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‘LOCK IT DOWN’ Rolle quits after PM ‘shut’ ministry and ordered in auditors By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Senior Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net PRIME Minister Dr Hubert Minnis ordered a lockdown of the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture just days before an internal audit he requested uncovered findings that led to the resignation of Sea Breeze MP Lanisha Rolle, The Tribune can confirm. Dr Minnis accepted Mrs Rolle’s resignation from her ministerial post yesterday, with a statement from Cabinet Office noting that “certain matters have been brought to” his attention and are currently under investigation.
SEE SPORTS
ONE-SHOT ROLLOUT LIKELY FOR VACCINES
The Tribune understands that when ministry officials and the board of the National Sports Authority became concerned that established processes and procedures were allegedly not being followed at their agencies, they took their concerns to Dr Minnis on Saturday, February 13. Dr Minnis is said to have then immediately requested a “lockdown” of the ministry, ordering that no cheques or contracts be issued. The following day, Sunday, February 14, he asked Financial Secretary Marlon Johnson to SEE PAGE THREE
By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net
THE country is expected to receive its first doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine by the end of the week, according to Health Minister Renward Wells - and Mr Wells said the government will likely use all doses at once to give 100,000 people their first shot. Health workers could begin administering the jabs “as early as next week”, he added. SEE PAGE FOUR
‘THE FNM IS NOT FALLING APART’ By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net
SEVERAL Cabinet ministers yesterday dismissed speculation that the Minnis administration is “falling apart” following Lanisha Rolle’s resignation, with one MP saying “not everyone is going to make the full five-year term”. They spoke after a letter to Governor General C A Smith with Mrs Rolle’s signature was leaked yesterday, announcing her resignation from her
ministerial post. Mrs Rolle’s resignation was later confirmed by the Cabinet Office in a brief statement yesterday, which added that “certain matters” had been brought to the attention of Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis and are now being investigated. Yesterday, Cabinet ministers refused to comment on Mrs Rolle’s resignation specifically, with some of them telling reporters they had not yet been fully briefed on the matter. SEE PAGE THREE
TIGER SURVIVES CRASH BUT IS CAREER NOW OVER?
‘YOU’LL NEED MORE THAN A NEW PORT’
DAD STEPS IN
LANISHA Rolle’s father Derek Thompson speaking to reporters outside of Cabinet. Photo: Leandra Rolle/Tribune Staff
GRIEVING MUM BEGS: GIVE YOURSELF UP By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net THE mother of Omar “Punch” Penn is calling on the gunman who killed her son “like an animal” to turn himself in to the police. Margaret Moxey-Pennerman last saw her son alive around 4.30pm on Sunday, several hours before he was shot dead in front of Island Luck web shop on East Sunrise Highway around 8pm.
THE MOMENT the gunman approached Omar Penn. She was asleep when she received a call later that evening that her son was shot dead.
Penn, 41, is the father of five children. His murder is the first homicide on Grand Bahama for 2021. No arrest has been made however police are following significant leads. Surveillance footage circulating on social media shows Penn walking along the building’s exterior when a man in a hoodie approaches and opens fire on the victim. SEE PAGE TWO
Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper
By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net
A SENIOR Carnival Corporation executive yesterday warned Nassau needs to improve more than just its port facilities given that three-quarters of passengers declined to book excursions pre-COVID. Giora Israel, the cruise group’s senior vice-president for port and destination development, said the capital must do far more to overhaul its “product”. FULL STORY - SEE BUSINESS
SERENA HAS NOTHING SHE NEEDS TO PROVE
SEE PAGE EIGHT
PAGE 2, Wednesday, February 24, 2021
THE TRIBUNE
Grieving mum begs: give yourself up from page one When The Tribune visited Ms Pennerman on Tuesday afternoon at her residence in Freeport, she recalled the last time she saw Penn, the fourth of nine children. “Punch been here around 4.30pm and had something to eat. And before he gone, I say, ‘why you look like that? He say, ‘mommy I just tired.’ He tired of everything, and I say, ‘where you going?’ and he said he going home,” she said. Hours later, someone phoned her to tell her that her son had been shot. Ms Pennerman said that she felt numb initially after learning of his death. “I am only trying to hold together, but it dawned on me before I went to the morgue. After I came from the morgue, I felt down. He has five children, including a special child,” she said. Asked why anyone would want to hurt him, Ms Pennerman said: “He is loved by so many I don’t know. I can’t say who and I don’t know his friends. But, God knows who it is; He surely knows who it is. “They need to turn themselves in because I know he did not do nothing to (whoever) shot him. They need to turn themself in before God… He just need to walk into the station and identify himself as the killer, then God will have mercy on him, and I would forgive him,” she said. Penn had survived shooting attacks before and was wounded in October 2018. A man was later charged with attempted murder in connection to that incident. Penn was also shot in early 2019 but survived the attack. However, his mother said her son was a wonderful person who would help anyone. “He was loved by so many
people, and he was a very good person. He had his way, but to be honest he is loved by everybody. He would give you his last; He don’t care what he had to do with it, if you in need he will take care of you, he will give you something. He ain’t going to let you go to bed hungry.” Ms Pennerman said the family is distraught. “They are not taking it well. You know, if he was sick I would not feel so bad but they shot him down like he was an animal. I saw where they shot him in his face. They shot him in his head to make sure he was dead. They shot him like he was a dog. But thanks be to God. The victory going to Him. I hope that God forgives them and they turn themselves in,” she said. Meanwhile Superintendent of Police Terecita Pinder said police are aware of the rumours and video circulating on social media about the murder. She said an investigation has been launched into the matter and if any officer has been found breaching policies regarding social media, they will be dealt with. “We want to ensure the public that an extensive investigation has been launched into this matter. Let it be known that the Commissioner of Police Paul Rolle previously implemented a series of policies in regard to the use of social media in the RBPF. These policies were implemented with an aim to establish procedures that strictly govern the dissemination of sensitive information in the organization. “To this end, if it is found that at the conclusion of this investigation that this policy has been breached by any member of the RBPF, rest assured they will be made to give an account for their actions and dealt
VIDEO footage show Omar Penn walking at the scene of the shooting. He looks directly at the gunman before walking on - with the gunman then turning after Mr Penn then raising the gun and following him. with to the fullest extent of on social media that can this matter is successfully She could not say if the the law,” she warned. potentially prejudice the concluded. We are, there- killing was a retaliation. Supt Pinder said no one case. fore, urging the public that “Give us a chance to is in custody in connection “The police are follow- if you have any information properly investigate this to the killing and urged ing significant leads in the that can assist in this inves- matter. It is a homicide the public from spreading case, and we are doing what tigation to contact CID at and it needs to be properly unconfirmed information is necessary to ensure that 350-3106 through 12.” investigated,” she said.
MAN SHOT DEAD BY POLICE AS CAR ‘SPEEDS THROUGH CHECKPOINT’ A MAN was shot dead last night in a policeinvolved shooting after reportedly racing through a checkpoint at speed. The incident took place shortly before 10pm and began when police officers on patrol in East Street and Cordell Avenue saw a vehicle come through one of the late-night checkpoints in place under curfew restrictions. Assistant Commissioner of Police Solomon Cash told the media at the scene last night: “The officers engaged that vehicle.
Subsequently, the vehicle continued south along East Street at a high rate of speed. The officers engaged their beacon lights. They signalled the vehicle to stop. Eventually, the vehicle came to a stop here at this location.” He added: “When the officers approached the vehicle, the driver came from the vehicle holding a weapon in his hand. The officers at the time produced their service pistols and engaged that suspect, fatally wounding him. “As a result, Her
A BODY is taken from the scene last night as, right, people gather after the shooting. Below left, bullet holes in the car window. Photos: Donovan McIntosh/Tribune Staff Majesty’s acting coroner was summoned to the scene and was briefed as to the circumstances surrounding this incident. From this point, we’ll turn the investigation over to the coroner for further inquest.” The man, who was said to be known to police and is believed to be in his early 30s, was shot multiple times to the body. No police officers were injured. Officers said he was the only person in the
vehicle. Three officers were involved in the incident. A large crowd was said to be on the scene last night, wanting to speak to the police about the incident. ASP Cash added: “I can tell you that a weapon was found on the deceased.” He added: “We have to speak to the officers further to get more accurate and also we have to look at their bodycams they were wearing at the time.”
THE TRIBUNE
Wednesday, February 24, 2021, PAGE 3
Lanisha Rolle quits after PM ‘shut’ ministry and ordered in auditors STATEM
from page one launch an audit into the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture and to report its findings within at most four days, this newspaper understands. Dr Minnis received the report from the ministry’s internal audit department on Thursday, February 18. The Office of the Auditor General is now auditing the National Sports Authority. Its focus intersects with the inner workings of the Ministry of Youth, Sports and
Culture. Iram Lewis, previously the minister of state for disaster preparedness, has been appointed the new minister of youth, sports and culture. Although Mrs Rolle intends to remain the representative of Sea Breeze until the end of this term, sources yesterday said it is unlikely she will receive the Free National Movement’s nomination for the next general election. Mrs Rolle was previously the only woman in Dr Minnis’ Cabinet.
ENT The Cabinet Office notifi es for genera resignation as l information Minister of Y that the Hon outh, Sports . Lanisha Rol and Culture. le has tender Prime Ministe ed her r the Most H on. Dr. Huber matters have t Minnis has been brought accepted Mrs to the attentio . Rolle’s resi n of the Prim gn e Minister an The Prime M d are under in ation. Certain inister thanks vestigation. Mrs. Rolle fo r her service. The Prime M inister has ad vised His Exc Lewis as subs el tantive Minis ter of Youth, lency the Governor Gener Sports and C al to appoint ulture. the Hon. Iram Minister Lew is will demit his post as M Management inister of Sta and Reconst te ruction, whi Minister. ch remains un in the Ministry of Disaste rP der the minis terial portfoli reparedness, o of the Pri me ________
23 February 2021 She is C abinet Office the fourth Commonwea minister lth of The Bah amas to resign this term, joining Brent Symonette, Dr Duane verbally attacked Sands and Peter Turnquest. Dr Minnis while a Cabinet She informed Governor meeting was held inside. General Cornelius Smith “I came here today of her resignation in a letter because I know my daughdated February 23. ter, she is the one who Mrs Rolle did not answer helped the honourable calls seeking comment Hubert Minnis to win,” he yesterday. said. “We made sure our However, her father, prime minister is a prime Derek Thompson, stood minister. We sacrificed for outside the Churchill Build- our prime minister. We ing yesterday morning and want to know from Bain
and Grants Town and all over, honourable prime minister, where is your heart, where is your respect for people who helped you? “You ain’t’ supposed to let anybody tell you to turn against a helper.” He also claimed his daughter was told she would not be nominated to
run in the next election. “If y’all want this country turn independent, it will turn independent because you have turned your back on people who have helped you,” he said. He added: “Hubert Ingraham taught you better than this.”
ministers have resigned and they remain committed to the party. “And that is sometimes what is necessary. You know some persons will run again and some persons will not run again… either way, life goes on and we must conduct ourselves in the way that’s best for this commonwealth.” Education Minister Jeff Lloyd also dismissed concerns that the FNM is falling into disarray, saying he has every confidence that the party will again secure victory at the polls. “I don’t mind the noise and the naysayers,” the South Beach MP stressed. “Let’s put the record on the table for the Bahamian people to see and any objective, reasonable minded individual can only conclude that we have done
under the circumstances a very good job. “I have no doubt that the Free National Movement is the best choice for the Bahamian people and for what is best for the commonwealth of the Bahamas.” He also wished Mrs Rolle the best in her future endeavours. The Sea Breeze MP has already said she will continue to serve her constituency for the remainder of her term. Central Grand Bahama MP Iram Lewis has been appointed the new minister of youth, sports and culture. Mr Lewis will demit his post as the State Minister of Disaster Preparedness, Management and Reconstruction, which falls under the Office of the Prime Minister.
‘THE FNM IS NOT FALLING APART’
from page one
However, when asked about morale in the party, they all expressed confidence in the leadership of Dr Minnis and insisted that the Free National Movement is still the best option to lead The Bahamas. “This is the second time I have served in Cabinet. This is the administration that I believe is on very sure footing,” Deputy Prime Minister Desmond Bannister said before going to Cabinet. “We have outstanding leadership and we are leading this country in a manner that I have never seen leadership exist, very, very strong leadership, very assured leadership and like I said leadership that has taken us through the
pandemic in a manner very few countries have been able go.” Mrs Rolle is the fourth Cabinet minister to resign from the Minnis administration this term. The move comes after East Grand Bahama MP K Peter Turnquest resigned last November as Minister of Finance and Deputy Prime Minister in November over a lawsuit alleging a $27m fraud, which he has denied, and in which he was named. Earlier in 2020, the thenHealth Minister Dr Duane Sands resigned after a controversy over him allowing Americans with COVID19 test swabs to enter the country without following the established protocols at the time. Brent Symonette resigned as Minister of Financial Services, Trade
and Industry and Immigration, citing personal reasons, in 2019. Yesterday, Mr Bannister said it’s not uncommon for ministers to resign after being elected to office and said at the end of the day, the government will be judged by the electorate on its overall performance. “I think in any Cabinet, you’re going to see resignations. In any Cabinet, not everyone is going to make the full five-year term. But this Cabinet will be judged on the basis of what we have done,” he added. “All of us have seen what’s happening in the manner that we have been able to survive the pandemic so far. That is leadership and the Bahamian people are looking at that. I walk in Carmichael every week, all the time and
ϭ
there’s tremendous confidence in Carmichael and I will be venturing in other constituencies. “I’ve seen what’s happening in the Family Islands. I am confident that the Bahamian people respect the leadership that we have. There’s no question that there’s going to be a second Minnis term (with) as Prime Minister.” For his part, Immigration Minister Elsworth Johnson said there have been instances where MPs have resigned from Cabinet and still remained loyal to the party. He told reporters: “(The party) is not falling apart. I think one thing that you have seen with the Minnis administration is that he has called on his ministers to account and you all know the circumstances and some
MINISTER’S TURBULENT TIME ON FRONT LINE COMES TO AN END By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Senior Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net LANISHA Rolle’s departure from the Cabinet is the latest sore point in a turbulent public career that began when Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis – then the leader of the opposition – chose her to be a senator for the Free National Movement in 2015. Since then, she has endured several
controversies. In 2016, she was forced to resign as senator after The Tribune published details of a secret recording between her and then political FNM hopeful, Lincoln Bain. During the recording, she was heard discussing the political future of several party members and was especially critical of then FNM MP Loretta ButlerTurner, who was Dr Minnis’ rival. Earlier that year, she criticised Mrs Butler-Turner in a radio interview.
In 2017, she sparked public outrage when she told reporters that marital rape is a “private” issue. And in 2019, Dr Minnis forced her to reimburse the government $580.42 for pins bearing her image – the pins were distributed to young people participating in a Youth in Parliament event. In addition to the public controversies, Mrs Rolle proved unpopular in the ministries within which
she worked – the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture and, previously, the Ministry of Social Services. In fact, the departure of several high-ranking officials in the ministries have been privately linked to her, including that of at least one previous permanent secretary and deputy permanent secretary at the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture. Tavarrie Smith, the head of Project Youth Justice, an
organisation that defends children and youth, said yesterday that the Minnis administration must now rebuild trust with youth and sports organisations. “Iram Lewis (the new minister) will be challenged to bring many stakeholders back to the table who have walked away over the years,” he said. “Unlike other ministries, Youth, Sports and Culture’s success depends largely on external bodies who work alongside the ministry in
order to fulfil its mandate, whether they are youth organisations, sporting associations and the artisan communities. “Many of these persons have refused to engage under Lanisha’s leadership and Lewis’ first agenda item ought to be to reach out to them. MYSC cannot function without its alienated stakeholders,” he said. While in opposition, Mrs Rolle was said to be a fervent supporter of Dr Minnis.
PAGE 4, Wednesday, February 24, 2021
THE TRIBUNE
One-shot rollout likely for vaccines from page one Speaking to reporters yesterday, Mr Wells described the vaccine’s upcoming arrival to The Bahamas as “good news” and again urged Bahamians to get vaccinated against the COVID-19 threat to assist with the country’s economic rebound from pandemic. “We’re looking at (having the vaccines) sort of the end of the week as was intimated by the Deputy Prime Minister,” Mr Wells said before heading into a Cabinet meeting. “It is good news. What would make it even better news is when the vaccine lands, that the Bahamian people avail themselves of it to the maximum possible use. We want the Bahamian people vaccinated because we want our economy open, we want the Bahamian people safe.” As it relates to distribution, officials have previously said they will follow the scientific recommendation that a two-dose regimen be administered, meaning 50,000 people
will be eligible to receive the first shot of the 100,000 doses while the second dose will be administered 12 weeks later. However, yesterday, Mr Wells said the government will likely use the first batch all at once to vaccinate citizens, meaning that if 100,000 doses have been shipped to the country, 100,000 people will be able to be vaccinated. He said: “We have always talked about the 100,000 dosage which is about 50,000 doses if you give everyone two doses, but the dose is obviously spread over a period of eight to 12 weeks for AstraZeneca. That’s when they say it’s most effective. “So more than likely the government will vaccinate everyone first, give them their first shot of those who are wanting to be vaccinated. That could be up to 100,000 persons barring we don’t have any spillage and wastage. “So, we’re looking in the first tranche to be able to do that and if we do so, we have an adult population of a little over probably around 200,000 persons. Our entire population
TOTAL CASES
HEALTH Minister Renward Wells at the grand opening of the Bahamas Medical & Surgical Supplies building last week. in country is probably somewhere in the area of 400,000 persons so 100,000 is about a quarter of our population.” In any event, Mr Wells insisted there will not be a stall in inoculations across the country once those first
TOTAL DEATHS
8,477 179 NEWLY CONFIRMED CASES MONDAY 6 CASES NEW PROVIDENCE
TOTAL TESTS
66,696
6
HOSPITALISED
14
CASES IN ICU
1
RECOVERED
7,231
doses have already been administered. He added the government has already secured ways to receive additional vaccines. He told reporters: “We have approached Covishield (and) the Serum Institute of India where the AstraZeneca is being produced. We have approached them directly to purchase vaccines from AstraZeneca. We have also as you know through the Africa portal, we have enough vaccines offered to us to vaccinate about 70,000 persons which is another 140,000 doses and then there’s the additional purchase that we can make through the WHO. “We will not have a lull because if we do have a lull we will not end up with the kind of efficacy and effect that we want because AstraZeneca shows its best efficacy and effect and maximum benefit with the second dose between the eight to twelfth week after you would have received the first shot. We can assure the Bahamian people we will have additional vaccines.” He said only when the government has begun the process of mass vaccination, will officials be able to further reopen the economy. Mr Wells also sought to assure residents that vaccines are safe and effective,
pointing to scientific data released from Israel which has the highest rate of COVID-19 vaccination per person in the world. He said: “Vaccines were approved in the beginning of December — Pfizer and Moderna — and the United States has been vaccinating (with) Pfizer and Moderna. We know Israel started in December. “Israel has vaccinated more than half of its people, more than six million and we could say from the results that Israel has put out to the world that the vaccines are proving to be safe, effective, efficient and with all the hoopla about side effects and dangers and life being lost – none of that has happened in the results we have seen and so true to form, we are just saying to the Bahamian people, your government has made good decisions about the vaccines coming in and we want you to avail yourself of it.” Mr Wells said more detail on the rollout of doses will be provided by Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis. “The rollout could start as early as next week…but I will leave the announcement of such things up to Prime Minister who has been... leading the charge in many regards,” the Health Minister said. Mr Wells could not exactly say how many doses will arrive in the country in
the first tranche. However, The Bahamas is expected to receive 100,000 doses of the Oxford-Astrazeneca vaccine from the World Health Organisation. According to officials, several vaccination sites have already been identified in New Providence, Grand Bahama and the Family Islands. Among the first priority groups eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine on New Providence and Grand Bahama are healthcare workers; people over the age of 65; uniformed branch members; frontline workers; critical workers in high-risk settings and other essential service workers. Meanwhile, on the Family Islands, residents there will be vaccinated at the same time and the schedule will not follow the prioritised group rollout as previously announced. Dr Minnis has already said that vaccine administration in The Bahamas will be a huge operational and logistical challenge but added the National COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Plan is in the final stages of completion in preparation for the vaccine’s arrival. According to Mr Wells, some $5m to $6m has been allocated by the government for vaccine procurement and deployment in the country.
CAT CAY YACHT CLUB IN ‘SELF-IMPOSED LOCKDOWN’ By TANYA SMITHCARTWRIGHT tsmith-cartwright@ tribunemedia.net CAT Cay Yacht Club’s manager says the community is in “self-imposed lockdown” after a spike of COVID-19 cases emerged
last week. John McCranie told The Tribune COVID cases have now increased to 20 in number. Over the weekend, the Ministry of Health reported 16 cases on the small island just off Bimini
and home to the Cay Yacht Club — an exclusive members-only residential area and marina. According to Mr McCranie, since this announcement the numbers have climbed slightly. He said: “We did an entire island-wide test, yesterday (Monday), as part of what we are doing. And we identified four (cases) that came out of yesterday’s testing. That brings our total to 20. “That information has been reported to the Ministry of Health. Now it does take the Ministry 24 hours to verify and take a look at the information that we send them. So, there is a little lag time, but the Ministry of Health has really been outstanding to work with as we negotiate this. Dr Bartlett has been particularly wonderful.” Asked how he thinks the outbreak began, Mr McCranie said due to quick action of contact tracing it was discovered the origin came from a Bahamian who travelled recently. “We are such a tiny cay so everyone is fairly close to each other,” he said. “We had a staff member travel to the United States and then while there he took his COVID test and all of the other steps to re-enter the country. He is a Bahamian gentleman.
“Then on his fifth day back he is required to do a rapid antigen test and the test came back positive. So right then and there we started the process of doing mandatory testing across the island and that is where we identified the cases that we have. So we immediately went into lock down. “We believe that the Ministry of Health and Prime Minister Minnis has been very effective with regards to if you have a situation and act swiftly and completely then you can really mitigate the spread fairly quickly.” Luckily for Cat Cay residents, the cases appear to be asymptomatic for the most part. And, there is a doctor on the island who specialises in the COVID19 virus. The doctor is monitoring all positive cases. “Fortunately, all of our cases are pretty much asymptomatic,” Mr McCranie continued. “Maybe some sniffles or a little scratchy throat, but no serious conditions from any of our positive cases. “Fortunately for Cat Cay we have a doctor that is dedicated just to COVID response. His name is Dr Atul Gupta. “The lockdown is a 24-hour lockdown, but it doesn’t stop after 24 hours. Again, we are a small cay
so we really have to control people’s movements so that we can, not just flatten the curve, but really chop it off. The Club paid for the tests. Our entire population agreed to the testing because they understand how important it is for us to know who has it and who doesn’t. And, quite frankly they appreciate the Club going through that effort.” Mr McCranie noted that the idea is to remain on lockdown and continue testing until there are no new cases on the island and until those who tested positive have recovered. He continued, “We have been focusing our efforts on enforcing the lockdown and then on having the island wide testing. We want to get down to zero cases as quickly as possible. “Part of our lockdown is that there are no guests on the island. We informed our members that we were closed and that we will let them know when we are open and they have been very supportive. Everyone understands that it is in everyone’s best interest for us to get through the lockdown, continue the testing and then back down to a COVID-free environment.” Mr McCranie said some of the staff members have pre-existing conditions and this is all the reason why it
is so important to protect them through the lockdown. Management at the Cat Cay Yacht Club are also making sure that the needs of the staff are met. “COVID is scary and we have some staff members who have some health issues so we take it very seriously,” he explained. “That’s why we felt that completely shutting down our business and shutting down access to the island for guests and members and then doing multiple testing. “We are providing meals that are made in the kitchen and then we deliver directly to everyone’s house. This would be people in quarantine and people in isolation. “We also have a market here so everyone in either quarantine or isolation can call the market and then the club will deliver to them. Any staff members that find themselves without funds, we’re taking care of that and working through that concern for them.” This is not the first time Cat Cay has had COVID cases. It would appear that management of the island, along with medical assistance, have been successful in curtailing further spreads. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health reported six new COVID cases overall on Monday. The cases are all in New Providence.
THE TRIBUNE
Wednesday, February 24, 2021, PAGE 5
STUDENTS returning to school yesterday in New Providence.
Photo: Donovan McIntosh/Tribune Staff
Students return - but up to 25 schools still shut By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net
EDUCATION Minister Jeffrey Lloyd said there are approximately 20 to 25 schools on four islands that did not see students return to campus today for face-to-face instruction due to needed repairs. Yesterday marked the first day for many schools in Abaco, New Providence, Eleuthera and Exuma starting the hybrid model where students report to campus for a reduced amount of in person instruction days. Ahead of a Cabinet meeting, the minister told reporters no issues were
encountered yesterday. He said about 30,000 to 32,000 students are being affected by the return to school. The Tribune canvassed a few schools in Nassau with varying back-to-school experiences. Parents of students at Sadie Curtis Primary School complained of a lack of organisation and insufficient information provided. Tuesday morning saw backed-up traffic and students lined up in front of the school. One parent noted being told to be at the campus at 7.30am to get on the line and students would be let in at 8, but that process did not happen until 8.30am.
Another parent of two students said the situation caused him not to report to work as usual that morning as he knew the process would take long. “Look at the line — ain’t no one social distancing,” he said. “Police had to come here and two parents, they were rowing about time… They were about to have a little fight or what not because they wasn’t let people in the gate quick enough. They just start at 8.30.” But the situation was different at CV Bethel Senior High School where there were no lines or a hectic atmosphere. Most parents drove by the school and watched their children go to the campus.
UNIVERSITY ACCUSED OF ENDING AGREEMENT By KHRISNA RUSSELL Tribune Chief Reporter krussell@tribuenemedia.net THE Public Managers Union has accused University of Bahamas of abruptly discontinuing a legally binding financial agreement to a segment of the union’s bargaining group. In a press statement yesterday, PMU said while it has made numerous concessions with a view to supporting the survival and challenges of UB, the institution has been conducting business in a manner that ignores the country’s financial crisis. This, among other issues, has led the union to file what it called a laundry list of complaints with the Department of Labour. “Over the years the university and the Public Managers Union have enjoyed a cordial and amicable relationship even during periods relating to financial hardship,” the statement read. “The university recently gave a firm undertaking in writing to honour a legal financial commitment to a segment of the union’s bargaining unit. The university began to honour the agreement but abruptly discontinued to do so, which resulted in the union being forced to file a dispute at
the Department of Labour. “The Public Managers Union continues to extend itself, given the national economic crises and continues to conduct its affairs with this in the forefront of its mind. “In light of this, the Public Managers Union made many concessions to aid in the survival and challenges the university finds itself in. Regrettably, the university continues to operate as if it is business as usual, notwithstanding the financial crises the country is currently facing and there is seemingly a great disconnect between the board of trustees and the administrative council. Thereby, negatively impacting the university and its employees.” According to the union, UB’s proper lack of fiduciary practices has huge negative financial implications, which do not suggest the institution is in a financial crisis. “At a time like this, the university engaged a nonnational with lucrative benefits while expecting Bahamians to give up mutually agreed benefits. “It is apparent, such practices are the continuous hiring of unadvertised positions under the disguise of filtering consultant services into full-time positions,
unilaterally changing the terms and conditions of the industrial agreement(s), poor management and employee relations. “The university’s executive management has failed in its efforts to allow due process and adhere to policies, processes and proper protocols, resulting in the union having to file a laundry list of items with the Department of Labour. Only after the filing process, they attempted to address some of the concerns.” The union accused the university of taking advantage of a burdened society due to COVID-19 to create systems that contravene the Public Managers Union’s industrial agreement without considering the additional sacrifices that employees are making to support the university in providing services during this critical time. It said an institution whose mission speaks to driving national development and building character particularly through teaching, learning and service must first begin to establish those characteristics among executive leadership. PMU represents management employees at UB. Attempts to reach a representative from UB for comment up to press time were unsuccessful.
Bahamas Union of Teacher president Belinda Wilson said meanwhile that “the success or failure of the hybrid model is yet to be seen”. She reported schools in Exuma and Eleuthera opened “smoothly”, but there are several schools in New Providence that have not yet reopened due to needed repairs. Meanwhile, Abaco schools have some issues, she said. She also said: “The construction is incomplete and they also had a few positive cases of COVID-19. Class sizes are of paramount importance and the 6ft social distancing among other protocols. All shop stewards in each school are
using the BUT Covid19 checklist to ensure the health and safety protocols are in place.” Mr Lloyd expanded on why not all schools are ready to welcome students back to campus. “There are two reasons why schools are not ready. Primarily because of COVID and as we know in 2020 our country went through periods of lockdown and curfews which restricted the ability of the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Works to execute the repairs that had been planned,” he said yesterday. “We also know that as a result of Dorian in 2019 this country lost approximately
20-25 percent of its revenue and as a result of COVID that came about in March 15, 2020 our economy was essentially flattened. This therefore imposed severe restrictive ability on the Ministry of Education. “We therefore had to recalculate our ability to repair the schools and decided that we were going to emphasise only electrical plumbing and air conditioning because we simply didn’t have resources. Bear also in mind that during the course of 2020, our budgets in the Ministry of Education, our capital budget, was slashed three times again as a consequence. As funds became available we effected the necessary repairs.”
PAGE 6, Wednesday, February 24, 2021
The Tribune Limited
THE TRIBUNE
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Questions remain after Lanisha Rolle’s departure THE story of Lanisha Rolle’s time in the public eye has been, it’s fair to say, a turbulent one. Yesterday, it came to a head, with Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis accepting her resignation from her ministerial post after earlier ordering a lockdown of the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture. An internal audit of the ministry had already raised concerns, noting “certain matters have been brought to the attention of the Prime Minister and are under investigation”. Matters took a surreal turn yesterday after the minister’s father showed up outside Cabinet and condemned Dr Minnis, asking “Where is your respect for people who helped you?” Mrs Rolle has had a habit of finding trouble. Even before being elected, she found herself attracting attention after a recording of her talking to Lincoln Bain surfaced with her criticising Loretta Butler-Turner. Prior to that, she had criticised Mrs Butler-Turner in a radio interview. Later, she became Minister of Social Services and prompted a backlash when she said that marital rape was a “private issue”. A reshuffle saw her moved to Youth, Sports and Culture – and at a Youth Parliament event, she handed out commemorative pins bearing her image. Dr Minnis ordered her to repay the government for the cost. More than that, wherever she went she seemed to ruffle feathers, getting into a row with Junkanoo groups, and she is reportedly linked with the departure of a number of high-ranking officials. Seeing the response of people who once worked with her has been telling. Few seemed to be sad to see her go. As Oscar Wilde wrote, some cause happiness wherever they go; others
whenever they go. Mrs Rolle appears too often to be the latter. It has been hard to see what she brought to the table. Other than her loyalty to Dr Minnis when his leadership was being challenged, she has more often attracted criticism or alienated others. Now her ministry faces investigation – and this is a true test for the Minnis administration. If the investigation reveals any wrongdoing, Dr Minnis will need to stand up to the promise he made on the campaign trail to be “intolerant of corruption”. He said in 2016: “Bahamians deserve better. They deserve a government focused on helping them and working towards making their lives better – not a government focused on helping themselves and their friends at the expense of all the people.” He promised to “hold government accountable to the people”. He also promised – though it never materialised – “a recall system for poorly performing MPs – to ensure that MPs faithfully serve the people who elected them”. One other word featured prominently in all of those promises – transparency. That is what the public must expect now. Whatever the internal audit shows should be made public – and if that leads to a police investigation, nothing must stand in the way or interfere with the course of that probe. That is what the Bahamian public deserve – so they can understand the seriousness of the situation. It is also what Mrs Rolle deserves – so that she can address the evidence too and hold her head high if her ministry under her stewardship has done nothing wrong. Whatever happens next, there remain many questions about how we got to this point – and a government truly committed to transparency owes the public answers.
Who are PLP trying to fool? EDITOR, The Tribune. IT IS the height of hypocrisy for the Progressive Liberal Party to be crying foul over any harsh criticism they get online or elsewhere. I see the PLP leader complaining about garbage campaigns and suddenly a flurry of welltimed Letters to the Editor claiming to be from “patriots” and “independent voters”, repeating Davis’ talking points almost word for word. Since the irony seems to be lost on them, I will spell it out: such letters and other propaganda pieces, trying to paint the FNM as a “threat to democracy”, which were clearly placed by the opposition party but pretending to be from ordinary Bahamians, are in my opinion exactly the kind of underhanded tactic that Davis claims to be offended by. Perhaps it only bothers the PLP when it is aimed at them.
Who are they trying to fool? The truth is that the PLP invented gutter political campaigns in this country. Who could forget the huge billboards highlighting the murder count before the 2012 election, when the PLP said crime was the FNM’s fault, intentionally playing upon the emotions of the bereaved, only to turn around and claim crime isn’t a political issue once they had won, but the killings continued to skyrocket? And when it comes to anonymous attack websites and personalities online, in my opinion they have a PHD. I don’t need to name any sites, the PLP have done such a good job at anonymous dirty tricks politics, personal attacks and intimidation tactics that every Bahamian already knows what I’m talking about. The only difference is that for more than a
decade, the PLP online dirty tricks machine has spun out heaps of malicious half truths, character assassinations and downright lies. Both the Russians and Donald Trump could learn a thing or two from them. They invented this game, but now that the chickens are coming home to roost, the PLP is complaining about rough treatment. But one thing I haven’t heard yet is a denial of the things being said online about the PLP. If the party wants to be taken seriously, maybe they should stop ducking, dodging, pointing the finger, distracting, and launching anonymous campaigns to complain about other anonymous campaigns. Maybe they should just face the music and come clean with the Bahamian people about their shady past. LAURA L Nassau, February 23, 2021.
SUNRISE over Montagu.
Photo: Stephen Hunt/Tribune Staff
Where is your heart and soul? EDITOR, The Tribune.
LETTERS
RECENT events and statements by senior FNM ministers and Chairmen suggest that the administration is trying its level best to lose the next general elections. In the midst of the ongoing onslaught, economically and medically, the interim government has notified Bahamians that in short order there will be increases in user/service fees at Bahamas Power & Light; the Water & Sewerage Corporation and for tickets at Bahamas Air. Since long before March of 2020 the economy was not doing too well. There were signs of life but growth was slow and anemic at best. The aftermath of assorted hurricanes, especially Dorian decimated some of our Family Islands along with vital infrastructure. Many lives were lost. The real body blow has been the pandemic and the reactions of the administration towards the same. The arbitrary lockdowns and erratic curfews did the rest. It has been suggested by no less a personage than the Competent Authority that unemployment is in the lower 40%. The esteemed Director of Labor, Brother John Pinder, has also shared the same suggestion while the indomitable Minister of Labour, Senator Dion Foulkes, recently claimed, without any empirical data that ‘Most Bahamians have gone back to work’! Many
letters@tribunemedia.net employees who would have been laid off over the past year have yet to be recalled. Many small to medium sized businesses were obliged to close their doors and may not reopen. Yet the Minister of Works & Public Utilities says brace for increases. If one is not working or pulling in some sort of an income where will he/she find the monies for the regular billings much less the portended increases? Where is the compassion; heart and soul of this regime? Increasing user/service fees is not the way to win general elections. It has also been announced that some 200 million dollars of proposed infrastructure work will be delayed or postponed indefinitely in the midst of a reduced economy. All sorts of sidewalks are now being built on and through side streets at a rapid rate. Bannister once suggested that the issuance of these sidewalk contracts provided employment for Bahamian contractors and their Bahamian workers. I beg to differ in that just through a side road off East Street and Balfour Avenue a sidewalk is being constructed across from a ‘Haitian’ church. The contractor is ‘known’ to me to be a Bahamian. His four workers, however, act,
EDITOR, The Tribune. THERE are 15 countries in the world that deem it unnecessary to levy a progressive personal or corporate income tax. Of these, four are Mediterranean and Caribbean colonies with populations under 100,000 and budgets funded entirely by the offshore financial services that dominate them; three are oceanic pacific micro states with no internal wealth to tax; and six are major oil exporters that fund their budgets entirely from petrodollar revenues. The other two (which share none of these features) are The Bahamas and Somalia. Somalia has the excuse of being a failed state that lacks the infrastructure (and presumably the Kalashnikovs) to collect an income tax, even if it could achieve consensus on the issue among its various warlords.
The Bahamas’ excuse is that it is run by politicians so dimwitted that they believe that a tax system that makes poorer Bahamians pay the bills for wealthier Bahamians somehow attracts foreign investors (whose income is taxed in their home countries and would therefore not be affected by a Bahamian income tax). At least, that is the pretext that FNM ministers use to justify the most regressive tax system in the western hemisphere. The most recent was Kwasi Thompson, who bravely drew a line in the sand on the issue of income tax when pressed on the issue of the 279 percent deficit increase that his government has allowed to accrue on the backs of Bahamians. The reality, however, is that while the FNM’s funders clearly benefit from having their wealth
look and talk like foreign nationals. The Ministry of Workers must ensure that only Bahamian labour is used on these sidewalk jobs. We are in a sorry economic state and this is the worst time when a government that says that it cares about its people to capriciously increase fees/costs. Where will the money come from? Whatever happened to the tens of millions of dollars of uncollected Real Property Tax; NIB contributions that would have already been deducted by employers but has yet to be turned over to the agency? Why are we not introducing a progressive income tax regime? Wealth Bahamians and expatriates do not pay a single dollar on their huge annual incomes while the poor black and Conchy Joe Bahamians are being taxed to ‘death’? The simple process of outsourcing the collection of the above could bring in countless millions of dollars for the economic and fiscal well being of The Bahamas. We need to start to think out of the box because it is now clear that the run of the mill Bahamian politician will not. Indeed, where is their compassion? Where is their heart? Where is their Soul? To God then, the great I AM, in all things, be the glory. ORTLAND BODIE Jr Nassau, February 19, 2021.
Why we need income tax
subsidised by poor and middle class taxpayers, the country’s economy does not. In fact, it is done immense harm, both in that local demand is dampened by high taxes on consumption and in that the resultant narrow revenue base stunts investments in education, infrastructure and all the other things that support a modern economy. There is no more important issue facing The Bahamas today than the need to quickly replace our regressive, consumerfocused tax regime with one dominated by progressive taxes on high incomes and luxury properties. Everything else is a distraction that will only prolong and compound the harm endured by our society until it is addressed. ANDREW ALLEN Nassau, February 19, 2021.
jamaaltheartist@gmail.com Jamaal Rolle will return tomorrow
THE TRIBUNE
Wednesday, February 24, 2021, PAGE 7
Guilty of riding around in car with loaded guns By FARRAH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter fjohnson@tribunemedia.net A MAGISTRATE yesterday convicted a man who was caught riding around in a car with two loaded guns. Jason Ferguson, 39, was charged with illegal firearm and ammunition possession after officers found two unlicensed pistols in his car when they stopped his vehicle during a high speed chase on August 4, 2018. Magistrate Samuel McKinney said during
Ferguson’s trial, the arresting officers testified that around 3.45 that morning, they observed a heavily tinted silver coloured vehicle being driven at an excessive speed. Police then used fog horns and sirens to get the driver to stop. However, despite their efforts the driver refused to yield and sped off after making a right turn through Wulff Road. Police eventually brought the car to a stop near Saint Barnabas Anglican Church. Officers then
ordered the occupants out of the vehicle. Magistrate McKinney said Ferguson got out from the front passenger seat. When they searched the car, police found a black .45 pistol with an extended magazine containing 17 rounds of ammunition and a .45 Glock pistol with 12 bullets sitting on the console between the driver and passenger seats in plain view. Both Ferguson and the driver of the vehicle were subsequently arrested.
The court was told that Ferguson elected not to give evidence during the court proceedings. However, his co-accused, who was driving the car on the morning in question, testified that the car belonged to Ferguson. He claimed the accused got into a fight with somebody at Charms strip club and asked him to drop him home. The driver said when he did, Ferguson went into his residence then returned back to his car with the guns. He claimed when he asked Ferguson what
he was doing, the accused told him to take him back to the strip club. When he tried to dissuade Ferguson, the accused shouted at him and ordered him to drive. The driver said when he sped off, the police started to chase them. He claimed the accused told him to go faster, but he told him he “had to stop.” In sentencing Ferguson, Magistrate McKinney said the court was not convinced that the accused had no knowledge of the illegal firearms. He said it was
“inconceivable” that Ferguson could deny seeing the two large weapons as he was seated “less than six inches” from where they were resting, openly displayed. As a result, he found Ferguson guilty of the offences and deferred his sentence to Friday. Ferguson’s bail was revoked and he was remanded into custody until that time. His co-accused is set to appear before Magistrate McKinney on March 5 for his sentence hearing.
MAN KILLED AND WOMAN LEFT IN HOSPITAL AFTER MONDAY SHOOTING By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net A MAN is dead and a woman is in serious condition in hospital after a shooting on Monday. It was the second shooting incident within about an hour and came after two men were shot on John Road. Police are also investigating another homicide after a woman, who was stabbed in a parking lot on Saturday, died in hospital. These incidents pushed the homicide count to 20 for the year, according to this newspaper’s records. Police said the latest shooting took place after 8pm on Finlayson Street and also left a woman with injuries. “Officers responded, and on their arrival they met a male and female suffering from what appeared to be gunshot wounds. Both victims were transported to the hospital via Emergency Medical Services.” The man later died. The 18-year-old woman who was shot in that incident was on Nyochee Major’s porch that night. Ms Major said the woman
THE SCENE of Monday’s shooting on John Road. Photo: Donovan McIntosh/Tribune Staff is a friend of her daugh- explained. Her home is now left with ter, who was also on the bullet holes. Ms Major said porch. Ms Major was in her she feels unsafe and wants room with three of her chil- to move. Earlier on Monday, dren and had to pull them to the ground when bullets there was a double shooting on John Road off started to rain. “Ain’t no one in the Hospital Lane. Both victims house got hit, but there were taken to the hospital, were bullets in the house one by private and another close to my nephew’s by Emergency Medical Serdoor… there were a lot of vices. However, the victim shots in the house though,” who was shot in his head died in hospital. she said. The deceased, a father of She recalled the deceased running into her house for two, was identified by a relative as Andrew Medius, shelter. “The victim ran in our 37. His brother, Nathanial house and... Then he run back out the house,” she Francis, told this newspaper
he believed his brother’s killing was motivated by retaliation. He said his family has been targeted before and that men with masks and guns came into their yard several months ago. Mr Francis said his brother was recently looking for work before he was killed. Meanwhile the woman who died in hospital on Sunday was stabbed during an argument with another woman in a parking lot on Saturday. The incident took place on West Bay Street after 11pm. Initial reports from police said officers were told that two women were in the parking lot of a business when they started to argue. This resulted in one of the women being stabbed several times in her back. “The victim was transported to the hospital where she is listed in serious condition. The suspect in this incident is being sought by the police. Investigations into this matter continue,” police said in a previous release. A Grand Bahama man, Omar “Punch” Penn, was also shot dead on Sunday, becoming that island’s first murder victim of the year.
STAY OUT OF TROUBLE, MAN TOLD AFTER THREAT TO KILL BOAT MATE By FARRAH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter fjohnson@tribunemedia.net
A 45-YEAR-OLD who threatened to kill his boat mate during a drunken argument was yesterday discharged on the agreement that he would stay out of trouble. Police said Anthony Smith hurled death threats at another man on February 15. He owned up to the offence when he appeared before Senior Magistrate Derence Rolle Davis.
The prosecution said Smith and the complainant both live on a boat anchored at Potter’s Cay dock. The court was told that the complainant had told police Smith had a habit of drinking a lot. He claimed on the day in question, the accused got angry and threw a bottle at him, before threatening to kill him. After the complainant requested police action, Smith was arrested. He admitted the offences in an interview with police. During the hearing, Smith told the magistrate he threw the bottle at his
boat mate because the man had tried to throw all his clothes in the water. He claimed the complainant was being spiteful towards him because he had a “nice job” while he was still unemployed. After listening to his explanation, Magistrate Rolle Davis noted that at 45 years old, Smith had no previous convictions and had managed to keep out of trouble. As a result, he dismissed Smith’s case and warned him to be of good behaviour. He also urged him to avoid getting into any kind of confrontation from that point on.
MAN DENIES POSSESSION OF GLOCK GUN By FARRAH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter fjohnson@tribunemedia.net A 47-YEAR-OLD man who denied being in possession of an unlicensed firearm was granted bail
ahead of his trial. Sebreon Smith was arrested after officers alleged they found a black 9mm Austria Glock with five live rounds of ammunition on him on February 18. He pleaded not guilty to
possession of an unlicensed firearm and illegal ammunition and his case was adjourned to July 5 for trial. In the meantime, Deputy Chief Magistrate Andrew Forbes granted Smith $5,000 bail.
64 HAITIAN MIGRANTS ARE REPATRIATED SIXTY-FOUR Haitian migrants were repatriated from New Providence yesterday morning. According to the Department of Immigration, the agency repatriated 57 males and seven females from Lynden Pindling International
Airport at 11.54am to Port-auPrince, Haiti onboard a Bahamasair flight. The migrants were escorted by a joint team of Royal Bahamas Defence Force and Department of Immigration officers.
“All Ministry of Health safety protocols were strictly enforced and overseeing the seamless process of this repatriation operation is chief immigration officer, Harold Thurston,” the department said.
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ANDREW MEDIUS, who was shot dead on Monday.
PAGE 8, Wednesday, February 24, 2021
THE TRIBUNE
Serena has nothing to prove even if she doesn’t lift that 24th crown LAST week, Serena Williams and Naomi Osaka met again at the Australian Open. I have always been #TeamSerena. I often watched tennis with my father and great-grandmother who both wanted to see Venus and Serena Williams win. I thought nothing would be nearly as difficult than watching the sisters play each other, wanting the impossible - to see them both win. Watching Serena play Naomi, however, was particularly difficult at the 2018 US Open and again last Wednesday at the Australian Open. Serena is and always will be an icon, not only of tennis, but of sports. She has consistently been referred to as the G.O.A.T. — greatest of all time. She has been asked far too many times whether or not she considers herself the greatest female athlete of all time. After her 2016 Wimbledon win over Elena Vesnina, she corrected reporters who asked if she was the one of the greatest female athletes of all time. “I prefer the words ‘one of the greatest athletes of all time’.” Named Sportsperson of the Year by Sports Illustrated in 2015 and having secured 21 grand slams by that time, she had a point. While some continue to question her position, Williams’ husband Alexis Ohanian wore a t-shirt with her photo and “Greatest female athlete” with a strike through “female” on it. The message is clear.
THE G.O.A.T. HAS GOALS For Architectural Digest, Williams opened the door to her Miami home and, even with an art gallery instead of a living room, her trophy room is what got a lot of attention. It was clear that all of her trophies were not in that room. She had to a pick up a few of them to remind herself of what they were. At one point she said: “I see a second place trophy, but I’m gonna put that one in the trash.
NAOMI OSAKA, left, is congratulated by Serena Williams, of the US, after Osaka won their semifinal match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia. Photo: Andy Brownbill/AP
By Alicia Wallace
It shouldn’t be in here. We don’t keep second place.” Serena Williams now has 23 grand slams. It is common knowledge she wants a 24th to tie the record set by Margaret Court. She has never been satisfied to simply play. She likes winning and, perhaps even more than that, she likes to be at her best. When she is not, her
frustration is obvious, and it can affect her game. We also know that she is her own best advocate. She does not hesitate to speak her mind or defend her position. She is both fierce in her pursuit of every win and human. She has experienced racism and misogyny from the beginning of her career. Serena and Venus Williams
were two little Black girls Naomi Osaka just a couple playing tennis, and doing it of years ago when she was incredibly well. Everyone set to play Serena Williams was not happy to see it. The at the US Open. It was a sisters likely had to learn to highly anticipated event be confident in their skill and no one knew quite and the positions they have what to expect. Osaka earned in the sport. They plays with what appears to were not always able to be tremendous calm. She depend on a crowd or the does not seem to get riled general public for support. up nor put too much presIt should be no surprise that sure on herself. It may be Serena Williams can stand her ability to focus only on her own, sets high goals, on what is immediately in and doggedly pursues them. front of her that helps her to win. I recently saw In the ona lengthy Face- Before going court interview book post by after winning someone who to the locker likely consid- room, Williams the semi-final at the Ausered himself took in the tralian Open to be defendagainst Serena ing Williams. glory of a last week, His position standing was that she is ovation, waved Osaka said: “I was a little kid being forced to watching her push herself too to the crowd hard in order to and put a hand play and just to be on the court prove herself to over her chest. playing against the world, and her, for me, is her goal to get I read it as her a dream.” She her 24th grand enjoying that slam is not moment, where added that it is fun, as a comimportant. He petitor to play said the record the crowd is only “such a recognised her another competitor. She make it or break for what she made the crowd it” because of the racism she continues to be laugh with her has endured. — the G.O.A.T. response to a question about This argument reading Wildoes not really make sense since Williams liams’ serves, saying she has proven, over and over was guessing. “I don’t again, that she, a black know, it’s either going woman, is the G.O.A.T., but this way or that way. I even if she solely wanted just gotta put my foot to prove racists wrong or somewhere.” At the press conferupset them, so what? It is ridiculous to make such ence, Osaka said: “I can assertions about her goal only play one point at a and to invalidate it. Can she time and I’m gonna try my not want to tie the record best to play every point as well as I can.” She has also for her own satisfaction? Williams has been shak- spoken about this being ing up the world of tennis her overall approach, not from the beginning. Braids, having a goal number of beads, catsuits, razor sharp grand slams, but doing her words, winning while preg- best and taking them as nant and coming back they come. Osaka and Williams are to win after giving birth are among her badges of two very different players. honour. It should be clear They are both incredibly by now she does what she strong, skilled players with wants. No one can con- large fan bases. With a 16 trol her motivations or her year age difference, they bring excitement to the goals. Serena Williams can court as well as questions be “enough” and have about the longevity of their “enough” and still want to careers. As is often the case keep playing, winning and with women in any field, setting records. She knows there are constant attempts she can stop at any time. to pit them against each To suggest she plays the other. Last week, when Osaka game she loves to prove her greatness is insulting. She was asked if she thought has already established that Serena Williams was losing she is among the greats. She her place as the face of tennis, her answer was does this for herself. short. “No. Not at all.”
OSAKA HAS A DIFFERENT APPROACH Most of the world met
ROOM FOR TWO These two players have respect for the sport and for each other. Osaka has said, many times, that she has always been a big fan of
Serena and feels fortunate to be able to play her. Williams has been supportive of Osaka as a young player and knows she will continue to rise. Williams’ position in the sport is cemented. Hers is a legacy that cannot be hidden or denied. With reverence for Williams and hope for Osaka, the semifinal was an exciting event to watch. I text messaged my father throughout, about faults, points, wanting them both to win and wanting Williams to get her 24th grand slam title. It was a great win for Osaka and a tough loss for Williams. Before going to the locker room, Williams took in the glory of a standing ovation, waved to the crowd and put a hand over her chest. I read it as her enjoying that moment, where the crowd recognised her for what she continues to be — the G.O.A.T. Others, of course, had different ideas. In the press conference that followed, Williams was obviously upset about the outcome. This is not about Osaka’s win, but specifically related to her own bid for the title that would give her that 24 grand slam. In the interview, she acknowledged she made a lot of errors and was obviously disappointed by that. One of the questions basically asked if her last moments on the court, taking in the ovation, were a farewell. It was a jarring question and Williams said if she were to give a farewell, she would not tell anyone. Moments after answering, she fought back tears. To the next question, her answer was “I don’t know,” and she said she was done with the press conference. It was hard to watch and easy to imagine the way she felt. She is not ready to leave the sport and she wants 24. Naomi Osaka has been named “Baby G.O.A.T.” It is recognition of her excellence, but not an unseating of Serena Williams. She will remain an aspirational figure for years to come. Osaka noted that the Williams sisters inspired her when she was younger, and she wants to be able to so the same for younger generations. Naomi is charting her own path, playing tennis her way and taking it bit by bit. She may play Williams again, but the two are not competing for a single legacy. As Osaka said, tennis is a game. There will be many wins and losses on the court and it is possible to have mutual respect and leave very different marks on the world.
THE TRIBUNE
Wednesday, February 24, 2021, PAGE 9
NASA RELEASES MARS LANDING VIDEO: ‘STUFF OF OUR DREAMS’ By MARCIA DUNN AP Aerospace Writer
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — NASA on Monday released the first high-quality video of a spacecraft landing on Mars, a three-minute trailer showing the enormous orange and white parachute hurtling open and the red dust kicking up as rocket engines lowered the rover to the surface. The footage was so good — and the images so breathtaking — that members of the rover team said they felt like they were riding along. “It gives me goose bumps every time I see it, just amazing,” said Dave Gruel, head of the entry and descent camera team. The Perseverance rover landed last Thursday near an ancient river delta in Jezero Crater to search for signs of ancient microscopic life. After spending the weekend binge-watching the descent and landing video, the team at Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, shared the video at a news conference. “These videos and these images are the stuff of our dreams,” said Al Chen, who was in charge of the landing team. Six off-the-shelf colour cameras were devoted to entry, descent and landing, looking up and down from different perspectives. All but one camera worked. The lone microphone turned on for landing failed, but NASA got some snippets of sound after touchdown: the whirring of the rover’s systems and wind gusts. Flight controllers were thrilled with the thousands of images beamed
THIS combination of images from video made available by NASA shows steps in the descent of the Mars Perseverance rover as it approaches the surface of the planet on Thursday. (NASA/JPL-Caltech via AP) back — and also with the remarkably good condition of NASA’s biggest and most capable rover yet. It will spend the next two years exploring the dry river delta and drilling into rocks that may hold evidence of life 3 billion to 4 billion years ago. The core samples will be set aside for return to Earth in a decade. NASA added 25 cameras to the $3 billion mission — the most ever sent to Mars. The space agency’s previous rover, 2012’s Curiosity, managed only jerky, grainy stop-motion images, mostly of terrain. Curiosity is still
working. So is NASA’s InSight lander, although it’s hampered by dusty solar panels. They may have company in late spring, when China attempts to land its own rover, which went into orbit around Mars two weeks ago. Deputy project manager Matt Wallace said he was inspired several years ago to film Perseverance’s harrowing descent when his young gymnast daughter wore a camera while performing a backflip. Some of the spacecraft systems — like the sky
crane used to lower the rover onto the Martian surface — could not be tested on Earth. “So this is the first time we’ve had a chance as engineers to actually see what we designed,” Wallace told reporters. Thomas Zurbuchen, NASA’s science mission chief, said the video and also the panoramic views following touchdown “are the closest you can get to landing on Mars without putting on a pressure suit.” The images will help NASA prepare for astronaut flights to Mars in the
decades ahead, according to the engineers. There’s a more immediate benefit. “I know it’s been a tough year for everybody,” said imaging scientist Justin Maki, “and we’re hoping that maybe these images will help brighten people’s days.” • The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
THIS composite image made available by NASA, produced from photos captured Feb. 20 by the Perseverance Mars rover, shows the surface of Mars. (NASA/JPL-Caltech via AP)
COMPANY TESTING FULLY DRIVERLESS CARS ON LAS VEGAS STREETS
LAS VEGAS (AP) — An autonomous vehicle company has been testing its cars in Las Vegas without a human backup driver ready to take control in an emergency. The company Motional, a joint venture between between Hyundai and Aptiv, an auto tech company, announced it has been testing its driverless cars in Las Vegas in February. The company, which has an
agreement with ridesharing company Lyft to operate a fullydriverless service in 2023, received permission in November from the Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles to begin the tests without a back-up driver. Nevada in 2011 passed the nation’s first law to permit testing of driverless cars but backup drivers were required until 2017. That year, a fully driverless
shuttle was tested in downtown Las Vegas, offering a dozen passengers a ride on a short loop. In 2019 and 2020, Russian company Yandex offered rides in fully driverless cars during the Consumer Electronics Show. Two other companies have started testing fully driverless cars in San Francisco and Phoenix. A MOTIONAL vehicle.
TECHTALK • PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — The Rhode Island Office of Healthy Aging has awarded a total of $200,000 in grants to 10 organisations to help connect the state’s older residents with their families through modern technology. The funded agencies will equip residents living in areas hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic with smart devices, internet services and related training to help them better access online resources, work and study remotely, and virtually connect with family and friends, the agency said in a statement Friday. According to the Pew Research Center, an estimated 41% of Rhode Islanders age 65 and older are not broadband users, and more than 25% of older adults in the state are not online. “The internet is a basic necessity today,” Director Rosamaria Amoros Jones said in a statement. “So much of how we manage our lives and connect with one another and to services is driven by technology now; yet inequities persist, with many older adults and families in lower-income neighborhoods lacking access to, or fluency in, digital tools.” • HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Gov. Tom Wolf’s administration has begun drafting a regulation that would require automakers to offer electric cars for sale in Pennsylvania as a way to cut emissions of greenhouse gases and pollutants that cause lung problems, it said Friday. At least 12 states already have a requirement for the zero-emission electric vehicles, including neighbors Maryland, New Jersey and New York. Drafting a regulation and shepherding it through the approval process often takes a year or more. The rule would help ensure that automakers offer new zero emissions electric vehicle models for sale in Pennsylvania, the Department of Environmental Protection said. Right now, opportunities to test drive and buy electric vehicles in Pennsylvania are limited, it said. The department was unable to say what sort of percentage requirement it will propose, since the regulation hasn’t been drafted yet. Citing data from Atlas EV Hub, the department said electric vehicles were 1.15% of Pennsylvania light-duty vehicle sales in the third quarter of 2020, the most recent data available. It would not impose specific percentages of electric vehicles at each car dealership, but rather would apply to auto manufacturers and all vehicles delivered for sale in Pennsylvania, the department said. Programmes in other states do not typically apply to smaller manufacturers and medium-sized and larger manufacturers can comply with the requirement through a credit system, in which they earn credits based on the kind of vehicles they deliver. David Masur, executive director of the Philadelphiabased environmental advocacy group PennEnvironment, said the announcement is important. “This is good for our planet, good for public health and it’ll be good for consumers because Pennsylvania will get ahead of where the market is naturally heading anyway,” Masur said.
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BIG JUMP IN VACCINE SUPPLY SOON
COVID-19 vaccine makers told Congress yesterday to expect a big jump in the delivery of doses over the coming month, and the companies insist they will be able to provide enough for most Americans to get inoculated by summer. By the end of March, Pfizer and Moderna expect to have provided the US government with a total of 220 million vaccine doses, up sharply from the roughly 75 million shipped so far. “We do believe we’re on track,” Moderna president Stephen Hoge said. “We think we’re at a very good spot.” That’s not counting a third vaccine, from Johnson & Johnson, that’s expected to get a green light from regulators soon. The Biden administration said it expects about two million doses of that vaccine to be shipped in the first week, but the company told lawmakers it should provide enough of the single-dose option for 20 million people by the end of March. By summer, Pfizer and Moderna expect to complete delivery of 300 million doses each, and J&J aims to provide an additional 100 million doses.
WIFE OF EL CHAPO MUST STAY IN JAIL A US JUDGE ordered the wife of Mexican drug kingpin Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman to remain behind bars yesterday after she was charged with helping her husband run his multibillion-dollar criminal empire. Emma Coronel Aispuro, 31, a dual US-Mexican citizen, appeared by video conference for an initial court appearance before a federal magistrate judge in Washington, DC. She was arrested on Monday at Dulles International Airport in Virginia. Prosecutor Anthony Nardozzi alleged Coronel “worked closely with the command-and-control structure” of the Sinaloa cartel and conspired to distribute large quantities of drugs.
THE TRIBUNE
‘Missed intelligence’ blamed by officials for Capitol riot WASHINGTON Associated Press MISSED intelligence was to blame for the outmanned Capitol defenders’ failure to anticipate the violent mob that invaded the iconic building and halted certification of the presidential election on January 6, the officials who were in charge of security said in their first public testimony on the insurrection. The officials, including the former chief of the Capitol Police, pointed their fingers at various federal agencies — and each other — for their failure to defend the building as supporters of then-President Donald Trump overwhelmed security barriers, broke windows and doors and sent lawmakers fleeing from the House and Senate chambers. Five people died as a result of the riot, including a Capitol Police officer and a woman who was shot as she tried to enter the House chamber with lawmakers still inside. Former Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund, who resigned under pressure immediately after the attack, and the other officials said they had expected the protests to be similar to two pro-Trump events in late 2020 that were far less violent. Sund said he hadn’t seen an FBI field office report that warned of potential violence citing online posts about a “war”. Sund described a scene as the mob arrived at the perimeter that was “like nothing” he had seen in his 30 years of policing and argued that the insurrection was not the result of poor planning by Capitol Police but of failures across the board. “No single civilian law enforcement agency – and certainly not the USCP – is trained and equipped to repel, without significant military or other law enforcement assistance, an insurrection of thousands of armed, violent, and coordinated individuals focused on breaching a building at all costs,” he testified. The hearing was the first of many examinations of what happened that day, coming almost seven weeks after the attack and over a week after the Senate voted to acquit Trump of inciting the insurrection by telling his supporters to “fight like hell” to overturn his election defeat. Fencing and National Guard troops still surround the Capitol in a wide perimeter, cutting off streets and sidewalks that are normally full of cars, pedestrians and tourists. The joint hearing, part of an investigation by two Senate committees, was the first time the
FORMER US Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund, right, hugs Capitol Police Captain Carneysha Mendoza, left, before they testify before a Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs & Senate Rules and Administration joint hearing on Capitol Hill, Washington, yesterday. Photo: Andrew Harnik/AP officials testified publicly about the events of January 6. In addition to Sund, former Senate Sergeantat-Arms Michael Stenger, former House Sergeant-at-Arms Paul Irving and Robert Contee, the acting chief of police for the Metropolitan Police Department, testified. Irving and Stenger also resigned under pressure immediately after the deadly attack. They were Sund’s supervisors and in charge of security for the House and Senate. “We must have the facts, and the answers are in this room,” Senate Rules Committee Chairwoman Amy Klobuchar said at the beginning of the hearing. The Rules panel is conducting the joint probe with the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. Even after the hearing, much still remains unknown about what happened before and during the assault. How much did law enforcement agencies know about plans for violence that day, many of which were public? And how could the Capitol Police have been so illprepared for a violent insurrection that was organised online?
Sund told the lawmakers that he didn’t know then that his officers had received a report from the FBI’s field office in Norfolk, Virginia, that forecast, in detail, the chances that extremists could bring “war” to Washington the following day. The head of the FBI’s office in Washington has said that once he received the January 5 warning, the information was quickly shared with other law enforcement agencies through a joint terrorism task force. Sund said that an officer on the task force had received that memo and forwarded it to a sergeant working on intelligence for the Capitol Police but that the information was not sent on to other supervisors. “How could you not get that vital intelligence?” asked Senate Homeland Chairman Gary Peters, D-Mich, who said the failure of the report to reach the chief was clearly a major problem. “That information would have been helpful,” Sund acknowledged. Even without the intelligence, there were clear signs that violence was a possibility on January 6. Farright social media users openly
hinted for weeks that chaos would erupt at the US Capitol while Congress convened to certify the election results. Sund said he did see an intelligence report created within his own department warning that Congress could be targeted on January 6. But he said that report assessed the probability of civil disobedience or arrests, based on the information they had, as “remote” to “improbable” for the groups expected to demonstrate. Contee, the acting city police chief, also suggested that no one had flagged the FBI information from Norfolk, Virginia, which he said came in the form of an email. He said he would have expected that kind of intelligence “would warrant a phone call or something”. Sund and Irving disagreed on when the National Guard was called and on requests for the guard beforehand. Sund said he spoke to both Stenger and Irving about requesting the National Guard in the days before the riot, and that Irving said he was concerned about the “optics” of having them present. Irving denied that, saying Sund’s account was “categorically false”.
TOP BOARD LEADERS RESIGN AFTER TEXAS POWER OUT AUSTIN, Texas Associated Press TOP board leaders of Texas’ embattled power grid operator said yesterday they will resign following outrage over more than four million customers losing electricity last week during a deadly winter storm, including families whose frigid homes lacked heat for days in subfreezing temperatures. The resignations are the first since the crisis began in Texas, and calls for wider firings remain in the aftermath of one of the worst power outages in US history. All of the four board directors stepping down, including Chairwoman Sally Talberg, live outside of Texas, which only intensified criticism of the Electric Reliability Council of Texas. The resignations are effective today — a day before Texas lawmakers are set to question grid managers and energy officials about the failures during hearings at the state Capitol.
The board members acknowledged “concerns about out-of-state board leadership” in a letter to grid members and the state’s Public Utility Commission, which oversees ERCOT. During the crisis, ERCOT officials removed contact information for board members off the website, saying they had become the target of threats. “Our hearts go out to all Texans who have had to go without electricity, heat, and water during frigid temperatures and continue to face the tragic consequences of this emergency,” the letter read. The other board members are vice chairman Peter Cramton, Terry Bulger and Raymond Hepper. Talberg lives in Michigan and Bulger lives in Wheaton, Illinois, according to their biographies on ERCOT’s website. Cramton and Hepper spent their careers working outside Texas. There are 16 members in all of ERCOT’s board, which appoints officers who
manage the grid manager’s day-to-day operations. Historic snowfall and single-digit temperatures in Texas last week left millions without power and water for days. The storm was part of any icy blast across the Deep South t hat is blamed for at least 80 deaths. Republican Gov Greg Abbott has put much of the blame for the outages on ERCOT and called for investigations. But the problems were wider than ERCOT, including power plants that were knocked offline by the extreme cold and natural gas producers didn’t protect wellheads from freezing. “The lack of preparedness and transparency at ERCOT is unacceptable, and I welcome these resignations,” Abbott said in a statement. “The State of Texas will continue to investigate ERCOT and uncover the full picture of what went wrong, and we will ensure that the disastrous events of last week are never repeated.”
FACEBOOK HAS NO LONGER UNFRIENDED AUSTRALIA CANBERRA, Australia Associated Press
FACEBOOK announced yesterday that it would lift a ban on Australians viewing and sharing news on its platform after it struck a deal with the government on proposed legislation that would make digital giants pay for journalism. The social media company caused alarm with its sudden decision last week to block news on its platform across Australia after the House of Representatives passed the draft law. Initially, the blackout also cut access — at least
temporarily — to government pandemic, public health and emergency services, fueling outrage. Facebook’s cooperation is a major victory in Australia’s efforts to make two major gateways to the internet, Google and Facebook, pay for the journalism that they use — a faceoff that governments and tech companies the world over have watched closely. Google also had threatened to remove its search functions from Australia because of the proposed law, but that threat has faded. “There is no doubt that Australia has been a proxy
battle for the world,” Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said. “Facebook and Google have not hidden the fact that they know that the eyes of the world are on Australia, and that is why they have sought to get a code here that is workable,” he added, referring to the bill, the News Media Bargaining Code. In fact, this week, Microsoft and four European publishing groups announced they would work together to push for Australian-style rules for news payments from tech platforms.