,j ‘impeachable offenses’ reason to resigndonald trump should resign as support for the drive to...

WASHINGTON — Two Repub-

lican senators now say President

Donald Trump should resign as

support for the drive to impeach

him a second time is gaining mo-

mentum in his final days in office

after the deadly riot at the Capitol

by a violent mob of Trump sup-

porters.

Sen. Pat Toomey of Pennsylva-

nia on Sunday joined Alaska Sen.

Lisa Murkowski in calling for

Trump to “resign and go away as

soon as possible.” Murkowski,

who has long voiced her exasper-

ation with Trump’s conduct in of-

fice, told the Anchorage Daily

News on Friday that Trump sim-

ply “needs to get out.”

Toomey said that even though

he believes Trump committed im-

peachable offenses in encourag-

ing loyalists in the Capitol siege on

Wednesday, he did not think there

was enough time for the impeach-

ment process to play out. Toomey

said that resignation was the “best

path forward, the best way to get

this person in the rear view mirror

for us.” He was not optimistic that

Trump would step down before hisBRYNN ANDERSON/AP

Two Republican senators are saying President Donald Trump, shown at a rally in Georgia last Monday, should resign after Wednesday’s deadlyriot at the U.S. Capitol by Trump supporters.

Associated Press

Republicans Toomey,Murkowski call forTrump to step down

‘Impeachable offenses’ reason to resign

SEE RESIGN ON PAGE 9

ly concentrated in the industries

that have suffered most because

they involve the kind of face-to-

face contact that is now nearly im-

possible: Restaurants, bars and ho-

tels, theaters, sports arenas and

concert halls.

With the virus transforming con-

sumer spending habits, econo-

mists believe some portion of these

service jobs won’t return even af-

WASHINGTON — Ten months

into America’s viral outbreak, low-

income workers are still bearing

the brunt of job losses — an unusu-

al and harsh feature of the pan-

demic recession that flattened the

economy last spring.

In December, the nation shed

jobs for the first time since April.

Once again, the layoffs were heavi-

ter the economy has regained its

footing. That trend will likely fur-

ther widen the economic inequali-

ties that have left millions of fam-

ilies unable to buy food or pay rent.

Typically in a recession, layoffs

strike a broad array of industries —

both those that employ higher- and

middle-income workers and those

Job losses again hit US economy unequallyAssociated Press INSIDE

Remote learningextended forDODEA schoolsin Germany

Page 5SEE LOSSES ON PAGE 6

Volume 79 Edition 189 ©SS 2021 MONDAY, JANUARY 11, 2021 50¢/Free to Deployed Areas

stripes.com

MILITARY

Air Force strivingfor impartiality inpunishmentsPage 3

NATION

DOD: No plan setwith Capitol Policeto handle mobPage 7

FACES

Netflix’s ‘Cobra Kai’pickup a boon toseries’ viewershipPage 18

Top cornerbacks could play crucial role in national title game ›› Page 24

• S T A R S A N D S T R I P E S • Monday, January 11, 2021

BUSINESS/WEATHER

NEW YORK — Deutsche Bank

agreed Friday to pay fines and pe-

nalties of about $130 million to

avoid a criminal prosecution on

charges it participated in a foreign

bribery scheme to win business in

Saudi Arabia.

Lawyers for the bank waived its

right to face an indictment on con-

spiracy charges during a telecon-

ference with a federal judge in

New York City.

According to court papers,

Deutsche Bank bribed intermedi-

aries to make deals in Saudi Ara-

bia between 2009 and 2016, label-

ing the payments as “referral

fees” for consultants. In one in-

stance around 2012, the bank paid

one of its fixers $1,087,538 “and

caused those payments to be false-

ly recorded in the company’s

books, records and accounts,” the

papers said. Other intermediaries

demanded financing for a yacht

and for a house in France as com-

pensation, the papers said.

The penalties against Deutsche

Bank included a criminal fine of

$85,186,206 and a payment of

$43,329,622 to settle a related U.S.

Securities and Exchange Com-

mission action, prosecutors said.

A Deutsche Bank spokesper-

son, Dan Hunter, declined to com-

ment on the specifics of the case.

But he said that the deferred pros-

ecution agreement showed that

the bank was taking responsibility

for its actions and that its cooper-

ation with federal authorities “re-

flect our transparency and deter-

mination to put these matters

firmly in the past.”

Deutsche Bank to pay $130M on bribery chargeAssociated Press

Bahrain66/63

Baghdad64/41

Doha70/55

Kuwait City65/50

Riyadh64/46

Kandahar49/17

Kabul41/24

Djibouti80/72

MONDAY IN THE MIDDLE EAST

Mildenhall/Lakenheath

41/32

Ramstein29/19

Stuttgart28/22

Lajes,Azores60/57

Rota50/37

Morón48/35 Sigonella

59/51

Naples51/47

Aviano/Vicenza35/24

Pápa33/27

Souda Bay67/63

Brussels39/30

Zagan32/26

DrawskoPomorskie 32/29

MONDAY IN EUROPE

Misawa34/17

Guam83/50

Tokyo34/26

Okinawa59/56

Sasebo44/38

Iwakuni44/38

Seoul30/8

Osan30/16

Busan39/23

The weather is provided by the American Forces Network Weather Center,

2nd Weather Squadron at Offutt Air Force Base, Neb.

TUESDAY IN THE PACIFIC

WEATHER OUTLOOK

TODAYIN STRIPES

American Roundup ...... 11Classifieds .................. 13Comics .........................16Crossword ................... 16Faces .......................... 18Opinion ........................ 14Sports .................... 19-24

Military rates

Euro costs (Jan. 11) $1.20Dollar buys (Jan. 11) 0.7941British pound (Jan. 11) $1.33Japanese yen (Jan. 11) 101.00South Korean won (Jan. 11) 1,069.00

Commercial rates

Bahrain (Dinar) 0.3769Britain (Pound) 1.3562Canada (Dollar) 1.2712China (Yuan) 6.4754Denmark (Krone) 6.0893Egypt (Pound) 15.6996Euro 0.8189Hong Kong (Dollar) 7.7556Hungary (Forint) 294.42Israel (Shekel) 3.1826Japan (Yen) 103.93Kuwait (Dinar) 0.3036

Norway (Krone) 8.4449

Philippines (Peso) 48.07Poland (Zloty) 3.69Saudi Arab (Riyal) 3.7517Singapore (Dollar) 1.3261

So. Korea (Won) 1,094.09Switzerland (Franc) 0.8865Thailand (Baht) 30.13Turkey (New Lira) 7.3911

(Military exchange rates are those availableto customers at military banking facilities in thecountry of issuance for Japan, South Korea, Germany, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.For nonlocal currency exchange rates (i.e., purchasing British pounds in Germany), check withyour local military banking facility. Commercialrates are interbank rates provided for referencewhen buying currency. All figures are foreigncurrencies to one dollar, except for the Britishpound, which is represented in dollarstopound, and the euro, which is dollarstoeuro.)

INTEREST RATES

Prime rate 3.25Interest Rates Discount rate 0.25Federal funds market rate 0.093month bill 0.0830year bond 1.86

EXCHANGE RATES

Monday, January 11, 2021 • S T A R S A N D S T R I P E S • PAGE 3

MILITARY

The Air Force has begun track-

ing the demographics of some dis-

ciplinary actions to determine if

punishment is meted out impar-

tially.

Commanders have been told to

collect airmen’s rank, age, gender,

race and ethnicity in “lesser disci-

plinary actions,” including admin-

istrative counseling, admonish-

ments and reprimands, and sub-

mit the data to installation staff

judge advocates, the Air Force

said in a statement Tuesday.

Names and other personally

identifiable information will not

be included in the data, and

courts-martial and nonjudicial

punishment will not be included in

the data-gathering, it said.

The move follows an Air Force

inspector general report publish-

ed last month, which found racial

disparities in the military justice

system for Black service mem-

bers of the Air Force and Space

Force. They were far more likely

to be investigated, arrested, face

disciplinary actions and be dis-

charged for misconduct, the re-

port said.

All service branches are grap-

pling with bias in the ranks, an is-

sue the Pentagon said it would ad-

dress after George Floyd’s death

in May led to nationwide protests.

Floyd, a Black man, died after a

white police officer in Minneapo-

lis held a knee to his neck for near-

ly 9 minutes, leaving Floyd unable

to breathe.

By tracking demographic data,

commanders will be able to see

disciplinary trends in their orga-

nizations, Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Rock-

well, the judge advocate general

for the Department of the Air

Force, said in a statement.

The Air Force has consistently

monitored Article 15 and court-

martial data, but not lesser disci-

plinary actions, Rockwell said.

Separately, the Air Force has

ordered commanders to review

official and unofficial unit em-

blems, morale patches, mottos,

nicknames, coins and other forms

of unit recognition “to ensure an

inclusive and professional envi-

ronment,” the service said.

Any visual representation, sym-

bols or language that are consid-

ered derogatory to any race, gen-

der, sexual orientation, ethnicity,

religion, age or disability status

must be removed by commanders

at the squadron level and above, it

said.

The service also said last week

that it has directed commanders

who get low scores on “command

climate” surveys in categories re-

lating to diversity, inclusion, be-

longing or equal opportunity, to

take steps to fix the problems

identified in the survey within 60

days of receiving the results.

Air Force moves toensure impartialityin its punishments

BY JENNIFER H. SVAN

Stars and Stripes

[email protected]: @stripesktown

Marine Regiment, said in a state-

ment.

The Marines have been a regu-

lar presence in Norway since the

Cold War and continue to keep

large stockpiles of weapons in

Norwegian caves. The Marine

mission in Norway expanded

three years ago when the Corps

More than 1,000 Marines and

sailors arrived in Setermoen,

Norway for Arctic warfare train-

ing, Marine Corps Forces Europe

and Africa said Friday.

The Camp Lejeune, N.C.-based

Marines are part of a rotational

force that trains with the Norwe-

gian military and other NATO al-

lies.

“The opportunity to strengthen

this historic relationship with the

Norwegian Army and improve

our Arctic warfare proficiency is

invaluable to the readiness of our

forces,” Lt. Col. Ryan Gordinier,

commander of 3rd Battalion, 6th

launched six-month rotations that

involved keeping Marines in Nor-

way all year, with back-to-back

rotations.

But in October, the Marines

ended the continuous rotations,

opting instead for a more periodic

training regimen that offered

added flexibility. At the time, the

Marines also said the shift would

enable shorter, but larger troop

rotations.

On the latest rotation, Marines

were all tested for the coronavi-

rus upon arrival in Norway to

mitigate health risks, the Corps

said.

PHOTOS BY WILLIAM CHOCKEY/U.S. Marine Corps

Above and below, Marines with Marine Rotational ForceEurope 21.1, Marine Forces Europe and Africa,maneuver through snow during a coldweather livefire training event in preparation for Exercise ReindeerII in Setermoen, Norway, on Nov. 20. This month, more than 1,000 Marines from Camp Lejeune, N.C.,arrived in Norway to also build winter warfare skills.

Marines arrive in Norwayfor Arctic warfare training

Stars and Stripes

[email protected]

South Korea has shipped anoth-

er two million masks for coronavi-

rus protection to veterans across

the globe who defended the coun-

try during the Korean War seven

decades ago.

South Korea started shipping

masks to 22 nations on Dec. 17 and

plans to distribute them to veter-

ans through its embassies abroad,

South Korea’s Ministry of Patriots

and Veterans Affairs said in a

news release Wednesday.

One million masks are intended

for American veterans who ac-

counted for more than 90% of the

United Nations forces during the

war, the release stated. The rest

will be distributed to 21 other na-

tions based on the number of sur-

viving veterans and current coro-

navirus conditions.

Each mask will be paired with a

70th anniversary of the Korean

War sticker carrying a message,

“Stay Strong,” featuring a pair of

hands, palms together, represent-

ing South Korea and the United

States.

This particular shipment marks

the second time South Korea has

sent masks for veterans since the

beginning of the coronavirus pan-

demic.

In the early stages, exporting

face masks was heavily regulated

by the government due to a global

shortage. Authorities later autho-

rized a shipment to veterans,

claiming it wouldn’t disrupt the

domestic supply.

In May, South Korea, at the time

reporting new cases daily in sin-

gle-digits, shipped one million

masks to war veterans with a

message that the nation had not

forgotten those who helped it sev-

en decades ago, the release said.

American veterans received ap-

proximately 500,000 masks to

help fight the infectious disease

while the other remainder was

meant for war veterans in other

countries including Britain, Cana-

da and Turkey.

The war, which began on June

25, 1950, when North Korean com-

munist troops invaded the U.S.-

backed South, was the first mili-

tary action of the Cold War.

More than 36,000 Americans

died, 103,284 were wounded in ac-

tion and more than 7,500 remain

unaccounted for.

S. Korea ships 2 million moremasks to Korean War veterans

BY MATTHEW KEELER

Stars and Stripes

[email protected]: @MattKeeler1231

A staff sergeant with the 2nd In-

fantry Division died Tuesday

when his military vehicle over-

turned during training at the Ro-

driguez Live Fire Complex out-

side Pocheon, South Korea, ac-

cording to 2nd ID on Friday.

Staff Sgt. James Wento, 34, of

Lynn, Mass., was a wheeled me-

chanic with the 2-2 Assault Heli-

copter Battalion, 2nd Combat Avia-

tion Brigade at Camp Hum-

phreys.

Medical personnel pronounced

Wento dead at the scene, accord-

ing to the news release. The acci-

dent is under investigation, ac-

cording to the Army.

“Staff Sgt. Wento was an ex-

traordinary soldier, leader and fa-

ther,” battalion commander Lt.

Col. Bridget Dalziel said in the

news release. “He was an impor-

tant member of the 2-2 Assault

Helicopter Battalion family and

will be sincerely missed.”

Wento enlisted in 2009, accord-

ing to the Army. He completed

two combat deployments to Af-

ghanistan, and during his service

earned the Combat Action Badge

and Army Commendation Medal

with two bronze oak leaf clusters.

Rollover in South Koreakills Army staff sergeant

Stars and Stripes

[email protected]

Wento


WAR ON TERRORISM

BAGHDAD — The U.S. Treasu-

ry on Friday imposed sanctions on

a prominent Iraqi politician and

security official, accusing him of

serious human rights abuses.

The Treasury said Falih al-Fay-

yadh stands accused of “directing

and supervising the killing of

peaceful Iraqi demonstrators” in

2019 and must be held account-

able.

He is the chairman of the Pop-

ular Mobilization Forces, an um-

brella of mostly Shiite militias, in-

cluding powerful Iran-backed

groups, and served as national se-

curity advisor. The umbrella

group was formed in 2014 to coun-

ter Islamic State, following a fatwa

from Iraq’s top Shiite cleric Ali al-

Sistani.

There was no immediate com-

ment from al-Fayyadh.

The growing influence of the

Shiite group over Iraqi state affairs

—particularly its Iran-backed ele-

ments — has alarmed U.S. offi-

cials.

Al-Fayyadh was targeted under

the Magnitsky Act, passed by Con-

gress in 2012 initially in response to

the death of Russian lawyer Sergei

Magnitsky, who died in prison af-

ter exposing a tax fraud scheme in-

volving Russian officials. The law

named after him was expanded

and allows the United Statesto tar-

get any foreigner accused of hu-

man rights violations and corrup-

tion.

Anti-government protesters in

Iraq have long accused Iran-linked

militias of targeting them during

mass demonstrations that began in

October 2019, when thousands ral-

lied against corruption, unemploy-

ment, poor public services and oth-

er grievances. More than 500 peo-

ple were killed during the month-

slong protests, many of them

demonstrators shot by Iraqi secu-

rity forces.

The protests have since died

down, due to the violent crack-

down, kidnappings and targeted

assassinations of activists, as well

as due to the coronavirus lock-

downs.

Al-Fayyadh has been the head of

the Shiite militias during this time

and continues to hold the post.

Though Iran-backed groups func-

tioning under the umbrella stand

accused by activists and the U.S.,

no official investigation has ever

been conducted to identify the per-

petrators of the killings of protes-

ters.

It is also unclear how much in-

fluence al-Fayyadh had over the

operations of individual militia

groups, leading some Iraqi offi-

cials to speculate over the political

implications of the latest sanctions.

Al-Fayyadh’s deputy, powerful

militia leader Abu Mahdi al-Mu-

handis, was considered far more

influential over activities of Iran-

backed groups in Iraq. Al-Muhan-

dis was killed in a Washington-di-

rected drone strike last year that

targeted and killed top Iranian

general Qassim Soleimani outside

the Baghdad airport.

US sanctions Iraqi politician over rights abusesAssociated Press

KABUL, Afghanistan — A road-

side bomb exploded in Afghanis-

tan’s capital Sunday, killing at

least three people in a vehicle, the

latest attack to take place even as

government negotiators are in Qa-

tar to resume peace talks with the

Taliban.

Tariq Arian, spokesman for the

interior minister, said a spokes-

man for the ministry’s public pro-

tection forces — a security force

—was one of the three killed in the

attack. One other person was

wounded he said.

No one immediately claimed re-

sponsibility for the attack.

Islamic State has claimed re-

sponsibility for multiple attacks in

the capital in recent months, in-

cluding on educational institu-

tions that killed 50 people, most of

them students. ISIS has also

claimed responsibility for rocket

attacks in December targeting the

major U.S. base in Afghanistan.

There were no casualties.

Taliban militants have mean-

while continued their insurgency

against government forces while

keeping their promise not to at-

tack U.S. and NATO troops.

Sunday’s attack comes as Af-

ghan negotiators are to resume

talks with the Taliban aimed at

finding an end to decades of re-

lentless conflict. Frustration and

fear have grown over a spike in vi-

olence that has combatants on

both sides blaming the other.

The stop-and-go talks between

the Taliban and the government

come amid growing doubt over a

U.S.-Taliban peace deal brokered

by the administration of outgoing

President Donald Trump. An ac-

celerated withdrawal of U.S.

troops ordered by Trump means

just 2,500 American soldiers will

still be in Afghanistan when Presi-

dent-elect Joe Biden takes office

this month.

Biden has advocated for keep-

ing a small intelligence-based

presence in Afghanistan, but Tali-

ban leaders have flatly rejected

any foreign troops.

Official: Roadside bomb kills several in KabulAssociated Press

RAHMAT GUL/AP

Afghan security personnel remove a damaged car after a bomb attack in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Sunday.

DAMASCUS, Syria — Syria’s

petroleum ministry on Sunday

blamed U.S. sanctions for forcing

it to cut its distribution of fuel and

diesel by up to 24% because of de-

lays in arrival of needed supplies.

The war-ravaged nation is al-

ready facing a severe economic

crisis that has caused major

shortages in wheat and fuel prod-

ucts. Long lines have formed out-

side of gas stations and bakeries

as the government rationed what

it has, further deepening the

crunch felt by Syrians.

The economic hardship has on-

ly intensified during the pandem-

ic, with restrictions designed to

limit the spread of the coronavi-

rus and tighter U.S. and western

sanctions against the government

of President Bashar Assad, who

remains in office despite a crush-

ing 10-year civil war.

The United States and other

western countries have intensi-

fied sanctions against Assad and

his government and allies, blam-

ing them for the killings of hun-

dreds of thousands of civilians

during a brutal war that began in

2011 when government troops

crushed protests against his rule.

Damascus says the sanctions are

only making life harder for civil-

ians.

The civil war has torn Syria

apart, left more than half of the

population displaced and large

parts of the country out of govern-

ment control. It has also crippled

the centralized economy, in-

creased unemployment and

raised inflation.

Assad’s government relies al-

most exclusively on crude oil

from Iran, a key ally of Damascus

which has also sided with Syrian

troops in the war. Tightening U.S.

sanctions on Iran have added to

the crisis in Syria.

A financial crisis in neighbor-

ing Lebanon, which had offered

an economic lifeline for isolated

Syria and a smuggling route, only

made matters worse.

Once before last year, the Syr-

ian government announced de-

lays in supplies amid shortages

and partially lifted subsidies on

certain fuel products.

In a statement Sunday, the Syr-

ian ministry of petroleum and

mineral resources said it will cut

the amount of diesel and fuel it is

distributing to the government-

controlled provinces by 17% and

24%, respectively, until new sup-

plies arrive. It offered no date for

lifting the rationing.

“These measures are because

of delays in the arrival of fuel

products supplies because of the

unjust U.S. sanctions against our

country,” the ministry said.

“They are to ensure that we can

continue to secure the needs of

our citizens and manage the

available reserves as best as pos-

sible.”

The cost of one liter of unsub-

sidized gasoline sells at 1,050 Syr-

ian pounds on the black market

while the subsidized price is 450

Syrian pounds.

Long queues at gas stations and

hours of waiting have become a

daily reality, and many opted for

walking or parked their private

vehicles. Others have reported

reducing consumption of diesel

for heating by more than half in

the cold winter months.

Kayed Youssef, a 54-year old

government employee in Damas-

cus, said he has not moved his car

in 10 days.

“I only move it in extreme ne-

cessity,” he said.

It gets harder for those outside

the capital. In the southwestern

city of Sweida, fuel has not ar-

rived since Thursday, Syrian

Snack, an online news site, re-

ported.

The head of the public compa-

ny for fuel products distribution,

Ahmed Shamaat, said the reduc-

tion will be temporary until sup-

plies arrive. He declined to give a

date though, saying they are due

to arrive “soon ... depending on

circumstances.”

Syria temporarily cuts supplies of fuel in order to meet shortagesBY ALBERT AJI

Associated Press


VIRUS OUTBREAK

KAISERSLAUTERN, Germa-

ny — Students at Defense Depart-

ment schools in Germany will con-

tinue with remote learning until

the end of January at the earliest,

education officials said Friday.

The first day back in the class-

room will be Monday, Feb. 1, said

Stephen Smith, spokesman for the

Department of Defense Educa-

tion Activity-Europe. Ankara Ele-

mentary/High School in Turkey

will also extend remote learning

until Feb. 1, he said.

Students enrolled in DODEA’s

virtual learning program are not

yet affected by the schedule

change.

DODEA’s 34 schools in Germa-

ny transitioned to remote learning

on Dec. 16, the first day that Ger-

man schools were closed as the

government tightened the coun-

try’s coronavirus restrictions.

Classes were set to resumeJan. 19.

But the start date was pushed

back after German Chancellor

Angela Merkel and the heads of

Germany’s 16 federal states an-

nounced Tuesday that the coun-

try’s lockdown was being extend-

ed by three weeks, starting Jan. 11,

as the host nation struggles to stop

the spread of the coronavirus.

The date for resuming in-school

learning at DODEA schools in

Germany and Turkey remains

fluid, Smith said. It could change,

depending on local circumstances

and host nation guidance.

DODEA schools in Germanywill extend remote learning

[email protected]: @stripesktown

BY JENNIFER H. SVAN

Stars and Stripes

RUSSELL TOOF / U.S. Army

A student at Vogelweh Elementary School listens during a lesson inApril 2020.

All U.S. military travelers head-

ing overseas on orders must test

negative for the coronavirus no

more than three days before de-

parting the United States, accord-

ing to a Navy administrative mess-

age Thursday.

The Defense Department man-

date requires service members,

Defense Department civilian em-

ployees, contractors and family

members to have proof of a nega-

tive test result for COVID-19 with-

in 72 hours of departing for their

destination. COVID-19 is the re-

spiratory disease associated with

the coronavirus.

“Many countries now require

negative test results before arriv-

al,” Chief of Navy Personnel Adm.

John Nowell Jr. said in the mess-

age. Proof of a negative test pro-

vides a measure of insurance

against being refused travel out-

side the U.S. or denied entry to an-

other country, he said.

South Korea on Friday started to

require incoming travelers, in-

cluding people covered by the sta-

tus of forces agreement with the

U.S., to provide proof of a negative

test. Japan has the same require-

ment, but U.S. military travelers

were not required to provide that

proof, according to U.S. Forces Ja-

pan.

The U.S. commands in both

countries mandate tests for their

people upon arrival, along with

subsequent tests and a mandatory

quarantine period.

Under the new requirement,

military travelers must “take re-

sponsibility” and arrange their

own tests, according to Nowell.

The military has designated

testing sites at Walter Reed Na-

tional Military Medical Center in

Bethesda, Md., and at Madigan Ar-

my Medical Center at Joint Base

Lewis-McChord, Wash., but trav-

elers are expected to ensure they

meet all requirements.

The Army in August began re-

quiring all soldiers and their fam-

ilies to test negative and quaran-

tine two weeks before leaving the

U.S.

The Air Force in November be-

gan randomly selecting up to 15%

of passengers on Patriot Express

flights from Seattle and Baltimore

for testing before takeoff. The Pa-

triot Express is a government-con-

tracted passenger service be-

tween the U.S. and overseas bases.

Military hospitals may provide

free tests for service members and

their dependents who bring their

overseas orders to a scheduled ap-

pointment, according to the mess-

age.

Results of tests by commercial

providers are also acceptable.

Travelers must pay the fees if

they’re tested at a non-military

site, but may submit a reimburse-

ment claim. The military’s Tricare

health insurance “does not fund

strictly travel-based tests,” ac-

cording to the policy.

Those who test positive must im-

mediately quarantine. An entire

family of travelers must quaran-

tine if one member tests positive,

according to the DOD policy.

The Navy recommends molecu-

lar tests, such as polymerase chain

reaction, or PCR tests, but will ac-

cept rapid antigen tests, according

to the policy. Antigen tests “detect

specific proteins from the virus”

and can produce a false positive

result if the patient has ever had

the coronavirus, according to the

Federal Drug Administration.

Because entry requirements

vary between countries, travelers

should verify the specific require-

ments at their destination “to

avoid delays, fines or other com-

plications upon arrival,” accord-

ing to the Navy message.

Those who have been vaccinat-

ed against the coronavirus are not

exempt from the testing require-

ment, according to Nowell.

Further information about the

requirement is available at the Na-

vy Personnel Command website.

Defense Department requires test before all overseas travel from USBY CAITLIN DOORNBOS

Stars and Stripes

[email protected]: @CaitlinDoornbos

Surveys have shown high ap-

proval ratings for the 66-year-old

Merkel during the pandemic. She

has taken a science-led, safety-

first approach that has helped her

center-right party into a strong

poll lead, although Germany has

BERLIN — The coronavirus

pandemic is colliding with politics

as Germany embarks on its vacci-

nation drive and one of the most

unpredictable election years in the

country’s post-World War II histo-

ry.

After months of relatively har-

monious pandemic management,

fingers are being pointed as the

center-left junior partner in Chan-

cellor Angela Merkel’s coalition

government takes aim at what it

says has been a chaotic start to vac-

cinating the population.

The discord is likely a sign of the

times to come. An electoral mara-

thon in Germany starts in mid-

March, when two of six state elec-

tions scheduled this year will be

held, and culminates on Sept. 26,

when voters choose a new national

parliament. Germany’s choices

will help set the tone for Europe in

the coming years.

Merkel, who has led Germany

since 2005, plans to step down at

the September election. It’s the

first election since post-war West

Germany’s inaugural vote in 1949

in which there is no incumbent

chancellor seeking another term.

struggled since the fall to get the

coronavirus under control.

“We can be glad in Germany and

Europe to have such an experi-

enced chancellor as Angela Mer-

kel in this pandemic,” Health Min-

ister Jens Spahn said Wednesday.

But with the new year, the end of

the Merkel era is looming closer.

This week, the center-left Social

Democratic Party, which only re-

luctantly entered a coalition with

the longtime leader after Germa-

ny’s last election, latched onto

frustration with the slow start of

vaccinations to open political hos-

tilities.

“It was always clear that the

start of vaccinations would be the

point at which we would see the

end of the tunnel,” the party’s gen-

eral secretary, Lars Klingbeil,

said. “And now we see that we are

in a much worse position than oth-

er countries. We ordered too little

vaccine. There is barely a pre-

pared strategy.”

The responsibility for that, he

said, lies with Spahn, a rising star

in Merkel’s Christian Democratic

Union. Finance Minister Olaf

Scholz, who is Merkel’s vice chan-

cellor and the Social Democrats’

candidate for chancellor in this

year’s federal election, reportedly

sent Spahn a list of questions about

vaccine-related issues.

Spahn rejected the criticism,

saying that politicians must learn

from mistakes but that Germany’s

vaccination campaign is going ac-

cording to expectations.

“It has been clear for weeks and

months ... that we would have too

little vaccine in the beginning” be-

cause production capacities are

still limited, he said, not because

too little was ordered.

The health minister also noted

that a deliberate decision was

made to vaccinate the most vul-

nerable people in nursing homes

first, and that process is relatively

time-consuming.

COVID-19 collides with politics as German election year startsBY GEIR MOULSON

Associated Press

MATTHIAS BALK/AP

Excursionists cavort on the frozen Nymphenburg Canal in front ofNymphenburg Palace, Munich, Germany, on Sunday.


VIRUS OUTBREAK

with lower-paid staff — as anxious

consumers slash spending. Econo-

mists had worried that the same

trend would emerge this time.

Instead, much of the rest of the

economy is healing, if slowly and

fitfully. Factories, while not fully

recovered, are cranking out goods

and have added jobs every month

since May. Home sales have

soared 26% from a year ago, fueled

by affluent people able to work

from home who are looking for

more space. That trend has, in

turn, bolstered higher-paying jobs

in banking, insurance and real es-

tate.

“Such differences in ... employ-

ment loss between the highest- and

lowest-wage workers are almost

certainly unprecedented among

U.S. recessions over the past 100-

plus years,” Brad Hershbein, an

economist at the Upjohn Institute

for Employment Research, and

Harry Holzer, an economist at Ge-

orgetown University, concluded in

a new research paper.

On the surface, the December

jobs report the government issued

Friday was dismal: The economy

lost 140,000 jobs. It was the sixth

straight month in which hiring has

slumped from the previous month.

Unemployment remained stuck at

a still-high 6.7%.

But the negative number

stemmed entirely from a brutal

loss — nearly 500,000 jobs — in a

category that includes restau-

rants, bars, hotels, casinos and en-

tertainment.

State and local governments al-

so cut workers. So did hair salons

and other personal services. There

were layoffs, too, in education.

Nearly every other industry

added jobs. Construction gained

51,000, financial services 12,000.

Transportation and warehousing

companies, beneficiaries of a

surge in e-commerce and delivery

services amid the pandemic,

gained nearly 47,000.

Job losses have “definitely been

very heavily concentrated in cer-

tain industries — much more so

than prior recessions,” Hershbein

said in an interview.

Once the coronavirus vaccines

become distributed more widely,

and the latest government aid

package is pumped into the econo-

my, most analysts expect a solid

recovery to kick in this summer.

The incoming Biden administra-

tion, along with a now fully Demo-

cratic-led House and Senate, will

also likely push additional rescue

aid and spending measures that

could accelerate growth.

Economists note that the $2 tril-

lion aid package the government

enacted in March, which included

generous unemployment benefits

and aid to small companies, did

more to prevent layoffs from

spreading than many analysts had

expected.

But a big unknown overhangs

the 2021 economy: Will the eco-

nomic recovery come fast enough,

and be robust enough, to absorb

many of the Americans who lost

jobs in the hospitality industries

into more resilient sectors of the

job market?

The trend has upended the lives

of people like Brad Pierce of West

Warwick, R.I. Pierce had gradual-

ly built a career as a stand-up co-

median, only to see it derailed by

the pandemic and restrictions on

the bars he performed in.

Now, he wonders if that life will

ever return. Even when the bars

where Pierce worked had reo-

pened, they couldn’t offer live en-

tertainment because of coronavi-

rus restrictions. Some of these

venues, he fears, won’t survive.

“I have days where I think it will

come back, and days where I think,

‘Well, I guess I’ll never work

again,’ ” Pierce said.

Losses: With unemployment sohigh, experts predict slow recoveryFROM PAGE 1

DAVID GOLDMAN/AP

Comedian Brad Pierce loads the dishes at home in West Warwick, R.I.

LONDON — Britain’s health

secretary said Sunday that every

adult in the country will be offered

a COVID-19 vaccine by the au-

tumn as the U.K. ramps up its

mass vaccination program amid a

huge surge of infections and hos-

pital admissions.

More than 600,000 people age

80 and over will begin receiving

invitations this week to get the cor-

onavirus shot at new large-scale

vaccine centers around England.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock

said that officials were “on track”

to reach its target of inoculating

about 15 million people in the most

vulnerable groups by the middle

of February.

The vaccination drive comes as

the U.K. sees a steep increase in

infections and record numbers of

COVID-19 patients being hospital-

ized, with many experts warning

that the situation is more dire than

it was when the country went into

its first lockdown last spring. The

Office of National Statistics esti-

mated that 1 in 50 people in En-

gland had the virus in the most re-

cent week.

Daily reported deaths hit a re-

cord high Friday, at 1,325, and in

total around 81,000 people have

died after testing positive for CO-

VID-19. That’s the highest in Eu-

rope and comes just behind the

U.S., Brazil, India and Mexico.

Hancock said that more than

200,000 people are being vaccinat-

ed in England every day, and that

by autumn, the entire adult pop-

ulation should have been offered a

jab.

“We’ve got over 350 million dos-

es on order — they’re not all here

yet. We’re rolling them out as fast

as they get delivered,” he told the

BBC. “But we are going to have

enough to be able to offer a vac-

cine to everyone over the age of 18

by the autumn.”

UK boosts vaccine push;every adult by autumn

BY SYLVIA HUI

Associated Press

In a growing consensus, reli-

gious leaders at the forefront of

the anti-abortion movement in the

United States are telling their fol-

lowers that the leading vaccines

available to combat COVID-19 are

acceptable to take, given their re-

mote and indirect connection to

lines of cells derived from aborted

fetuses.

One outspoken foe of abortion

based in Dallas, Southern Baptist

megachurch pastor Robert Jef-

fress, has called the vaccines a

“present from God.”

“To ask God for help but then

refuse the vaccine makes no more

sense than calling 911 when your

house is on fire, but refusing to al-

low the firemen in,” Jeffress said

via email. “There is no legitimate

faith-based reason for refusing to

take the vaccine.”

The Rev. Al Mohler, president

of the Southern Baptist Theologi-

cal Seminary, also has celebrated

their development.

“I will take it not only for what I

hope will be the good of my own

health, but for others as well,” he

said on his website.

The U.S. Conference of Catholic

Bishops, which says fighting abor-

tion is its “preeminent” priority,

said last month that getting vacci-

nated against the coronavirus

“ought to be understood as an act

of charity toward the other mem-

bers of our community,” accord-

ing to a statement by the chairmen

of its Committee on Doctrine and

Committee on Pro-Life Activities.

The bishops said it is morally

acceptable for Catholics to use ei-

ther of the two vaccines approved

for use in the U.S. — made by Pfiz-

er and Moderna — despite a “re-

mote connection to morally com-

promised cell lines.” This entailed

the use of fetal cell lines for lab

tests seeking to confirm the vac-

cines’ effectiveness.

Another leading vaccine, made

by AstraZeneca and approved for

use in Britain and some other

countries, is “more morally com-

promised,” and should be avoided

if there are alternatives available,

the bishops said.

Coinciding with the USCCB,

four bishops in Colorado issued

their own statement taking a

somewhat more negative stance

on AstraZeneca, describing it as

“not a morally valid option.”

AstraZeneca used a cell line

known as HEK293 to develop its

vaccine. According to the Oxford

University team that developed it,

the original HEK293 cells were

taken from the kidney of an abort-

ed fetus in 1973, but the cells used

now are clones of the original cells

and are not the original fetal tis-

sue.

As the first vaccines neared ap-

proval last year, some Catholic

bishops warned they might be

morally unacceptable. Among

them was Bishop Joseph Brennan

of Fresno, Calif., who urged Ca-

tholics not to jump on the “vaccine

bandwagon.”

He later modified his stance,

saying that due to health risks for

individuals and communities,

“Catholics may ethically decide

for serious reasons to utilize such

vaccines.”

Also questioning the vaccines

was Bishop Joseph Strickland of

Tyler, Texas, who has depicted

any use of aborted fetuses in vac-

cine development as evil and says

he won’t take any of the currently

available vaccines.

“The Church has said that un-

der some circumstances receiv-

ing the vaccine is permissible and

I do not dispute that,” he said via

email. “The Church has also said

we should vigorously call for mor-

ally produced vaccines, and I urge

those who take the vaccine to join

that mission and demand

change.”

CHARLES REX ARBOGAST/AP

A Catholic pastor receives the first of the two PfizerBioNTechCOVID19 vaccinations, Dec. 23 at a hospital in Chicago.

Anti-abortion faithleaders support useof COVID-19 vaccines

BY DAVID CRARY

Associated Press


NATION

WASHINGTON — A small

quick-reaction force assembled

by the Defense Department to as-

sist if needed during protests in

Washington on Wednesday did

not immediately respond when a

pro-Trump mob stormed the Cap-

itol because of a lack of planning

with Capitol Police over how it

might be deployed, Pentagon offi-

cials said.

The D.C. National Guard force

of 40 troops is mentioned in a new

timeline of events that the Penta-

gon released Friday night, after

two days of questions about how

security on Capitol Hill was so lax

that the mob could storm the

building and force its evacuation.

Five people died in the chaos, in-

cluding a Capitol Police officer.

The timeline states that the

quick-reaction force was a few

miles away at Joint Base Andrews

in Maryland and authorized for

use by acting defense secretary

Christopher Miller “if additional

support is requested by civil au-

thorities.”

But a senior defense official,

speaking on the condition of ano-

nymity because of the sensitivity

of the issue, said the Defense De-

partment and Capitol Police

hadn’t reached an agreement or

settled on a concept ahead of time.

The Pentagon had made plans

with D.C. police, which oversees

much of the city, including Black

Lives Matter Plaza near the White

House, the official said.

Defense officials have said pre-

viously that with no plan in place

with Capitol Police, there was con-

cern about injecting National

Guard forces into the situation

abruptly. After absorbing fre-

quent criticism about the thou-

sands of National Guard members

that Trump deployed in the city in

June in response to protests

spawned by the police killing of

George Floyd in Minneapolis, the

Pentagon sought a much narrow-

er mission, preparing and provid-

ing only what D.C. officials specif-

ically requested in advance.

“We receive our intelligence

from law enforcement agencies,

whether they’re federal or local,”

Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy

said. Defense Department offi-

cials, he added, didn’t in their

“wildest imagination” envision

the crowd breaching the Capitol

grounds.

It’s not clear how the quick-re-

action force could have been used

to restore order once thousands of

Trump’s supporters surrounded

the Capitol and as some began en-

tering the building. National

Guard members at the D.C. Armo-

ry were also not deployed until

Miller determined at 3 p.m. that

all available D.C. National Guard

forces should be sent to reinforce

D.C. and Capitol police positions,

according to the timeline.

Defense officials have deflected

criticism of their response to the

crisis, stating that law enforce-

ment authorities were in charge

and confident that they had the

city under control. Pro-Trump

groups had openly suggested on-

line for weeks that they might take

action on Wednesday, as a protest

of the president’s election loss was

underway.

On Sunday, authorities an-

nounced the death of another Cap-

itol Police officer. Two people fa-

miliar with the matter said the of-

ficer’s death was an apparent sui-

cide. Officer Howard

Liebengoodm, 51, had been as-

signed to the Senate Division and

was with the department since

2005.

It was not clear whether his

death was connected to Wednes-

day's events.

DOD: No planmade to helpin DC protest

BY DAN LAMOTHE

The Washington Post

MICHAEL ROBINSON CHAVEZ / The Washington Post

President Trump supporters stand on the east side of the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday before they stormedand breached the building to support the president's claims that he won the election.

Police charged more Capitol rioters on

Saturday, including a man who carried off

the House speaker’s lectern, as more

graphic details of the insurrection

emerged, revealing the violence and brutal-

ity of the mob that stormed a seat of Amer-

ican political power.

A bloodied officer was crushed in a door-

way screaming in Wednesday’s siege,

which forced lawmakers to go into hiding

for hours and halt their voting to affirm

President-elect Joe Biden’s victory. Anoth-

er officer tumbled over a railing into the

crowd below after being body-slammed

from behind. Members of the media were

cursed, shoved and punched.

A vast number of photos and videos cap-

tured the riot, which left five people dead.

Many of the images were taken by the riot-

ers themselves, few of whom wore masks

that would have lowered not only their

chances of contracting the coronavirus, but

their chances of being identified. Some took

pains to stand out.

Jacob Anthony Chansley, an Arizona

man seen in photos and video of the mob

with a painted face and wearing a costume

that included a horned, fur hat, was taken

into custody Saturday and charged with

counts that include violent entry and disor-

derly conduct on Capitol grounds.

Chansley, more commonly known as

Jake Angeli, will remain in custody in Ari-

zona pending a detention hearing that will

be scheduled during an initial court appear-

ance early this week, Assistant U.S. Attor-

ney Esther Winne told The Associated

Press by email. Chansley did not immedi-

ately respond to messages left via email and

telephone.

Chansley, who had become a staple in his

costume at pro-Trump protests across the

country, is now among dozens of people ar-

rested in the wake of the Capitol invasion by

a large mob of Trump supporters enraged

over his election loss.

The rioters took over the House and Sen-

ate chambers, smashed windows and

waved Trump, American and Confederate

flags.

AFlorida man accused of making off with

Pelosi’s lectern during the chaos was ar-

rested Friday night on a federal warrant

and was being held Saturday without bail in

Pinellas County, Fla. Jail records do not

show if Adam Johnson, 36, of Parrish, Fla.,

has an attorney.

Johnson was charged Saturday with

theft, violent entry and disorderly conduct

on Capitol grounds.

The married father of five was quickly

identified on social media by local residents

as the man in a photo smiling as he walked

through the Capitol rotunda carrying Pelo-

si’s lectern, The Bradenton Herald report-

ed.

Johnson posted on social media that he

was in Washington, D.C., during Wednes-

day’s riots and included disparaging com-

ments about the Black Lives Matter move-

ment, according to The Bradenton Herald.

Those posts were later deleted or taken

down.

By Saturday, prosecutors had filed 17

cases in federal district court and 40 others

in the District of Columbia Superior Court

for a variety of offenses ranging from as-

saulting police officers to entering restrict-

ed areas of the U.S. Capitol, stealing federal

property and threatening lawmakers.

Prosecutors said additional cases re-

mained under seal, dozens of other people

were being sought by federal agents, and

the U.S. attorney in Washington vowed Fri-

day that “all options were on the table” for

charges, including possibly sedition.

More arrests in Capitol riot as videos reveal brutalityBY RICK CALLAHAN

Associated Press

MANUEL BALCE CENETA/AP

Supporters of President Donald Trump are confronted by U.S. Capitol Police officersoutside the Senate Chamber inside the Capitol, on Wednesday.


NATION

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — The

insurrection by supporters of

President Donald Trump at the

U.S. Capitol last week has prompt-

ed governors and lawmakers in

several states to heighten security

at their own capitol buildings as

they gather amid a pandemic for

legislative sessions and inaugural

ceremonies.

Like the U.S. Capitol, state-

houses are regular targets for

demonstrations. Many already

have armed security personnel

and metal detectors that screen

visitors.

But if the U.S. Capitol — a shin-

ing symbol of democracy with a

dedicated police force— can be

overrun by a violent mob, could

state capitols be next?

The events were “a wakeup call

for everybody, both in D.C. and in

state capitals all across the coun-

try,” said Washington state Rep.

J.T. Wilcox, the chamber’s Re-

publican leader.

A series of smaller-scale flare-

ups occurred last year at state cap-

itols. Last spring, armed protes-

ters entered the Michigan Capitol

to object to pandemic-related

lockdowns. Some were blocked by

police while demanding entry on-

to the House floor, while others

shouted down from the Senate gal-

lery.

In Ohio, people upset about the

death of George Floyd in Minneso-

ta smashed 28 windows at the

statehouse.

Protesters in Idaho temporarily

derailed a special legislative ses-

sion last August. And just a few

weeks ago, crowds in Oregon

forced their way into the Capitol to

protest its closure to the public

during a special legislative session

on coronavirus measures.

On Friday, Washington Gov.

Jay Inslee announced he was acti-

vating up to 750 National Guard

troops to join state police in pa-

trolling the capitol in Olympia on

Monday, when lawmakers return

to session. He said an area will be

set aside for demonstrators to hold

rallies.

“But in light of the most recent

insurrection activity, the state

cannot tolerate any actions that

could result in harm, mayhem or

interruption of function of demo-

cratic institutions,” he said in a

statement. “Any illegal intrusion

of the Capitol, state buildings or

restricted areas will not be tolerat-

ed and strictly enforced.”

A right-wing militia had en-

couraged its members to occupy

the Capitol when lawmakers

meet, and that intention was

echoed by several people who

broke down a gate outside the gov-

ernor’s mansion on Wednesday,

the day Trump supporters storm-

ed the U.S. Capitol.

An organizer of the planned oc-

cupation said in a later Facebook

post that the event was canceled,

although it’s not clear whether

others who share right-wing views

plan to show up, anyway.

In neighboring Idaho, where

lawmakers also are scheduled to

meet Monday, State Police Col.

Kedrick Wills said there will be an

increased presence of uniformed

state troopers at the statehouse.

Anxieties are high for some law-

makers.

Some state officials are rethink-

ing their Capitol gun policies. In

Michigan, Republican Senate Ma-

jority Leader Mike Shirkey said

Thursday that he would support a

ban on the open carrying of fire-

arms in the Capitol. Minority par-

ty Democratic lawmakers want to

prohibit all guns in the building.

By contrast, some Texas law-

makers are talking of bringing

more guns into the Capitol to pro-

tect themselves. Licensed hand-

gun owners already can carry

firearms into the Capitol, and

some lawmakers have been

known to wear guns in the cham-

ber.

“Pretty sure more #txlege

members are going to start carry-

ing inside the Capitol,” Republi-

can state Rep. Briscoe Cain tweet-

ed Thursday, a day after the Capi-

tol grounds were abruptly shut-

tered as hundreds of Trump

supporters demonstrated outside

without any reported incidents.

Some states already had

stepped up security before the vio-

lence in the nation’s capital.

Afence remains at the Minneso-

ta Capitol after being erected last

summer amid the unrest over

Floyd’s killing. It was in place

Wednesday when around 500

Trump supporters held what was

billed as a “Storm the Capitol” ral-

ly — a noisy but peaceful gather-

ing with no arrests. State Public

Safety Commissioner John Har-

rington said increased security

staffing will continue for the im-

mediate future.

Colorado’s Capitol also remains

encircled by fencing, with con-

crete barriers to block vehicles

and its ground floor windows

boarded up after vandals dam-

aged it following Floyd’s death.

Officials already planned to install

stronger fencing, more security

cameras and bullet-resistant glass

for windows. Legislative leaders

are focusing on any needed addi-

tional measures after the events in

Washington, said Bella Combest,

spokeswoman for the Senate

Democratic leadership.

State capitolsreassess safetyafter riot in DC

BY DAVID A. LIEB

Associated Press

TED S. WARREN/AP

Protesters square off with law enforcement officers on the front porch of the Governor's Mansion after agroup of people got through a perimeter fence at the Capitol in Olympia, Wash., on Wednesday.

DAVID ZALUBOWSKI/AP

Colorado State Patrol troopers hold on to a patrol vehicle as theykeep watch on people attending a rally in support of President DonaldTrump outside the State Capitol in downtown Denver on Wednesday.

SAN DIEGO — Supporters of President

Donald Trump clashed with counter-pro-

testers in San Diego on Saturday, prompt-

ing police to declare the gathering an un-

lawful assembly because of acts of violence.

Officers were hit with rocks, bottles and

eggs, police said, and the crowd directed

pepper spray at them.

KSWB-TV tweeted video of counter dem-

onstrators, most of them dressed in black

and waving an antifa flag, throwing a fold-

ing chair and spraying a chemical irritant at

a smaller group of people participating in

the march on the Pacific Beach boardwalk.

The station said in other instances, mem-

bers of both groups shoved and threw ob-

jects at one another.

Police sent in dozens of officers in riot

gear to separate the two groups. Police

asked residents to stay away from the area

and warned that those who refused to dis-

perse may be cited or arrested.

Trump backers, countergroup clash in San Diego

Associated Press

NELVIN C. CEPEDA, THE SAN DIEGO UNIONTRIBUNE/AP

San Diego police clash with protesters after a gathering was declared an unlawfulassembly Saturday in San Diego.


BOSTON — One Twitter wag

joked about lights flickering on

and off at the White House being

Donald Trump signaling to his fol-

lowers in Morse code after Twit-

ter and Facebook squelched the

president for inciting rebellion.

Though deprived of his big on-

line megaphones, Trump does

have alternative options of much

smaller reach. The far right-

friendly Parler may be the lead-

ing candidate, though Google and

Apple have both removed it from

their app stores and Amazon de-

cided to boot it off its web hosting

service. That could knock it of-

fline for a week, Parler’s CEO

said.

Trump may launch his own

platform. But that won’t happen

overnight, and free speech ex-

perts anticipate growing pressure

on all social media platforms to

curb incendiary speech as Amer-

icans take stock of Wednesday’s

violent takeover of the U.S. Capi-

tol by a Trump-incited mob.

Twitter ended Trump’s nearly

12-year run on Friday. In shutter-

ing his account it cited a tweet to

his 89 million followers that he

planned to skip President-elect

Joe Biden’s Jan. 20 inauguration

that it said gave rioters license to

converge on Washington once

again.

Facebook and Instagram have

suspended Trump at least until

Inauguration Day. Twitch and

Snapchat also have disabled

Trump’s accounts, while Shopify

took down online stores affiliated

with the president and Reddit re-

moved a Trump subgroup. Twit-

ter also banned Trump loyalists

including former national securi-

ty adviser Michael Flynn in a

sweeping purge of accounts pro-

moting the QAnon conspiracy the-

ory and the Capitol insurrection.

Some had hundreds of thousands

of followers.

In a statement Friday, Trump

said: “We have been negotiating

with various other sites, and will

have a big announcement soon,

while we also look at the possibil-

ities of building out our own plat-

form in the near future.”

Experts had predicted Trump

might pop up on Parler, a 2-year-

old magnet for the far right that

claims more than 12 million users

and where his sons Eric and Don

Jr. are already active. Parler hit

headwinds, though, on Friday as

Google yanked its smartphone

app from its app store for allowing

postings that seek “to incite ongo-

ing violence in the U.S.” Apple fol-

lowed suit Saturday evening after

giving Parler 24 hours to address

complaints it was being used to

“plan and facilitate yet further il-

legal and dangerous activities.”

Public safety issues will need to

be resolved before it is restored,

Apple said.

Amazon struck another blow

Saturday, informing Parler it

would need to look for a new web-

hosting service effective midnight

Sunday. It reminded Parler in a

letter, first reported by Buzzfeed,

that it had informed it in the past

few weeks of 98 examples of posts

“that clearly encourage and incite

violence” and said the platform

“poses a very real risk to public

safety.”

Parler CEO John Matze de-

cried the punishments as “a coor-

dinated attack by the tech giants

to kill competition in the market-

place. We were too successful too

fast,” he said in a Saturday night

post, saying it was possible Parler

would be unavailable for up to a

week “as we rebuild from

scratch.”

Earlier, Matze complained of

being scapegoated. “Standards

not applied to Twitter, Facebook

or even Apple themselves, apply

to Parler.” He said he “won’t cave

to politically motivated compa-

nies and those authoritarians who

hate free speech.”

Losing access to the app stores

of Google and Apple — whose op-

erating systems power hundreds

of millions of smartphones — se-

verely limits Parler’s reach,

though it will continue to be ac-

cessible via web browser. Losing

Amazon Web Services will mean

Parler needs to scramble to find

another web host — in addition to

the re-engineering.

Gab is another potential land-

ing spot for Trump. But it, too, has

had troubles with internet host-

ing. Google and Apple both booted

it from their app stores in 2017

and it was left internet-homeless

for a time the following year due

to anti-Semitic posts attributed to

the man accused of killing 11 peo-

ple at a Pittsburgh synagogue. Mi-

crosoft also terminated a web-

hosting contract.

Online speech experts expect

social media companies led by

Facebook, Twitter and Google’s

YouTube to more vigorously po-

lice hate speech and incitement in

the wake of the Capitol rebellion,

as Western democracies led by

Nazism-haunted Germany al-

ready do.

David Kaye, a University of

California-Irvine law professor

and former U.N. special rappor-

teur on free speech believes the

Parlers of the world will also face

pressure from the public and law

enforcement as will little-known

sites where further pre-inaugura-

tion disruption is now apparently

being organized. They include

MeWe, Wimkin, TheDonald.win

and Stormfront, according to a re-

port released Saturday by The

Alethea Group, which tracks dis-

information.

While initially arguing their

need to be neutral on speech,

Twitter and Facebook gradually

yielded to public pressure draw-

ing the line especially when the

so-called Plandemic video

emerged early in the COVID-19

pandemic urging people not to

wear masks, noted civic media

professor Ethan Zuckerman of

the University of Massachusetts-

Amherst.

Zuckerman expects the Trump

de-platforming may spur impor-

tant online shifts. First, there may

be an accelerated splintering of

the social media world along ide-

ological lines.

Squelched by Twitter, Trumpseeks new online megaphone

Associated Press

TALI ARBEL / AP

On Friday, Twitter permanently suspended Trump from its platform,citing “risk of further incitement of violence.”

term ends on Jan. 20.

The White House had no immediate com-

ment Sunday.

The House appears determined to act de-

spite the short timeline.

Late Saturday, House Speaker Nancy Pe-

losi, D-Calif., sent a letter to her colleagues

reiterating that Trump must be held ac-

countable. She told her caucus, now scat-

tered across the country on a two-week re-

cess, to “be prepared to return to Washing-

ton this week.”

“It is absolutely essential that those who

perpetrated the assault on our democracy be

held accountable,” Pelosi wrote. “There

must be a recognition that this desecration

was instigated by the President.”

Rep. Jim Clyburn, the third-ranking

House Democrat, said “it may be Tuesday,

Wednesday before the action is taken, but I

think it will be taken this week.” Clyburn, D-

S.C., said he was concerned that a Senate

trial could distract from the process of con-

firming President-elect Joe Biden’s nomi-

nees.

Clyburn said one option could be giving Bi-

den the “100 days he needs to get his agenda

off and running and maybe we’ll send the ar-

ticles sometime after that” to the Senate for a

trial.

He said lawmakers “will take the vote that

we should take in the House” and that Pelosi

“will make the determination as when is the

best time” to send them to the Senate.

Sen. Roy Blunt says he doesn’t see a need

for congressional Republicans to hold Presi-

dent Donald Trump accountable for his role

in promoting last week’s Capitol riot but

warned him to “be very careful” in his last 10

days in office.

The Missouri Republican called Trump’s

decisions and actions leading up to last

Wednesday’s riot “clearly reckless.” But he

says the U.S. should be “thinking more about

the first day of the next presidency” than on

removing Trump from office.

Blunt says he doesn’t think Trump will act

recklessly again. He told CBS’ “Face the Na-

tion”: “My personal view is that the presi-

dent touched the hot stove on Wednesday

and is unlikely to touch it again.”

Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell, the Re-

publican leader, has said an impeachment

trial could begin as early as Inauguration

Day.

The new Democratic effort to stamp

Trump’s presidential record — for the sec-

ond time and days before his term ends —

with the indelible mark of impeachment is

gaining supporters. Rep. David Cicilline, D-

R.I., a leader of the House effort to draft im-

peachment articles — or charges — accusing

Trump of inciting insurrection, said Satur-

day that his group includes 185 co-sponsors.

Lawmakers planned to formally intro-

duce the proposal on Monday in the House,

where articles of impeachment must origi-

nate.

The articles, if passed by the House, could

then be transmitted to the Senate for a trial,

with senators acting as jurors who would ul-

timately vote on whether to acquit or convict

Trump. If convicted, Trump would be re-

moved from office and succeeded by the vice

president.

Potentially complicating that decision

about impeachment is what it means for Bi-

den and the beginning of his presidency.

Aviolent and largely white mob of Trump

supporters overpowered police, broke

through security lines and rampaged

through the Capitol on Wednesday, forcing

lawmakers to scatter as they were putting

the final, formal touches on Biden’s victory

over Trump in the Electoral College.

The crowd surged to the symbol of Amer-

ican democracy following a rally near the

White House, where Trump repeated his bo-

gus claims that the election was stolen from

him and urged supporters to march in force

toward the Capitol.

Five people, including a Capitol police offi-

cer, died as a result of the siege.

Outrage over the attack and Trump’s role

in egging it on capped a divisive, chaotic

presidency like few others in the nation’s his-

tory.

Trump has few fellow Republicans speak-

ing out in his defense. He’s become increas-

ingly isolated, holed up in the White House as

he has been abandoned in the aftermath of

the riot by many aides, leading Republicans

and, so far, two Cabinet members.

Resign: House appears ready to act on second impeachmentFROM PAGE 1

NATION


NATION

WASHINGTON — Joe Biden

promised that his presidency

would mean a return to normalcy.

His Cabinet picks help demon-

strate how he plans to deliver.

The president-elect announced

his final nominees this past week,

completing a diverse team of two

dozen people. He noted Friday

that this will be the “first Cabinet

ever” to reach gender parity and

include a majority of people of col-

or, notable given earlier concerns

that he was leaning largely on

white men.

Some nominees have decades of

experience in their respective

agencies. Many held prominent

roles in the Obama administra-

tion. Many have already begun

meeting with interest groups and

advocacy organizations, and his

transition team has had what’s

been described as an “open-door

policy” toward advocacy groups

for months.

It’s a sharp contrast to Presi-

dent Donald Trump’s Cabinet,

which was dominated largely by

white men with little experience

in Washington. Biden’s aides say

that was one of the goals he set in

filling out his Cabinet: to signal

that his presidency means a re-

turn to competent, stable leader-

ship.

That’s especially important,

Democrats say, as the pandemic

and economic turmoil rage and

the country navigates through the

aftermath of last week’s violent in-

surrection at the U.S. Capitol.

“Joe Biden is taking office un-

der the most challenging circum-

stances in a century,” said Dan

Pfeiffer, a former Obama White

House senior adviser. “There is no

time for on the job training. He

needs people who can hit the

ground running because what

happens in the first six months of

his presidency will likely deter-

mine the trajectory of all four

years.”

Biden’s Cabinet is unlikely to be

in place when he assumes the

presidency on Jan. 20. The Senate,

which must confirm the nomi-

nees, hasn’t scheduled hearings

for many of the picks. One excep-

tion is Lloyd Austin, Biden’s nomi-

nee for defense secretary, who is

expected to appear before the

Senate Armed Services Commit-

tee on Jan. 19.

Some nominees faced early

questions about their confirma-

tion prospects, particularly Neera

Tanden, Biden’s pick to lead the

Office of Management and Bud-

get. Tanden has angered Republi-

cans with her outspoken criticism

of them on Twitter.

But the confirmation process

for many of the nominees may be

smoother after Democrats picked

up two Senate seats in Georgia last

week, leaving the chamber evenly

divided. Vice President-elect Ka-

mala Harris will be the tie-break-

ing vote, giving Democrats the

edge.

Biden spokesman Andrew

Bates said that the president-elect

is “working in good faith with both

parties in Congress toward swift

confirmation because with so

much at stake, with our national

security on the line and lives and

jobs being lost every day, our na-

tion cannot afford to waste any

time.”

But many nominees may face

unprecedented levels of scrutiny

as they work to dig their depart-

ments out of both the erosion in

public trust in government and an

erosion of morale from within.

Many department budgets and

staff were gutted during the

Trump administration.

That hollowing out is part of

why it’s so important for Biden to

choose seasoned veterans for his

Cabinet, according to Eric

Schultz, a former senior White

House adviser.

“One of the problems that Biden

faces that Obama did not in 2009 is

how the Trump administration

has treated federal agencies and

departments,” he said. “Rebuild-

ing — just, operationally — these

agencies, to get that back up and

running, is going to take a lot of

work. So it wouldn’t make sense to

put in a bunch of newbies.”

They’ll also have to navigate de-

mands from progressives looking

for major changes from leaders at

agencies ranging from the the De-

partment of Homeland Security to

the Environmental Protection

Agency and the Justice Depart-

ment. Many of them will be on the

front lines of addressing a pan-

demic that’s killed more than

371,000 people in the United

States, while taking action on the

issues of race and inequality and

climate change that have prompt-

ed national movements for change

in recent years.

To get ahead of those problems,

Biden’s transition team has spent

months meeting with trade, advo-

cacy and interest groups across

Washington and beyond, looking

to reestablish relationships that

had atrophied during the Trump

administration. Now that his team

has been named, his nominees

have begun their own meetings

with key groups as they prepare to

take office.

Some meetings are aimed at as-

suaging concerns among critics,

such as when Tom Vilsack, Bi-

den’s pick for agriculture secreta-

ry, met with Black farm advo-

cates. Vilsack has faced questions

about what critics say was his fail-

ure to address discrimination

against Black farmers within the

agency while he was Obama’s

agriculture chief.

But still others have included

representatives from areas not

typically seen as pet Democratic

constituencies. Three of Biden’s

top picks for health adviser posi-

tions met with interfaith leaders

on Thursday, and the next day

Alejandro Mayorkas, Biden’s pick

at Homeland Security, met with

20 leaders who share his Jewish

faith.

The Rev. Gabriel Salguero, a

Florida-based pastor who founded

the National Latino Evangelical

Coalition, said the Biden transi-

tion has made a “very robust and

very intentional” effort to build re-

lationships with faith leaders. Sal-

guero recalled other faith-specific

calls with Susan Rice, chosen as

Biden’s domestic policy adviser,

and Tanden.

While Salguero recalled meet-

ings with the Trump administra-

tion on key issues, he said the Bi-

den transition team’s outreach al-

ready has gone further.

Even those groups that may be

more aligned with Trump and Re-

publicans on their issues are al-

ready pleased with Biden’s ap-

proach to governing. Democratic

lobbyist Steve Elmendorf said that

the reaction from his business cli-

ents and other Washington lobby-

ists has been, he said, “very posi-

tive” because “business likes cer-

tainty.”

“Business likes a plan,” Elmen-

dorf said. “And while some of the

outcomes under Donald Trump,

people liked, they really didn’t like

the government by tweet and Fox

News.”

Even those who don’t agree with

all of Biden’s policies, Elmendorf

said, are relieved at the return to

normal working order because

“they believe that there will be a

process that is known, and is

transparent, and where stake-

holders will have an opportunity

to make their views known.”

Biden Cabinet picks indicatereturn to normal governing

Associated Press

Mayorkas Vilsack Tanden Austin

WASHINGTON — Vice Presi-

dent Mike Pence will attend the

inauguration of President-elect

Joe Biden and Vice President-

elect Kamala Harris, breaking

ranks with President Donald

Trump, who said that he wouldn’t

attend.

Pence plans to be at the Jan. 20

event, according to two people fa-

miliar with his plans who asked

not to be identified discussing in-

ternal deliberations. Trump, in

the final tweet before his account

was suspended by Twitter on Fri-

day, said that he “will not be going

to the Inauguration.”

On Wednesday, the vice presi-

dent defied Trump’s call to over-

turn the election and instead ful-

filled his ceremonial duty to pre-

side over Congress’s acceptance

of the Electoral College results.

On Friday, Biden, speaking to

reporters, said that he agreed that

Trump shouldn’t attend the inau-

guration but that Pence was “wel-

come,” and that he’d be honored if

the vice president were to attend.

“I’d be honored to have him

there,” Biden said.

PATRICK SEMANSKY / AP

Workers install a flag on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol Saturday inpreparation for Presidentelect Joe Biden's inauguration.

Pence to attendBiden inauguration

Bloomberg News

CHICAGO — A man killed

three people and wounded four

others in a series of shootings that

started on Chicago’s South Side

and ended with his death in a shoo-

tout with police in a parking lot

just north of the city.

Investigators are trying to de-

termine a motive for the attacks,

which began Saturday afternoon

with the killing of a 30-year-old

University of Chicago student who

was shot in the head while sitting

in his car in a parking garage in

the Hyde Park neighborhood, Chi-

cago police Superintendent David

Brown told reporters.

The shooter then “just random-

ly” walked into an apartment

building a block away, where he

shot a 46-year-old security guard

who was sitting at the desk and a

77-year-old woman who was get-

ting her mail, Brown said. The

guard was pronounced dead at a

hospital and the older woman,

who was shot in the head, was hos-

pitalized in critical condition, the

Chicago Tribune reported.

Jason Nightengale, 32, went to

another building, carjacked a man

he knew, and then went to a conve-

nience store and fired shots, kill-

ing a 20-year-old man and wound-

ing an 81-year-old woman, Brown

said.

The woman was also in critical

condition.

After leaving the store, Nighten-

gale fired shots at a 15-year-old

girl who was riding in a car with

her mother, leaving the girl in crit-

ical condition, police said.

Nightengale then drove north to

Evanston, which borders Chicago,

where police responded to a re-

port of shots fired inside a store.

Nightengale had apparently walk-

ed into the store, announced that

he was robbing it and fired off

shots that didn’t hit anyone, au-

thorities said. He then went across

the street to an IHOP restaurant,

where he shot a woman in the

head. She was in critical condition,

Evanston police Chief Demitrous

Cook told reporters.

Nightengale left the restaurant

and was confronted by officers in

a parking lot, leading to a shootout

in which he was shot and killed.

Man shoots 7 in seriesof Chicago-area attacks

Associated Press


AMERICAN ROUNDUP

Mayor chosen by pulling a name from hat

TX DICKINSON — Therace to be the mayor ofa Houston suburb ended with the

winner’s name being drawn from

a top hat.

Sean Skipworth and Jennifer

Lawrence were vying to be the

next mayor of Dickinson, but they

each ended up with 1,010 votes af-

ter a runoff election.

According to Texas law, a tie in

a race for public office can be re-

solved by casting lots.

Skipworth became mayor after

aping pong ball with his name was

pulled out of a hat during a cere-

monythat lasted about 10 minutes,

the Galveston County Daily News

reported.

“I just thank everyone for com-

ing out and voting,” Skipworth

said after he became mayor. “Lit-

erally, every vote counted.”

State to try again to sellformer circus train cars

NC RALEIGH — The stateof North Carolina saidit will try again to auction off rail-

road cars, including nine that

were once owned by the Ringling

Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Cir-

cus.

The Raleigh News & Observer

reported that the N.C. Depart-

ment of Transportation had origi-

nally put 16 cars up for sale last

month. And it received offers for

two passenger cars built in the

1960s.

Jason Orthner, director of

NCDOT’s Rail Division, said the

state will hold another online auc-

tion for the other 14 cars. He said

the department will consider low-

ering the asking prices and revis-

ing the terms and conditions of the

sales.

Bill 33, retired NavalAcademy mascot, has died

MD ANNAPOLIS — TheUnited States NavalAcademy announced that goat

mascot Bill 33 has died.

The fuzzy Angora goat was af-

fectionately known as “Blue

Eyes” and would have been 14

years old this week.

The goat was the team mascot

from 2008 to 2015. He stood out not

only for his startling eyes, but also

for horns that stretched longer

than any goat in his herd.

Bill 33 suffered from health is-

sues caused by old age and was

humanely euthanized when it be-

came clear that his condition

would not improve. He is survived

by successors and current goat

mascots Bills 36 and 37.

Police: Racist graffitifound on 3 schools

MO KIRKWOOD —Kirkwood police areinvestigating after “racist and de-

rogatory” statements were found

at three schools in the city.

A student found the graffiti at

Kirkwood High School. Mainte-

nance staff checking all the dis-

trict’s schools found graffiti at

Nipher and North Kirkwood mid-

dle schools, The St. Louis Post-

Dispatch reported.

The vandalized areas were

cleaned, said Superintendent

Dave Ul

,j ‘impeachable offenses’ reason to resigndonald trump should resign as support for the drive to...

Documents