COLLEGE SPORTS VIDEO GAMES MILITARY Citing medical advice, Pokemon expansion Officer becomes Big Ten eliminates pack Isle of Armor Navy’s 1st Black nonconference games outshines base game female fighter pilot Back page Page 11 Page 4 Navy eases coronavirus restrictions, allows off-base worship » Page 3 Volume 79, No. 60A ©SS 2020 CONTINGENCY EDITION SATURDAY, JULY 11, 2020 stripes.com Free to Deployed Areas MILITARY LEADERS TESTIFY Esper: Russian bounty reports uncorroborated by DOD agencies BY COREY DICKSTEIN Stars and Stripes WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Mark Esper told House lawmakers Thursday that Penta- gon intelligence agencies had not corroborated reports Russia of- fered Taliban fighters payments to kill U.S. troops in Afghani- stan and pledged a crackdown on leaks of sensitive information coming from his department. Esper also told House lawmakers that top U.S. gen- erals overseeing efforts in Afghan- Esper istan had been studying intelli- gence claiming a Russian program paid Taliban in- surgents to target NATO service members, but the leaked infor- mation did not originate from the Defense Intelligence Agency or other military organizations. The defense secretary said briefings Blunt talk that he had received did not use the term “bounty” to describe the alleged Russian campaign, but he was informed some officials in the intelligence community had asserted the Russians offered “payment” to Taliban-linked about bases groups to target Americans. “All of the defense intelligence agencies have been unable to cor- GREG NASH, POOL/AP roborate that report,” Esper told Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley arrives for a House Armed Services Committee hearing Thursday on Capitol Hill. House Armed Services Commit- tee members Thursday during a hearing on Capitol Hill. “Com- Milley calls Confederacy treasonous, says Pentagon taking ‘hard look’ at rebel ties manders take all reports serious- ly, regardless to the credibility or confidence [in the intelligence] BY ALEX HORTON opposition to any changes. Stripes, against the U.S. Consti- that general fought for the insti- … I want to reassure you of that. The Washington Post “The Confederacy, the Ameri- tution, and those officers turned tution of slavery that may have We’ve been in discussions with can Civil War was fought, and their back on their oath.” enslaved one of their ancestors,” WASHINGTON — The mil- commanders [in Afghanistan] it was an act of rebellion,” the The Army is now about 20% he said. itary’s top officer on Thursday about this.” chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Black, he said. Last month, Trump rejected described Confederate leaders Staff, Gen. Mark Milley, told “For those young soldiers that Esper and Army Gen. Mark calls to rename installations after as traitors and said he is taking a members of the House Armed go onto a base — a Fort Hood, a Milley, the chairman of the Joint Defense Secretary Mark Esper Chiefs of Staff, told lawmakers “hard look” at renaming 10 Army Services Committee. “It was an Fort Bragg or a fort wherever installations that honor them, de- act of treason at the time against named after a Confederate gen- signaled a willingness to do so, SEE ESPER ON PAGE 5 spite President Donald Trump’s the Union, against the Stars and eral — they can be reminded that saying his administration “will not even consider” that plan. Joint Chiefs chairman says a clear distinction is needed between police and military Page 5 SEE BLUNT ON PAGE 5 PAGE 2 •STARS AND STRIPES• Saturday, July 11, 2020 BUSINESS/WEATHER EXCHANGE RATES Military rates Euro costs (July 13) .............................. $1.10 Thailand (Baht) ..................................... 31.30 €0.8629 Dollar buys (July 13) ......................... Turkey (Lira) .........................................6.8658 ‘Divergences’ hinder Brexit deal British pound (July 13) .........................$1.23 (Military exchange rates are those Japanese yen (July 13) ......................105.00 available to customers at military banking South Korean won (July 13) ..........1,171.00 Commercial rates facilities in the country of issuance Associated Press Britain will effectively exit the gotiator Michel Barnier noted in Bahrain (Dinar) ....................................0.3770 for Japan, South Korea, Germany, the EU’s tariff-free economic zone. a message posted on Twitter that British pound .....................................$1.2637 Netherlands and the United Kingdom. For BRUSSELS — EU and U.K. Canada (Dollar) ...................................1.3591 nonlocal currency exchange rates (i.e., negotiators have yet to find a way But negotiations have proved “significant divergences remain,” China (Yuan) ........................................6.9985 purchasing British pounds in Germany), difficult. The parties appear to be Denmark (Krone) ................................6.5868 check with your local military banking to overcome “significant diver- adding that his team would “con- Egypt (Pound) ....................................15.9902 facility. Commercial rates are interbank gences” in their attempt to seal a far apart on a number of issues in- tinue working with patience, re- Euro ........................................$1.1306/0.8845 rates provided for reference when buying cluding regulations for business- Hong Kong (Dollar) .............................7.7512 currency. All figures are foreign currencies post-Brexit compromise, the Eu- spect and determination.” es and over the fishing industry, Hungary (Forint) ................................ 312.60 to one dollar, except for the British pound, ropean Union’s chief negotiator European Commission spokes- Israel (Shekel) .................................... 3.4564 which is represented in dollars-to-pound, said on Thursday. with the U.K. adamantly opposed Japan (Yen) ........................................... 106.71 and the euro, which is dollars-to-euro.) man Daniel Ferrie said meetings Kuwait (Dinar) .....................................0.3079 Following Britain’s departure to EU demands for long-term ac- Norway (Krone) ...................................9.4497 INTEREST RATES cess to British waters. will continue next week in Brus- Philippines (Peso)................................ 49.44 from the EU’s political institu- Prime rate ................................................3.25 Following discussions in Lon- sels before a full round of nego- Poland (Zloty) ..........................................3.95 tions on Jan. 31, the two sides are Saudi Arabia (Riyal) ...........................3.7508 Discount rate ..........................................0.25 Federal funds market rate ................... 0.03 don between members of both tiations in the British capital the Singapore (Dollar) ............................. 1.3911 trying to secure a new trade deal 3-month bill ............................................. 0.13 before the end of the year, when negotiating teams, EU chief ne- week of July 20. South Korea (Won) ...........................1200.83 30-year bond ...........................................1.31 Switzerland (Franc)............................0.9400 WEATHER OUTLOOK SATURDAY IN THE MIDDLE EAST SATURDAY IN EUROPE SUNDAY IN THE PACIFIC Misawa 63/59 Kabul 92/67 Seoul 85/69 Baghdad 116/86 Kandahar 106/74 Osan Tokyo Mildenhall/ Drawsko 82/66 91/72 Lakenheath Pomorskie Busan 68/46 64/48 74/68 Iwakuni 79/72 Kuwait Bahrain Zagan Sasebo City 105/91 Brussels 69/48 Guam 115/93 69/45 Ramstein 77/72 86/78 Lajes, 72/45 Riyadh Doha Azores Stuttgart Pápa 115/86 110/91 75/66 72/51 81/52 Aviano/ Vicenza 82/59 Naples 90/81 Okinawa Morón 95/82 100/69 Sigonella Rota 89/71 The weather is provided by the Djibouti Souda Bay American Forces Network Weather Center, 106/92 93/73 85/69 2nd Weather Squadron at Offutt Air Force Base, Neb. T O D A Y IN STRIPES American Roundup ..... 16 Comics/Crossword ...... 18 Health & Fitness ........ 12 Movies ..................14-15 Opinion ..................... 17 Sports .................. 19-24 Video Games ..............11 Saturday, July 11, 2020 •STARS AND STRIPES• PAGE 3 MILITARY Navy allows off-base worship amid virus BY ROSE L. THAYER are now able to attend religious services tioned at Navy bases, retained First Lib- June 24 order banning attendance of off- Stars and Stripes where mitigations to limit the spread of erty Institute, a Texas-based legal office base services “substantially burdens Maj. coronavirus are appropriately applied, focused on defending religious freedoms, Schultz’s sincerely held religious beliefs.” The Navy has pulled back on an order Capt. Sarah Self-Kyler, spokeswoman for to challenge the order “We are grateful to acting Undersec- barring attendance at off-base religious U.S. Fleet Forces, said Thursday. Last week, Mike Berry, general counsel retary Slavonic and Navy leadership for services after at least five service mem- “This change applies to those service for First Liberty, sent letters on behalf of righting this ship, and to commander in bers took action to fight the coronavirus- members within the continental United the service members to each member’s chief [President Donald] Trump for mak- related restrictions. States that remain at [Health Protection chain of command to ask for an accommo- ing religious liberty a priority,” Berry said Gregory Slavonic, acting Navy under- Level Charlie],” she said. dation from the order. in a statement. “This is a major victory for secretary, released a memo Wednesday In an initial order issued June 24, atten- Air Force Maj. Daniel Schultz,