MILITARY VIRUS OUTBREAK MUSIC Feelings of isolation, IRS says latest round Dua Lipa followed loneliness common for of stimulus checks passion to fame wounded female vets already heading out she calls ‘destiny’ Page 3 Page 6 Page 12 Positive tests continue to derail conference tourneys ›› College hoops, Page 24 stripes.com Volume 79 Edition 233B ©SS 2021 CONTINGENCY EDITION SUNDAY,MARCH 14, 2021 Free to Deployed Areas US set to delay pullout With clock ticking and violence continuing, troops could remain in Afghanistan beyond deadline BY MISSY RYAN, KAREN DEYOUNG AND SUSANNAH GEORGE The Washington Post WASHINGTON — The United States ap- pears poised to extend its troop presence in Afghanistan beyond a May 1 deadline agreed last year with the Taliban, as it races to secure an interim peace deal that could end America’s longest war and allow Presi- dent Joe Biden to move toward an elusive foreign policy goal. Deliberations about the fate of the 2,500 U.S. troops remaining in Afghanistan grow increasingly urgent as the administration approaches the deadline. The Trump ad- ministration in February 2020 agreed to the May withdrawal following negotiations with the Taliban. HAMED SARFARAZI/AP While the administration cautions that no A security official inspects the site of a car bomb attack in Herat province, west of Kabul, Afghanistan, on Saturday. A powerful car bomb killed numerous people and injured dozens more in the war-torn country’s western Herat province, officials said Saturday. SEE DELAY ON PAGE 4 Top Senate, House committee members unite against Guard deployments, Capitol fencing BY SARAH CAMMARATA the Senate Armed Services Com- gence,” Inhofe wrote, along with Stars and Stripes mittee, demanded answers from four other Senate leaders. WASHINGTON — Leaders acting Capitol Police Chief Yoga- The letter to Pittman came a from the House and Senate nanda Pittman about what justi- day after the House Armed Ser- Armed Services Committees have fies the need for fencing around vices Committee Chairman Adam united in opposition to security the complex and the continued de- Smith, D-Wash., and ranking Re- measures at the Capitol that in- ployment of National Guard publican Mike Rogers of Alabama clude deployed National Guard troops. issued a joint statement that called troops and fencing around the “Since the events of Jan. 6, Capi- for a “measured drawdown” of the building due to concerns over tol Police has repeatedly failed to Guard deployment. cost, the strain on readiness and a provide specific, credible threat “We are deeply troubled by the lack of clear threat. intelligence to adequately justify current level of security around A group of Senate leaders on the current Capitol security pos- the United States Capitol. More Friday, led by Jim Inhofe of Okla- ture, which remains dispropor- CAROLYN KASTER/AP homa, the ranking Republican on tionate to the available intelli- SEE UNITE ON PAGE 5 National Guard stand near the Capitol on Monday in Washington. PAGE 2 • STARS AND STRIPES • Sunday, March 14, 2021 BUSINESS/WEATHER Netflix tests crackdown on password sharing EXCHANGE RATES Military rates So. Korea (Won) 1136.36 Associated Press The test comes as streaming now $14 monthly, allows two si- Switzerlnd (Franc) 0.9306 Euro costs (March 15) $1.16 Thailand (Baht) 30.74 NEW YORK — Netflix is test- services proliferate and more multaneous streams; the $18 pre- Dollar buys (March 15) 0.8177 Turkey (NewLira) 7.5848 British pound (March 15) $1.36 ing a way to crack down on pass- people share passwords and ser- mium plan allows 3. Japanese yen (March 15) 106.00 (Military exchange rates are those available word sharing. vices. Netflix confirmed the test, But there has never been a lim- South Korean won (March 15) 1100.00 to customers at military banking facilities in the Commercial rates country of issuance for Japan, South Korea, Ger­ The popular streaming service but did not say how many people it on sharing an account when many, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Bahrain(Dinar) 0.3771 For nonlocal currency exchange rates (i.e., pur­ has been using popups to ask were part of the test or if it was you aren't streaming at the same Britain (Pound) 0.7200 chasing British pounds in Germany), check with Canada (Dollar) 1.2521 your local military banking facility. Commercial some users to verify their ac- only in the U.S. or elsewhere. time. China(Yuan) 6.5042 rates are interbank rates provided for reference Denmark (Krone) 6.2330 count via email or text, or to “ver- “This test is designed to help Competition has definitely Egypt (Pound) 15.6991 when buying currency. All figures are foreign ify later." ensure that people using Netflix heated up in entertainment Euro 0.8382 currencies to one dollar, except for the British Hong Kong (Dollar) 7.7653 pound, which is represented in dollars­to­ “If you don't live with the own- accounts are authorized to do so," streaming, with recent entrants Hungary (Forint) 307.31 pound, and the euro, which is dollars­to­euro.) Israel (Shekel) 3.3234 er of this account, you need your the company said in a statement. running from Disney+ in 2019 to Japan (Yen) 109.00 INTEREST RATES own account to keep watching," On the most basic plan, which Paramount+ most recently. Still, Kuwait(Dinar) 0.3027 Norway (Krone) 8.4534 Prime rate 3.25 the screen reads, according to costs $9 monthly, users can only Netflix remains the one to beat Philippines (Peso) 48.38 Interest Rates Discount rate 0.75 Poland (Zloty) 3.84 Federal funds market rate 0.09 Streamable.com, which first re- stream on one screen at a time. with more than 200 million sub- Saudi Arab (Riyal) 3.7508 3­month bill 0.04 ported the test. The most popular plan, which is scribers globally. Singapore (Dollar) 1.3455 30­year bond 2.28 WEATHER OUTLOOK SUNDAY IN THE MIDDLE EAST SUNDAY IN EUROPE MONDAY IN THE PACIFIC Misawa 51/39 Kabul Seoul 53/44 54/37 Baghdad 70/47 Tokyo Drawsko Osan Kandahar Mildenhall/ 55/47 60/40 69/51 Pomorskie Busan Lakenheath 40/36 56/43 45/37 Iwakuni Kuwait City Bahrain 53/47 Brussels Zagan Sasebo 71/52 69/65 Ramstein 43/38 58/46 Guam 48/37 43/35 84/80 Riyadh Lajes, 76/51 Doha Azores Stuttgart 77/60 62/58 40/35 Pápa Aviano/ 46/42 Vicenza 50/41 Naples 57/52 Okinawa Morón 71/67 73/42 Sigonella Rota 71/44 The weather is provided by the Djibouti 68/51 Souda Bay American Forces Network Weather Center, 85/73 60/56 2nd Weather Squadron at Offutt Air Force Base, Neb. TODAY IN STRIPES American Roundup ...... 11 Books .......................... 14 Comics .........................15 Crossword ................... 15 Music ..................... 12-13 Opinion ........................ 18 Sports .................... 19-24 Sunday, March 14, 2021 • STARS AND STRIPES • PAGE 3 MILITARY Poll: Wounded female vets feel isolated BY COREY DICKSTEIN up anecdotal evidence that wom- before the coronavirus pandemic. ics, they often felt like second- ages … there will be an acknowl- Stars and Stripes en struggled more than men to It is not meant to represent all fe- class citizens to men. edgement that women serve as Most wounded female veterans transition from military to civilian male veterans, as it was sent only One woman, for example, told well and have a vital part in de- feel isolated, lonely and believe life. She said women who spoke to those registered with Wounded the Wounded Warrior Project that fending the United States,” she they are not respected for their with Wounded Warrior Project Warrior Project, including those when her nonveteran husband ac- said. military service, according to a craved mentorship and network- who suffered physical and mental companied her to the VA, “they The Wounded Warrior Project Wounded Warrior Project poll re- ing opportunities with other wom- injuries and other disabilities dur- address him thinking he’s the vet- said it would use the data it collect- leased Friday. en who served. ing their time in uniform. eran.” ed in the survey to bolster and ex- The survey of women regis- “Specifically, with people who The survey found wounded fe- “This is an area where we really pand its programs geared toward tered with the nonprofit revealed knew their backgrounds, knew male veterans were more educat- think there’s room for improve- its female veterans. some 80% of respondents showed what they found in the service and ed than their male counterparts, ment,” said Jennifer Silva, WWP’s The major takeaway, Silva said, indications of loneliness and often who knew how those aspects and but also less likely to hold a full- chief program officer. “The envi- was the need for more programs struggled to connect with their training that they received … time job, with only 34% of respon- ronments within the VA facilities aimed at connecting female veter- peers, including female and male could be translated into the civil- dents reporting full-time employ- could be more welcoming and ans together, whether in person or veterans. That compared to about ian environment,” Farrell said. ment. It also found those wounded [make it] a little easier to access virtually. 63% of male wounded veterans “Having some sisters-in-arms to female veterans with jobs earned female-specific care.” “We can’t really overstate the who reported feelings of loneli- share those resources, to point you about $8,000 less per year than The military could also help im- need for that connection that we ness and isolation in separate in the right direction and to just wounded male veterans. prove the image of female veter- have,” she said.