stripes.com Volume 78, No. 241 ©SS 2020 MONDAY, MARCH 23, 2020 50¢/Free to Deployed Areas CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK Audit: DOD paid $116M for burn pit, The new normal toxic smoke BY CHAD GARLAND California governor to beachgoers: Landstuhl hospital has increased Stars and Stripes While Katyusha rockets have been the deadliest thing flying ‘It’s time to grow up’ Page 9 capacity to test for virus Page 6 over Camp Taji in recent weeks, officials have long been con- cerned about the threat of po- tentially toxic burn pit smoke, a STAFF COVERAGE: Restart date set for DODEA students in S. Korea Page 5 government watchdog has found. “If this project is not funded, solid waste will continue to be dumped in an area … that is not designed to be a landfill; refuse will continue to be set on fire with fumes drifting over Taji Military Complex,” a base official wrote in a February 2018 memo request- ing funds to purchase and install incinerators. The request was repeated in two other memos in 2019, the Defense Department Inspector General said Friday in an audit of the Army’s contract for the base’s dining facilities, housing, elec- tricity and other services, which found that the government “paid $116 million more than neces- sary” to Reston, Va.-based SoS International LLC, or SOSi, and failed to prevent the contractor from dumping garbage at a site where Iraqis later burned it. “This solid waste disposal method may have contributed to the exposure of U.S. and Coali- tion personnel to potential long- term health effects from the burn pit smoke,” the IG said. Located about 15 miles north SEE AUDIT ON PAGE 3 ‘ This solid waste disposal method may have contributed to the exposure of U.S. and Coalition personnel to potential long term Extremely light traffic moves along the 110 Harbor Freeway toward health effects from the downtown during midafternoon on Friday in Los Angeles. burn pit smoke. ’ MARK J. TERRILL/AP Defense Department Inspector General report VIRUS MILITARY FACES N. Korea praises Chinese expert suggests Actress Moore returns to Trump’s offer of use of nonlethal lasers roots as singer on her first aid with outbreak to deter US warships album in over a decade Page 3 Page 3 Page 17 Former top NFL picks looking for new homes » Back page PAGE 2 F3HIJKLM •STARS AND STRIPES• Monday, March 23, 2020 BUSINESS/WEATHER EXCHANGE RATES Military rates Switzerland (Franc)............................0.9854 Charities face big challenges due to outbreak Euro costs (March 23) .....................$1.1038 Thailand (Baht) .....................................32.60 Dollar buys (March 23) ......................€0.906 Turkey (Lira) .........................................6.5513 British pound (March 23) ....................$1.21 (Military exchange rates are those Associated Press Congress to allocate $60 billion the possibility of massive future Japanese yen (March 23) ..................105.00 available to customers at military banking South Korean won (March 23) ..... 1,228.00 so charities can keep their staff giving, let alone a possible drop in Commercial rates facilities in the country of issuance NEW YORK — With its global for Japan, South Korea, Germany, the Bahrain (Dinar) ....................................0.3776 on the job and ramp up assistance giving if a recession takes hold. Netherlands and the United Kingdom. For scope and its staying power, the British pound .................................... $ 1.1766 nonlocal currency exchange rates (i.e., programs. “Even if we get this virus Canada (Dollar) .................................. 1.4298 coronavirus outbreak poses un- purchasing British pounds in Germany), Already, foundations and other under control, there will be sev- China (Yuan) ........................................ 7.0981 precedented challenges for chari- check with your local military banking Denmark (Krone) ................................6.9850 major donors have contributed eral months of recovery for many facility. Commercial rates are interbank ties and nonprofit groups that rely Egypt (Pound) ....................................15.7520 rates provided for reference when buying on donations. more than $1.9 billion to combat people,” said Patricia McIlreavy, Euro ....................................... $ 1.0693/0.9352 the outbreak, according to Can- president of the Center for Disas- Hong Kong (Dollar) .............................7.7589 currency. All figures are foreign currencies The American Red Cross faces Hungary (Forint) .................................327.87 to one dollar, except for the British pound, a severe blood shortage due to the did, a New York-based nonprofit ter Philanthropy. Israel (Shekel) ..................................... 3.6117 which is represented in dollars-to-pound, cancellation of nearly 2,700 blood that tracks philanthropic giving. At the Center for Disaster Phi- Japan (Yen) ........................................... 110.96 and the euro, which is dollars-to-euro.) The overall total, including do- lanthropy, McIlreavy says there Kuwait (Dinar) ....................................... .3111 drives. The Girl Scouts’ cookie Norway (Krone) .................................11.2831 INTEREST RATES sale has been disrupted by a top- nations from individuals, is surely has been a surge of requests from Philippines (Peso)................................ 51.33 Prime rate ................................................3.25 level plea to halt in-person sales. far higher. Yet nonprofit leaders would-be donors seeking guid- Poland (Zloty) ......................................... 4.24 Discount rate .......................................... 0.75 Saudi Arabia (Riyal) ...........................3.7573 Federal funds market rate ...................1.09 And a 21-member coalition of fear that the needs arising from ance on how to give effectively in Singapore (Dollar) ..............................1.4499 3-month bill .............................................0.03 major nonprofits is pleading with the outbreak will outstrip even response to the pandemic. South Korea (Won) ...........................1249.01 30-year bond ........................................... 1.75 WEATHER OUTLOOK MONDAY IN THE MIDDLE EAST MONDAY IN EUROPE TUESDAY IN THE PACIFIC Misawa 39/33 Kabul 59/46 Seoul 55/35 Baghdad 71/50 Kandahar 63/57 Osan Tokyo Mildenhall/ Drawsko 62/32 47/37 Lakenheath Pomorskie Busan 46/33 36/28 55/43 Iwakuni 53/49 Kuwait Bahrain Zagan Sasebo City 70/66 Brussels 35/25 Guam 70/54 49/30 Ramstein 58/49 83/79 Lajes, 41/28 Riyadh Doha Azores Stuttgart Pápa 72/50 73/60 60/55 40/26 32/27 Aviano/ Vicenza 42/32 Naples 51/45 Okinawa Morón 69/65 61/44 Sigonella Rota 55/46 The weather is provided by the Djibouti Souda Bay American Forces Network Weather Center, 87/78 60/46 60/55 2nd Weather Squadron at Offutt Air Force Base, Neb. T O D A Y IN STRIPES American Roundup ..... 16 Classified .................. 13 Comics/Crossword ...... 15 Faces ........................ 17 Opinion ................ 18-19 Shifting Gears ............14 Sports .................. 20-24 Monday, March 23, 2020 •STARS AND STRIPES• F3HIJKLM PAGE 3 WAR/MILITARY North Korea: Trump offered coronavirus aid Kim’s sister praises offer a day after latest missile test BY KIM GAMEL then spread globally. South Korea stalled after they failed to reach Stars and Stripes and the United States have faced an agreement during a meeting massive outbreaks. in February 2019 in Vietnam. SEOUL, South Korea — North However, U.S. officials have ex- The talks stalled due to deep dif- Korea on Sunday welcomed a pressed skepticism that the North ferences over the extent of sanc- letter sent by President Donald has escaped the pneumonia-like tions relief in exchange for steps Trump offering help in fighting illness. toward nuclear disarmament. the coronavirus but warned that The State Department said last North Korea resumed weapons good relations between the lead- month that it feared the disease tests last year after a hiatus in ers was not enough to restart nu- could cause a humanitarian di- 2018 but so far has only launched clear talks. saster in the impoverished nation, short-range missiles, which could Underscoring the continued offering to help aid groups. threaten U.S. forces and other threat, North Korean leader Kim Kim Jo Yong stressed the rela- targets in South Korea but not the Jong Un oversaw a missile test on tionship between the two leaders, continental United States. Saturday as the communist state who have exchanged several let- Trump, who once said he and JON CHOL JIN/AP pressed forward with weapons ters, remained “very excellent” Kim “fell in love,” has signaled development amid the diplomatic but warned that was not a guar- the launch of an intercontinental Workers of the Ryongaksan Soap Factory make disinfectant in deadlock. antee for peace. ballistic missile would be a red Pyongyang, North Korea, Thursday. North Korea has been engaged Kim’s sister praised Trump for “Nobody knows how much the line. in an intense campaign to guard against COVID-19, though it hasn’t sending a letter “at a time as now personal relations would change,” The North launched two short- officially reported any cases of infection. when big difficulties and chal- she was quoted as saying. “And it range ballistic missiles that flew lenges lie in the way of develop- is not something good to make more than 250 miles across the weapon system” to be delivered year. The show of strength comes ing the bilateral relations.” hasty conclusion or be optimistic country at an apogee of 31 miles to army