MILITARY PACIFIC FACES US Marines complete China to sanction One-woman play about annual Darwin rotational US companies over the Constitution streams deployment in Australia arms sales to Taiwan in time for Election Day Page 3 Page 4 Page 14 Dodgers one win away from World Series crown after beating Rays » Page 23 stripes.com Volume 79, No. 137 ©SS 2020 TUESDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2020 50¢/Free to Deployed Areas VIRUS OUTBREAK ELECTION 2020 Hospitalizations, deaths on rise as cases surge in US, Europe BY ISHAAN THAROOR The Washington Post President Donald Trump’s White House chief of staff, Mark Meadows, made a telling admis- sion. “We’re not going to control the pandemic,” Meadows said Sunday on CNN’s “State of the Union,” suggesting that the spread of the coronavi- ANALYSIS rus was a fait ac- compli and that containment was not a central plank of the White House’s strat- egy. On Friday, the United States recorded a record single-day high of more than 83,000 new cases. The next day, it was just 39 cases short of the previous mark. That’s in part a reflection of a far more expanded testing regime in place than when America first reeled under the spread of the virus in March and April. But it is also evidence of an autumnal surge in the virus that’s buffeting both sides of the Atlantic. Hospitalizations and deaths are on the rise. In Europe, countries posted new milestones in casel- oads over the weekend amid new rounds of curfews and lockdowns. A number of countries on the con- Turning out in droves tinent now lead the world in rates of infection. French President Emmanuel Macron, whose nation is among the worst afflicted, said Friday that his compatriots should Early vote total exceeds 2016 with 7 days left till Election Day be prepared to live with the virus BY NICHOLAS RICCARDI “at best until next summer.” arriving at election offices as voters try to ed warnings about mail-voting fraud. AND ANGELIKI KASTANIS Meadows insisted that U.S. au- avoid crowded places on Nov. 3 during the On Oct. 15, Democrats registrants cast thorities were “going to control Associated Press coronavirus pandemic. 51% of all ballots reported, compared with the fact that we get vaccines, ther- The result is a total of 58.6 million ballots 25% from Republicans. On Sunday, Demo- ith seven days before Election cast so far, more than the 58 million that crats had a slightly smaller lead, 51% to 31%. apeutics and other mitigation.” Day, more people already have But until such methods of mitiga- The Associated Press logged as being cast The early vote totals, reported by state and cast ballots in this year’s presi- local election officials and tracked by the AP, tion are available and widely im- dential election than voted early through the mail or at in-person early voting plemented, experts advocate the W sites in 2016. are an imperfect indicator of which party or absentee in the 2016 race as the start of may be leading. The data only shows party sort of mask-wearing mandates in-person early voting in big states led to a Democrats have continued to dominate the registration, not which candidate voters sup- SEE SURGE ON PAGE 8 surge in turnout in recent days. initial balloting, but Republicans are narrow- port. Most GOP voters are expected to vote The opening of early voting locations in ing the gap. GOP voters have begun to show INSIDE: Vicenza Florida, Texas and elsewhere has piled mil- up at early in-person voting, a sign that many on Election Day. lions of new votes on top of the mail ballots heeded President Donald Trump’s unfound- SEE VOTE ON PAGE 9 High School closes for Voters line the street in front of Yonkers Public Library in Yonkers, N.Y., on Saturday as the first day of in-person early voting in the cleaning after student presidential election began across New York state. tests positive Page 6 MARK VERGARI, THE JOURNAL NEWS (NEW YORK)/AP PAGE 2 F3HIJKLM •STARS AND STRIPES• Tuesday, October 27, 2020 BUSINESS/WEATHER EXCHANGE RATES Military rates Switzerland (Franc)............................0.9072 PM says Japan plans to go carbon-free by 2050 Euro costs (Oct. 27) ..............................$1.15 Thailand (Baht) ..................................... 31.27 Dollar buys (Oct. 27) ........................€0.8246 Turkey (Lira) .........................................8.0886 British pound (Oct. 27) ........................$1.27 Associated Press (Military exchange rates are those though it’s unclear he will have friendly policies. He has earned a Japanese yen (Oct. 27) ......................102.00 available to customers at military banking South Korean won (Oct. 27) ..........1,102.00 the political heft needed to over- reputation as a cost cutter. Commercial rates facilities in the country of issuance TOKYO — Japan will achieve for Japan, South Korea, Germany, the come vested interests in weaning He said he intends to make Bahrain (Dinar) ....................................0.3770 Netherlands and the United Kingdom. For zero carbon emissions by 2050, British pound .....................................$1.3017 this resource-scarce nation from a sustainable economy a pillar nonlocal currency exchange rates (i.e., Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga Canada (Dollar) ...................................1.3182 purchasing British pounds in Germany), its reliance on imports of oil and of his growth strategy and “put China (Yuan) ........................................6.7092 declared Monday, outlining an check with your local military banking Denmark (Krone) ................................6.2967 gas. maximum effort into achieving facility. Commercial rates are interbank ambitious agenda as the country Egypt (Pound) ....................................15.6892 rates provided for reference when buying struggles to balance economic Suga just returned from a trip a green society.” That includes Euro ........................................ $1.1816/0.8463 last week to Vietnam and Indone- achieving a carbon-free society Hong Kong (Dollar) .............................7.7500 currency. All figures are foreign currencies and pandemic concerns. to one dollar, except for the British pound, sia, where he pushed ahead with by 2050. Hungary (Forint) .................................308.93 The policy speech at the outset Israel (Shekel) .....................................3.3816 which is represented in dollars-to-pound, of the parliamentary session was Abe’s efforts to build closer ties The European Union and Brit- Japan (Yen) ...........................................104.96 and the euro, which is dollars-to-euro.) and promote a regional vision ain have already set similar tar- Kuwait (Dinar) .....................................0.3057 INTEREST RATES Suga’s first since he took office Norway (Krone) ...................................9.2453 Sept. 16 after his boss, Shinzo for countering growing Chinese gets for net-zero greenhouse gas Philippines (Peso).................................48.37 Prime rate ................................................3.25 Abe, resigned over health rea- influence. emissions, and China recently Poland (Zloty) ..........................................3.88 Discount rate ..........................................0.25 Saudi Arabia (Riyal) ...........................3.7508 Federal funds market rate ...................0.09 sons. It reflects Suga’s pragmatic Now out of Abe’s shadow, Suga announced it would become car- Singapore (Dollar) ..............................1.3618 3-month bill ............................................. 0.10 approach to getting things done, has been pumping out consumer- bon-free by 2060. South Korea (Won) ..........................1,132.50 30-year bond ...........................................1.64 WEATHER OUTLOOK TUESDAY IN THE MIDDLE EAST TUESDAY IN EUROPE WEDNESDAY IN THE PACIFIC Misawa 59/47 Kabul 70/45 Seoul 57/50 Baghdad 89/58 Kandahar 76/39 Osan Tokyo Mildenhall/ Drawsko 56/50 62/52 Lakenheath Pomorskie Busan 53/42 50/47 65/53 Iwakuni 68/63 Kuwait Bahrain Zagan Sasebo City 84/79 Brussels 52/48 Guam 90/67 54/47 Ramstein 68/59 86/78 Lajes, 51/44 Riyadh Doha Azores Stuttgart Pápa 86/53 88/68 67/64 51/43 61/53 Aviano/ Vicenza 56/53 Naples 63/60 Okinawa Morón 80/77 63/42 Sigonella Rota 67/50 The weather is provided by the Djibouti Souda Bay American Forces Network Weather Center, 90/74 64/53 72/66 2nd Weather Squadron at Offutt Air Force Base, Neb. T O D A Y IN STRIPES American Roundup ..... 11 Classified .................. 13 Comics ...................... 15 Crossword ................. 15 Faces ........................ 14 Opinion .................16-17 Sports .................. 18-24 Tuesday, October 27, 2020 •STARS AND STRIPES• F3HIJKLM PAGE 3 MILITARY Marines complete Darwin deployment BY WYATT OLSON ment of American troops was Stars and Stripes limited to the Australian defense facilities in the Northern Terri- The roughly 1,000 U.S. Marines tory for the entire deployment. who participated in the annual Some key activities that had rotation to Darwin in Australia’s been planned for this year were Northern Territory have all com- modified or postponed because of pleted the mission and returned to their home stations. pandemic considerations. The intent of the Marine Ro- Marines began first training in tational Force-Darwin — which smaller groups once they exited began in 2012, a year after U.S. quarantine. and Australian leaders agreed “We worked up from platoon to make the joint training an- level attacks to battalion-sized nual — is to increase the abil- events,” Banning said in the news ity of American and Australian