FACES MILITARY NFL ‘Billie’ documentary Biden makes his Surging NFC East explores darker side case for Austin to could provide a of singer’s life lead Pentagon threat in playoffs Page 18 Page 4 Page 24 House approves defense policy bill with veto-proof majority ›› Page 3 stripes.com Volume 79 Edition 169 ©SS 2020 THURSDAY,DECEMBER 10, 2020 50¢/Free to Deployed Areas First woman VIRUS OUTBREAK recommended to command an aircraft carrier BY CAITLIN DOORNBOS Stars and Stripes The Navy for the first time has recommended a woman for com- mand of a U.S. aircraft carrier, Naval Air Forces spokesman Cmdr. Zachary Harrell said Wednesday. Capt. Amy Bauernschmidt, a former Navy helicopter pilot and commander of an amphibious transport dock, is one of six Navy captains recommended for carri- er command by the Aviation Ma- jor Command Board on Nov. 21. The others are Colin Day, Gavin Duff, Brent Gaut, David Pollard and Craig Sicola. The Navy has not yet assigned Bauernschmidt or her colleagues to a carrier, Harrell said. They will be eligible for command in fiscal year 2022. The board was directed to con- sider officers’ “breadth of experi- AARON LAVINSKY/AP ence to include major staff and A critical care nurse with North Memorial Health Hospital leans down to speak to a COVID-19 patient in Robbinsdale, Minn., on Monday. joint duty assignments” in selec- ting those they wished to recom- mend, according to the Nov. 9 Na- vy order convening the screening ‘A matter of life and death’ board. SEE CARRIER ON PAGE 5 US fatalities from COVID-19 hit record levels with the holidays ahead Associated Press tended restrictions on businesses and social The virus is blamed for more than 285,000 Deaths from COVID-19 in the U.S. have gatherings, including a ban on indoor dining deaths and 15 million confirmed infections in soared to more than 2,200 a day on average, and drinking at restaurants and bars. the United States. matching the frightening peak reached last While the impending arrival of the vaccine is Many Americans disregarded warnings not April, and cases per day have eclipsed 200,000 reason for hope, he said, “at the moment, we to travel over Thanksgiving and have ignored on average for the first time on record, with the have to face reality, and the reality is that we other safety precautions, whether out of stub- crisis all but certain to get worse because of the are suffering a very dire situation with the pan- bornness, ignorance or complacency. On Sat- fallout from Thanksgiving, Christmas and New demic.” urday night, police in Southern California ar- Year’s. Elsewhere around the country, North Caroli- rested nearly 160 people, many of them not Virtually every state is reporting surges just na’s governor imposed a 10 p.m. curfew, and wearing masks, at a house party in Palmdale as a vaccine appears days away from getting authorities in Southern California and the San that was held without the homeowner’s knowl- the go-ahead in the U.S. Joaquin Valley sent a mass cellphone text alert edge. GWENDELYN OHRAZDA/U.S. Navy “What we do now literally will be a matter of Tuesday telling millions about the rapid Before his death Friday from complications Capt. Amy Bauernschmidt is life and death for many of our citizens,” Wash- spread of the virus and urging them to abide by seen aboard the USS Abraham ington Gov. Jay Inslee said Tuesday as he ex- the state’s stay-at-home orders. SEE DEATHS ON PAGE 9 Lincoln in 2018. PAGE 2 • STARS AND STRIPES • Thursday, December 10, 2020 BUSINESS/WEATHER Apple to tighten privacy for app users EXCHANGE RATES Military rates So. Korea (Won) 1,085.78 Associated Press ments. Engineering Craig Federighi said. Switzerlnd (Franc) 0.8890 Euro costs (Dec. 10) $1.18 Thailand (Baht) 30.07 LONDON — Apple is stepping Called App Tracking Transpar- “Developers who fail to meet Dollar buys (Dec. 10) 0.8043 Turkey (NewLira) 7.8019 British pound (Dec. 10) $1.31 up privacy for app users, forcing ency, it will require apps to clearly the standard can have their apps Japanese yen (Dec. 10) 102.00 (Military exchange rates are those available developers to be more transparent ask for users’ permission before taken down from the app store,” South Korean won (Dec. 10) 1,111.00 to customers at military banking facilities in the Commercial rates country of issuance for Japan, South Korea, Ger­ about data collection and warning tracking them. Federighi said in an online key- many, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Bahrain(Dinar) 0.3770 For nonlocal currency exchange rates (i.e., pur­ they could be removed if they It was due to be launched this note speech to the European Data Britain (Pound) 0.7449 chasing British pounds in Germany), check with Canada (Dollar) 1.2786 your local military banking facility. Commercial don’t comply with a new anti- year but was delayed to allow de- Protection and Privacy Confer- China(Yuan) 6.5409 rates are interbank rates provided for reference Denmark (Krone) 6.1514 tracking measure, a company ex- velopers more time to make ence. Egypt (Pound) 15.6891 when buying currency. All figures are foreign ecutive and regulators said Tues- changes. Privacy campaigners say the Euro 0.8265 currencies to one dollar, except for the British Hong Kong (Dollar) 7.7521 pound, which is represented in dollars­to­ day. “Its aim is to empower our users move is a vital step that could Hungary (Forint) 295.16 pound, and the euro, which is dollars­to­euro.) Israel (Shekel) 3.2488 The U.S. tech giant said it’s set to decide when or if they want to strengthen respect for privacy but Japan (Yen) 104.24 INTEREST RATES to roll out the anti-tracking feature allow an app to track them in a way tech rivals like Facebook that Kuwait(Dinar) 0.3049 Norway (Krone) 8.7674 Prime rate 3.25 next year and warned it could kick that could be shared across other make money from digital adver- Philippines (Peso) 48.15 Interest Rates Discount rate 0.25 Poland (Zloty) 3.66 Federal funds market rate 0.09 apps off its widely used App Store companies’ apps or websites,” Se- tising that tracks users have Saudi Arab (Riyal) 3.7513 3­month bill 0.10 if they don’t obey its require- nior Vice President of Software pushed back against the measure. Singapore (Dollar) 1.3360 30­year bond 1.66 WEATHER OUTLOOK THURSDAY IN THE MIDDLE EAST THURSDAY IN EUROPE FRIDAY IN THE PACIFIC Misawa 44/35 Kabul Seoul 49/33 43/33 Baghdad 63/47 Tokyo Drawsko Osan Kandahar Mildenhall/ 42/34 50/41 55/35 Pomorskie Busan Lakenheath 33/29 41/36 48/37 Iwakuni Kuwait City 55/50 Bahrain Brussels Zagan Sasebo 66/55 74/70 Ramstein 34/30 57/50 Guam 40/36 34/30 84/80 Riyadh Lajes, 72/52 Doha Azores Stuttgart Pápa 66/61 31/18 75/61 Aviano/ 39/35 Vicenza 43/39 Naples 52/48 Okinawa Morón 74/70 60/51 Sigonella Rota 56/42 The weather is provided by the Djibouti 63/58 Souda Bay American Forces Network Weather Center, 84/69 65/56 2nd Weather Squadron at Offutt Air Force Base, Neb. TODAY IN STRIPES American Roundup ...... 11 Classified .................... 13 Comics .........................16 Crossword ................... 16 Faces .......................... 18 Opinion ........................ 14 Sports ................... 20-24 Thursday, December 10, 2020 • STARS AND STRIPES • PAGE 3 MILITARY House passes defense bill despite Trump's veto threat BY STEVE BEYNON capable of legislating and reac- out of the jurisdictions of military Stars and Stripes hing compromise that results in policy and reining in technology WASHINGTON — The House good policy outcomes," he said. companies should be its own legis- voted Tuesday to approve a $740.5 The Senate is set to vote on the lation. billion defense spending bill as the bill in the coming days. The bill "For members considering to Senate prepares to vote on the would then go to President Donald vote ‘no’ because of this issue, ask same legislation that President Trump for him to sign it into law. yourself, do you think you'll get a Donald Trump has threatened to However, Trump has made re- better bill in two months?" said veto. peated threats to veto the NDAA Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., a mem- House members passed the after Congress declined to cater to ber of the House Armed Services 2021 National Defense Authoriza- his wishes with the legislation. In Committee. "The answer is ‘no’." ALUN THOMAS/U.S. Army Recruiting Battalion - Phoenix tion Act, which sets funding and the summer, Trump threatened to The defense bill also puts re- Future soldier Kenny Oliver, right, poses with his recruiter, Sgt. 1st policy priorities for the Pentagon, sink the bill over efforts to rename strictions on Trump’s planned Class Daniel Moe, outside Arrowhead Recruiting Station in Glendale, by a 335-78 vote, which is enough military bases that honor Confed- withdrawal of troops from Germa- Ariz., on Dec. 3. Oliver, who helped write and produce the 2011 hit support to reach the two-thirds erate leaders. ny and Afghanistan. "Sexy and I Know It," will ship out to basic combat training on Dec. 28. majority needed to override a ve- The NDAA was passed by the The NDAA authorizes a 3% pay to. House and Senate with measures raise for troops and slightly in- “Today, the House sent a strong, to plan for the renaming of several creases hazardous duty pay.