MILITARY VIRUS OUTBREAK MUSIC Air Force to expand Vaccine progress Thicke pushed through review of racial, touted despite hard times to discover ethnic disparities storm delays humility, happiness Page 3 Page 6 Page 12 4-for-4: Osaka wins Aussie Open, stays perfect in Slam finals ›› Page 23 stripes.com Volume 79 Edition 218B ©SS 2021 CONTINGENCY EDITION SUNDAY,FEBRUARY 21, 2021 Free to Deployed Areas Biden declares major disaster in Texas after winter storm The Washington Post President Joe Biden on Satur- day approved a major disaster declaration for Texas, making available a wider range of federal assistance to help those affected by the severe winter storm. Biden had already approved states of emergency in Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas, following severe winter storms that have pummeled the south this week, killing dozens of people and ini- tially rendering millions without power, heat or potable water. Biden’s declaration allows indi- viduals and business owners in Texas to apply for federal emer- gency aid, including grants for temporary housing and home re- pairs, low-cost loans to cover un- insured property losses and other recovery programs. Around 80,000 electric utility customers in Texas remained in ‘Violence must decrease now’ the dark and without heat Satur- day morning as the state awoke to temperatures in the 20s. More than 14 million people in 160 coun- Austin says no decision on Afghanistan troop withdrawal ties were still experiencing water- service disruptions as of Friday BY COREY DICKSTEIN [NATO’s] reputation at risk,” Austin told re- night, and the impacts of the Stars and Stripes porters during his first news briefing as the SEE STORM ON PAGE 8 WASHINGTON — The United States has yet Pentagon’s leader. “In the meantime, current to decide the future of its military posture in missions will continue, and of course com- Afghanistan, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin manders have the right and the responsibility said Friday, urging an end to violence in the na- to defend themselves and our Afghan [mili- tion where American troops have been fighting tary] partners against threats.” for nearly 20 years. Austin spoke to reporters one day after the “The United States will not undertake a completion of a virtual NATO conference. He hasty or disorderly withdrawal from Afghan- said he had assured NATO allies, who have istan that puts [Afghan military] forces, or SEE VIOLENCE ON PAGE 4 INSIDE Afghan capital rocked by three sticky bomb attacks Page 4 Top: Security personnel remove a damaged vehicle from the site of a bomb attack in Kabul, JAY JANNER/AP Afghanistan, one of three separate explosions in the city on Saturday. Left: Defense Secretary Dori Ann Upchurch is helped to a Lloyd Austin speaks during his first news briefing as the Pentagon’s leader on Friday, where warming station in Austin, Texas, he declared the U.S. will not make a “hasty or disorderly withdrawal from Afghanistan.” after being evacuated from her AP photos home on Wednesday. PAGE 2 • STARS AND STRIPES • Sunday, February 21, 2021 BUSINESS/WEATHER Stocks end a wobbly day with mixed results EXCHANGE RATES Military rates So. Korea (Won) 1106.19 Associated Press dustrial companies, among oth- count the likelihood of higher in- Switzerlnd (Franc) 0.8950 Euro costs (Feb. 22) $1.18 Thailand (Baht) 29.99 U.S. stock indexes ended a ers. flation as the economy continues Dollar buys (Feb. 22) 0.803 Turkey (NewLira) 6.9587 British pound (Feb. 22) $1.37 choppy day of trading little The Dow Jones Industrial Aver- to climb out of its pandemic-in- Japanese yen (Feb. 22) 103.00 (Military exchange rates are those available changed Friday, though the S&P age and Nasdaq composite closed duced recession. South Korean won (Feb. 22) 1079.00 to customers at military banking facilities in the Commercial rates country of issuance for Japan, South Korea, Ger­ 500 finished with its first weekly essentially flat, while another The S&P 500 fell 7.26 points to many, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Bahrain(Dinar) 0.3770 For nonlocal currency exchange rates (i.e., pur­ loss in three weeks. strong showing by smaller compa- 3,906.71. The index hit an all-time Britain (Pound) 0.7132 chasing British pounds in Germany), check with Canada (Dollar) 1.2611 your local military banking facility. Commercial The benchmark index slipped nies pushed the Russell 200 index high just a week ago. The Dow China(Yuan) 6.4869 rates are interbank rates provided for reference Denmark (Krone) 6.1325 0.2%, extending its losing streak to to a 2.2% gain. closed essentially unchanged, Egypt (Pound) 15.6596 when buying currency. All figures are foreign a fourth day, after wavering be- This week's market pullback, with a gain of 0.98 points, or less Euro 0.8247 currencies to one dollar, except for the British Hong Kong (Dollar) 7.7533 pound, which is represented in dollars­to­ tween small gains and losses for the first downbeat week this than 0.1%, at 31,494.32. The Nas- Hungary (Forint) 295.90 pound, and the euro, which is dollars­to­euro.) Israel (Shekel) 3.2736 most of the day. A majority of the month, comes as investors remain daq composite added 9.11 points, Japan (Yen) 105.51 INTEREST RATES companies in the S&P 500 rose, focused on the future of the CO- or 0.1%, to 13,874.46. Kuwait(Dinar) 0.3025 Norway (Krone) 8.4436 Prime rate 3.25 but losses in health care, commu- VID-stricken economy and the po- The Russell 2000 small-caps in- Philippines (Peso) 48.48 Interest Rates Discount rate 0.75 Poland (Zloty) 3.70 Federal funds market rate 0.09 nication services and other stocks tential for more stimulus to fix it. dex climbed 48.30 points to Saudi Arab (Riyal) 3.7504 3­month bill 0.03 outweighed gains by banks and in- They’ve also begun taking into ac- 2,266.69. Singapore (Dollar) 1.3238 30­year bond 2.07 WEATHER OUTLOOK SUNDAY IN THE MIDDLE EAST SUNDAY IN EUROPE MONDAY IN THE PACIFIC Misawa 37/32 Kabul Seoul 68/47 57/23 Baghdad 74/64 Tokyo Drawsko Osan Kandahar Mildenhall/ 56/22 72/39 80/55 Pomorskie Busan Lakenheath 52/31 66/35 58/45 Iwakuni Kuwait City Bahrain 70/46 Brussels Zagan Sasebo Guam 70/52 65/62 Ramstein 55/34 68/52 63/49 63/35 86/77 Riyadh Lajes, 68/51 Doha Azores Stuttgart 75/65 65/58 37/33 Pápa Aviano/ 53/40 Vicenza 54/43 Naples 63/43 Okinawa Morón 70/66 60/50 Sigonella Rota 63/49 The weather is provided by the Djibouti 59/48 Souda Bay American Forces Network Weather Center, 81/47 54/48 2nd Weather Squadron at Offutt Air Force Base, Neb. TODAY IN STRIPES American Roundup ...... 11 Books .......................... 14 Comics .........................15 Crossword ................... 15 Music ..................... 12-13 Opinion ........................ 18 Sports .................... 19-24 Sunday, February 21, 2021 • STARS AND STRIPES • PAGE 3 MILITARY Air Force IG to expand review into disparities BY LOLITA C. BALDOR The Pentagon is also grappling Associated Press with a wider effort to expand di- WASHINGTON — The Air versity within the ranks, and a Force inspector general will do a campaign to tackle racism and second investigation into racial extremism. Defense Secretary and ethnic disparities across the Lloyd Austin, earlier this month, force, service leaders said Fri- ordered military leaders to spend day, expanding the review to in- time talking to their troops about clude gender and additional ra- extremism in the ranks, after a cial categories such as Asian and number of former and current American Indian. military members took part in the The latest review comes just U.S. Capitol assault. two months after the IG released Austin said units must take a a report concluding that Black day during February or March service members in the Air Force for the so-called “stand down.” are far more likely to be investi- In addition, the Defense De- gated, arrested, face disciplinary partment late last year endorsed actions and be discharged for a new slate of initiatives to more misconduct. The December re- aggressively recruit, retain and port found that “racial disparity promote a more racially and eth- exists” for Black service mem- nically diverse force. And it bers but that the data did not ex- called for a plan to crack down on plain why it happens. participation in hate groups by The new study also reflects service members and draft pro- broader campaigns within the PATRICK SEMANSKY/AP posed changes to the Uniform Defense Department and the Bi- Marine One, with President Joe Biden aboard, is seen past a member of the U.S. Air Force as it Code of Military Justice. den administration to root out ex- approaches Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland Feb. 5. The report by the Air Force in- tremism and racism. President spector general that was released Joe Biden declared domestic ex- included members of far-right soon will look at several different reports, studies and various data- in December said Black mem- tremism an urgent national secu- groups. categories: Asian, American Indi- bases across the Department of bers of the Air Force and Space rity threat in the wake of the Acting Air Force Secretary an/Alaska Native, Native Hawai- the Air Force,” Roth said. “Al- Force are less likely to be pro- deadly Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. John Roth, who ordered the latest ian/Other Pacific Islander, His- though the data is helpful, the moted to higher enlisted and offi- Capitol.