NFL MILITARY PACIFIC Buffalo in Soldier in Germany North Korea lashes thick of AFC orders chocolate sauce, out at Trump’s threat playoff race gets bullets instead of military force Back page Page 7 Page 5 Senators seek accountability, charges in base housing crisis » Page 3 stripes.com Volume 78, No. 166 ©SS 2019 THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2019 50¢/Free to Deployed Areas IMPEACHMENT Heated hearing begins in Judiciary BY LISA MASCARO AND MARY CLARE JALONICK Associated Press WASHINGTON — The House Judiciary Committee’s first im- peachment hearing quickly burst into partisan infighting Wednes- day as Democrats charged that President Donald Trump must be removed from office for enlisting foreign interference in U.S. elec- tions and Republicans angrily re- torted there were no grounds for such drastic action. The panel responsible for drafting articles of impeachment convened as Trump’s team was fanning out across Capitol Hill. Vice President Mike Pence met behind closed doors with House Republicans, and Senate Repub- licans were to huddle with the White House counsel as GOP law- FRANCISCO SECO/AP makers stand with the president NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, center front left, speaks with President Donald Trump after a group photo at a NATO leaders and Democrats charge headlong meeting at The Grove hotel and resort in Watford, Hertfordshire, England, on Wednesday . into what has become a one-party drive to impeach him. Chairman Jerrold Nadler, D- N.Y., gaveled open the hearing saying, “The facts before us are undisputed.” Nadler said Trump’s phone NATO touts progress amid rifts call with Ukraine’s president last July wasn’t the first time Trump sought a foreign power to influ- ence American elections, after Allies approve Baltic defense plan while trumpeting higher spending Russian interference in 2016, and if left unchecked he could do it again in next year’s campaign. BY JOHN VANDIVER While there are conflicting views within the achievement not only for our country, but for “We cannot wait for the elec- Stars and Stripes alliance over Ankara’s invasion of northern the whole region.” tion to address the present cri- Syria and its plan for containing Islamic Although NATO managed to take steps for- sis,” Nadler said. “The president President Donald Trump and fellow NATO State , Trump offered support. ward in London, there was acrimony among has shown us his pattern of con- leaders approved a defense plan for the Bal- “Frankly, a lot of people have great respect some of its leaders. duct. If we do not act to hold him tics and Poland on Wednesday, overcoming for Turkey for the work that they’ve done,” Trump and French President Emmanuel resistance from Turkey, which had threat- in check now, President Trump Trump said. Macron traded barbs at the start of talks ened to block it unless other alliance mem- will almost certainly try again to NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg Tuesday, and later that evening Canadian bers designated Kurdish fighters in Syria as solicit interference in the election said allied leaders didn’t discuss the Kurd- Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was captured terrorists. ish YPG militia before passing a revised for his personal political gain.” on tape, purportedly poking fun at Trump’s Speaking at the end of two days of talks defense plan for the Baltics and Poland. Lith- Republicans protested the lengthy news conferences as he chatted with in London, Trump heaped praise on Turkey uanian President Gitanas Nauseda said in a proceedings as unfair to the when asked about the Baltic defense plan. statement that the agreement was a “huge SEE NATO ON PAGE 8 SEE HEARING ON PAGE 9 PAGE 2 F3HIJKLM •STARS AND STRIPES• Thursday, December 5, 2019 BUSINESS/WEATHER EXCHANGE RATES Military rates Switzerland (Franc)............................0.9870 Euro costs (Dec. 5) ...........................$1.1384 Thailand (Baht) .....................................30.30 Dollar buys (Dec. 5) ..........................€0.8784 Turkey (Lira) .........................................5.7468 Google co-founders step aside British pound (Dec. 5) ..........................$1.34 (Military exchange rates are those Japanese yen (DATE) .........................106.00 available to customers at military banking South Korean won (DATE) .............1,162.00 facilities in the country of issuance Associated Press Commercial rates for Japan, South Korea, Germany, the public face of the company in ad- CEO since 2015, will now also Bahrain (Dinar) ....................................0.3770 Netherlands and the United Kingdom. For dition to his current role as chief head up Alphabet. The company British pound .....................................$1.3097 nonlocal currency exchange rates (i.e., SAN FRANCISCO — Google’s purchasing British pounds in Germany), executive. isn’t filling Brin’s position. Canada (Dollar) ...................................1.3265 co-founders are relinquishing China (Yuan) ........................................ 7.0496 check with your local military banking Larry Page and Sergey Brin Google is facing increasing facility. Commercial rates are interbank their executive positions just as Denmark (Krone) ................................6.7272 rates provided for reference when buying are stepping down as CEO and criticism and investigations from Egypt (Pound) ....................................16.1224 currency. All figures are foreign currencies state and federal regulators, not Euro ........................................ $1.1106/0.9004 to one dollar, except for the British pound, to mention the Department of president, respectively, of Google authorities in the U.S. and Eu- Hong Kong (Dollar) .............................7.8294 which is represented in dollars-to-pound, parent company Alphabet. rope about its privacy policies Hungary (Forint) .................................298.11 and the euro, which is dollars-to-euro.) Justice and Congress, are taking Israel (Shekel) ..................................... 3.7403 a keen interest in possible abuse The move caps more than two and nature of its many-legged Japan (Yen) ...........................................108.72 of its privacy practices and mar- decades during which the pair business. That will now fall to Pi- Kuwait (Dinar) .....................................0.3036 INTEREST RATES have shepherded the one-time chai to wrangle and push through Norway (Krone) ...................................9.1612 ket power. Philippines (Peso).................................50.98 Prime rate ................................................4.75 But their long-foreshadowed startup they founded in a Silicon — though Brin and Page, both 46, Poland (Zloty) ..........................................3.85 Discount rate ..........................................2.25 Saudi Arabia (Riyal) ...........................3.7499 Federal funds market rate ...................1.56 successor, Sundar Pichai, has Valley garage. have noticeably backed out of the Singapore (Dollar) ..............................1.3621 3-month bill .............................................1.53 been well-prepped to serve as the Pichai, who has been Google’s spotlight already. South Korea (Won) ..........................1,190.23 30-year bond ........................................... 2.16 WEATHER OUTLOOK THURSDAY IN THE MIDDLE EAST THURSDAY IN EUROPE FRIDAY IN THE PACIFIC Misawa 33/29 Kabul 53/28 Seoul 27/17 Baghdad 62/49 Kandahar 67/42 Osan Tokyo Mildenhall/ Drawsko 44/39 Pomorskie 29/20 Busan Lakenheath 35/26 47/35 36/31 Iwakuni 46/41 Kuwait Bahrain Zagan Sasebo City Brussels 38/28 Guam 67/55 74/70 37/28 Ramstein 45/41 84/79 Lajes, 30/24 Riyadh Doha Azores Stuttgart Pápa 70/53 77/59 62/59 36/26 33/29 Aviano/ Vicenza 41/29 Naples 53/46 Okinawa Morón 30/21 61/47 Sigonella 62/50 The weather is provided by the Djibouti Rota Souda Bay American Forces Network Weather Center, 84/72 61/48 60/57 2nd Weather Squadron at Offutt Air Force Base, Neb. T O D A Y IN STRIPES American Roundup ............ 15 Classified ......................... 13 Comics ............................. 16 Crossword ........................ 16 Faces ............................... 12 Opinion ............................ 14 Sports ......................... 17-24 Thursday, December 5, 2019 •STARS AND STRIPES• F3HIJKLM PAGE 3 MILITARY Accountability sought in base housing crisis BY ROSE L. THAYER problems would be much easier Stars and Stripes should Congress pass the Na- tional Defense Authorization Act Senators expressed outrage for fiscal year 2020 and the ap- Tuesday over the lack of account- propriations spending bill for the ability among military and busi- Defense Department. Both bills ness leaders who oversee base are held up as the parties squab- housing amid continuing com- ble over spending money to build plaints of poor living condition for a wall along the U.S. border with military families. Mexico. “There’s got to be somebody Until an agreement is reached, who can be held accountable here certain aspects of improving in what looks like endemic non- housing are stuck in limbo — in- enforcement,” said Sen. Angus cluding the Tenant Bill of Rights King, I-Maine, who was frustrat- created as a collaboration be- ed that private companies were tween the three service secretar- not forced to hold up their end of ies and Congress. the deal. “I want somebody who “When the bill of rights is pub- can be fired.” lished, dispute resolution is one The Senate Armed Services [right], in particular, we need to Committee last heard from the put in place as quickly