, a plete the advanced studies need- ernment gave it regulatory ap- out the direct payments as well, sign the talks are at a serious stage. ed to ensure its effectiveness and proval in early August. The move Jobless benefits and their up to $300 billion cost safety in line with established sci- drew criticism from international The CARES Act created a $600 could render them too expensive Odds and ends entific protocols. experts, who pointed out that the per-week bonus COVID-19 unem- for inclusion in the year-end pack- Numerous smaller items are The Russian leader said vaccine had only been tested on ployment benefit that sustained age, though lawmakers ranging ripe for inclusion, including $10 Wednesday that more than 2 mil- several dozen people at the time. household incomes and consumer from Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, billion for the Postal Service, a $20 lion doses of the Sputnik V jab Putin has shrugged off doubts demand during the springtime D-N.Y., to Sen. Josh Hawley, R- billion-plus deal adding food aid will be available in the next few about it, saying in August that one shutdowns. It expired at the end of Mo., are pushing to retain them. sought by Democrats and farm days, allowing authorities to offer of his daughters was among the July and Republicans are against subsidies favored by Republicans, jabs to medical workers and early vaccine recipients. its renewal. The CARES Act also State, local governments more than $100 billion in funding teachers across the country start- Health Minister Mikhail Mu- allowed for additional weeks of This is one of the trickiest issues for schools seeking to reopen, ing late next week. rashko said Wednesday that more emergency pandemic unemploy- in the talks — another round of aid along with funding for child care, Moscow, which currently ac- than 100,000 people in Russia al- ment payments at regular benefit to states and local governments to Amtrak, transit systems, and counts for about a quarter of the ready have received the shots. levels — which are themselves follow a $150 billion installment health care providers. Sunday, December 6, 2020 • STARS AND STRIPES • PAGE 7 VIRUS OUTBREAK ROUNDUP US reaches daily high of nearly 228,000 cases Associated Press crowds that typically fill the city’s WASHINGTON — Coronavirus downtown areas. Duval Street infections continue to spread at re- typically attracts tens of thou- cord levels in the United States, sands to celebrate the New Year reaching a new daily high of near- and watch a giant red shoe with ly 228,000 cases on Friday. the drag queen inside drop at mid- The 227,885 cases eclipses the night. previous high of more than 217,000 on Thursday, according to Georgia data compiled by Johns Hopkins ATLANTA — Georgia’s corona- University. virus infections are soaring above The seven-day rolling average their worst peaks of the summer, of COVID-19 attributable deaths pushing more people into hospi- in the U.S. has passed 2,000 for the tals and resulting in more deaths. first time at 2,011. Two weeks ago, Hitting a new single-day record the seven-day average was 1,448. of more than 6,000 suspected and There were 2,607 deaths reported confirmed infections on Friday in the U.S. on Friday. pushed Georgia’s rolling 7-day av- Globally, Johns Hopkins re- erage to nearly 4,300. For the sec- DAVID GOLDMAN / AP ports more than 1.5 million people ond straight day, the rolling aver- A worker walks through the hallway of a newly opened field hospital operated by Care New England to have died from the coronavirus age of confirmed and suspected handle a surge of COVID­19 patients in Cranston, R.I., on Tuesday. pandemic, including more than infections was above the record 279,000 in the United States. average of confirmed infections of line,” UK HealthCare Chief Phar- Guard’s ability to continue their Health officials said at the cur- 3,745 set on July 24. macist Philip Almeter said Fri- vital role during this crisis,” he rent rate of transmission there Arizona In July, the state wasn’t report- day. “The test went very smoothly. said in a statement. could be “exponential” growth in WINDOW ROCK — Navajo Na- ing suspected infections because We didn’t have any hiccups.” The activation in early April for the state’s COVID-19 cases. Based tion President Jonathan Nez has few rapid antigen tests were being Pending emergency use autho- COVID-19 response has been the on the health authority’s current extended a stay-at-home order administered. But state Public rization from the U.S. Food and Nevada National Guard’s largest modeling, by the end of Septem- through Dec. 28 to try to curb the Health Commissioner Kathleen Drug Administration, Almeter and lengthiest in the state’s histo- ber there is estimated to be ap- spread of the coronavirus. Toomey has said Georgia treats said, “we anticipate that it’ll either ry, Sisolak said. proximately 2,000 new daily cases The Navajo Nation has had both categories as an infection of be the 14th or 15th when we would and 75 additional daily hospitali- some of the most restrictive mea- the COVID-19 respiratory dis- be able to start vaccinating.” New Hampshire zations. sures aimed at COVID-19 any- ease, as advised by the Centers for Once the Pfizer vaccine thaws, CONCORD — Jury trials and “Our new modeling confirms where in the country, and most of Disease Control and Prevention. it must be used within five days. grand jury meetings scheduled our worst fears that this pandemic those have been in place since The 7-day average of infections Both the Pfizer and Moderna vac- for January in four county cour- can indeed get much worse before March. They include a mask man- has gone up 25% in the past two cines require a second dose about thouses have been canceled be- we can get the majority of our pop- date. Essential businesses are re- weeks. And the share of molecular 21 days after the initial dose. UK cause of rising COVID-19 infec- ulation vaccinated,” Brown said. quired to limit their hours to be- PCR tests coming back positive expects to receive the booster dos- tion rates and limited air circula- “And it likely will.” tween 7 a.m. and 3 p.m. through has risen to nearly 12% in Georgia, es “before the 21 days is up,” Alm- tion in the buildings. In addition, the governor deliv- this weekend. the worst since early August and a eter said. The decision affects the cour- ered some hopeful news — Ore- Starting Monday, business number that suggests there are Kentucky is slated to receive thouses in Newport, Strafford, La- gon will receive an initial ship- hours will be extended to between many more undetected cases in just over 38,000 doses of the Pfizer conia and Nashua, said Superior ment of 107,000 COVID-19 vacci- 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. on weekdays. the population. vaccine by mid December, with Court Chief Justice Tina Nadeau. nation in December, with 35,000 They must close on weekends the Hospitalizations have not yet the bulk going to nursing home Ventilation in those buildings is doses being shipped Dec. 15. rest of the month. reached their summer heights in staff and residents. The remaining adequate for smaller, necessary Residents are required to stay Georgia, but beds are filling rap- 12,675 doses will be distributed in-person hearings, she said, and Washington home unless they must report to idly with COVID-19 cases. Nearly among 11 hospitals in the state. video and telephone hearings will OLYMPIA — More than 1 mil- work, or need to get food, medica- 2,400 COVID-19 patients were in continue as well. lion Washingtonians have enabled tion or essential supplies. the hospital Friday, up 32% in the Nevada “Cancelling these cases is a dif- a coronavirus exposure app in the The tribe reported 168 new last two weeks. CARSON CITY — An extension ficult decision, and it was made to first four days of the technology cases of the coronavirus on Friday authorized by President Donald ensure the continued health and going live statewide. and two more deaths. That brings Kentucky Trump for states across the coun- safety of jurors, court staff, and Officials with the state Depart- the total to 17,495 positive cases LEXINGTON — Kentucky’s try means hundreds of Nevada parties to these cases,” she said in ment of Health said that as of Fri- and 665 known deaths. largest hospital system an- National Guard personnel will a statement. day, the number of phones with nounced on Friday that a trial run continue to help the fight against Trials and grand jury proceed- the WA Notify app is more than Florida for ordering and receiving doses COVID-19 through the beginning ings will continue in other coun- 19% of the more than 5.8 million KEY WEST — The city of Key of a COVID-19 vaccine was suc- of 2021, Gov. Steve Sisolak said. ties with lower infection rates and adults in the state. West is scaling back its normal cessful. The federal government will better ventilated courthouses. On Monday, the state joined 18 New Year’s Eve celebrations fol- University of Kentucky Health- provide 75% of the funding for the states or U.S. territories that have lowing recent surges in the spread Care in Lexington was chosen by extension that runs through Oregon already enlisted the use of smart- of coronavirus. the U.S. Centers for Disease Con- through March 31 and that the SALEM — As Oregon reached a phone technology in the ongoing Key West Mayor Teri Johnston trol and the Kentucky Depart- state will provide the rest, Sisolak new record number for reported effort to prevent the spread of CO- signed an emergency order Fri- ment for Public Health for a distri- said. daily COVID-19 cases and deaths VID-19. The technology, created day that sets an island-wide cur- bution readiness test for Pfizer’s Nevada National Guard soldiers Friday, lawmakers, advocates and by Apple and Google, is in use in few from 10 p.m. to 6 p.m., running two-dose vaccine, the Lexington and airmen are distributing sup- others called on Gov. Kate Brown more than 30 countries. Thursday, Dec. 31, through Sun- Herald-Leaderreported. plies, conducting contact tracing, to declare a special legislative ses- People with iPhones can enable day, Jan. 3. The curfew does not While the mock run was fairly helping operate the state emer- sion. the ‘exposure notifications’ fea- apply to unincorporated Monroe simple — an order was placed, and gency operations center and staff- The Oregon Health Authority ture that is already in their County, which includes the re- empty boxes were received — it ing COVID-19 testing sites. reported 2,176 new COVID-19 phone’s settings, and Android de- mainder of the Florida Keys, said was crucial to gauging the time be- Sisolak called their work “an in- cases and 30 deaths. The previous vices can download the app, called county mayor Michelle Coldiron. tween order and arrival, and to dispensable role” in the state’s re- daily records has been 1,699 cases WA Notify. Use of the app is volun- When the curfew takes effect, showing that the vaccine contain- sponse to COVID-19. and 24 deaths. tary and users can opt out at any all non-essential businesses will er could be kept at the necessary “While there is hope on the hori- “I’ve said this before but it time. The statewide expansion be required to close by 10 p.m. Of- ultra-cold temperature of minus zon with the recent progress on needs to be said again, we are not comes after a monthlong pilot pro- ficials said the emergency direc- 80 degrees Celsius. COVID-19 vaccines, our response out of this crisis yet,” Brown said ject used by 3,500 participants — tive was enacted to lessen the “There was a temperature and recovery efforts remain as Friday. “I know it is hard to imag- including students, faculty and chance of a potential public health probe that was keeping real-time critical as ever and Nevada will ine, but the hardest days are still staff — at the University of Wash- emergency brought on by holiday monitoring, and everything was in undoubtedly benefit from the ahead.” ington. PAGE 8 • STARS AND STRIPES • Sunday, December 6, 2020 NATION Federal student loan payment freeze extended

Associated Press authority to pause federal student The Trump administration on loan payments in March. Friday suspended all federal stu- Congress later cemented the dent loan payments through the measure in legislation and Trump end of January and kept interest extended it through December, rates at 0%, extending a moratori- but the looming deadline stoked um that started early in the pan- fears that millions of borrowers demic but was set to expire at the would be forced to resume pay- end of this month. ments even as unemployment By extending payments by one rates soared. month, the administration is effec- Last month, the American tively leaving it to the Biden ad- Council on Education and dozens ministration or of other higher education associ- Congress to de- ations urged DeVos to extend the cide whether to relief, saying the recent surge in provide longer- COVID-19 cases would likely lead term relief to to even more economic turmoil. millions of stu- “Bringing millions of Ameri- dent borrowers. cans back into repayment in the The measure thick of this crisis will cause addi- was included in tional financial hardship and force SHARIF HAMZA FOR TIME/AP DeVos a March relief borrowers to make difficult deci- The cover of Time's Dec. 14 issue features Gitanjali Rao a 15­year­old Colorado high school student and package and the White House ex- sions about their limited re- young scientist who has been named the magazine's first “Kid of the Year.” tended it in August, but its fate was sources,” the groups wrote in a let- in doubt amid stalemate over a ter to DeVos. new relief bill. Even DeVos’ own agency In announcing the extension, warned of looming trouble if the Time names Colorado student, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos moratorium lapsed. In its annual rebuked Congress for failing to report last month, Federal Stu- act. dent Aid, the office that oversees scientist first “Kid of the Year’ “The added time also allows student loans, said that without an Associated Press Time said Rao stood out for cre- “I was like 10 when I told my Congress to do its job and deter- extension it would face a “heavy LONE TREE, Colo. — A 15- ating a global community of young parents that I wanted to research mine what measures it believes burden” in moving millions of bor- year-old Colorado high school stu- innovators and inspiring them to carbon nanotube sensor technolo- are necessary and appropriate,” rowers to active repayment at the dent and young scientist who has pursue their goals. Rao insists that gy at the Denver Water quality re- DeVos said in a statement. “The same time. used artificial intelligence and starting out small doesn’t matter, search lab, and my mom was like, Congress, not the Executive President-elect Joe Biden has created apps to tackle contaminat- as long as you’re passionate about “A what?” Rao told Jolie. She said Branch, is in charge of student not directly addressed the morato- ed drinking water, cyberbullying, it. that work “is going to be in our loan policy.” rium but on Tuesday called for im- opioid addiction and other social Rao’s innovating started early. generation’s hands pretty soon. So Under the measure, students mediate relief including “relief problems has been named Time At age 12, she developed a porta- if no one else is gonna do it, I’m will not be required to make pay- from rent and student loans.” He Magazine’s first “Kid of the Year.” ble device to detect lead in water. gonna do it.” ments, their loans will not accrue has also supported proposals to Gitanjali Rao, a sophomore at She’s created a device called The sensor technology involves interest and all collection activity erase up to $10,000 in student debt STEM School Highlands Ranch in Epione that diagnoses prescrip- molecules of carbon atoms that will halt until the end of January. for all borrowers as part of a fu- suburban Denver who lives in the tion opioid addiction at an early can detect chemical changes, in- DeVos won praise for using her ture virus relief package. city of Lone Tree, was selected stage. cluding in water. from more than 5,000 nominees in She’s also devised an app called Rao has partnered with rural a process that culminated with a Kindly that uses artificial intelli- schools; museums; science, tech- Up to 18 inches of snow expected finalists’ committee of children, gence to help prevent cyberbully- nology, engineering and mathe- Time for Kids reporters and co- ing. It allows teens to type in a matics organizations; and other from storm in northeastern US median Trevor Noah. word or phrase to find out if the institutions to run innovation Associated Press began as rain and was expected to Rao told The Associated Press words they’re usingare bullying workshops for thousands of other PORTLAND, Maine — The turn to snow Saturday afternoon. in a Zoom interview from her and lets them decide to edit what students. northeastern U.S. braced Satur- In some areas snowfall of up to 3 home Friday that the prize is they’re sending or to proceed. In a world where science is in- day for a powerful, windy storm inches per hour was possible. “nothing that I could have ever “And currently, I’m looking creasingly questioned or chal- that forecasters said had the po- “This is the first big one,” Clair imagined. And I’m so grateful and back at water, looking at moving lenged, Rao insisted that its pur- tential to bring 18 inches or more said of the beginning of the winter just so excited that we’re really things like parasitic compounds in suit is an essential act of kindness, of heavy, wet snow to parts of the season. “There has been some taking a look at the upcoming gen- water and how we can detect for the best way that a younger gener- region. snow up in the mountains, but this eration and our generation, since that,” Rao said after a day’s re- ation can better the world. Science The heavy, blowing snow was is the first one across where most the future is in our hands.” mote schooling. and technology are being employ- expected in the afternoon in New people live." Time said in a statement that, She told actress, activist and ed as never before to tackle the England and had the potential to While localized totals of more along with Nickelodeon, it wanted Time contributing editor Angeli- coronavirus pandemic, global result in the near-blizzard condi- than 18 inches were possible in the to recognize “the rising leaders of na Jolie in a Zoom interview that warming and a host of other is- tions that make travel difficult. higher terrain, Clair says that in America’s youngest generation” her science pursuits started early sues, she noted. Power outages were possible. general, the region was expected in making the award. For 92 years, as a way to improve social condi- “We have science in everything The nor'easter had the potential to get hit hardest just inland from Time has presented a “Person of tions. we’re involved in, and I think to dump as much as a foot of snow the coast, where forecasts called the Year,” and the youngest ever The drinking water crisis in that’s the biggest thing to put out on suburban Boston. for about a foot of snow. was Swedish climate activist Gre- Flint, Mich., inspired her work to there, that science is cool, innovat- National Weather Service Me- Areas south of New England ta Thunberg, who was 16 when she develop a way to detect contami- ing is cool, and anybody can be an teorologist Michael Clair of the were expected to see heavy rain graced the magazine’s cover last nants and send those results to a innovator,” Rao said. “Anybody Gray, Maine, office said the storm and strong winds. year. mobile phone, she said. can do science.” Sunday, December 6, 2020 • STARS AND STRIPES • PAGE 9 NATION Judge orders restoration of DACA program Associated Press The ruling follows one from No- report on the DACA program by tration, allows certain young im- that the president did have the au- NEW YORK — The Trump ad- vember where Garaufis said Act- Jan. 4. migrants who were brought to the thority to do so. ministration must accept new ap- ing Department of Homeland Se- An email seeking comment was country as children to legally “Dreamers have fought so hard plications for the Deferred Action curity Secretary Chad Wolf was sent to the Department of Home- work and shields them from de- for justice. For the second time, a for Childhood Arrivals program unlawfully in his position. land Security. portation. Those who are ap- court has ordered the administra- that protects some young immi- On Friday, the judge said that “Every time the outgoing ad- proved for it must first go through tion to resume processing DACA grants from deportation, a federal invalidated the memo Wolf had is- ministration tried to use young im- background checks and regularly applications. It’s time to do the judge ruled Friday, in vacating a sued in July suspending DACA for migrants as political scapegoats, renew. right thing," Jennifer Molina, a memo from the acting Homeland new applications and reducing they defiled the values of our na- The Trump administration had spokesperson for President-elect Security secretary that had sus- how long renewals were valid tion. The court’s order makes announced the end of the program Joe Biden’s transition team, said pended it. from two years down to one year. clear that fairness, inclusion, and in 2017, leading to the legal chal- Friday. "On day one, President- U.S. District Judge Nicholas Wolf had issued his memo after compassion matter," said New lenges that wound up in front of elect Biden will ensure Dreamers Garaufis said the government had the U.S. Supreme Court had ruled York state Attorney General Let- to post a public notice within three in June that President Donald itia James, who led a number of the Supreme Court. and their families have the oppor- days — including on its website Trump failed to follow rule-mak- state attorneys general in one of In making its ruling, the Su- tunity to live their lives free of fear and the websites of all other rele- ing procedures when he tried to the lawsuits against the adminis- preme Court upheld DACA, say- and continue to contribute to our vant government agencies — that end the program. tration. ing that the particular way the ad- country.” new DACA applications were be- Garaufis also ordered the gov- DACA, which was started in ministration had gone about shut- About 650,000 people are cur- ing accepted. ernment to put together a status 2012 during the Obama adminis- ting it down was improper, but rently enrolled in the program. Biden secures enough electors to officially become president Associated Press vote are due to be received, and California certified its presi- typically approved, by Congress dential election Friday and ap- on Jan. 6. Although lawmakers pointed 55 electors pledged to vote can object to accepting the elec- for Democrat Joe Biden, officially tors’ votes, it would be almost im- handing him the Electoral College possible for Biden to be blocked at majority needed to win the White that point. House. The Democratic-controlled Secretary of State Alex Padilla’s House and Republican-controlled formal approval of Biden’s win in Senate would the state brought his tally of both vote sepa- pledged electors so far to 279, ac- rately to resolve cording to a tally by The Associat- any disputes. ed Press. That’s just over the 270 One already has threshold for victory. arisen from These steps in the election are Pennsylvania, WILL LESTER / AP often ignored formalities. But the where 75 Repub- A firefighter battles a mulch and pallet fire burning out of control, fanned by Santa Ana winds in and aroundhidden mechanics of electing a lican lawmakers Biden a recycling yard near Wilson Street and Fleetwood Drive in Riverside, Calif., on Thursday. U.S. president have drawn new signed a state- scrutiny this year as President ment on Friday urging Congress Donald Trump continues to deny to block the state’s electoral votes Biden’s victory and pursues in- from being cast for Biden. But the California fire risk remains creasingly specious legal strate- state’s Republican U.S. senator, gies aimed at overturning the re- Pat Toomey, said soon afterward sults before they are finalized. that he would not be objecting to high despite easing of winds Although it’s been apparent for Pennsylvania’s slate of electors, weeks that Biden won the presi- underscoring the difficulty in try- Associated Press verado Canyon that spread to dry blaze but failed. The home he had dential election, his accrual of ing to change the election results LOS ANGELES — Fire danger brush by fierce winds. Some built 40 years ago was destroyed. more than 270 electors is the first through Congress. remained high Friday amid un- 25,000 people were ordered to flee “First time I saw our house, I step toward the White House, said “As a practical matter, we know predictable wind gusts and dry their homes, although some evac- knew it was gone,” Larry Pfaffy Edward B. Foley, a law professor that Joe Biden is going to be inau- conditions in Southern California, uations orders were later lifted. said. at Ohio State University. gurated on Jan. 20,” Foley said. as crews made progress against Larry and Carol Pfaffy owned The fire grew to 11.5 square “It is a legal milestone and the That was clear in the days after blazes that burned several homes the canyon house where the blaze miles and blanketed a wide area first milestone that has that sta- the election, when the count of and injured two firefighters. is believed to have started. The with smoke and ash. It was 30% tus,” Foley said. “Everything pri- mail ballots gradually made clear The region’s notorious Santa couple told KNBC-TV that they contained as calmer conditions or to that was premised on what that Biden had won victories in Ana winds decreased slightly but had started up a generator after helped hundreds of firefighters we call projections.” enough states to win the Electoral red flag warnings of extreme wild- the power was shut off by South- who fought the flames on the The electors named Friday will College. It became even more ap- fire risk were in place into the ern California Edison as a precau- ground and by air. meet Dec. 14, along with counter- parent in late November, when ev- weekend because of low humidity. tion against high winds knocking “Firefighters took advantage of parts in each state, to formally ery swing state won by Biden cer- After the weather calms in the down power lines and sparking a the less severe weather conditions vote for the next president. Most tified him as the winner of its elec- southern part of the state, winds fire. today to construct and reinforce states have laws binding their tions and appointed his electors to are expected to increase in North- Larry Pfaffy said they turned fire lines, which are currently electors to the winner of the pop- the Electoral College. Trump has ern California starting Sunday, off the generator before going to holding. They will continue to ular vote in their state, measures fruitlessly tried to stop those forecasters said. bed Wednesday night but a half- work through the night to extend that were upheld by a Supreme states from certifying Biden as the Firefighters were still busy try- hour later they heard something these fire lines,” a fire update Court decision this year. There winner and appointing electors ing to contain a number of blazes fall in the garage and smelled stated. Two U.S. Forest Service have been no suggestions that any for the former vice president. south and east of Los Angeles. The smoke. They still don’t know the firefighters were hospitalized af- of Biden’s pledged electors would He made no effort in deeply biggest began late Wednesday as a cause of the fire. ter being hurt while battling the contemplate not voting for him. Democratic California, the most house fire in Orange County’s Sil- Pfaffy said he tried to put out the blaze. Results of the Electoral College populous state in the nation. PAGE 10 • STARS AND STRIPES • Sunday, December 6, 2020 WORLD Kuwaitis vote for new parliament Associated Press states took on debt, trimmed sub- KUWAIT CITY — Kuwait was sidies or introduced taxes to sus- voting Saturday for its National tain their spending. Kuwait, how- Assembly, the first election since ever, did none of that. the death of its longtime ruling That’s not to say Kuwait will be emir and as the oil-rich nation begging for aid at international faces serious economic problems summits anytime soon. The Ku- under the coronavirus pandemic. wait Investment Authority holds This tiny country’s hundreds of assets of $533 billion, according to thousands of voters selected law- the Las Vegas-based Sovereign makers for 50 seats in the parlia- Wealth Fund Institute, making it ment, the freest and most-ram- the world’s fourth-largest such bunctious assembly in the Gulf fund. Arab countries. However, Ku- The problem is Kuwait has no wait’s parliament has tamped legal framework to deficit-spend down on opposition to its ruling Al beyond its current limit of $33 bil- Sabah family since the 2011 Arab lion. It needs the country’s parlia- Spring protests that saw demon- ment to grant approval. But law- strators storm the chamber. makers likely will face a popular Parliaments typically don’t backlash as the public fears the serve out their full terms in the money will be lost to corruption stalwart U.S. ally, but this one did. JABER ABDULKHALEG/AP amid a series of high-profile cases Kuwaitis voted across 102 A woman casts her vote for parliamentary elections in the town of Hawally, Kuwait, on Saturday. shaking the country. schools in the nation, which is the “We have to fight corruption by size of the U.S. state of New Jer- September of Kuwait’s ruler, the old deputy head of Kuwait’s Na- ernment soon wouldn’t be able to choosing who will represent us in- sey. 91-year-old Sheikh Sabah Al Ah- tional Guard. pay salaries. Kuwait’s national side the National Assembly,” one “Life is developing so every- mad Al Sabah. The new parliament will need to bank said the country’s deficit voter, Azraa al-Rifai, remarked. thing should develop including the Sheikh Nawaf Al Ahmad Al Sa- make decisions on a number of could hit 40% of its gross domestic Kuwait has the world’s sixth- election either through parties or bah, 83, quickly took power with- matters, perhaps none more im- product this year, the highest level largest known oil reserves. The blocs,” Kuwaiti voter Issa al-Qal- out any opposition. portant that Kuwait’s economy. since the financial devastation of country hosts some 13,500 Amer- laf said. Major blocs include those The outgoing parliament then This fall, the ratings agency the 1990 Iraqi invasion and subse- ican troops, many at Camp Arifjan backing the ruling family, Isla- approved Sheikh Nawaf’s choice Moody’s downgraded Kuwait for quent Gulf War. south of Kuwait City, which is also mists and moderate liberals. for crown prince, Sheikh Meshal the first time in its history. The fi- With crude oil prices just above home to the forward command of The vote came afterthe death in Al Ahmad Al Jaber, the 80-year- nance minister warned the gov- $45 a barrel, other nearby Arab U.S. Army Central. Japan awaits return of capsule with asteroid subsurface samples Associated Press Makoto Yoshikawa said from the samples, especially ones taken TOKYO — Japan’s Hayabusa2 command center during a live- from under the asteroid’s surface, spacecraft successfully released a streaming event. contain valuable data unaffected small capsule Saturday and sent it The return of Hayabusa2's cap- by space radiation and other envi- toward Earth to deliver samples sule with the world’s first asteroid ronmental factors. They are par- from a distant asteroid that could subsurface samples comes weeks ticularly interested in analyzing provide clues to the origin of the after NASA’s OSIRIS-REx space- organic materials in the samples. solar system and life on our planet, craft made a successful touch- JAXA hopes to find clues to how the country’s space agency said. and-go grab of surface samples the materials are distributed in The capsule successfully de- from asteroid Bennu. China, the solar system and are related to tached from 136,700 miles away in meanwhile, announced this week life on Earth. Yoshikawa, the mis- a challenging operation that re- that its lunar lander collected un- sion manager, said 0.1 gram of the quired precision control, the Ja- derground samples and sealed dust would be enough to carry out pan Aerospace Exploration Agen- them within the spacecraft for all planned researches. cy said. The capsule — just 15 inch- their return to Earth, as space de- For Hayabusa2, it’s not the end es in diameter — is now descend- veloping nations compete in their of the mission it started in 2014. It ing and is expected to land Sunday missions. is now heading to a small asteroid in a remote, sparsely populated ar- Australian National University called 1998KY26 on a journey slat- HUANG WEI, XINHUA/AP ea of Woomera, Australia. space rock expert Trevor Ireland, ed to take 10 years one way, for Rescue workers gauge the density of carbon monoxide in the smog at Hayabusa2 left the asteroid Ry- who is in Woomera for the arrival possible research including find- the entrance of the coal mine in the Yongchuan District of Chongqing, ugu, about 180 million miles away, of the capsule, said he expected ing ways to prevent meteorites southwestern China, on Friday. a year ago. After it released the the Ryugu samples to be similar to from hitting Earth. capsule, it moved away from Earth the meteorite that fell in Australia So far, its mission has been suc- to capture images of the capsule near Murchison in Victoria state cessful. It touched down twice on Carbon monoxide descending toward the planet as it more than 50 years ago. Ryugu despite the asteroid’s ex- set off on a new expedition to an- “The Murchison meteorite tremely rocky surface, and col- other distant asteroid. opened a window on the origin of lected data and samples during kills miners in China About two hours later, JAXA organics on Earth because these the 1½ years it spent near Ryugu said it had successfully rerouted rocks were found to contain simple after arriving there in June 2018. Associated Press the report said. Rescuers are look- Hayabusa2 for its new mission, as amino acids as well as abundant In its first touchdown in Febru- BEIJING — China’s state TV ing for five others. beaming staff exchanged fist and water,” Ireland said. “We will ex- ary 2019, it collected surface dust says at least 18 coal miners have China’s coal mining industry elbow touches at the agency’s amine whether Ryugu is a poten- samples. In a more challenging been killed by high levels of car- used to be the world’s deadliest, command center in Sagamihara, tial source of organic matter and mission in July that year, it col- bon monoxide in the country’s suffering more than 5,000 fatali- near Tokyo. water on Earth when the solar sys- lected underground samples from southwest. ties a year. Safety improved dra- “We’ve successfully come this tem was forming, and whether the asteroid for the first time in One miner was found alive fol- matically after authorities over- far, and when we fulfill our final these still remain intact on the as- space history after landing in a lowing the disaster Friday in the hauled the industry starting about mission to recover the capsule, it teroid.” crater that it created earlier by Diaoshidong mine in Chongqing, 15 years ago. will be perfect,” mission manager Scientists say they believe the blasting the asteroid’s surface. Sunday, December 6, 2020 • STARS AND STRIPES • PAGE 11 AMERICAN ROUNDUP

Midday fireball, boom thrill gazers SYRACUSE — A noon- NY time boom that was heard and felt from southern On- tario to Virginia was likely caused by a disintegrating meteor, ac- cording to an organization in west- ern New York that keeps track of such phenomena. Witnesses across the area re- ported hearing the boom or seeing a fireball in the sky shortly after noon, said Robert Lunsford of the American Meteor Society in Ge- neseo. By 5 p.m., the organization had recorded 90 reports of the fireball seen in Maryland, Michi- gan, New York, Ontario, Pennsyl- vania and Virginia. Police agencies and fire depart- ments around central New York received 911 calls reporting a boom that shook windows. Since most reports of the boom were around Syracuse, that's likely where the meteor blew to bits, Lunsford said. 4 arrested in historic Black church vandalism HOLT'S SUMMIT — MO Four juveniles were DEREK GEE, THE BUFFALO (NY) NEWS/AP arrested in the vandalism of an historic Black church in central Missouri, officials said. Surfing Santa Callaway County Sheriff Clay Aurelien Bouche­Pillon, of Rochester, N.Y., wears a Santa costume while surfing waves on Lake Erie in Hamburg, N.Y., a suburb of Buffalo, Chism said the suspects, aged 14 to which is seen in the background, The native of France has done "Surfing Santa" as a yearly tradition on Lake Ontario in his new hometown of 16, were arrested and are being Rochester, but says he has spent a lot of time in Lake Erie this year, unable to travel due to the pandemic and decided to spread his holiday detained at a juvenile center in Co- cheer in the Queen City. lumbia. They are charged in van- dalism at the The Mount Vernon partment confiscated the fenta- THE CENSUS ing symbols and language associ- Missionary Baptist Church in nyl, along with 34 pounds of ated with the Confederacy, Al.com Holt's Summit. pressed pills, believed to be Rox- The number of vehicles towed on the first day of the overnight reported. The bills will be part of He said the four male teens, icodone, news outlets reported. 230 winter parking ban in Chicago. On Dec. 1 every year, from 3 Alabama’s legislative session from Holts Summit and Jefferson After the search, Aron Gerardo a.m. to 7 a.m. until April 1, cars are not allowed to park along 107 miles of main that’s set to start Feb. 2. City, are being detained on felony Prado Martinez, 33, and Luis Noe streets throughout the city. The parking ban is enforced regardless of snow.Vio- Along with the Confederate charges of property damage and Prado Martinez, 25, were both ar- lators of the parking ban will be towed and face a minimum $150 towing fee, a flag, Alabama’s coat of arms fea- burglary but more charges could rested and charged with two $60 ticket and a storage fee of $25 per day. The city towed 16 less cars than tures a shield with the flags of be added, KRCG reported. counts of trafficking in opium/ last year at this time, according to officials. three countries that held territory heroin. in what later became Alabama: New format planned for New York City rapper Casanova, In a unanimous decision, the Great Britain, France and Spain. Bourbon Festival Hunger group loses in connection to a litany of gang- New Hampshire Supreme Court Hall is a Democrat from Hunts- nearly $1M in cyberattack related crimes including racke- found a lawyer for Christina Fay ville. BARDSTOWN — Next teering, murder, drugs, firearms, had not demonstrated her right to KY year's Kentucky Bour- PHILADELPHIA — and fraud offenses. privacy was violated and turned Man charged in illegal bon Festival will offer a new for- PA The Philadelphia re- Acting U.S. Attorney Audrey down a request to vacate her con- animal carcasses case mat that includes expanded tast- gion’s largest hunger-relief group Strauss and other law enforce- victions. Fay's lawyer unsuccess- ings and educational experiences, has lost nearly $1 milllion in a cyb- ment officials issued a statement fully argued authorities violated HELENA — An Idaho officials said. erattack. accusing those named in the in- her privacy when they allowed an MT man was charged The 30th annual festival will be Thieves infiltrated the group's dictment of being part of the Un- animal welfare group to take pho- with multiple felonies on accusa- held Sept. 16-19 in Bardstown, offi- computer systems in the spring touchable Gorilla Stone Nation tos and video as it helped gather tions that he bought illegally ob- cials announced in a statement. through a phising scam, Philabun- gang, operating in New York City the dogs from her house. tained wild animal carcasses and Highlights of the festival will in- dance chief executive Loree Jones and part of New York state. Fay, of Wolfeboro, was sen- parts from an undercover Monta- clude expanded tastings with her- told The Philadelphia Inquirer. Authorities said 17 of the 18 tenced on 17 animal cruelty charg- na official. itage and craft brands, an auction Jones said they managed to named in the indictment were in es in 2018. Yan “Bo” Fong was charged of vintage and rare bourbon and block legitimate emails and used a custody. The FBI’s New York of- A lawyer for Fay did not re- with three felony counts of unlaw- the annual bourbon barrel rolling spoofing email to mimick an in- fice issued a tweet saying Casano- spond to a request for comment. ful sale of a game animal and three competition. There will also be in- voice for $923,533 for the con- va, whose legal name is Caswell Authorities had gotten a search felony counts of unlawful posses- teractive sessions including culi- struction of group's $12 million Senior, was still being sought. warrant and seized 84 dogs from sion, shipping or transportation of nary and cocktail classes. Philabundance Community Fay’s home. They said the animals a game animal or fur bearing ani- Kitchen. Appeal rejected in were living in filth and had health mal, the Independent Record re- 27 pounds of fentanyl The group discovered the theft Great Danes abuse case problems. ported. found in home weeks later when the real con- According to the charging docu- struction company asked where WOLFEBORO — The Bill to erase Confederate ments, Fong is caught on audio UNIONVILLE — Au- its money was. NH state’s highest court flag from Coat of Arms saying that he offered bear and NC thorities in North Car- rejected an appeal by a New mountain lion meat for free to “the olina seized over 27 pounds of fen- 18 indicted in Hampshire woman who argued MONTGOMERY — An tour guide and bus people." Fong tanyl, one of the largest narcotic gang-related activity her privacy was violated in a case AL Alabama lawmaker owns a restaurant called Bamboo seizures in the county, officials that eventually led to her being aims to remove a Confederate flag Garden in Pocatello. said. NEW YORK — Author- convicted of housing dozens of from Alabama’s Coat of Arms. The Union County Sheriff’s Of- NY ities announced the in- filthy and sick Great Danes in her State Rep. Laura Hall has pre- From The Associated Press fice and the Monroe Police De- dictment of 18 people, including mansion. filed three bills aimed at eliminat- PAGE 12 • STARS AND STRIPES • Sunday, December 6, 2020 MUSIC

This combination photo shows holiday album, top row from left, “A Tori Kelly Christmas” by Tory Kelly, “A Holly Dolly Christmas” by Dolly Parton, “A Very Trainor Christmas” by Meghan Trainor; second row: “The Christmas Album” by Leslie Odom Jr., “My Gift” by Carrie Underwood, “It’s Christmas Time Once More” by Davy Jones; bottom row: “It’s Christmas All Over” by the Goo Goo Dolls, “The Best Time of Year” by Keedron Bryant and “The Pianoman at Christmas” by Jamie Cullum. Sounds of the season The Associated Press reviews some of this year’s notable holiday releases Carrie Underwood, Underwood’s interpretations of songs is a children’s choir and the smell of in- On one of the album’s 11 tracks, Under- like “Silent Night” and “O Holy Night” are cense. wood is joined on “Little Drummer Boy” ‘My Gift’ (Capitol Nashville) simply produced with lush strings, allow- But while Underwood could probably by her 5-year-old son Isaiah, whose sing- Carrie Underwood takes fans to church ing her to showcase her vibrato as she sing the Bible and sound great, the al- ing about “pah-wump-pah-pah-pump” and with her first holiday album, “The Gift,” a soars to the top of her range. You could bum’s more interesting tracks are original “dwums” is adorably cute, but it borders set of hymns and traditional Christmas imagine yourself in a pew, head bowed as songs, including “Let There Be Peace,” a on saccharine. classics that invoke the spiritual and reli- you listened to her sing “Joyful, Joyful, song she co-wrote where she’s backed by a gious themes of the season. We Adore Thee,” and all would be missing choir on a rousing R&B gospel track. SEE SOUNDS ON PAGE 13 Sunday, December 6, 2020 • STARS AND STRIPES • PAGE 13 MUSIC Sounds: ‘Very Trainor Christmas’ is a multi-layered marvel’ FROM PAGE 12 for some songs — cousins and make “The Pianoman at Christ- hen is smiling from above with performance from the budding But the best song is her duet her dad — and Earth, Wind & mas” swing and soar. Horns and his approval. superstar. with John Legend on an original Fire stop by to help on an old- string orchestra trade off and — Mesfin Fekadu Bryant tackles Paul McCart- called “Hallelujah,” which Leg- school, propulsive funky “Holi- blend beautifully, providing a ney’s “Wonderful Christmas- end co-wrote. These two Gram- days.” (Seth MacFarlane is the broad canvas for Cullum to ex- Goo Goo Dolls, time” and adds his own wonder- my winners push each other to album’s only odd note, taking plore a range of holiday moods. ‘It’s Christmas All Over’ ful spin to the song. And he and new and impressive heights as himself far too seriously in a Included are two tunes each his sister, Aiyanna Bryant, are they raise their voices to the version of “White Christmas”). about Santa, Christmas lights and (Warner) epic on their soulful version of heavens. More of that, please. Of the clutch of new songs, the holiday blues. It’s hard to write a Christmas Boyz II Men and Brian — Kristin M. Hall there’s the gloriously funky- There’s also a cuddle song, and song, and it’s doubly hard writing McKnight’s holiday classic, “Let EDM “I Believe in Santa,” the the topical, timely opener “It’s about a bad kid on Christmas, but It Snow.” Dolly Parton, trop-pop “Naughty List,” the sad Christmas,” where a merry Cul- the Goo Goo Dolls have done it. The four-song EP closes with ‘A Holly, Jolly Christmas’ violin ballad “Christmas Got Me lum sings, “Shove your petty The rockabilly “You Ain’t the original track “This Year,” an Blue” and the gleeful “Christmas differences right up the chimney, Getting Nothin’ ” is an unexpect- upbeat adventure promising that (Butterfly Records) Party.” please.” ed and super step on the band’s 2021 will be better than 2020 — a Leave it to Dolly Parton to America, rejoice: We just got a All of the songs are secular. solid first holiday record, “It’s message we all need to hear, know just how to brighten up great early Christmas present. “Don’t care about a savior,” Cul- Christmas All Over.” especially from the youth. After pandemic blues with a full dose — Mark Kennedy lum sings on the title cut. “Just “You picked Santa’s pocket all — the children are our future. of cheery holiday nostalgia. want to hold onto you.” /And you stole his reindeer — Mesfin Fekadu Her first Christmas album in Leslie Odom Jr., A few lyrics could have bene- /You’re only 8 years old / I Davy Jones, 30 years sounds like it could have ‘The Christmas Album’ fited from more time in the work- caught you drinking beer,” front- been made decades ago — even shop. “The Jolly Fat Man” is man John Rzeznik sings about ‘It’s Christmas if she recorded it masked, gloved (S-Curve/BMG) jazzy fun, but Cullum tries un- someone who should be getting Time Once More’ and appropriately socially dis- What is one thing you can successfully to rhyme hat with coal in their stocking. tanced this past summer. count on when a Broadway star dispatch and relax with back. It’s one of two originals — and (Not Too Late Records) Despite touches of pop culture creates a holiday album? The Nonetheless, he captures the one reworking — on a 10-track Christmas wouldn’t be Christ- — Jimmy Fallon and Miley Cy- vocals will not disappoint. spirit of the season. More than album filled with jazzy covers of mas without reindeers, turtle rus are among her duet partners Tony and Grammy winner once Cullum belts a long note, iconic holiday songs such as “Let doves, a partridge — and a Mon- — the feeling is more Sinatra and Leslie Odom Jr. has delivered a and it’s easy to visualize him, It Snow” and “Have Yourself a kee. Nat King Cole. vibrant melting pot of holiday head back and arms out- Merry Little Christmas.” The “It’s Christmas Time Once The first track, “Holly Jolly classics and original songs with stretched, happy to embrace the title comes from a Tom Petty More,” a reimagined collection of Christmas,” sets the tone with a “The Christmas Album.” end of this awful year. tune, which is respectfully cov- traditional holiday songs from “ding, dong, ding” choral open- Odom’s voice lends itself well — Steven Wine ered. The Monkees’ late frontman ing, honky-tonk undertones and to multi-genre music, making The other original is “This Is Davy Jones, is a welcome and Dolly’s folksy banter. him an ideal candidate to bring Tori Kelly, Christmas,” which has that beau- warm addition to the season. His “All I Want for Christmas Is forth some holiday cheer. From ‘A Tori Kelly Christmas’ tiful melancholy the Goo Goo gentle and expressive voice often You” delivers a flirty duet with his jazzy rendition of “It’s Begin- Dolls are known for. It earns its got overshadowed by the goofy Fallon as the two playfully trade ning to Look a Lot Like Christ- (Capitol/Schoolboy) right to be a holiday classic of its goings-on in his made-for-TV gushy confessions and Parton mas” to the pop-forward “Last Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds own. rock band. Here, it is center teases at the end: “Oh, you sexy Christmas,” his album is — sim- is easily one of the greatest music The reworked song is “Better stage. boy.” ply put — easy listening. producers and songwriters of all Days,” a wistful ode to peace Jones tackles songs like “Silver Several tunes are Parton origi- While covers like “Winter time. So him in the producer’s from the band’s 2006 album “Let Bells” and “Silent Night” with nals, including “Christmas on the Song” find Odom’s smooth falset- chair plus Grammy-winning Love In.” Here, it has been re- English-accented aplomb. For a Square,” also the title of her new to complemented by Cynthia vocalist Tori Kelly in the vocal built with a child’s voice (the jazzy “White Christmas,” his Netflix holiday musical. It’s a Erivo’s sultry pipes, his person- booth equals STUNNING, SEN- daughter of Jimmy McGorman, voice is joined by his youngest delightfully hokey offering, a ally penned song “Snow” is a SATIONAL, EXTRAORDINARY the band’s longtime collabora- daughter, singer-songwriter vision of friends and families cold weather earworm. and PHENOMENAL. tor). It’s powerfully affecting — Annabel Jones, in a pretty duet gathering for singing, dancing, Among the traditional yuletide Kelly is a top-notch performer revealing strong songwriting that hits all the right notes. snowball fights and other nostal- tunes, most of his holiday covers throughout “A Tori Kelly Christ- topped by a delicate voice. The songs have some miles on gic fare. That may all be off the are close in sound to their prede- mas,” which features traditional — Mark Kennedy them. They were originally re- table this holiday season, but cessors. But the “Hamilton” star classics like “Silent Night,” “O leased in 1991 on cassette, then Parton at least gives us a wel- brings a unique South African Holy Night” and “Joy to the Keedron Bryant, on CD in 1997 and released again come taste. influence to “Little Drummer World,” where her vocals will ‘The Best Time of Year’ in 2005 as “Christmas Jones.” — Lindsey Tanner Boy” with the help of the Mzansi instantly transport you to a Producer Chip Douglas has given Youth Choir, and strips down the church that people not only at- (Warner) them new arrangements and Meghan Trainor, New Year’s Eve classic “Auld tend to praise and worship, but to Passionate is Keedron Bryant’s added background vocals from ‘A Very Trainor Christmas’ Lang Syne” to create tenderness. also hear beautiful and exquisite forte. former Monkees bandmate Not exclusively limited to music. At just 12 years old, he turned Micky Dolenz and his sister, (Epic) Christmas songs, Odom delivers Even the original tracks are heads with his fiery plea “I Just Coco Dolenz. Douglas leans into Put down that eggnog and go to a brilliant, intimate performance cute and pleasant, including “Gift Wanna Live,” a song about being rockabilly with “Rockin’ Around Spotify right now: The winner of of “Ma’oz Tzur,” accompanied by That Keeps on Giving” and a young Black man in America. the Christmas Tree” and banjo the best Christmas album of 2020 his wife, Nicolette Robinson, and “25th,” where Kelly sings sweet Written by his mother Johnnetta with “Hark the Herald Angels is clearly Meghan Trainor. a piano. lyrics like “no more silent nights/ Bryant after she watched the Sing.” The 18-track “A Very Trainor “The Christmas Album” cele- I’ll be by your side” and “got painful death of George Floyd, One of the two bonus tracks is Christmas” is a marvel, a multi- brates diversity and comfort in a nothing on my list/don’t you the song helped Bryant inspire an original recording of Jones textured triumph led by Trai- year when both are sorely need- know my only wish is to hold you and connect with people around singing “White Christmas” with nor’s warm, retro and soulful ed. on the 25th?” the world. It even landed him a Douglas on guitar, recorded in voice — perfect for a holiday — Ragan Clark She closes the album with an record deal. 1967 in Douglas’ home in L.A.’s album. excellent and clean cover of He’s 13 now and has released a famed Laurel Canyon. It is wist- It boasts six excellent originals Jamie Cullum, Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah,” Christmas EP that features a ful and blissed out. alongside smart covers of such ‘The Pianoman at and it is so good we’re sure Co- passionate and mature vocal — Mark Kennedy songs as “Last Christmas” by Wham! and a ukulele-led “Win- Christmas’ (Blue Note) ter Wonderland.” Trainor has The title is misleading, because somehow infused new energy Jamie Cullum is more of a big- (Dolly Parton’s) first Christmas album in 30 years and verve to old chestnuts. Her band crooner than piano player ’60s-meets-2020 “Sleigh Ride” is on this set of 10 tunes he wrote in sounds like it could have been made decades ago — like hearing a new song and her lockdown this spring. “Silent Night” is churchlike, The arrangements are pan- even if she recorded it masked, gloved and respectfully glorious. demic-defying, with 57 musicians Trainor has her family join her by Cullum’s count, and they appropriately socially distanced this past summer. PAGE 14 • STARS AND STRIPES • Sunday, December 6, 2020 LIFESTYLE

PHOTOS BY FRANCOIS MORI/AP Envelopes addressed to “Pere Noel” — Father Christmas in French — are displayed Nov. 23 by postal workers in Libourne, southwest France.

Wishes, worries for Santa Excerpts from letters sent to Santa and In Santa’s received by his sorting office in France: “Father Christmas, if the coronavirus allows it, would it be possible to drop in on the night of the 24th ... We’ll put out a cake for you and carrots for the reindeer.” mailbag — The Theron family “I hope that you are well. I also hope the elves and you aren’t infected.” Elves at French post office — Lina, age 9 “I want this epidemic to stop, so I can see my say 1 in 3 letters mailed to family without fear.” him mention the pandemic — Eglantine “I want to meet you but we can’t because BY JOHN LEICESTER there is the virus.” Associated Press — William im, from Taiwan, slipped a face “I didn’t put many toys on my list. I under- mask inside the greeting card he A postal worker dressed as Santa talks with co­workers who call themselves “elves” as stand that this year is difficult with the virus sent to Santa and marked “I (heart) they open letters addressed to him, in Libourne, southwest France, on Nov. 23. ... P.S. I broke my arm.” Ju.” Alina, 5, asked in her Santa — Louis, age 9 letter — written with an adult’s help — that year of sickness and tumult. gadgets were also requests for vaccines, he please use the front door when he drops Like this letter from young Zoe, who for visits from grandparents, for life to “I’m going to turn 6. I won’t be able to cele- in, because the back door is reserved for limited her requests to a music player return to the way it was. One letter in brate my birthday because of the sick people.” — Leana Grandma and Grandpa to minimize their and amusement park tickets because three mentions the pandemic in some risk of contamination. “this year has been very different from way, Hajji says. “Even with the sickness, I hope to see you, And spilling out her heavy little heart to others because of COVID-19.” “The kids have been very affected by because I want to give you a hug and a kiss “Dear Father Christmas,” 10-year-old Lola “That’s why I am not asking you for COVID, more than we think. They are ... I would like a brother and a little sister. I wrote that she is wishing “that my aunt many thing(s) to avoid infection,” Zoe very worried. And what they want most of have a fish and a frog.” — Rosay never has cancer again and that this virus wrote, signing off with “Merci!” and a all, apart from presents, is really to be no longer exists.” heart. able to have a normal life, the end of “It’s been many years since I have written to “My mother is a care-giver and some- In theory, and often in practice, any COVID, a vaccine,” she says. “The letters you. In lockdown, I decided to pick up my times I am scared for her,” Lola explained, letter addressed “Pere Noel” — French to Father Christmas are a sort of release pen again ... Father Christmas, for me, an signing off her handwritten letter with, for Father Christmas — and slipped into for them. All this year, they have been in independent student, this has been a tough year ...” “Take care of yourself Father Christmas, any post box around the world is likely to lockdowns; they have been deprived of — Alexis, 22 and of the Elves.” wend its way to the sorting office in Li- school, deprived of their grandpas and The emotional toll wrought by the pan- bourne in France’s Bordeaux region, grandmas. Their parents have been occu- “Don’t forget your lockdown pass and your demic is jumping off pages in the deluge of which has been handling his mail since pied by the health crisis and whatnot. So mask, so you aren’t fined.” “Dear Santa” letters now pouring into a 1962. His secretariat of workers (who call we, of course, can tell that the children — Carole, age 54 post office in southwest France that sorts themselves “elves”) spends the months of are putting into words everything they Associated Press and responds to his mail from around the November and December slicing open have felt during this period.” world. envelopes decorated with hearts, stickers “We are like elf therapists,” she adds. Arriving by the tens of thousands, the and colors, and spreading Santa magic by Emma Barron, a psychiatrist specializ- the Dec. 25 anchor of Christmas is partic- letters, notes and cards — some mere responding on his behalf. ing in the mental health of children and ularly important to kids this year. scribbles, other elaborate labors of love in From the first letters opened Nov. 12, it adolescents at the Robert Debre pediatric “Children are quite surprising in that colored pens — are revealing windows into quickly became apparent how the pan- hospital in Paris, says landmark dates, they can adapt to many things,” Barron the tender minds of their young authors, demic is weighing on children, says the including birthdays and holidays like says. “But rhythms, rituals and things like and of adult Santa fans also asking for chief elf, Jamila Hajji. Christmas, provide structure in child- that are an integral part of children’s men- respite and happiness, at the tail end of a Along with the usual pleas for toys and hood. Amid the pandemic’s uncertainty, tal stability.” Sunday, December 6, 2020 • STARS AND STRIPES • PAGE 15 CROSSWORD AND COMICS NEW YORK TIMES CROSSWORD

IT ALL ADDS UP 1234 5678 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 BY ALEX EATON-SALNERS / EDITED BY WILL SHORTZ 91 02 12 22 Alex Eaton-Salners, of Lake Forest, Calif., is an in-house attorney for a technology company. He spent his junior year of college studying at a Japanese university and living with a homestay family. He also worked in Japan for several years before returning 32 42 52 62 to the U.S. for law school. Alex made the “Playing With Food” Sunday crossword in September. This is his 44th puzzle for The Times over all. — W.S. 72 82 92 03 13

ACROSS 50 Bring back on board 91 Runway professional 4 Native of the Beehive 23 33 43 53 63 73 1 List of courses 51 Actress Jessica 93 Little louse State 83 93 04 14 24 34 44 5 ____ alla Bolognese 52 No Doubt vocalist 94 Purposes 5 Knock on, as a window (meat-based pasta Gwen 95 Car-stereo choices 6 Oodles 54 64 74 84 94 05 sauce) 54 Best-selling 97 Zoning, so to speak 7 Words said with a post- self-help book match handshake 15 25 35 45 55 9 Don’s partner in the 99 Something that’s underworld subtitled ‘‘Time- 8 Send to the cloud, say 65 75 85 95 06 Tested Secrets for helpful in a dash? 9 Camp sight 13 Melting point? Capturing the Heart 100 Emotive brass sound 16 26 36 46 56 10 Sighing sounds 19 Condo, e.g. of Mr. Right’’ 102 Night call 66 76 86 96 56 Hot spots 103 Marketer’s target 11 Not custom-tailored 20 Crowning 12 Country singer K. T. 58 Moved briskly 105 Bumbling sort 07 17 27 37 47 57 67 77 87 97 ____ 21 Crew’s control? 60 Council of ____ 107 They outrank 13 HBO show co-starring 08 18 28 38 48 22 Wall Street Journal (Counter- viscounts Reformation body) Issa Rae columnist Peggy 109 Legendary sea 58 68 78 88 98 61 More to the point 14 Dove’s sound 23 Bygone office group monster 15 Doctor’s reassurance 09 19 29 39 49 62 Part of Q.E.D. 111 Floor cleaner, for 25 Final remark in an before a shot 63 Chooses short 59 69 79 89 99 argument 16 Tech-news website 65 Wanders around 113 Union Pacific vehicle 27 Scratch (out) 17 With 80-Across, 001 101 201 301 401 the head of a line, 116 Neither gains nor briefly? longtime CBS News 28 Like the luck of the loses 601501 701 801 901 011 111 211 draw 66 Long-running show correspondent 118 Chant for the Dream whose iconic 18 Conclusion 311 411 511 611 711 30 ), when it follows :- Team hourglass is in 24 Smelter’s inputs 31 H 119 Eldest of Chekhov’s 811 911 021 121 the Smithsonian 26 ‘‘C’est la vie’’ collection ‘‘Three Sisters’’ 32 ‘‘Seems that way’’ 29 Spot from which a 221 321 421 521 120 Town near Buffalo 34 Pieces of gangs 70 Rotating engine part dove once notably that sounds like 73 Con ____ (with flew 36 Pain reliever animation, paradise 46 On the safe side 68 Scenic vista 80 Misarticulate, in a 99 Greasy goo containing aspirin 33 Makes cloudy musically) 121 From the start way and caffeine 35 1943 Pulitzer-winning 47 Spiritual retreat 69 Holy ____ 101 It takes a bow 122 ‘‘And now good- 74 Hot spot Thornton Wilder 49 Intervene 70 Orange or plum 81 Home of a 103 Partner of rice 38 Golfer Ernie ____ to our waking 75 It has issues with play, with ‘‘The’’ 53 1960s sitcom set at 71 Fleet of foot mythological lion 104 Less well done 39 Gave birth celebrities souls’’: John Donne 37 Like the noble gases Fort Courage 72 Qualifies to fight in a 83 Language of Pakistan 105 Thereabouts 123 Desire 41 Sheltered balcony 80 See 17-Down 39 Singles, e.g. 55 Set in a man cave certain class 84 Working away 106 In the distance 124 Digital IDs with abundant 82 Ostensible 40 ‘‘That so?’’ 57 Bill’s time-traveling 76 ‘‘We are the 99%’’ 86 Au naturel 108 + or – natural light 125 ____-X (cut) 84 Had a heaping 42 Steams up partner in film movement, 88 Garments for 110 Sharp 45 Wished helping of humility 43 ‘‘Garden’’ or ‘‘Center,’’ 59 ‘‘Holy ____!’’ familiarly acrobats 112 Monk’s hood 47 Archer’s pride 85 Catchy 1950s slogan DOWN often 62 Favor 77 Journalists might be 92 ‘‘Wow, that’s 113 ‘‘Fee, fi, fo, ____’’ 87 Send another way 1 Creative inspiration invited to it beautiful!’’ 48 ‘‘The Dark Knight 44 Pain in the neck 64 The deadly sins, e.g. 114 Military support grp. 89 Let go of ____,’’ 2012 2 Miso-soup mushroom 45 100 satang, in 67 House involved in the 78 Prospector’s find 96 Big bat 115 D.C. player superhero movie 90 Serious 3 Made the rounds? Thailand Wars of the Roses 79 Flock members 98 Ranker of the rich 117 Designer Posen

GUNSTON STREET RESULTS FOR ABOVE PUZZLE

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“Gunston Street” is drawn by Basil Zaviski. Email him at [email protected], and online at gunstonstreet.com. N I C A N A S T A G T E B D I A T E E L I M S M O D N A R E K E

D R E N O S A L E H T L O O P O E N O S

N A N O O N S R A O P O T A T I N U E L C I C I O P A C U G A R U N E M PAGE 16 • STARS AND STRIPES • Sunday, December 6, 2020 GADGETS & TECHNOLOGY A magnetic rivalry China and Japan race to dominate the future of high-speed rail BY RIVER DAVIS the technology could be successfully im- Bloomberg plemented abroad,” said Christopher apan and China are racing to build Hood, a professor at Cardiff University a new type of ultra-fast, levitating who’s studied and written a book about train, seeking to demonstrate their Japan’s shinkansen, or bullet train. Jmastery over a technology with big Japan, the creator of the world’s first export potential. shinkansen, has long been a top supplier to Magnetic levitation, or maglev, trains global fast-rail projects. Former Prime use powerful magnets to glide along Minister Shinzo Abe targeted infrastruc- charged tracks at super-fast speeds made ture exports including high-speed rail possible by the lack of friction. A handful of technologies as a key plank of economic short distance and experimental maglev growth. trains are already in operation, but Asia’s But over the past decade, Chinese com- two biggest economies are vying to develop petitors, often willing to supply parts and what would be the world’s first long-dis- knowhow for cheaper, have been catching tance intercity lines. up. In 2015, Japanese suppliers lost out to On one side is Central Japan Railway Chinese rivals in a bid to build Indonesia’s DREAMSTIME/TNS Co.’s 9 trillion yen ($86 billion) maglev first high-speed railway from capital Ja- Magnetic levitation, or maglev, trains use powerful magnets to glide along charged that’s expected to connect Tokyo and Osa- karta to Bandung in West Java. Japan was tracks at super­fast speeds made possible by the lack of friction. Japan and China are ka by 2037. On the other is China’s 100 eventually asked to rejoin the project after competing to be the first country to provide long­distance, inner­city maglev lines. billion yuan ($15 billion) on-again, off- it began to face significant delays. again project that will run between Shang- Japan is a “strong rival” in developing travel time between the hubs to one hour ing to Bloomberg Intelligence Asia in- hai and the eastern port city of Ningbo. regular bullet and high-speed maglev from the current three, according to JR frastructure analyst Denise Wong. After several false starts, it’s now forecast trains, according to an article that ap- Central, making it even faster than flying. The state-owned short-distance maglev to be completed by around 2035. Japan’s is peared in July in state-backed China Daily The Japanese government has pledged that connects Shanghai Pudong Interna- more expensive largely because of the and that quoted a professor who specializes several billion dollars in financial backing tional Airport to the city and that started in amount of excavation that will be required in railways. This “tough reality” has for the U.S. east coast project and JR Cen- 2002 has struggled to turn a profit, losing to tunnel through the mountainous coun- pushed China to make quick break- tral has said it doesn’t plan to charge li- more than 1 billion yuan in its early years. tryside. throughs in developing maglev trains “to censing fees for the technology. Authorities The hefty price tag of Japan’s Chuo Shin- If Japan and China are able to unveil ensure the country has adequate market are “fully supporting” the project due to its kansen has also been thrown into question their long-distance projects successfully share in both future domestic and global “importance for the overseas expansion of amid the coronavirus pandemic, which by their due dates, it should give them a leg markets,” the report said. Japan’s railway systems,” JR Central’s surveys predict may permanently alter the up when they look to export the next-gen- One of the countries that JR Central is Akahoshi said. need for business travel between major eration technology, rail experts say. At looking to export its maglev technology to Still, some analysts question whether centers. stake is a share of the estimated more than is the U.S., where it’s working with part- maglev technology is a viable export with- “What’s important is which project will $2 trillion global market for rail infrastruc- ners to lay the groundwork for a maglev out strong government support. Construc- be better able to justify the cost,” Wong ture projects. line that would connect Washington, D.C. tion costs associated with maglev trains said, referring to the intercity maglevs “Maglev technology has huge export and New York, costing an estimated $10 can run to double or triple that of regular planned by China and Japan. That’s more potential, and China and Japan’s domestic billion for the first D.C. to Baltimore leg high-speed rail lines because of the types crucial than “who gets there first,” she projects are like shop windows into how alone. If constructed, the train would cut of power and substations required, accord- said. GADGETS Take your blending game on the road

BY GREGG ELLMANN markings and on the bottom is a a day. We all seem to be in a rush Tribune News Service 6-point stainless steel blade. A to get that boost of power. Be Anywhere, Blend Every- surprisingly powerful 5 V motor So how does charging three where is how Blendjet 2 de- spins 275 times per second. Once times faster than your old char- scribes itself, and it couldn’t be it’s loaded, operating consists of ger sound? That is exactly what any more accurate. With great pressing a button to start and you get with Anker’s new Power- success, Blendjet 2 cuts the cord pressing it again to stop. The Port III ($52.99) two-port 60 watt in the blender world. button illuminates when it’s on or and the tiny but powerful single The single-serving Blendjet 2 lets charging. 20-watt PowerPort III Nano you blend on the go with shakes, It’s just as easy to clean the ($16.99) chargers along with new smoothies, or a mixed adult bev- Blendjet2 as it is to operate. The Anker Powerline charging ca- erage in about 20 seconds, more self-cleaning system requires bles. or less depending on what you water and soap. After a quick In 30 minutes of charging are making. This is one of those blending, just rinse it out and it’s starting with a zero percent bat- gadgets you think you don’t need ready for the next mixture. tery, the Anker Nano will pro- but once you have it, you’re hook- Blendjet also has JetPack duce 53 percent of the charge. ed. Ready-to-Blend single-serving With the PowerPort III, a pair It’s about the size of a large smoothies ($2.99), with no refrig- of USB-C ports with Intelligent water bottle, holds 16 ounces and eration required. All you need is Power Allocation make it ideal BLENDJET/TNS has a built-in carrying strap that the cold mixing liquid or ice. for home or travel use for charg- Blendjet 2 cuts the cord in the blender world, and comes in 16 colors. helps with portability. Don’t Flavor options include banana ing or keeping a MacBook pow- expect it to be as powerful as a blueberry, mocha chia, green ered up in use. According to by-1.08 inches) as the original and USB-C laptops. full-sized AC-powered kitchen peach ginger, raspberry dragon Anker, this feature is designed to 5-watt charger, but the new tech- The new PowerLine III fast blender, but the 4000mAh in- fruit, mango matcha and tropical intermittently detect the power nology produces 20 watts of out- charging cables in USB-C to ternal battery does a great job blue. needs of connected devices and put for increased efficiency. Apple Lightning ($19.99, 3-foot) powering it for about 15 blends Online: blendjet.com; $49.95, to identify the optimum power Anker’s PowerIQ 3.0 tech- and USB-C to USB-C ($17.99, 6 after a one-hour charge. Blend- available in 16 vibrant colors allocation, ensuring the best nology ensures perfect compat- foot) are designed for efficiency Jet 2 is water-resistant, including charge every time. ibility with virtually all mobile and work in both the dual port the USB-C charging port. Charging smartphones is a The Anker Nano iPhone Char- devices including phones, tablets, and single port chargers. The jar has measurement daily chore, often multiple times ger is the same size (1.81-by-1.08- smartwatches, charging earbuds Online: Anker.com Sunday, December 6, 2020 • STARS AND STRIPES • PAGE 17 BOOKS ‘No Time Like the Future’ Michael J. Fox’s fourth book reflects less on diagnosis, more on life moving forward

BY POROCHISTA KHAKPOUR book, “No Time Like the Future: An Opti- epilogue that addresses the fact that the Special to The Washington Post mist Considers Mortality.” But unlike his book launched amid one of human histo- hen Michael J. Fox told the other memoirs, here he is not just walking ry’s greatest afflictions to date — our world, in 1998, that he had us through his diagnosis and the sub- pandemic — and that we, just like Fox, been fighting Parkinson’s sequent traumas of living publicly with a are still struggling to see a way out. Wdisease for the past seven degenerative disorder. Occasionally the many registers of the years, it felt devastating to me in many This time, Fox’s story is focused on memoir fall into disharmony thematical- ways. For one thing, like a lot of people of something more unthinkable — the other ly: The dad jokes work well in the voicey- my generation, I had been a big fan of the things that can go wrong with a body that’s ness of the prose but distract when in, hit ’80s TV sitcom “Family Ties” — ob- still carrying a devastating disease, wheth- say, chapter-title placement. The in- sessed with Alex P. Keaton without fully er it is just the wear and tear of aging or troduction, for instance, is called “Fall understanding the implications of his role other, more serious afflictions. This book Guy” but the harrowing fall it describes as a weird Reagan-stanning surly Repub- centers on life going on, for better or for isn’t one that feels right for wordplay. lican. worse, pivoting ultimately on a particular- Fox’s writing is at its best when it’s Fox’s disclosure was doubly shocking as ly impossible 2018, Fox’s “annus horriblis” barreling into the demons. A phrase like not only was he just 29 when he was diag- as he calls it. “I’m taking my time. Time isn’t taking nosed, he was also not the kind of celebrity Fox underwent major spinal surgery me” works far better than a chapter who seemed vulnerable at all. To imagine after a tumor had been found on his spinal called “Double Bogey” that begins with him compromised in any crisis seemed cord — unrelated to his Parkinson’s — and the cheeky but ultimately tonally chal- best-friend-y, infectiously convivial and impossible. For a while I had no idea how he had also taken a very bad fall related to lenged introduction, “Why me? Why did unapologetically pensive. This is a book to process his struggles, though I was his Parkinson’s. The combination gave this happen? I have a wife and children, a you really hear whether you have the amazed he was still surviving as the years him and his family a new set of hurdles. life that I love. So why was I afflicted with audiobook or not. The quality of the prose, went by. I assumed wealth and celebrity Not to mention here we see him in his late golf?” the care in the pacing and the delight in were part of what kept him alive. Those 50s, dealing with career predicaments, as Some of the most engaging parts are the storytelling all made me reexamine why I privileges might have been a piece of it, he continues to take on guest roles in vari- ones where Fox’s past fame and his cur- read and write in this genre in the first but it wasn’t until I got sick myself, with ous series. rent fame intersect in awkward ways — place. In sharing so much of himself be- late-stage Lyme disease, that I realized Fox makes it through all this with both the actor vs. the illness activist. “Don’t yond buzz words and headlines, Fox has how much one’s attitude can also factor light humor and deep introspection: The worry, he’s not taking your picture,” his given us a gift we didn’t know to ask for, a into one’s health, and that while a positive entire book is well woven in a rich tragi- wife tells him when a patient at the hospi- gift that isn’t anywhere close to diminish- outlook can’t save you, a very strong drive comic tapestry. We make it through all the tal takes out a cellphone near him, for ing with his years. You get the feeling that to live certainly counts for something. obstacles only for the book to be most instance. even with these memoirs behind him and I thought about that a lot reading Mi- heartbreakingly tagged with what will But what makes the book a page-turner inevitable health hurdles ahead of him, chael J. Fox’s recent memoir, his fourth likely be a standard of 2020 memoirs: The is its tenor: drolly conspiratorial, affably many more chapters are yet to come. Parton’s latest is equal parts memoir, song primer

BY ALLISON STEWART and a feminist, although that’s would never go to another, and hair. Special to The Washington Post not a word she cares for, and an he never has, writes Parton ad- It’s during the ‘70s that her olly Parton doesn’t LGBTQ ally. Her dominion — miringly. She plainly adores him. songwriting approaches peak remember if she what the podcast “Dolly Parton’s There’s a trove of photos from Dolly: plain-spoken, but with a actually wrote two of America” likes to call the “Dolly- Parton’s childhood: her daddy’s flair for melodrama unusual even Dher greatest songs, “I verse” — spans genres, gener- worn work boots; the first record for a country singer. In Dolly Will Always Love You” and “Jo- ations and continents. She under- she ever recorded, at 13. There’s Parton songs, people are con- lene,” on the same day, as the stands exactly why we love her Dolly as a strikingly ordinary- stantly cheating on their spouses legend has long been told, but the and doesn’t pretend otherwise. looking child, Dolly in a ruffled or throwing themselves off point is, she could have. According to “Songteller,” prom dress, Dolly looking suspi- bridges. Soldiers almost never By her own reckoning, Parton, there is little she cannot do or ciously brunette. return home from the war, and 74, has written more than 3,000 hasn’t briefly considered doing. Parton grew up in East Ten- the car will always crash. If songs, beginning with an ode to She partially funded an experi- nessee’s Great Smoky Moun- there’s a Dolly Parton song with her corncob doll, Tasseltop, when mental coronavirus vaccine, and tains, one of 12 kids. They were a puppy or an infant in it, both she was 6. through her charity, she has so cold that they slept with their will die tragically. If there’s a “I may look like a show pony,” delivered more than 130 million clothes on, so poor that the doctor song with a gun, Dolly Parton Parton writes in her excellent books to children. She establish- who delivered Dolly was paid will deploy it by the third act. new memoir/song-primer, “Dolly ed an eagle sanctuary at her with a sack of cornmeal. Writing Tucked away among the book’s Parton, Songteller: My Life in ed, and though they later recon- amusement park, Dollywood, songs would be Parton’s deliver- many treasures is a photo of the Lyrics,” “but I’m a workhorse.” ciled, Wagoner is about the only because one time she got to wor- ance. When she was 10, she land- original lyrics to Parton’s hit “Jolene” was inspired by a person in “Songteller” whom rying about bald eagles. She ed on a radio show run by Cas “Coat of Many Colors,” about a bank teller who got too flirty with Parton clearly doesn’t like. hung out with Andy Warhol at Walker, a raccoon hunter-turned- child who is mocked for wearing Parton’s husband, Carl Dean, “I Will Always Love You” was Studio 54 and once had a club hit grocery store magnate, because a coat of rags to school. This while “I Will Always Love You” Parton’s exit letter, although with a cover of Cat Stevens’ near- everyone in the Dollyverse has a really happened: Parton’s school- was partly written about her when she wrote its most famous ly undanceable “Peace Train.” colorful backstory. She struck out mates mocked her makeshift platonic musical partner Porter couplet (“If I should stay / I “Songteller” is divided into on her own at 18, which was coat, then locked her in a closet. Wagoner, which is a bit disap- would only be in your way”), it three equally invaluable and terrifying, but she figured she And she was afraid of the dark. pointing. Wagoner was 40 and turns out she was only being roughly chronological sections: couldn’t be any poorer than she She turns this horror story into a Parton a 21-year-old relative polite. “I should have said, ‘You’d song lyrics, archival photos and already was. homily about understanding unknown when he hired her to be only be in my way,’ ” Parton written passages featuring Par- “Songteller” hits its stride others’ differences, because the “girl singer” in his band, writes. “Ha-ha.” ton’s folksy retelling of various when it gets to ’70s crossover pop turning to the bright side is what notes “Songteller” collaborator Parton would go on to become events. There’s a gold mine of star Dolly. She was at the height Dolly Parton does. Robert K. Oermann. one of country music’s bestsell- little-seen photos of Parton’s of her powers and her charms, a “You never know when you’re Wagoner was flinty and dom- ing female artists, a beloved little-seen husband of 54 years, figure of terrifying architectural going through things what is ineering, underpaying Parton cultural figure, and one of the Carl Dean. After attending exact- precision, with Nashville’s most actually going to turn out to be a long after her stardom began to only white ladies a divided nation ly one music industry event early famous bosom cantilevered into a blessing,” she writes. “So it’s eclipse his. They constantly feud- can agree on. She is a pioneer in their marriage, Dean swore he bullet bra, and that vertiginous worth the suffering.” PAGE 18 • STARS AND STRIPES • Sunday, December 6, 2020 Sunday, December 6, 2020 • STARS AND STRIPES • PAGE 19 OPINION

Max D. Lederer Jr., Publisher Lt. Col. Marci Hoffman, Europe commander Lt. Col. Richard McClintic, Pacific commander The sad, scary case of US counterterror center Caroline E. Miller, Europe Business Operations BY DAVID IGNATIUS “I was ostensibly the ‘mission manager’ gley. The CIA was supposed to provide anal- Washington Post Writers Group for terrorism, but I had no authority to com- ysts and other personnel to the NCTC as pel anyone outside of NCTC to do anything,” “detailees,” but this support was always EDITORIAL he incoming Biden administra- Travers told me. grudging, increasingly so under Director Terry Leonard, Editor tion must quickly address a poten- Travers said he met March 5 with Mi- Gina Haspel. [email protected] tially dangerous intelligence chael Atkinson, the inspector general of the Travers said that by 2019, the NCTC was problem the Trump administra- intelligence community, to “express con- suffering a 35% decline in detailees from its Robert H. Reid, Senior Managing Editor T tion has allowed to fester — the decline and cerns” about the “chronic inability” of the 2012 level, “undermining the notion of an [email protected] demoralization of the National Counterter- NCTC to obtain resources, including a hir- ‘interagency joint venture.’ “ Tina Croley, Managing Editor for Content rorism Center, which is supposed to coordi- ing freeze imposed by Grenell. Then, on Travers and his predecessor at the NCTC, [email protected] nate protection of the homeland but has March 13, Travers told Grenell’s then-chief Joseph Maguire (promoted to acting DNI in been starved of resources. operating officer, Deirdre Walsh, about the August 2019 and fired in February 2020 for Sean Moores, Managing Editor for Presentation [email protected] Russell Travers, the former acting direc- conversation with Atkinson. Travers was riling Trump) pressed for an interagency tor of the NCTC, disclosed in an interview fired five days later, on March 18. review of the NCTC’s sagging status. Tra- Joe Gromelski, Managing Editor for Digital with me last week that he filed a “whistle- Grenell’s spokesman claimed that Tra- vers told me the basic question was simple: [email protected] blower” complaint about his agency’s plight vers, a career intelligence officer, hadn’t “If the country no longer needs a National with Congress in June 2020. Paraphrasing been sacked. But Travers told me such re- Counterterrorism Center, then change the BUREAU STAFF the complaint, he said it warned that lack of ports were “inaccurate.” Travers was re- law.” funds and personnel was “steadily, almost placed by Christopher Miller, a Trump loy- DNI Dan Coats launched a broad review Europe/Mideast imperceptibly undermining the center and alist, who last month was elevated to be- before he was fired in August 2019. The pan- Erik Slavin, Europe & Mideast Bureau Chief [email protected] increasing the risk” of another attack like come acting secretary of defense after el of senior intelligence officials concluded +49(0)631.3615.9350; DSN (314)583.9350 that on Sept. 11, 2001, which the NCTC was Mark Esper was “terminated” by Trump in in October 2019 that while the NCTC still Pacific created to prevent. a tweet. had statutory responsibility for overseeing Aaron Kidd, Pacific Bureau Chief Travers revealed new details of the in- Behind this year’s game of musical chairs counterterrorism, its technical and other [email protected] fighting that took place this year under act- in the intelligence community lies a vexing capabilities suffered from “diminishing re- +81.42.552.2511 ext. 88380; DSN (315)227.7380 ing director of national intelligence Richard question about how best to organize coun- sources,” especially in its ability to process Washington Grenell, who served from February to May, terterrorism intelligence efforts. Terrorism information, one member explained in an Joseph Cacchioli, Washington Bureau Chief when he was replaced by John Ratcliffe. is seen as a receding threat these days, and interview last week. [email protected] (+1)(202)886-0033 Travers’ complaint, as he outlined it, por- even Travers agrees that overall resources The panel proposed a second phase of the Brian Bowers, Assistant Managing Editor, News trays an intelligence community founder- devoted to it should “shrink.” But how? review to assign resources and responsibil- [email protected] ing under mismanagement and political Some history is useful here: The NCTC ities more clearly. But that recommenda- backbiting. was created in 2004 “to serve as the primary tion was ignored by Ratcliffe, and the NCTC CIRCULATION One chilling example: Travers described organization” in the U.S. government for has continued to languish. As terrorism da- Mideast an NCTC so weakened by budget and per- analyzing and integrating terrorism intelli- tabases grew thinner, it’s lucky the country Robert Reismann, Mideast Circulation Manager sonnel shortages that it couldn’t adequately gence. That was part of a broader reorgani- didn’t face a concerted attack. [email protected] collate information into what’s known as its zation that created the DNI’s office to coor- The NCTC saga illustrates why the Biden [email protected] Terrorist Identities Datamart Environ- dinate the CIA, FBI and other agencies that administration requires strong leadership DSN (314)583-9111 ment, leaving the country potentially vul- had failed to “connect the dots” before 9/11. in intelligence matters. Terrorism has prob- Europe nerable to undetected attackers. Travers But from the NCTC’s first day, some ably been over-weighted as a priority for Karen Lewis, Community Engagement Manager and other experts said this data analytics questioned whether the government need- the intelligence community in recent years, [email protected] [email protected] problem could be handled by private com- ed a second counterterrorism clearin- but the shift needs to be managed carefully. +49(0)631.3615.9090; DSN (314)583.9090 panies with adequate resources that are ghouse when the CIA was still maintaining If NCTC has become redundant, then laws Pacific lacking at the NCTC. its own Counter-Terrorism Center at Lan- need to be rewritten. Mari Mori, [email protected] +81-3 6385.3171; DSN (315)227.7333 CONTACT US FDA should condition vaccine OK on open trial data Washington BY ALI NOURI tel: (+1)202.886.0003 to sharing participant-level data, results, identify “ways to uniformly disclose infor- 633 3rd St. NW, Suite 116, Washington, DC 20001-3050 AND BETH SIMONE NOVECK protocols and other trial documents for its mation from its scientific review of safety Special to The Washington Post Reader letters vaccine candidate, others have thus far and effectiveness data — similar to the [email protected] ith only 60% of Americans re- made only their trial protocols public. That agency’s public disclosure of such data sup- porting that they’re willing to includes Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna, porting the approval of new drugs and bio- Additional contacts take a coronavirus vaccine, both of which have already applied for logics — when it issues an [emergency-use stripes.com/contactus Wit’s not enough for the govern- emergency-use authorization from the FDA authorization] for a therapeutic or vaccine.” OMBUDSMAN ment to simply approve a vaccine candidate. for their experimental vaccines, as well as Notably, the GAO stated that increasing Some Americans are wary of the speed with AstraZeneca, which is expected to follow transparency “could help increase the pub- Ernie Gates which these vaccines have been developed; suit. If those authorizations are granted, sig- lic’s confidence” in the FDA’s decisions. The Stars and Stripes ombudsman protects the free flow others have doubts about vaccine safety or nificant data from the clinical trials will not As capable and thorough as the FDA’s sci- of news and information, reporting any attempts by the are skeptical of the medical system. Politi- be available on the FDA website, as they entists are, having more people scrutinizing military or other authorities to undermine the newspaper’s independence. The ombudsman also responds to concerns cal interference from the White House in would be for a product receiving standard the anonymized data can only be a good and questions from readers, and monitors coverage for the decision-making process at the Food and FDA approval. thing. To do that, the FDA and vaccine-mak- fairness, accuracy, timeliness and balance. The ombudsman welcomes comments from readers, and can be contacted by Drug Administration has also taken a toll on Protocol data does help to bring a level of ers must make participant-level trial data, email at [email protected], or by phone at 202.886.0003. public trust. transparency around a study’s design, par- along with trial protocols and other docu- That is why the FDA should condition any ticipant enrollment criteria and other fac- ments necessary to understand these data, Stars and Stripes (USPS 0417900) is published week- vaccine approval on increased transparen- tors, but such data doesn’t show the results accessible to the public. days (except Dec. 25 and Jan. 1) for 50 cents Monday cy on the part of manufacturers. Pharma- of the clinical trial on the participants. Nor The FDA has a real opportunity now to through Thursday and for $1 on Friday by Pacific Stars and Stripes, Unit 45002, APO AP 96301-5002. Periodicals ceutical companies should be required to does it include demographic data and other build public trust and strengthen the gov- postage paid at San Francisco, CA, Postmaster: Send release detailed information, including ma- characteristics of those enrolled in the trial. ernment’s response to the pandemic. Of the address changes to Pacific Stars and Stripes, Unit 45002, APO AP 96301-5002. This newspaper is authorized by the chine-readable data, regarding their vac- Sharing this data in a manner that protects roughly 40% who say they are unlikely to be Department of Defense for members of the military services overseas. However, the contents of Stars and Stripes are cine clinical trial designs, implementation participant privacy is critical not only in as- vaccinated, about half say they might recon- unofficial, and are not to be considered as the official views and results for scientific scrutiny. sessing the results, but also in informing and sider once others get the vaccine and more of, or endorsed by, the U.S. government. As a DOD newspa- per, Stars and Stripes may be distributed through official It is encouraging that a handful of compa- improving future clinical trials and studies. information becomes available. In other channels and use appropriated funds for distribution to nies are claiming 90% effectiveness or grea- The FDA’s track record for enforcing words, more transparency can ensure that remote locations where overseas DOD personnel are located. The appearance of advertising in this publication does ter for their COVID-19 vaccine candidates, transparency around COVID-19-related these much-needed vaccines will be admin- not constitute endorsement by the Department of Defense or but we are concerned that without full trans- emergency authorizations is concerning. A istered not only across the country but also Stars and Stripes of the products or services advertised. Products or services advertised shall be made available for parency for clinical trial data, public confi- recent report from the Government Ac- throughout the world. purchase, use or patronage without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, marital status, physical dence in the safety and effectiveness of an countability Office pointed out that in the handicap, political affiliation or any other nonmerit factor of eventual vaccine will be undermined, cases of four COVID-19 therapeutics, the the purchaser, user or patron. meaning fewer people will be willing to take FDA has not always made the evidence to Ali Nouri is president of the Federation of American Scientists. © Stars and Stripes 2020 Beth Simone Noveck, former head of the Obama-era White a vaccine. support its authorization decisions trans- House Open Government Initiative, is a professor at New York stripes.com While Johnson & Johnson has committed parent. GAO recommended that the FDA University, where she directs the Governance Lab. PAGE 20 • STARS AND STRIPES • Sunday, December 6, 2020 SCOREBOARD

COLLEGE FOOTBALL PRO FOOTBALL DEALS

Friday's score NFL league (DNP: did not practice; LIMITED: kle), RB Josh Jacobs (ankle). QUESTIONA- Friday's transactions limited participation; FULL: Full participa- BLE: DT Maurice Hurst (ankle, calf), CB BASEBALL SOUTH tion): Isaiah Johnson (groin), CB Trayvon Mullen Major League Baseball Louisiana-Lafayette 24, Appalachian St. AMERICAN CONFERENCE (illness). LIMITED: WR Nelson Agholor (an- American League SUNDAY 21 kle), T Sam Young (knee). FULL: CB Damon TEXAS RANGERS — Named Chris Young East CINCINNATI BENGALS at MIAMI DOL- Arnette (concussion, neck), RB Devontae executive vice president and general PHINS — BENGALS: OUT: CB Tony Brown Booker (back), G Denzelle Good (ankle), S manager. COLLEGE HOCKEY WLTPct PF PA (hamstring), G Alex Redmond (concus- Erik Harris (calf), C Rodney Hudson (knee), sion). QUESTIONABLE: DT Christian Co- RB Alec Ingold (ribs), G Gabe Jackson BASKETBALL Buffalo 8 3 0 .727 299 282 vington (illness), C B.J. Finney (back), LS (knee), LB Nick Kwiatkoski (ankle), T Kol- National Basketball Association Friday's scores ton Miller (ankle), DE Carl Nassib (knee), Miami 7 4 0 .636 284 205 Clark Harris (illness), CB Darius Phillips INDIANA PACERS — Named Calbert Friday, Dec. 4 (illness), WR Mike Thomas (hamstring), RB Jalen Richard (chest). JETS: OUT: G Alex Cheaney and Tyler Marsh assistant New England 5 6 0 .455 229 255 EAST DT Xavier Williams (back), S Brandon Wil- Lewis (not injury related). QUESTIONABLE: coaches/player developement, Dylan De- son (hamstring). LIMITED: DT Christian G Pat Elflein (shoulder), T George Fant Bentley 4, Army 2 N.Y. Jets 0 11 0 .000 152 322 Busk video coordinator, Maurice Baker, Covington (illness), C B.J. Finney (back), (knee, ankle). FULL: QB Sam Darnold (right Earl Barron and Moses Ehambe as video/ Boston College 3, Providence 0 DT Xavier Williams (back). FULL: DT Geno shoulder), T Chuma Edoga (ankle), DE Sacred Heart 2, Holy Cross 1 South player developement assistants. Atkins (not injury related), DT Mike Da- John Franklin-Myers (not injury related), OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER — Signed G MIDWEST WLTPct PF PA niels (not injury related), WR A.J. Green RB Frank Gore (not injury related), C Con- Frank Jackson. (not injury related), LS Clark Harris (ill- nor McGovern (elbow), WR Breshad Perri- Minnesota 4, Michigan St. 2 FOOTBALL Notre Dame 5, Arizona St. 4 Tennessee 8 3 0 .727 324 285 ness), WR Mike Thomas (hamstring), S man (shoulder). Brandon Wilson (hamstring). DOLPHINS: LOS ANGELES RAMS at ARIZONA CARDI- National Football League Wisconsin 3, Ohio St. 1 Indianapolis 7 4 0 .636 302 253 North Dakota 4, Denver, 3, OT DOUBTFUL: RB Salvon Ahmed (shoulder), NALS — RAMS: OUT: LB Terrell Lewis BALTIMORE RAVENS — Placed QB Rob- Houston 4 7 0 .364 268 297 RB DeAndre Washington (hamstring). (knee). QUESTIONABLE: C Brian Allen ert Griffin III on injured reserve. Activated WEST Jacksonville 1 10 0 .091 227 325 QUESTIONABLE: G Solomon Kindley (foot), (knee), DT Sebastian Joseph (hip). CARDI- RB J.K. Dobbins, OLB Pernell McPhee, C Pa- Robert Morris 4, Air Force 1 WR Malcolm Perry (chest), QB Tua Tago- NALS: OUT: S Jalen Thompson (ankle). trick Mekari and C Matt Skura from the re- vailoa (left thumb). FULL: S Kavon Frazier QUESTIONABLE: DT Angelo Blackson (ill- serve/COVID-19 list. Signed TE Luke Wil- COLLEGE BASKETBALL North (shoulder), CB Xavien Howard (shoulder), ness), DT Rashard Lawrence (calf), S Char- son to the active roster. Activated CB An- les Washington (groin). FULL: DT Zach Al- thony Averett and Chris Moore fro injured WLTPct PF PA DE Shaq Lawson (shoulder), CB Jamal Per- ry (foot), TE Adam Shaheen (foot), LB An- len (ankle), TE Dan Arnold (knee), WR reserve. Signed RB Tommy Bohanon, G Friday’s men’s scores Parker Ehinger and DT Braxton Hoyett to Pittsburgh 11 0 0 1.000 317 188 drew Van Ginkel (wrist). DeAndre Hopkins (not injury related), CB Johnathan Joseph (ankle, knee), T Justin the practice squad. Placed TE Sean Culkin EAST CLEVELAND BROWNS at TENNESSEE TI- Cleveland 8 3 0 .727 265 286 TANS — BROWNS: OUT: WR Khadarel Murray (hand), QB Kyler Murray (right on the practice squad injured reserve. Hartford 80, CCSU 65 Baltimore 6 5 0 .545 282 214 Hodge (hamstring), WR Taywan Taylor shoulder), G Justin Pugh (ankle), LB Tan- CAROLINA PANTHERS — Signed WR Maryland 90, St. Peter’s 57 (neck), CB Denzel Ward (calf). QUESTION- ner Vallejo (concussion). Shelton Gibson to the practice squad. Stony Brook 72, Fairfield 69, OT Cincinnati 2 8 1 .227 230 289 ABLE: C Nick Harris (ankle), DT Vincent NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS at LOS AN- Placed DT Bruce Hector on the practice squad/COVID-19 list. SOUTH Taylor (knee). LIMITED: T Jack Conklin GELES CHARGERS — PATRIOTS: QUES- West (knee), C J.C. Tretter (knee). FULL: DT Jor- TIONABLE: LB Ja’Whaun Bentley (groin), CLEVELAND BROWNS — Activated DE Auburn 90, South Alabama 81 dan Elliott (knee), RB Kareem Hunt (thigh), DT Adam Butler (shoulder), DT Byron Cow- Joe Jackson and LB Sione Takitaki from the Austin Peay 102, Carver 38 WLTPct PF PA WR Jarvis Landry (hip), S Sheldrick Red- art (back), S Kyle Dugger (toe), K Nick Folk reserve/COVID-19 list. Duke 76, Bellarmine 54 wine (knee), G Wyatt Teller (calf). TITANS: (back), TE Ryan Izzo (hamstring, hand), CB DETROIT LIONS — Signed free agent C FIU 74, Jacksonville St. 70 Kansas City 10 1 0 .909 348 238 OUT: CB Adoree’ Jackson (knee), TE Jonnu J.C. Jackson (hip), RB Jakob Johnson Evan Brown to the practice squad. Re- Georgia 98, Jacksonville 65 Las Vegas 6 5 0 .545 292 319 Smith (knee), T Isaiah Wilson (illness). (knee), G Shaquille Mason (calf), QB Cam leased G Beau Benzschawel. Memphis 85, Cent. Arkansas 68 Denver 4 7 0 .364 209 298 QUESTIONABLE: G Rodger Saffold (ankle), Newton (abdomen), WR Matt Slater INDIANAPOLIS COLTS — Activated DT Miami 82, Stetson 60 DT Jeffery Simmons (knee). FULL: RB Khari (knee), RB J.J. Taylor (quadricep). CHAR- DeForest Buckner from the reserve/CO- Mississippi St. 69, North Texas 63 L.A. Chargers 3 8 0 .273 277 300 Blasingame (shoulder), WR A.J. Brown GERS: DOUBTFUL: LB Denzel Perryman VID-19 list. Virginia 71, Kent St. 64, OT (hip), TE Anthony Firkser (not injury relat- (back). QUESTIONABLE: RB Kalen Ballage LAS VEGAS RAIDERS — Placed DT Maliek MIDWEST NATIONAL CONFERENCE ed), RB D’Onta Foreman (knee), WR Adam (ankle), CB Casey Hayward (groin), DE Collins on injured reserve. Activated WR Humphries (concussion), T Dennis Kelly Uchenna Nwosu (chest), WR Joe Reed Robert Davis from practice squad injured Creighton 93, Kennesaw St. 58 reserve. East (knee), LB Harold Landry (illness), TE My- (ribs). FULL: RB Kalen Ballage (ankle), DE Marquette 67, Wisconsin 65 Cole Pruitt (knee). Joey Bosa (shin), T Bryan Bulaga (illness), LOS ANGELES CHARGERS — Signed K JJ Michigan St. 83, Detroit 76 WLTPct PF PA DENVER BRONCOS at KANSAS CITY CB Chris Harris (foot), DT Justin Jones (not Molson to the practice squad. Released RB Minnesota 76, North Dakota 67 CHIEFS — BRONCOS: OUT: S Trey Marshall injury related), P Ty Long (right hip), G Trai Derrick Gore. Purdue 68, Valparaiso 61 N.Y. Giants 4 7 0 .364 214 253 (shin). QUESTIONABLE: WR Jerry Jeudy Turner (ankle), WR Mike Williams (not in- LOS ANGELES RAMS — Re-signed OLB Ja- S. Dakota St. 88, Bradley 84 (ankle), RB Phillip Lindsay (knee), LB Malik jury related). chai Polite to the practice squad. Toledo 91, E. Michigan 74 Washington 4 7 0 .364 241 243 Reed (shin). FULL: CB Duke Dawson NEW ORLEANS SAINTS at ATLANTA FAL- MIAMI DOLPHINS — Placed RB Matt Brei- SOUTHWEST Philadelphia 3 7 1 .318 237 277 (chest), T Demar Dotson (hand, not injury CONS — SAINTS: OUT: WR Marquez Call- da on the reserve/COVID-19 list. Dallas 3 8 0 .273 251 359 related), G Graham Glasgow (calf), WR Jer- away (knee), DE Marcus Davenport (con- NEW YORK GIANTS — Announced QB Da- Arkansas St. 115, Crowley’s Ridge 49 ry Jeudy (ankle), RB Phillip Lindsay (knee), cussion), CB Janoris Jenkins (knee), RB Ty niel Jones officially downgraded to doubt- Sam Houston St. 117, Dallas Christian 42 S P.J. Locke (shoulder), K Brandon McMa- Montgomery (hamstring). QUESTIONA- ful for week 13 play. Stephen F. Austin 86, McNeese St. 76 South nus (not injury related), LB Malik Reed BLE: WR Deonte Harris (neck), CB Patrick NEW YORK JETS — Placed G Alex Lewis Texas Tech 80, Troy 46 WLTPct PF PA (shin). CHIEFS: OUT: LB Dorian O’Daniel Robinson (hamstring). FULL: RB Alvin on the NFI/injured list. Tulsa 79, Texas-Arlington 64 (ankle). QUESTIONABLE: RB Clyde Ed- Kamara (foot), G Andrus Peat (concus- UTSA 91, Sul Ross St. 62 HOCKEY New Orleans 9 2 0 .818 326 225 wards-Helaire (illness). FULL: CB Bashaud sion), WR Michael Thomas (ankle). FAL- East Coast Hockey League FAR WEST Breeland (illness), LB Anthony Hitchens CONS: OUT: G James Carpenter (groin). Tampa Bay 7 5 0 .583 344 280 (shoulder), DE Tanoh Kpassagnon (hip), QUESTIONABLE: DE Dante Fowler (hamstr- GREENVILLE — Released D Adam Sa- Cal Baptist 83, SE Louisiana 66 Atlanta 4 7 0 .364 295 281 DT Derrick Nnadi (ankle), T Martinas Ran- ing), RB Todd Gurley (knee), WR Julio muelson and F Nick Jermain. Loyola Marymount 85, Long Beach St. 61 ALLEN — Released G Chris Neil. Signed F Carolina 4 8 0 .333 280 300 kin (knee), C Austin Reiter (knee), T Mike Jones (hamstring), CB Kendall Sheffield Oregon 83, Seton Hall 70 Remmers (neck, rib). (illness). LIMITED: TE Hayden Hurst (an- Jesse Mychan and G Zach Sawchenko. San Francisco 88, Cal Poly 60 DETROIT LIONS at CHICAGO BEARS — LI- kle), WR Julio Jones (hamstring), WR Bran- SOCCER Texas Rio Grande Valley 91, Our Lady of North ONS: OUT: WR Kenny Golladay (hip), DE don Powell (toe), WR Calvin Ridley (foot, Major League Soccer the Lake 68 Da’Shawn Hand (groin), CB Jeff Okudah ankle), LB Edmond Robinson (back). FULL: UC Davis 95, William Jessup 62 WLTPct PF PA MLS DISCIPLINARY COMMITTEE — Fined (shoulder). QUESTIONABLE: DE Austin K Younghoe Koo (right quadricep), RB MFs Junior Urso and Daryl Dike from Or- Green Bay 8 3 0 .727 349 283 Bryant (thigh), QB Matthew Stafford (right Keith Smith (knee). lando an undisclosed amount for their vio- Friday’s women’s scores thumb), RB D’Andre Swift (illness), S Tracy NEW YORK GIANTS at SEATTLE SEA- lation of mass confrontation policy in a Chicago 5 6 0 .455 216 250 Walker (not injury related). LIMITED: LB HAWKS — GIANTS: DOUBTFUL: QB Daniel match against New England on Nov. 29. EAST Minnesota 5 6 0 .455 292 305 Christian Jones (knee). FULL: WR Danny Jones (hamstring). QUESTIONABLE: LB Da- Suspended MF Mauricio Pereyra and addi- Amendola (hip), TE Hunter Bryant (con- vid Mayo (knee). LIMITED: LB Cam Brown Bryant 62, Iona 46 Detroit 4 7 0 .364 252 328 tional match, two matches total, and fined Villanova 90, Temple 72 cussion), WR Quintez Cephus (not injury (illness), S Nate Ebner (knee), WR Sterling him an undisclosed amount for serious related), CB Mike Ford (concussion). Shepard (toe, shoulder), WR Darius Slay- foul play in a match against New England SOUTH West BEARS: QUESTIONABLE: QB Nick Foles ton (shoulder, foot). SEAHAWKS: DOUBT- on Nov. 29 to be served in the first two (hip), DT Akiem Hicks (hamstring), G Ger- FUL: CB Tre Flowers (hamstring), RB Travis Belmont Abbey 63, UNC-Greensboro 60 WLTPct PF PA matches of the 2021 season. Suspended North Texas 83, Louisiana-Lafayette 74 main Ifedi (calf), T Charles Leno (toe), LB Homer (wrist, knee), T Brandon Shell (an- and fined Jonahan Osorio for one match Khalil Mack (back), WR Darnell Mooney kle). QUESTIONABLE: DE Carlos Dunlap Richmond 85, Gardner-Webb 73 Seattle 8 3 0 .727 341 304 and an undisclosed amount for violent UCF 58, LSU 48 (knee), WR Allen Robinson (knee), LB (foot), G Kyle Fuller (ankle), RB Carlos conduct in a match against Nasville on Virginia Tech 84, Appalachian St. 59 L.A. Rams 7 4 0 .636 263 215 James Vaughters (knee), LB Josh Woods Hyde (toe), G Damien Lewis (groin). Nov. 24, to be served in the first match of Arizona 6 5 0 .545 304 258 (foot). DNP: G Alex Bars (not injury relat- PHILADELPHIA EAGLES at GREEN BAY the 2021 season. MIDWEST ed), LB Roquan Smith (not injury related). PACKERS — EAGLES: OUT: S Rudy Ford San Francisco 5 6 0 .455 261 254 PORTLAND TIMBERS — Exercised the Louisville 116, DePaul 75 LIMITED: DT Akiem Hicks (hamstring), G (hamstring). QUESTIONABLE: CB Darius 2021 contract options on MFs Eryk Wil- Marquette 89, Providence 40 Germain Ifedi (calf), T Charles Leno (toe), Slay (calf). LIMITED: DT Fletcher Cox liamson, Cristhian Paredes, Blake Bodily, N. Illinois 82, E. Illinois 72 Sunday’s games LB Khalil Mack (back), WR Allen Robinson (neck). FULL: LB T.J. Edwards (hamstring), Dairon Asprilla and Renzo Zambrano, G Al- Nebraska 90, Oral Roberts 61 Cincinnati at Miami (knee). FULL: T Rashaad Coward (knee), TE Zach Ertz (ankle). PACKERS: OUT: C Co- jaz Ivacic, Ds Julio Cascante and Zac Saint Louis 82, Memphis 74, OT Cleveland at Tennessee QB Nick Foles (hip), TE Jimmy Graham (not rey Linsley (knee). QUESTIONABLE: LB McGraw. Declined club options on MF Wichita St. 57, Southern U. 53 Detroit at Chicago injury related), S Sherrick McManis Krys Barnes (calf), RB Tyler Ervin (ribs), LB Adres Flores and D Chris Duvall. (hand), LB Barkevious Mingo (shoulder), Za’Darius Smith (ankle). LIMITED: CB Ke- FAR WEST Indianapolis at Houston SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES — Signed D Jacksonville at Minnesota CB Buster Skrine (not injury related), LB vin King (Achilles), WR Allen Lazard (core), Paul Marie to a multi-year contract. Exer- Abilene Christian 81, N. Colorado 61 Las Vegas at N.Y. Jets Danny Trevathan (not injury related), DT G Lucas Patrick (toe), S Darnell Savage cised 2021 contract options on Gs JT Mar- Arizona 68, UCLA 65 New Orleans at Atlanta Brent Urban (ankle, hand), LB Josh Woods (back), P J.K. Scott (right quadricep), WR cinkowski and Daniel Vega, D Jacob Aka- Arizona St. 63, Southern Cal 58 L.A. Rams at Arizona (foot). Equanimeous St. Brown (knee). FULL: CB nyirge and MF Jack Skahan. Did not Exer- Boise St. 90, College of Idaho 43 N.Y. Giants at Seattle INDIANAPOLIS COLTS at HOUSTON TEX- Jaire Alexander (knee, hand), CB Josh cise 2021 contract options for D Guram Fresno St. 78, Colorado St. 74 New England at L.A. Chargers ANS — COLTS: OUT: T Anthony Castonzo Jackson (concussion), TE Marcedes Lewis Kashia and MFs Luis Felipe and Vako. Idaho 97, Sacramento St. 73 Philadelphia at Green Bay (knee), LB Bobby Okereke (ankle), P Rigo- (knee), S Will Redmond (shoulder, elbow). Guaranteed contracts for 2021 season for New Mexico 93, Midwestern State 65 berto Sanchez (illness), S Khari Willis G Emi Ochoa, Ds Tanner Beason, Florian Denver at Kansas City MONDAY Oregon 82, Colorado 53 Open: Carolina, Tampa Bay (back, quadricep). QUESTIONABLE: T Chaz Jungwirth, Nick Lima, Marcos Lopez, Paul Washington 80, California 53 Green (back), TE Noah Togiai (knee). DNP: WASHINGTON FOOTBALL TEAM at Marie, Tommy Thompson and Casey Monday’s games TE Mo Alie-Cox (not injury related), S Ju- PITTSBURGH STEELERS — WASHINGTON: Walls, MFs Eric Calvillo, Cristian Espinoza, GOLF lian Blackmon (not injury related), WR T.Y. LIMITED: WR Terry McLaurin (ankle). FULL: Carlos Fierro, Gilber Fuentes, Siad Haji, Washington at Pittsburgh Hilton (not injury related), DE Kemoko Tu- DE Ryan Anderson (knee), S Deshazor Ev- Judson, Shea Salinas and Jackso Yueill Buffalo at San Francisco ray (ankle). FULL: DT Denico Autry (ill- erett (ankle), T Cornelius Lucas (ankle), T and Fs Cade Cowell and Andy Rios. An- Mayakoba Classic ness), DT DeForest Buckner (illness), TE Morgan Moses (groin). STEELERS: DNP: CB nounced that G Matt Bersano, Fs Danny Tuesday’s game PGA Tour Trey Burton (not injury related), TE Jack Steven Nelson (knee), QB Ben Roethlis- Hoesen and Chris Wondolowski are out of Friday Dallas at Baltimore Doyle (not injury related), T Chaz Green berger (not injury related, knee). LIMITED: contract. Announced D Oswaldo Alanis (back), DE Justin Houston (not injury relat- RB Jaylen Samuels (quadricep). FULL: DE will be continuing the second season of At El Camaleon Golf Club ed), C Ryan Kelly (neck), WR Zach Pascal Tyson Alualu (not injury related), G David Playa del Carmen, Mexico Thursday, Dec. 10 his two-year loan from Mexico's Chivas de (knee), QB Philip Rivers (toe), CB Isaiah DeCastro (not injury related), TE Eric Guadalajara. Purse: $7.2 million New England at L.A. Rams Rodgers (knee), RB Jordan Wilkins (ribs). Ebron (not injury related), DT Cameron Yardage: 7,024; Par: 72 TEXANS: OUT: RB Cullen Gillaspia (back), Heyward (not injury related), RB Jaylen Second round suspended for darkness Sunday, Dec. 13 RB C.J. Prosise (illness). QUESTIONABLE: Samuels (quadricep), T Alejandro Villa- PRO SOCCER Emiliano Grillo 66-63—129 -13 Arizona at N.Y. Giants DT Ross Blacklock (illness). FULL: P Bryan nueva (not injury related), LB Vince Wil- Tom Hoge 66-67—133 -9 Dallas at Cincinnati Anger (right quadricep), CB Lonnie John- liams (not injury related). MLS playoffs Tony Finau 67-66—133 -9 Denver at Carolina son (knee). BUFFALO BILLS at SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS at MINNESOTA — BILLS: LIMITED: QB Jake Fromm (not in- Conference Semifinals Russell Knox 65-69—134 -8 Houston at Chicago Eastern Conference Kansas City at Miami VIKINGS — JAGUARS: OUT: LB Dakota Allen jury related). FULL: QB Josh Allen (knee, Joel Dahmen 68-67—135 -7 Minnesota at Tampa Bay (hamstring), LB Kamalei Correa (hamstr- ankle), G Jon Feliciano (foot), TE Reggie Sunday, Nov. 29 Aaron Wise 67-68—135 -7 ing), TE Ben Ellefson (knee), DT Davon Ha- Gilliam (hamstring), RB Taiwan Jones New England 3, Orlando City 1 Tennessee at Jacksonville Columbus 2, Nashville 0 Kyle Stanley 68-67—135 -7 Indianapolis at Las Vegas milton (knee), CB Sidney Jones (Achilles). (hamstring). 49ERS: No Data Reported. N.Y. Jets at Seattle QUESTIONABLE: WR Chris Conley (hip), T Western Conference Atlanta at L.A. Chargers Jawaan Taylor (knee), S Jarrod Wilson TUESDAY Tuesday, Dec. 1 Volunteers of America Classic Green Bay at Detroit (shoulder). FULL: WR D.J. Chark (ribs), TE DALLAS COWBOYS at BALTIMORE RAV- Seattle 1, Dallas 0 New Orleans at Philadelphia Tyler Eifert (not injury related), DE Adam ENS — COWBOYS: DNP: T Cameron Erving LPGA Tour Washington at San Francisco Gotsis (not injury related), TE James O’Sh- (knee), G Zack Martin (calf), S Steven Park- Thursday, Dec. 3 Friday Pittsburgh at Buffalo aughnessy (not injury related), RB Dare er (ankle), DE Aldon Smith (illness), S Do- Minnesota United 3 Sporting Kansas At Old America Golf Club Ogunbowale (hand), S Brandon Rusnak novan Wilson (groin). LIMITED: CB Antho- City 0 The Colony, Texas Monday, Dec. 14 (ribs, quadricep). VIKINGS: OUT: TE Irv ny Brown (ribs). RAVENS: DNP: S Chuck Conference Championships Purse: $1.75 million Smith (back), DE D.J. Wonnum (ankle, Clark (knee), LB Jaylon Ferguson (illness), Sunday, Dec. 6 Yardage: 6,475; Par: 72 Baltimore at Cleveland back). LIMITED: LB Eric Kendricks (calf). CB Jimmy Smith (groin), DT Broderick Eastern Conference Second round FULL: G Ezra Cleveland (ankle), RB Dalvin Washington (concussion), CB Tramon Wil- New England at Columbus Yealimi Noh 72-66—138 -4 NFL injury report Cook (ankle), C Brett Jones (neck). liams (thigh). LIMITED: CB Davontae Har- LAS VEGAS RAIDERS at NEW YORK JETS ris (thigh), DT Brandon Williams (ankle). Monday, Dec. 7 Anna Nordqvist 70-68—138 -4 NEW YORK — The National Football — RAIDERS: OUT: S Johnathan Abram FULL: S DeShon Elliott (knee, ankle), G D.J. Western Conference Jessica Korda 69-69—138 -4 League injury report, as provided by the (knee), DT Maliek Collins (hamstring, an- Fluker (ankle), LB Kristian Welch (ankle).< Minnesota at Seattle Sunday, December 6, 2020 • STARS AND STRIPES • PAGE 21 COLLEGE BASKETBALL/COLLEGE FOOTBALL No. 20 Ragin Cajuns get long-awaited win over Mountaineers Associated Press BOONE, N.C. — It was anything put pretty, and at times downright nerve-wracking, yet coach Billy Napier and Louisiana-Lafayette finally got the best of Appalachian State. No. 20 Louisiana-Lafayette overcame three snaps that sailed over the punter’s head and anoth- er bad one on an extra point to beat its Sun Belt rival 24-21 for the first time on a cold, rainy Friday night when the Mountaineers’ Chandler Staton missed a 30-yard field goal with 2 seconds left. Running back Trey Ragas scored three touchdowns, and Le- ANDREW DYE/AP vi Lewis threw for 101 yards and a Louisiana RB Trey Ragas, top, touchdown and ran for 77 yards to celebrates with offensive lineman CARLOS OSORIO/AP help the Ragin’ Cajuns (9-1, 7-1 Max Mitchell after running for a Michigan State forward Gabe Brown, left, and guard Rocket Watts celebrate during the first half of the Sun Belt) beat Appalachian State touchdown against Appalachian team's victory over Detroit Mercy on Friday in East Lansing, Mich. The Spartans won 83­76. (7-3, 5-2) for their sixth straight State on Friday in Boone, N.C. win. “Our kids competed and I clinched a spot in the Sun Belt TOP 25 ROUNDUP couldn’t be more proud,” Napier Conference championship said. “We talked all week about against Coastal Carolina, so the being tough minded, and having a contest was largely about pride. tough culture. I think today is the Appalachian State beat Louisia- best example of that so far this na-Lafayette four times in the Marquette knocks off season.” previous two seasons, twice in the Louisiana-Lafayette was 0-8 championship game on this same against Appalachian State, includ- field. ing losses in the last two confer- UP NEXT ence championship games. No. 4 Wisconsin at buzzer Long snapper Paul Boudreaux Louisiana­Lafayette: Will play at became the unfortunate story of No. 14 Coastal Carolina in the Sun Associated Press Kalkbrenner scored 14 points the night. Belt Conference championship MILWAUKEE — Justin Lewis apiece to lead the Bluejays past He put Louisiana-Lafayette in a game on Dec. 19. It is the Ragin’ scored 18 points and converted a the Owls. bind early, twice snapping more Cajuns’ third straight appear- putback off a missed free throw Creighton coach Greg McDer- than 10 yards over the head of the ance in the conference title at the buzzer as Marquette mott went nine deep in a game in punter in the first half and then game. knocked off No. 4 Wisconsin 67- which the Bluejays (3-0) led by as sending a high snap to the holder Appalachian State: Heads on 65 on Friday night. many as 43 points. on a failed extra point resulting in the road to face Georgia Southern Marquette’s D.J. Carton was No. 15 Virginia 71, Kent State a 10-9 halftime deficit. on Dec. 12 in the regular-season fi- just inside the three-point arc 64 (OT): Sam Hauser scored six The Ragin’ Cajuns already nale. when he drew a foul from Wis- of his 18 points in overtime and consin’s D’Mitrik Trice with the host Cavaliers outlasted the nine-tenths of a second left. Car- Golden Flashes. SEC details revamped schedule ton made the first free throw and Jay Huff also finished with 18 his second attempt bounced off points and had 11 rebounds for Associated Press Fuller kicked off to open the sec- the rim. Virginia (3-1), which was upset The Southeastern Conference ond half of Missouri’s 41-0 win Lewis got into the paint and by San Francisco in its second has announced a revamped and was expected to be in uni- tapped the ball with his right game this season. schedule for Dec. 12 and Dec. 19, form again for the game against hand. The freshman’s shot hit the No. 17 Texas Tech 80, Troy including Vanderbilt's game at Georgia. front of the rim and went off the KAYLA WOLF/AP 46: Mac McClung scored 17 of No. 11 Georgia that could not be The COVID-19 concerns are backboard before falling through Creighton’s Antwann Jones pas­ his 20 points in the first half and played as scheduled on Saturday not limited to the SEC. the basket as his teammates ses the ball against Kennesaw the host Red Raiders beat the because of coronavirus con- No. 3 Ohio State appeared to be mobbed him. State during the first half of Fri­ Trojans in a replacement game cerns. on track to play after school offi- Marquette (3-1) earned its first day’s game in Omaha, Neb. for both teams. The rescheduled games an- cials canceled last week’s trip to victory over a top-5 team since Texas Tech (3-1) was supposed nounced Friday were made nec- Illinois due to a spike in CO- beating No. 1 Villanova 74-72 on No. 8 Michigan State 83, De­ to play St. John’s this week be- essary following postponements VID-19 cases. Ohio State said Fri- Jan. 24, 2017. troit Mercy 76: Rocket Watts fore the New York City school due to the SEC's COVID-19 proto- day in a statement it was pre- No. 6 Duke 76, Bellarmine scored a career-high 23 points balked at making the trip to Tex- cols. pared to travel Friday to East 54: Matthew Hurt scored 24 and the Spartans started out flat as as coronavirus infections Vanderbilt was forced to post- Lansing, Mich., for its Saturday points and made six of his team’s against the Titans but avoided a surge. Troy (1-2) couldn’t go to pone Saturday's game at Georgia game against Michigan State. 13 three-pointers, and the Blue huge upset at home. Wake Forest because of CO- because the Commodores’ roster No. 13 Oklahoma also appeared Devils used a 19-2 run in the sec- Michigan State (4-0) was com- VID-19 issues for the Demon fell below minimum require- set to get back on the field after its ond half to cruise past the visiting ing off a road win over No. 6 Deacons. ments. The game has been res- game last week against West Vir- Knights. Duke earlier this week. No. 21 Oregon 83, Seton Hall cheduled for Dec. 19. ginia was postponed. The Sooners Bellarmine (0-1) overcame a 1- Detroit Mercy’s (0-1) last win 70: At Omaha, Neb., Eugene With Vanderbilt’s specialists hosted Baylor on Saturday. for-9 shooting start to get within over a Top 10 team on the road Omoruyi scored 22 points in his unable to participate at Missouri This week, 12 of 56 games 28-25 late in the first half before was in 1979 at Marquette. second straight strong game and last week due to the COVID-19 scheduled were postponed or Duke (2-1) closed with a 7-0 run, No. 9 Creighton 93, Kenne­ the Ducks (1-1) all but shut down protocols, Sarah Fuller made his- canceled. That number of per- retaking a double-digit lead it saw State 58: At Omaha, Neb., Pirates star Sandro Mamukelash- tory as the first woman to play in a centage is down from recent never lost. Marcus Zegarowski and Ryan vili. Power Five conference game. weeks. PAGE 22 • STARS AND STRIPES • Sunday, December 6, 2020 NBA Doubling up Some teams must endure longer stays in road cities

BY TIM REYNOLDS with those in recent years to try to Associated Press not overtax players and their bod- Some NBA teams are going to ies. Teams will take an average 7.5 have longer-than-usual road trips road trips in the first half, which to certain cities this season. represents a 22% drop over the The league released the sched- first 36 games of a usual schedule ule for the first half of its truncat- — and one-game trips have been ed 72-game season on Friday. The cut nearly in half, down 44%. schedule includes something that As the NBA previously an- hardly ever would have been the nounced, opening night is Dec. 22 case in recent years — teams tak- with two games: Golden State at ing a trip someplace and playing Brooklyn and then the Los An- two games there before moving on geles Clippers visiting the Los An- MARK J. TERRILL / AP to another city or heading back geles Lakers in the arena they The Los Angeles Lakers' LeBron James, right, is hit in the face as he drives against Miami Heat's Jae home. share, a game where the Lakers Crowder, left, and Bam Adebayo during Game 6 of the NBA Finals on Oct. 11 in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. The It’s by design, with the NBA do- are expected to display their new Lakers and Heat will meet in Los Angeles on Feb. 20. ing so to limit the amount of actual championship banner but without travel this season as teams look any fans in the building that night. Teams all got the first 37 or 38 ington, Minnesota at Atlanta, De- for any edge in the quest to stay The other 26 teams all open the games of their schedule Friday, troit at Miami, San Antonio at Por- Finals rematch healthy during the coronavirus next day, including the Toronto those dates going through March tland, Phoenix at Memphis, Mil- Miami plays the Lakers in an pandemic. Teams still play half of Raptors, at their temporary home 4. The league is expected to re- waukee at Brooklyn, Dallas vs. NBA Finals rematch in Los An- their games on the road, of course. in Tampa, Fla., for the first time lease the remainder of the sched- Toronto in Tampa, Houston at geles on Feb. 20; the Lakers won’t But the mileage that teams save when they host New Orleans. ule in February, with the regular Chicago and Golden State at the play at Miami until the second half by playing twice in one place adds There are no games on Dec. 24, as season expected to go until mid- Los Angeles Lakers. of the season. up quickly — examples included is customary, and then the Christ- May. the Los Angeles Lakers playing mas quintupleheader the follow- Some other things to know Super Sunday Grammy time twice at San Antonio in a three- ing day. about the schedule: There are five games scheduled The Grammys are scheduled day span on Dec. 30 and Jan. 1, The season will begin amid a for Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 7 — for Jan. 31 at Staples Center in Los and Toronto playing both of its spike in coronavirus cases around MLK Day all tipping off between 1 p.m. and 3 Angeles, meaning the Clippers road games for the season at Indi- the country. The NBA had 48 play- There are 10 games this year on p.m. Eastern, meaning they and Lakers have some long trips ana on back-to-back dates, Jan. 24 ers, almost 9%, test positive be- Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, should all be done long before awaiting them. The Clippers have and 25. tween Nov. 24 and Nov. 30 as including the traditional home kickoff of the NFL title game in a six-game trip from Jan. 26 The dreaded stretches of four teams returned to their home games for Atlanta and Memphis. Tampa. The Raptors aren’t play- through Feb. 3; the Lakers have a games in five nights remain out of markets to prepare for the start of The lineup for Jan. 18: Orlando ing at their temporary Tampa seven-game trip from Jan. 21 the schedule; the NBA did away training camps. at New York, Cleveland at Wash- home that day. through Feb. 1. Buzzword: Sixers got swept out of postseason by Celtics

FROM PAGE 24 accountability where star players Simmons says he’s 100% all of these coaches around, the called the shots and Rivers did lit- healthy following surgery on his maturity has definitely risen with tle to reign them in. Clippers star left knee in August that kept him the team. It’s been great to see Paul George even said in a sepa- from playing in the postseason. that and see guys be accountable rate interview Rivers failed to He averaged 16.4 points, 8.0 as- for certain things, and come here make the necessary adjustments sists and 7.8 rebounds in his third ready with a different mindset.” to stop the losing and lead the full season. Boston swept the 76ers in the Clippers into the next round. Simmons expressed excite- postseason and ended former Simmons said accountability — ment about being coached by Riv- coach Brett Brown’s reign after the new buzzword in Philly — ers, who led the Celtics to the 2008 seven seasons that put him in starts with the players. NBA championship. Rivers threw charge of the lose-first Process “There’s only so much that can his support this week behind Sim- era to consecutive 50-win seasons happen with players and coaches mons and noted, “I don’t care and berths in the Eastern Confer- and that’s on the players to make about Ben’s shooting as much as ence semifinals. sure they’re held accountable, so many other people seem to care So what was the problem in the and if they’re not gonna listen and about it.” bubble? do certain things, they’re not gon- The 24-year-old Simmons has “I mean, you can’t just come in- na win,” Simmons said. “But I been the primary ballhandler for to a situation like the bubble if you think it’s a great opportunity for the Sixers for the bulk of his three- guys aren’t ready and don’t have us, being younger guys, to have year career, but the 6-foot-10 tri- that chemistry and accountability somebody like Doc come in. We ple-double threat played power already,” Simmons said Friday. gotta get it done.” forward when the NBA season re- “Doc and I have spoken about it MATT SLOCUM / AP The Sixers also hired former sumed in the bubble. already. You can tell the teams The Philadelphia 76ers’ Ben Simmons, right, and Joel Embiid are Houston executive Daryl Morey “I’m a player, man,” Simmons that were doing well in the bubble close, with Simmons saying the two franchise stars are ready to lead to run basketball operations and said. “There’s no, one, two, three, were tight-knit and held account- the Sixers to their first NBA championship since 1983. gave the franchise a draft-night four, five with me. I don’t really able for certain things going on. overhaul with deals that rid them think you can put me in a position You kind of see it with the Clip- pers? The same team Rivers leaving Los Angeles? of Al Horford and Richardson and because of my talents and what pers now, things that are coming coached last season that blew a 3-1 The Clippers were painted in a brought in sharpshooter Seth Cur- I’m able to do. I think Doc would out.” playoff series lead in the Western story this week on The Athletic as ry and drafted Kentucky guard say the same thing. I go out there Whoa, wait a minute. The Clip- Conference semis and led him to an organization without any, well, Tyrese Maxey. and make plays.” Sunday, December 6, 2020 • STARS AND STRIPES • PAGE 23 SPORTS BRIEFS/MLB

BRIEFLY Source: NHL looking at mid-January start Associated Press centages on the two-year record of Time has all but run out on the the four participants. NHL’s hope to start the season There a host of talented seniors, Jan. 1, with the league and NHL including Louisville's Dana Players’ Association now focusing Evans, UCLA's Michaela Onyen- their discussions on opening play were, Arizona's Aari McDonald in mid-January, a person familiar and Tennessee's Rennia Davis with the talks told The Associated leading the way who New York Press on Friday. could take. It could get more com- A mid-January start date has plicated though as the NCAA become more realistic given the granted all basketball players an number of issues that need to be extra season of eligibility because resolved before players can begin of COVID-19 so all four could de- traveling to their home cities, ac- cide to go back to school next year. cording to the person who spoke to The AP on the condition of ano- Bill criminalizing doping nymity because the discussions signed by Trump are private. A bill that will criminalize inter- The two sides still need to agree national doping conspiracies be- SUE OGROCKI/AP on a schedule, with the current came law Friday with President Kyle Schwarber, above, and Albert Almora Jr. became free agents Wednesday when the Chicago Cubs working plan featuring between Donald Trump's signature, clos- declined to offer contracts to two key players from their historic 2016 World Series championship. 52 and 56 regular-season games. ing out a two-year legislative proc- There has also been talk of a buff- ess during which the only true op- er being worked into the schedule position to the bill came from out- in the event games are postponed side the United States. due to the coronavirus pandemic, The Rodchenkov Anti-Doping the person said. Schwarber, Bradley, Duvall Act had earlier passed both Without going into detail, NHL houses of Congress on voice votes. deputy commissioner Bill Daly It passed despite lobbying efforts told The AP “various similar con- from the World Anti-Doping cepts are being discussed” when Agency, which said it will “disrupt among 59 let go by teams asked about the 52- or 56-game the global legal anti-doping schedule and mid-January start. framework.” BY RONALD BLUM included a sharp revenue drop be- Also needing to be resolved is a The bill is designed to allow U.S. Associated Press cause no fans were allowed in sta- one-time divisional realignment, prosecutors to go after doping NEW YORK — Kyle Schwarber diums due to health conditions. with the likelihood of there being a schemes at international events in and Albert Almora Jr. were cut Milwaukee was on the verge of seven-team all-Canada division which Americans are involved as loose by the Chicago Cubs after cutting hard-throwing reliever athletes, sponsors or broadcast- due to cross-border travel restric- helping the team win its first Corey Knebel but instead traded ers. It is named after Grigory Rod- tions, as well as an updated CO- World Series title in more than a the right-hander to the World Se- chenkov, the former Moscow lab VID-19 protocol for players and century, among a record 59 play- ries champion Los Angeles Dodg- director who helped uncover teams. ers who became free agents as part ers for a player to be named or cash widespread cheating directed by Under a mid-January start date, of the fallout from the coranavirus just ahead of the deadline. Knebel the Russian government at the So- players would have to begin re- pandemic when their teams de- was an All-Star in 2017 with 39 chi Olympics. porting after Christmas, followed clined to offer them 2021 contracts saves and 126 strikeouts in 76 in- by a shortened training camp and MLB sues insurance by Wednesday night’s deadline. nings but missed 2019 following preseason. The regular season Cincinnati reliever Archie Bra- Tommy John surgery and struck 1 would likely stretch into early providers over losses dley, Atlanta outfielder Adam Du- out 15 in 13 ⁄3 innings in the pan- May at the latest, with the Stanley Major League Baseball and all vall, Colorado outfielder David demic-shortened season as his av- Cup Final targeted to end in late 30 of its teams are suing their in- Dahl and Minnesota outfielder erage fastball velocity dropped 3 June or early July. surance providers, citing billions Eddie Rosario also were let go by mph to just under 95 mph. of dollars in losses during the 2020 their clubs, who did not want to al- PAUL SANCYA/AP Fifty-nine players agreed to Liberty win No. 2 pick season played almost entirely low those players to become eligi- The Minnesota Twins declined to one-year contracts ahead of the for second straight year without fans due to the coronavi- ble for salary arbitration in Febru- offer a contract to Eddie Rosario, deadline, many of them facing a rus pandemic. ary, which would have been their their regular left fielder for the threat of being cut. The New York Liberty will pick The suit, filed in October in Cali- right had they been tendered con- last six seasons. Minnesota reached deals with No. 1 for the second consecutive fornia Superior Court in Alameda tracts. five players, including pitcher Jo- year in the WNBA Draft. This time County, was obtained Friday by The total cut was one more than the designated hitter for games in sé Berríos ($500,000 signing bonus there isn't really a clear-cut choice The Associated Press. It says pro- the previous high at the tender Cleveland. plus $5.6 million salary) and cen- of who they'll take to pair with last viders AIG, Factory Mutual and deadline, ahead of the 2004 season. Almora made a key play in ter fielder Byron Buxton year's choice Sabrina Ionescu. Interstate Fire and Casualty Com- Schwarber earned $2,596,296 in Game 7, running for Schwarber in ($5,125,000). “Right now we don’t know who pany have refused to pay claims prorated pay from his $7.01 million the 10th inning, advancing on Kris Kansas City agreed with desig- will be at the top,” New York Lib- made by MLB despite the league's salary last season but hit .188 with Bryant’s fly ball and scoring the nated hitter Jorge Soler ($8.05 mil- erty GM Jonathan Kolb said. “all-risk” policy purchases. 11 homers in 59 games, down from go-ahead run on Ben Zobrist’s dou- lion), first baseman Hunter Dozier “Which players will rise through The league claims to have lost 38 homers, 92 RBIs and a .250 bat- ble in an 8-7 victory. ($2.72 million), right-handers their play? For us it’s wide open.” billions of dollars on unsold tick- ting average in 155 games in 2019. Just 137 players remained eligi- Jesse Hahn ($1.75 million) and Ja- Dallas will pick second, with At- ets, hundreds of millions on con- Almora batted .167 in 28 games ble to exchange salary arbitration kob Junis ($1.7 million), and out- lanta third and Indiana fourth. cessions, tens of millions on park- last season and earned $1,667,667 numbers with their teams on Jan. fielder Franchy Cordero Dallas also has the fifth and sev- ing and millions more on suites prorated from $4.5 million, down 15, down from 155 on the eve of the ($800,000). enth picks through trades made and luxury seat licenses, in-park from a .236 average, 12 homers deadline last January. The New York Mets agreed to a over the last few years. merchandise sales and corporate and 32 RBIs in 2019. While the total number of play- $5.2 million, one-year deal with The Liberty had the best chance sponsorships. It also cites over a Schwarber returned from a se- ers let go at the deadline was up on- left-hander Steven Matz and final- to win the lottery at 44.2%. Atlanta billion dollars in local and national rious knee injury and hit .412 with ly a bit from 56 last year, more ized their $15.5 million, two-year was second at 27.6%. Dallas third media losses, plus tens of millions two RBIs in the 2016 World Series high-quality players were set free contract with free-agent reliever 17.8% and Indiana fourth at 10.4%. in missed income for MLB Ad- as the Cubs won their first cham- by teams, many trying to cut ex- Trevor May, a deal that had been The WNBA determines its per- vanced Media. pionship since 1908. He served as penses after a regular season that pending a physical. PAGE 24 • STARS AND STRIPES • Sunday, December 6, 2020 Free agency begins SPORTS A record 59 players cut loose by clubs amid pandemic fallout ›› MLB, Page 23

NBA Buzzword Simmons insists Sixers have to be ‘accountable’

BY DAN GELSTON Associated Press “I think it’s a PHILADELPHIA he idea of Ben Sim- great mons and Joel Embi- id as a modern-day opportunity for odd couple bunking together in a Center us, being TCity condominium trash-talking during games of “FIFA 21” after younger guys, to playing taxing real NBA games momentarily got a rise out of 76ers have somebody fans. Alas, Simmons was just joking like Doc come when he said he moved in with Embiid — who welcomed his first in. We gotta get son with his girlfriend in Septem- ber — so the Philadelphia 76ers’ it done.” All-Stars could tighten their bond. Ben Simmons Simmons is good with Embiid, the max-contract cornerstones of 76ers point guard a franchise that has not yet reac- hed the championship heights so the roster. many expected when they were Simmons said Richardson was drafted two years apart. right and the Sixers were not As for the rest of the team, the ready to compete for a title when Sixers are ready to hit the reset the NBA restarted the season in button in coach Doc Rivers’ first the Disney bubble. season running a team that netted “We weren’t in a position to go them just the sixth seed in the into the bubble and win,” Sim- Eastern Conference and a first- mons said. “I think our mindset round exit. Former Sixers guard was off. Accountability is a huge Josh Richardson, traded to Dallas part of winning. I think he’s defi- in the offseason, lamented in Au- nitely right. Bringing Doc and all gust the underachieving season of these guys in, Doc’s team, with could be pinned on a lack of ac- countability from management to SEE BUZZWORD ON PAGE 22

CHRIS SZAGOLA, ABOVE, AND MARK J. TERRILL, RIGHT/AP Above: The 76ers’ Ben Simmons dunks during the second half of a game against the Los Angeles Lakers. Right: New coach Doc Rivers will bring some accountability to Philadelphia, according to Simmons.

Louisiana-Lafayette finally tops Appalachian State ›› College football, Page 21