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INSIDE, 8A THURSDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2021 | CINCINNATI.COM | PART OF THE USA TODAY NETWORK

KIDS WHO KILL

A HOMICIDE DETECTIVE SPEAKS

‘A complete act of betrayal’ Civil rights advocates say top exec fed info to anti-Muslim group USA TODAY NETWORK

‘Our kids are the scariest criminals’ Dan Horn Cincinnati Enquirer | USA TODAY NETWORK

This year in Hamilton County, 15 juveniles have been charged with murder, more than were charged in the last four years combined. Why the increase? 'Kids Who Kill,' The Enquirer's series on juvenile violence, continues with this conversation. Police Detective Takia Smith works in the violent crimes unit and investigates homicides. A Cincinnati native who grew up in English Woods and West Price Hill, she’s familiar with the neighborhoods where the violence she investigates occurs. She’s the mother of a 14-year-old girl. Enquirer reporter Dan Horn:I know what the numbers say, but what are you seeing out there? Det. Smith: Last year, we saw young people, but not teenagers. This year, it’s the teenagers. They don’t know how to rationalize. They don’t know how to communicate. They are driven by

their anger. It’s like a toddler. If an adult slaps a 2-year-old on the hand and tells them ‘no,’ the 2year-old will hit you right back. Because that’s what they’re reacting to. They don’t think. They don’t rationalize. Whereas an adult, they have a lot to think about. They rationalize: I have a girlfriend or a wife. I might have kids. I’ve been in jail before. I don’t want to go to jail again. Teenagers don’t do that? They’re willing to throw it away because they want to be accepted somewhere. A lot of times it’s clout. This is what I did. Now they’re accepted somewhere.

Now somebody is hyping them up. It’s just scary. Even young rappers, what they’re rapping about, they’re really doing it. Every year, they’re really dying, really going to jail. They’re not just telling stories anymore. They’re doing it. These young people, they’re impressionable. They mirror what they see. If you look at their Facebook, because we follow a lot of these on

A local Muslim advocacy group is considering legal action after it found out that its now-former executive director was feeding confi dential information to an anti-Muslim group over the past several years. The Council on American Islamic Relations Columbus and Cincinnati chapter (CAIR-Ohio) fi red Romin Iqbal, its executive director since 2018, on Tuesday after an investigation by CAIR national headquarters found that he had been sharing confi dential meeting recordings and emails with the Investigative Project on Terrorism (IPT), a Washington D.C.-based antiMuslim group. Iqbal Whitney Siddiqi, community aff airs director for CAIR-Ohio, said Iqbal’s actions were “a complete act of betrayal,” but that the organization remains resolute in its work and Siddiqi undeterred. Iqbal, of Dublin, referred requests for comment to his attorney Wednesday morning. His attorney, David H. Thomas, a partner at Taft Law’s Compliance, Investigations and White Collar Defense practice group based in Downtown Columbus, said he has no comment on the allegations against his client. Iqbal, who has been outspoken against Islamophobia during his time with CAIR-Ohio, confessed to secretly working with IPT after he was confronted with evidence, according to the organization’s news release. CAIR-Ohio isn’t sure what Iqbal’s motive may have been, but said his efforts were carried out in a “planned and purposeful” manner over the course of years. Columbus offi ce staff members also found a package with AR-15 weapon

See KIDS, Page 6A

See CAIR, Page 7A

Detective Takia Smith is pictured inside the offices of the Cincinnati Police Department’s Criminal Investigation Section in Queensgate. MEG VOGEL/THE ENQUIRER

Inside A mother speaks. 6A

HEALTH KNOW HOW

Prioritize self-care for a new start before the new year www.interactforhealth.org

Holiday cloud: Researchers encourage reconsideration of plans amid spread of omicron variant. 1C

Bearcats bounce back

Weather

Cincinnati men coast to 77-50 hoops win over Florida A&M. 1D

High 62° ❚ Low 52° Showers. Forecast, 2A

QEAJAB-10101x

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2021

THE ENQUIRER

CORRECTIONS AND CLARIFICATIONS

YOUR FORECAST Heavy rain is on the way over the next few days. Rain will begin this morning and continue at times throughout the day. The heaviest rain will likely be this evening, again Friday evening and ending Saturday by midday. Rainfall totals could be around two inches by the time the showers pass to the east. Temperatures will remain mild through Saturday before falling into next week. However, despite the cooler weather next week it looks very nice with plenty of sunshine and highs near normal. Although the chances for a White Christmas are looking small at this time with Christmas only nine days from today.

The Enquirer is committed to accuracy and will correct all errors of substance. To reach us, contact reader representative Robin Buchanan at 513-768-8308 or email her at accuracy@enquirer.com. Please include whether you are responding to content online, in social media or in the newspaper.

LOTTERIES OHIO

(Drawings: Dec. 15) Pick 3 (early): 0 9 5 Pick 4 (early): 2 2 5 7 Pick 5 (early): 9 9 9 3 1

THE NATION

Shown are noon positions of weather systems and precipitation. Temperature bands are highs for the day

w- weather: s- sunny, pc- partly cloudy, sh- showers, t- thunderstorms, r- rain, sf- snow flurries, sn- snow, i- ice. CITY

TODAY HI LO W

FRI HI LO W

CITY

TODAY HI LO W

FRI HI LO W

Akron Albany, N.Y. Albuquerque Amarillo Anchorage Asheville Atlanta Atlantic City Austin Baltimore Baton Rouge Birmingham Bismarck Boise Boston Buffalo Burlington, Vt. Charleston, S.C. Charleston, W.Va. Charlotte, N.C. Cheyenne Chicago Cleveland Columbia, S.C. Columbus Concord, N.H. Dallas-Ft. Worth Daytona Beach Denver Des Moines Detroit El Paso Evansville Fairbanks Fort Lauderdale Fort Myers Fort Wayne Grand Rapids Great Falls Hartford Honolulu Houston Indianapolis Jackson, Miss. Jacksonville Kansas City Key West Knoxville Las Vegas

60 59 49 56 18 65 64 63 80 66 79 72 17 37 61 62 55 75 68 66 40 47 61 69 60 55 74 80 52 43 61 64 62 -1 80 84 58 55 27 60 82 82 59 77 78 50 81 67 49

46 47 48 60 23 71 71 62 81 65 79 72 17 35 56 44 44 76 57 73 34 42 44 76 45 51 75 80 44 42 43 64 52 10 83 87 42 39 12 55 81 82 43 77 79 50 80 69 53

Lexington Little Rock Los Angeles Louisville Madison Memphis Miami Milwaukee Minneapolis Mobile Naples Nashville New Orleans New York City Norfolk, Va. Oklahoma City Omaha Orlando Philadelphia Phoenix Pittsburgh Portland, Maine Portland, Ore. Providence Raleigh Reno Richmond Sacramento St. Louis Salt Lake City San Antonio San Diego San Francisco San Jose Santa Fe St. Ste. Marie Seattle Sioux Falls South Bend Springfield, Ill. Syracuse Tampa Toledo Traverse City Tucson Tulsa Washington, D.C. Wichita Wilmington, N.C.

63 71 55 65 37 71 81 42 26 76 84 69 79 63 66 59 44 82 64 63 62 51 45 61 69 40 67 53 53 34 79 59 56 56 45 45 41 32 57 49 64 84 61 49 66 58 64 54 76

55 72 63 54 34 72 82 37 24 75 85 69 80 60 67 65 46 86 62 64 48 51 47 59 72 35 70 48 47 34 79 62 54 54 45 29 43 34 42 44 48 84 46 32 64 64 65 55 77

33 r 46 c 27 s 35 s 18 sn 43 pc 55 pc 53 c 66 t 52 c 60 pc 59 pc 2c 24 sn 51 c 39 c 43 sh 56 pc 51 r 54 pc 23 pc 28 pc 33 r 51 pc 32 r 45 c 63 t 63 s 25 s 24 s 32 r 39 pc 39 r -2 sn 74 sh 67 pc 28 r 28 c 0c 51 c 69 s 69 pc 30 r 59 pc 57 s 31 s 74 s 52 c 37 pc

38 pc 35 pc 27 s 27 pc 22 c 51 c 60 c 42 s 57 t 46 pc 62 c 61 c -5 sn 16 pc 37 s 33 c 29 pc 59 c 52 r 59 c 16 s 33 pc 37 pc 56 pc 40 sh 29 s 49 c 65 s 17 s 21 pc 33 pc 39 c 43 sh 9 sn 73 sh 68 c 33 pc 27 c 6 pc 37 pc 68 pc 66 pc 37 c 64 pc 58 s 27 pc 73 pc 59 c 34 s

44 r 59 r 45 pc 44 r 22 pc 61 r 73 sh 26 s 13 sf 62 pc 68 pc 58 r 64 pc 52 c 56 pc 40 pc 27 s 65 s 52 c 43 s 36 r 46 c 39 c 51 c 53 pc 16 c 54 c 37 pc 35 c 27 sn 68 c 48 pc 43 pc 40 pc 22 s 23 c 37 c 19 pc 28 c 27 pc 42 sh 70 s 32 r 26 pc 39 s 43 pc 53 c 28 s 54 pc

54 t 52 t 38 s 51 t 25 c 60 t 72 s 30 c 15 c 65 sh 70 pc 59 t 67 r 42 pc 55 c 33 c 18 pc 67 s 45 s 44 s 40 pc 29 s 42 c 39 pc 58 pc 14 pc 53 c 34 pc 38 c 15 sn 64 c 42 s 40 s 35 s 17 s 17 sf 40 c 10 c 34 pc 33 pc 34 pc 71 pc 35 pc 26 c 40 s 37 r 48 c 25 c 59 pc

IN THE SKY

FULL Dec. 18

LAST Dec. 26

(Drawings: Dec. 14) Pick 3 (late): 4 6 6 Pick 4 (late): 9 4 6 5 Pick 5 (late): 9 7 8 2 7 Rolling Cash 5: 1 2 13 32 39 Classic Lotto: Wednesday’s jackpot was $18.4 million.

U.S. FORECAST

NEW Jan. 2

FIRST Jan. 9

Sunrise Sunset Moonrise Moonset

Today

Tomorrow

7:51 a.m. 5:16 p.m. 3:38 p.m. 5:30 a.m.

7:51 a.m. 5:17 p.m. 4:11 p.m. 6:30 a.m.

KENTUCKY

(Drawings: Dec. 15) Pick 3 (early): 3 3 9 Pick 4 (early): 7 7 0 6 (Drawings: Dec. 14) Pick 3 (late): 5 1 4 Pick 4 (late): 7 6 5 7 Cash Ball: 8 15 21 33, 4

INDIANA

(Drawings: Dec. 15) Daily 3 (early): 1 2 3 (SB: 2) Daily 4 (early): 9 9 4 9 (SB: 2) Cold

Warm

Stationary Showers T-storms

RIVER LEVELS RIVER

Flurries

Snow

Previous level

25.4 12.0 33.5 12.0 12.0

30.62 24.70 34.60 23.39 22.46

Pool Level

Previous level

Flood Stage

6.80 6.43 7.65 5.01

28 17 18 20

Licking (Falmouth) Little Miami (Milford) Great Miami (Hamilton) Whitewater (Brookville)

Ice

Levels as of 7 a.m. Wednesday. Thursday’s forecast is for 7 a.m. Pool levels reflect the normal river level.

Pool Level

Cincinnati Markland Dam Maysville Meldahl Dam Portsmouth

OTHER RIVERS

Rain

12.0 12.0 12.0 12.0

ALMANAC

Rising

From Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport through 3 p.m. Wed.

TEMPERATURE High/low ............................ 64/49 Normal high/low ................ 43/28 Record high .................. 66 (1971) Record low ................... -7 (1901) HUMIDITY High ..................................... 51% Low ...................................... 27% PRECIPITATION Last 24 hours ....................... trace Month to date ..................... 1.93” Normal month to date ......... 1.82” Year to date ....................... 48.41” Normal year to date .......... 43.35”

Flood Stage

52.0 51.0 50.0 51.0 55.0

Falling

Forecast

28.70 21.60 34.00 19.20 19.60 Forecast

8.30 5.80 7.10 4.60 Unchanged

AIR QUALITY Pollution...........................42/Good Main pollutant............. Particulates

(Drawings: Dec. 14) Daily 3 (late): 5 2 0 (SB: 1) Daily 4 (late): 7 3 2 6 (SB: 1) Cash 5: 20 24 26 37 38 Hoosier Lotto: Wednesday’s jackpot was $3.2 million.

MEGA MILLIONS

(Drawings: Dec. 14) 33 35 44 55 69 Megaball: 20 Megaplier: 3 Friday’s jackpot is an estimated $160 million.

POWERBALL

Wednesday’s jackpot was an estimated $333 million.

Pollen data will return in the spring. Source: Hamilton County Department of Environmental Services

EXTREMES Wednesday for the 48 contiguous states.

TODAY IN HISTORY Today is Thursday, Dec. 16, the 350th day of 2021. There are 15 days left in the year. On this date in:

THE LOCAL BUZZ The tornadoes that swept through parts of western Kentucky Friday and Saturday, left 74 dead so far and did untold damage and destruction. They also came as families were preparing for Christmas. To help children aff ected by the storms, Kentucky First Lady Britainy Beshear is organizing a western Kentucky toy drive, with drop-off locations available around the state. “For many of us, the holidays are a time for being at home surrounded by family and friends,” Beshear wrote of the tornadoes and the toy drive. “But this year, many in Western Kentucky have suff ered a tragedy. They’ve lost everything, including their homes and maybe even someone they love. With your help, we can make this season a little easier for those who are hurting by donating a toy, book or gift card to bring them some hope and joy during the holidays.” State offi cials are requesting toys, games, books and technology that are new, unwrapped and in their original packaging.

They are also asking for $25 Mastercard and Visa gift cards. No clothes are needed at this time. If you prefer to mail donations to the toy drive, those can be sent to 937 Phillips Lane, Louisville, KY 40299. In addition to physical drop-oﬀ locations in Lexington, Louisville and Paducah, here are the two locations in Northern Kentucky:

COVID-19 VACCINE DASHBOARD OHIO Doses received: 19,057,165 Residents with one dose: 6,957,555 or 59.5%

Independence

Residents who are fully vaccinated: 6,361,763 or 54.4%

Kenton County Police Department 11777 Madison Pike, Independence, KY 41051 Drop-oﬀ s accepted 24 hours a day Tuesday-Saturday

Who is eligible now? Ages 5 and up.

Covington Kenton County Government Center 1840 Simon Kenton Way, Covington, KY 41011 Drop-oﬀ s accepted 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Friday

How do I get registered? Go online to gettheshot.coronavirus.ohio.gov to check eligibility and book an appointment or get a link to vaccine providers. Or call 833-427-5634.

KENTUCKY Doses received: 7,329,575 Residents with one dose: 2,745,974 or 61.5% Residents who are fully vaccinated: 2,386,438 or 53.4 %

Download the app

Who is eligible now? Ages 5 and up.

Want to keep up with the local buzz? Download the Cincinnati.com smartphone app for all the latest news, sports and information you need to stay informed.

How do I get registered? Go online to vaccine.ky.gov, call 855-598-2246 (hearing impaired 855-326-4654).

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1653: Oliver Cromwell became lord protector of England, Scotland and Ireland. 1773: The Boston Tea Party took place as American colonists boarded a British ship and dumped more than 300 chests of tea into Boston Harbor to protest tea taxes. 1811: The first of the powerful New Madrid earthquakes struck the central Mississippi Valley with an estimated magnitude of 7.7. 1944: The World War II Battle of the Bulge began as German forces launched a surprise attack against Allied forces through the Ardennes Forest in Belgium and Luxembourg (the Allies were eventually able to turn the Germans back). 1982: Environmental Protection Agency head Anne M. Gorsuch became the first Cabinet-level officer to be cited for contempt of Congress for refusing to submit documents requested by a congressional committee. 2000: President-elect George W. Bush selected Colin Powell to become the first African-American secretary of state. 2001: After nine weeks of fighting, Afghan militia leaders claimed control of the last mountain bastion of Osama bin Laden’s al-Qaida fighters, but bin Laden himself was nowhere to be seen.

Corrections and clarifications

Our goal is to promptly correct errors. Email us at accuracy@ enquirer.com to report a mistake or call 513-768-8308. Describe the error, where you saw it, the date, page number, or the URL.

Customer Service .......................................................................... 1-800-876-4500 Editor and Vice President ........................................Beryl Love | 513-768-8551 Advertising ................................................ Brandie B. Davisson | 513-768-8182 Obituaries ............................................................................................. 513-768-8400

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cincinnati.com

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2021

UC Health leader: Local hospitals are in crisis Anne Saker Cincinnati Enquirer USA TODAY NETWORK

The leader of UC Health delivered grim tidings Wednesday about the continuing intense strain on local hospitals as unvaccinated COVID-19 patients, largely in their 60s, fi ll beds at levels not seen since last winter. “We're at the point where we're actually making sort of real-time decisions about whether or not we can accommodate more procedures at this point,” said Dr. Richard Lofgren, president and chief executive offi cer of the region’s adult academic health system. The most critical problem, he said, is staffi ng. “This pandemic is actually overwhelming our health systems,” Lofgren said. Cleveland-area hospitals have already

taken the step of postponing nonessential surgeries and procedures because of the rising COVID-19 tide, and the Cincinnati region could reach similar Lofgren crisis levels in as little as a few weeks, Lofgren said. Lofgren spoke Wednesday at the Hamilton County online briefi ng on the novel coronavirus pandemic. The news conference came a year after the start of the national vaccination campaign against the virus. At the time, public health and hospital offi cials expressed hope that the vaccine could stop the pandemic. Until midsummer, the campaign had brought down caseloads, but despite aggressive eff orts to persuade people to get vaccinated and boosted, just 69% of Hamilton County residents 12 and older

have received immunizations as of Wednesday. The gap between vaccinated and unvaccinated populations allows the virus to spread and mutate. In Ohio, the delta variant of the coronavirus remains predominant, although county Health Commissioner Greg Kesterman reminded that two cases of the omicron variant turned up in central Ohio last weekend. In South Africa, where the variant was ﬁ rst detected only a month ago, omicron has proven to be more infectious than delta. As of Wednesay, 605 people were hospitalized across the region with COVID-19, the most since February. That census has risen nearly 20% since Dec. 7. Kesterman said 90% of patients are unvaccinated, and the majority of the hospitalized are in their 60s, he said, a signiﬁ cant drop in age from a year ago, when the majority of COVID-19 patients

were in their 80s. “We see more and more people in the hospital system, and this will translate to more death here in the coming weeks,” Kesterman said. Lofgren said hospital staﬀ s are thinner now than a year ago as the stresses of the patient load drive out nurses, doctors, respiratory therapists and other caregivers who have worked under red-zone conditions for 21 months. “Last year, we asked our frontline providers to do heroic work, and they really went above and beyond to deliver the level of care,” he said. “One of the things that people need to understand is that when we get overwhelmed in the health care system with COVID, not only does that hurt our ability to take care of COVID patients, it aﬀ ects our ability to deliver nonCOVID care.”

Conﬁ scation of inmate’s diorama causes online stir Cameron Knight Cincinnati Enquirer USA TODAY NETWORK

On Tuesday, an Ohio sheriff ’s offi ce posted photos of a holiday diorama created by an inmate at the Butler County Correctional Complex on social media. The scene appears to show a church with a snow-covered roof, a Christmas tree with a star on top and a log fi re. “They used a lunch bag and drawing paper for the houses. Also soap was sculpted for some of the items such as the shotgun, shovel and turtle,” the Butler County Sheriff ’s Offi ce Facebook post said. “They used skittles candy for the color of the fi re.” The inmate wasn’t named. “It is considered contraband and it was confi scated,” jail offi cials wrote in the post. “Does show talent though.” The post garnered hundreds of reactions and a heated debate broke out in the comments. “Are you proud you took away Christmas joy?” one commenter wrote. “This is best evidence I’ve ever seen showing the war of Christmas exists,” said another. “For those posting with their feels. It’s

An inmate’s holiday diorama created a stir online after the Butler County Sheriff’s Department posted images of it online and after it was conﬁ scated. PROVIDED BY BUTLER COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE

JAIL y’all,” another said. “These are inmates not hotel guests. They know the rules.” The jail’s warden, Cpt. Nick Fisher,

ENGAGE JOB SEEKERS

said inmates frequently craft things out of the materials they have access to. While those things are conﬁ scated, he said, the inmates are not disciplined.

Fisher said he thought the inmate’s work was very creative and interesting, but said it’s his job to keep things as orderly as possible in the jail. “We’re obligated to run the jail in an orderly fashion,” Fisher said. Fisher said over the years he’s seen a wide variety of inmate-crafted art. He said garbage bags are turned into thread which is braided into necklaces and crosses and bed sheets are soaked in liquids so they stiﬀ en and become canvases. He said one inmate used a plastic container purchased from the commissary and rubber bands from legal documents to create a small banjo. As warden, Fisher oversees the roughly 900 inmates at the correctional complex in Hamilton, Ohio about an hour north of Cincinnati. His boss, Sheriﬀ Richard K. Jones, is a frequent guest on national news programs for his outspoken stance on illegal immigration and other law enforcement issues. At the jail this holiday season, Fisher said the inmates will receive a special meal on Christmas and greeting cards they can send to their loved ones. Families can purchase a special holiday package for the inmate through the commissary.

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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2021

THE ENQUIRER

6 Cincinnati-area business owners among those accused of defrauding COVID programs Cincinnati Enquirer USA TODAY NETWORK

At least six Cincinnati-area business owners are among hundreds nationwide accused of defrauding federal loan programs intended to provide assistance during the COVID-19 pandemic, court records show. More than 500 people across the country have been charged federally in fraud schemes related to the pandemic, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. As of March, the fraud cases involved attempts to obtain more than half a billion dollars. The six Cincinnati-area defendants received a total of $1.3 million in loans – most under the federal Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), which was designed to provide money so businesses could keep their employees. The loans are forgiven if recipients meet certain benchmarks. But the money did not to go to the defendants’ businesses, court documents say. A man who received more than $350,000 in loans for three diﬀ erent businesses, for example, spent tens of thousands of dollars on a 37-foot yacht and a Mercedes-Benz sport-utility vehicle, according to court documents. And while the businesses existed on paper, some didn’t have the number of employees claimed or any employees, at all. In one case, FBI agents went to an address listed on a loan application, an event planning business in Roselawn. According to the criminal complaint, “there was no signage or storefront, or any evidence that this business ever existed at this location.” In March, the owner of that event planning business, 51-year-old Faith Hill, received a payment of more than $90,000. Immediately upon receiving the money, court documents say she made numerous cash withdrawals and money transfers to herself. She also spent money at places including Kroger, Target and Kerry Toyota, the documents say. She paid $3,100 for what appeared to be a luxury rental home in North Carolina, according to the documents. Although Hill claimed in loan applications to have nine employees, she ultimately told FBI agents that she and her daughter were the only employees. Hill listed the business on diﬀ erent applications as being located in Roselawn and Wyoming. Also according to the documents, Hill paid Joseph Lentine III – who investigators say helped her and others prepare loan applications – a percentage of two loans she received, totaling nearly $58,000. Hill has agreed to plead guilty in U.S. District Court in Cincinnati to making false statements on a loan application, court records say. Hill’s attorney, Richard Goldberg, said “she has accepted responsibility and is fully accountable for her actions.”

Loan applications prepared for others According to court documents, Lentine is at the center of the case. Lentine and a woman who worked for him, Angel Strunk, are accused of preparing fraudulent applications for

More than 500 people across the country have been charged federally in fraud schemes related to the pandemic, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. As of March, the fraud cases involved attempts to obtain more than half a billion dollars. PPP loans for other people in exchange for money. Some of the people they assisted, court documents say, paid up to 50 percent of their PPP loans to Lentine, the documents say. Lentine also applied for loans of his own, totaling $351,703, under three different business names, according to the documents: “Tri State Org,” “Tri State Corp” and “NY-OH.” He said the businesses had a total of 17 employees, but an FBI agent said in a criminal complaint that the businesses “did not generate the revenue or employ the number of individuals claimed.” Lentine listed two of the businesses as being in Sedamsville, the third in Avondale. The complaint says he infl ated the revenue and payroll in order to receive funds. In the weeks after receiving one of the loans in June 2020, Lentine made down payments totaling $25,000 for a 37-foot yacht, according to the compliant. He also bought a 2012 MercedesBenz SUV for $14,975, the complaint says. In March, after Fifth Third Bank issued a second loan for “NY-OH,” putting nearly $51,000 in Lentine’s account, court documents say there were numerous transactions and purchases indicating fraud. Purchases were made at businesses including: Chewy.com (a pet supply retailer); Hern Marine (a boat dealer in Fairfi eld); Four Seasons; and the Sayler Park restaurant, Cabana on the River. “None of these expenses appear to be consistent with payroll, rent or other permitted expenses under the (federal) program,” the complaint says. Lentine’s attorney, Brad Moermond, said his client denies the charges. “Given the nature of the allegations, we are currently reviewing all claims made by the government and hope more facts come to light in the coming months,” Moermond said. According to the complaint, Strunk also applied for her own loans for three businesses she owned, including one that supposedly off ered blogging classes, Next Level Blogging. She told investigators that one year the business generated between $60,000 and $75,000. In addition, Strunk received $23,000 in unemployment assistance from Ohio, despite being employed full time by Lentine, the documents say. Her attorney did not respond to an email seeking comment. The other three facing charges are: Charles Murray, who owned a Cheviot pizza restaurant; Keith Lee, the owner of a development company; and Robert Debaun, who has a handyman business.

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cincinnati.com

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2021

New Ohio congressional map once again drawn by a small circle of Republicans Jessie Balmert Columbus Dispatch USA TODAY NETWORK

Once again, just a handful of Republican mapmakers and top legislators were privy to the mapmaking process as congressional lines were drawn over about a month. Despite voter-approved changes to the Ohio Constitution to curb partisan gerrymandering and improve transparency, Republicans were able to craft maps outside of the public’s – and many other offi cials’ – view, according to depositions and legal fi lings in lawsuits against the fi nal congressional map. This map is the fi rst test of reforms that Ohio voters overwhelmingly passed in 2018 to prevent or limit politicians from drawing districts that favor their political party over the other. Voters also approved changes to how state House and Senate maps are drawn in 2015. Two lawsuits – one fi led by voting rights groups and another affi liated with former Democratic Attorney General Eric Holder – accuse GOP mapmakers of drawing lines for Ohio’s 15 congressional districts in a way that unfairly favors Republican candidates. The map, conservatively, creates 10 safe congressional districts for Republicans, two safe districts for Democrats and three “arguably competitive districts that will favor Republicans,” one lawsuit alleges. Depositions in those lawsuits underscored how the map came together. Senate Republicans’ chief mapmaker Ray DiRossi told attorneys that he started work on the congressional map in mid-October – a month after state legislative maps were approved. His computer with linedrawing software resided on a 6-foot folding table in the Ohio Bureau of Worker’s Compensation’s William Green Building. His House GOP counterpart, Blake Springhetti, also worked in that room. But unlike with maps for Ohio House and Senate lines, the two mapmakers worked on separate proposals for the congressional map, which included 15 districts because of Ohio’s slow population growth. On the Senate side, DiRossi collaborated with Sen. Rob McColley, R-Napoleon. On the House side, the

lawmaker introducing the map – Rep. Scott Oelslager – had little input. The end product, signed by Gov. Mike DeWine on Nov. 20, was a product of the GOP-controlled Legislature – not the seven-member Ohio Redistricting Commission. There appeared to be a conscious eﬀ ort by mapmakers to communicate in person, rather than exchanging information by text or email messages. Attorneys asked DiRossi whether he worked on maps with John Morgan, a Republican redistricting consultant whom one Virginia lawmaker described as a “gerrymandering mastermind.” DiRossi’s attorneys advised him not to answer questions about Morgan, saying it would violate attorney-client privilege. “Mr. Morgan was retained by outside counsel for the (House) speaker and the (Senate) president,” said Gregory McGuire, one of the GOP legislative leaders’ attorneys.

Competitiveness Senate Republicans had a plan for answering voters’ concerns about past maps. That plan was competitiveness. “There weren’t competitive elections in the last decade, and that’s what we’re trying to rectify,” DiRossi said in his deposition. The Senate GOP decided on a metric for competitive districts: plus or minus 4 percentage points, based on the last decade of federal elections. By that metric, the GOP map created seven competitive districts. Had mapmakers used statewide election results as well, that number of competitive districts would have dropped by a couple. “We were focused on federal election results for the federal districts and thought that was the most appropriate and reasonable approach to using and promoting competitive districts,” DiRossi said. Attorneys for Republican lawmakers also included an analysis from Brigham Young University political science professor Michael Jay Barber. He pointed out the competitiveness of the Senate GOP map and that it combined the fewest number of incumbents. “Compared to the 2011-2020 district plan, the enacted plan creates more competitive districts, and is

equal to or more competitive than the House and Senate Democrats’ plans across ﬁ ve of six comparisons,” Barber wrote. However, analysis from Harvard University professor Kosuke Imai found that the GOP-passed map was unfair to Democratic voters. The eﬃ ciency gap, which measures packing and cracking, is 15% for the enacted map – much higher than 5.7% in simulated plans. “This implies that the enacted plan wastes around 219,000 more Democratic votes on average than the simulated plans, and around 219,000 fewer Republican votes,” Imai wrote.

How the sausage got made McColley unveiled the Senate Republicans’ fi rst map on Nov. 3. House Republicans created their own map, without consulting the Senate GOP, which they presented that same day. Then the negotiations began among Republicans. DiRossi participated in a meeting with House Speaker Bob Cupp, R-Lima, and mapmaker Blake Springhetti on Nov. 9. Gov. Mike DeWine joined a meeting with Republican legislative leaders and mapmakers within the next couple of days. “I know there were changes that were being made to this map as late as Nov. 13 or 14,” DiRossi said. “So the map was changing, you know, almost until the very last minute.” Late Nov. 15, GOP mapmakers shared the second, and ultimately, fi nal draft of the congressional map with state lawmakers and the media. Over the next few days, the map was approved and signed by DeWine. No Democrats voted for the bill, which means it will last four years rather than 10. The Ohio Supreme Court is reviewing the congressional map now. Attorneys will present oral arguments at a later date. Staff writers Anna Staver and Laura Bischoff contributed to this report. Jessie Balmert is a reporter for the USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau, which serves the Columbus Dispatch, Cincinnati Enquirer, Akron Beacon Journal and 18 other affi liated news organizations across Ohio.

Louisville animal shelter opens doors to strays from Mayﬁ eld to assist with recovery Lucas Aulbach Louisville Courier Journal USA TODAY NETWORK

Mayfi eld’s Kentucky Humane Society shelter was thankfully spared from much of the damage the town’s downtown experienced during the weekend’s deadly tornadoes. The structure was still standing Monday when a caravan from the nonprofi t’s Louisville branch showed up. And even though its building is still standing, it’s anything but business as usual at the Mayfi eldGraves County Animal Shelter. The organization is working to move its strays to other locations as it takes in local pets that were displaced or lost. Kat Rooks, the organization’s Kentucky initiatives director, was in one of three vans that left Louisville earlier in the day to pick up some of those animals from the Mayfi eld shelter. On Monday they brought back 27 dogs and eight cats, with another load of cats coming on Tuesday. The team will be back on the road throughout the week, she added — they’ve been in contact with other shelters in hardhit Bowling Green and Dawson Springs that also need some help. “This is going to be a long, long recovery there,” Rooks said after helping unload the animals at the Louisville shelter. “Animals are coming in surrendered by good Samaritans. Animals coming in as strays. (Workers) are going out and assisting searchand-rescue teams and helping to remove animals from properties that have been devastated. They are already seeing an infl ux and expect that to continue.” Rooks oversees the Kentucky Humane Society’s “Love 120” program, which aims to help all 120 counties in the state over the next 10 years. Mayfi eld was one of the fi rst communities that partnered with the organization in the initiative, she said, off ering wellness services to around 2,000 pets in that time. Transfers are common, Rooks said, with about 1,600 animals moved since Mayfi eld’s shelter joined the program. The two sides have developed a close relationship in that time as well, Rooks added. “There were a lot of tears on Saturday,” she said. “These are my friends, people that I know, I work with closely. People that I know lost everything there.” The stray animals that were brought to Louisville

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on Monday won’t be in town long. Many will be taken to other shelters in the coming days to make way for additional animals to be shipped into Louisville. The local shelter will be like a hotel in some ways, with animals sticking around for a night or two before heading to their next destination — most of those that were brought in on Monday are heading to Delaware next. Rooks encouraged people who want to help to donate to local shelters in towns that had been impacted, including the Mayﬁ eld-Graves County Animal Shelter and Hopkins County Humane Society. Lucas Aulbach can be reached at laulbach@courier-journal.com, 502-582-4649 or on Twitter @LucasAulbach.

Humane Society workers unload dogs from Mayﬁ eld’s Kentucky Humane Society shelter. 28 dogs and 8 cats are being housed at the Kentucky Humane Society Sam Swope Pet TLC facility on Steedly Drive. JEFF FAUGHENDER/COURIER JOURNAL

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2021

THE ENQUIRER

KIDS WHO KILL

A VICTIM’S MOTHER SPEAKS ‘I don’t want people to forget’ Sharon Coolidge Cincinnati Enquirer USA TODAY NETWORK

This year in Hamilton County, 15 juveniles have been charged with murder, more than were charged in the last four years combined. Why the increase? 'Kids Who Kill,' The Enquirer's series on juvenile violence, continues with this conversation. Marcellus Whitehead was shot in the head and leg on June 12, 2021, in East Westwood just outside a neighborhood convenience store. His mother, Marcella Thompson, slept beside her son's bedside at Cincinnati Children's Hospital every night for months. He ﬁ nally came home in November but still requires constant care. She and her mother, Ruby LewisBean, spoke to us. Enquirer reporter Sharon Coolidge: What are your days like? Thompson: We all wake up at like 5 a.m. You have to give him his meds at 6 a.m. He still sleeps a little bit. Then we get him out of bed at about 8:30 a.m., wash him, get him dressed, brush his teeth, do his wound care. You have to clean it and put diﬀ erent creams on it. Then at 9 a.m. Miss Ruby, or one of us, reads to him or does physical therapy. That can last until noon. The more therapy we do the better chance he has to heal. You have to move him. We barely have time

Kids Continued from Page 1A

Facebook, the stuff they say on their Facebook is the stuff they say in rap lines. They’re doing it. They talk about it on Facebook? They openly talk about it. They just do it. It’s just ugly now. You see these kids, they’re just doing what they want to do. No consequences. No care. What about their parents? A lot of times they don’t have that parent at home that they can lean on. A lot of these parents, such as myself, they have these kids at a young age. So now we’re growing up with our kids. You got the one side that tries to raise them right and you got the other side that still wants to be young. You can’t be your kid’s friend. You just can’t. They need guidance. They need discipline. And they don’t have that. There’s a lot of those kids that are missing that. And it’s scary. We lost way too many innocent bystanders because of kids. I always tell people: Our kids are the scariest criminals. They don’t care. They haven’t reached their full potential to care. That comes with age. They don’t understand the consequences? Nope. When I interviewed my fi rst 14-year-old (homicide suspect), I’m thinking to myself, he don’t even understand what he did to his life. Consequences? What are consequences? They don’t know.

for lunch. In the afternoon, his sister or one of us play ‘balloon’ with him. We hit it to him. He gets tired real quick. Then we turn on cartoons. Miss Ruby will sing to him. Or I’ll tell him a story about him riding his bike. You are always making his medicine or his food. It’s a busy day. We barely get to sit down. We don’t have nurses because it’s so hard to get them. We do a good job of taking care of him. I’m the nurse. Bedtime is at 9 p.m. We clean him again. We’re back up another three hours for 12 a.m. meds. You’ve moved away from East Westwood since the shooting. At the time of the shooting, you said you felt like there were two Cincinnatis, one where people cared about crime in wealthy neighborhoods and one where they didn’t. Do you still feel that way? Thompson: I still feel like that. I got a lot of attention from media, which isn’t normal for people of my race. And I wasn’t treated unfairly. But the city is in the same place. Nothing has changed since June 12. The same thing is happening with all the kids being involved in shootings. I don’t want people to forget. I don’t know what they think the rec center they’re supposed to be building is going to do, because there is still drug dealing all over the neighborhood. Kids will see that and want the life of fast and easy money.” What’s it like to see Marcellus like this?

Lewis-Bean: It’s hard to see him like this. But you don’t think about this for long. You think about the spunky MJ from before. So you’re hopeful? Thompson: His brain is still developing. He’s only 8. We’re still healing. This conversation has been edited for clarity. En-

quirer reporter Sharon Coolidge recorded and transcribed the interview before editing. In some cases, questions and answers have been shortened and moved to make the conversations easier to follow and to remove unnecessary asides and repetitions.

They don’t understand. That ﬁ rst time, tell me about it. I talked to him, like, three and a half hours. Just sitting there. To me, in my head, I’m thinking this 14-yearold is not going to mastermind me. I have a 14-yearold daughter and I’m going to talk to him like I will talk to my child if I’m trying to get the truth out of her. You can’t be jaded and talk to them bad. This is a kid. What did you say to him? We had to ask him about the players in this homicide. It was more than just him. With a kid, they’re thinking that I’m snitching. So you can’t really come at a kid like that. All he’s thinking about is the street code. Did he say what he did? He told everything. We had a long conversation. What motivated him? Was it anger? Was it drugs? No. He just wanted to be a part. He was being manipulated by the older people. And the money. And that made him feel like he was part of something? He’s easily manipulated. He’s only 14. It’s just sad. I’m looking in the house (after arresting him). My ﬁ rst instinct is, he has nothing to live for. When I’d seen his living conditions, I’m like, what did we expect? Even though I hated what he did and the crimes that he did, talking to him gave me a different view. This is a kid. I’d seen the little boy inside him. You can just see it. When he said yes ma’am, and when I’m telling him you need to look me in the

eyes, and you need to talk to me. It’s just sad. Was his father in the house? No. His mother was barely in the house. His mother was running around being like him. He wants somebody to tell him what he needs to do. He wants direction. He wants guidance. He just was getting it from the wrong place. That was your ﬁ rst case involving a young kid? Yeah. I don’t like what he did. But at the end of the day, I didn’t write his story. We oftentimes forget that. If you was put in that same situation, you don’t know. I grew up in English Woods. And then I grew up in Price Hill when it was rough. I always ask myself, how did I escape that? How did you? My parents just did the best they can and said, ‘Hey, look, you’re not going here. You’re not going there.’ Even though we lived in poverty, I didn’t have to be a part. I stayed out of the mix of that. That was the diﬀ erence. I have a 14-year-old daughter. I still check my child’s room. I check her phone. Even though she’s not a problem child, teenagers are teenagers. I had my daughter at 20. I was young. If I didn’t have my mom, my dad and great people around me to show me what it’s like, who knows where I would’ve been? I knew I wanted to give my daughter a better life. Everyone doesn’t respond that way. No. I’d seen what hap-

pened in those neighborhoods. I didn’t want my child to become a product of that. What’s it like doing this job while raising a daughter? It’s just scary. Just imagine my job and what I see. (She mentions the two fatal shootings at Smale Park in July, where hundreds of young people had gathered.) My daughter, she can never go down there. She’s got friends who hang down there. She hated me for a whole summer because she was never allowed down there, because I just know these young boys. They want to be down there. They think it’s cool to ﬁ re a gun. I don’t want to be nowhere teenagers are at. I just don’t. When I see teenagers, I don’t want to be there. Do you talk to your daughter about your work? I try to separate work from home when it comes to my daughter. The hardest thing for me is when a young person dies and my child asks, did I know this person? I don’t talk to her about this stuﬀ , but she came to me (recently) and said, ‘Mom, did you hear about this guy?’ It was on some social media site. I think it was Snapchat. They were just passing his picture around. What happened was, they (shared a photo of) his body lying in the street. It was viral. This was a 16year-old that they snapped a picture of. I was so mad. I couldn’t control it. Before I walk in my house, I leave

ABOVE: Marcella Thompson looks at her son, Marcellus “MJ” Whitehead, 8, who sits in his wheelchair at his grandma’s house in Evanston. He has just left the hospital after a monthslong hospital stay after the July shooting that left him severely brain damaged.

LEFT: Marcellus “MJ” Whitehead, 8, sits in his wheelchair at his grandma’s house in Evanston on Nov. 12. In July, MJ was shot in the head and leg while leaving his neighborhood corner store with his older brother. PHOTOS BY MEG VOGEL / THE ENQUIRER

(my job) at the door. When I opened the door and walked in, it was in my house. And my daughter was asking me about it. And she’s like, ‘Is that your case?’ Because she’s always intrigued. She sees me leaving in the middle of the night. When she sees me leaving, she knows somebody died. What do you tell her? I say these teenagers are out here shooting and killing each other. I don’t want to scare her. I just try to talk to her the best way I can without freaking her out or putting too much on her. Does it aﬀ ect her? We were talking about dating. We always joke. I said, ‘You have to be 31 and out of college.’ She said, ‘All the boys, they’re all going to be dead anyway.’ That’s what she said to me. They’re all dying anyway. She’s a real jokester, but I’m thinking to myself, that is sad. That joke stemmed from something. You just don’t joke like that. Do you see a way out of this? I wish I did. I wish I could just scream and tell everybody to stop. The following conversation has been edited for clarity. Enquirer reporter Dan Horn recorded and transcribed the interview before editing. In some cases, questions and answers have been shortened and moved to make the conversations easier to follow and to remove unnecessary asides and repetitions.

cincinnati.com

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2021

What to know about the allegations against Romin Iqbal Emily DeLetter Cincinnati Enquirer USA TODAY NETWORK

On Tuesday, the Ohio chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations ﬁ red its executive director and announced he had allegedly leaked conﬁ dential information to an anti-Muslim group. Here’s what to know:

What is CAIR-Ohio? CAIR is national nonprofi t civil rights organization that was fi rst established in Washington, D.C., in 1994 and has since expanded to 35 chapters around the country, according to its website. The Ohio chapter, CAIR-Ohio, fi rst opened in 1998 in Columbus as the third

CAIR Continued from Page 1A

materials on Monday in its offi ce and then discovered that they had been purchased using a CAIR credit card that only Iqbal had had access to and that he administered, Siddiqi said. She said they cannot confi rm who purchased the weapon parts, though. CAIR-Ohio reported the leaks, purchase and presence of the weapon parts to the FBI and the Hilliard Division of Police, as the Columbus offi ce where Iqbal worked since 2006 is in Hilliard. CAIR’s work includes monitoring and combatting anti-Muslim groups and advocating for Muslim people’s rights, said Nihad Awad, the group’s national executive director, in a release late Tuesday night. “We want the community to know that our work transcends any one individual,” Siddiqi said. “We know it’s heartbreaking, we know it’s shocking, we know it is honestly a feeling that many of us can’t describe right now. ... If anything, this has motivated us, this has reinvigorated us to do the work we do.” The investigation, completed on the national level last month, found that no other CAIR employees were working with Iqbal to share the information. There is no evidence to point to anyone’s personal information being shared, Siddiqi said, and the group publicly shared information about fi nding parts to an AR-15 shipped to its offi ce out of “an abundance of caution.” The organization has secured its building and recommends other area Muslim organizations check their security protocols and remain vigilant, too. “We do not have evidence that there is any type of direct threat on our community,” Siddiqi said. Amina Barhumi, the acting executive director of CAIR-Ohio, fi led a police report with the Hilliard Division of Police late Monday night. The report states that she was told to report Iqbal’s conduct to the local authorities after reporting it to the FBI. It also says that the situation “spooked” the employees and Barhumi told police she was concerned Iqbal was “gearing up for some sort of retaliation attack against CAIR.” Barhumi told the police that Iqbal had not made any threats and has not communicated in any threatening way with anyone in the business.

JOI COME

AZIN OUR AM

branch of the organization, which has since added oﬃ ces in Cleveland and Cincinnati. Today, there are two separate chapters of the Ohio aﬃ liate: CAIROhio and CAIR-Cleveland. Since CAIR-Ohio’s announcement on Iqbal’s alleged actions, his name and picture have been removed from the organization’s website, with the executive director position replaced by Amina Barhumi, the former outreach director.

What is Romin Iqbal accused of doing? CAIR-Ohio alleged in a press release Tuesday that Romin Iqbal, who had been with the organization since 2006, had been recording network meetings and sharing information regarding CAIR’s national advocacy work with the

According to the police report, Barhumi said that Iqbal is smart, a pillar to the Muslim community but also “very manipulative.” Todd Lindgren, an FBI spokesman, said the agency could not confi rm or deny its involvement in any investigation. Generally speaking, Lindgren said the FBI does not investigate groups that might engage in what would be called hate speech, as that would raise issues related to the First Amendment and protected speech. Lindgren said charges that are commonly seen for providing support to terrorism groups involve international organizations such as ISIS or Al-Qaeda, not domestic groups. “There would have to be some nexus there about some action that is illegal for the FBI to be involved,” Lindgren said, such as threatening violence. The organization Iqbal was sending the confi dential information to, the Investigative Project on Terrorism, bills itself as a nonprofi t research group with a mission to “expose the activities of terrorist networks and supporters in the U.S. and abroad and to educate the public about this threat.” IPT’s D.C. offi ce sent out a news release, which reads in part: CAIR “does not represent the views of mainstream American Muslims. While the Investigative Project on Terrorism has never and will never monitor the wider American Muslim community, it will not hesitate to uncover and publicly expose radical Islamist activity on American soil by groups like CAIR, which threaten our national security.” The organization was founded in 1995 by Steve Emerson, a former journalist and a “leading authorities on Islamic extremist networks, fi nancing and operations as well national security and intelligence,” according to IPT’s website. Local leaders in the Muslim community, however, say IPT is an anti-Islamic hate group. “This is a hate group for Muslims. It is dangerous,” Siddiqi said. “We know that Islamophobia has been on the rise over the past two decades and when you are spreading hate against Muslims it is not simply something you’re just posting or saying to someone. That has a direct impact on our lives.” IPT earned $2.2 million in revenue in 2018, according to 990 forms fi led with the IRS. Headlines on its website mention, and criticize, CAIR.

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Amina Barhumi is now the acting executive director of the Ohio chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations. BARBARA J. PERENIC/COLUMBUS DISPATCH

According to the Islamophobia Network –– a project of the Center for American Progress that tracks anti-Islamic groups and donors –– IPT uses “unsubstantiated threats that portray Muslims as dangerous to accrue fund-

Generally speaking, Lindgren said the FBI does not investigate groups that might engage in what would be called hate speech, as that would raise issues related to the First Amendment and protected speech.

What is the Investigative Project on Terrorism? The IPT was founded in 1995 by Steven Emerson, and describes itself as a nonproﬁ t research group that investigates “radical Islamic terrorist groups.” The Islamophobia Network and Fear Inc. by the Center for American Progress, a liberal think tank, describes IPT’s chief function as “presenting Islam as an inherently radical, violent and antagonistic religion.”

ing” and that Emerson has a reputation “for fabricating evidence to substantiate his ravings about Muslim extremism.” Siddiqi said Emerson “is known for spreading hate, vitriol and anti-Muslim rhetoric.” He has said dangerous things against CAIR speciﬁ cally, she said, including calling the organization a terrorist organization. “That alone is really disturbing,” Siddiqi said. “It’s obviously false, it is dangerous in general, for all Muslims, for all Muslim Americans. CAIR is a welltrusted community advocacy and rights organization that many, many Muslims rely on.” Siddiqi said it’s hard for the staﬀ to understand what Iqbal did, but that the group is even more determined to carry on with their work in the wake of his actions. “Our relationship with the community, it will only be stronger and more productive after this,” she said. “We are going to grow from this and we look forward to what’s coming in the future.” Dispatch Reporters Bethany Bruner and Sheridan Hendrix contributed to this article. dking@dispatch.com @DanaeKing

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Investigative Project on Terrorism (IPT), a known anti-Muslim hate group. The press release said Iqbal admitted to these ethical violations after being confronted by evidence of his misconduct, and investigators concluded that no other employee at CAIR was aiding him. The Columbus Dispatch reported the fi ndings originated from a third-party forensic expert’s investigation retained by CAIR’s national headquarters, and the team at CAIR-Ohio’s Columbus offi ce in Hilliard found suspicious purchases from ammunition and gun retailers in recent weeks using an organization credit card at Iqbal’s disposal. Todd Lindgren, Public Aff airs Specialist for the FBI, said the agency could not confi rm or deny their involvement in any investigation.

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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2021

THE ENQUIRER

States join in tribute to ﬁ rst ﬂ ight of Wright Brothers Though the Wright Brothers grew up in Ohio, they found the perfect place for their flying machine experiments in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.

Zach Tuggle Mansﬁ eld News Journal USA TODAY NETWORK

An online celebration marking this week’s 118th anniversary of humanity’s fi rst powered fl ight will fi nally join the two states responsible for the feat: Ohio and North Carolina. Celebratory services are to be held Friday at both the National Aviation Heritage Area in Dayton, Ohio, and the Wright Brothers National Memorial in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, and livestreamed on Facebook, according to a joint news release. The tribute will begin 9 a.m. Friday with a service in Kitty Hawk that will be broadcast by the Outer Banks Forever organization. Ohio festivities begin 10 a.m. Friday with a program at the Dayton Aviation National Historical Park.

‘Wright Route’ connects Ohio with North Carolina Outer Banks Forever and the National Aviation Heritage Area also announced this week they have combined their respective states’ claims to the historical feat through a partnership with the First Flight Society, which was formed in 1928 on the 25th anniversary of the world’s fi rst powered fl ight. “We are thrilled to partner with these two terrifi c organizations,” said Mike Fonseca, president of the First Flight

PUBLIC DOMAIN/ WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Society. “It’s vitally important to share the full story of the Wright Brothers, from their childhood and early experiments in Dayton to their successful ﬂ ights in Kitty Hawk and beyond.” The organizations have worked together to launch WrightRoute.org, a free online resource that provides a fuller picture of Orville and Wilbur Wrights’ lives and work. It encourages aviation enthusiasts to travel between Ohio and North Carolina to explore the Wright Brothers’ legacy in a new way. Major stops along the Wright Route are Dayton, Ohio; Cincinnati, Ohio; Norfolk, Virginia; Elizabeth City, North Carolina; Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, and Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina. Many of the activities that are included as part of the Wright Route — or that can be done along the Wright Route — are inspired by the Wright Brothers

themselves, including biking, boating, camping, ﬁ shing, hiking and photography. Aviation enthusiasts will ﬁ nd recommendations for museums and historical sites to visit as well as family-friendly experiences and excursions to have as they journey through the Wright Brothers’ story. “Not only can you experience two ultimate aviation heritage tourism destinations on the Wright Route, but you can also discover the towns where the Wright Brothers ate, rested and shopped for supplies,” said Mackensie Wittmer, director of the National Aviation Heritage Area. “We are proud to combine our messaging for greater economic impact in Dayton, Kitty Hawk and all the towns in between.”

The dawn of powered aviation World history changed on Dec. 17, 1903, over the sands of Kitty Hawk as Ohio boys Orville and Wilbur Wright prepared their Wright Flyer for another test. The contraption fl ew for 12 seconds that day, a moment in time used to begin “Milestones in Aviation,” a book published by The Smithsonian Institution National Air and Space Museum. The importance of that day was explained by Terry Gwynn-Jones, a freelance aviation writer who had served in the Royal Air Force, Royal Canadian Air Force and Royal Australian Air Force. As a pilot, he helped set an around-theworld speed record for piston-engine aircraft in 1975. “The Wright brothers’ stuttering 120foot fl ight — slightly more than half the wingspan of today’s Boeing 747 — seems incongruous compared with other distance milestones in aviation,” Gwynn-Jones wrote. “Besides representing the fi rst triumph of powered fl ight, this fl ight was the starting point from which the progress of aviation is measured. Indeed, on that remarkable day Wilbur and Orville Wright indulged in the fi rst quest for distance — a minuscule example of the years of competition to follow. Alternating as pilots, they made another three fl ights, each a little farther, until Wilbur fl ew for 59 seconds and covered 852 feet.” ztuggle@gannett.com

6 years and counting: Ex-treasure hunter still stuck in jail ASSOCIATED PRESS

COLUMBUS – A former deep-sea treasure hunter is preparing to mark his sixth year in jail for refusing to disclose the whereabouts of 500 missing coins made from gold found in an historic shipwreck. Research scientist Tommy Thompson has been held in contempt of court since Dec. 15, 2015, for that refusal. He is also incurring a daily ﬁ ne of $1,000.

Thompson’s case dates to his discovery of the S.S. Central America, known as the Ship of Gold, in 1988. The gold rush-era ship sank in a hurricane oﬀ South Caro- Thompson lina in 1857 with thousands of pounds of gold aboard, contributing to an economic panic. Despite an investors lawsuit and a federal court order, Thompson, 69, still

won’t cooperate with authorities trying to ﬁ nd those coins, according to court records, federal prosecutors and the judge who found Thompson in contempt. Thompson says he’s already said everything he knows about the coins. Thompson pleaded guilty in April 2015 for his failure to appear for a 2012 hearing and was sentenced to two years in prison and a $250,000 ﬁ ne. But Thompson’s criminal sentence has been de-

layed until the issue of the gold coins is resolved. Federal law generally limits jail time for contempt of court to 18 months. But a federal appeals court in 2019 rejected Thompson’s argument that that law applies to him, saying his refusal violates conditions of a plea agreement. After technology problems canceled Thompson’s latest virtual hearing recently, federal Judge Algenon Marbley scheduled a new hearing for Jan. 7.

cincinnati.com

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2021

BUSINESS Ohio Chamber argues Biden vaccine requirement would hurt business Mark Williams The Columbus Dispatch USA TODAY NETWORK

COLUMBUS – The Ohio Chamber of Commerce and a group of Ohio trade associations have banded together as part of the legal ﬁ ght against the Biden administration’s COVID-19 vaccine requirement for employers. The rule requires that employers with at least 100 workers implement a vaccine mandate or require unvaccinated workers to be tested weekly. This rule is estimated to aﬀ ect as many 84 million employees across the country and was set to be enforced starting on Jan. 4. The requirement would apply to nearly 2 million Ohio workers, including about 300,000 in Franklin County, according to data from the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services. Almost immediately after the administration announced the rule, it was challenged in courts around the country by businesses and attorneys general, including Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost. The groups generally argue that the

Market Watch December 15, 2021

s Dow: 35927.43 +383.25 (+1.08%) s Nasdaq: 15565.58 +327.94 (+2.15%) s S&P 500: 4709.85 +75.76 (+1.63%) t Gold: $1762.60 -7.80 (-.44%) t Silver: $21.51 -.38 (-1.73%) t Copper: $4.18 -.07 (-1.75%) s Crude Oil: $70.87 +.14 (+.20%)

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rule exceeds the authority of the Occupational Safety & Health Administration, including the belief that Congress never contemplated giving an administrative agency the ability to mandate the vaccination of millions of Americans and the fact that COVID-19 is not a hazard that exists just in the workplace. The cases have been consolidated with the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati. For now, a separate federal appeals court has issued a stay on the requirement. The chamber was joined by the Ohio Hotel and Lodging Association, the Ohio Grocers Association, the Wholesale Beer and Wine Association, the Ohio Automobile Dealers Association and the Ohio Bankers League in ﬁ ling a brief this week with the court challenging the vaccination and testing requirement. The brief argued that the decision to have the regulation apply only to companies with more than 100 workers is arbitrary and that aspects of the order are ambiguous. The brief also says the rule could make it even tougher for companies to ﬁ nd workers in an already tight labor market.

YTD LAST CHG %CHG 792.22+37.83 +62.4 135.56 +2.62 +23.8 130.23 +2.94 +21.5 375.30 +5.57 +43.7 630.33+15.47 +26.0 28.15 +.45 -10.2 2947.37+47.96 +68.2 2928.82+50.68 +67.1 3466.30+84.47 +6.4 138.95 +.67 +76.2 443.56 +9.62 +38.1 179.30 +4.97 +35.1 69.57 +2.29 +25.0

“Businesses have been leaders in the ﬁ ght against COVID-19, and the last thing they need are bureaucrats and politicians in Washington, D.C., trying to dictate how they run,” chamber President and CEO Steve Stivers said in a statement. The brief argues that there’s no basis for setting the threshold at 100 workers and that the threshold creates a “perverse incentive for employers to try to get below the threshold, even though many would otherwise be adding staﬀ during the holiday season.” It also creates an incentive for unvaccinated workers to seek employment at smaller companies, the brief says. The chamber, meanwhile, continues to oppose House Bill 218, which would limit the ability of businesses to implement their own vaccine mandates. “While forcing vaccine mandates and banning vaccine mandates may seem like opposite matters, in reality, the federal and state issues are two sides of the same coin, and that coin is government overreach,” Stivers said.

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Flip Side burger joint in Liberty Township is set to close Emily DeLetter Cincinnati Enquirer USA TODAY NETWORK

A Liberty Township restaurant is closing its doors next week. After six years, the Flip Side location in Liberty will close on Dec. 16, according to an announcement from the restaurant’s social media. The cause for the closure of the burger restaurant was not made clear. Flip Side will not oﬀ er curbside service or be available on third-party delivery sites for the remaining time the Liberty location is open. “This most certainly not a farewell but a see you again shortly,” the post reads. This was Flip Side’s only restaurant around the Cincinnati area. Other Flip Side Ohio locations include Chagrin Falls, Easton, Hudson and Rocky River. There’s also one location in Breckenridge, Colorado.

YTD LAST CHG %CHG 25.01 -.77 +122.3 346.35 +5.80 -3.0 210.32 +7.82 +51.1 17.92 +.46 -4.1 341.66 +7.92 +25.1 334.65 +6.31 +50.5 605.04 +7.05 +11.9 304.59+21.22 +133.3 103.65 +3.76 +60.2 198.08 -.73 +32.9 190.66 +3.86 -18.6 171.57 +2.18 +15.7 58.80 +3.26 +59.7

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YTD LAST CHG %CHG 158.86 +.61 +14.2 189.28 +7.30 +24.2 260.04 +4.45 +16.9 18.86 -.32 +23.3 975.99+17.48 +38.3 655.74+23.63 +40.8 58.57 -.09 +22.2 85.91 +.16 +33.3 56.74 -.57 +21.8 494.38+14.92 +41.0 50.55 -.10 -14.0 212.31 +2.33 -2.9 145.77 +.83 +1.1

Stock footnotes: lf - Late filing with SEC. n - Stock was a new issue in the last year. rs - Stock has undergone a reverse stock split of at least 50% within the past year. s - Stock has split by at least 20 percent within the last year. Dividend footnotes: a - Extra dividends were paid, but are not included. b - Annual rate plus stock. c - Liquidating dividend. e - Amount declared or paid in last 12 months. f - Current annual rate, which was increased by most recent dividend announcement. m - Current annual rate, which was decreased by most recent dividend announcement. p - Initial dividend, annual rate not known, yield not shown.

IT’S FUN. IT’S INFORMATIVE. IT’S A WHO’S WHO OF GUESTS. Join us this week for

Chris Seelbach

Outgoing Cincinnati City Councilman

Listen on Cincinnati.com, Spotify, Apple or your favorite podcast platform.

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2021

THE ENQUIRER

OPINION

WRITING LETTERS OR OP-EDS: Letters of up to 200 words may be submitted by ﬁ lling out the form at static.cincinnati.com/letter/ or emailing letters@enquirer.com. Include name, address, community and daytime phone number. Op-eds are submitted the same way except they should be 500-600 words and also include a one-sentence bio and head shot. Submissions may be edited for space and clarity.

The US should boycott Beijing Winter Games Your Turn John Hoberman Guest columnist

The International Olympic Committee, or the IOC, has a long entanglement with political dictatorships and their crimes. The approach of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing is one more example of this disgraceful tradition and President Joe Biden’s announcement of an America “diplomatic boycott” is simply not enough. It is a shocking disregard of China’s horrifi c abuse of a million members of the Uyghur ethnic minority it has confi ned in concentration camps. “The athletes on Team USA have our full support,” White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said. But the tormented inhabitants of the camps in Xinjiang province do not. They are of secondary importance to an administration that knows it should stand up to expanding Chinese power, but does not have the nerve to withhold athletic entertainment from one of the most totalitarian regimes in history. For some, this may conjure up memories of the 1936 Berlin Olympics, sometimes referred to as the “Nazi Olympics,” that became a foreign policy triumph for Adolf Hitler. The presence of hundreds of American athletes, the Germans’ primary rivals, was indispensable to Hitler’s propaganda spectacle. American participation in the games wasn’t an inevitability. If only three more Amateur Athletic Union delegates had voted against American participation, the resulting boycott of the 1936 Berlin Games could have defl ated this show of Nazi triumphalism. Today, the upcoming Beijing Winter Games is granted the same kind of legitimacy. And, once again, the response

The 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing games are set to open on Feb. 4, 2022. KEVIN FRAYER/GETTY IMAGES

coming from the democratic societies is ineﬀ ectual.

A fateful choice The leaders of the world’s democracies are confronting a fateful choice: Either support the rights of the imprisoned and tormented Uyghurs, a large mostly Muslim ethnic group in China, or the right of Olympic athletes to compete. Accepting the Olympic hospitality of China’s President Xi Jinping will only strengthen his conviction that China’s destiny is to impose his Orwellian surveillance-and-obedience model of governance upon the world. Biden should seize the moment by in-

ﬂ icting real damage on Xi’s Olympic spectacle by fully boycotting the games. Particularly as the Chinese regime pursues its relentless policy of expanding geopolitical power. Demonstrating principled opposition to genocide requires denying China the services of America’s Winter Olympic athletes. It is a hard choice, but hard choices signify leadership.

Conceding the high ground Biden seems to have made the political calculation that a complete boycott will antagonize high-proﬁ le athletes and their fan base to the political disadvantage of the Democrats. The irony is that the intensifying Republican anti-

China crusade gives Biden some political cover to boycott the Beijing Games. Conservative Republicans such as Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Arkansas and former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley have called for a full boycott. Why have Democrats conceded the moral high ground on China to political allies of the amoral former President Donald Trump? Political leaders who are unwilling to draw the line at concentration camps and mass torture should think of President Jimmy Carter’s Nobel Peace Prize and ask themselves how history will judge them. China’s role as an Olympic host is a travesty precisely because its open brutality contravenes the humane and peaceful values the International Olympic Committee claims to stand for. An American boycott would be a dramatic rejection of China’s claim that it is staging an Olympic festival of humanity. There is also the fact that Xi has more than the genocide of Uyghurs to answer for, such as the early lies about the coronavirus, the crushing of Hong Kong, the persecution of Christian churches and the recent “disappearing” of the tennis star Peng Shuai. The message to Xi should be that a country that commits mass atrocities will be regarded as uncivilized by the rest of the human community. That is why American athletes should not participate in his triumphalist Olympic ceremonies. John Hoberman is a professor of Germanic studies at The University of Texas at Austin. He is the author of “The Olympic Crisis: Sport, Politics, and the Moral Order” (1986) and many other publications on sports and politics.

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cincinnati.com

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2021

ETC. CAROLYN HAX

How to tactfully ask groom’s parents to help pay for reception Adapted from an online discussion. Dear Carolyn: My friend’s daughter is getting married and the groom’s parents are tightwads. The couple had to cancel their big wedding and are having a simple ceremony this year with just family. Hopefully, they’ll be able to have their originally planned wedding with friends and more guests next year. As the parents of the bride, my friend and her husband will be paying for that entire wedding and reception. Is there a tactful way to ask the groom’s parents to split the bill for the reception dinner at this year’s smaller do? – Asking Asking: I have questions. Are they really “tightwads” (ouch) or do they, perhaps, think people old enough to get married are also old enough to save and budget for a wedding they can aﬀ ord?

Or, do they think that even with postponement and disappointment, it’s a bit excessive for parents to bankroll both a simple aw-bummer-pandemic-makeup wedding and the original big wedding and reception a few months later? Or, are they broke? Not having these answers, I will say only this: If your friend were asking me … wait, another question, how did you get in the middle of this, anyway? … then I would tell her to write oﬀ the groom’s parents completely as a source of cash or anything else for this wedding. Unless his parents had a say in all this planning, expecting them to cheerfully pay up is not fair. And, even if they were vocally on board with planning the big-plus-small double bill, and then ran away when it came time to fund it, there’s this: Unmet expectations are one of the top sources

CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS

PEOPLE

Actor Joyce Bulifant (“The Mary Tyler Moore Show”) is 84. Actor Liv Ullman is 83. Journalist Lesley Stahl (“60 Minutes”) is 80. Guitarist Tony Hicks of The Hollies is 76. Singer Benny Anderson of ABBA is 75. Singer-guitarist Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top is 72. Actor Xander Berkeley (“The Walking Dead”) is 66. Actor Alison LaPlaca (“The Smoove John Larroquette Show”) is 62. Actor Sam Robards is 60. Actor Jon Tenney (“The Closer,” “Brooklyn South”) is 60. Actor Benjamin Bratt (“Law and Order”) is 58. Country singer Jeff Carson is 58. Comedian JB Smoove (“The Millers,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm”) is 56. Actor Miranda Otto (“Lord of the Rings” films) is 54. Actor Daniel Cosgrove (“Van Wilder”) is 51.

Cruz honored by MoMA for her career in cinema During a tribute to her career at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, Penelope Cruz recalled the Betamax videotape store that opened in her neighborhood, in a suburb of Madrid, when she was a child and that made her discover cinema. It was there where she rented all the ﬁ lms of Spanish movie di- Cruz rector Pedro Almodóvar, she said. “I watched, and I laughed, I cried, and I learned,” she said at a star-studded beneﬁ t Tuesday evening at the museum. “I would not be here tonight, being honored by MoMa, if I had not had the privilege of working with bril-

of human angst. If your friend can set her expectations of the other parents at 0, then that’s one stress she can cross oﬀ the wedding-stress list. That might add the stress of coming up with the money on her own, but, still, no matter what the planning conﬁ guration was here, the bride’s parents can’t spend other people’s money for them. They can only pay up their own or scale back. All this being said: There are roles for both sides in “traditional” weddings. Bride’s side can certainly ask Groom’s side if they intend to host a rehearsal dinner, “since that’s traditionally the groom’s family’s territory and we don’t want to step on your toes.” How’s that for some seriously manipulative courtesy. Gah. But, really, if your friend is spending more than she wants to on her daughter, then it’s on her to let the bride and

groom know she’s turning the cash spigot down. And you, a friend of the parent of the bride of the son of the parents who may or may not be able or inclined to chip in, can have a seat and watch it play out. Readers say (and they’re not wrong): h The bride’s momma is a controlling buttinski. If her daughter isn’t an adult, then her daughter should not be getting married. Run, groom, run! See groom run. h Should the bride’s parents be asking the groom’s parents for anything? If anyone is asking groom’s parents to chip in, shouldn’t it be … wait for it … the bride and groom? Email Carolyn at tellme@washpost.com, follow her on Facebook at facebook.com/carolyn.hax or chat with her online at noon Eastern time each Friday at washingtonpost.com.

liant directors who have inspired me, taught me, helped me grow as an artist and as a person. I want to thank them all tonight, and specially my Pedro.”

Martin Scorsese Institute to be established by NYU

Johansson shares how 7-year-old gets along with baby Cosmo When it comes to Scarlett Johansson’s new son, her eldest daughter is indiﬀ erent. “She’s pretty neutral about it, which I think is a good thing,” Johansson said during a Tuesday appearance on “The Ellen Show” about her 7-year-old daughter Rose, who’s a big sister to 4month-old Cosmo. “She’ll come home and she’s just talking a mile a minute and I have to remind her, ‘Say hi to your brother.’ And she goes, ‘He’s so cute,’ and is going on and on,” Johansson told host Ellen DeGeneres.

Martin Scorsese’s alma mater, New York University, is establishing a fi lm institute in his name after a gift from George Lucas and Mellody Hobson. The formation of the Martin Scorsese Institute of Global Cinematic Arts was to be announced Tuesday by NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. The institute will include a virtual production center, the Martin Scorsese Department of Cinema Studies and support for student scholarships – with tuition assistance for those selected as “Scorsese scholars.” Scorsese has a long history with NYU’s fi lm program. As a student, he made his fi rst short fi lms there, including 1967’s “The Big Shave,” a Vietnam War allegory in which a young man shaves his face until it’s a bloody mess.

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THE ENQUIRER

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BASIC CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Male deer 5 Stitch 8 Jrs.’ exam 12 “Heavens!” 13 “The Matrix” role 14 — account (never) 15 Hurt severely 16 Artist Yoko 17 Vocal quality 18 Painter Wyeth 20 Imperfect 22 MGM motto start 23 And so on (Abbr.) 24 Craving 27 Momentous 32 Hostel 33 Have 34 Rap sheet abbr. 35 “Ta-ta!” 38 Trucker with a handle 39 Misery 40 One of the five W’s 42 Harry Potter’s owl 45 Like Jell-O shots 49 Monster 50 Aussie hopper 52 Lamb alias 53 Combine 54 City area, for short 55 Bottle part 56 Ways to the WWW 57 Derek and Diddley 58 Casual tops

DOWN 1 “Brave New World” drug 2 Compared to 3 During 4 Avid exerciser 5 Arctic footwear 6 Poetic dusk 7 Bark 8 Spud 9 Alaskan shellfish 10 Green Gables girl 11 Three- — sloth

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2021

ADVANCED CROSSWORD 19 Hosp. triage area 21 Rent out 24 Torched 25 Popular card game 26 Amaryllis cousin 28 — Jima 29 Big cons 30 Mamie’s man 31 One for the road? 36 Wooden rods 37 Luau necklace 38 Persuasive

41 “Greetings!” 42 Arizona tribe 43 Freudian topics 44 Chow 46 Jubilation

47 Grown-up nits 48 Talks nonstop 51 Acapulco gold

Solution time: 24 mins. Answer to previous puzzle

ACROSS 1 First name in old horror films 5 They’re earned at U’s 9 Serious wound 13 Suit, so to speak 14 Artist Matisse 15 Start to freeze? 16 __ fail 17 Polished orator? 19 Like C’s, in some cases 20 One way to go to a party 21 Steak __ 22 Indication that the coffee is ready? 25 One in a large octet 28 Southernmost of the Southeast’s Sea Islands 32 Main line 33 Palindromic title 36 Skiff movers 37 Corp. money manager 38 Regret the choice of wall paint color? 41 Is, once 42 “__ Shanter”: Burns poem 44 Dance movement 45 Bridge along the Arno 47 Golf lesson topic

49 Becomes aware of 50 Carol Burnett, at the end of an episode? 54 Like some online purchases 57 Small case 58 Field unit 62 1996 Demi Moore film ... and a hint to how four puzzle answers were created 64 Post 65 Cry of success 66 Sign of early spring 67 Senior __ 68 Errors, say 69 PC connections 70 Gels DOWN 1 Half a sex-ed metaphor, with “the” 2 Trade show 3 Floral necklaces 4 Explanation 5 Financial statement items 6 China’s Zhou __ 7 System of shorthand 8 Warm the bench 9 Probe that visited Jupiter 10 “She’s a Lady” songwriter 11 British WWII gun

12 Put on 14 “Who __?!”: “Join the club!” 18 NBA commissioner Silver 23 Bring up 24 First killer whale to perform with a human 25 Accords 26 For dieters, in ads 27 Coffee asset 29 They may be manicured 30 Steaming 31 Beasts of burden 33 Ran into 34 Half a sawbuck 35 Zugspitze, e.g. 39 Manipulative sort 40 Olympics fencing event

43 Ice cream purchase 46 Parts of cloverleafs 48 Yokum cartoonist 49 Irving Berlin’s “Blue __” 51 Signs of crowd displeasure 52 Online biz 53 Deceptions 54 Goddess usually depicted holding an ankh 55 Food package amt. 56 Bizet’s “Habanera,” e.g. 59 Diligence 60 Comedy club hit 61 Stately trees 63 Bit

Answer to previous puzzle

12/16/21

CRYPTOQUIP The Cryptoquip is a substitution cipher in which one letter stands for another. If you think that X equals O, it will equal O throughout the puzzle. Today’s Cryptoquip Clue: J equals N

EDXJ NUCVEHGQDR RLP NUOQT ON C SLRRUX RL

TXCU

GR,

LJX

PGQDR

TCV

GR’T

TRLNNXHXW

TRLNNCHW.

Yesterday’s Cryptoquip: What dietary mineral is found abundantly in an oblong, yellowish-red fruit? Mango-nese.

Today’s deal features Joe Grue and Brad Moss, East and West respectively, who are one of the USA’s top partnerships. They play “upside-down” signals, meaning that a low card is encouraging and a high card is discouraging — exactly the opposite of standard signaling. The advantage of this method is very tiny, allowing you to keep your high cards in your good suits and not use them for signaling. In the world of tournament bridge, however, competitors want every edge they can get, and upside-

SUDOKU

HOROSCOPES

BRIDGE

NICE DEFENSE

12/16/21

down signaling is very popular. Grue, East, played the discouraging three of clubs on the first trick, and then the two when partner continued with the king of clubs. Moss, West, knew that his partner had false carded, as Grue would have played the seven on the first trick if he had it. The only reason Grue would do that was if he was void in trumps. A third round of clubs was pointless, so Moss shifted to the queen of diamonds, denying the king. Grue won with his ace and “knew” there were no more minor suit tricks available to the defense, so he shifted to a heart as the only chance. Moss ruffed for down one. Very nice defense. Playing standard signals, East would also false card, playing the two and then the three. West, thinking East held the seven of clubs, would shift, but to the king of diamonds — not the queen. Would East have overtaken and led a heart? There is a good case for doing that, but it would have been a problem for East to solve. Here, West did almost all the work.

ARIES (March 21April 19). The new you will sail into the world on a plan. TAURUS (April 20May 20). If the fun event isn’t there, invent it. GEMINI (May 21June 21). No one will give you time for things like self-reflection, hobbies and just decompressing. CANCER (June 22July 22). There are some sorts of trouble that squarely fall into a “luxury” category. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). While it’s easier to start something new from scratch than it is to alter an existing relationship, some relationships are worth the work. VIRGO (Aug. 23Sept. 22). Don’t let unexpected turns deter you. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). Small gestures

and casual talk will teach you who a person is. SCORPIO (Oct. 24Nov. 21). It’s too awkward to wrestle with what’s out of reach, so get closer. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). You’re no victim. If anything, you’re the hero. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). It’s about time you were spoiled rotten. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20Feb. 18). Someone is getting increasingly attached to you. PISCES (Feb. 19March 20). For the sake of mystery, you don’t always tell people your plans. TODAY’S BIRTHDAY (Dec. 16). You’re a networking genius and relationships will lead to work. Taurus adores you. Your lucky numbers are: 3, 33, 19, 44 and 28.

WORD GAME Today’s word: BEHOLDEN (BEHOLDEN: bih-HOLE-den: Under obligation for a favor or gift; indebted.) Average mark 27 words. Time limit 40 minutes. Can you find 37 or more words in BEHOLDEN? The list will be published tomorrow. Did you find any words not on the list? The word list is NOT exhaustive. Dec 16

WLWT NBC WCPO ABC WKRC CBS CINCW WXIX FOX WKRP WCET PBS WSTR MYNET WDTN NBC WHIO CBS WPTO PBS WPTD PBS WKEF ABC WKEF.2 FOX WBDT CW WKOI WCVN PBS

7PM

7:30

8PM

8:30

Complete the grid so each row, column and 3-by-3 box (in bold borders) contains every digit 1 to 9. For strategies on how to solve Sudoku, visit www.sudoku.org.uk.

Yesterday’s word: CAVERNS cane caner care carve case casern cave caver crane crave craven

9PM

acne acre aver vane vase earn race rave raven nave near

9:30

10PM

sane saner save saver scan scar scare sear snare

10:30

11PM

11:30

News 5 at Hollywood L’Oreal Paris Women of Dolly Parton’s Coat of Many Colors (2015, Fam- News (N) Tonight (N) Worth (N) ily) Alyvia Alyn Lind. Loss and love. ‘NR’ (TV14) 5 7:00 (N) WCPO 9 (N) The List (N) Station 19: All I Want Grey’s Anatomy: It (:01) Big Sky: The End WCPO 9 (N) Kimmel For. (TV14) (N) Came Upon a. (N) Has No. (N) (TV14) 9 Inside Edi- Entertain- Young Shel- (:31) The Ghosts B Positive Bull: The Boy Who. News (N) Late Show ment (N) don United (TV14) (TV14) Izzy’s best friend. (TV14) 12 tion (N) Family Dogs of the Year (N) Legacies (TVPG) (N) National National National National 12.2 Family Wheel of Pre-Game Thursday Night Football: Kansas City Chiefs at Los Angeles Chargers from SoFi StaNews (N) (Live) dium (Live) 19 Fortune Frasier Roseanne Roseanne Roseanne Roseanne Nanny Nanny 25 3rd Rock 3rd Rock Frasier The PBS NewsHour (N) Mary Berrys Country Frankie Drake Myster- Dreaming of a Jewish Amanpour and ComHouse ies (TV14) Christmas (2017) pany (N) 48 Bang Young Shel- Dateline: Fugitive. Neigh- Chicago P.D.: Last Min- Local 12 Bang: Young Shel- Men (TVPG) don bor dies. (TV14) ute. (TV14) News (N) Paintball. don 64 (TVPG) Inside Edi- Jeopardy! L’Oreal Paris Women of Dolly Parton’s Coat of Many Colors (2015, Fam- 2 News at 11 Tonight (N) Worth (N) ily) Alyvia Alyn Lind. Loss and love. ‘NR’ pm (TV14) 2 tion (N) Wheel of Entertain- Young Shel- (:31) The Ghosts B Positive Bull: The Boy Who. News (N) Late Show ment (N) don United (TV14) (TV14) Izzy’s best friend. (TV14) 7 Fortune Newsline DW News The Indian Doctor: Midsomer (:44) Midsomer Murders: Christmas BBC World Newsline (N) Trapped. (TVPG) Tooth & Claw. (TV G) News (N) 14 Outside Brown (TV This Old Ask Old Antiques Roadshow: The Independent Lens: The King. Road trip in Elvis G) House House (N) Trunk 5. (TV G) Presley’s car. (TV14) 16 Source Family Family Station 19: All I Want Grey’s Anatomy: It (:01) Big Sky: The End News (N) Kimmel Feud For. (TV14) (N) Came Upon a. (N) Has No. (N) (TV14) 22 Feud Bang Pre-Game Thursday Night Football: Kansas City Chiefs at Los Angeles Chargers from SoFi StaNews (N) (Live) dium (Live) 22.2 (TV14) Mom (TV14) Young Shel- Dogs of the Year Good Legacies: I Can’t Be One. News (N) 2News (N) 2 Broke Family Guy don dogs. (N) (TVPG) (N) Girls 26 Chicago P.D. (TV14) Chicago P.D. (TV14) Chicago P.D. (TV14) Chicago P.D. (TV14) 43 Chicago P.D. (TV14) The PBS NewsHour (N) Antiques Roadshow: The Doc Martin: Going Father Brown: Whistle in BBC World Kentucky Trunk 5. (TV G) Bodmin. (TVPG) Dark. (TV14) News Life 54

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2021

THE ENQUIRER

12/31/21 P1324 , P1325 , P1326 or P1327

12/31/21

12/31/21 HC31

HC11

12/31/21

HC64

12/31/21

P1165 or P1269

12/31/21

HC23

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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2021

NATION & WORLD

Wary medical experts advise holiday caution Omicron is spreading ‘every place at once’

Congress passes debt limit increase

Elizabeth Weise and Karen Weintraub

Brian Slodysko

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – The omicron variant of the coronavirus is moving faster than surveillance systems can track it and has so unnerved some medical experts that they’re starting to put the brakes on preparations for their holiday gatherings. “Personally, I’m reevaluating plans for the holidays,” said Bronwyn MacInnis, director of pathogen genomic surveillance at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard University. “It’s the responsible thing to do and what feels right given the risk.” She and other Massachusetts-based researchers said they’ve been stunned by the pace by which omicron has been crowding out other variants and taking over the pandemic. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that about 3% of COVID-19 cases in the U.S. are omicron. MacInnis said she believes that number was probably an underestimate on Saturday when the CDC ﬁ rst announced it, and now it’s likely much higher. “At the rate that it seems to be spreading, there isn’t a surveillance system on the planet truly that could keep up with it,” MacInnis said. In some parts of the U.S., there are hints that omicron already accounts for about 15% of cases, said Jeremy Luban, a virus expert at the UMass Chan Medical School. Omicron has been moving “faster even than the most pessimistic among us thought that it was going to move,” said Dr. Jacob Lemieux, an infectious

WASHINGTON – Congress averted a catastrophic debt default early Wednesday morning after Democratic majorities in both chambers voted to send a $2.5 trillion increase in the nation’s borrowing authority to President Joe Biden over lockstep Republican opposition. Capping a marathon day, the House gave fi nal approval to the legislation early Wednesday morning on a nearparty-line 221-209 vote, defusing a volatile issue until after the 2022 midterm elections. The action came just hours shy of a deadline set by Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, who warned last month that she was running out of maneuvering room to avoid the nation’s fi rst-ever default. The bill – which drew only one Republican vote in the House, from Illinois Rep. Adam Kinzinger – also saddled vulnerable Democrats with a tough vote on the cusp of an election year when both chambers will be up for grabs. Republicans, meanwhile, said they were perplexed by the Democrats’ scramble to act. “Democrats have known this day is coming for two years and did absolutely nothing,” said Rep. Kevin Brady, R-Texas. Passage was made possible by a deal between Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and Majority Leader Chuck Schumer last week that allowed Senate Democrats to approve legislation with a simple majority while avoiding a Republican fi libuster.

ASSOCIATED PRESS

USA TODAY

Data appears to show the omicron variant of COVID-19 is able to spread incredibly fast, a trend that is concerning to medical experts as Americans are making plans for the holidays. MATT ROURKE/AP

disease expert at Massachusetts General Hospital. “There’s a high likelihood that it will come to your holiday gathering.” While previous variants popped up in one country and then another, and “you could watch it unfold from place to place to place,” Lemieux said, omicron “seems to be happening every place at once.” Lemieux said he is particularly worried because the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19 has already killed more than 5.3 million people around the world, including 800,000 in the U.S. Although the variant was identiﬁ ed only the day before Thanksgiving, as more data emerges it is conﬁ rming omicron’s ability to spread incredibly fast – probably twice as fast as the delta variant, which has dominated the global pandemic since this summer. Even if omicron is less dangerous, it will still cause a huge number of infec-

tions and, therefore, a large number of hospitalizations and deaths, Lemieux said. The U.S. was already seeing a growing number of infections, largely with the delta variant. An average of 118,000 new infections a day were reported over the past week, a 37% increase over the previous week. Hospitalization rates are still lower with omicron than with earlier waves and patients are less likely to require ventilation, though it’s not clear whether that’s because of the newness of the variant, because it is less dangerous, or because prior infections and vaccinations provide protection, MacInnis and the others said. About 16% of South Africans hospitalized with COVID-19 are vaccinated. “It’s time to step back and reevaluate,” said Dr. Amy Barczak, a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School.

Chauvin admits guilt in federal case Amy Forliti

ASSOCIATED PRESS

ST. PAUL, Minn. – Former Minneapolis police Offi cer Derek Chauvin pleaded guilty Wednesday to a federal charge of violating George Floyd’s civil rights, averting a trial but likely extending the time he is already spending behind bars on a state conviction. Chauvin, who is white, was convicted this spring of state murder and manslaughter charges for pinning his knee against Floyd’s neck during a May 25, 2020, arrest as the Black man said he couldn’t breathe Chauvin was sentenced to 221⁄ 2 years in that case. The federal charge alleged that Chauvin deprived Floyd of his rights by kneeling on his neck as he was handcuff ed and not resisting. Chauvin appeared in person Wednesday for the change-of-plea hearing in an orange short-sleeve prison shirt and was led into and out of the court in handcuff s. He said, “Guilty, your honor” to confi rm his pleas in Floyd’s death and an unrelated 2017 case, and acknowledged that he was guilty of the acts alleged. With parole and presuming good behavior, Chauvin is expected to actually serve about 15 years of his state sentence behind bars. Any federal sentence would run at the same time as the state sentence, and defendants serve about

NATION & WORLD WATCH

Derek Chauvin’s guilty plea averts a trial but will likely extend the time he is already spending behind bars. COURT TV VIA POOL/AP FILE

85% of federal sentences, presuming good behavior. That means if the judge gives Chauvin the maximum 25 years requested, he would likely serve about six years and three months beyond his state sentence. Judge Paul Magnuson didn’t set a date for sentencing. As part of the plea deal, Chauvin also pleaded guilty to violating the rights of a then-14-year-old boy during a 2017 arrest in which he held the boy by the throat, hit him in the head with a ﬂ ashlight and held his knee on the boy’s neck and upper back while he was prone, handcuﬀ ed and not resisting. Several members of Floyd’s family

were present, as was the then-teenager involved in the 2017 arrest, according to a pool reporter. As they left the courtroom, Floyd’s brother Philonise said to Chauvin’s 2017 victim: “It’s a good day for justice.” Nine people appeared to support Chauvin, including family members. He waved and smiled at them as he entered and left the courtroom, according to the pool report. George Floyd’s nephew, Brandon Williams, afterward called Chauvin a “monster” who should have been arrested in the 2017 incident. “Had he been held accountable for what he did in 2017 to that minor, George Floyd will still be here,” Williams said. “Today he had a chance to blow kisses and give air hugs to his family. We can’t do that.” An attorney for Floyd’s family, Jeff Storms, said family members planned to head to Minneapolis later in the day to support the family of Daunte Wright, a 20-year-old Black man who was fatally shot during a traffi c stop in the midst of Chauvin’s state trial. The police offi cer in that case, Kim Potter, is on trial on manslaughter charges. To bring federal charges in deaths involving police, prosecutors must believe an offi cer acted under the “color of law,” or government authority, and willfully deprived someone of his or her constitutional rights.

Many rescued from building blaze in China Zen Soo

ASSOCIATED PRESS

HONG KONG – Firefi ghters on Wednesday rescued hundreds of people who fl ed to the rooftop of a Hong Kong skyscraper and became trapped there after a fi re broke out. Hours later, the fi re service said the blaze was extinguished. In addition to those on the roof, dozens jammed into narrow areas in an open-air portion of the fi fth fl oor, peering over the edge as they awaited rescue. Firefi ghters used an extendable ladder to reach them. Firefi ghters brought 770 people out of the building, said Ng Yau Sheung, Hong Kong Fire Services Department’s senior divisional offi cer. Another 40 people left on their own, he said. At least 13 people were sent to hospital for treatment, according to authorities. Three suff ered injuries while 10 suffered from smoke inhalation. The fi re started in the early afternoon at the World Trade Centre on Gloucester Road in the city’s popular Causeway Bay shopping district, according to a government notice. The 38-story tower houses offi ces and a mall.

FROM WIRE REPORTS

Florida district to pay $26 million to shooting victims

NASA: Telescope launch delayed by communication problem

US Navy hits target during test of laser weapon in Mideast

South African court orders ex-president Zuma back to prison

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – The Broward County, Florida, school district will pay more than $26 million to the families of 17 people killed and some of those injured in the 2018 massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. A total of $25 million will be shared by 51 plaintiff s, including families of the 17 dead as well as students and staff who were injured. Another $1.25 million will be paid in one lump sum to Anthony Borges, who suff ered severe injuries. Nikolas Cruz, 23, pleaded guilty in October to the murders.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Next week’s launch of NASA’s new space telescope is delayed for at least two days because of a communication problem between the observatory and the rocket. Liftoﬀ of the James Webb Space Telescope is now targeted for no earlier than Dec. 24. NASA announced the latest delay for the $10 billion telescope late Tuesday. More information will be available this week, oﬃ cials said. Webb is considered the successor to the Hubble Space Telescope and has already been delayed by years.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – The U.S. Navy announced Wednesday it tested a laser weapon and destroyed a fl oating target in the Mideast, a system that could be used to counter bomb-laden drone boats deployed by Yemen’s Houthi rebels in the Red Sea. The test Tuesday saw the USS Portland test-fi re its Laser Weapon System Demonstrator at the target in the Gulf of Aden, the body of water separating East Africa from the Arabian Peninsula. Previously, the Portland used the laser to bring down a fl ying drone in May 2020.

JOHANNESBURG – A South African court has ordered that former President Jacob Zuma should go back to prison after withdrawing the medical parole given to him this year. Zuma was released from prison in September after serving about two months of his 15-month sentence for defying a Constitutional Court order. On Wednesday, the Gauteng High Court in Pretoria ruled that the medical parole granted to Zuma was illegal as it went against the recommendation of the medical parole board. The court ruled that he should go back to prison.

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2021

THE ENQUIRER

NATION & WORLD

Trump loses bid to block tax returns Michael Balsamo ASSOCIATED PRESS

WASHINGTON – A federal judge dismissed a lawsuit Tuesday that was brought by former President Donald Trump in his attempt to block congressional lawmakers from obtaining his tax returns. The ruling, by U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden – a former Justice Department oﬃ cial and Trump appointee – found that the chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee has broad authority, and the Treasury Department should provide the tax returns to the committee. In his ruling, McFadden said that “even if the former President is right on the facts, he is wrong on the law.” The House panel sought access to Trump’s federal tax returns as part of an investigation into the Internal Revenue Service’s audit program and tax law compliance by the former president. The committee had sought Trump’s personal and business returns for 2013 through 2018. A federal law says the Internal Revenue Service “shall furnish” the returns of any taxpayer to a handful of top lawmakers. “A long line of Supreme Court cases requires great deference to facially valid congressional inquiries,” the judge wrote. “Even the special solicitude accorded former presidents does not alter the outcome.” The judge stayed his ruling for two weeks, giving Trump’s legal team time to ﬁ le an appeal. The ruling also found that the House panel had the legal discretion to publish Trump’s tax returns. “It might not be right or wise to publish the returns, but it is the Chairman’s right to do so,” McFadden wrote in an opinion accompanying his ruling.

Meadows deemed to be in contempt in Jan. 6 probe First such move by chamber since 1830s Farnoush Amiri and Mary Clare Jalonick ASSOCIATED PRESS

WASHINGTON – The House voted to hold former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows in contempt of Congress after he ceased to cooperate with the Jan. 6 Committee investigating the Capitol insurrection, making it the fi rst time the chamber has voted to hold a former member in contempt since the 1830s. The near-party-line 222-208 vote Tuesday was the second time the special committee has sought to punish a witness for defying a subpoena. The vote is the latest show of force by the Jan. 6 panel, which is leaving no angle unexplored – and no subpoena unanswered – as it investigates the worst attack on the Capitol in more than 200 years. Lawmakers on the panel are determined to get answers quickly, and in doing so reassert the congressional authority that eroded while former President Donald Trump was in offi ce. “History will be written about these times, about the work this committee has undertaken,” said Rep. Bennie Thompson, R-Miss., the chairman. “And history will not look upon any of you as a martyr. History will not look upon you as a victim.” The two GOP votes – Reps. Liz Cheney of Wyoming and Adam Kinzinger of Illinois, who serve on the committee – in favor of the resolution came after nine Republicans voted to hold former Trump ally Steve Bannon in contempt in October. While Bannon’s case was more clear-cut – he never engaged

Republicans called the action against Mark Meadows a distraction from the House’s work, with one member calling it “un-American.” PATRICK SEMANSKY/AP

with the committee – Meadows had turned over documents and negotiated for two months with the panel about an interview. Meadows also has closer relationships within the Republican caucus, having just left Congress last year. The Justice Department will also be weighing those factors as prosecutors decide on moving forward with the case. If convicted, Bannon and Meadows could each face up to one year behind bars on each charge. Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., another member of the panel, began Tuesday’s debate on the resolution by reading frantic texts from the day of the attack revealing members of Congress, Fox News anchors and even Donald Trump Jr. urging Meadows to persuade the outgoing president to act quickly to stop the three-hour assault by his supporters. Republicans on Tuesday called the

action against Meadows a distraction from the House’s work, with one member calling it “evil” and “un-American.” Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio praised Meadows: “Make no mistake, when Democrats vote in favor of this resolution, it is a vote to put a good man in prison.” Trump also defended Meadows in an interview, saying: “I think Mark should do what’s right. He’s an honorable man. He shouldn’t be put through this.” Meadows’ attorney George Terwilliger defended his client in a statement before the vote, noting that he had provided documents to the panel and maintaining that he should not be compelled to appear for an interview. Meadows has sued the panel, asking a court to invalidate two subpoenas that he says are “overly broad and unduly burdensome.”

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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2021

Texts: Fox hosts lobbied Trump Network personalities reached out on Jan. 6 David Bauder ASSOCIATED PRESS

NEW YORK – The revelation that Fox News Channel personalities sent text messages to the White House during the Jan. 6 insurrection is another example of how the network’s stars sought to infl uence then-President Donald Trump instead of simply reporting or commenting on him. Sean Hannity, Laura Ingraham and Brian Kilmeade texted advice to Trump’s chief of staff , Mark Meadows, as a mob of pro-Donald Trump loyalists stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, according to Republican Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming, vice chair of the congressional committee probing the riot. “Mark, the president needs to tell people in the Capitol to go home,” texted Ingraham, host of “The Ingraham Angle.” “This is hurting all of us. He is destroying his legacy.” “Please get him on TV,” texted Kilmeade, a “Fox & Friends” host. “Destroying everything you have accomplished.” Hannity, like Ingraham a prime-time host, wondered if Trump could give a statement and ask people to leave the Capitol. Cheney’s release of the text messagesMonday came a day after the most prominent hard-news journalist at Fox, Chris Wallace, announced he is leaving after 18 years for a new job at CNN. Wallace had grown privately frustrated by Fox’s amplifi cation of its conservative opinion hosts, particularly since the network’s ratings took a brief dive following the election ofJoe Biden. The network had no immediate comment Tuesday about the texts. Fox has always tried to distinguish between “news” and “opinion” programming, even though those lines can be nonexistent and many viewers don’t make the same distinctions. The network considers Hannity, Ingraham and Kilmeade hosts of opinion shows. Fox has argued in court that its prime-time hosts can’t be held to the same factual

Fox News has always tried to distinguish between “news” and “opinion” programming, even though those lines can be nonexistent and many viewers don’t make the same distinctions. DREW ANGERER/GETTY IMAGES/TNS

standards as actual journalists. It’s not the ﬁ rst time Fox personalities acted as sort of a cabinet to Trump. Hannity frequently consulted with him during his presidency, and Tucker Carlson once asked for and received a meeting with Trump to talk about COVID-19 in the early days of the pandemic. “I don’t consider them in the traditional deﬁ nition of a journalist,” said Aly Colon, a professor of media ethics at Washington and Lee University. “But even so, they are representative of a news operation at Fox.” Their actions leave questions about whether their loyalty was to Trump or to viewers, who expect to learn about the news from them or at least get news analysis, Colon said. While CNN and MSNBC provided live coverage of the Monday night hearing in which Cheney revealed the text messages, Fox did not. Hannity interviewed Meadows but did not ask about the advice he and his colleagues sent. At the outset of his show, he bashed the committee’s work. “We’ve been telling you that this is a waste of your time and money,” Hannity said. “They have a predetermined outcome.” Not everyone thinks what the Fox

hosts did was wrong, including a consultant who ran Fox’s news operation for eight years during the 2000s. “I do think it was helpful to have them, or anyone else who had infl uence or potential infl uence over the president, tell him what needed to be done,” said Michael Clemente, a former executive vice president at Fox News. At a point of national crisis, that’s more important than the objectivity rules that most journalists are bound by, he said. “Texting the chief of staff to urge him to tell the president to call for an end to rioting is a good thing,” said Tim Graham, director of media analysis at the conservative Media Research Center. “But, ideally, journalists shouldn’t be texting political advice to the White House.” Graham said he didn’t think the news will be a bombshell to Fox viewers. “It shows Fox being anti-riot, so they will be heartened by that,” he said. On the night of the riot, Ingraham told Fox viewers that the Capitol had been attacked “by people who can only be described as antithetical to the MAGA movement.” She raised the idea that anti-fascist demonstrators may have been sprinkled through the crowd.

She complained about the “continual video loop” of the Capitol breach. She said the demonstration was “99% peaceful,” but “because of a small contingent of loons, these patriots have been unfairly maligned.” Hannity, on his show that night, condemned violence at the Capitol. He also spent considerable time talking about the failure of Democrats to condemn “violent far left riots” in the summer of 2020. Some critics said they saw a disconnect between what the Fox personalities said publicly and texted privately. “So you are telling me all these Fox News hosts knew the coup was terrible, begged Trump to stop it, and when he didn’t they kept on promoting him?” tweeted Amanda Carpenter, a columnist for The Bulwark, a political website dominated by conservatives who oppose Trump. On their shows Tuesday, Hannity and Ingraham argued that there was no diﬀ erence between what they said publicly on Jan. 6 and what they texted Meadows. “Both publicly and privately, I said what I believe – that the breach of the Capitol was a terrible thing,” Ingraham said.

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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2021

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Expanded child tax credit nears lapse Expires next week as lawmakers try to push $2T package forward Lisa Mascaro and Ashraf Khalil ASSOCIATED PRESS

WASHINGTON – It’s one of the most far-reaching of all the federal aid programs launched during the COVID-19 pandemic – up to $300 per child going directly into the bank accounts of families on the 15th of every month. But the last checks will go out Wednesday, the expanded child tax credit program expiring unless Congress revives it for 2022. That appears highly uncertain as lawmakers try to push President Joe Biden’s roughly $2 trillion social and environmental bill into law. The swift launch, and potentially quick end, to the bolstered child tax credit highlights the risks of enacting sweeping social policy changes in a politically divisive environment, without consensus to make the changes stick. Biden and Democrats on Capitol Hill might not have been praised by voters for adding the new benefi t, but they almost surely will be blamed if the money abruptly stops fl owing next month. “We need to keep them going,” said Rep. Suzan DelBene, D-Wash., and chair of the House’s New Democrat Coalition. “Families deserve that predictability and certainty.” The child tax credit wasn’t new when Democrats, over the objections of Republicans in Congress, altered the program as part of Biden’s $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief bill shortly after he took offi ce in January. But rarely has it provided the boost to families seen with this year’s changes. For more than 20 years, American taxpayers have been aff orded a tax break for their children. Started as a $500 per child write-off under Bill Clinton in 1997, it changed over time and was beefed up under Donald Trump’s GOP tax cuts in 2017. Biden’s American Rescue Plan increased the credit to $3,000 a year, added 17-year-olds and boosted the amount to $3,600 for children under six years old. Most dramatically, it gave

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, along with Rep John Larson, D-Conn., left, are among a handful of Democratic lawmakers to hold news conferences to highlight the expanded Biden Child Tax Credit. JESSICA HILL/AP

the credit to millions of families with low or no income, even if they didn’t earn enough money to pay income taxes or pay enough tax to qualify for the refund. Studies suggest the child tax credit expansions are expected to cut child poverty by 40% – with 9 of 10 American children benefi ting. Some 4.1 million children are on track to be lifted above the poverty line, according to analysis from the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities. After the fi rst checks started arriving in July, about one-third of recipient families used the money during the fi rst few months to pay down outstanding debt, along with paying for school supplies and child care, according to preliminary reports from the U.S. Census Bureau. Families in New Mexico, which has one of the country’s highest child poverty rates, spent nearly 46% of their child tax credit money on food, a study by Washington University in St. Louis’ Social Policy Institute found. “It says a lot about what families are worried about,” said Sharon Kaye, com-

Studies suggest the child tax credit expansions are expected to cut child poverty by 40% – with 9 of 10 American children beneﬁ ting. Center for Budget and Policy Priorities

munications director for New Mexico Voices for Children. “This is hugely important to a lot of families.” Republicans are fully opposed to Biden’s larger policy bill, which would extend the tax credit, arguing the overall health, education and climate change package is too big and costly at a time of rising inﬂ ation. On Tuesday, Sen. John Thune, the No. 2 Republican, said his side was ﬁ ne letting the policy lapse as the coronavirus crisis eases and the temporary aid goes away.

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“The thing I don’t think you want is a huge spike in spending,” Thune said. “And that would probably be the most obvious example of an infl ationary type policy.” Faced with Republican opposition, Biden is trying to pass the roughly $2 trillion package with Democrats alone, which the House has already done. But the path in the evenly split 5050 Senate is more diffi cult, with no room for dissent. Biden has been in talks with one key holdout, Sen. Joe Manchin, who appears to be the fi nal obstacle for Democrats trying to pass the big bill by Christmas. Asked specifi cally about the expiring tax credit this week, Manchin did not respond to repeated questions about the potential loss. One Democrat who has had “many, many, many conversations” with Manchin is Sen. Michael Bennet of Colorado, who said the West Virginian “is not at this moment a fan of the Child Tax Credit.” Bennet said he hopes Manchin will come to see that the extension would help the country because it would enable more parents to aff ord child care and work. “My hope is that with the one-year extension of the enhanced credit he will become a fan and we’ll see,” he said. When it became law this year, the expansion of the child tax credit was hailed as a potential philosophical shift in the way that government assistance programs work by emphasizing a direct, no-strings cash support. Instead, the program delivers discretionary cash directly into parents’ bank accounts, leaving the parents to decide how best to use it. Recipients spend it on food, rent, school supplies or even recreational activities. Proponents described it as an element of trust that had been lacking in much of the American social safety net. With the last checks now slated for Wednesday, Democrats are rushing to ensure that Jan. 15 checks will still land in families’ bank accounts. The Treasury Department has warned lawmakers that Dec. 28 is the deadline to pass the bill and ensure no disruption.

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OFFICIAL PUBLICATION NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING The City of Montgomery Board of Zoning Appeals will meet on Tuesday, December 28, 2021, at 7:00 p.m. in City Council Chambers at 10101 Montgomery Road to consider the following variance requests. 9835 Zig Zag Road - Property owner Patricia Spaulding, requests to allow for an HVAC unit to be located in the front yard where HVAC units are permitted only in the side and rear yards per Schedule 151.1009(C) of the Montgomery Zoning Code. 7455 Stonemeadow Lane Property owners Jeff and Kate Stechschulte, request to allow for a covered porch to have a setback of 30’ from the rear property line where 35’ is required per Schedule 151.1005 of the Montgomery Zoning Code. 10722 Adventure Lane – Property owners David and Mary Robertshaw, request to allow for an accessory structure to have a setback of 5’ from the side property line where 15’ is required per Schedule 151.1009 (B) of the Montgomery Zoning Code. A copy of the applications can be viewed at City Hall during regular business hours, 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. More information regarding these applications may be obtained by contacting Melissa Hays, Zoning and Code Compliance Officer at mhays@montgomeryo hio.org or 792-8347. CIN, Dec. 16,’21#5046030 PUBLICATION NOTICE – MICHIGAN LITIGATION To any descendant of Joseph L. Roberts, Sr. of Cincinnati, Ohio or of the subsequent owners described below: Please take notice that a civil action seeking a judgment of ownership by adverse possession has been filed in the Circuit Court for Emmet County, Michigan (docket number

21-107366-CH) by the Trustee of the James Hathaway Trust and the Carmelita Hathway Trust against the known and unknown heirs and successors of Joseph L. Roberts, who is believed to have died while a resident of Hamilton County, Ohio in 1896 without leaving a will. His ownership interests in real estate in Emmet County thus passed to his heirs. The land is identified as part of Lots 77 and 78 of the Village of Mackinaw City plat, located in Wawatam Township, Township 38 North, Range 4 West. The owners of the real estate after the death of Joseph L. Roberts were his four children, Alice J. Newhall, Francis F. (Fannie) Griffith, Clara B. Skaats and Joseph L. Roberts, Jr. all of whom are believed to have been born and raised in Cincinnati, and all of whom are believed to have been alive in 1925. The known descendants of one of these heirs are: Clara B. Skaats - Gladys Briscoe, James F. Briscoe, Joseph F. Briscoe, Virginia G. Meredith, Travis A. Meredith. Anyone who is included in the class of descendants is advised of the filing of the civil action and is directed to respond within 28 days if he or she wishes to oppose the request for judgment of ownership or be heard by the court on the issues involved. Contact the court and/or counsel as follows: Emmet County Circuit Court 200 Division St Petoskey, MI 49770 Phone: (231) 348-1748 cfitzgerald@emmetcounty.org M. Sean Fosmire Kitch Drutchas Wagner Valitutti & Sherbrook 1440 West Ridge Street Marquette, Michigan 49855 Phone: 906.228.0001 sean.fosmire@kitch.com

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OFFICIAL PUBLICATION TO: Nikki Adams, LMT 33 Euclid Ave., Apt. 3 Wyoming, OH 45215-4242 The State Medical Board of Ohio 30 E. Broad Street, 3rd Floor Columbus, OH 43215-6127 In the Matter of: Nikki Adams, LMT 21-CRF-0041 On October 14, 2021, the State Medical Board of Ohio mailed an Order or Revocation to Ms. Adams via certified mail, return receipt requested, at her last known address of record, 33 Euclid Ave., Apt. 3., Wyoming, OH 45215-4242. The Order was not returned to the Board from the postal service. A copy of the Notice is available on the Board’s website at www.elicense.ohio. gov. Ms. Adams may be entitled to an appeal. Such an appeal must be commenced by the filing of a Notice of Appeal with the State Medical Board and the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas. The Notice of Appeal must set forth the Order appealed from and state that the State Medical Board’s Order is not supported by reliable, probative, and substantive evidence and is not in accordance with law. The Notice of Appeal may, but is not required to, set forth the specific grounds of the appeal. Any such appeal must be filed within fifteen (15) days after the last date of publication in accordance with the requirements of Section 119.12, Ohio Revised Code. Please contact the undersigned to ascertain the last date of publication.

OFFICIAL PUBLICATION Any questions or correspondence should be addressed to: Jackie Moore Case Control Office 30 E. Broad Street, 3rd Floor Columbus, OH 43215-6127 Jackie.moore@med.ohio.gov CIN,Dec. 16, 23,30,’21#

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PROBATION CLERK VACANCY The U.S. Probation Office for the Eastern District of Kentucky is accepting applications for a fulltime Probation Clerk (CL-23) for the Covington, Kentucky office (Vacancy Number 2022-02). The Probation Clerk performs office reception duties and provides administrative support to probation officers in a wide range of functions. Salary range is CL-23 Step 1 ($36,331) to CL-23 Step 61 ($59,043) depending upon qualifications and specialized experience. Please visit www.kyep.uscourts.gov to view the full vacancy announcement which outlines representative duties, qualification requirements, benefit information, and conditions of employment. To apply, candidates must submit a completed AO 78 (Federal Judicial Branch Application for Employment – 02/2020) which is available on the www.kyep.uscourts.gov website, a letter of interest addressing their particular skills and experience and how those skills can contribute to this position, along with a resume, to: Mr. Warren G. Little II, Chief U.S. Probation Officer, U.S. Probation Office, 100 East Vine Street, Suite 600, Lexington, Kentucky 40507-1442, by January 3, 2022. EOE.

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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2021

THE ENQUIRER

Harmed cities await opioids payout Some see $26 billion as low price for overall damage Andrew Selsky ASSOCIATED PRESS

McMINNVILLE, Ore. – The opioid epidemic blew into this picturesque Oregon town like a toxic wind, leaving overdoses, addiction, homelessness and wrecked families in its wake. In a humble, single-story brick building, three blocks from downtown McMinnville’s wine-tasting rooms and cafes, staff ers and volunteers of a recovery center called Provoking Hope help the casualties. The workers, who themselves are recovering from drug addiction, off er counseling, coff ee and, for some, clean syringes. McMinnville and thousands of other towns across the United States are on the precipice of receiving billions of dollars in the second-biggest legal settlement in U.S. history. The $26 billion from three drug distributors and a pharmaceutical manufacturer would address damage wrought by opioids, which the federal government declared in 2017 was a public health emergency. States, counties and cities face a deadline in three weeks to sign onto the deal, and most states have agreed to do so. But a few holdouts remain, including Oregon, where disagreements have emerged between state and local government offi cials. The money is needed. In Yamhill County, where McMinnville is the county seat, it would expand counseling and treatment, including in jails, expand residential treatment and recovery facilities and fund other programs, said County Commissioner Casey Kulla. As Provoking Hope’s offi ce manager, Anne Muilenburg has seen the devastating eff ects of drug addiction and also experienced it fi rst-hand. She says her addiction started as many in America did, after her physician prescribed opioids. They were for a painful spinal bone spur. Ten years later, using her prescription and buying two other people’s prescriptions, she was taking 35 pills per day, far exceeding the maximum dosage.

Debra Cross, director of operations for Provoking Hope, an addiction recovery center in McMinnville, Ore., displays an emergency kit used to treat opioid overdose as she stands inside a mobile needle-exchange unit. ANDREW SELSKY/AP

“It wasn’t even enough to make me feel high. It was just enough to not make me sick,” Muilenburg said. She described opiate withdrawal – experienced when she would run out of pills – as “the worst feeling ever.” “It makes you feel like somebody’s peeling your skin off ,” she recalled in her small offi ce, decorated with posters with sayings like “be kind” and “stay humble.” Muilenburg fi nally got treatment but then “drug jumped” to alcohol and methamphetamine. She wound up losing her job at a car dealership and splitting with her husband, though they have since reunited. She was in and out of jail and found herself living on the street. “My being homeless was one of the things that led me to wanting to change my life,” Muilenburg said. She has been free of drugs for 41⁄ 2 years. Muilenburg said funds from the settlement are needed to address the community’s drug dependency. “We need more treatment centers. Every place needs more treatment centers,” she said. “It’s ridiculous that somebody wants to go to treatment and they have to wait eight to 10 weeks for a bed.”

House responds to Boebert with Islamophobia bill Lisa Mascaro ASSOCIATED PRESS

WASHINGTON – When Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert cracked a racist, Islamophobic joke about Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar, it wasn’t the fi rst time she mocked the Muslim congresswoman from Minnesota. Boebert had derided Omar during a House fl oor debate last month, taunting the Somali-born, Muslim-American immigrant as a member of the “jihad squad” of liberal lawmakers. The House on Tuesday took the fi rst formal step at a response, with a 219-212 party-line vote to approve legislation sponsored by Omar that would establish a new special envoy position at the State Department to Omar monitor and combat Islamophobia worldwide. In introducing the debate, Rep. James McGovern, the Democratic chairman of the House Rules Committee, cited surveys showing an uptick of anti-Muslim sentiment nationwide and around the world. McGovern said the House had arrived at this moment because a colleague has “told a completely fabricated story again and again that implies a Muslim colleague is a terrorist ... just because they are Muslim.” Those actions are “a stain on this entire institution,” he said, without naming Boebert, the freshman lawmaker from Colorado. “This House is better than the worst actions of a few here.” The bill is unlikely to advance in the Senate. But the ordeal provides yet another window onto the state of aff airs in the Republican Party left behind by Donald Trump. Republican leaders are unwilling or unable to publicly admonish their own, particularly those allied with Trump, even when their everyday rhetoric borders on racist hate speech. Democratic leaders have repeatedly said it’s up to the Republican leadership to stand up to their most outspoken members who cross a line. The Democrats so far have refrained from

more punitive actions of censuring Boebert or removing her committee assignments. Rep. Kevin McCarthy, the minority leader, has said he helped engineer a phone call between Boebert and Omar days after the Republican’s remarks came under scrutiny. And before the call, he said Boebert had apologized. But her apology – “to anyone in the Muslim community I off ended” – fell short for some lawmakers. Boebert set off the fi restorm around Thanksgiving after a video posted to Facebook showed her telling constituents about an interaction with Omar at a House elevator. As she stepped on the elevator, Boebert said she spotted Omar. “Well, she doesn’t have a backpack,” Boebert recalled saying, an apparent reference to a suicide bomb. “We should be fi ne.” Omar, one of just a few Muslims in Congress and the only lawmaker who regularly wears a religious headscarf, said the scene never happened. It wasn’t the fi rst time Boebert, the conservative newcomer, has tested the rules of civility. Last month, Boebert derided Omar as a member of the “jihad squad” during the House debate to censure another Republican, Rep. Paul Gosar, R-Ariz. He was being reprimanded for having tweeted an animated video depicting the slaying of another member of the so-called “squad” of liberal lawmakers, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y. In many ways, the Republican lawmakers are taking a page from Trump’s playbook. On the campaign trail and in the White House, Trump routinely mocked minority groups, derided certain African countries with a vulgarity, and slapped a ban on arrivals from predominantly Muslim countries as one of his early executive actions as president. Omar, who arrived in the U.S. as a child and now serves on the House Foreign Aff airs Committee, spoke during Tuesday’s debate about the bill, saying that as a country founded on religious liberty, the U.S. must fi ght against religious persecution of Muslims an others worldwide.

In the U.S., more than 500,000 deaths over the last two decades have been linked to opioids, both prescription drugs and illegal ones. The clock is ticking on the settlement, with a payout second only to the $200 billion-plus tobacco settlement, in 1998, with the nation’s four largest tobacco companies. The three drug distributors – AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health and McKesson – and drugmaker Johnson & Johnson agreed in July to pay the combined $26 billion to resolve thousands of state and local government lawsuits. But if the defendants feel there’s a lack of participation by states and local jurisdictions, it could cause them to back away from the landmark agreement or eventually reduce the settlement amount. “The defendants have the last bite at the apple to say, ‘Do we have a critical mass to justify going forward?’ ” said Joe Rice, an attorney for the plaintiﬀ s. In exchange for the payout, participating states, counties and cities would have to drop any lawsuits against the defendants and agree not to sue them in the future for the opioid epidemic. “There are complex tradeoﬀ s at stake here,” said Caleb Alexander, a drug safe-

ty expert at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. “On the one hand, the settlement would off er sorely needed funding to scale up treatment and otherwise address the opioid epidemic. On the other, many parties believe the settlement is not enough.” At least 45 states have signed on or signaled their intent to do so, and at least 4,012 counties and cities have also confi rmed participation, plaintiff s’ attorneys said Friday. Washington state has already ruled out participating, with Attorney General Bob Ferguson calling the settlement “woefully insuffi cient.” In Pennsylvania, the district attorneys for Philadelphia and Allegheny County, which includes Pittsburgh, have sued the state attorney general to ensure their lawsuits against the drug industry could continue, saying their communities’ shares from the settlement would cover only a fraction of the epidemic’s fi nancial toll. “We are not going to accept a settlement that is a sellout,” Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner said. Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro says receiving payouts from the settlement is a sure thing, unlike continuing to pursue lawsuits against the companies. Local governments can opt out and keep suing, he said, but the more that do, the less the state would receive. In Oregon, lawyers for local governments and the state recently resolved an impasse over how the settlement would be disbursed, according to The Lund Report, a health care news site. The state of Oregon had wanted local governments to apply to it for grants. The local governments instead wanted a larger share of the funds in direct payments. There’s now disagreement on how much of the settlement should go to attorneys who sued on behalf of several Oregon counties. Kulla, the Yamhill County commissioner, supports the opioid settlement but doesn’t want the state taking excessive control of it. “We at the counties are the ones working with those addicted and their families, and we incur the societal costs of those addictions,” he said.

Biden-Manchin talks on bill are not progressing Alan Fram ASSOCIATED PRESS

WASHINGTON – Negotiations between President Joe Biden and Sen. Joe Manchin over the Democrats’ huge social and environment bill are going poorly, a person familiar with the talks said Wednesday, the latest sign that leaders’ hopes of moving the bill through the Senate before Christmas were increasingly bleak. Manchin, D-W.Va., has told the president he wants to eliminate the measure’s extension of a more generous child tax credit, said the person, who would describe the situation only on condition of anonymity. Manchin told reporters that assertions he opposes that tax credit were “a lot of bad rumors.” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., has said he wants the Senate to approve the 10-year, nearly $2 trillion legislation by Christmas in hopes of using the upcoming holiday to prod Manchin and others to resolve ﬁ nal disputes over the bill. Democrats need all their votes in the 50-50 Senate to advance the legislation, and unresolved disputes with Manchin and other hurdles have made it seem increasingly unlikely that senators could begin debating the bill before the holiday. Democrats have spent nearly eight months working on the massive bill, a top priority for Biden and the party, and have already blown past earlier selfimposed deadlines. Letting work on it slip into next year, when congressional elections will be held, would be an ominous sign about its prospects and would deal a blow to a party bracing for November voting when Republicans have a real chance of winning control of the House and Senate. Many Democrats consider the expanded child tax credit crucial for the millions of families it helps and for the legislation’s prospects of moving through the narrowly divided Congress. The measure also has money for health care, universal prekindergarten and climate change programs. “It would be a disaster for working

Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., said assertions he opposes a child tax credit were “a lot of bad rumors.” JACQUELYN MARTIN/AP

families and parents in this country,” Senate Budget Committee Chairman Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., said of the consequences if the child tax credit fell from the bill. According to senators and aides, Schumer has not said he is planning to delay work on the bill into next year. But many obstacles must be cleared before the bill can come to the ﬂ oor, let alone be approved. Schumer must reach agreements with Manchin over his demands to curb the legislation’s price tag and remove provisions he opposes, such as required paid family leave and some tax credits for clean energy. There are other disputes as well, including how to increase federal tax deductions for state and local taxes. The Senate’s parliamentarian still has to consider whether many provisions abide by the chamber’s rules and should remain in the legislation. These include a Democratic eﬀ ort to help millions of immigrants stay temporarily in the United States. Schumer has scheduled the Senate to be in session the week of Jan. 3, possibly suggesting he wants lawmakers to plunge quickly back into work on the bill. Congress is seldom in session in early January in election years. The House approved its version of the legislation in November.

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cincinnati.com

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2021

Europe braces for omicron onslaught Likely to be top variant there by mid-January Samuel Petrequin ASSOCIATED PRESS

BRUSSELS – Omicron is expected to be the dominant coronavirus variant in the European Union’s 27 nations by mid-January, the bloc’s top offi cial said Wednesday amid concerns that a dramatic rise in infections will leave Europe shrouded in gloom during the holiday season. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the EU is well prepared to fi ght omicron with 66.6% of its population fully vaccinated. She expressed disappointment that the pandemic will again disrupt year-end celebrations but said she was confi dent the EU has the “strength” and “means” to overcome COVID-19. “Like many of you, I’m sad that once again this Christmas will be overshadowed by the pandemic,” she said. The EU-wide vaccination rate obscures that some EU nations, like Portugal and Spain, have immunized the vast majority of their people while other countries lag way behind. Bulgaria, for example, has just 26.6% of its population fully vaccinated, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. Continental Europe can look at Britain for a sense of what lies ahead as omicron spreads; U.K. offi cials say it will be the country’s dominant variant within days. The head of the U.K. Health Security Agency, Dr. Jenny Harries, said omicron is displaying a staggering growth rate compared to previous variants. “The diffi culty is that the growth of this virus, it has a doubling time which is shortening, i.e., it’s doubling faster, growing faster,” Harries told a parliamentary committee on Wednesday. “In most regions in the U.K., it is now under two days. When it started, we were estimating about four or fi ve.’’ Harries said the variant poses “probably the most signifi cant threat we’ve had since the start of the pandemic.” Britain on Wednesday recorded 78,610 new infections, its highest con-

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the EU, with its 66.6% vaccination rate, is well prepared to ﬁ ght omicron. JULIEN WARNAND/POOL VIA AP

ﬁ rmed daily total of the pandemic. But deaths remained far lower than during the country’s previous peaks, before vaccines against the coronavirus were widely deployed. Scientists have said they don’t know yet if omicron is as lethal as other virus variants. Alarming rises in infections as winter approached and the delta variant remained at large prompted many European governments to implement public health measures as excess mortality increased during the fall. The head of the World Health Organization says 77 countries have reported cases of omicron but the variant is probably in most countries by now, just not yet detected. WHO says data is still coming in and much remains unknown about the new variant. According to an analysis Tuesday of data from South Africa, where omicron is driving a surge in infections, the variant seems to be more easily spread from person to person and better at evading vaccines while causing less serious illness. “Omicron is spreading at a rate we have not seen with any previous vari-

“Like many of you, I’m sad that once again this Christmas will be overshadowed by the pandemic.” Ursula von der Leyen

European Commission president

ant. We are concerned that people are dismissing omicron as mild,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said. “Surely we have learned by now that we underestimate this virus at our peril.” Tedros emphasized that vaccines were just one tool – if a major one – to ﬁ ght the pandemic, along with measures like mask-wearing, better indoor ventilation, social distancing and handwashing. With omicron now on the scene, more countries are adopting restrictions. Italy this week required negative tests from vaccinated visitors, raising

concerns that similar moves elsewhere will limit the ability of EU citizens to travel to see friends and relatives over the holidays. Portugal adopted a similar measure on Dec. 1, requiring a mandatory negative test for all passengers on arriving fl ights, regardless of their vaccination status, point of origin or nationality. Greece announced Wednesday that all arriving travelers must display a negative test starting Sunday unless they have spent less than 48 hours abroad. Von der Leyen said the EU faces a double challenge, with a massive increase of cases in recent weeks due to the delta variant combined with the rise of omicron. “We’re seeing an increasing number of people falling ill, a greater burden on hospitals and, unfortunately, an increase in the number of deaths,” she told European Parliament lawmakers. Von der Leyen insisted that the increase in infections in Europe right now remains due “almost exclusively” to the delta variant. She said that fi ghting vaccine skepticism is key, especially in EU nations with lower vaccination rates. “Because the price that we will pay if people are not vaccinated continues to increase,” she said. “It’s also a problem for our elderly citizens, who once again this Christmas can’t see their grandchildren. And it’s also a problem for those children, who once again can’t go to school. What kind of a life is that?” Echoing von der Leyen’s comments, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz vowed Wednesday that his new government would do everything for Germany to overcome the coronavirus pandemic and let people return to normal lives. “We have no time to waste,” said Scholz, who took offi ce as Germany grapples with its biggest wave of infections during the pandemic to date. Scholz also said his German government won’t tolerate a “tiny minority” of extremists trying to impose their will against coronavirus policies. As governments braced for the holiday season, Greece, Italy, Spain and Hungary began vaccinating children ages 5-11 against COVID-19. EU leaders have a summit scheduled for Thursday in Brussels.

Professor’s trial a test of Chicago schools debut DOJ’s China prosecutions gender inclusive restrooms Tracy Swartz

Philip Marcelo

Chicago Tribune TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE

ASSOCIATED PRESS

BOSTON – The trial of a Harvard University professor charged with hiding his ties to a Chinese-run recruitment program is the latest bellwether in the U.S. Justice Department’s controversial eff ort to crack down on economic espionage by China. Opening statements in the trial of Charles Lieber, the former chair of Harvard’s department of chemistry and chemical biology, began Wednesday after jury selection was completed Tuesday in Boston federal court. Lieber’s trial is among the highest profi le cases to come from the U.S. Department of Justice’s so-called “China Initiative,” which was launched in 2018 under former President Donald Trump but has faced criticism that it harms academic research and amounts to racial profi ling of Chinese researchers. Federal prosecutors and Lieber’s defense team didn’t comment Tuesday, but in legal fi lings before the trial, prosecutors said they’ll show Lieber deliberately made false statements about his participation in a Chinese university program to protect his reputation and career. Lieber’s lawyer, Marc Mukasey, argued in his trial brief that prosecutors will be unable to prove that he acted “knowingly, intentionally, or willfully, or that he made any material false statement.” He also stressed Lieber, who remains on paid leave from Harvard, isn’t charged with illegally transferring any technology or proprietary information to China. “The government has this wrong,” Mukasey said last year. “When justice is done, Charlie’s good name will be restored.” Lieber was arrested last January on allegations that he hid his involvement in China’s Thousand Talents Plan, a program designed to recruit people with knowledge of foreign technology and intellectual property to China. Lieber, prosecutors said, was paid $50,000 a month by the Wuhan University of Technology in China, given

Harvard University professor Charles Lieber has pleaded not guilty to charges that include making false statements and tax offenses. MICHAEL DWYER/AP

up to $158,000 in living expenses and awarded more than $1.5 million in grants to establish a research lab at the Chinese university. In exchange, prosecutors say, Lieber agreed to publish articles, organize international conferences and apply for patents on behalf of the Chinese university. He’s pleaded not guilty to the charges, which include two counts of making false statements to authorities and four tax off enses for failing to report income from the Wuhan university. At the time, Lieber was one of the biggest names – and one of the few not of Chinese origin – swept up in the wide-ranging China Initiative, which was ostensibly launched to prosecute trade secret theft, hacking, and economic espionage. The eff ort also focuses on threats to national infrastructure and “eff orts to infl uence the American public and policymakers without proper transparency,” according to the Justice Department’s website.

CHICAGO – Chicago Public Schools has directed school leaders to post signs the district says “makes it clear that our restrooms are open for use to anyone who feels comfortable in that space.” There are three types of student bathrooms under the new district guidelines, which have drawn criticism from some parents. “Boys+” facilities have stalls and urinals, while “girls+” restrooms just have stalls. Anyone is allowed to use boys+ and girls+ bathrooms. Schools must also off er singlestall restrooms available to any student. Staff continue to have separate restrooms. The district announced the new signage in a video posted to social media Nov. 27 and on Dec. 3 in a weekly newsletter emailed to families. “Posting these temporary paper signs is the initial step we are taking while the district works on a long-term strategy for permanent restroom signage that is gender inclusive,” Camie Pratt, CPS’ chief Title IX offi cer, wrote in a letter to parents. CPS representatives say the signage aligns with guidance published in June by the U.S. Department of Education’s Offi ce for Civil Rights affi rming the rights of transgender students. Because the federal guidance was announced after the district’s annual budget had been set, CPS said, the cost of permanent signage will be part of next year’s budget. School leaders are using their own budgets to cover the cost of printing temporary signs, CPS said. Signs were supposed to be up by Dec. 1. A change.org petition demanding CPS “rescind this ridiculous and disgusting policy” has garnered more than 2,600 signatures. The petition was circulated by the Chicago Republican Party. Kelli Denard said she heard about the new signs from that organization and opposes them. “Even though my

A “boys+” restroom sign is posted at LaSalle Elementary Language Academy in Chicago. Chicago Public Schools has directed school leaders to post signs the district says “makes it clear that our restrooms are open for use to anyone who feels comfortable in that space.” ERIN HOOLEY/CHICAGO TRIBUNE VIA TNS

son and I share a bathroom, we don’t use it while the other is in the bathroom,” said Denard, whose son attends Gwendolyn Brooks College Preparatory Academy. “If CPS is all in on gender equity, then I expect to see signs for the oﬃ ces where CPS employees work as well, in all of their oﬃ ces. What’s good for the goose is good for the gander.” The district indicated there are “men’s+” and “women’s+” signs as well. CPS says it continues to engage students in policy development on LGBTQ+ protections and supports. A 2019 youth risk behavior survey found about 23% of CPS students identify as LGBTQ. In her letter to parents, Pratt pointed to a national study that determined about 4 in 10 transgender students avoid bathrooms at school because they feel unsafe or uncomfortable. In 2016, CPS announced that transgender and gender nonconforming students would be able to use restrooms and locker rooms that match their gender identity.

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2021

THE ENQUIRER

OHIO

TODAY’S OBITUARIES AND DEATH NOTICES

Name Bolling, Shriley Bryant, Ricky “Rick” Carson, Jim Doyle, Bonnie Wallingford Elliott, Kenneth C *Farley (Clayton), Georgia Amelia *Feldkamp, Abby Frederick, Denise *Goedde, Richard A. “Dick” Goins, Carol *Haring , Ruth S. *Haun, John Hayes, Sr., Edwin D. Holden, Brian Hutchens, Richard Nicoloff, Ronald Nieman, Robert Ragoo, Fred Lionel Rasnick, Amber *Rice, Mary Rose, Krystal Gail Rosengarn, Robert *Schmeing, Mary Shearer, Carl D. *Tooley, Judith Angela *Wilking, Theresa L. Williams, Sharon L.

Age 84 58 78 71 71 94 40 80 83 72 96 73 83 50 83 76 87 93 36 83 34 75 82 92 94 63

Town, State Aurora W. Harrison Maineville Maysville Blanchester independence Milford Lebanon Colerain Twp. Norwood Wilder Rising Sun Hillsboro Cincinnati Harrison Lawrenceburg Waxhaw Sharonville Fort Mitchell Rising Sun, IN Aurora Villa Hills Franklin Cincinnati Mason Dayton

Death Date Arrangements 11-Dec Rullman Hunger Funeral Home 11-Dec Neidhard Minges Funeral Home 12-Dec Tufts Schildmeyer - Loveland 14-Dec Moore & Parker Funeral Home 10-Dec Evans Funeral Home, Goshen 09-Dec Floral Hills Funeral Home 11-Dec Evans Funeral Home - Milford 06-Dec Frederick Funeral Home 13-Dec Frederick Funeral Home 09-Dec Advantage Cremation Care 13-Dec Hodapp Funeral Home 10-Dec Dobbling, Muehlenkamp-Erschell Funeral Home 13-Dec Markland Funeral Home 13-Dec Cahall Funeral Home Mt. Orab 15-Dec Maham Funeral Home 13-Dec Neidhard Minges Funeral Home 14-Dec Rullman Hunger Funeral Home 09-Dec Chambers & Grubbs Funeral Home 11-Dec Advantage Cremation Care 10-Dec Middendorf Funeral Home 13-Dec Markland Funeral Home 14-Dec Rullman Hunger Funeral Home 09-Dec Middendorf Funeral Home 12-Dec Stubbs-Conner Funeral Home 10-Dec Radel Funeral Service 13-Dec Mihovk Rosenacker Funeral Home 11-Dec Serenity Funeral Care

* Additional information in display obituaries

Obituaries appear in print and online at www.cincinnati.com/obituaries

Robert G. Miller Sr.

Ruth S. Haring

GRANT’S LICK - Robert G. Miller Sr., 83, of Grant’s Lick, KY, passed away on Wednesday, December 8, 2021, at Highlandspring of Ft. Thomas on his 83rd birthday. He was born in West Irvine, KY in 1938 to his late parents, Douglas and Hallie (nee Underwood) Miller. Robert retired from the Environmental Protection Agency. He was a member and Ordained Deacon of First Baptist Church of Cold Spring, member of The Gideons International, and Trustee at Raymond Walters College. Robert is preceded in death by his wife, Margaret “Peggy” Ryan Miller and his son, Robert G. Miller Jr. He is survived by his former wife, Betty Jo (nee Pearson) Miller; daughter-in-law, Kimberly Miller; two grandsons, Taylor and Tanner Miller. Visitation will be held on Saturday, December 11, 2021, from 1:00 PM until the time of Funeral Services at 3:00 PM at First Baptist Church of Cold Spring. Immediately followed by a reception at the church. Interment will be private in the Alexandria Cemetery, Alexandria, KY. Memorial Donations are suggested to: First Baptist Church of Cold Spring, 4410 Alexandria Pike, Cold Spring, KY 41076 or to The Gideons International Processing Center, P.O. Box 97251, Washington, DC 20090-7251.

Ruth S.Haring,loving mother of Diana (Paul) Clem, grandmother of Erin (Dwayne) Sears, Sister of Edith Fledderman, and Frances Werner. Ruth is also survived by several close friends. Ruth loved to cook and spend time in the garden tending to her flowers. She enjoyed playing cards or working on crafts. She was a very active person who enjoyed working or spending time with friends whenever she could. Ruth passed away on December 13, 2021 at the age of 96. A visitation will be held at Hodapp Funeral Home, 8815 Cincinnati Columbus Rd. (Rt 42), West Chester, OH 45069, on Friday, December 17, 2021, from 11 until the time of service at 12 noon. A burial will take place immediately following the service at Rose Hill Cemetery in Mason, OH.

Abby Feldkamp MILFORD - Abigail Marie Feldkamp of Milford, Ohio. Abby , age 40 , was taken by angels to Heaven on December 11, 2021. She will be remembered by everyone she touched and the love she spread throughout her family, friends and community. She made the world a better place and will be greatly missed by Meloney (Mom), Gerry (Dad), her brothers Jon and Greg (Angie) Feldkamp along with her little sister Stephanie (Jamie) Hausman and her nieces Charleston and Emma and her nephews Owen, Cameron, Brooks and Dylan who all loved her with all their hearts. She lived a wonderful life and had many good friends who cherished her and her love for country music, her cowgirl style especially the boots, and her love that she freely gave to everyone. Visitation will be Saturday December 18, 2021 at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church, 5890 Buckwheat Road, Milford, OH from 8:30 AM until Mass of Christian Burial at 10:00 AM. Burial will follow at Gate of Heaven Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, 3333 Burnet Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45229.Go Bearcats! www.evansfuneralhome.com

Richard A. “Dick” Goedde COLERAIN TWP. Richard “Dick” Goedde, beloved husband for 63 years to Marilyn (nee Heller) Goedde. Devoted father of Cindy (Dan) Venuto, Rick (Maria) Goedde, Tom (Jayne) Goedde, and Pat (Angela) Goedde. Loving grandfather Maria, Dan, Nicolette, Amanda, Joe, Andrew, Austin, Anna, and Cohen. Great grandfather of Holden, Elle, and Saylor. Dick passed away on Monday, December 13, 2021 at the age of 83. Mass of Christian Burial at La Salle High School gymnasium 3091 N Bend Rd, Cincinnati, OH 45239 on Saturday (December 18) at 10:00 a.m. In lieu donations may be made to La Salle basketball. Special condolences may be expressed at frederickfh.com

Judith Angela Tooley

Theresa L. Wilking

CINCINNATI - Judith Angela (Nee: Huhn) Tooley of Cincinnati Ohio passed away on December 10, 2021. Judy was the devoted mother of Brian Tooley (Tammy Cuevas), Maureen Heckmuller (Jack) and Patrick Tooley (Margo). Loving grandmother to 13 and great grandmother to 7. Preceded in death by her parents, Raymond and Angela (McKinley) Huhn, her brother David and sister Patricia and brother in law Paul Ostendorf, and Jerome, Bernadine (Robicheaux) and Stanley Robert Tooley. Survived by her brother Thomas Huhn, sisters in law Connie and Rosemary (Skip) Huhn and many other loving family members. Visitation will be on Friday, December 17 at Radel Funeral Home from 5-7pm. Funeral Mass will be Saturday, December 18 at St. Ignatius Catholic Church at 11am. In lieu of sending flowers, please consider a donation to either Our Daily Bread or St Aloysius Children Services or any local organization that provides children services or helps families in need. Radel Funeral Home serving the family 451-8800 or radelfuneral.com

Wilking, age 94, passed away peacefully and in her usual quiet nature on Monday, December 13, 2021. She was born January 28, 1927 in Cincinnati, Ohio to the late Fredrick and Mary (nee Espel) Broerman. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her loving husband, Joseph Wilking, and 13 brothers and sisters. Beloved and devoted mother to her children; Leslie (Art) Bender, Charlene (Cliff) Schwieter, Rick (Kathy) Wilking, Nancy Murray, Bob (Kim) Wilking, Jeff (LuAnn) Wilking, and Michael (Sandy) Wilking. “Grandma Tess” to her 18 grandchildren and 40 great grandchildren. A funeral service will begin at 11:00 a.m. on Monday, December 20, 2021 at Mihovk-Rosenacker Funeral Home, 10211 Plainfield Rd, Cincinnati, OH 45241. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service, 1011 a.m., at the funeral home.

MASON - Theresa L.

Mary Schmeing VILLA HILLS - Mary Kathryn (Dodd) Schmeing passed away December 9th, with her beloved husband of 57 years by her side. She was born in Louisville, Kentucky on September 15, 1939, the first child of William and Anita Dodd. After her father’s death when she was a young adult, Mary Kay devoted her energy and resources to supporting her mother and younger siblings, and remained dedicated to their well-being throughout her life. Mary Kay also devoted her long and successful career to helping others. Early in her career, she taught and served as a counselor at Seton High School. She served as a social worker for the State of Kentucky and, for many years, for Catholic Charities of Southwestern Ohio. Later, she became affiliated with the YWCA of Hamilton, Ohio, first leading the shelter for battered and abused women, then becoming executive director of the agency. She left the Y to become executive director of the Children’s Diagnostic Center of Hamilton, which provides psychological counseling services to children and adolescents. Mary Kay held a bachelor’s degree in English from Thomas More University and a master’s in Education, with a specialization in Counseling, from Xavier University. She was honored to teach for a number of years as an adjunct professor of English at Thomas More. She was blessed with an intellect and curiosity that drove a passion for travel and adventure. She and her husband traveled the length and breadth of the six inhabited continents. Her husband often joked that there was no place on earth that wasn’t on her bucket list. Later in life, she devoted her energies to philanthropy. She volunteered for Dress for Success, a non-profit that helps women achieve economic independence. She also served on the Findlay Market Friends’ Board, which made important contributions to the market’s revitalization. She supported many other organizations; Magnified Giving, Brighton Center, and Animal Friends Humane Society were particularly close to her heart. Mary Kay is survived by her husband Richard, her sister Jeanne Dodd (Streadwick), her brothers-in-law Tony and Paul Schmeing, sisters-in-law Debbie Schmeing, Norma Enderle and Lois Houp, and beloved nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends. She was preceded in death by her parents, her sisters Anita Connelly and Liz Dodd, her brother Bill Dodd, brothersin-law Joe Connelly and Bob Streadwick, and three beloved rescue dogs, Duffy, Gilley, and Dolly. A Visitation will be held on Saturday, December 18, 2021 at St. Agnes Church from 10:00 AM until Mass of Christian Burial begins at 11:00 AM. A gathering will be held at the Adelaide Center at Madonna Manor immediately after. If you are interested in making a memorial donation, the family asks that you consider one of the organizations mentioned above. Online condolences can be made at www.middendorf-funeralhome.com

The Enquirer

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2021

SPORTS

Reds and UC Football h How depth became a major issue, 3D h Bearcats sign 20 from Class of ’22, 5D

Looking at XU’s oﬀ ense through Steele Adam Baum Cincinnati Enquirer USA TODAY NETWORK

Cincinnati Bearcats guard Jeremiah Davenport (right) goes up for a shot over Florida A&M Rattlers forward DJ Jones in the second half of their NCAA men’s basketball game at Fifth Third Arena on Tuesday night. SAM GREENE/THE ENQUIRER

THE BEARCATS BOUNCED BACK Cincinnati men’s basketball team beat Florida A&M, 77-50, on Tuesday night Keith Jenkins Cincinnati Enquirer USA TODAY NETWORK

First-year University of Cincinnati men’s basketball coach Wes Miller put his team through the wringer Monday in practice. “(It was) a lot longer than I’ve ever pushed them the day before a game,” he said. Miller’s team responded. Jeremiah Davenport scored a teamhigh 16 points, Mika Adams-Woods added 11 points and the Bearcats coasted to a 77-50 win over Florida A&M on Tuesday night at Fifth Third Arena. “Coming oﬀ a loss, teams can either fall back or progress,” Davenport said. “One thing about coach, he’s not going to let up at all. That practice, he was on us.”

UC Coach Wes Miller says, “It just feels good to get back in the win column. I’m happy for our players because it’s been a lot of doom and gloom around here.” SAM GREENE/THE ENQUIRER

Monday’s practice and Tuesday’s game were the fi rst for the Bearcats (8-3) since Saturday night’s 83-63 loss at crosstown rival Xavier. “It just feels good to get back in the win column,” Miller said. “I’m happy for our players because it’s been a lot of doom and gloom around here. And certainly I hadn’t been in the best mood. We’ve been really demanding, as we should be after the way we played (Saturday) and the way we’ve been playing.” After being outrebounded by the Musketeers 41-28, including 27-16 on the defensive glass, Cincinnati dominated the Rattlers on the boards, 4833. Ody Oguama had nine points and eight rebounds off the bench for the Bearcats. “Plain and simple, we’ve just got to fi nd and locate the ball,” Oguama said. “I think we did a better job of it today. It’s just something we’ve got to emSee BEARCATS, Page 4D

Ken Robinson, the late British author and speaker, once said, “All children start their school careers with sparkling imaginations, fertile minds, and a willingness to take risks with what they think.” When Travis Steele was a student at Butler University, his notebooks were a window into his mind. The pages were fi lled with notes and ideas and drawings of basketball courts, doodles littered with lines and arrows in search of something he hoped might come in handy someday. “When we’d be in class – and I went to class but I probably wouldn’t always pay attention – I’d be doodling and drawing up plays,” Steele said. “I was always intrigued with that side of the ball (on off ense) and just how you can manipulate things and control it and get really good shots.” Today his notebooks are more complex and a lot bigger, and instead of running his designs in his head, Steele gets to implement them at the highest level of college basketball. Most of the time, Xavier’s head coach wants his team to run a fl ow offense, which is predicated on a few concepts, but mostly it’s a matter of See XAVIER, Page 4D

Xavier men’s basketball coach Travis Steele leads a meeting at Cintas Center. For full coverage of Wednesday night’s game against Morehead State, visit Cincinnati.com. SAM GREENE/THE ENQUIRER

How Bengals are navigating recent COVID-19 spike Kelsey Conway Cincinnati Enquirer USA TODAY NETWORK

The NFL is dealing with a massive surge in COVID-19 cases. Seven teams have now entered the league’s COVID-19 intensive protocols that were very prevalent in the 2020 season. Fortunately for the Bengals, they have been able to avoid a high number of cases taking place at one time. Bengals Head Coach Zac Taylor said he addressed the recent spike in cases with his team Wednesday as players reentered the building to prepare for their upcoming road matchup with the Denver Broncos. Despite no player testing positive this week, the Bengals are go-

ing to take a very precautionary approach moving forward. “I think that we may start doing some things diﬀ erently, just out of an abundance of caution,” Taylor said. “We have to be careful with what we’re doing.” The league’s protocols could change following the surge but as of right now, vaccinated players are required to test once a week. Unvaccinated players must test daily. If a vaccinated player tests positive for COVID-19 and is asymptomatic, he is not subject to the 10-day automatic quarantine the nonvaccinated players are. If the player is vaccinated and without symptoms in that instance, he only needs two negative tests 24 hours apart. Last week, running back Joe Mixon

Defensive end Trey Hendrickson is dealing with a back injury. Despite not practicing Wednesday and potentially all week, he could play against the Broncos. KAREEM ELGAZZAR/THE ENQUIRER

wasn’t at practice on Wednesday and Thursday because he was dealing with an illness. Mixon tested negative for COVID-19, but out of precaution the Bengals kept him away from the team. He returned to practice Friday but didn’t practice and was wearing a mask on the practice ﬁ eld. Cincinnati is dealing with a similar situation this week. Taylor said Trey Hopkins, Trey Hill and Isaiah Prince will not practice on Wednesday because they all reported they were feeling ill. All three oﬀ ensive linemen tested negative. “They won’t be at practice today for that reason,” Taylor said. “Some of them feel better than others. Some of them See COVID-19, Page 2D

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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2021

THE ENQUIRER

BENGALS NOTEBOOK

How team can overcome CB injuries Charlie Goldsmith Cincinnati Enquirer USA TODAY NETWORK

Three hours before the Cincinnati Bengals’ game started on Sunday, cornerback Chidobe Awuzie was the only player on the fi eld. After missing two practices during the week due to a foot injury, Awuzie was testing his foot to see if he could play against the San Francisco 49ers. Since Awuzie has been the Bengals’ best cornerback all season, the coaching staff waited as long as possible to make a fi nal decision on his status for the game. Awuzie played 58 snaps and was one of the Bengals’ best players, contributing six tackles and two pass breakups. But with 49 seconds left in regulation, Awuzie’s foot injury fl ared back up, and he missed the rest of the fourth quarter and overtime. On Monday, Awuzie said he hopes to play this week against the Denver Broncos. “It’s Week 14, so yeah, it’s something I’m probably gonna have to deal with,” Awuzie said. “It’s just going to be a battle.” It was the exact situation Bengals Head Coach Zac Taylor feared when he put together the 48-man active roster for Sunday’s game. It was a possibility that infl uenced whether or not the Bengals would activate another cornerback, who the coaching staff had planned to start alongside Awuzie all season. Bengals cornerback Trae Waynes, the highest-paid cornerback on the roster, had been cleared to practice earlier in the week after missing two months with a hamstring injury. Taylor said he was optimistic that Waynes could return from a hamstring injury to play against the 49ers. Waynes had been out since October with his second hamstring injury of the season. The Bengals signed him to a three-year deal in 2020 because of his physical style and his consistency as a tackler. It was the type of cornerback the Bengals could have used against San Francisco. Taylor said since Waynes had missed

The Cincinnati Bengals have depth at cornerback, including Tre Flowers (right), should their top stars get injured or be absent due to health concerns this season. KAREEM ELGAZZAR/THE ENQUIRER

so much time, Waynes likely would have only been available to play 15-to-20 snaps. With the uncertainty of Awuzie’s status, the Bengals decided to not activate Waynes and keep cornerbacks Vernon Hargreaves and Tre Flowers on the active gameday roster. If Awuzie and Waynes had both been active and then Awuzie and Waynes both had to leave the game with injuries, the Bengals would have been close to running out of cornerbacks. “What if (Awuzie) goes out early in the game and all of a sudden Trae is the active body instead of Vernon Hargreaves, Tre Flowers or anybody in that DB room?” Taylor said. “Come Saturday it was just a determination, let’s not activate (Waynes) yet, see how it goes next week and then make a decision.” The Bengals’ outside cornerback group remains a work in progress due to Awuzie and Waynes’ lingering injuries. The Bengals ﬁ nished the 49ers game

with Eli Apple on the fi eld alongside Vernon Hargreaves III, who the Bengals claimed in November. Behind Hargreaves, the Bengals have Flowers and Jalen Davis, who has been a backup all season. Due to the injuries, the Bengals have four diff erent combinations of starting cornerbacks they could use this week against the Denver Broncos. If Awuzie is fully healthy, then he’ll start alongside either Waynes or Apple. If Waynes is also healthy, the coaching staff will have to make a decision between Waynes and Apple, who has played extremely well since the Bengals’ bye week. If Awuzie and Waynes both can’t play, then Apple will start alongside Hargreaves against a talented Broncos wide receiver group. “At the end of the day, this game is a game about units, and units that want to be the best on the team,” Awuzie said. “I think we have the talent as a defensive

back unit to be one of the best in the league. Every game we take very hard on ourselves.” INJURY UPDATE: Against the 49ers, Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson left the game with a back injury. Taylor gave a positive outlook on Hendrickson, who leads the Bengals with 12.5 sacks. “(I’m) hopeful that Trey will be limited early in the week,” Taylor said. “We will kind of see where it goes. I’ve got a positive outlook on this week. We will just take it day to day with him.” HEADING TO IR: Bengals cornerback Darius Phillips, who injured his shoulder on a fumbled punt return against the 49ers, was placed on the Reserve/Injured list. Phillips will have to miss at least three weeks. The move opens up a spot on the 53-man roster as cornerback Trae Waynes (hamstring) and OG D’Ante Smith near a return.

NFL NOTEBOOK

Browns QB Mayﬁ eld, Stefanski have COVID-19 ASSOCIATED PRESS

When Kevin Stefanski received word he’d tested positive again for COVID-19, Cleveland’s cool coach barely blinked. Nothing new for him or the Browns. On Wednesday, the team’s virus outbreak widened and worsened with Stefanski, quarterback Baker Mayfi eld and three others starters testing positive, jeopardizing their chances of participating in Saturday’s critical game against the Las Vegas Raiders. In all, Cleveland has 18 players – 11 of them starters or regulars – and two coaches on the COVID-19 list. It’s the second straight year the Browns are dealing with a major spike in COVID-19 cases while in the midst of pursuing a playoff spot. Last season, Stefanski had to sit out Cleveland’s wild-card win at Pittsburgh after a positive test. “We’ve been here before,” Stefanski said on Zoom. “Everybody has to step up depending on who’s available.” An NFL spokesman told the AP there has been no discussion of moving Saturday’s game. It’s possible the Browns could have more cases. In the meantime, they’re going forward with an abnormal work week in 2021 but one they experienced much of last season. “We have a game Saturday at 4:30 p.m., unless somebody tells me otherwise,” said Stefanski, voted AP’s Coach of the Year in 2020, partly for navigating his team around COVID-19 and to the playoff s. “We just really have to focus on what we need to do to prepare, and that is our full expectation is to get out there with our guys Saturday and go fi nd a way.” Stefanski and the positive players will have to be asymptomatic and produce two negative tests to be eligible to participate Saturday. If Stefanski is out, special teams coordinator Mike Priefer will serve as acting head coach for the game at Cleveland, just as he did in January at Pittsburgh, and off ensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt will handle playcalling. A day after placing eight players on

Browns quarterback Baker Mayﬁ eld tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday and is uncertain to play against the Las Vegas Raiders on Saturday. DAVID RICHARD/AP

the COVID-19 list, the Browns added Mayﬁ eld, starting safety John Johnson III, nickel back Troy Hill, starting defensive tackle Malik McDowell and defensive end Ifeadi Odenigbo on the reserve/COVID-19 list. It’s hardly an ideal situation heading into a vital game for the Browns (7-6), who have been inconsistent all season and are preparing to host the Raiders (6-7) on a short week – and may not be able to have a full practice. The Browns are on the extreme end of what has been a major rise in COVID-19 cases across the league this week. There were 65 reported cases on Monday and Tuesday, the worst twoday outbreak since the pandemic started. If Mayﬁ eld can’t play, veteran backup Case Keenum will start. RAVENS QB JACKSON MISSES PRACTICE WITH INJURED ANKLE: Baltimore Ravens Head Coach John Harbaugh said quarterback Lamar Jackson would not practice on Wednesday, although the star quarterback remains a possibility to play this weekend. Jackson left last weekend’s loss at Cleveland with a sprained ankle. He was not available to reporters Wednesday the way he usually is. Harbaugh said Jackson is day to day.

Last week, running back Joe Mixon wasn’t at practice Wednesday and Thursday because he was dealing with an illness. Mixon tested negative for COVID-19, but out of precaution the Bengals kept him away. KAREEM ELGAZZAR/THE ENQUIRER

COVID-19 Continued from Page 1D

feel worse than others. But I think we’ve gotta be smart here these next couple of days and weeks here about how we meet. Those aren’t things that we’ve totally nailed down yet but, certainly, we’ve talked more about it today than any day.”

THE LATEST BENGALS INJURY REPORT It appears the Bengals dodged what looked like a serious injury to star defensive end Trey Hendrickson. In the Week 13 loss to the San Francisco 49ers, Hendrickson was down on the fi eld with the trainers for a short time. Cincinnati had the cart ready to get Hendrickson off the fi eld before he was able to walk off on his own power. Hendrickson is dealing with a back injury and despite not practicing on Wednesday and potentially all week, Taylor is optimistic he’ll be able to play against the Broncos on Sunday. “I think he’ll be limited this week but I’m optimistic we’ll have Trey,”

Taylor said. “We’re at the point of the year, midway through December. We’re going to be overly cautious, especially with a lot of our veteran guys who we want them to be healthy and productive on Sunday. So you may see some guys that are limited during the week that I’m really optimistic about this weekend.” Linebacker Logan Wilson will not play in Denver as he continues to deal with a shoulder injury. Wilson suff ered his injury in Cincinnati’s Week 13 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. Riley Reiff , the Bengals’ starting right tackle, is doubtful to play with an ankle injury against the Broncos, according to Taylor. If Reiff is unable to play, Prince will start in his place assuming he’s feeling well enough to play. Cornerback Chidobe Awuzie also missed time in the Bengals’ recent loss to the 49ers but said he believes he’ll be able to play through his foot injury. Quarterback Joe Burrow didn’t practice on Wednesday as the Bengals continue to manage his pinkie injury. Taylor hinted this could be the case moving forward this season with four games to play in the regular season. Burrow continues to reiterate he won’t miss a game because of the injury.

cincinnati.com

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2021

REDS

How depth is a major issue for roster Bobby Nightengale Cincinnati Enquirer USA TODAY NETWORK

It became less of an issue when the Cincinnati Reds faded out of the playoff race in September and the St. Louis Cardinals won 17 consecutive games, but the lack of depth at certain positions was highlighted in the fi nal weeks of the season. Jesse Winker, Tyler Naquin and Shogo Akiyama were sidelined in the outfi eld. Mike Moustakas and Nick Senzel were out. Wade Miley went on the injured list with a neck injury. Rookie starter Vladimir Gutierrez seemingly hit a wall after crossing 120 innings, which followed a season where he threw zero innings. Since the beginning of the off season, the lack of depth has been magnifi ed after the Reds placed Miley on waivers, traded Tucker Barnhart, saw Nick Castellanos opt out of his contract and lost relievers Michael Lorenzen and Mychal Givens to free agency. “It was tough because this year we got the trade deadline and bullpen was our biggest need,” Reds General Manager Nick Krall said at the GM Meetings in November. “We fi lled those needs and then once we got to August, Winker got hurt, Naquin got hurt, Castellanos was hurt for a portion into August. We ran out of depth and when you lose middleof-the-order bats like that, that’s really hard to replace whether it’s at the trade deadline or from your own system. That’s where we were. We just didn’t have enough depth to combat where we were at the end of the season.” The Reds don’t have many glaring positional holes on their roster, but they don’t have much depth to combat injuries. It’s a reason why the Reds are weighing potential trades, particularly with their top pitchers, because if the team isn’t built to win in 2022, then work needs to be done to build a contender for future seasons. An example of the depth issue: The current projected rotation includes Luis Castillo, Sonny Gray, Tyler Mahle, Gutierrez and one open slot. Reiver San-

The Cincinnati Reds’ bullpen will be without Tejay Antone for the entire 2022 season after he underwent Tommy John surgery, and it’s an area that should see additions whenever the lockout ends. ALBERT CESARE/THE ENQUIRER

martin, Hunter Greene and Nick Lodolo are three of the top internal options. On paper, the Reds have a 1-2-3 punch that can match most teams. The Reds, however, didn’t have two of their fi ve starters available at the end of spring training last season. Gray missed the fi rst two weeks of the season because of a back strain. Lorenzen was sidelined for three months with a shoulder strain and returned in a relief role. It’s one thing to hope one of the Reds’ prospects pushes his way to the Majors and has success as a rookie, but it’s another when the Reds are relying on a few of them to have a successful season. The projected starting outfi eld, at this point, includes Jesse Winker in left fi eld, Nick Senzel in center and Tyler Naquin in right fi eld, but all three players have dealt with various injuries in

past years. Senzel could’ve helped solve some of the Reds’ issues last season, including their struggles against lefthanded pitching as a right-handed hitter, but the Reds didn’t think he looked ready to return from his knee injury after completing his rehab assignment last August. The bullpen will be without Tejay Antone for the entire 2022 season after he underwent Tommy John surgery, and it’s an area that should see additions whenever the lockout ends. As the Reds weigh their options for the remainder of the oﬀ season, depth is an issue that could factor into the front oﬃ ce’s direction. HITTING COORDINATOR: The Reds hired Jim Rickon as one of their minorleague hitting coordinators, a longtime

coach on the Cleveland Guardians’ player development staff . Rickon spent the last 23 years with the Guardians, including three as their hitting coordinator (2015-17) and the last four years as a pro scout (2018-21). He began as a hitting coach with Cleveland in 2002. The Reds restructured their hitting development in the organization. Major League assistant hitting coach Joe Mather, who also served as the director of hitting, took a job as the Arizona Diamondbacks’ lead hitting coach. C.J. Gillman was the minor league hitting coordinator last year, but he wasn’t retained at the end of the season. Gillman is now the hitting coordinator for the Seattle Mariners. Joel McKeithan was hired as the Reds’ assistant hitting coach in November and he holds an “off ensive coordinator” title where he will oversee the Reds’ hitting philosophies throughout the organization. The Reds are expected to hire two minor league hitting coordinators to match the structure on the pitching side. STAFF CHANGES: Ricky Gutierrez, who managed at the Reds’ Double-A affi liate in Chattanooga last year, joined the Washington Nationals as a special assistant in international operations and player development. Gutierrez spent the last fi ve years on the Reds’ minor league coaching staff . He managed at High-A Daytona in 2018 and ’19. Justin Bucko, who was the strength and conditioning coach at Triple-A Louisville last season, was hired as the assistant strength coach on the Baltimore Orioles’ Major League staff . Bucko was with the Reds for fi ve years, working at the alternate site in Mason, Ohio, during the 2020 season. The Philadelphia Phillies announced last month they hired Jason Camilli as their Major League assistant hitting coach. Camilli was a development coach for the Reds’ rookie-level complex team last season, his lone year in the organization after he spent nine years on the Arizona Diamondbacks’ player development staff .

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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2021

THE ENQUIRER

MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL ROUNDUP

U of L gets Mack’s point, routs SE Louisiana Brett Dawson

Louisville Courier Journal USA TODAY NETWORK

For one night, at least, the University of Louisville men’s basketball team got coach Chris Mack’s point about the paint. Mack made it clear after last Friday’s loss to DePaul that his team needed to live in the lane, that it needed to get its feet, the basketball and more of its buckets in the paint. And in a 86-60 rout of overmatched Southeastern Louisiana, Louisville’s inside voice as a shout. The Cardinals outscored the Lions 44-18 in the paint. U of L shot 21 of 29 on layups and dunks. And it didn’t just wear down Southeastern by posting up. Guards drove or cut. Big men got opportunities for lobs. Center Malik Williams scored 15 points and had six layups. Guard Matt Cross scored 13 points and had four layups. “Several of our sets were to the rim – whether they were drives, slips, postups,” Mack said afterward. “I can’t just Louisville Cardinals Head Coach Chris Mack says, “A couple of our guys just have to realize that, (at) this level, you’ve got to tell those guys, ‘Be more confrontation- be able to play through contact.” JAMIE RHODES/USA TODAY SPORTS al’ and us play fi ve-out and four-out, one-in at times… . We’ve got to put our guys in position where they can be con- Louisville was 19 of 23 from the foul line ularly impactful substitution, but it was Traynor returned with a little more frontational and they have a lot of confi - against the Lions. a notable one. Traynor hadn’t played a than two minutes to play in the game dence because they know, ‘This is the Takeaways from Louisville’s win: minute in a game since he logged six in and hit a 3-pointer with 1:17 remaining. opportunity I have to get the ball to the LOUISVILLE’S DEFENSE SOLID the Cards’ loss to Furman on Nov. 12. He CLEMSON 89, MIAMI U 76: Alex Herim.’” AGAIN: On Monday, Mack said he’d told played two minutes in the season open- menway scored 17 points to lead six in The Cards’ off ense hardly was fl aw- his team it was bound to fi nd itself in er against Southern. double fi gures, and Clemson rallied less. They hit 7 of 20 three-pointers and some “rock fi ghts,” and that when the Mack said he opted to give Traynor from an eight-point defi cit in the second committed 14 turnovers. There still were off ense wasn’t clicking it would have to some minutes because of his length and half to beat Miami University, 89-76, on plays where they “had some balls “make sure your defense allows you to shooting touch – and because some of Tuesday night. knocked out of our hands, get the ball be in every single game.” The defense Louisville’s players on the wing need to David Collins fi nished with 14 points. slapped off of our thigh,” Mack said. stayed mostly locked in as the off ense fi - play better. Hunter Tyson, Al-Amir Dawes and PJ “A couple of our guys just have to nally got loose against the Lions. At the same time, Mack said, “JJ is Hall each had 13 points, and Naz Bohanrealize that, (at) this level, you’ve got to Louisville held Southeastern to behind those other guys. It is what it is.” non had 10. be able to play through contact,” Mack 32.3% shooting, including 6 of 33 threeTraynor’s stints against SoutheastDae Dae Grant scored 20 points to said. “You got to expect contact.” pointers. The Lions shot 25% in the sec- ern Louisiana were brief. He played just lead Miami (5-4). Mekhi Lairy and DaBut against a team without the per- ond half, when they made 2 of 17 threes. short of three minutes in his fi rst, exit- lonte Brown had 12 points apiece. Brown sonnel to stop the ball from getting inTRAYNOR GETS A LOOK: With ing at the 12:50 mark with a foul and no played in a program-record 127th career side, Mack’s team got it there repeatedly 14:50 to play in the second half of Tues- other counting stats. He got “thrown out game, surpassing Geovonie McKnight. and it paid off . One game after shooting day’s game, Mack put sophomore JJ of the way for an off ensive rebound” on The Associated Press contributed. just three free throws against DePaul, Traynor in the game. It wasn’t a partic- a missed free throw.

Xavier Continued from Page 1D

University of Cincinnati men’s basketball forward Ody Oguama had nine points and eight rebounds off the bench for the Bearcats on Tuesday night. SAM GREENE/THE ENQUIRER

Bearcats Continued from Page 1D

phasize and have in our minds every single time we take the court.” Hayden Koval also had eight rebounds, Abdul Ado added seven boards and Viktor Lakhin chipped in with six rebounds. The Bearcats owned a 38-10 edge in points off the bench and a 36-24 advantage in points in the paint. Mike Saunders Jr., who scored all of his nine points in the fi rst half, sped through the Florida A&M defense for a layup to give Cincinnati a 13-12 lead with 14:14 to play in the fi rst half. UC never looked back. Cincinnati led 34-22 at halftime. M.J. Randolph had 22 points for the Rattlers (2-7) to lead all scorers. Sophomore guard Mason Madsen did not play for the Bearcats. Miller said Madsen has been dealing with an injured hip. “Mason’s been playing through some pain in his hip for a while, which explains why he’s not necessarily been playing to the standard that we all know he can play to,” he said. “And so you fi nd out it’s something a little more serious than we thought. Nothing serious that’s going to be long-term, but he needs to get shut down and rest a little bit. (I’m) not sure on the length of that. I think we’ll kind of re-evaluate it after a couple days.” UP NEXT: Cincinnati plays the second game of its three-game homestand Saturday against Texas Southern. Tipoff is scheduled for noon on ESPN+.

moving the basketball, cutting and driving, and teammates playing off each other to fi nd a good shot. It’s specifi c to each matchup. Steele will give his team ideas of how to attack a defense by simply fl owing and fi nding a rhythm that leads to good shots. “I’d like to play that way as much as we can,” said Steele, but if he doesn’t like a possession or how his fl ow offense is running, he’ll go to his set plays. The idea behind a set play is to get a specifi c player in a specifi c situation with the hope that it will produce points or a shot that Xavier likes. When asked about how many set plays he has, Steele smiles and says: “A lot.” Why? “Because there’s underneath (out of bounds), side out (of bounds), you got full-court, you have half-court sets, zone, man-to-man.” Then there’s ATOs – after timeout plays, which is an area where Steele’s team has excelled this season. “The play we ran against Ohio State late when Paul (Scruggs) got the dunk, that was an ATO play that we had been working on in practice, we had never offi cially put in. But we ran it and obviously, it worked well,” Steele said. Each play has variations to it. If the fi rst option isn’t there, a second or third option is built-in. “There’s layers to it,” Steele said. “Some of the ATOs will look just like our other set plays and there will be little spin-off s. Maybe one thing’s diff erent. Could be instead of a down screen, now we’re setting a back screen, right? That’s how you get an open lob or an easy layup. You want them to look similar so they can’t really tell and they think they know what’s coming.” Countless details go into designing plays, from choosing how they’ll work against a specifi c opponent to deciding when it’s the right time in a game to run them. “You see if they guard it a certain way or maybe this guy can’t guard so we’re gonna go at this guy. I know when this guy’s in this scenario, we’re going to get a layup,” Steele said. “So I’m going to wait to run that play until I know this guy’s guarding this guy. That’s why I watch every game (when scouting an opponent). You watch both sides of the ball. How are they guarding ball screens? How are they guarding underneath out of bounds? “The way UC guarded it, I knew we could get a layup out of a timeout. We

Xavier Musketeers men’s basketball coach Travis Steele (not pictured) says, “I need to get Colby (Jones, dunking) a drive play, I need to get him a post-up play or a DHO (dribble handoff) play to get him downhill.” KAREEM ELGAZZAR/THE ENQUIRER

worked on it and we ran it one time. We did it at shootaround (the day of the Crosstown Shootout). I said, ‘Hey guys, we’re gonna run this out of an ATO, just want you guys to see it.’ So they saw it one time. Boom. We ran it, got fouled, got two free throws out of it.” There’s a little room for improvisation within a game. Maybe Steele sees something and he draws it up on the spot, but for the most part, Xavier has a core set of plays it likes and has practiced for each opponent. “I already know going into a game who we want to attack and what kind of a situation and where I want certain guys to be,” Steele said. “I usually have it all scripted.” The Musketeers chart and track everything. Every set play they run in a game gets graded for its eff ectiveness and whether it produces a good look for Xavier’s off ense. “We also do video playbooks,” Steele said. “So I’ll have every time we’ve run a specifi c play so I can see them all backto-back-to-back.” That allows Steele and his staff to break down a play by dissecting every detail. He may not like how a screen is being set, or the angle a driver is taking off a screen. It also lets Steele see how teams are defending that play. Once the big picture becomes clearer, “Maybe that creates another play? Or you can create a spin-off on another one,” Steele said. “If they’re going to guard it this way, then we’re running this

... so you’re just constantly making adjustments.” The entire purpose of all of this is to put players in a position where they can be successful, and Xavier’s done a nice job of that through 10 games with an offensive effi ciency rating that ranks No. 27 nationally, according to KenPom.com, which is the highest level since Steele took over at Xavier. Steele essentially runs through his rotation and asks the same questions over and over. “I need to get Colby (Jones) a drive play, I need to get him a post-up play or a DHO (dribble handoff ) play to get him downhill,” Steele said. “How can we get him that? Then you go to Paul, he likes to go left. How can I get him downhill to his left hand? Then you think about Zach (Freemantle) and Jack (Nunge). How can we make those guys hard to guard? We can post them. We can also pickand-pop them in the middle third (of the fl oor), we can pick-and-pop them on the outer third. “... Nate Johnson, how can we get him shots? How can we use his gravity on the fl oor to get guys open as well? We use him as a screener a lot because nobody’s going to help off him (because of how well he can shoot).” There’s a science to it. And as the scientist, Steele has a lot of instruments at his disposal to work with. As long as Xavier takes care of the ball, the Musketeers have the pieces and the plan to produce good shots.

cincinnati.com

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2021

UC FOOTBALL

Team announces Class of ’22 signees Keith Jenkins Cincinnati Enquirer USA TODAY NETWORK

As the University of Cincinnati football team prepares to face top-ranked Alabama in the semifi nals of the College Football Playoff on New Year’s Eve, head coach Luke Fickell and his staff had to look beyond the Crimson Tide, if just for a day. The fi fth year of the early signing period kicked off Wednesday, marking the time when Class of 2022 high school recruits could put ink to their National Letter of Intent and formally sign to the university of their choosing. Fickell, The Home Depot Coach of the Year, and the back-to-back American Athletic Conference champion Bearcats collected 20 signatures on Wednesday, including one from Delaware transfer kicker Ryan Coe. The arrival of Coe addresses a dyer need for Cincinnati, which even with all of its success this season is 129th of 130 FBS teams in team FG% (43.75%) this season. Northwestern is the only team worse. Doe made 14 of his 17 fi eld-goal attempts (23 of 23 on extra points) this season as a junior for the Blue Hens. Doe will be on campus in time for winter conditioning and spring practice, as well as eight of UC’s other new signees: DT DERRICK SHEPARD: Cincinnati started the day by announcing the signing of four-star Kettering Archbishop Alter High School defensive tackle Derrick Shepard. At the time of his commitment in December 2020, Shepard was the highest-rated defensive commitment in program history, according to 247Sports. The 6-foot-4, 295-pound Shepard chose Cincinnati over off ers from Indiana, Michigan, Michigan State, Iowa State, Florida State and others. RB STEPHAN BYRD (EARLY ENROLLEE): UC then announced the addition of Canal Winchester High School running back Stephan Byrd, who at one point was ranked the 13th-best Class of 2022 recruit in Ohio by 247Sports. The 6-foot, 195-pound Byrd also had off ers from Akron, Ball State, Iowa State, Michigan, Minnesota, Pitt, Tennessee and others. Byrd, a three-star recruit, had

three straight 1,000-yard rushing seasons. CB JONQUIS “JQ” HARDAWAY (EARLY ENROLLEE): The Bearcats announced the signing of another cornerback for coach Perry Eliano to develop. Jonquis “JQ” Hardaway, of Columbus, Georgia, offi cially joined the Bearcats after playing his senior season at Central High School in Phenix City, Alabama. Hardaway chose Cincinnati over off ers from Georgia, Oregon, Florida and others. At 6-foot-3, Hardaway is a tall, long and physical corner similar to Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner. WR QUINCY BURROUGHS: UC added a versatile piece to the exterior of the off ensive side of the ball. Wide receiver Quincy Burroughs, who committed to the Bearcats in February, made it offi cial on Wednesday. Burroughs, a three-star recruit from Raines High School in Jacksonville, Florida, also had off ers from Oregon State, Harvard, Princeton, Yale and others. CB KEN WILLIS (EARLY ENROLLEE): Cincinnati off ered Colerain High School cornerback Ken Willis a scholarship in June after he ran a 4.33 and a 4.43 in the 40-yard dash at a camp on the UC campus. Willis announced his commitment to the Bearcats shortly thereafter on Father’s Day. Willis elected to stay home and signed with Cincinnati on Wednesday over off ers from Marshall, West Virginia, Buff alo and others. The 5foot-11 and 160-pound Willis had 64 tackles, a forced fumble and two interceptions for Colerain since the 2019 season. OT ETHAN GREEN: Ethan Green, a 6foot-7, 290-pound off ensive lineman from Fremont, Ohio, signed with the Bearcats over off ers from Eastern Michigan, Tulane, Iowa State and others. He is a three-star recruit. OL JONATHAN HARDER: The Bearcats signed three-star lineman Jonathan Harder from Olentangy Berlin High School near Columbus. The 6-foot-5, 280-pound Harder signed with Cincinnati over off ers from Ball State, Akron and Toledo, among others. Harder committed to the Bearcats in August. OL LUKE DALTON (EARLY ENROLLEE): Fickell and UC Off ensive Line Coach

Ron Crook made it three straight by announcing the signing of Marian Central Catholic (Woodstock, Illinois) O-lineman Luke Dalton. The 6-foot-5, 300pound Dalton had off ers from Arizona State, Kansas, Harvard and others. DT CJ DOGGETTE (EARLY ENROLLEE): Cecil “CJ” Doggette Jr. committed to Cincinnati in March. On Wednesday, the Pickerington Central High School defensive tackle made it offi cial. The 6-foot-2, 275-pound three-star recruit had off ers from West Virginia, Michigan State, Rutgers, Pitt, Kentucky and others. WR JOJO BERMUDEZ (EARLY ENROLLEE): Fickell and his staff dipped into New Jersey to grab three-star wide receiver Jojo Bermudez. The 5-foot-10, 165-pound Bermudez, of Cedar Creek High School, is South Jersey’s all-time leader in receptions and receiving yards. Bermudez signed with the Bearcats over off ers from most notably Yale, Princeton, Tennessee, Rutgers and Syracuse. S PATRICK BODY JR.: Patrick Body Jr., the son of the former University of Toledo and Cincinnati Bengals safety, signed with UC to join Cincinnati’s dominant secondary. Body, a standout at both wide receiver and defensive back for Gateway High School in Monroeville, Pennsylvania, was selected as a member of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s 2021 Fabulous 22 team. Body signed with the Bearcats over off ers from Pitt, Rutgers, Illinois and West Virginia. SNIPER CINCEAR LEWIS (EARLY ENROLLEE): Cincear Lewis is expected to be the next player to step into Cincinnati’s sniper position, or the hybrid strongside linebacker/safety position. The 6-foot-2, 185-pound Kalamazoo, Michigan, native committed to the Bearcats in April with off ers from Boston College, Buff alo, Indiana, Kentucky, West Virginia and others. QB LUTHER RICHESSON: The 6foot-3, 204-pound quarterback from Lipscomb Academy in Nashville, Tennessee, signed with the Bearcats on Wednesday after committing to the program on Nov. 10. Richesson, who was coached by Super Bowl-winning quarterback Trent Dilfer in High School, picked Cincinnati over off ers from Mich-

igan State, Vanderbilt and others. DE MARIO EUGENIO: Mario Eugenio is the highest-rated defensive signing in program history, according to 247sports. Nicknamed “Super Mario,” the 6-foot-3, 240-pound four-star defensive end from Gaither High School in Tampa, Florida, is a speedy, athletic edge rusher. Eugenio chose Fickell and the Bearcats instead of off ers from Michigan, Arkansas, Oregon, Arizona State and Pitt, among others. WR MARCUS PETERSON: Marcus Peterson, a three-star wide receiver from Columbia High School in Lake City, Florida, committed to the Bearcats in June. At 6-foot-3 and nearly 200 pounds, Peterson is a tall, reliable target and will be the next project for UC Wide Receivers Coach Mike Brown. Peterson also had offers from Pitt, Arizona, Arkansas, Georgia, Louisville, Tennessee and others. S OLIVER BRIDGES: At 6-foot-2 and 180 pounds, Bridges is another tall, long defensive back added to the Bearcats’ stable. Bridges – a Potomac, Maryland, native – committed to Cincinnati in August and singed with UC over Maryland, Penn State, Pitt and Purdue. DE TYLER GILLISON: A high school teammate of Doggette, Gillison is a versatile athlete who has played several positions on the Pickerington Central defense. The 6-foot-2, 245-pound Gillison committed to Cincinnati in March. Gillison had off ers from Syracuse, Virginia Tech and Wes Virginia, among others. LB JONATHAN THOMPSON: Fickell dipped into his alma mater, St. Francis DeSales, to snatch three-star linebacker Jonathan Thompson. The 6-foot-2, 215pound Ohio Division III Central District Player of the Year elected to suit up for Fickell instead of entertain off ers from Akron, Liberty, Coastal Carolina and others. Thompson committed to Fickell and the Bearcats in March. CB KALEN CARROLL (EARLY ENROLLEE): Cincinnati added another talented cornerback in three-star Center Grove High School (Greenwood, Indiana) defensive back Kalen Carroll. The 6foot-1, 170-pound Carroll inked his National of Intent despite having off ers from Indiana, Boston College, Kansas and others.

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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2021

THE ENQUIRER

LOCAL SCOREBOARD PRO FOOTBALL STATISTICS Cincinnati Bengals after 13 games PASSING ATT. COM YARDSTDINT RATE Burrow 413 284 3483 25 14 100.6 Boyd 1 1 46 0 0 118.8 B.Allen 4 2 13 1 0 96.9 TEAM 418 287 325126 14 101.4 OPPONENTS 493 331 3338 19 11 91.8 RUSHING

Mixon Perine Burrow C.Evans Boyd Chase T.Williams B.Allen TEAM OPPONENTS RECEIVING

Chase Higgins Boyd Uzomah Mixon Perine C.Evans D.Sample Mik.Thomas Tate Irwin Morgan TEAM OPPONENTS

INTERCEPTIONS

L.Wilson Apple Awuzie Bates Hilton Pratt TEAM OPPONENTS SACKS

ATT. YARDS AVG LONG TD

245 50 28 9 2 7 6 5 352 293

1036 212 72 41 22 21 13 -4 1413 1210

4.2 4.2 2.6 4.6 11.0 3.0 2.2 -0.8 4.0 4.1

32 46t 9 13 14 10 6 0 46t 70t

12 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 15 11

NO. YARDS AVG LONG TD

60 1035 17.3 57 812 14.2 55 611 11.1 37 407 11.0 28 202 7.2 22 167 7.6 11 127 11.5 7 62 8.9 5 52 10.4 3 39 13.0 1 25 25.0 1 3 3.0 287 3542 12.3 331 3573 10.8

82t 10 54 4 33 2 55t 5 46 2 23 1 24t 1 19 0 19 0 18 1 25 0 3 0 82t 26 60t 19

NO. YARDS AVG LONG TD

4 2 2 1 1 1 11 14

31 7.8 18 0 50 25.0 50 0 42 21.0 42 0 65 65.0 65 0 24 24.0 24t 1 4 4.0 4 0 216 19.6 65 1 257 18.4 99t 2

NO.

Hendrickson Hubbard B.Hill Ogunjobi Reader C.Sample L.Wilson Bell TEAM OPPONENTS PUNTING Huber TEAM OPPONENTS

NO. YARDS LONG 49 2267 61 49 2267 61 58 2579 64

Irwin Phillips Boyd TEAM OPPONENTS

3 25 1 29 20

12.5 7.5 5.5 5.5 2.0 1.5 1.0 0.5 37.0 41.0 BLK 0 0 0

PUNT RETURNS NO. FC YARDS AVG LONG TD

0 0 0 0 0

31 10.3 177 7.1 1 1.0 209 7.2 165 8.2

15 17 1 17 21

0 0 0 0 0

13 8 3 2 1 27 26

291 22.4 169 21.1 52 17.3 22 11.0 2 2.0 536 19.9 586 22.5

44 32 25 18 2 44 48

0 0 0 0 0 0 0

KICKOFF RETURNS NO. YARDS AVG LONGTD

B.Wilson Phillips P.Williams Morgan Pratt TEAM OPPONENTS

OFF. DEF.

FUMBLES/RECOVERIES B.Allen Apple Bates Bell Boyd Burrow Chase Flowers Higgins T.Hill Hubbard Mixon Phillips Pratt Reiff TEAM OPPONENTS SCORE BY QUARTERS

TEAM OPPONENTS

FUM REC. REC. 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 1 1 0 5 1 0 2 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 2 2 2 0 4 0 0 0 0 2 0 1 0 17 9 6 16 9 7 1

2 3

4OT TOT

47 105 80 116 6 354 53 96 33 102 9 293

TD’s

SCORING TOT RUS REC RET XP FG TOT McPherson 0 0 0 0 37 21 100 Mixon 14 12 2 0 0 0 84 Chase 10 0 10 0 0 0 60 Uzomah 5 0 5 0 0 0 30 Higgins 4 0 4 0 0 0 26 Burrow 2 2 0 0 0 0 14 Boyd 2 0 2 0 0 0 12 Perine 2 1 1 0 0 0 12 C.Evans 1 0 1 0 0 0 6 Hilton 1 0 0 0 0 0 6 Tate 1 0 1 0 0 0 6 TEAM 42 15 26 0 37 21 315 OPPONENTS 33 11 19 1 26 21 261 FIELD GOALS

McPherson TEAM

1-19 20-29 30-39 40-49 50+

0-0 3-3 6-6 5-8 7-8 0-0 3-3 6-6 5-8 7-8 Denver Broncos after 13 games PASSING ATT. COM YARDSTDINT RATE Bridgewater 404 273 2954 18 7 96.5 Lock 28 16 139 0 2 40.6 TEAM 432 289 2885 18 9 92.9 OPPONENTS 440 257 2842 16 12 80.3 RUSHING

J.Williams Gordon Bridgewater Boone Crockett Jeudy TEAM OPPONENTS RECEIVING

ATT. YARDS AVG LONG TD

155 743 4.8 159 716 4.5 27 96 3.6 4 35 8.8 3 7 2.3 2 3 1.5 350 1600 4.6 311 1380 4.4

49 70t 13 16 6 3 70t 35

3 7 2 0 0 0 12 7

NO. YARDS AVG LONG TD

Fant 53 475 9.0 32 3 Sutton 48 658 13.7 55 2 T.Patrick 42 579 13.8 44t 4 J.Williams 34 279 8.2 42 3 Jeudy 33 377 11.4 36 0 Okwuegbunam 28 267 9.5 64 2 Gordon 22 166 7.5 30 2 Hinton 13 152 11.7 40 1 Saubert 8 47 5.9 11 1 Hamler 5 74 14.8 28 0 Boone 2 22 11.0 19 0 Spencer 1 -3 -3.0 0 0 TEAM 289 3093 10.7 64 18 OPPONENTS 257 3036 11.8 59 16 INTERCEPTIONS

Simmons Surtain Sterns Jackson TEAM OPPONENTS SACKS

NO. YARDS AVG LONG TD

5 4 2 1 12 9

76 15.2 70 17.5 47 23.5 7 7.0 200 16.7 134 14.9

Jones Reed Miller S.Harris Cooper Johnson Sterns Weatherly Agim Callahan Jackson D.Williams TEAM OPPONENTS PUNTING Martin TEAM OPPONENTS

NO. YARDS 50 2269 50 2269 46 2352

Hinton Spencer TEAM OPPONENTS

2 22 24 17

35 70t 46 7 70t 75t

0 1 0 0 1 1

NO.

5.5 5.0 4.5 2.5 2.0 2.0 2.0 2.0 1.5 1.0 1.0 1.0 30.0 33.0 LONG BLK 68 0 68 0 71 0

PUNT RETURNS NO. FC YARDS AVG LONG TD

0 0 0 0

24 12.0 184 8.4 208 8.7 116 6.8

15 25 25 42

0 0 0 0

16 16 10

273 17.1 26 0 273 17.1 26 0 357 35.7 102t 1

FUMBLES/RECOVERIES Bridgewater Cooper Gordon Griffith Jeudy Johnson Lock Okwuegbunam T.Patrick Reed

FUM REC. REC. 1 0 0 0 0 1 2 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 1

KICKOFF RETURNS NO. YARDS AVG LONGTD

Spencer TEAM OPPONENTS

OFF. DEF.

Spencer J.Williams TEAM OPPONENTS

SCORE BY QUARTERS

TEAM OPPONENTS

TD’s

1 2 9 10

0 1 3 6

0 0 4 6

1 2 3 4 OT TOT

47 80 50 98 0 275 54 71 45 58 0 228

SCORING TOTRUSRECRETXPFGTOT McManus 0 0 0 0 2720 87 Gordon 9 7 2 0 0 0 54 J.Williams 6 3 3 0 0 0 36 T.Patrick 4 0 4 0 0 0 24 Fant 3 0 3 0 0 0 18 Bridgewater 2 2 0 0 0 0 14 Sutton 2 0 2 0 0 0 14 Okwuegbunam 2 0 2 0 0 0 12 Hinton 1 0 1 0 0 0 6 Saubert 1 0 1 0 0 0 6 Surtain 1 0 0 0 0 0 6 TEAM 31 12 18 0 2720246 OPPONENTS 26 7 16 2 20 16204 FIELD GOALS

McManus TEAM

1-19 20-29 30-39 40-49 50+

0-0 0-0

6-7 6-7

5-5 5-5

7-7 2-4 7-7 2-4

HORSE RACING Turfway Park Entries Post time: Thursday, 6:15 p.m. 1st—$24,000, 3YO up F&M, 1 1/16mi. a-QteWhmscl 124 Trick Hat 121 Wicked Ecstasy 121 Catch My Kitty 122 Leia Organa 121 Run With Grace 121 Chloe Rene 124 a-KttnsChce 121 Noble Entrprse 122 a-Coupled. 2nd—$13,000, 3YO up, 6f. Just Plunge 118 Mrethnsltitle 118 Hickory High 118 O Cigano 118 Uhvtobktnme 118 Ronni's Strm 118 CmeSeeAbt It 118 Raf 120 Franco's Team 120 Dr Parker 118 3rd—$27,000, 3YO up, 6f. English Tide 120 Bugle Barry 120 ToeTppnLke 111 Bubba Cbllo 118 Sthern Will 118 BoldAdvntre 120 Airwar 118 CornbrdHill 120 OrboftheBro 118 ZUAttheRcs 118 4th—$24,000, 3YO up, 1mi. Shell Fire 121 Ugly Dklng 121 It'sGmeTme 121 Cn'tbetemll 121 Inclusive 121 Cacahuete 121 Lizzy's Lure 121 Easy Doer 121 Reckless L J 121 HghNoonRdr 123 5th—$62,000, 2YO F, 1 1/16mi. Frosted Dmnd 119 Holiday Prncs 119 Legerity 119 Hannah's Hvn 119 Scartini Mrtni 119 Quiero Mas 119 MidsmmrNghts 119 Valentina Day 119 Sign of Peace 119 USoMnyBaby 119 Catiche 119 6th—$68,000, 3YO up F&M, 1mi. Tkntotheclnrs 118 Flash n' Dance 121 Winter Sunset 121 Made In Italy 121 Bourbon Socl 118 EeshaMyFlwr 121 7th—$63,000, 3YO up F&M (NW1$ X), 61/2f. TizSplnddNws 118 Margaret Drve 118 Strt of Drms 120 Mdwy's Angl 118 Rnaway Mom 120 ForgnExchnge 120 NotMyMny 120 ThndrngCreed 118 Floris 118 La Tourista 118 Hindsight 118 a-MyMyMnny 118 Almadrina 118 a-Off We Go 118 a-Coupled. 8th—$24,000, 2YO F, 1mi. Dirty Nellie 119 Fairy Keri 109 Mllnre Waltz 119 Soddy Daisy 119 Snrta Karlita 119 LceRvolutn 119 Niff 119 Tunnel 119 Glacken's Cause 119 MississippiMse 119 Lola Flo 119 Turfway Park Entries Post time: Friday, 6:15 p.m. 1st—$14,000, 3YO up, 1mi. Hannity 121 Cappy Hour 121 Aye Skipper 121 Hnrble Hero 121 DwnHmeKttn 121 Risky Town 121 Army Scout 123 Wherewegoin 121 JmmysLfstyle 121 Midnight Swap 121 RmmbrtheMne 121 2nd—$21,000, 3YO up F&M, 1mi. Tami Ann 118 Sequaya 114 Big Liz 121 Smarty Artie 121 a-Seaward 118 GoodAltrntve 121 Drakaina 118 Evie 118 Europa 118 YesI'saMllr 121 a-Vow Saver 118 a-Coupled.

3rd—$24,000, 2YO, 1mi. Sge of Boston 119 Aftermath First Count 119 El Bandera SchnctdyStr 119 Mr Liberty Midnight J J 119 Thspntintime 4th—$14,000, 3YO up F&M, 6f. Hdnsk Slly 120 Seductive L. A. Star 120 Thtswytodoit BrghtVnzln 120 Mauk's Tuff Alydarius 120 Skyvalue Go Stellaire 120 5th—$31,000, 3YO up F&M, 6f. MsTmpttn 118 Sweet Spin Fastest Spin 118 Fifth Risk Spr Cat Lady 120 DoYouLveMe Lucky Us 118 ThrtnStrps BiaBltRnnr 111 On Brilliant Claire's Delight 122 MrcleStrke 6th—$27,000, 3YO up, 1mi. HppyCmpr 118 BgleofWar ToeTppnLke 111 Templet CntYourPnns 121 Amended Mr. Biffle 118 LveIttoKttn 7th—$64,000, 2YO, 6f. Zoombie 120 Friar Laurence a-RdytoMrch 120 TwntyFrMmba The Peninsula 120 Top Gun Girl ADngrs Guy 122 Call Me Gusto Lucky Shot 120 Erase Private Road 122 a-Winter Son Speighty War 122 a-Coupled. 8th—$13,000, 3YO up F&M, 6f. Lucky Lizzie 120 Her Giant Gngrmysister 122 Tmpttn Eyes Top Hat Invsn 120 HardtoAccss C J's Empire 120 Platinum Gle UnwntdInpt 118 Magic Lmns Hidden Identity 120 Majestic Ice Hldontoyourtra 120

119 119 119 119 120 120 120 120 118 117 117 118 118 118 118 121 123 121 120 122 119 122 122 113

120 120 118 120 118 120

COLLEGE BASKETBALL MEN TUESDAY Cincinnati 77, Florida A&M 50 FLORIDA A&M (2-7) Jones 4-10 3-4 11, Moragne 2-8 1-1 5, Randolph 8-18 4-5 22, Reaves 0-7 0-0 0, Speer 0-4 2-2 2, Stamps 1-1 0-0 2, Williams 1-3 0-1 2, Stevens 1-6 0-0 2, Barrs 1-1 2-2 4, Littles 0-1 0-0 0, Murray 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 18-59 12-15 50. CINCINNATI (8-3) Ado 0-1 0-0 0, Adams-Woods 3-5 4-4 11, Davenport 7-15 0-0 16, DeJulius 2-5 3-4 8, Newman 1-4 2-3 4, Saunders 4-11 0-0 9, Oguama 2-5 5-6 9, Lakhin 1-2 0-0 2, Koval 2-4 0-0 4, McGinnis 3-7 0-0 7, Hensley 2-3 0-0 4, Anthony 1-3 0-0 3, Martin 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 28-66 14-17 77. Halftime—Cincinnati 34-22. 3-Point Goals—Florida A&M 2-13 (Randolph 2-2, Williams 0-1, Speer 0-2, Reaves 0-4, Stevens 0-4), Cincinnati 7-26 (Davenport 2-8, Adams-Woods 1-2, Anthony 1-2, DeJulius 1-2, McGinnis 1-4, Saunders 1-4, Hensley 0-1, Newman 0-1, Koval 0-2). Fouled Out—Jones. Rebounds—Florida A&M 32 (Moragne 11), Cincinnati 45 (Oguama, Koval 8). Assists—Florida A&M 8 (Speer 4), Cincinnati 19 (Saunders 6). Total Fouls—Florida A&M 14, Cincinnati 14. Clemson 89, Miami U. 76 MIAMI U. (5-4) Ayah 3-5 2-2 8, Brown 3-10 3-4 12, Grant 8-18 2-2 20, Lairy 4-12 2-2 12, White 2-3 0-0 6, Coleman-Lands 2-4 2-2 8, Beck 2-6 2-4 6, McNamara 2-3 0-0 4, Williams 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 26-61 13-16 76. CLEMSON (7-4) Hall 5-12 2-2 13, Tyson 4-9 2-2 13, Collins 3-5 5-6 14, Dawes 5-12 0-0 13, Honor 2-3 3-3 7, Bohannon 5-9 0-1 10, Hemenway 5-6 4-4 17, Hunter 0-1 0-0 0, Schieffelin 1-2 0-0 2. Totals 30-59 16-18 89. Halftime—C 36-35. 3-Point Goals—Miami U. 11-30 (Brown 3-9, White 2-3, Coleman-Lands 2-4, Lairy 2-6, Grant 2-7, McNamara 0-1), C 13-24 (Hemenway 3-3, Collins 3-4, Tyson 3-5, Dawes 3-6, Hall 1-4, Honor 0-1, Hunter 0-1). Rebounds—Miami U. 31 (Ayah, Brown, Beck 7), C 32 (Tyson, Collins 8). Assists—Miami U. 9 (Grant 4), C 21 (Collins 6). Total Fouls—Miami U. 16, Clemson 13.

Louisville 86, SE Louisiana 60 SE LOUISIANA (4-7) Burkhardt 1-6 0-0 3, Clergeot 6-15 7-8 21, Hinton 1-3 1-1 3, Kasperzyk 4-11 1-1 10, Okafor 2-8 2-2 6, Caldwell 3-6 1-3 8, McFarlane 0-1 0-0 0, Gordon 0-3 0-2 0, Strange 1-2 0-0 3, Brackmann 1-2 0-0 2, Warren 0-2 0-0 0, Howell 1-2 0-0 2, Larvadain 0-1 2-2 2. Totals 20-62 14-19 60. LOUISVILLE (7-3) Cross 5-8 2-2 13, Williams 6-10 3-3 15, Locke 0-5 0-0 0, West 3-6 1-2 8, Davis 1-3 4-4 6, Withers 1-3 1-2 3, Faulkner 5-8 0-0 12, Williamson 2-6 3-4 7, Ellis 4-5 3-4 13, Wheeler 2-2 2-2 6, Traynor 1-1 0-0 3, Wiznitzer 0-0 0-0 0, Curry 0-1 0-0 0, Colbert 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 30-58 19-23 86. Halftime—Louisville 42-31. 3-Point Goals—SE Louisiana 6-33 (Clergeot 2-5, Strange 1-2, Caldwell 1-4, Burkhardt 1-6, Kasperzyk 1-6, Howell 0-1, Larvadain 0-1, Gordon 0-2, Warren 0-2, Okafor 0-4), Louisville 7-20 (Ellis 2-3, Faulkner 2-4, Traynor 1-1, Cross 1-3, West 1-3, Williams 0-1, Locke 0-5). Fouled Out—Gordon. Rebounds—SE Louisiana 32 (Hinton 10), Louisville 39 (Williams 10). Assists—SE Louisiana 9 (Clergeot 3), Louisville 12 (West 5). Total Fouls—SE Louisiana 20, Louisville 21. A—12,247 (22,090).

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

Miami U. Recruiting Class Name, Pos., Ht., Wgt., Hometown (High School), (Previous School) Malachi Clark, DT, 6-3, 295, Detroit, Mich. (Roseville) Eli Coppess; LB, 6-1, 215, Pickerington, Ohio (Pickerington North) Ashton Duncan, TE, 6-4, 245, Ironton, Ohio (Ironton) Joseph Humphreys, QB, 6-3, 200, Owensboro, Ky. (Daviess County) Devin Johnson, CB, 6-1, 190, Berea, Ohio (Berea-Midpark) Brandon Lawhorn Moore, OL, 6-6, 300, Vandergrift, Penn. (Kiski Area) Joshua Lukusa, DL, 6-4, 240, Cincinnati, Ohio (Withrow) Grant Lyons, LB, 6-3, 220 Cincinnati, Ohio (St. Xavier) Mason Moore, DB, 6-2, 190, Lexington, Ky. (Lexington Christian Academy) Gavin Rohrs, OL, 6-4, 305, Marysville, Ohio (Marysville) Jeffery Simmons, TE, 6-6, 230, Fishers, Ind. (Fishers) Eric Smith, OL, 6-6, 295, Fairmont, WV (Fairmont Senior) Javon Tracy, WR, 6-0, 185, Indianapolis, Ind. (Decatur Central) Adam Trick, LB, 6-4, 220, Dayton, Ohio (Wayne) Reginald Virgil, WR, 6-4, 185, Apopka, Fla. (Mount Dora Christian Academy) Rowan Zolman, DB, 6-4, 205, Churubusco, Ind. (East Noble)

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL Remaining Free Agents The 140 remaining free agents (q-did not accept qualifying offer): AMERICAN LEAGUE BALTIMORE (2) — Fernando Abad, lhp; Matt Harvey, rhp. BOSTON (7) — Adam Ottavino, rhp; Martin Perez, lhp; Garrett Richards, rhp; Hansel Robles, rhp; Danny Santana, of-1b; Kyle Schwarber, of-1b; Travis Shaw, 3b. CHICAGO (3) — Billy Hamilton, of; Carlos Rodon, lhp; Ryan Tepera, rhp. CLEVELAND (3) — Blake Parker, rhp; Wilson Ramos, c; Bryan Shaw, rhp. DETROIT (4) — Derek Holland, lhp; Wily Peralta, rhp; Julio Teheran, rhp; Jose Urena, rhp. HOUSTON (3) — q-Carlos Correa, ss; Marwin Gonzalez, inf-of; Zack Greinke, rhp. KANSAS CITY (4) — Wade Davis, rhp; Jesse Hahn, rhp; Greg Holland, rhp; Ervin Santana, rhp.

LOS ANGELES (5) — Steve Cishek, rhp; Dexter Fowler, of; Juan Lagares, of; A.J. Ramos, rhp; Kurt Suzuki, c. MINNESOTA (3) — Alex Colome, rhp; Michael Pineda, rhp; Andrelton Simmons, ss. NEW YORK (3) — Brett Gardner, of; Darren O'Day, rhp; Anthony Rizzo, 1b. OAKLAND (10) — Andrew Chafin, lhp; Khris Davis, dh; Jake Diekman, lhp; Mike Fiers, rhp; Josh Harrison, 2b; Jed Lowrie, inf; Mitch Moreland, 1b; Yusmeiro Petit, rhp; Sergio Romo, rhp; Trevor Rosenthal, rhp. SEATTLE (6) — Tyler Anderson, lhp; Sean Doolittle, lhp; Yusei Kikuchi, lhp; Hector Santiago, lhp; Kyle Seager, 3b; Joe Smith, rhp. TAMPA BAY (6) — Chris Archer, rhp; Nelson Cruz, dh; Tommy Hunter, rhp; Collin McHugh, rhp; David Robertson, rhp; Chaz Roe, rhp. TEXAS (3) — Charlie Culberson, inf-of; Brock Holt, inf-of; Jordan Lyles, rhp. TORONTO (4) — Corey Dickerson, of; Jarrod Dyson, of; David Phelps, rhp; Joakim Soria, rhp. NATIONAL LEAGUE ARIZONA (1) — Tyler Clippard, rhp. ATLANTA (10) — Ehire Adrianza, inf-of; Jesse Chavez, rhp; Adam Duvall, of; q-Freddie Freeman, 1b; Chris Martin, rhp; Joc Pederson, of; Eddie Rosario, of; Drew Smyly, lhp; Jorge Soler, of; Josh Tomlin, rhp. CHICAGO (5) — Robinson Chirinos, c; Zach Davies, rhp; Matt Duffy, inf; Jose Lobaton, c; Austin Romine, c. CINCINNATI (3) — Asdrubal Cabrera, inf; q-Nick Castellanos, of; Mychal Givens, rhp. COLORADO (2) — Chris Owings, inf-of; q-Trevor Story, ss. LOS ANGELES (8) — Danny Duffy, lhp; Cole Hamels, lhp; Kenley Jansen, rhp; Joe Kelly, rhp; Clayton Kershaw, lhp; Jimmy Nelson, rhp; Albert Pujols, 1b; Steven Souza Jr., of. MIAMI (1) — Sandy Leon, c. MILWAUKEE (6) — Brett Anderson, lhp; John Axford, rhp; Brad Boxberger, rhp; Daniel Norris, lhp; Colin Rea, rhp; Hunter Strickland, rhp. NEW YORK (7) — Dellin Betances, rhp; q-Michael Conforto, of; Jeurys Familia, rhp; Brad Hand, lhp; Heath Hembree, rhp; Kevin Pillar, of; Jonathan Villar, inf. PHILADELPHIA (7) — Cam Bedrosian, rhp; Archie Bradley, rhp; Freddy Galvis, inf; Ian Kennedy, rhp; Andrew McCutchen, of; Brad Miller, inf; Matt Moore, lhp. PITTSBURGH (2) — Trevor Cahill, rhp; Shelby Miller, rhp. ST. LOUIS (8) — Matt Carpenter, inf; J.A. Happ, lhp; Kwang Hyun Kim, lhp; Wade LeBlanc, lhp; Jon Lester, lhp; Carlos Martinez, rhp; Andrew Miller, lhp. SAN DIEGO (4) — Ross Detwiler, lhp; Keone Kela, rhp; Jake Marisnick, of; Tommy Pham, of. SAN FRANCISCO (6) — Kris Bryant, 3b-of; Tyler Chatwood, rhp; Johnny Cueto, rhp; Scott Kazmir, lhp; Donovan Solano, inf; Tony Watson, lhp. WASHINGTON (5) — Alex Avila, c; Luis Avilan, lhp; Jordy Mercer, inf; Gerardo Parra, of; Ryan Zimmerman, 1b.

PRO BASKETBALL LEADERS THROUGH DECEMBER 14 Scoring G FG FT PTS Durant, BKN 26 278 165 769 Young, ATL 27 252 149 729 Antetokounmpo, 26 248 179 703 MIL Curry, GS 27 236 108 725 Jokic, DEN 22 229 89 584 DeRozan, CHI 24 227 159 633 Tatum, BOS 28 259 135 733 LaVine, CHI 27 257 110 703

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cincinnati.com

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2021

THE BACKSTOP SCOREBOARD All times EST

NFL AMERICAN CONFERENCE East

Odds available as of print deadline NCAAF Friday

Favorite

Spread O/U

TOLEDO CSTL CAROLINA

Saturday

Favorite

Spread O/U

APPALCHN ST FRESNO ST BYU LIBERTY OREGON ST UL Lafayette

2.5 11.5 6.5 9.5 7.5 4.5

Spread

PACERS

O/U

9.5

NFL Thursday

Favorite

Spread

Chiefs

3.5

O/U

52.5

Saturday

Favorite

Spread

BROWNS COLTS

O/U

1.5 2.5

38.5 45.5

Sunday

Favorite

Spread O/U

JAGUARS Titans Cardinals DOLPHINS BILLS EAGLES Cowboys 49ERS BRONCOS RAMS Packers BUCCANEERS

3.5 2.5 12.5 9.5 10.5 6.5 10.5 9.5 2.5 4.5 5.5 10.5

Spread

Vikings

3.5

Underdog

Pistons

Underdog

CHARGERS

Underdog

Raiders Patriots

O/U

43.5

Tennessee Indianapolis Houston Jacksonville Baltimore Cincinnati Cleveland Pittsburgh

Underdog

BEARS

Odds are subject to change. Tipico Sportsbook does not offer lines for New Jersey-based college sports teams. Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of any such relationships and there is no influence on news coverage. Terms and conditions apply, see site for details. 21+ only. Gambling Problem? Call: 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ, PA, IL, VA), 1-800-522-4700 (CO, NV, KS), 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-589-9966 (OH), 1-877-770-7867 (LA), 1-888-238-7633 (MO), 1-888-777-9696 (MS). Call or text: 1-800-889-9789 (TN). For the latest picks and expert analysis, go to sportsbookwire.com

Scan for latest odds See up-to-theminute lines and compete in Daily Ticket free-to-play games

W L T Pct

9 4 0 .692 7 6 0 .538 6 7 0 .462 3 10 0 .231 South

Dallas Philadelphia Washington N.Y. Giants

350 363 254 226

200 229 288 397

W L T Pct

9 4 0 .692 324 290 7 6 0 .538 371 283 2 11 0 .154 177 356 2 11 0 .154 180 340 North

W L T Pct

8 7 7 6

5 0 .615 6 0 .538 6 0 .538 6 1 .500 West

304 354 278 272

W L T Pct

Kansas City 9 4 0 .692 351 L.A. Chargers 8 5 0 .615 351 Denver 7 6 0 .538 275 Las Vegas 6 7 0 .462 283 NATIONAL CONFERENCE East

Underdog

39.5 Texans 41.5 STEELERS 46.5 LIONS 41.5 Jets 44.5 Panthers 43.5 Washington 44.5 GIANTS 46.5 Falcons 44.5 Bengals 45.5 Seahawks 43.5 RAVENS 46.5 Saints

Monday

Favorite

Underdog

67.5 W Kentucky 50.5 utep 54.5 uab 58.5 E Michigan 67.5 Utah St 55.5 MARSHALL

NBA Thursday

Favorite

Underdog

10.5 50.5 Mid Tenn 10.5 63.5 N Illinois

New England Buffalo Miami N.Y. Jets

9 4 0 .692 6 7 0 .462 6 7 0 .462 4 9 0 .308 South

W L T Pct

Tampa Bay Atlanta New Orleans Carolina

10 3 0 .769 6 7 0 .462 6 7 0 .462 5 8 0 .385 North

Green Bay Minnesota Chicago Detroit

10 6 4 1

284 293 289 322

268 336 228 360

380 287 337 291 266 324 232 310 PF

410 245 304 257

297 353 285 282

W L T Pct

3 0 .769 328 272 7 0 .462 344 333 9 0 .308 231 332 11 1 .115 213 354 West

Arizona 10 3 0 .769 366 254 L.A. Rams 9 4 0 .692 366 293 San Francisco 7 6 0 .538 329 301 Seattle 5 8 0 .385 272 262 Thursday’s Game Kansas City at L.A. Chargers, 8:20 p.m. Saturday’s Games Las Vegas at Cleveland, 4:30 p.m. New England at Indianapolis, 8:20 p.m. Sunday’s Games Arizona at Detroit, 1 p.m. Carolina at Buffalo, 1 p.m. Dallas at N.Y. Giants, 1 p.m. Houston at Jacksonville, 1 p.m. N.Y. Jets at Miami, 1 p.m. Tennessee at Pittsburgh, 1 p.m. Washington at Philadelphia, 1 p.m. Atlanta at San Francisco, 4:05 p.m. Cincinnati at Denver, 4:05 p.m. Green Bay at Baltimore, 4:25 p.m. Seattle at L.A. Rams, 4:25 p.m. New Orleans at Tampa Bay, 8:20 p.m. Monday’s Game Minnesota at Chicago, 8:15 p.m.

NBA EASTERN CONFERENCE Atlantic Division W L Pct Brooklyn 20 8 .714 Philadelphia 15 13 .536 Boston 14 14 .500 Toronto 13 15 .464 New York 12 16 .429 Southeast Division W L Pct Miami 16 12 .571 Washington 15 13 .536 Charlotte 15 14 .517 Atlanta 13 14 .481 Orlando 5 23 .179

GB — 5 6 7 8 GB — 1 1½ 2½ 11

Central Division W L Pct GB Chicago 17 10 .630 — Milwaukee 18 11 .621 — Cleveland 17 12 .586 1 Indiana 12 17 .414 6 Detroit 4 22 .154 12½ WESTERN CONFERENCE Southwest Division W L Pct GB Memphis 17 11 .607 — Dallas 14 13 .519 2½ San Antonio 10 16 .385 6 Houston 9 18 .333 7½ New Orleans 8 21 .276 9½ Northwest Division W L Pct GB Utah 19 7 .731 — Denver 14 13 .519 5½ Minnesota 12 15 .444 7½ Portland 11 17 .393 9 Oklahoma City 8 18 .308 11 Pacific Division W L Pct GB Golden State 23 5 .821 — Phoenix 22 5 .815 ½ L.A. Clippers 16 12 .571 7 L.A. Lakers 15 13 .536 8 Sacramento 11 17 .393 12 Tuesday’s Games Golden State 105, New York 96 Brooklyn 131, Toronto 129, OT Phoenix 111, Portland 107, OT Detroit at Chicago, ppd Wednesday’s Games Atlanta at Orlando, late Houston at Cleveland, late Miami at Philadelphia, late L.A. Lakers at Dallas, late Indiana at Milwaukee, late New Orleans at Oklahoma City, late Charlotte at San Antonio, late Minnesota at Denver, late L.A. Clippers at Utah, late Memphis at Portland, late Washington at Sacramento, late Thursday’s Games Detroit at Indiana, 7 p.m. Chicago at Toronto, ppd Philadelphia at Brooklyn, 7:30 p.m. New York at Houston, 8 p.m. Washington at Phoenix, 9 p.m. Friday’s Games Miami at Orlando, 7 p.m. Denver at Atlanta, 7:30 p.m. Golden State at Boston, 7:30 p.m. Milwaukee at New Orleans, 8 p.m. San Antonio at Utah, 9 p.m. Charlotte at Portland, 10 p.m. L.A. Lakers at Minnesota, 10 p.m. Memphis at Sacramento, 10 p.m. Saturday’s Games Houston at Detroit, 12 p.m. New York at Boston, 7 p.m. Golden State at Toronto, 7:30 p.m. Orlando at Brooklyn, 7:30 p.m. L.A. Clippers at Oklahoma City, 8 p.m. Cleveland at Milwaukee, 9 p.m. Washington at Utah, 9 p.m.

NHL EASTERN CONFERENCE Atlantic Division GP W L OT Pts GF GA Toronto 30 20 8 2 42 98 76 Florida 28 18 6 4 40 103 83 Tampa Bay 28 18 6 4 40 92 76 Detroit 29 14 12 3 31 80 97 Boston 25 14 9 2 30 70 66 Buffalo 28 9 15 4 22 77 99 Ottawa 26 9 16 1 19 75 95 Montreal 30 6 21 3 15 64 107 Metropolitan Division GP W L OT Pts GF GA Washington 28 17 5 6 40 97 71 Carolina 27 19 7 1 39 85 58 NY Rangers 28 18 7 3 39 81 72 Pittsburgh 28 15 8 5 35 85 72 Columbus 27 14 12 1 29 89 90 Philadelphia 27 11 12 4 26 71 89 New Jersey 27 10 12 5 25 75 92

Sun. at Denver, 4:05 p.m. Dec. 26 vs. Baltimore, 1 p.m. Jan. 2 vs. Kansas City, 1 p.m.

Sat. MBB vs. TX Southern, 12 p.m. Sun. WBB at NC A&T, 2 p.m. Dec. 21 MBB vs. TN Tech, 7 p.m.

Fri. WBB vs. Morgan St., 7 p.m. Sat. MBB vs. Ohio State, 5:15 p.m. Sun. WBB vs. USC Upstate, 2 p.m.

Thurs. WBB vs. E.Kentucky, 8 p.m. Sat. MBB at W. Kentcky, 2:30 p.m. Sun. WBB vs. UConn, 3:30 p.m.

Sat. MBB vs. Bellarmine, 2 p.m. Sun. WBB at Purdue, 2 p.m. Dec. 21 MBB vs. Spalding, 2 p.m.

Sat. MBB vs. Kentucky, 5 p.m. Sun. WBB at UCLA, 8 p.m. Dec. 21 MBB vs. TN Martin, 7 p.m.

Fri. at Indy, 7 p.m. Sat. at Fort Wayne, 7:30 p.m. Sun. at Fort Wayne, 5 p.m.

Sat. MBB at E. Kentucky, 7 p.m. Dec. 20 WBB at Wofford, 6 p.m. Dec. 22 MBB at Indiana, 7 p.m.

Sat. MBB vs. Marquette, 4 p.m. Sun. WBB vs. SE Missouri, 2 p.m. Dec. 21 MBB at Villanova, 7 p.m.

ON THE AIR COLLEGE BASKETBALL (MEN)

7 p.m. 10 p.m.

ESPN2 PAC-12N

6 p.m. 8 p.m.

ACCN ACCN

7 p.m.

BTN

7 p.m. 9:30 p.m.

ESPN ESPN

7:30 p.m.

NBATV

8:20 p.m.

FOX, NFLN

9 p.m.

BSOH

6 p.m.

FS2

12 a.m. (FRIDAY)

CBSSN

12 p.m. 2:40 p.m.

FS2 NBCSN

7 p.m.

CBSSN

7 a.m.

TENNIS

4 p.m. 6 a.m. (FRIDAY)

TENNIS TENNIS

COLLEGE BASKETBALL (WOMEN)

Georgia at NC State E. Kentucky at Louisville COLLEGE HOCKEY (MEN)

Bowling Green at Ohio St. COLLEGE VOLLEYBALL (WOMEN)

NCAA Tournament: Wisconsin vs. Louisville, Semifinal NCAA Tournament: Nebraska vs. Pittsburgh, Semifinal NBA BASKETBALL

Philadelphia at Brooklyn NFL FOOTBALL

Kansas City at LA Chargers NHL HOCKEY

Columbus at Edmonton ROBERTO CLEMENTE PBL BASEBALL

Criollos de Caguas at Cangrejeros de Santurce SAILING

SailGP: The Australian Grand Prix, Day 1, Sydney Harbour SOCCER (MEN)

⁄ 23 UEFA Nations League Opening Draw Premier League: Everton at Chelsea 2022

SOCCER (WOMEN)

2022 NWSL Expansion Draft TENNIS

Abu Dhabi Exhibition First Round and Women's Exhibition; Rio de Janeiro-ATP Challenger, Maia-ATP Challenger Early Rounds and Doubles Quarterfinals Rio de Janeiro-ATP Challenger Early Rounds Abu Dhabi Exhibition Fifth Place and Semifinals; Rio de Janeiro-ATP Challenger, Maia-ATP Challenger Quarterfinals and Doubles Semifinals

COLLEGE FOOTBALL College Football Schedule (Subject to change) Friday, December 17 SOUTH Cure Bowl at Orlando, Fla.: Coastal Carolina (10-2) vs. N. Illinois (9-4), 6 p.m. MIDWEST Bahamas Bowl at Nassau, United States: Toledo (7-5) vs. Middle Tennessee (6-6), Noon NCAA FCS Playoffs - Semifinals at Fargo, N.D.: N. Dakota St. (12-1) vs. James Madison (12-1), 9:15 p.m.

Saturday, December 18 EAST New Orleans Bowl at New Orleans: Marshall (7-5) vs. Louisiana-Lafayette (12-1), 9:15 p.m. SOUTH Boca Raton Bowl at Boca Raton, Fla.: Appalachian St. (10-3) vs. W. Kentucky (8-5), 11 a.m. Celebration Bowl at Atlanta: Jackson St. (11-1) vs. SC State (6-5), Noon LendingTree Bowl at Mobile, Ala.: Liberty (7-5) vs. E. Michigan (7-5), 5:45 p.m. FAR WEST NCAA FCS Playoffs - Semiinals at Bozeman, Mont.: Montana St. (11-2) vs. S. Dakota St. (11-3), 2 p.m. New Mexico Bowl at Albuquerque, N.M.: Fresno St. (9-3) vs. UTEP (7-5), 2:15 p.m. Independence Bowl at Shreveport, La.: BYU (10-2) vs. UAB (8-4), 3:30 p.m. LA Bowl at Inglewood, Calif.: Oregon St. (7-5) vs. Utah St. (10-3), 7:30 p.m. Monday, December 20 SOUTHWEST Myrtle Beach Bowl at Conway, S.C.: Tulsa (6-6) vs. Old Dominion (6-6), 2:30 p.m.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL Men’s Basketball Schedule Subject to change Thursday, Dec. 16 EAST Immaculata at Wagner, 7 p.m. UNC-Greensboro at UMBC, 7 p.m. SOUTH Kentucky Christian at Tennessee Tech, 4 p.m. Regent at Coastal Carolina, 4 p.m. Appalachian St. at Duke, 7 p.m. Carver at SC State, 7 p.m. Coll. of Charleston at Stetson, 7 p.m. St. Andrews at The Citadel, 7 p.m. Tennessee St. at Charleston Southern, 8 p.m. MIDWEST Chicago St. at IUPUI, 7 p.m. Jackson St. at Drake, 8 p.m. Texas-Arlington at Oral Roberts, 8 p.m. SOUTHWEST Incarnate Word at Rice, 12:15 p.m. Alcorn St. at Tulsa, 8 p.m. McNeese St. at UTEP, 9 p.m. FAR WEST Dartmouth at Stanford, 10 p.m. Wednesday’s Women’s Scores EAST Sciences (Pa.) 76, CS Northridge 51 SOUTH Campbell 85, William Peace 44 Davidson 66, Appalachian St. 48 Louisiana-Lafayette 90, LSU-Shreveport 45 Saint Mary's (Cal) 61, Coastal Carolina 58 South Florida 69, Stetson 50 MIDWEST W. Kentucky 60, Miami (Ohio) 58 Wright St. 91, Lake Erie 60 Women’s College Basketball Schedule Thursday, Dec. 16 SOUTH Tenn. Wesleyan at Tennessee Tech, Noon Austin Peay at UNC-Asheville, 5 p.m. Furman at Charleston Southern, 5:30 p.m. Bob Jones at SC-Upstate, 6 p.m. East Carolina at NC A&T, 6 p.m. Georgia at NC State, 6 p.m. UNC-Wilmington at Norfolk St., 6 p.m. Winthrop at Coppin St., 6 p.m. ETSU at Jacksonville St., 7 p.m. Houston at Florida St., 7 p.m. E. Kentucky at Louisville, 8 p.m. MIDWEST Spalding at Bellarmine, 6:30 p.m. Illinois St. at Wisconsin, 7:30 p.m. South Dakota at Creighton, 7:30 p.m. Chicago St. at Green Bay, 8 p.m.

N. Illinois at DePaul, 8 p.m. SOUTHWEST Central Baptist at Cent. Arkansas, 2 p.m. Dartmouth at Texas St., 2 p.m. Alabama at UALR, 7:30 p.m. Rice at Sam Houston St., 7:30 p.m. FAR WEST Antelope Valley College Marauders at UC Riverside, 9 p.m. Seattle at Montana, 9 p.m. Texas Southern at UCLA, 10 p.m.

TRANSACTIONS Wednesday’s Transactions FOOTBALL National Football League ATLANTA FALCONS — Designated LB Daren Bates to return from injured reserve to practice. CAROLINA PANTHERS — Designated QB Sam Darnold and CB Stanley Thomas-Oliver III to return from injured reserve to practice. CLEVELAND BROWNS — Placed CB Troy Hill, S John Johnson, QB Baker Mayfield, DT Malik McDowell and DE Ifeadi Odenigbo on the reserve/COVID-19 list. Placed S Nate Meadors on practice squad reserve/COVID-19 list. Signed WR Ja’Marcus Bradley to the active roster from the practice squad. Signed TE Nick Guggemos, WR Alexander Hollins and T Elijah Nkansah to the practice squad. DALLAS COWBOYS — Designated S Donovan Wilson to return from injured reserve to practice. Signed DT Justin Hamilton to the practice squad. Waived DB Deante Burton from the practice squad. HOUSTON TEXANS — Designated DL Jordan Jenkins to return from injured reserve to practice. INDIANAPOLIS COLTS — Signed LB Malik Jefferson to the active roster from the practice squad. Signed S Will Redmond to the practice squad. KANSAS CITY CHIEFS — Placed LB Willie Gay on the reserve/COVID-19 list. LOS ANGELES RAMS — Placed OLB Justin Hollins and TEs Johnny Mundt and Jared Pinkney on the reserve/COVID-19 list. NEW YORK JETS — Designated RB Michael Carter, DE Bryce Huff and TE Tyler Kroft to return from injured reserve to practice. TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS — Signed RB Kenjon Barner to the practice squad. Designated CB Rashard Robinson to return from injured reserve to practice. TENNESSEE TITANS — Designated OL Bud Dupree to return from injured reserve to practice. Signed DB Nate Brooks to the practice squad. WASHINGTON FOOTBALL TEAM — Placed QB Kyle Allen, LB Milo Eifler, S Darrick Forrest, DT Matthew Ioannidis, OT Cornelius Lucas, TE Sammis Reyes and WR Cam Sims on the reserve/COVID-19 list. Hockey National Hockey League NEW JERSEY DEVILS — Acquired G Jon Gillies from St. Louis in exchange for futUre considerations. SOCCER Major League Soccer NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION — Re-signed D DeJuan Jones to a three-year contract extension through the 2024 season with an additional one-year club option. National Women’s Soccer league GOTHAM FC — Signed F Cameron Tucker to a two-year contract with an option for 2024.

ON THIS DATE Dec. 16 1967 – Wilt Chamberlain of the Philadelphia Warriors scores 68 points in a 143-123 victory over the Chicago Bulls.

SPORTS IN BRIEF

UPCOMING

Appalachian St. at Duke Dartmouth at Stanford

NY Islanders 24 7 12 5 19 51 72 WESTERN CONFERENCE Central Division GP W L OT Pts GF GA Minnesota 28 19 8 1 39 106 82 St. Louis 29 16 8 5 37 100 80 Colorado 26 17 7 2 36 113 86 Nashville 28 17 10 1 35 81 75 Winnipeg 28 13 10 5 31 84 80 Dallas 26 13 11 2 28 70 74 Chicago 27 10 15 2 22 62 86 Arizona 27 5 20 2 12 48 101 Pacific Division GP W L OT Pts GF GA Anaheim 30 16 9 5 37 94 82 Calgary 28 15 7 6 36 87 62 Vegas 28 17 11 0 34 99 86 Edmonton 27 16 11 0 32 91 85 San Jose 29 15 13 1 31 76 80 Los Angeles 27 12 10 5 29 72 71 Vancouver 30 13 15 2 28 76 88 Seattle 28 10 15 3 23 80 99 NOTE: Two points for a win, one point for overtime loss. Top three teams in each division and two wild cards per conference advance to playoffs. Tuesday’s Games Pittsburgh 5, Montreal 2 Vegas 4, Boston 1 Tampa Bay 3, Los Angeles 2, OT Philadelphia 6, New Jersey 1 Ottawa 8, Florida 2 Detroit 2, N.Y. Islanders 1 Buffalo 4, Winnipeg 2 St. Louis 4, Dallas 1 Toronto 5, Edmonton 1 Colorado 4, N.Y. Rangers 2 Vancouver 4, Columbus 3 Seattle 3, San Jose 1 Calgary at Nashville, ppd Carolina at Minnesota, ppd Wednesday’s Games Washington at Chicago, late N.Y. Rangers at Arizona, late Seattle at Anaheim, late Thursday’s Games Detroit at Carolina, 7 p.m. Los Angeles at Florida, 7 p.m. Ottawa at Tampa Bay, 7 p.m. Philadelphia at Montreal, 7 p.m. Vegas at New Jersey, 7 p.m. Boston at N.Y. Islanders, 7:30 p.m. Buffalo at Minnesota, 8 p.m. Colorado at Nashville, 8 p.m. Columbus at Edmonton, 9 p.m. Toronto at Calgary, ppd Vancouver at San Jose, 10:30 p.m. Friday’s Games Buffalo at Pittsburgh, 7 p.m. Vegas at N.Y. Rangers, 7 p.m. Dallas at St. Louis, 8 p.m. Washington at Winnipeg, 8 p.m. Nashville at Chicago, 8:30 p.m. Arizona at Anaheim, 10 p.m. Saturday’s Games Florida at Minnesota, 2 p.m. Boston at Montreal, 7 p.m. Los Angeles at Carolina, 7 p.m. Ottawa at Philadelphia, 7 p.m. Toronto at Vancouver, 7 p.m. Chicago at Dallas, 8 p.m. New Jersey at Detroit, 8 p.m. Tampa Bay at Colorado, 9 p.m. Columbus at Calgary, 10 p.m. Edmonton at Seattle, 10 p.m.

FC Cincinnati’s 2022 MLS schedule has been announced Major League Soccer and FC Cincinnati jointly released the 2022 regular-season schedule on Wednesday, revealing the 17 home and 17 road matches for all clubs, including that of newly hired FC Cincinnati Head Coach Pat Noonan’s team. The 2022 schedule features home and away matches against every Eastern Conference side, as well as four road matches against Western Conference clubs and eight total matches against clubs from the west. The season runs from Feb. 26 to Decision Day on Oct. 9. FC Cincinnati’s ’22 MLS schedule: h Saturday, Feb. 26 – at Austin FC, Q2 Stadium (Austin) h Saturday, March 5 – D.C. United, TQL Stadium h Saturday, March 12 – at Orlando City SC, Exploria Stadium (Orlando) h Saturday, March 19 – Inter Miami CF, TQL Stadium h Saturday, March 26 – at Charlotte FC (UniMas), Bank of America Stadium (Charlotte) h Saturday, April 2 – CF Montréal (TVAS), TQL Stadium h Saturday, April 9 – at Seattle Sounders FC, Lumen Field (Seattle) h Saturday, April 16 – at Atlanta United FC, Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta) h Sunday, April 24 – LAFC (FS1), TQL Stadium h Saturday, April 30 – at Toronto FC (TSN/CTV), BMO Field (Toronto) h Saturday, May 7 – at Minnesota United FC, Allianz Field (St. Paul, Minnesota) h Saturday, May 14 – at Chicago Fire FC, Soldier Field (Chicago) h Wednesday, May 18 – Toronto FC (TSN), TQL Stadium h Saturday, May 21 – New England Revolution, TQL Stadium h Saturday, May 28 – at CF Montréal (TVAS), Stade Saputo (Montreal, Quebec, Canada) h Saturday, June 18 – at Philadelphia Union, Subaru Park

h Friday, June 24 – Orlando City SC, TQL Stadium h Wednesday, June 29 – New York City FC, TQL Stadium h Sunday, July 3 – at New England Revolution, Gillette Stadium, (Foxborough, Massachusetts) h Saturday, July 9 – New York Red Bulls, TQL Stadium h Wednesday, July 13 – Vancouver Whitecaps FC (TSN), TQL Stadium h Sunday, July 17 – at Columbus Crew SC (FS1), Lower.com Field (Columbus) h Saturday, July 23 – Nashville SC, TQL Stadium h Saturday, July 30 – at Inter Miami CF, DRV PNK Stadium (Fort Lauderdale, Florida) h Saturday, Aug. 6 – Philadelphia Union, TQL Stadium h Saturday, Aug. 13 – Atlanta United FC, TQL Stadium h Saturday, Aug. 20 – at New York Red Bulls, Red Bull Arena (Harrison, New Jersey) h Saturday, Aug. 27 – Columbus Crew SC, TQL Stadium h Saturday, Sept. 3 – Charlotte FC, TQL Stadium h Wednesday, Sept. 7 – at New York City FC, Venue TBD* h Saturday, Sept. 10 – San Jose Earthquakes, TQL Stadium h Saturday, Sept. 17 – at Real Salt Lake, Rio Tinto Stadium (Sandy, Utah) h Saturday, Oct. 1 – Chicago Fire FC, TQL Stadium h Sunday, Oct. 9 – at D.C. United, Audi Field (Washington, D.C.) Pat Brennan Cincinnati Enquirer USA TODAY NETWORK

Warriors’ Stephen Curry breaks the NBA career 3-point record Stephen Curry shot his way to the top of the NBA record book with his 2,974th three-pointer in the ﬁ rst quarter of the Golden State Warriors’ win over the New York Knicks on Tuesday. Curry broke the record set by Ray Allen, who held it for 10 years after passing Reggie Miller. ASSOCIATED PRESS

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2021

THE ENQUIRER