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Touchdown!

• SpaceX rocket makes history in Bahamas landing

• But Ex-FNM minister says ‘where are the legal documents?’

By KEILE CAMPBELL Tribune Staff Reporter kcampbell@tribunemedia.net

THE Bahamas was the site yesterday of the firstever successful landing of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket booster outside of the United States.

The rocket booster landed on a drone ship called ‘Just Read The Instructions’ in Exuma Sound.

Prime Minister Philip Davis hailed the landing as a “transformative moment” emphasising that “this is not a one-time event” but the “beginning of a new chapter”.

“This agreement with SpaceX will position The Bahamas as a leader in space tourism, giving people from around the

By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Chief Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net

AN Acklins man who reportedly called police for help after getting lost has been

Touchdown!

world a reason to visit our Islands not just for our beaches but for a front-row seat to space history,” Mr Davis said.

“Some may ask: Why the bahamas? Why SpaceC? Why here? Why now? To them, I say: Why not us?”

Deputy Prime Minister

Chester Cooper said he hopes the planned 20 additional rocket landings will increase visitor traffic, create jobs, and boost local businesses.

He said the Ministry of Tourism will oversee the development of tourism experiences surrounding future landings, including VIP rocket-watching events and immersive space exhibits.

“There will be a tourism boost for a different type of clientele,” he said, adding that this initiative will attract new foreign investment in aviation, technology, and hospitality.

“This will be the only place on Earth outside of the US where you can witness Falcon 9 boosters land on a drone strip.

“Space tourism is here. Innovation is here. The future is here. This is pioneering, and The Bahamas is now a part and at the forefront of developing the future space flights for the US and the world.”

Bahamian aerospace engineer Aisha Bowe, recognised for her work with NASA and private aerospace firms, served as a consultant to the Ministry Of Tourism, Investments, and Aviation for the SpaceX partnership.

She heralded the historic day as being “not just for The Bahamas, but for all of us who dare to dream”.

“Some of the greatest minds, as you all know, are Bahamian,” she said. from page one

Ferreira criticises absence of EIA and transparency on rocket landing

By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

FORMER Environment

Minister Romauld Ferreira criticised the absence of a public environmental impact assessment (EIA) for the SpaceX Falcon 9 launch, citing it as part of a larger issue of secrecy, lack of transparency, and accountability on environmental matters.

He referred to the Environmental Planning and Protection Act of 2019, which mandates that all EIAs be made public.

The former FNM minister made his comments before SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket booster’s successful landing off the coast of the Exumas last week.

Deputy Prime Minister Chester Cooper had previously said The Bahamas has taken “measurable precautions” to safeguard its waters and marine ecosystems by working with environmental experts to monitor potential impacts.

However, Mr Ferreira said: “There must be some environmental impact from the debris from the Space X rocket falling into our

waters and from out of space.”

“We are known for having a beautiful archipelago, but we’re using our waters to receive essentially space debris or space garbage after their launch and we’re calling it space tourism.”

“It’s kind of like accepting nuclear waste and saying that you’re in the nuclear energy business, but we’re, what we’re really doing is receiving debris, and that is because our country is mostly ocean, but there’s an impact and that impact ought to have been disclosed.”

He said that once the EIA was completed, public consultations should have been held in Exuma, the area most affected. Additionally, the assessment documents should have been made accessible to Exuma and New Providence residents, as required by law. He also noted that the documents should have been published online to ensure all Bahamians had access.

He stressed that the law requires an EIA to be publicly available and mandates a town meeting for projects

that could significantly impact the environment, such as the planned SpaceX landings. He expressed further concern as The Bahamas prepares to host the first of 20 planned landings this year. He pointed out that landing space boosters and rocket debris is not an exact science and noted that SpaceX has had previous accidents where debris landed unexpectedly, including a fragment found in Kenya. He questioned the potential risks to Exuma residents, particularly if debris were to land on inhabited areas. The EIA, he said, would help determine which cays, homes, businesses, and livelihoods could be most affected.

He also raised broader concerns about the government’s handling of environmental issues, citing the 2022 diesel spill in Exuma, where he claimed the government kept details of a fine imposed in the matter a secret. He accused the administration of secrecy, a lack of transparency, and a failure to be accountable on environmental matters.

Prime Minister Philip ‘Brave’ Davis, Bahamian aerospace engineer Aisha Bowe and Dpeuty Prime Minister Chester Cooper at the event marking the first rocket landing in The Bahamas yesterday.

Photos: Dante Carrer/Tribune Staff

Missing Acklins man reignites local fears

James McKinney, a father of five, was reportedly searching for cascarilla bark last Tuesday, a day before his 60th birthday, when he called a family friend, a retired police officer, in distress.

He reportedly said his last known location was near the high wall “with plenty of grass.”

He was told to stay at the spot until help arrived, but when residents went to search for him, he was nowhere to be found.

Police said that efforts to find the missing resident — including use of drone technology, K-9 units and assistance from the UB Coast Guard and Defence Force — have been unsuccessful.

Police said teams searched for seven days throughout the surrounding bush areas with negative results.

However, his family criticised their efforts, claiming their response was slow and that more could have been done.

“No help was surrendered that night of the incident from the police,” a family spokesperson, a sister of one of

Mr McKinney’s children, told The Tribune. “That time was very vital in this investigation while he had service/battery on his cellphone. Community members stepped in and helped prior to the police.”

Relatives said the man was still suffering from a stroke he suffered a year ago. Mr Mckinney usually spent his days at the island’s national insurance office and was well-known in the community. Residents described him as non-problematic.

Before falling ill, he worked as a painter and cleaner and did many related jobs, they said.

Residents said this was not the first time someone had gone missing in the Spring Point area, known for its tall bushes, hidden caves, and dangerous holes.

They said the area is frequently visited by people collecting cascarilla bark, a valuable commodity and source of income for many.

Former chief councillor Steven Rose recalled the alleged case of Alice Darling, an elderly woman he said disappeared twice.

He said the first time, she was found and brought back home, but told those who rescued her that she had been with others who treated her better and warned that if she left again, she would not be found.

He said days later, she vanished a second time. Despite extensive searches, Mr Rose said no trace of her — not even clothing or other belongings — has ever been found.

Claims that supernatural forces are to blame for the disappearances, while impossible to prove, persist among those searching for answers.

Mr Rose named others who went missing and were never found, but The Tribune did not find publicly available evidence to verify their missing status.

Mr Rose said residents want warnings to the public about the dangers of travelling near Spring Point.

He described the area as a vast wilderness, with dense bushes on either side once people leave the public road. The landscape consists mainly of thick forest and a large salt pond.

Skippings walkabout with members of Highway Church of God

James mcKinney

chief Superintendent Christlyn Skippings, Officer in Charge of the South-Central Division, held a walkabout with officers and members of the Highway Church of God in the community starting on 7th St, in Coconut Grove yesterday.

Photos: nikia charlton

Inquest over man who died in police custody begins

The statement came during an inquest before Coroner Kara Turnquest-Deveaux, which is examining the circumstances of Dawkins’ sudden death on January 22, 2023. Officers reportedly found him unresponsive in his cell during routine morning checks.

A five-person jury could return a verdict of gross negligence regarding police conduct in the case.

Corporal 3665 Cardia Wood testified that she arrived at Central Police Station at 7.47 am for her 8 am to 4 pm shift. Upon arrival, Reserve Corporal Armbrister informed her that a detainee had been found dead in the cell block.

CPL Wood said she went to the cells and called Dawkins’ name, but he did not respond. She then reported the sudden

death to police dispatch. She noted that there were five officers at the station when she arrived, but she was the one who called in the incident. She testified that she made the initial case diary entry regarding the death, recording that Dawkins was found deceased at 7.35am.

According to the detention record, Dawkins had been arrested at 1.40pm on January 21, 2023, and taken to Central Police Station at 5.20pm. The record indicates that Police Constable Walkins first took him into custody.

CPL Wood said officers checked on Dawkins hourly from his arrival at the station, and each time, he said he was “well” when asked about his condition.

However, the record shows that around 11pm, Dawkins was observed vomiting. When officers asked if he needed

medical assistance, he allegedly declined, saying he was “all right.”

The last documented welfare check was at 1.28am, when Dawkins requested to use the bathroom and asked for water.

Officers noted that he was sweating heavily and again asked if he needed medical attention, but he declined.

Marshal Angelo Whitfield testified that Dawkins had 19 recorded interactions with police before a case diary entry was made.

CPL Wood clarified that the case diary presented in court was only initiated after Dawkins’ death and was unrelated to the stealing allegation for which he was being held. When asked whether a case diary for the theft case was ever created, she said she could not confirm.

Mr Whitfield said the only case diary on record was the one related to the sudden death

investigation. CPL Wood agreed that a separate case diary for theft should have been created after Dawkins’ arrest.

When questioned by the jury, CPL Wood said it was “highly unusual” for there to be a six-hour gap in welfare checks between the 1.28am log entry and the discovery of Dawkins’ body.

The jury also asked about the importance of documenting a detainee’s medication and dosage schedule. CPL Wood responded that it was “very important” to ensure medication was taken at the correct time and dosage.

When asked if it was standard procedure to withhold medical assistance from a suspect who was vomiting and sweating profusely if they declined help, CPL Wood said she would have called Emergency Medical Services regardless. Constable Evans, who

assisted with Dawkins’ intake and detention records, testified that Dawkins was brought in for a stealing allegation on Virginia Street and appeared to be in good health at the time.

Among his belongings, she said, were a bottle of alcohol and five prescription pills in a plastic sandwich bag.

Coroner TurnquestDeveaux noted that the medication could have been critical to Dawkins’ health, yet no information about its purpose or dosage was recorded in the detention log.

She confirmed that while the pills were listed, no details were documented regarding their importance or dosage schedule.

Detective Sergeant 3109 Neil Munroe, a crime scene investigator, testified that on January 27, 2023, at 10am, he was given a bag containing Dawkins’ personal belongings.

Among the items were 80mg of Diovan pills, a bottle of rubbing alcohol, and two bottles of vitamins. Other personal effects included deodorant, glasses, sunglasses, a car mirror, a phone charger, toothpaste, shoelaces, a belt, and a NIB card.

Photographs of the recovered items were displayed in court, but the jury pointed out discrepancies between the items shown and what was listed in the detention record.

When asked why the sandwich bag of five pills was not photographed, Sgt Munroe said he had only documented the items he was given. The jury attempted to ask him what Diovan was used for, but Coroner Turnquest-Deveaux informed them that a pathologist would need to answer that question when one testifies.

Judge declares man a ‘vexatious litigant’ barring him from filing new lawsuits

By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS

Reporter

THE Supreme Court judge declared a man a “vexatious litigant”, barring him from filing new lawsuits or continuing existing legal actions without the court’s permission.

Justice Loren Klein ruling follows nearly two decades of persistent litigation by Ricardo Pratt over land disputes, particularly concerning the John Bootle Tract in Grand Bahama.

Mr Pratt, representing himself in court, has filed numerous legal claims regarding ownership of various properties,

asserting his descent from John Bootle, a recipient of a Crown Grant in 1818. He claimed to be “the lawful great-great-great-greatgrandson of the late John Thomas Bootle, Esq.” and therefore entitled to parcels of land by inheritance. The court found that Mr Pratt had pursued these claims “habitually and persistently and without reasonable ground”, bringing legal proceedings that were either repetitive or lacking merit. The Office of the Attorney General argued that his actions amounted to abusing the judicial system, prompting the application under Section 29 of the Supreme

Court Act.

Mr Pratt opposed the ruling at every stage, raising multiple legal and procedural objections. He argued that the AG’s application was invalid due to filing errors, including the absence of a court seal. However, Justice Klein dismissed these objections, saying: “The proceedings were not a nullity, whatever procedural errors may have occurred initially with the forms.”

Additionally, Mr Pratt sought to cross-examine government attorneys and a retired deputy registrar regarding affidavits filed in the case. The court denied this request, ruling that

judicial decisions cannot be challenged through crossexamination. Justice Klein emphasised: “There is no basis in law or principle on which a claimant can seek to cross-examine any judicial officer on a ruling.”

Mr Pratt claimed that restricting his ability to litigate violated his constitutional right to access the courts. The court rejected this argument, citing similar legal precedents in the UK and The Bahamas. Justice Klein noted that while access to justice is fundamental, it “cannot be at large or absolute” and must be balanced against the need to prevent misuse of court resources.

“The constitution does not confer on any person the right to subject a third party to frivolous and vexatious litigation nor is there any provision in the constitution which prevents a court from summarily striking out an action if it is scandalous, frivolous, vexatious or otherwise an abuse of the process of the court,” the judge wrote. Justice Klein’s ruling imposes strict limitations on Mr Pratt’s ability to file lawsuits, as he is now required to obtain prior approval from the court before initiating any new legal proceedings or continuing existing cases. This

restriction applies to cases he files personally and those he brings in a representative capacity.

Justice Klein, acknowledging the extensive history of Mr Pratt’s litigation, concluded that the court must take action to prevent further abuse.

“The essential vice of habitual and persistent litigation is keeping on and on litigating when earlier litigation has been unsuccessful and when on any rational and objective assessment the time has come to stop,” he wrote.

The Attorney General was directed to draft a formal order reflecting the court’s decision.

A NEW partnership between BTC and AD-Fi, a subsidiary of AD+ECH Global, will introduce free Wi-Fi on 150 public buses and taxis in New Providence, according to a press release announcing the initiative. Minister of Energy and Transport JoBeth ColebyDavis said the initiative aligns with the government’s broader plans to improve the public transportation sector and enhance passenger experience.

AD-Fi has integrated its advertising platform with BTC’s data services, allowing bus operators to provide Wi-Fi at a reduced cost. The company claims that this model lowers the cost of unlimited data per bus by nearly 90 percent, making free Wi-Fi a sustainable amenity for public transit.

AD-Fi CEO Keith Russell, Jr, described the initiative as a step toward bridging the digital divide, while Delmaro Duncombe, BTC’s

Christie’s role on Urban Renewal Authority will not be paid position

Critics pounced on Mr Davis’ announcement, questioning whether Mr Christie would be paid and why he had been given the role.

“It’s not uncommon for former prime ministers around the world to serve in unpaid national service roles,” Mr Rahming said on social media.

The Free National Movement’s Torchbearers Youth Association (TYA) criticised Mr Christie’s role, arguing it shows the administration does not believe in the potential of young Bahamians.

“While young, capable and well-trained Bahamians are eager to serve, the PLP government –– known for bringing people out of retirement –– continues to recycle its old guard rather than investing in the

future,” the TYA said. The authority will be governed by a board of directors consisting of two co-chairpersons appointed by the minister, a managing director, the Permanent Secretary of the ministry responsible for Urban Renewal, and between five and eight additional members representing civil society organisations, also appointed by the minister. The board will have the power to establish committees, manage contracts, grant loans for community projects and minor home repairs, and identify and report dangerous or dilapidated buildings to the minister.

Former FNM Cabinet minister Algernon Allen and Dr Dianna Francis, chairs of the commission, will continue as co-chairs of the authority.

RF Bank and Trust partners with Aliv for Cyber Security Summit

RF Bank and Trust has announced its support for the Aliv Cyber Security Summit, taking place from tomorrow at Atlantis.

RF said it partnered with Aliv “to support this initiative aimed at educating individuals and businesses on the ever-evolving threats in the digital space. As a financial institution, RF understands that cyber security is not just an IT concern—it is a critical component of financial protection and business continuity.”

“In an era where digital threats are becoming increasingly sophisticated, ensuring the security of financial transactions and personal data is a top priority,” said Tanya Carey, chief financial officer at RF Bank & Trust. “We are proud to support the Aliv Cyber Security Summit as it aligns with our commitment

to staying abreast of cyber security trends so we can anticipatewhat’s next and best serve and protect our clients.”

• RF has also announced it will be a platinum sponsor for the inaugural Doctors Hospital Dr Meyer Rassin Foundation Ball, on February 22.

“RF has a rich history of supporting education initiatives, and we are honored to partner with Doctors Hospital for this meaningful event,” said David Van Onselen, VP and group head of business development at RF Bank & Trust.

“We firmly believe that investing in education is key tobuilding stronger communities and fostering long-term economic and social growth. By equipping students with the tools they need to succeed, we are contributing to the wellbeing of the nation.”

Govt

testing

new electronic medical records system in partnership with PAHO, WHO and IDB

A GOVERNMENT

pilot programme testing a new electronic medical records system has entered its third week at Adelaide and Gambier Clinics, as officials evaluate its impact on patient care and administrative efficiency.

The IS4H Bahamas pilot, which incorporates BahamasEMR+, a localised version of the OpenEMR platform, is designed to digitise patient records and streamline documentation processes for

healthcare providers.

According to a press release from the IS4H Bahamas team, the system has already improved registration, appointment scheduling, and patient history retrieval. Healthcare staff have provided feedback during the early stages, allowing for adjustments to reduce patient wait times and improve workflow efficiency.

Nurse Atiya Deal, a project representative at Adelaide Clinic, said the system has already

enhanced patient services by improving registration and appointment tracking. However, she noted that further refinements are needed to ensure comprehensive statistical reporting beyond the clinical setting.

Nurse Brinique Dean, who is overseeing the system’s implementation at Gambier Clinic, said the pilot has been responsive to staff input, with adjustments being made in real time. She added that once the system’s reporting

features are fully integrated, it will better align with existing workflows.

The IS4H Bahamas initiative is part of a Department of Public Health project aimed at modernising health information systems in partnership with PAHO/ WHO and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). The pilot’s findings will help determine whether BahamasEMR+ can be expanded across the public healthcare system.

Former Prime minister Perry Christie

(L-R) Charnette Thompson, VP Business Solutions Cable Bahamas alongside Tanya Carey, CFO RF Bank & Trust.

(L-R) Randol Dorsett – Chief Legal Officer, DHHS and David Van Onselen – VP & Group Head of Business Development, RF Group.

The Tribune Limited

NULLIUS ADDICTUS JURARE IN VERBA MAGISTRI

“Being Bound to Swear to The Dogmas of No Master”

LEON E. H. DUPUCH

Publisher/Editor 1903-1914

SIR ETIENNE DUPUCH, Kt., O.B.E., K.M., K.C.S.G., (Hon.) LL.D., D.Litt .

Publisher/Editor 1919-1972

Contributing Editor 1972-1991

RT HON EILEEN DUPUCH CARRON, C.M.G., M.S., B.A., LL.B.

Publisher/Editor 1972-

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If rocket landing is good, why the secrecy?

IF you did not see the streak across the Bahamian sky, you may very well have heard the sonic boom that rattled windows and doors in its wake.

It was the Falcon 9 rocket launch by SpaceX, that resulted in the successful landing of its booster in the Exumas. The mission was a success – though it was not without concerns, particularly environmental ones.

In the aftermath, Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis called it the “beginning of a new chapter” and said it would give people from around the world the chance to visit The Bahamas “for a front-row seat to space history”.

Deputy Prime Minister Chester Cooper, meanwhile, talked of a “tourism boost”, saying: “Space tourism is here. Innovation is here. The future is here.”

So why the disquiet?

Well, if everything is positive, as the government is saying, then why not be a bit more forthcoming on the details.

Activist Joe Darville previously raised concerns when the prospect of the landing was raised – concerns that had gone unanswered by the time of the announcement of the actual landing.

In yesterday’s Tribune, marine mammal scientists blasted the lack of consultation over the rocket booster return, worried it might land in Exuma Sound’s whale habitat.

The Bahamas Marine Mammal Research Organisation said that the landing site was placed “in a whale habitat without any consultation with Bahamian whale researchers”.

Former Environment Minister Romauld Ferreira criticised the lack of a public environmental impact assessment for the launch, citing that as part of a larger issue of secrecy, lack of transparency and accountability.

He said: “There must be some environmental impact from the debris from the SpaceX rocket falling into our waters and from out of space.”

Mr Ferreira added: “We are known for having a beautiful archipelago, but we’re using our waters to receive

essentially space debris or space garbage after their launch and we’re calling it space tourism. It’s kind of like accepting nuclear waste and saying that you’re in the nuclear energy business.”

Such concerns are not the only ones.

A reader called up The Tribune asking if surely it should be a legal requirement to make the impact studies of such a landing publicly available – and why that had not been done. It has not been for the want of trying – those questions have been asked. They simply have not been answered.

So if there is reticence from some quarters to the successful landing, it may just be that those stubbornly unanswered questions remain.

Worries about whether there was a contrast between our public stance on global emissions with regard to climate change and welcoming a rocket bellowing fumes to our country were essentially dismissed without consideration.

Calls for details on the environmental impact of the landing itself were largely ignored.

Questions about what the country will make financially from permitting SpaceX to land here were given answers that were fuzzy around the edges, while the cost of the operation was also not detailed, despite the use of Royal Bahamas Defence Force ships to secure a safety perimeter of up to ten miles around the landing site.

The thing is, if all the news is good on those fronts, and there really is nothing to worry about with regard to costs, the environment and so on, there would be a great deal to cheer on.

The enthusiasm on social media that the launch received was remarkable, and that kind of energy, if harnessed, can be a good thing for the nation.

So, all the government has to do is remove the doubts. Publish the studies. Let us remove that doubt, if there really is no concern.

After all, there are a great many more of these landings to come – so let’s be clear and honest about what will come next.

LESS than two weeks shy of the last letter I wrote to the press in 2024, I find myself forwarding that very same letter to the press with the addition of several choice comments to emphasise the blatant abuse of we the people’s monies by gubment dem and once again ask the same question: What is happening with the big time expensive PR promised/ plenty talk and fanfare openings of the $15m Golden Yolk Programme throughout our Family of Islands?

I asked because hundreds of ‘biddies’ had been given out in February 2023 for free...left, right, and centre to people here and there all around The Bahamas who were supposed to raise the chickens for eggs to feed our nation ... “slash the country’s import bill by $12.5m” and “increase Bahamian egg production from 750,000 to more than 27 million eggs per year” .....ya-da ya-da ya-da.

However, the new feed mill hadn’t arrived yet (and another year later it still ain reach yet!), in fact, l don’t know if it had even been ordered yet at that juncture

(obviously not, cos it still ain here yet!) - which seemed a bit backwards to me (and the Minister has the gall to use the lack of the feed mill as the excuse – seriously Minister – two years later? Are we deemed that stupid by gubment dem to just swallow that statement without justifiable outrage and protest against the blatant squandering of our taxpayer’s monies?) - like a ‘chicken before the egg’ situation (pun intended), and so l was wondering if anyone could even verify how many chickens were still alive (dey been dead for two years now, may they RIP in chicken heaven), or whether anyone was even checking! (duh!)

So here we are, two years later since the big time groundbreaking ceremony in February 2023.

Dey gat giant flag banners earmarking the programmes fluttering in the wind, but vey da chickens dem (dun dead and gone, poor sufferers), and vey da eggs dem (still

ain none), and, I would like to add: vey da feed mill (how come it still ain reach?), and vey, pray tell, da 15 million dollars o’ da money gone?

Inquiring minds and empty pockets would like to know whilst egg prices continue to skyrocket far beyond the reach of so many in the country, and the people continue to suffer. Imagine if that money had been given to a qualified entity that knew how to implement it properly, The Bahamas would have been in the enviable position to be exporting our eggs to the US and the region!

The politricksters are full of false promises, all talk and no action! Where there is no vision, along with the will and the expertise to implement that vision, the people suffer!

Come on Bahamas – why do you continue to be used and abused in this way?

Open your eyes and see what you lookin at! Where are your voices – speak up! Election comin’ and it’s time for the chickens to come home to roost!

PAM BURNSIDE New Providence February 18, 2025.

Christie’s new role a set back to our youth

EDITOR, The Tribune. THE Prime Minister’s decision to appoint former Prime Minister Perry Christie to lead and direct the Urban Renewal Authority is not only disappointing, distasteful, and a slap in the face, but a major setback for young Bahamians. While there is appreciation for Mr Christie’s contributions and service to the Bahamian people, bringing him back into leadership sends a clear message: the PLP government would rather rely on the past (old guards) than invest in the future (young, qualified Bahamians). If you were to ask any college student who studied abroad (in the US, Canada, or any other country) why they don’t want to return home after graduating with a bachelor’s, master’s, or doctorate degree, the majority would say the same thing - there are no opportunities. Not only are there no opportunities, but opportunities that

match their qualifications. There are no jobs, especially under this PLP-led government, because these old guards keep returning, and retirees are continuously rehired. When will we stop recycling retirees into roles that young, qualified Bahamians are more than capable of filling?

Across The Bahamas, young people are eager to step up, bring fresh ideas, and help solve the challenges we face. But instead of creating opportunities for us, the PLP administration continues to bring back the same old faces - retirees who have already had their time in leadership. Many of them return as consultants, collecting huge consultant’s payments while young Bahamians struggle to find meaningful work.

This is not just a political issue, but a personal one. Many young Bahamians are frustrated, discouraged, and tired of being overlooked. How can we expect our country to move forward if

we keep looking to the past for solutions?

As a young Bahamian, I feel completely sidelined, and it is deeply discouraging. It certainly seems like opportunities are reserved only for former seasoned politicians or those with PLP connections. When will this stop? Everyone should have the chance to benefit, regardless of political affiliation.

I urge the Prime Minister to rethink this decision. Give young Bahamians a fair chance to lead. There are many qualified, passionate individuals who can bring new energy to Urban Renewal. It’s time to stop sidelining young Bahamians. The future of our country depends on investing in fresh leadership today. It is a sad day in the Bahamas under this new day Government.

D’ANGELO FERGUSON Nassau, February 18, 2025.

tries

Picture of the day

Families of missing men still holding on to hope

By JADE RUSSELL Tribune Staff Reporter jrussell@tribunemedia.net

EVEN as the months go by since Kyle Carey and Devin Isaacs mysteriously disappeared, their families continue to hold on to hope for their safe return.

Kyle, now 23, was 20 when he was reported missing on May 11, 2023, leading to nearly two years of anguish for his family. Devin, who turned 17 on July 2, vanished from his home on May 15, 2024. Four days later, police issued a Marco’s Alert.

Tracey Carey told The Tribune yesterday that she and her husband still believe Kyle is alive. A missing person billboard offers a $25,000 reward for his return. She said her husband often looks at the billboard and says, “You’re soon coming home.” While the family remains hopeful, Kyle’s disappearance has been heartbreaking.

“Some days, I have little breakdowns where I would cry,” Mrs Carey said. “For the most part, we’re still hoping that everything is

going to turn out for the best.”

There have been no major leads in Kyle’s case. The family is unsure if the police are still investigating. but remains grateful for their help. Mrs Carey said they occasionally receive calls claiming Kyle was seen, but when they check the area, he is nowhere to be found.

She said faith and Bible scriptures have provided comfort in her darkest moments.

Recently, a Facebook memory reminded her of a Valentine’s card Kyle once made her, decorated with a poem and roses he drew. Meanwhile, Tashana Thompson said she visits Devin’s room daily to feel his presence. Since his disappearance, she has struggled to sleep, constantly yearning for him to walk through the door.

There has been speculation about Devin’s case, with some questioning whether he is in danger or left home voluntarily. In June 2024, police released surveillance footage of him for the second time, but Ms

Thompson believes the only accurate footage was taken hours before he vanished.

She believes her son is alive, but is being held against his will.

“I’m not upset that he left home because whoever he went with, he trusted them,” she said. “I just want him home; it’s been nine months.

Teen charged with indecent assault of six-year-old girl

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net

A 16-YEAR-olD boy was granted bail yesterday after he was accused of indecently assaulting a sixyear-old girl.

Senior Magistrate Algernon Allen Jr arraigned the teenage defendant, whose name is being withheld due to him being a minor, on indecent assault. The juvenile’s guardian was present for his arraignment. Prosecutors allege that the defendant inappropriately touched a six-year-old girl on April 28, 2024 in New Providence. After electing to continue his matter summarily before the magistrate, the defendant pleaded not guilty. The defendant’s bail was set at $7,000 with one or two sureties. Under the terms of his bail, he must obey a 5pm to 7am curfew. The accused’s trial will begin on June 25. Wendawn Miller-Frazier represented the defendant.

Man charged with possession of loaded firear M

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net

A MAN was granted bail yesterday after being accused of possessing a loaded firearm earlier this month.

He missed a lot of things.” Ms Thompson continues to offer a $2,000 reward for his return but has not received any recent leads.

“It’s been heavy,” she said. “It’s literally a mother’s worst nightmare.” Holding back tears, she pleaded for Devin to return to his family.

Murder accused re M anded over bail violations

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net

A MAN awaiting trial for murder was remanded into custody after being accused of violating his curfew four times.

Senior Magistrate Kara Turnquest-Deveaux arraigned Alcott Fox, 31, on charges of breaching his bail

conditions. Fox is awaiting trial for his alleged role in the November 2022 murder of Malik Fernander in Exuma. At the time of his death, Fernander was also out on bail for a separate pending murder charge.

Prosecutors allege that while on Supreme Court bail, Fox failed to comply with his residential curfew on four occasions between February 10 and 13. Fox pleaded not guilty to the charges. The prosecution objected to bail, citing the seriousness of his pending murder charge. His bail was denied, and he was ordered remanded to the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services until his trial begins on April 2.

Bethel pleaded not guilty to the charges. His bail was set at $7,500 with one or two sureties. As part of his bail conditions, he will be fitted with

Magistrate lennox Coleby arraigned Dwight Bethel, 29, on charges of possession of an unlicenced firearm and possession of ammunition. Prosecutors allege that Bethel and accomplices were found with a black Glock 19 9mm pistol and 13 rounds of ammunition on February 7 in New Providence.

a monitoring device and must adhere to a residential curfew from 8pm to 6am. He must also sign in at the Elizabeth Estates Police Station every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday by 6pm. Bethel’s trial is scheduled to begin on March 31. Assistant Superintendent of Police lincoln McKenzie served as the prosecutor.

SC Mcpherson honour roll students visit GG

Devin isaacs

Kyle carey

Honour Roll Students of SC McPherson Junior High School paid a courtesy call on Governor General, Dame Cynthia ‘Mother’ Pratt, on Monday at Government House. Photo: letisha Henderson/BIS

‘Rape is rape’, except in our laws it isn’t

The term “marital rape” is only used because the law has separated rape of a spouse by a spouse from every other rape.

“Prime” describes minister. every minister is not the prime minister. The prime minister is a specific type of minister. We can talk about minister in general, and we can acknowledge that different ministers are treated differently. in particular, the prime minister is quite different from other ministers given the specific aspects of the position that other ministers do not have. in “curry chicken,” curry describes chicken. every chicken dish is not curry chicken. We can talk about chicken dishes generally and at length, and we can acknowledge that all chicken dishes are not exactly the same. There are numerous chicken dishes that, for example, contain tomatoes. There are some that do not necessarily have

By Alicia Wallace

tomatoes. each variety of chicken dishes is distinct, though a part of this general group.

Adjectives are used to make a distinction between nouns that may otherwise be groups together and could be inappropriately treated as the same. Sometimes the adjectives are used for harmful division, causing difference in treatment that are discriminatory and lead to violent outcomes. many adjectives

are used to describe and mark difference between women who are, otherwise, all a part of one group. There are black women, working class women, migrant women, and married women. These are all women, and each subgroup, with the adjective adding description, has shared experiences that are different from those of other subgroups.

married women share some experiences with

unmarried woman because of their share womanhood, but some experiences are specific to married women. in fact, marriage comes with consequences for women, and this is why we have to talk about marital. it is the exclusion of spouses—married people— from the definition of rape in the Sexual Offences Act that makes it necessary for us to talk about marital rape when we should be able to talk about rape without the descriptor.

Why does the prime minister have a problem with describing rape?

There is actually a better question. Does the prime minister actually care about describing rape and the reason the term “marital rape” is being used? Use of this term is not without reason. it is a result of the fact that the Sexual Offences Act currently excludes married people from the definition of rape. One spouse can rape the other without legal consequence due to the exclusion, through “who is not his spouse” at the end of the definition of rape in Section 3 of the Sexual Offenses Act. “marital rape”, then, is a term we use to talk about the specific act of sexual violence that the law not only does not address, but explicitly communicates disinterest and inaction with regard to it. The term “marital rape” is only used because the law has separated rape of a spouse by a spouse from every other rape.

To complain about “describing rape,” knowing the legal context and importance of advocacy— with precise language—to criminalise it is ridiculous. Unless we are to believe the prime minister is not particularly intelligent and passed the bar by a fluke, we can only read this nonsense opposition to the use of the term—which we need in order to address this issue—as disingenuous and especially disrespectful to the affected people and the people advocating for legal reform to make the use of the term unnecessary.

Recommendations

1. Join Feminist Book Club in reading What Happened to Belén by Ana elena Correa in march. Ana elena Correa is a lawyer, journalist, and women’s rights activist in Argentina and this book is about Belén, a 25-year-old woman who did not know that she was pregnant and had a miscarriage. Doctors reported her to the authorities and she was imprisoned. This sparked the #niunamas—not one more—feminist movement which led to the decriminalisation of abortion in Argentina in 2021. Literary Hub said, “Ana Correa poignantly recounts how so many systems failed Belén, the movement that sprung to action to free her… an essential read detailing the harms created by police in healthcare settings, abortion stigma, and the criminalization of pregnancy outcomes whether it’s in Argentina or the United States of America.”

2. Plan to participate in the International Women’s Day March + Expo hosted by equality Bahamas. The annual event will begin at the eastern Parade (lawn east of Scotiabank on east Bay, accessible by vehicular traffic from Dowdeswell Street) at 8:45am when participants will gather for the march to The Dundas grounds on mackey Street. Upon arrival at The Dundas, the international Women’s Day expo will open with Zumba with ms. Deidree followed by concurrents sessions including poetry writing, salsa dancing, and yoga, a dedicated space for art by Sixty 2 Sixty Art Gallery, a fun zone for children by Sustainable me Summer Camp, and nongovernmental organizations including Bahamas Crisis Centre, The Dignified Girl Project, and Hands for Hunger. it is a great place to spend the day with family, friends, and new people and to engage in fun activities without having to spend money on site.

Women’s right organisations and advocates have not asked for rape to be “described”. in fact, we have clearly stated that there is no type of rape or descriptor of rape that makes it better or worse. There is rape by strangers. There is rape that occurs on dates. There is rape that is perpetrated by multiple people. There is rape that is connected to hatred of LGBTQi+ people. There is rape perpetrated by family members. There is rape that is facilitated by drugs. Yes, there is marital rape. Yes, rape is rape. The law, however, does not reflect these truths. This is not the first time the prime minister has spewed this nonsense about marital rape and his personal dislike for the term. He made the same comment in April 2024. it is as absurd this year as it was

last year. There is no need to consult on the issue, especially when the prime minister has stated that “rape is rape”. What is there to discuss or debate? Get rid of the categories of rape. make the “descriptions” of rape useless. Here is a one-step guide to getting rid of “marital rape” as a descriptor of rape: Criminalise marital rape by amending Section 3 of the Sexual Offences Act to remove “who is not his spouse” so that the marital exception is not in the law and all rape becomes illegal, regardless of any relationship that may exist between the perpetrator and the survivor or victim. The #Strike5ive campaign by equality Bahamas clearly states additional amendments to make it strong, explicit, and free of loopholes.

The questions over using AI in warfare

TEL AVIV, Israel

Associated Press

US TECH giants have quietly empowered Israel to track and kill many more alleged militants more quickly in Gaza and Lebanon through a sharp spike in artificial intelligence and computing services. But the number of civilians killed has also soared, along with fears that these tools are contributing to the deaths of innocent people.

Militaries have for years hired private companies to build custom autonomous weapons. However, Israel’s recent wars mark a leading instance in which commercial AI models made in the United States have been used in active warfare, despite concerns that they were not originally developed to help decide who lives and who dies.

The Israeli military uses AI to sift through vast troves of intelligence, intercepted communications and surveillance to find suspicious speech or behavior and learn the movements of its enemies. After a surprise attack by Hamas militants on October 7, 2023, its use of Microsoft and OpenAI technology skyrocketed, an Associated Press investigation found.

The investigation also revealed new details of how AI systems select targets and ways they can go wrong, including faulty data or flawed algorithms. It was based on internal documents, data and exclusive interviews with current and former Israeli officials and company employees.

Israel’s goal after the attack that killed about 1,200 people and took over 250 hostages was to eradicate Hamas, and its military has called AI a “game changer” in yielding targets more swiftly. Since the war started, more than 50,000 people have died in Gaza and Lebanon and nearly 70% of the buildings in Gaza have been

devastated, according to health ministries in Gaza and Lebanon.

“This is the first confirmation we have gotten that commercial AI models are directly being used in warfare,” said Heidy Khlaaf, chief AI scientist at the AI Now Institute and former senior safety engineer at OpenAI. “The implications are enormous for the role of tech in enabling this type of unethical and unlawful warfare going forward.”

Among US tech firms, Microsoft has had an especially close relationship with the Israeli military spanning decades. That relationship, alongside those with other tech companies, stepped up after the Hamas attack. Israel’s war response strained its own servers and increased its reliance on outside, third-party vendors, according to a presentation last year by Col. Racheli Dembinsky, the military’s top information technology officer. As she described how AI had provided Israel “very significant operational effectiveness” in Gaza, the logos of Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud and Amazon Web Services

appeared on a large screen behind her.

The Israeli military’s usage of Microsoft and OpenAI artificial intelligence spiked last March to nearly 200 times higher than before the week leading up to the October 7 attack, the AP found in reviewing internal company information. The amount of data it stored on Microsoft servers doubled between that time and July 2024 to more than 13.6 petabytes — roughly 350 times the digital memory needed to store every book in the Library of Congress. Usage of Microsoft’s huge banks of computer servers by the military also rose by almost two-thirds in the first two months of the war alone.

Microsoft declined to provide any comment for this story and did not respond to a detailed list of written questions about the cloud and AI services it provides to the Israeli military.

In an expansive statement on its website, the company says “respecting human rights is a core value of Microsoft” and it is committed “to champion the positive role of technology

across the globe.” In its 40-page Responsible AI Transparency Report for 2024, Microsoft pledges to “map, measure, and manage generative AI risks throughout the development cycle to reduce the risk of harm,” and does not mention its lucrative military contracts.

Advanced AI models are provided through OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT, through Microsoft’s Azure cloud platform, where they are purchased by the Israeli military, the documents and data show. Microsoft has been OpenAI’s largest investor.

OpenAI said it does not have a partnership with Israel’s military, and its usage policies say its customers should not use its products to develop weapons, destroy property or harm people. About a year ago, however, OpenAI changed its terms of use from barring military use to allowing for “national security use cases that align with our mission.”

The Israeli military declined to answer detailed written questions from The AP about its use of commercial AI products from

American tech companies, but said its analysts use AIenabled systems to help identify targets and independently examine them together with high-ranking officers to meet international law, weighing the military advantage against the collateral damage.

“These AI tools make the intelligence process more accurate and more effective,” said an Israeli military statement to the AP. “They make more targets faster, but not at the expense of accuracy, and many times in this war they’ve been able to minimize civilian casualties.”

Google and Amazon provide cloud computing and AI services to the Israeli military under “Project Nimbus,” a $1.2 billion contract signed in 2021, when Israel first tested out its in-house AI-powered targeting systems. The IDF has used Cisco and Dell server farms or data centers. Red Hat, an independent IBM subsidiary, also has provided cloud computing technologies to the Israeli military, while Palantir Technologies, a Microsoft partner in US defence contracts, has a “strategic partnership” providing AI systems to help Israel’s war efforts.

After OpenAI changed its terms of use last year to allow for national security purposes, Google followed suit earlier this month with a similar change to its public ethics policy to remove language saying it wouldn’t use its AI for weapons and surveillance.

Google said it is committed to responsibly developing and deploying AI “that protects people, promotes global growth, and supports national security”,

OPENAI BOARD UNANIMOUSLY REJECTS ELON MUSK’S $97.4BN PROPOSAL

OPENAI says its board of directors has unanimously rejected a $97.4 billion takeover bid by Elon Musk.

“OpenAI is not for sale, and the board has unanimously rejected Mr Musk’s latest attempt to disrupt his competition,” said Bret Taylor, chair of OpenAI’s board, on Friday.

OpenAI attorney William Savitt in a letter to Musk’s attorney ob Friday said the proposal “is not in the best interests of OAI’s mission and is rejected”.

Musk, an early OpenAI investor, began a legal offensive against the ChatGPT maker nearly a year ago, suing for breach of contract over what he said was the betrayal of its

founding aims as a non-profit.

OpenAI has increasingly sought to capitalize on the commercial success of generative AI. But the for-profit company is a subsidiary of a nonprofit entity that’s bound to a mission — which Musk helped set — to safely build better-than-human AI for humanity’s benefit. OpenAI is now seeking to more fully convert itself to a for-profit company, but would first have to buy out the non-profit’s assets.

Throwing a wrench in those plans, Musk and his own AI startup, xAI, and a group of investment firms announced a bid Monday to buy the nonprofit that controls OpenAI.

Musk in a court filing on Wednesday further detailed the proposal to acquire the nonprofit’s controlling stake.

Savitt’s letter on Friday said that court filing added “new material conditions to the proposal. As a result of that filing, it is now apparent that your clients’ much-publicized ‘bid’ is in fact not a bid at all.” In any event, “even as first presented,” the board has unanimously rejected it, Savitt said.

Musk has alleged in the lawsuit that OpenAI is violating the terms of his foundational contributions to the charity. Musk had invested about $45m in the startup from its founding until 2018, his lawyer has said.

He said he relies on Azure to quickly search for terms and patterns within massive text troves, such as finding conversations between two people within a 50-page document. Azure also can find people giving directions to one another in the text, which can then be cross-referenced with the military’s own AI systems to pinpoint locations.

The Microsoft data AP reviewed shows that since the October 7 attack, the Israeli military has made heavy use of transcription and translation tools and OpenAI models, although it does not detail which. Typically, AI models that transcribe and translate perform best in English. OpenAI has acknowledged that its popular AI-powered translation model Whisper, which can transcribe and translate into multiple languages including Arabic, can make up text that no one said, including adding racial commentary and violent rhetoric.

Errors can happen for many reasons involving AI, said Israeli military officers who have worked with the targeting systems and other tech experts. Intercepted phone calls tied to a person’s profile include the time the person called and the names and numbers of those on the call. But it takes an extra step to listen to and verify the original audio, or to see a translated transcript.

The Israeli military says a person who knows Arabic is supposed to check translations. Still, one intelligence officer said he had seen targeting mistakes that relied on incorrect machine translations from Arabic to Hebrew.

The Israel Defence Forces uses Microsoft Azure to compile information gathered through mass surveillance, which it transcribes and translates, including phone calls, texts and audio messages, according to an Israeli intelligence officer who works with the systems. That data can then be cross-checked with Israel’s in-house targeting systems and vice versa.

TIKTOK has returned to the app stores of Apple and Google in the US, after President Donald Trump delayed the enforcement of a TikTok ban.

TikTok, operated by Chinese technology firm ByteDance, was removed from Apple and Google’s app stores on January 18 to comply with a law that requires ByteDance to divest the app or be banned in the US.

AN ISRAELI flag is draped over the Microsoft offices in a building in the Gav Yam technology park in Beersheba, Israel, on Thursday, May 30, 2024.

Photo: Sam Mednick/AP

Questions emerge about what may have caused Delta plane to crash

TORONTO Associated Press

INVeSTIgAToRS

will consider the weather conditions, as well as the possibility of human error or an aircraft malfunction as they try to determine why a Delta Air Lines jet burst into flames and flipped upside down as it tried to land in Toronto, aviation experts said Tuesday.

Video from the scene Monday afternoon shows the plane making a hard landing that set off a chain reaction that concludes with the aircraft lying on its roof and passengers upside down in their seats. Miraculously, all 80 people on the flight from Minneapolis to Toronto’s Pearson International Airport survived and only two had critical injuries.

“It appears from the video that the plane landed so hard that the right main gear collapsed. The tail and right wing began skidding causing the plane to roll over to the right,” said ella Atkins, the head of Virginia Tech’s aerospace and ocean engineering department and a pilot. “During the rollover, the right wing and tail sheared off, and a fire ignited, likely due to skidding and fuel leakage at least from a right wing tank.” All but two of the 21

people injured on the flight have been released from hospitals, the airport Ceo said Tuesday. “How grateful we are there was no loss of life or life threatening injuries,”

Deborah Flint, Ceo of greater Toronto Airports Authority, said during a news conference. “The crew heroically led passengers to safety.”

Crash investigation Communications between the tower and pilot were normal on approach and it’s not clear what went wrong when the plane — a Mitsubishi CRJ-900 made by the Canadian company Bombardier — touched down.

Aviation experts said investigators will consider conditions on the ground, the pilot’s actions before landing, and potential problems with the landing gear. The Transportation Safety Board of Canada is leading the investigation with support from the US National Transportation Safety Board.

Alan Diehl, a former NTSB investigator who analysed satellite data on YouTube, said it appears the jet descended rapidly, at more than 1000 feet per minute, in the five seconds before landing.

Diehl said this could have contributed to the

failure of the right main landing gear and resulted in the wing tip hitting the ground. But he said the question remains whether this rapid rate of descent was due to the pilot’s mismanagement of the controls or whether the jet encountered a downdraft.

He said the landing gear is required to handle a hard landing of 720 feet per minute but, based on the satellite data, the design load limit appears closer to 1,080 feet per minute.

Juan Browne, a commercial pilot who discusses aviation incidents on his popular YouTube channel, said preliminary data suggests the speed and rate of descent, crosswinds and the weather were “within limits.” But Browne raised concerns about the pilots’ actions before landing.

“It appears that the aircraft simply did not flare at all,” Browne said. Flaring slows the aircraft’s rate of descent. “They just drove it into the runway.”

At the time of the crash, Pearson was experiencing blowing snow and winds of 32 mph (51 kph) gusting to 40 mph (65 kph), according to the Meteorological Service of Canada. The temperature was about 16.5 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 8.6

degrees Celsius). Browne said blowing snow reduces visibility.

Michael McCormick, an assistant professor and program coordinator for air traffic management at embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Florida, said investigators would look closely at the landing gear to make sure it was properly locked in place, and would consider staffing on the ground and in the aircraft.

“They will look at the number of people working both on the aircraft and the control towers. And they will look at their schedules,” McCormick said. “Are they well rested? Are they well staffed?”

‘Everything just kind of went sideways’

Peter Carlson, who was travelling to Toronto for a paramedics conference, said the landing was “very forceful.”

“All of a sudden, everything just kind of went sideways and the next thing I know, it’s kind of a blink and I’m upside down still strapped in,” he told CBC News.

That everyone survived the Delta crash is a testament to the safety improvements made by airlines and aircraft

manufacturers, including wings that are designed to come off to reduce explosions, well-trained flight crews and seats built to withstand impacts of up to 16 times the force of gravity.

“That seat is your single best resource in order to keep you protected,” McCormick said. “There’s a reason why the flight attendants walk around the aircraft prior to (landing) ... to make sure everybody has their seat belts fastened.”

But is it safe to fly?

The crash was the fourth major aviation accident in North America in recent weeks. A commercial jetliner and an Army helicopter collided near Reagan National Airport in Washington, DC, on Jan. 29, killing 67 people.

A medical transportation plane crashed in Philadelphia on Jan. 31, killing the six people on board and another person on the ground. And on Feb. 6, 10 people were killed in a plane crash in Alaska.

Nevertheless, according to Jeff guzzetti, an airline safety consultant and a former FAA and NTSB investigator, air travel is “extremely safe.”

“The odds of getting injured or killed in a commercial airline accident

is far less than driving in your car,” guzzetti said. Still, he worries about layoffs at the Federal Aviation Administration under the Trump administration. “I am concerned that the proposed cuts and changes to the FAA may increase the risk of further accidents,” he said.

The Delta flight was cleared to land at about 2:10 pm Audio recordings show the control tower warned the pilots of a possible air flow “bump” on approach.

“It was windy, but the airplanes are designed and certified to handle that,” said John Cox, Ceo of aviation safety consulting firm Safety operating Systems in St. Petersburg, Florida. “The pilots are trained and experienced to handle that.”

Carlson said when he took off his seat belt he crashed onto the ceiling, which had become the floor. He smelled gas, saw aviation fuel cascading down the cabin windows and knew they all had to get out. Carlson and another man assisted a mother and her son out of the plane, then Carlson dropped onto the snowy tarmac.

“All of us just wanted to be out of the aircraft,” he said.

Kennedy says panel will examine childhood vaccine schedule after promising not to change it

WASHINGTON Associated Press

To earn the vote he needed to become the nation’s top health official, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. made a special promise to a US senator: He would not change the nation’s current vaccination schedule.

But on Tuesday, speaking for the first time to thousands of US Health and Human Services agency employees, he vowed to investigate the childhood vaccine schedule that prevents measles, polio and other dangerous diseases.

“Nothing is going to be off limits,” Kennedy said, adding that pesticides, food additives, microplastics, antidepressants and the electromagnetic waves emitted by cellphones and microwaves also would be studied.

Kennedy’s remarks, which circulated on social media, were delivered during a welcome ceremony for the new health secretary at the agency’s headquarters in Washington as a measles outbreak among mostly unvaccinated people raged in West Texas. The event was held after a weekend of mass firings of thousands of HHS employees. More dismissals are expected.

In his comments Tuesday, Kennedy promised

that a new “Make America Healthy Again” commission would investigate vaccines, pesticides and antidepressants to see if they have contributed to a rise in chronic illnesses such as diabetes and obesity that have plagued the American public. The commission was formed last week in an executive order by Donald Trump immediately after Kennedy was sworn in as the president’s new health secretary.

That directive said the commission will be made up of cabinet members and other officials from the administration and will develop a strategy around children’s health within the next six months. Kennedy said it will investigate issues, including childhood vaccinations, that “were formally taboo or insufficiently scrutinized.”

While Kennedy did not directly call for changes to the vaccination schedule on

Tuesday, his plan to investigate it raises questions about his commitment to Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy, a Louisiana physician who harboured deep misgivings over the health secretary’s anti-vaccine advocacy. Cassidy ultimately voted to send Kennedy’s nomination to the Senate floor after he said Kennedy gave him assurances that he would not alter the federal vaccine schedule.

“on this topic, the science

is good, the science is credible,” Cassidy said during a Senate floor speech earlier this month explaining his vote. “Vaccines save lives. They are safe.”

Rigorous studies of thousands of people followed by decades of real-world use have proven that the vaccines approved by the Food and Drug Administration for both children and adults safely and effectively prevent diseases.

Cassidy said during his Senate speech last month that Kennedy had made a number of promises that stemmed from “intense conversations” to garner his support. Specifically, Cassidy said Kennedy would “maintain the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices’ recommendations without changes.”

Those recommendations are what paediatricians around the country use to decide the safest and most effective ages at which to offer vaccinations to children. The committee meets every year to review the latest data on both old and new vaccines to ensure there are no red flags for safety or other issues before publishing its annual schedule.

When contacted about Kennedy’s remarks,

Cassidy’s office did not comment.

Kennedy gained a loyal following for his nonprofit by raising objections to CoVID-19 protocols and doubts around the CoVID19 vaccine. Despite his work, Kennedy repeatedly told senators that he was not “anti-vaccine” during his confirmation hearings.

Dr. Paul offit, an infectious-disease expert at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia who sits on a federal vaccine panel, didn’t believe him.

“I think he will do everything he can to make vaccines less available and less affordable because he’s an anti-vaccine activist,” offit, who developed the rotavirus vaccine that is on the CDC’s childhood immunization schedule, said last week.

Kennedy promised staffers on Tuesday during his speech that he would keep an open mind in his new job and asked them to return the favour.

“A lot of times when I read these articles characterizing myself, I think I wouldn’t want to work for that guy, either,” Kennedy said, eliciting some laughs from the crowd. “Let’s start a relationship by letting go of any preconceived perceptions you may have of me.”

A DeltA Air Lines plane lies upside down at Toronto Pearson Airport on Tuesday.

Photo: Chris Young/The Canadian Press/AP

RobeRt F Kennedy Jr, speaks after being sworn in as Health and Human Services Secretary in the Oval Office at the White House, Thursday, in Washington.

Photo: Alex brandon/AP

‘VJ’ EDGECOMBE SCORES 24 POINTS FOR BAYLOR BEARS IN LOSS TO ARIZONA

FROM PAGE 16

the Wildcats needed to put away Baylor. Tobe Awaka recorded 14 points and 12 boards to lead the Wildcats on the stat sheet.

Arizona took a slim 13-8 lead in the early minutes of the first half before Edgecombe Jr responded with a three ball to shift the score to 13-12.

The Bears eventually took the lead (22-19) later in the quarter but the Wildcats managed to run ahead to a double-digit advantage 41-31 with just 43 seconds remaining in the first half.

Edgecombe threw down a thunderous jam to put Baylor within eight (4133) going into the halftime break.

Baylor head coach Scott Drew spoke about Edgecombe’s resilience in the recent loss.

“He’s a winner, he’ll do what it takes to win. That’s what excited me about this group right now. If we can stay healthy with the seven [players], we’ll find ways to put them in better positions to be successful. We’re not going to shoot 22 per cent [from 3] the rest of the year.”

The Bears had some good runs, particularly late in the second half but played catch up for the rest of the game.

Baylor was cold to open the second half of play. The team missed their first five buckets and did not take the lid off the basket until the 12:22 mark.

After sitting on just an eight-point cushion at the intermission, the Wildcats extended their lead to 14 (49-35) when Awaka knocked down a two-pointer.

The Bahamian guard got most of his work done in the second half where he scored 13 of his game-high 24 points.

He helped the Bears to claw their way within four (63-59) after nailing a pair of free throws with 4:03 remaining in the game.

“VJ” made it a threepoint game twice with less than a minute to go, but Arizona knocked down seven straight free throws during this stretch to put the nail in the coffin.

The Wildcats shot 48.3 per cent from the field while holding Baylor to 40 per cent shooting.

AUBURN STAYS AT NO. 1 IN AP TOP 25 FOR 6TH STRAIGHT WEEK, FLORIDA UP TO NO. 2, LOUISVILLE RETURNS

By AARON BEARD AP Basketball Writer

Auburn’s win at Alabama assured the Tigers would keep the No. 1 ranking in The Associated Press Top 25 men’s college basketball poll for a sixth consecutive week.

The Tigers (23-2) received 59 of 60 firstplace votes in Monday’s poll, reclaiming nearly all the support lost when they fell at home to Florida on Feb. 8. Auburn had been the unanimous No. 1 for three straight weeks before that loss, but remained at the top last week despite seeing nearly half of those first-place votes go primarily to Alabama, with a few to Florida and Tennessee.

But the Tigers won Saturday in a 1-vs.-2 road matchup against the rival Crimson Tide, hours after the committee that will choose the 68-team field for the NCAA Tournament put Auburn as its No. 1 overall seed in its preliminary rankings.

The top tier

The two teams to beat the Tigers sit right behind them. Florida and Duke were tied for third last week, and the Gators inched past the Blue Devils to break that tie and take the No. 2 spot while claiming the remaining first-place vote.

Alabama fell to No. 4, followed by Houston, Tennessee, Texas A&M — with its highest ranking

SPEAR’S 28 POINTS HELP

PAST OLE MISS, 80-71

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Jewel Spear matched her season-high with 28 points and the No. 15 Tennessee women jumped out to an early lead they never surrendered, knocking off Mississippi 80-71 on Sunday.

Mississippi (17-8, 8-5 SEC) came into the game in fifth place in the SEC, with hopes of a Top Four finish and a two-round bye in the SEC tournament, but the loss knocked them into sixth place. Tennessee (19-6, 6-6) is currently in eighth place, a half-game behind Oklahoma.

Tennessee finished the first quarter on an 11-2 run and led 17-7. The Rebels got within six by halftime, 34-28, but Tennessee pulled away in the second half and Samara Spencer’s layup with 7:28 left in the game pushed the lead to 67-50.

Starr Jacobs scored at the basket and Sira Thienou tipped in a Jacobs miss to get Ole Miss within double digits, 70-61 with four minutes remaining. KK Deans knocked down a 3 from the corner with :40 seconds left to make it 77-71, but Tennessee freshman Kaniya Boyd drove for a layup six seconds later and Ole Miss did not score again.

Spencer finished with 13 points, 10 rebounds and six assists for Tennessee. Zee Spearman added 14 points and eight boards off the bench and Talaysia Cooper had 11 points, six assists and six steals.

Deans hit 6 of 12 from distance and finished with 22 points to lead Ole Miss. Tameiya Sadler scored 14 points and Kennedy ToddWilliams had 11. Scott finished with 10 points, nine rebounds and seven assists. The Volunteers have four games remaining, beginning at home against No. 21 Alabama Thursday.

Ole Miss has three games remaining in its regular season, beginning with a home game with Missouri Sunday.

since December 2017 — Iowa State, Texas Tech and St. John’s to round out the top 10. Of that group, the Red Raiders represented the only change from last week’s set of teams, climbing three spots to replace Purdue for their first top-10 appearance in three years. Grant McCasland’s squad, which has lost just twice since the start of 2025, was unranked until cracking the poll at No. 22 on Jan. 27.

Rising Michigan had the week’s biggest jump among ranked teams, climbing eight spots to No. 12 after beating Purdue last week and pushing its win streak to six games. No. 15 Missouri jumped six spots, while No. 11 Wisconsin, No. 18 Clemson and No. 20 Maryland each rose five spots. In all, 12 teams moved up from their position last week.

Sliding Memphis took the biggest tumble of the week, falling eight spots to No. 22 after its overtime loss at Wichita State ended an eight-game winning streak. No. 13 Purdue, No. 19 Arizona and No. 23 Kansas — the preseason No. 1-ranked team — all fell six spots, while No. 24 Mississippi tumbled five. Ten teams fell from last week’s poll.

Welcome back No. 25 Louisville was the week’s lone new addition,

’s Chad Baker-Mazara celebrates after a win over Alabama at an NCAA college basketball game, Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025, in Tuscaloosa, Ala. (AP Photo/Vasha Hunt)

returning to the poll for the second time after a two-week stint in January.

First-year coach Pat Kelsey has guided the program to its first 20-win season since 2019-20, with the Cardinals having lost just once since mid-December. Farewell (for now) Creighton (No. 24) fell out of the rankings for the

second time this season. The Bluejays were ranked for the first four weeks, then returned last week for what turned out to be a one-week stay.

Conference

watch The Southeastern Conference had a national-best nine teams, including three of the top four and five

of the top 10. The Big 12 and Big Ten each had five teams, though the Big 12 had three in the top 10 while the highest-ranked Big Ten team checked in at 11th.

The Atlantic Coast Conference had three, followed by the Big East with two and the American Athletic Conference with one.

THE Associated Press national player of the week in women’s college basketball for Week 15 of the season: Mikayla Blakes, Vanderbilt

The freshman guard set the NCAA freshman singlegame scoring record with 55 points against Auburn. It was the ninth most points scored in NCAA history and joined Patricia Hoskins of Mississippi Valley State as the only players to score 53 or more points twice in the same season. She averaged 34.5 points in the Commodores two games while shooting 63.6% from the field. She made 23 of 24 free throws in her 55-point game.

Runner-Up

JuJu Watkins, USC. The sophomore guard had 38 points, 11 rebounds, eight blocks and five assists in USC’s upset of No. 1 UCLA. Her blocks set a career high and were tied for third-most in a game by a Trojans player. Watkins now ranks No. 13 all-time at USC with 1,507 career points. The win over UCLA was USC’s first over an AP top-ranked opponent since 1983.

to win the rebound battle 37-31.

Baylor will look to turn things around on the road

the Colorado Buffaloes at 4pm on Saturday.

BAYLOR guard VJ Edgecombe, bottom, tries a shot as Arizona guard KJ Lewis defends during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game on Monday, February 17, in Waco, Texas.

(AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

AUBURN

‘Junkanoo Boyz’ making preparations for CONCACAF Beach Soccer Championship

FROM PAGE 16

after this week’s scrimmage games against Tahiti.

“I think it is going to be great because the guys have been scrimmaging against each other for the past month so now playing against another team, referees and seeing a different jersey I think it will be exciting and also is gonna bring the level up. It will test us to see where we are at and what we need to adjust in preparation for the competition,” he said.

The Bahamas’ national beach soccer team trains five days a week in preparation to go all the way at next month’s CONCACAF Beach Soccer Championship.

Last time around, the team came up short against Mexico 3-2 in the semifinals to finish fourth at home.

National team member

Kyle Williams said he is confident that the home team has a great chance to punch their tickets to Victoria, Seychelles.

“It is building on what we have done the past 10 years. We built up to the point in the last qualifiers where we actually made it to the semifinals, the furthest that we have ever made it. We have a lot of the core guys back this time and a lot of new guys a part of it so it is gonna be amazing. We are ready and excited. We are playing at home again so that is always a boost to have our fans here cheering and supporting us through it. We have a good shot and we are preparing to make sure that we make the best of this opportunity,” he said.

TRAINING DAY: The “Junkanoo Boyz” are preparing in an effort to qualify for the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup Seychelles 2025. Team head coach Francis

has conducted rigorous training sessions with a group of 18 players the last few weeks and is looking forward to seeing the team’s progress against Tahiti

scrimmage games this week. The biennial tournament is returning to the Bahamas March 11-16 for the fourth time in history.

Williams is looking forward to battling it out on the sand against Tahiti at the Malcolm Beach Park Soccer Facility in hopes of improving their play ahead of the regional beach soccer competition.

“Tahiti is a great country. They are kind of a small nation just like us so it is a great measuring stick to see where we are. They have been to the World Cup and done very well — top three team in the world and we are happy to have them here for a week-long training camp. They are a high level team so they are going to be able to raise our level so we know what to prepare for on this journey to the World Cup,” he said. The 2025 CONCACAF Beach Soccer

Championship will feature eight teams in the region battling not only for a title, but one of the two available spots for the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup Seychelles 2025.

Participating nations include the host the Bahamas, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Panama, Trinidad & Tobago and the United States of America (USA). Competition kicks off with the group stage from March 11-13. This stage will be followed by the knockout stage on March 15. The semifinals, third place match and final will be played on March 16.

The Bahamas will open the competition against Panama at 8pm on Tuesday, March 11.

VLASOV SHINES BRIGHTLY AT SENTOWER PARK

ANNA Camille Vlasov found herself back in familiar territory – in the prize money – under the lights last weekend at The Zengersheide International Show at Sentower Park in Opglabbeek, Belgium.

Vlasov rode her CAC Games mount, the 13-year old Belgian sport horse Gulliver du Saint-Chene, in Saturday’s 1.30m 2-phase special class. Millie and Gulli flew around Rafael Suarez’ (GBR) course fault free, finishing in 6th place out of a field of 61 riders.

“He was so good,” said Vlasov, speaking of her mount. “He’s coming back now, his body is better and so much stronger.”

Gulliver had been on rest recently, while Vlasov focused on riding other horses. Saturday’s performance qualified the pair for

the next day’s 1.35m Grand Prix, with much the same results - a clear first round, a lightning-fast jump-off

(with just 2.65 seconds separating the top six finishers), and a finish in the prize money, 6th again out of 56

competitors. Vlasov was all smiles and full of praise for her horse. “He was amazing,” she said.

ANNA Camille Vlasov aboard Gulliver du Saint-Chene at The Zangersheide International Show at Sentower Park, Opglabbeek, Belgium.

Farberoff

in upcoming

Photos: Chappell Whyms Jr

It’s time for the stretch run toward the NBA playoffs

By TIM REYNOLDS AP Basketball Writer

THE trade deadline is gone. The All-Star break is about to end. Luka Doncic is with the Los Angeles Lakers. Jimmy Butler is with the Golden State Warriors. Anthony Davis is with the Dallas Mavericks, though it’s unknown when he’ll play again.

The dust has settled. It’s time for the stretch run.

Here comes the fun part of the season. Every club has between 26 and 30 games remaining in this 7 1/2-week sprint to the April 13 finish line, play resuming today when Charlotte faces the Lakers.

And teams will point to recent history as proof that just getting into the playoffs means anything can happen: No. 5, No. 6, No. 7 and No. 8 seeds have made their way to the conference finals in the last two years alone.

“I’m looking forward to the challenge,” said the Warriors’ Stephen Curry, the now two-time All-Star Game MVP. “It’s basically a playoff game every single night, and that usually brings the best out of you.”

Some teams can go ahead and start planning for the playoffs.

Oklahoma City and Cleveland are both 44-10, tied for the best record in the league. Defending champion Boston, currently No. 2 in the Eastern Conference, remains on pace to obliterate league records for 3-pointers made and attempted in a season. The Celtics, New York, Denver, Houston and the Lakers all have winning percentages over .600, which is an excellent sign — 132 of the last 133 teams to reach the break with such a record have wound up making the postseason.

“We have obviously a pretty good basketball team,” said Oklahoma City All-Star guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the current MVP favourite

according to BetMGM Sportsbook. “We have a little bit more experience. We have an opportunity to, for sure, win an NBA championship. Now we’re going to have to earn it.”

Then there’s the other end of the spectrum, that being the teams that are out of the mix.

Over the last 20 seasons, 98.8% of the teams that have winning percentages under .400 at the break wind up missing the playoffs. If that form holds, that eliminates Philadelphia, Brooklyn, Toronto, Charlotte, Utah, New Orleans and Washington.

So, based on the numbers, that means seven teams are in, seven teams are out, and 16 teams remain in the middle fighting for what will be the last nine playoff spots — five to be clinched on or before the end of the regular season on April 13, four others to be won in the play-in tournament later that week.

“The last 25 to 30 games are really important for everyone,” said Miami guard Tyler Herro, the league’s new 3-point shootout champion.

“We’ve got a new group, in a sense, and we’re going to hit the ground running. It’s going to happen fast. Everything is going to matter throughout this next month and a half.”

The Heat traded Butler to the Warriors, getting back Andrew Wiggins in return. San Antonio landed De’Aaron Fox from Sacramento, and the Los Angeles Clippers — who have barely had Kawhi Leonard available this season, but he’s playing now — figure they’re right in the mix to challenge as well.

“I think we got a really good chance,” Clippers All-Star guard James Harden said. “We added some shooting, we added some defence and obviously with a healthy Kawhi we’ve got a chance to compete with anybody. So, I

think for us, it’s just finding out how we want to play and attacking it.”

Milwaukee added Kyle Kuzma, moving Khris Middleton — a Bucks mainstay for years — to Washington in that deal. And Phoenix didn’t trade Kevin Durant, which is a sign that the Suns are hoping their star trio of him, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal can make a push. “We’re all figuring it out, man,” Durant said. “We’ve got 28, 29 games to go to

figure it out. That’s the fun part, trying to figure out how to get out of a slump.”

Davis’ injury obviously isn’t great for Dallas, especially with it compounded by a rash of other injuries to the Mavericks’ big-man corps. Doncic is still working his way back into form after a calf issue, so he and James will still likely need some time to figure out the best way for this new star duo to work. Butler went to the Warriors with hopes of being the jolt that gets

Curry, Draymond Green and coach Steve Kerr back to title contention. But a lot of teams have hope. And they all know that now’s the time to make a move. Let the stretch run begin.

“I think, 27 games or so left to make a push,” Curry said. “All we want is just to get into a playoff series and have a fighting chance to be a tough out against anybody in the West, and we have a good opportunity in front of us to do that.”

SPURS STAR VICTOR WEMBANYAMA BRINGS BOOKS TO GAMES, THAT’S NOT ALL THAT MAKES HIM DIFFERENT

By TIM REYNOLDS AP Basketball Writer

LET’S start with this: He brought a book to the AllStar Game.

As if the NBA needed more proof that San Antonio’s Victor Wembanyama is different, the latest example came Sunday in a locker-room video posted by the league. Wembanyama was getting settled in before the games and Denver’s Nikola Jokic was puzzled by what the Spurs star had with him.

“You really brought a book?” Jokic asked.

“I read before every game,” Wembanyama said. Even at All-Star weekend, Wembanyama didn’t change who he is. He got himself and Spurs teammate Chris Paul disqualified from the skills competition at All-Star Saturday night after finding what he thought was a loophole in the rules and could increase the chance of winning. He brought the book on Sunday. He was visibly frustrated when his team lost the All-Star tournament final.

San Antonio knows, and has known, that Wembanyama is the face of the Spurs. The rest of the league has probably figured out that he’s one of the faces of the league — the game globally, too — and is well on his way to super-dupersuperstardom, if he’s not there already.

LeBron James had nothing but rave reviews for Wembanyama when the

REGGIE MILLER WILL BE NBC SPORTS’ LEAD GAME ANALYST NEXT NBA SEASON

STAMFORD, Conn.

(AP) — Reggie Miller will be NBC Sports’ lead game analyst when it begins its coverage of the NBA next season, the network announced yesterday.

Miller has been one of TNT Sports lead NBA analysts for 20 years. He called his 18th All-Star Game this past weekend.

When Miller joins NBC in October, he is expected to call one or more games per week during the regular season and playoffs.

Coincidentally, some of the top moments in Miller’s 18-year playing career with the Indiana Pacers occurred on NBC, which carried NBA games from 1990 through 2002. That included Game 1 of the 1995 Eastern Conference semifinals against the New York Knicks when he scored eight points in a span of 9 seconds at Madison Square Garden to beat the New York Knicks.

“Some of my most memorable moments have been on NBC and I’m looking forward to creating more,” Miller said in a statement.

Miller — elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2012 — also was selected to the NBA 75th Anniversary team.

“Having provided so many memorable moments on NBC during his playing days, it’s only fitting that Reggie will join our team as the NBA returns to NBC and debuts on Peacock,” NBC Sports executive producer Sam Flood said in a statement. “As basketball fans know, not only was Reggie one of the game’s greatest shooters and clutch performers, but he was also one of its most entertaining players with a unique combination of skill and swagger. He has successfully brought those traits to his broadcasting career and consistently provides viewers with in-depth analysis while pulling no punches.” NBC will have up to 100 regular-season games, including on Sunday night once the NFL season has ended. It will also have games on Tuesday throughout the regular season, while a Monday night doubleheader will be exclusively streamed on Peacock. NBC will also have the AllStar Game and All-Star Saturday Night.

7-foot-3 French centre — who just turned 21 last month — was coming into the league. James heaps the Wemby praise even higher now.

“I’ve seen one quote that he says that nobody better call him past 9 o’clock at night because he’s either reading or he’s asleep. I think that’s super cool. I think that’s super dope,” the Los Angeles Lakers’ star said.

“That lets you know where his mind frame is at, where he is at intellectually, and I think he’s been great, obviously, for the franchise with the Spurs. But he’s going to be great for our league for so many years to come.”

Wembanyama was the unanimous rookie of the year last season; he’s the favourite, according to BetMGM Sportsbook, to be defensive player of the year this season. He is almost certainly going to make the All-NBA team. He will likely get MVP votes.

All for good reason.

His scoring average is up. Rebounds per game, up. Shooting percentages, up. He’s already taken 403 3-pointers and blocked 176 shots this season — no player in NBA history has ever finished a season with those numbers, and Wemby did it this year by the All-Star break. He’s averaging 24.3 points, 11 rebounds, 3.8 blocks and 3.7 assists; the only other player to finish a season averaging all that was

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1975-76.

Golden State’s Stephen Curry was asked what he marvels at when he watches Wembanyama.

“Everything he does,” Curry said. “Everything.”

The Spurs have been through some things this season.

Gregg Popovich, the franchise patriarch and someone Wembanyama calls the best leader he’s ever known, had a stroke in November and coached only five games before needing to be replaced by assistant Mitch Johnson — who, by all accounts, has done an admirable job. The travel has been brutal, even by San Antonio standards: the Spurs

went to New York for a few days over Christmas, spent a week in France for the NBA Paris Games, were in Los Angeles when wildfires were ravaging that city and are now dealing with the annual rodeo road trip that displaces them for much of February.

Paul says the team has had chances, pointing to how 10 of San Antonio’s 29 losses have been by five points or fewer.

“I think we can really put something together after the break,” Paul said.

With Wembanyama, all things are possible and the Spurs are most certainly in the play-in tournament mix. San Antonio — which added De’Aaron Fox around the trade deadline — is 3 1/2 games out of the final play-in spot with 30 games left to play. It’s not out of reach.

“Gaining a bit of confidence because we have such changes in the season,” Wembanyama said, asked what the Spurs need to do for the stretch run. “Also defence, I think, is the key. Going back to the status of one of the best defences is the key.”

Let that be yet another example of how he’s different. At the All-Star Game, he was talking defence. It’s who he is. It’s how he approaches the game. He plays the right way. He studies. He gets his rest, does his homework. And his fellow All-Stars seem to be taking notice.

“I think it’s great for a person like him to be so

competitive and so focused and so driven in all aspects of his game, no matter where he is,” New York All-Star guard Jalen Brunson said.

“It could be preseason, it could be in All-Star, he’s going to have that same mindset. That’s what we’ve seen.

“And obviously the things he does on the court are just abnormal for someone his height. He’s ridiculous, and to see how he works, his preparation, I think I admire that most.”

During the playoffs, NBC and/or Peacock will have up to 28 games the first two rounds, with at least half on NBC. It also will carry one of the two conference finals in six of the 11 years of the deal.

NBC previously announced that Mike Tirico will be the lead play-by-play announcer, Jamal Crawford will be a game analyst and Frank DiGraci will serve as coordinating producer. Noah Eagle is also expected to be a part of NBC’s coverage even though an announcement has not been made.

TEAM Shaq’s Kevin Durant, Damian Lillard, Jayson Tatum and Stephen Curry hold up the championship trophy following the 74th NBA All-Star Game.

TEAM Shaq’s Stephen Curry and James Harden react to a Curry three-pointer against Team Chuck in the championship game of the 74th NBA All-Star Game in San Francisco, Sunday, Feb. 16, 2025.

Photos: Scott Strazzante/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

TEAM Chuck’s Victor Wembanyama dunks against Team Shaq’s Damian Lillard during the championship game of the 74th NBA All-Star Game in San Francisco on Sunday. (Scott Strazzante/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

‘Nardo’ Bridgewater likes make-up of men’s national basketball team

By BRENT STUBBS Chief Sports Editor bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

POINT guard Dominick

“Nardo” Bridgewater likes the athleticism of the men’s national basketball team that is preparing to play Cuba and the United States this week in the AmeriCup Qualifying Tournament.

The Bahamas, with its top-notch players from the National Basketball Association, will host Cuba 8:40pm Thursday at the Kendal Isaacs Gymnasium before facing the United States of America at 7:10pm Sunday in their pair of home games against their rivals in Group D of the qualifying tournament.

Following the team’s practice session last night, Bridgewater passed by the AF Adderley Gymnasium to get a sneak view of the prestigious Hugh Campbell Basketball Classic where he played before he embarked on his professional basketball journey in France.

“We’re looking good. We have a nice group put together right now. We’re looking good right now,” Bridgewater said.

The team, coached by John Lucas III, Mychel Thompson Jr, Addison Walters and Jordan Walker, will feature Bridgewater, Samuel Hunter, Lathaniel Bastian, Eron Gordon, Domnick Bridgewater, Dylan Musgrove, Jaraun

“Kino” Burrows, Kenny Isnord, Godfrey Rolle III, Garvin Clarke Jr, Franco Miller Jr, Kentwan Smith, Rashad Davis and Tavario Miller Sr. Bridgewater said the goal for the Bahamas is to win both matches in order to keep their hopes alive in the tournament.

“We are looking for two wins. We have a good group put together, so we just have to go out there and play,” said Bridgewater, adding that they will make the difference up in their height against their opponents.

“We have some good guards who can handle the ball and we have some good guys on the wing, so we feel confident that we have a team

that has the potential to win both of these games.”

The 24-year-old Bridgewater said he’s excited to be back home to put on a show for the Bahamian public. He

noted that he’s enjoying his season in France, although his team, Champagne Basket, is sitting in the middle of the team standings at 9-14 in the 14th spot

out of a field of 20 teams.

“The season has been going great for me individually,” said Bridgewater, who is averaging about 12 points and four steals a game.

HUGH CAMPBELL BASKETBALL CLASSIC: CI GIBSON RATTLERS, CC SWEETING COBRAS STRIKE ON DAY 2

money in the first half, trailing 17-14 after the first quarter and 25-19 at the half. When it counted the most in the second half, CI Gibson turned it up a notch, pulling ahead 42-34 at the end of the third and they cruised through the fourth quarter to hold off Westminster.

Jahiem Armbrister was one of two players in double figures with 23 points and three rebounds. Omar Pierre was the other with 13 points, three assists, three steals and two rebounds. Michel JeanPierre was next with nine points and six rebounds. Cobras 69, Comets 36

CC Sweeting put together a balanced scoring attack to open tournament play in a blowout fashion over Queen’s College in another key government versus private school match-up.

Donovan Samuels and Tavari Roker both had 11 points, Frankie Lightbourne had 10, Emmanuel Adams had nine, Kaleb Juan-Baptiste had eight and both Andrew Bethel and Shadrack Aristil had five. Deangelo Smith chipped in with four. “We started off a little sluggish, but

once we got it together, we were hard to beat,” said CC Sweeting’s coach Dashtyan Baker, who is doing double duties as the coach of the St John’s Giants as well.

“We stepped it up in the second half and it was smooth sailing the rest of the way.”

The Cobras took a 17-8 lead after the first quarter and extended it to 30-16 at the half. By the end of the third, they were in full control with a 41-27 lead and they cruised through the fourth quarter as Baker utilised a number of different line-ups to defuse the Comets.

Daniel Rolle scored 19 points, Tayshaun Taylor had nine, Talon Higgs five and Luke Patalinghugh added three in the loss for Queen’s College, coached by Reuben Mounts. Baker noted that he’s been able to bring both the Cobras and the Giants together for practice at the start of their respective BAISS and the GSSSA season and it has helped in getting both of them better. As the tournament progresses, Baker said there’s a possibility that both teams could clash. He said he will just cross that bridge if the opportunity presents itself.

Pacers 54, Stingrays 17 Coming off their thrilling victory down the stretch on day one, CV Bethel didn’t have anything left against RM Bailey.

The Pacers, in their tournament debut, opened a 13-3 lead in the first quarter and were never challenged the rest of the way. In the end, the Stingrays were

BALL IN PLAY: The CI Gibson Rattlers out-lasted the Westminster Diplomats 66-55 yesterday as they took the

of

out-rebounded 49-20 and they made 26 turnovers compared to 19 by the Pacers.

Keith Bonaby, ahooting 7-for-14 from the field, was the only player for RM Bailey with a game high 16. William Ingraham Ward had eight points with 13 rebounds and Lawrence Monestime had seven points and seven rebounds.

“We came out and executed our game plan. It was a good game,” said Pacers’ coach Lamont Armaly. “We just have to keep poised and not turn the ball over.”

For CV Bethel, coached by Daniel Pratt, Drexel McIntosh scored 11 points, while Kenneth Wright,

Jayden Rolle and K-Mani Woodside all had two points.

Saints 57, Gators 20 Kingsway Academy, with their big line-up, marched past the Greenville Preparatory Academy in their initiation into the tournament.

The Saints, with a swamping defence, opened a 13-4 lead at the end of the first quarter and held onto a 21-10 advantage at the half.

Although the Gators, coached by Dominique Fernander, picked up their intensity in the third, they couldn’t maintain in the fourth as the Saints surged ahead. “I think we did

pretty good,” said coach Ricardo Lees, whose Saints used their height to outrebound the Gators 50-27 and out-scored them 31-13 on points from turnovers.

“They passed the ball around on offence and they ran their plays.”

Kenyon Johnson was the only player for Kingsway in double figures with 10, shooting 5-for-10 from the field. He had a double-double with 10 rebounds. Ethan Burrows and Kymani Roberts both had eight points with five and four rebounds, Oneil Cooper had six points and six rebounds and Delexis Thompson II had six points and three rebounds.

For Greenville, Diego Thompson had six points, Akeem Storr five points and six rebounds and Irvin McPhee added four points with seven rebounds.

As the tournament progresses, Lees said he expects “better teams” and “more intensity.”

But he said his Saints will be looking forward to it as they contend for the title.

Day three of the weeklong tournament will pick up at 10am today with teams from Grand Bahama and the Family Islands coming in town to start their march to the championship game on Monday, February 24.

Don’t miss the action.

“Hopefully when we get back after these games, we can continue to improve,” he stated. For now, his concentration is on trying to get the

Bahamas past Cuba and the USA in these two games in the AmeriCup Qualifying Tournament on Thursday and Sunday at the Kendal Isaacs Gymnasium.

spotlight on day two

the Hugh Campbell Basketball Classic at the AF Adderley Gymnasium.

Photo: Chappell Whyms Jr

AFTER FOUR STRAIGHT

INJURY-MARRED SEASONS, DJ LEMAHIEU HOPES TO REGAIN FORMER FORM AS BATTING CHAMPION

By RONALD BLUM AP Baseball Writer

TAMPA, Florida (AP)

— DJ LeMahieu reacted to his poor play the way many New York Yankees fans did.

“Definitely lost a lot of sleep,” he said yesterday.

A three-time All-Star infielder, LeMahieu hasn’t had a fully healthy season since 2020. With his 37th birthday approaching in July, he hopes to again be the dominant hitter he once was.

“For a majority of my career, I would pretty much play unless my leg was cut off,” he said. “I’d just kind of strap it on every day and played. It’s just the last few years, just bumps, bruises, this, that. I had the foot fracture. Stuff that I could kind of play through in the past. It just kind of it escalates and it gets — it compounds.”

Yankees manager Aaron Boone is shifting Jasrado ‘Jazz’ Chisholm Jr to second base

Yankees manager Aaron Boone is shifting Jasrado “Jazz” Chisholm Jr to second following the departure of Gleyber Torres to Detroit as a free agent. LeMahieu will get a chance for playing time at third. “The hit tool is one of those things that ages usually pretty well,” Boone said. “With health, I do believe there’s reason to believe that there’s a role to be played there. It it an everyday role? Is it some kind of platoon role? His body will kind of dictate that.”

LeMahieu left Colorado as a free agent to sign a $24 million, two-year contract

with the Yankees in January 2019 and hit a career-high .364 with a 1.011 OPS in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season to win his second batting title. He again became a free agent and the Yankees retained him with a $90 million, six-year contract.

He dropped to a .268 average the following year and missed the postseason because of a sports hernia that required core muscle repair surgery on Oct. 12.

LeMahieu rebounded to hit .272 in the first half of 2022, but had a cortisone injection to his right big toe at the All-Star break

and slumped to .228 in the second half. The turning point was during a weekend series at Fenway Park on Aug. 12 and 13, 2022.

“I remember we’re in Boston watching his atbats just change overnight,” Boone said. “It just really zapped him.”

Since then, LeMahieu is hitting .226 with 17 homers, 73 RBIs in 224 games with a .637 OPS.

“It’s tough to be a guy that the team can’t rely on at times,” he said.

LeMahieu missed the 2022 playoffs because of the injury, eventually diagnosed as a broken sesamoid bone

in his right big toe that led to ligament damage in his second toe.

LeMahieu hit .220 in the first half of 2023 and rose to .273 in the second. Then he broke his right foot when he fouled off a pitch during a spring training game last March 16, delaying his season debut until May 28. In a season cut short on Sept. 3 by right hip impingement, LeMahieu batted a career-low .204 with two homers and 26 RBIs in 228 plate appearances. He understands there are people who doubt he can bounce back.

“That’s fine,” he said. “Plenty of times in my career people haven’t always been the most confident in me. I’ll obviously use that as motivation but at the same time I’ve got enough to worry about. I know if I can just be myself and continue to work to be that, that’ll be fine.” He took a two-month break from hitting until he reported to the Yankees’ minor league complex in mid-January, trying to give his body time to heal.

“I felt good,” he said, “But it’s easy to feel good in January.”

$150,000

CHEQUE PRESENTED TO BAHAMAS FLY FISHING ASSOCIATION

the government’s commitment and belief in the industry.

“This contribution reaffirms the government’s full support

SPORTS CALENDAR FROM PAGE 16

hold its “King of the Hill” Cycling Classic on Sunday at Fort Charlotte.

The event is scheduled to begin at 8:30am and will be the “toughest hill climb” for the competitors in New Providence.

“Test your endurance, strength and determination against the best riders,” NPCAQ president Barron ‘Turbo’ Musgrove said.

“Are you ready for the challenge?”

For more information, interested persons can call Musgrove at 433-5568 or email him at bammus1967@ gmail.com.

SOFTBALLL

BBSF SEASON

OPENING

THE Bahamas Bap-

tist Sports Federation will begin its softball league on Saturday at the Charles W Saunders High School on Jean Street. The activities will get underway with the official opening ceremonies at 10:45am when the federation will honour the late Dwaine ‘Man’ Stevens, a former player/coach of New Bethlehem Baptist Church. New Bethlehem will then

to the conservationists and leaders in their efforts to sustain the tourism industry and to support the world’s fly fishing destination,” he said. In attendance was Prescott Smith, president of

take on Golden Gates Native Baptist Church. The final game will be played between Jubilee Baptist and Macedonia Baptist in a rematch of last year’s championship. Jubilee took the title over Macedonia.

RED-LINE ATHLETES’ FIELD EVENT

CLASSIC

THE Red-Line Athletics Track Club has announced plans to host its second annual Field Event Classic. The country’s all field events only meet is scheduled for Saturday, February 22 at the original Thomas A Robinson Track and Field Stadium. The event is set to take place from 9am to 3pm and will be open to competitors from the under-11 to open categories for men and women. All winners will receive crystals and the top three will earn medals. Athletes can register at redlineathletics242@gmail.com or smnbutler@yahoo.com NPA TRACK CLASSIC THE Noble Preparatory Academy is all set to hold its 2025 Track and Field Classic on Saturday, March 15 at the original Thomas A. Robinson Track and Field Stadium from 9am to 6pm.

the Bahamas Flying Fishing Association, who gave an overview of the development of the industry over the past decades.

He said that the investment signalled a long journey involving

The registration deadline is March 11. Athletes can register at info@npabahamas.com UNCLE LOU FUN

RUN/WALK THE St Augustine’s College and the Alumni Association is inviting the general public to come out and participate in the Uncle Lou Fun Run/Walk.

Under the theme: “Paint the streets red,” the event will take place on Saturday, March 15, starting 6am at SAC’s campus off Bernard Road.

The route will leave SAC’s campus and head on Bernard Road, turn onto Soldier Road to Prince Charles Drive, turn east onto Prince Charles Drive and head back to SAC.

The registration fee is $20 for adults and $10 for persons under the age of 20. The first 200 participants will receive road race t-shirts.

Persons can register now by logging onto www.saintaugustinescollege.com

Following the race, a health screening will take place. There will also be a souse out with chicken priced at $10, pig feet at $12 and sheep tongue at $15. Drinks will also be on sale.

For more information, persons can call

stakeholders from all of the major islands. He also expressed his gratitude for all of the support that the association has received over the years from donations from the country’s citizens and said that the

242-324-1511or email Thesacalumni@gmail.com

RUGBY GAMES AT WINTON

AFTER making some minor repairs to the Winton rugby pitch, the Bahamas Rugby Union is scheduled to play matches on Saturday, February 22, Saturday, March 8 and Saturday, March 22. All ages and all abilities are welcome, including men and women, ‘Golden Oldies’ teams and beginners and seasoned players.

The BRU is also inviting persons to come and try rugby this year. The only equipment needed are tennis/cleats and PE kit.

For further information, persons are urged to call (242) 812-0417.

BASKETBALL HIGH SCHOOL

RANKINGS AS the senior boys’ high school basketball teams get ready to compete in the prestigious Hugh Campbell Basketball Classic that began yesterday at the AF Adderley Gymnasium, Ossie ‘the Sports Insider’ Simmons has released his top 12 rankings.

Here’s how they stack up:

Anatol

GSSSA

fight for full recognition by the government is critical in order to further expand the Bahamas, which has the world’s largest flats.

Association member Valentino Munroe said that the funds will be used to

support the administrative aspects of the association, including housing of an office close to the airport, communication efforts, partnerships with operators, among other essentials.

DJ LEMAHIEU (AP)

THIS is a photo of Jazz Chisholm Jr of the New York Yankees baseball team on Tuesday, February 18, 2025, in Tampa, Florida. This image reflects the Yankees active roster as of February 18, 2025, when the photo was taken. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)

THE GOVERNMENT of the Bahamas has made a $200,000 investment in the fly fishing industry. A cheque for $150,000 was presented to the Bahamas Fly Fishing Association at the Ministry of Agriculture & Marine Resources on Monday, February 17, and an additional $50,000 will be made to the Small Business Development Centre to support the fly fishing industry. Pictured seated from left, Chairman, Bahamas Agriculture and Marine Science Institute (BAMSI) Tyrone Fowler; Ministry Undersecretary, Montez Williams; Ministry Permanent Secretary Neil Campbell; Minister Jomo Campbell; and Fly Fishing Association President Prescott Smith, addressing the press conference on behalf of association members.

(Photo: Betty Vedrine/BIS)

SPORTS

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2025

HUGH CAMPBELL BASKETBALL CLASSIC: DAY 2

Cobras, Rattlers strike

By BRENT STUBBS Chief Sports Editor bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

The Government Secondary School Sports Association’s CI Gibson Rattlers and the CC Sweeting Cobras took the spotlight on day two of the prestigious Hugh Campbell Basketball Classic yesterday at the AF Adderley Gymnasium.

The Rattlers out-lasted the Westminster Diplomats 66-55, while the Cobras prevailed with a 69-36 win over the Queen’s College Comets, the Bahamas Association of Independent Secondary Schools’ runner-up.

The other two games saw the RM Bailey Pacers prevail with a 54-17 rout over the CV Bethel Stingrays, who came off their nail-biting win over the Charles W Saunders Cougars on day one, and Kingsway Academy Saints marched past the Greenville Preparatory Academy Gators 57-20.

Here’s a summary of the games played: Rattlers 66, Diplomats 55 Tashon Butler was almost a one-man wrecking crew as he exploded for a game high 30 points with 13 rebounds and a pair of assists and steals to lead CI Gibson.

Darius Hanna had eight points with four rebounds, two assists and as many steals, Mario Rolle had seven points and 12 rebounds, Zavian Lloyd also had seven points with four rebounds, Concae Smith had five points, five rebounds and three assists and both Sidney Higgs and Cornelius Cartwright added three points.

ON THE REPLAY: The CC Sweeting Cobras prevailed with a 69-36 rout over Queen’s College Comets yesterday as they stole the spotlight on day two of the Hugh

Classic at the AF Adderley Gymnasium.

“It started off very sloppy. We made too many turnovers. We have to clean that up in the way forward and just take care of the basketball,” said Rattlers’ coach Kevin ‘KJ’ Johnson. “I guess it was first-game jitters. “But as a basketball team with the potential to win, we just have to get locked in and do the small things that will help us to move forward to get to the championship.” As they move forward, Johnson said they have to work on everything, including “hitting the free throws, taking care of the

basketball and displaying our energy on the defensive end of the basketball.

“But a win is a win. Westminster played extremely hard. They were resilient, they wanted it and it showed. But we got them tired out a bit, forced them to make some turnovers

and that was how we were able to pull it off.”

The Diplomats, coached by Gary Kemp, were coming off their tournament opening victory on Monday. They gave the Rattlers a run for their

SEE PAGE 14

‘Junkanoo Boyz’ making preparations for CONCACAF Beach Soccer Championship

By TENAJH SWEETING Tribune Sports Reporter

tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

THE “Junkanoo Boyz” were just one win away from advancing to the 2023 FIFA Beach World Cup at the 2023 Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) Beach Soccer Championship hosted at home.

The team wrapped up the competition in fourth place, which was their best finish in eight tournament appearances.

By TENAJH SWEETING Tribune Sports

BIMINI native Valdez “VJ” Edgecombe Jr had a strong offensive night against the no.19 ranked Arizona Wildcats in Baylor’s recent 74-67 loss on Monday at the Foster Pavilion in Waco, Texas. The Baylor freshman powered his way to a game-high 24 points, four rebounds and two assists while shooting 46 per cent from the field in 34 minutes of basketball action.

Despite the dynamic play of Edgecombe, the Baylor Bears were unable to overcome a tough shooting night which resulted in their 10th loss of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) DI basketball season. The Bears fell to 16-10 (win/loss record) overall and 8-7 in the Big 12 Conference.

For the Wildcats, the team improved to 18-8 overall and 12-3 in the conference with the regular season sweep of the Bears.

An impressive performance in the first half along with hot shooting was all

Team head coach Francis Farberoff has conducted rigorous training sessions with a group of 18 players the last few weeks and is looking forward to seeing the team’s progress against Tahiti in upcoming scrimmage games this week.

“I think it’s a great opportunity for us to reach our goal which is to qualify for the World Cup in Seychelles but first we have some games coming up against Tahiti this week so we are looking forward to that. Right now we are

The biennial tournament is returning to the Bahamas March 11-16 for the fourth time in history and the home team is looking to take this opportunity to qualify for the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup Seychelles 2025.

working with 18 players and from that we are going to cut it down to 12 that will represent the country,” he said.

The Tahiti national beach soccer team, also known as the Tiki Toa (Warrior Gods), will certainly help the host team to make progress in their training.

The ‘Warrior Gods’ have achieved eight Beach Soccer World Cup appearances and were the runners-up in 2015 and 2017.

Coach Farberoff expects the ‘Junkanoo Boyz’ to raise their level of play

ruary 17 at the Ministry of Agriculture and Marine Resources on East Bay Street. And an additional $50,000 investment will be made to the Small Business Development Centre(SBDC) to further support the industry. Minister of Agriculture and Marine Resources Jomo Campbell said that this investment signals

Campbell Basketball

Photo: Chappell Whyms Jr

Reporter

BAHAMIANS in the stands cheer on the “Junkanoo Boyz”.