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VIRUS OUTBREAK NATION MUSIC CDC: Masks up Judge rules new Reviewing hot when indoors DACA applications music releases away from home must be accepted for the holidays Page 6 Page 9 Pages 12-13 Accountability buzzword for Sixers heading into season ›› NBA, Page 24 stripes.com 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.

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