NBA TRAVEL WAR ON TERRORISM Owners Are patrons under US conducts its 1st OK plan plastic the future strikes against Taliban to resume of in-person dining? since start of cease-fire Back page Page 11 Page 3 Minecraft proves to be educational for all ages » Page 12 Volume 79, No. 35A ©SS 2020 CONTINGENCY EDITION SATURDAY, JUNE 6, 2020 stripes.com Free to Deployed Areas VIRUS OUTBREAK US unemployment drops unexpectedly but remains high amid reopenings BY CHRISTOPHER RUGABER Associated Press WASHINGTON — The U.S. un- employment rate fell unexpected- ly in May to 13.3% — still on par with what the nation witnessed during the Great Depression — as states loosened their coronavirus lockdowns and businesses began recalling workers. The government said Friday that the economy added 2.5 mil- lion jobs last month, driving un- employment down from 14.7% in April. The May job gain, which con- founded economists’ expecta- tions of another round of severe losses, suggests that thousands of stores, restaurants, gyms and other companies reopened and rehired more quickly than many analysts had forecast. Still, it raises a key question for businesses and unemployed workers: How fast will the re- bound proceed? For hiring to con- tinue at a solid pace, businesses will probably need to see signs that consumers are starting to re- sume their pre-outbreak habits of shopping and dining out. SEE UNEMPLOYMENT ON PAGE 8 BEBETO MATTHEWS/AP Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey kneels by the casket of George Floyd before a memorial service at North Central University on Thursday in Minneapolis. Floyd died May 25 as a Minneapolis police officer pressed his knee into Floyd’s neck. Rage turns to reflection BY SUDHIN THANAWALA Minneapolis that drew family members, AND BRIAN MAHONEY Protests shift to memorials celebrities, politicians and civil rights advo- Associated Press cates. At his service, strong calls were made ELISE AMENDOLA/AP for Floyd amid calls for action for meaningful changes in policing and the A man walks by a career center ATLANTA — The tenor of the protests set criminal justice system. in Lawrence, Mass., on Friday. off by the death of George Floyd at the hands more to be done to address racial injustice. At demonstration sites around the country, The U.S. unemployment rate, of police has taken a turn from the explosive Many of the protests were more subdued protesters said the quieter mood is the re- although lower, is still on par anger that has fueled the setting of fires, for a second night as marches Thursday sult of several factors: the new and upgraded with what the nation witnessed breaking of windows and other violence to a turned into memorials for Floyd, who was during the Great Depression. quiet, yet more forceful, grassroots call for the focus of a heartfelt tribute Thursday in SEE REFLECTION ON PAGE 6 PAGE 2 •STARS AND STRIPES• Saturday, June 6, 2020 BUSINESS/WEATHER EXCHANGE RATES Military rates Switzerland (Franc)............................0.9644 More J.C. Penney stores to close Euro costs (June 8) ...............................$1.11 Thailand (Baht) ..................................... 31.50 Dollar buys (June 8).............................. €0.86 Turkey (Lira) .........................................6.7803 British pound (June 8) ......................... $1.24 (Military exchange rates are those Japanese yen (June 8) .......................106.00 available to customers at military banking South Korean won (June 8) ...........1,186.00 facilities in the country of issuance The Dallas Morning News turnaround efforts in jeopardy. 19 pandemic as a stronger retailer Commercial rates for Japan, South Korea, Germany, the A judge approved J.C. Penney’s Bahrain (Dinar) ....................................0.3775 Netherlands and the United Kingdom. For J.C. Penney asked the U.S. with greater financial flexibility British pound .....................................$1.2672 nonlocal currency exchange rates (i.e., $900 million financing package Canada (Dollar) ...................................1.3441 purchasing British pounds in Germany), Bankruptcy Court on Thursday to allow us to continue serving China (Yuan) ........................................7.0880 check with your local military banking to allow it to reject 18% of its Thursday to fund its reorgani- our loyal customers for decades Denmark (Krone) ................................6.6003 facility. Commercial rates are interbank zation. Retail bankruptcies can Egypt (Pound) ................................... 16.2369 rates provided for reference when buying store leases in 38 states. Most to come,” said Jill Soltau, chief Euro ........................................ $1.1297/0.8852 currency. All figures are foreign currencies deteriorate quickly as Penney’s to one dollar, except for the British pound, of those locations are in malls, executive officer of Penney. Hong Kong (Dollar) ............................ 7.7502 lenders have power to convert the Hungary (Forint) ................................ 304.79 which is represented in dollars-to-pound, and Penney said it expects more Soltau will be convincing Israel (Shekel) .....................................3.4643 and the euro, which is dollars-to-euro.) closings during the bankruptcy filing into a liquidation. Japan (Yen) ........................................... 109.70 lenders to allow the company to reorganization. “While closing stores is always Kuwait (Dinar) .....................................0.3083 INTEREST RATES reorganize and come out of bank- Norway (Krone) ...................................9.3097 Penney filed for bankruptcy an extremely difficult decision, Philippines (Peso)................................ 49.85 Prime rate ................................................3.25 reorganization in May after the our store optimization strategy is ruptcy still operating as a depart- Poland (Zloty) ..........................................3.92 Discount rate ..........................................0.25 Saudi Arabia (Riyal) ...........................3.7551 Federal funds market rate ...................0.05 coronavirus pandemic temporar- vital to ensuring we emerge from ment store retailer, but with fewer Singapore (Dollar) ..............................1.3946 3-month bill ............................................. 0.15 ily closed all its stores, putting its both Chapter 11 and the COVID- stores and less debt. South Korea (Won) ...........................1206.05 30-year bond ...........................................1.62 WEATHER OUTLOOK SATURDAY IN THE MIDDLE EAST SATURDAY IN EUROPE SUNDAY IN THE PACIFIC Misawa 63/54 Kabul 91/63 Seoul 85/62 Baghdad 108/75 Kandahar 104/76 Osan Tokyo Mildenhall/ Drawsko 85/61 73/63 Lakenheath Pomorskie Busan 57/45 64/50 73/58 Iwakuni 82/63 Kuwait Bahrain Zagan Sasebo City 100/90 Brussels 66/53 Guam 114/90 60/47 Ramstein 81/68 88/80 Lajes, 63/41 Riyadh Doha Azores Stuttgart Pápa 110/81 111/92 67/59 61/50 77/59 Aviano/ Vicenza 72/61 Naples 87/80 Okinawa Morón 82/79 84/59 Sigonella Rota 80/59 The weather is provided by the Djibouti Souda Bay American Forces Network Weather Center, 96/84 74/64 82/62 2nd Weather Squadron at Offutt Air Force Base, Neb. T O D A Y IN STRIPES American Roundup ..... 16 Comics/Crossword ...... 18 Health & Fitness ....... 14 Opinion ..................... 17 Sports .................. 20-24 Travel ........................ 11 Video Games ..........12-13 Saturday, June 6, 2020 •STARS AND STRIPES• PAGE 3 WAR ON TERRORISM US conducts 1st Taliban strikes since cease-fire BY PHILLIP WALTER WELLMAN Taliban made a verbal agreement Stars and Stripes to reduce violence by 80%, which was not kept. KABUL, Afghanistan — The In late February, both sides ob- U.S. conducted two airstrikes served a seven-day period of “re- against the Taliban in Afghani- duction in violence,” but within stan this week as the insurgent a week of the peace deal being group attacked Afghan security inked, the U.S. reported strikes forces, a U.S. military spokesman on Taliban forces attacking Af- said Friday. ghan checkpoints. The airstrikes were the first by Meanwhile, an initial draw- ROSE GUDEX/U.S. Air Force the U.S. against the Taliban since down from roughly 13,000 to Staff Sgt. Johnathan Randall, Special Operations Surgical Team member assigned to the 720th the start of the Eid cease-fire at 8,600 U.S. troops called for in the Operational Support Squadron, smiles during a ceremony at Hurlburt Field, Fl a., on May 20, where he the end of the Muslim holy month deal has proceeded and is sched- received the Bronze Star Medal for his actions while deployed in 2019. of Ramadan in late May, U.S. uled to be completed by early Forces—Afghanistan spokes- next month. man Col. Sonny Leggett said on Under the deal’s terms, the in- Twitter. surgents were to begin talks with A strike in western Farah prov- Airman awarded Bronze Star the Kabul government in March, ince Thursday night targeted 25 a condition for the total with- Taliban fighters “executing a co- drawal of U.S. and other foreign ordinated attack” on an Afghan forces. But those talks have been for caring for over 600 in Syria checkpoint, Leggett said. The stymied by disagreements over other strike in southern Kanda- a prisoner swap, rising violence har province Friday afternoon BY CHAD GARLAND “humbling.” They performed surgeries in and political infighting in Kabul. also targeted insurgents attack- Stars and Stripes The surgical technician is as- buildings and vehicles on the While the Taliban have large- ing a checkpoint, he said. signed to the 720th