08172020 NEWS AND SPORT

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VOLUME:117 No.181, AUGUST 17TH, 2020

HO US E & 12 THE PEOPLE’S PAPER: $1

SPORT: STEVEN GARDINER HITS TOP FORM IN GEORGIA

PAGES

Nygard relatives: ‘We’re victims too’ Two of tycoon’s closest family members accuse him of sex trafficking

By TRIBUNE REPORTER CANADIAN fashion mogul Peter Nygard faces astonishing new allegations – that he sex trafficked two of his closest relatives and had them subjected to sexual assault.

In court papers just filed against Nygard in a New York court the relatives – who cannot be identified – claim they were separately flown to Nygard’s homes – one to Canada and the other to Nygard Cay in The Bahamas - where they were “raped” by Nygard’s girlfriend in order “to make a man of them”.

The lawsuit is the latest legal filing against the runaway billionaire who has been hit by dozens of

accusations from women from here in The Bahamas, the United States and Canada who all allege he subjected them to appalling sex assaults – many when they were very young girls.

The beginning of the new case for the the two relatives – known as John Doe 1 and John Doe 2 reads: “John Doe No. 1 and John Doe No. 2... bring this action to shine the light of truth on their (relative’s) sexual abuse. Each of the(m) has experienced, first-hand, the destruction caused by Peter Nygard’s sex trafficking venture and, through their truth, stand for accountability and justice.

OPPOSITION leader Philip “Brave” Davis gave his thanks to supporters last night for their prayers after testing positive for COVID-19.

Yesterday, the PLP leader confirmed his COVID status, adding that he is currently being treated in hospital for the infectious disease. “This last six weeks, more than 1,000 Bahamians

SEE PAGE THREE

By KHRISNA RUSSELL Tribune Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net

THE Ministry of Health reported 198 new cases of COVID-19 over the weekend, pushing the nationwide total to 1,315.

There has also been one additional death, for a total of 18 virus-related fatalities.

On Saturday, health officials said there were 135 new cases and yesterday recorded a total of 63.

As it stands 717 cases have been reported in New Providence, 461 on Grand Bahama, 45 in Bimini, Abaco 44, Berry Islands 14, Cat Island eight, five in Exuma, two at Inagua, one in Eleuthera, one in Andros and 17 pending.

On Friday Chief Medical Officer Dr Pearl McMillan admitted that even though the country is on its second national lockdown in response to rising

ROYAL CARIB DEAL WILL ‘NOW LOOK DIFFERENT’

SEE PAGE TWO

have learnt they test positive for the COVID virus,” Mr Davis said in an audio statement. “This morning I learnt the same thing. I am in hospital receiving excellent care. My family and I thank you for the many prayers and well wishes we have received. We all owe a debt of gratitude to the nurses, doctors and health care workers who are working day and night. Please include them in your prayers also.”

NEARLY 200 NEW CASES REPORTED IN 48 HOURS

SEE PAGE THREE

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

HOSPITALISED DAVIS SAYS ‘THANK YOU’ FOR PRAYERS

By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net

HOME

BUSTED! LAW enforcement officers seized drugs worth more than $800k near Ragged Island over the weekend. Full story - Page 2 Photo: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff

MINISTER of Tourism Dionisio D’Aguilar is still “optimistic” the Grand Lucayan’s sale and redevelopment will proceed even though COVID-19 may make the deal look much different to its original version.

He said Royal Caribbean, despite the multi-billion stresses imposed by the pandemic, and its ITM Group partner “still seem to be interested” in closing the resort’s acquisition and redevelopment of Freeport’s harbour.

FULL STORY - SEE BUSINESS

KILLED BY BULLETS FIRED THROUGH WINDOW

By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net A FAMILY has been left distraught after their loved one was fatally shot while standing inside his Elizabeth Estates home on Saturday night.

While police did not confirm the victim’s identity, close relatives said he is Valentino Smith, 36.

He died in hospital after he was was struck

THE WINDOWS hit by gunfire by several bullets, which ripped through his home.

Police said the shooting

incident occurred shortly after 10pm.

“A man was at his residence standing in his utility room when an unknown person fired several shots through a northern window hitting him about the body, injuring him,” officials said in a statement.

Paramedics were called to the scene and the victim was later transported to the hospital. However, he later succumbed to his injuries.

SEE PAGE SEVEN

Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper

INSIGHT THE CURE MUST NOT BE AS BAD AS THE DISEASE SEE PAGE EIGHT

PAGE 2, Monday, August 17, 2020 from page one “In addition to sex trafficking his own (relatives), Peter Nygard lied about the sexual abuse and attempted to intimidate his (relatives) into remaining quiet.

But plaintiffs in this case refuse to be silenced and, following investigation in the last several months, Nygard’s (relatives) have come to realize the lies and corruption of Peter Nygard, including sex trafficking, intimidation, and destruction of countless innocent victims.

“Nygard’s (relatives) bring this case to shed the light of truth for their own justice and to help provide a voice for other innocent victims of violence and sexual abuse by (Nygard). They stand now for their own truth and justice, guided by the ethos that silence cannot be countenanced; silence is complicity; now is the time to speak – to speak the truth for all victims.

“This case and... the other cases brought against Peter Nygard are not some grand conspiracy orchestrated by a hedge fund rival, but rather, these cases speak the truth about Peter Nygard’s sex trafficking that has devastated so many lives, that has ripped away dignity and instilled shame.

Bringing forth this truth is the path to justice, accountability, and healing. That is the reason for bringing this case.”

Since the allegations first emerged against Nygard his lawyers have consistently denied any wrongdoing on his part insisting he is the

THE TRIBUNE

Two of Nygard’s close family accuse him of trafficking them for sex victim of an international conspiracy orchestrated by his neighbour at Lyford Cay, billionaire businessman Louis Bacon.

A number of Bahamian women have made formal allegations of rape with the police here in The Bahamas more than a year ago but there is no evidence of any progress in the Royal Bahamas Police Investigation.

The circumstances involving the assaults on his two relatives, according to the new court documents, are: “... While in Canada, John Doe No. 1 stayed at Nygard’s residence with Nygard and Jane Roe, who is a known sex worker and paid by the Nygard Companies for her services.

Nygard instructed Jane Roe to “make a man” out of his (relative).

“John Doe No. 1 was a virgin, thus making the instructions to Jane Roe quite clear – she was being ordered to rape John Doe No. 1.

“Jane Roe first took a shower so that John Doe

No. 1 could see her naked.

Jane Roe performed oral sex on John Doe No. 1.

Jane Roe then engaged in sexual intercourse with John Doe No. 1, knowing he was only 14 years old.

“After having sexual intercourse with John Doe No. 1, Jane Roe told John Doe No. 1 that he ‘wasn’t bad’ for a ‘baby.’ The next morning, Jane Roe brought John Doe No. 1 breakfast and kissed him on the lips, saying ‘mommy’s got you.’

“Jane Roe reported back to Nygard that she had done as instructed – she had ‘made a man’ of John Doe No. 1; she had statutorily raped Nygard’s 14-year-old son. “... In 2004, when John Doe No. 2 was 15-years-old, Defendants lured, enticed, and transported John Doe No. 2 from California to Nygard’s residence in The Bahamas. John Doe No. 2’s travel arrangements were arranged through the Nygard Companies’ corporate travel department and paid for with money from the Nygard Companies.

Officers seize drugs valued at over $800k

A LARGE quantity of drugs were seized last Friday in a joint operation with OBAT, the US Coast Guard, DEU and the Marine Divison.

Photos: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff

CANADIAN fashion mogul Peter Nygard

“Defendants knew that John Doe No. 2 was just 15-years-old because his personal information was provided to them as part of his travel arrangements.

“While in The Bahamas, John Doe No. 2 stayed at Nygard’s residence with Nygard and Jane Roe, who is a known sex worker and paid by the Nygard Companies for her services.

Nygard instructed Jane Roe to have sex with his (relative), John Doe No. 2, a minor.

“Jane Roe engaged in sexual intercourse with John Doe No. 2, knowing he was only 15-years-old.”

As part of the case made against Nygard there have been numerous claims that a wide number of politicians and senior police officers in The Bahamas were complicit in Nygard’s alleged activities at his Lyford Cay home.

• The Tribune has changed the actual status of the complainants as they appear in the court documents to protect their identity.

DRUGS valued at more than $800,000 were seized off the coast of Ragged Island on Friday.

Police said shortly after 11am joint teams acting on information conducted aerial surveillance along the Ragged Island chain when they noticed a white gofast boat with three males on board.

As the aircraft got close to the sea vessel, officers noticed the males abandoning the vessel in shallow waters off Ragged Island. The aircraft was able to land on a nearby terrain as the suspects made good their escape into a wooded area.

The officers conducted a search of the vessel and recovered 55 nylon sacks of suspected marijuana.

The sacks were collected and transported to New Providence where they were weighed at 815 pound, with an estimated street value of $815,000.00.

Police said investigations into this matter continues as significant leads are being followed.

OPBAT, which included the US Coast Guard, DEA, RBDF, DEU, and the Marine Division were responsible for this operation.

THE TRIBUNE

Monday, August 17, 2020, PAGE 3

CORONAVIRUS CRISIS

EDUCATION MINISTER CONFIRMS HE HAS TESTED NEGATIVE TWICE

By TANYA SMITH-CARTWRIGHT ts-cartwright @tribunemedia.net

MINISTER Jeffrey Lloyd

EDUCATION Minister Jeffrey Lloyd has confirmed he has tested negative for COVID-19 twice.

His second negative COVID-19 RT-PCR result came Saturday, the minister told The Tribune yesterday.

He also said his selfimposed quarantine, which followed his first negative COVID test, ended last Friday.

This after photos of the

minister and his wife at a local grocery store made the rounds on social media over the weekend.

When contacted yesterday, the minister said: “My quarantine was ended, Friday. I will issue a statement. My quarantine is over.”

Social media showed pictures of Minister Lloyd at a food store with his Cabinet licensed vehicle (CM 7) there as well. When asked if it was him and his vehicle, Minister offered no response to that, but promised he would issue

a statement on the same.

However, up to press time no statement had been received.

On August 10 the Cabinet Office issued a statement saying Minister Lloyd had tested negative for the COVID-19 virus after he was exposed to a person who tested positive.

According to that statement, the minister received a negative COVID-19 RT-PCR test result on August 8.

That statement read: “Following the Ministry of Health’s protocols, Minister

Lloyd was tested after learning he was exposed to a positive case. Out of an abundance of caution and on advice, Minister Lloyd has voluntarily entered selfquarantine. He continues to perform his functions as Minister of Education, working remotely from home.

“All necessary COVID-19 exposure procedures with respect to the Ministry of Education headquarters building are being observed.”

If Minister Lloyd went into quarantine after his

negative result test on August 8, to date, he would have only served nine days in quarantine.

At that time all staff at the Ministry of Education were advised to remain at home after a staff member at the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture was exposed to a positive case of COVID-19. Both Ministries share the same building. It was confirmed that MOE’s curriculum section had been closed after a staff member there was exposed to COVID-19 and placed under quarantine.

Nearly 200 new cases reported inside 48 hours from page one

OPPOSITION leader Philip “Brave” Davis

COVID-19 numbers the disease continues to spread.

Additionally, Dr McMillan said eight deaths - four in Nassau and four on Grand Bahama - were being investigated by health officials. However, she said details were not readily available on the deaths.

The Ministry of Health painted a vivid picture of the state of the COVID19 crisis during its weekly press conference on Friday.

Health Minister Renward Wells said the situation is also affecting the country’s pool of healthcare workers, which is not infinite nor vast. He said many of them were exposed to the virus and are in quarantine, meanwhile those remaining are at a very high risk for burn out and teams are working short of members.

Of lockdowns, Dr McMillan admitted that officials may not have been seeing the results they had hoped for. “When we look at Grand Bahama, we are in our eighth day of lock down and there continues to be reported to cases,” Dr McMillan said. “There is a backlog, mentioned, in our lab capacity output currently along with delayed reporting of samples of persons who would have had samples taken prior to the lockdown will now be reflected in our numbers.

“And, also with our enhanced contact tracing we are picking up asymptomatic, pre-symptomatic and symptomatic persons who

HOSPITALISED DAVIS SAYS ‘THANK YOU’ FOR PRAYERS from page one Noting that “brighter days” are ahead for the country, Mr Davis also called on the Bahamian people to be each other’s brothers and sisters’ keeper during these difficult times.

“One of the greatest strengths as a people is how we care for each other. Let’s find new ways to do this now,” he continued.

“Look out for your neighbors. Buy an extra bag of groceries for a family that might be struggling.

Checking in on someone you know needs support.

Remember that we are blesses with God’s grace.

I know brighter days are ahead for all of us.”

Mr Davis’ statement comes after it was revealed over the weekend that he and Senator Dr Michael Darville were in hospital after being examined by medical doctors there.

At the time, the PLP leader did not say why they were being examined, only would have not necessary presented to health facility. These are all reasons why we may not be seeing the decline we thought we would be seeing during the lock down period.”

She said the coming days will reveal whether there is reduced transmission of COVID-19 in communities or just a function of lab testing outputs.

that a staff member took the test and has tested positive.

“Out of an abundance of caution of staff, all necessary COVID-19 exposure procedures with respect to the corporation’s headquarters buildings are being observed.

“We will resume operations on Monday, August 17, 2020 at the usual time.”

Although the statement said the return to “normalcy” will resume today, the newly appointed chairman said it’s all up to the Ministry of Health to give management the “green light” for staff to return to the building.

“As far as when we go back (into the building) what I have stipulated is that we will be entirely dependent on when the Ministry of Health determines that it is okay for the employees to back to work,” the chairman said.

“Right now the building, and the affected areas, are being sanitized and cleaned.

I don’t want to say what the Ministry of Health does or will do, but I assume they will do what they deem is appropriate in the nature of what we are dealing with.

“And, the contact tracing is being carried out by the Ministry of Health. In such time when the Ministry of Health gives the green light for the employees to return then we will do so. In the meantime, every effort is being made to continue to serve as far as providing news to the public is concerned.”

As news is the thrust of business at the corporation, Mr Gotlieb said all stops are being pulled out for the product to remain in continuity. “Definitely everything is being done to make sure that the news continues. We are going to rely to some extent on our Northern Services Division and they will have to augment that,” the chairman continued. “And, yes, that is the intention to keep news flowing.”

ZNS WILL CONTINUE AS USUAL, SAYS TV CHIEF

By TANYA SMITH-CARTWRIGHT ts-cartwright @tribunemedia.net

CHAIRMAN of the Broadcasting Corporation of The Bahamas Fred Gotlieb said it will be business as usual concerning news production at the agency, despite the building’s closure due to COVID-19 exposure.

The BCB, home of the national station, ZNS, sent out a statement over the weekend revealing the headquarters would be closed due to a staff member testing positive for the virus.

The statement read: “The Broadcasting Corporation of The Bahamas (aka ZNS) Headquarters in New Providence, announces for general information that the Corporation will be closed for deep cleaning and sanitization today, Saturday, August 15th, 2020.

“It has come to executive management’s attention

saying the move was “out of an abundance of caution.”

He said: “I am awaiting the doctor’s report. I am satisfied with the level of care and grateful to the nurses and doctors.”

It is not clear if Dr Darville has tested positive for the disease or if he remains in hospital.

Earlier this month, the opposition leader and Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis travelled over several islands to survey the damage and assess the needs of those impacted by Hurricane Isaias.

Last week, Dr Minnis and Deputy Prime Minister Peter Turnquest voluntarily entered self-quarantine “out of an abundance of caution” after an employee at the Cecil Wallace-Whitfield Centre tested positive for COVID-19.

The centre, which houses both the Office of the Prime Minister and the Ministry of Finance, was shut for deep cleaning and sanitisation and is expected to re-open today.

PAGE 4, Monday, August 17, 2020

THE TRIBUNE

CORONAVIRUS CRISIS

VIRUS-FREE ISLANDS HAPPY AFTER CURFEW LIFTED

By TANYA SMITH-CARTWRIGHT ts-cartwright @tribunemedia.net

RESIDENTS of islands that have remained COVID-19 free are happy to know they can once again move around as curfew has been lifted on certain islands.

Spanish Wells, Inagua, Mayaguana, Crooked Island, Acklins, Long Cay, Long Island, Chub Cay, Rum Cay and Ragged Island no longer have their movement restricted between the hours of 10 pm and 5 am.

The Tribune spoke to residents of several of these islands who weighed in on once again having the ability to move freely 24-hours a day seven days a week.

“Sailor” from Spanish Wells said he cannot imagine why Spanish Wells was put on lock down in the first place.

“We don’t have no COVID here,” he said, requesting to be referred to by this alias. “Spanish Wells is the cleanest place on earth. We are only so big. Why would you want us lock down in the first place?

I might as well tell you, no one had me on no lock down.

“To answer your question, yes, I am glad that we have officially been excluded from such a thing, but truthfully I don’t see why we were included. We are free people. No boundaries. Stop locking us up if there is no reason. Leave the lock up or lock down for those Nassau people.

They have COVID and some other things.”

Cecil Cartwright, a Long Islander, too, does not like the lockdown but is happy to have the restrictions removed. “We are very law abiding here in Long Island,” Mr Cartwright said. “We did what we were

supposed to do even though we really don’t have any COVID cases here like that to spread. I know we are glad to know if we need to move around we can do so now within the law. So that is good and we appreciate that.

“Long Island is a big place so if you get stuck on one side you have to stay there until morning. I would hope our MP, Adrian Gibson, had something to do with that. He is a good MP so far. So I say thanks to him for getting us out of lockdown.”

Inagua, known for its salt and home of the national

bird, the flamingo, was also excluded from the COVID-19 preventative measure of lock down.

This preventative measure is the recommendation of the COVID-19 Task Force to the Prime Minister, the Competent Authority.

“I mean we had our little scare, but for the most part nothing is widespread here,” said Cynthia Nixon.

“I am happy that the prime minister did this for us.

There was no reason for us to be locked down, but I understand he is trying to keep all of us safe from catching this COVID thing. I appreciate him for

THE Family Help & Support Foundation has fed more than 1,600 families in challenged inner-city communities where families find it hard to provide food for themselves.

The new non-profit organisation has also distributed about 4,000 partly sponsored masks, baked goods, toys and colouring books to children in these areas.

Sally Van Tooren, the organisation’s co-founder said this is something that will continue for as long as pandemic needs dictate.

“Every Saturday we deliver substantial food parcels to some very distressing inner-city areas with extremely poor living conditions,” the co-founder said of the organisation

FEEDING THE HUNGRY

doing that. People are carrying the prime minister dead hard, but I think he is doing a good job with his medical team. He is not only looking out for Nassau, but all of us …. All of the Bahamas citizens.

He needs to be encouraged. God will not put on him more than he can bear.

This COVID disease will soon pass.”

The country is on its second lock down with only banks, pharmacies and food stores opened three days a week. The prime minister, who is currently in quarantine, is set to address the nation tonight at 8 pm.

that was recently award non-profit designation for its community outreach. To date we’ve fed 1,632 families and will continue to do so for as long as pandemic needs dictate.

Additionally, along with the food bags and bottled water, we have distributed approximately 4,000 partly sponsored masks and enormous and significant donations of freshly baked goods and children’s toys and colouring books.”

The philanthropist said that the foundation’s weekly out-reach appears to be a lifeline for many severely impoverished Bahamians living off the beaten track and that some are existing on dirt roads, in half-finished abandoned buildings and broken down cars.

Andros residents now fear there could be more cases

By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net

ANDROS residents say they fear there could be more COVID-19 cases in the community after a local

tested positive for the virus last week, becoming the island’s first COVID case.

Pastor Vyreen Bain, of Stafford Creek, said while most residents on the island have been taking the COVID-19 threat

seriously long before it spread to the island, locals are now on high alert as a result of the island’s first case.

“I am very concerned.

I was concerned from day one,” she told The

Tribune yesterday. “I’m a pastor and I was talking to a minister and I said there are more in Andros. Trust me, if it’s one because that one has a family okay and if they don’t have it now, (it’s a possibility) they will be infected sooner or later and they will all have to go in quarantine. To me, it’s more than one and we have to prayerful.”

Since the start of the pandemic, Andros has remained COVID-19 free until now. Before the island even recorded a case, Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis had resumed commercial activity in the southern islands with no COVID cases earlier this month.

Pastor Bain told this newspaper that many residents were highly upset over the move.

However, the religious leader said she feels that the new case will serve as a wake-up call for residents who were not taking the infectious disease seriously beforehand.

“I can tell you some Andros people relaxed.

Not all but some,” she added. “Just this past week, I went to a food store and a gentleman was in there bragging how Andros was COVID free and he was from the settlement of Cargill creek and he said ‘we are COVID free and we are not checking. We are doing what we want to do freely’ and I said, ‘sir we might be COVID free

but we still have to follow the protocols by the government.”

“I said ‘we might be COVID free today, but we don’t know what tomorrow hold.’ I told him we have to pray.”

Mrs Kavia Russell-Stewart, an Andros native who is currently living in Nassau, also expressed similar concerns to the newspaper.

She said the situation is particularly worrying due to the limited resources on the island, which could easily become a COVID-19 hotspot.

“We just have one bank in North Andros and everyone has to go to that bank because it’s just one ATM and literally everyone comes to the bank,” she noted to this newspaper. “We don’t have the big space like how ya’ll have social distancing. We don’t have all that because it’s only one little area,” “…You still have to go to the shop. You have to go to the boat to pick up your stuff. Everyone basically dealing with the same water places. There are certain places that everyone have to go to so I don’t know how we’re going to deal with it.”

Mrs Russell- Stewart said she left New Providence last month to attend her grandfather’s funeral .

However, after receiving no word from her employers about her return to work, she decided to remain on the island.

The mother of three said

she also thought it best “to stay put” on Andros given the surge of cases in the capital.

She said: “I came home in July for my grandfather’s funeral and I just ended up having to stay because I haven’t got called back to work yet and because of all of the cases (there), I said ‘let me stay put for right now.”

“For me to be lockdown in Nassau it’s crazy compared to being lockdown at home because we still have mobility and so I was all excited and now to see that we have one case it’s like holy cow.”

She added: “Because I went in the food store and I was still hugging people and I was still like ‘ hey’ because a lot of people don’t know that I’m here because I don’t go out so when they see me, they’re like ‘ you’re home.’

“Now, when I thought about it, I was like I don’t even know if it was that person or if was those people in that store.”

Like many other locals, the mother of three said she feels there are more infected people within the community. In view of this, Mrs Russell-Stewart said Androsians want more clarity on the location of the positive case and how many people are in quarantine on the island. “I’m disappointed that we don’t have that transparency because Andros is big and you can’t say one case in Andros. Is it in South Andros? Is it in Mangrove Cay? Is it in Central Andros? Is it Nichols Town? Where is it?” she said. “…I personally believe that this isn’t the only case and I believe there are more. And I heard the other day that people are coming here from Bimini on these speedboats so what’s going on with that?”

“In no way am I bashing our government…but at the same time, I want to know what’s going on here.”

THE TRIBUNE

Monday, August 17, 2020, PAGE 5

CORONAVIRUS CRISIS

By TANYA SMITH-CARTWRIGHT ts-cartwright @tribunemedia.net THE owner of a popular bar was arrested on Friday night after police responded to reports of an unauthorised gathering, which contravened COVID-19 Emergency Orders. Following the Village Pub owner’s arrest, police also allegedly found a pistol and ammunition inside his vehicle.

Police said: “Shortly before 9pm, officers from the Operations Unit responded to an unauthorised social gathering that was being held at the Village Pub located on Balfour Avenue.

“On their arrival they saw and spoke to a male who presented himself as the proprietor. He was arrested and cautioned.

Acting on information the officers conducted a search of a vehicle belonging to the suspect and recovered a black Glock .45mm pistol with 12 unfired rounds of ammunition. The suspect is expected to be formally charged before the Magistrate’s Court.”

Even though the country is on a lockdown, which prohibits restaurants and

Bar owner arrested after unauthorised gathering bars from being open, sources close to the matter told The Tribune a popular DJ also performed at the gathering.

“I am not surprised at what happened,” one customer who frequents the pub told The Tribune under the request of anonymity.

“I stopped going there a few weeks ago because I don’t like what I see in the new ownership. The new crowd seemed a bit rough so I now enjoy my wife’s cooking.

“I am not sure what went down there, but all of a sudden the place was being shot up, corrosive substances were being thrown at it and then, poof, a new owner is involved with a strange crowd. I don’t want to draw any conclusions, but it all seems strange to me.”

Social media went wild over the weekend with

A VIDEO grab of the gathering claims that Free National Movement chairman Carl Culmer was among those in the club when police raided it.

On Sunday, Mr Culmer sought to clear the air, saying he was not there.

He said: “I categorically deny any story concerning my arrest and detainment, and state unequivocally

that I would not participate in any activity that would bring me, my family, and the party of which I have the pleasure of serving as chairman, into disrepute.

“I do not subscribe to socialising at bars, and encourage all citizens to dismiss fake news outlets and obtain their information concerning COVID-19,

and any other matter of national importance from credible sources.

“I am disappointed, yet not surprised, by this false and malicious story, concerning my presence at a local bar/restaurant, which would be in direct contravention of the Competent Authority’s National Emergency Orders.”

Police also confirmed that Mr Culmer was not there.

Mr Culmer, continuing in his statement, said “fake news” is the order of the day.

“I support the prime minister as he leads us through this current health pandemic,” he said. “It is sad to see the level that individuals who oppose the government would stoop to in order to create confusion and malign one’s character and integrity.

“Unfortunately, we are at a time in our history where “fake news” is the order of the day, and persons take certain liberties they ought not to in order to advance their political agendas. My thoughts and prayers remain with all Bahamians and residents as we continue to navigate some of the most difficult times our country has ever faced.”

Coconut seller gets some help paying his court fine

By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net

A 20-YEAR-OLD man, who was convicted for selling coconut water without a permit last month, was able to pay his $800 court fine on Friday thanks to good Samaritans.

Marvin Joseph spent two nights in jail last month after police officers found him operating a business without obtaining a permit from the Commissioner of Police.

This makes the third time the roadside vendor has had to appear before a Magistrate’s Court on the same offence. (He was not fined three times, but twice as the first time he got off free. The following two times he was fined).

In early July, he was fined $25 for selling mangoes, coconut water and coconut jelly on the side of the street without a licence.

Nearly two weeks later, he appeared before Chief Magistrate Joyann Ferguson-Pratt for selling coconut water and jelly and was later ordered to pay $800 after spending two nights at the Bahamas Department of Corrections.

Youth Against Violence Founder, Carlos Reid told reporters that Marvin was given until Friday to pay half of his fines but was able to pay the full amount thanks to good Samaritans.

Mr Reid said: “Since his arrest and incarceration, we have raised $800 to pay his fine. He’s supposed to be out here to pay $400, half of it, but we wanted to make sure that they didn’t put this behind him. We have persons like Julian Believe and Sherwin Johnson from EVO Bahamas.

He set up a Facebook page for him to run his business.

Since then, we had at least 300 persons to like the page and the public has been supportive.”

Noting the importance of supporting young entrepreneurship, Mr Reid called on the government to be more sensitive to the needs of others.

“The only crime we believe he committed was

the fact of trying to provide for his family. One of the calls that we calling to is for our government to be more sensitive in this time and to relax some of these rules that they’re putting on,” he said. “We don’t want our young people on the streets where they have to be robbing people, stealing people’s grocery when people have an opportunity to become young entrepreneurs, so that is why we support Marvin and his endeavour.”

Meanwhile, EVO Bahamas president Sherwin Johnson added: “Marvin’s story hit me because it’s special to me because I know what it is to not get support and it’s important that we support our young people even if we do not support their dreams or visions, support the person so I decided I would give my support to Marvin.”

Local entertainer Julian Believe also supported Marvin on Friday. He noted it was important to be each other’s keeper during this difficult time in the country’s history.

“We wanted to do something to help him with his business so he could always be in a position to contact his customers or they can be in a position to contact him so we decided to buy him a new phone,” he added.

“I think it’s important for us to be your brother’s keeper, your sister’s keeper during this time because it’s hard for a lot of us here and I respect his hustle.

He’s an entrepreneur trying to do his thing. He has his sisters that he’s taking care of and to be the oldest and have that responsibility at a young age, I respect him.”

For his part, Marvin said he was thankful for the outpouring of love and support expressed toward him since the ordeal.

“I just want to thank everyone who’ve been pushing me, supporting me and telling me not to give up and whose been helping me out and my family,” he added.

“I also want to thank my Carlos Reid for letting me sell my coconut water by the oak centre. I just want to thank everyone.”

FROM the left: Sherwin Johnson, EVO president; Carlos Reid, Youth Against Violence founder; Marvin Joseph; Julian Believe.

PAGE 6, Monday, August 17, 2020

THE TRIBUNE

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So what should replace Confederate statues?

EVER since the University of South Carolina put up a statue of Richard T. Greener – who in 1873 became the school’s first black professor – one of my favorite things to do has been to eat lunch on a bench nearby to watch how people interact with it.

Greener – who taught for four years when the university was desegregated during Reconstruction – went on to become a widely recognised lawyer, scholar, diplomat and activist for racial justice.

Some people come to the statue with a purpose, often to show it to others and take pictures. Others pass by and look at Greener’s likeness with curiosity. Usually when they read the plaque at the base, they pause with a look of surprise.

I watch them read the plaque again and then walk around the statue as if to evaluate if this story could be true.

As a historian who examines the role that race played in the social and political structure of the South, especially as it relates to higher education, I know that not only is the story completely accurate, but I believe how the statue in honour of Greener came to be holds important lessons for today. This is a time when there is an intensified movement – particularly at America’s colleges and universities – to remove statues and names from buildings or organisations that pay homage to Confederate leaders and others with racist views.

As part of America’s reckoning with its oppressive past, the nation now faces the question not just of what statues and other images should be taken down, but what else – if anything – should be put up in their place. What should become of the empty pedestals where some of these statues once stood? Should they remain empty or be replaced with memorials that honor the victims of – and victors over – racism?

I believe the story of the Greener statue helps illuminate a way forward.

The story begins in the fall of 2010, when Katherine Chaddock, a professor of higher education, mentioned during a graduate course she was teaching that she had seen a plaque near Harvard Square commemorating Greener as Harvard’s first black graduate. A student then asked why he hadn’t heard of Greener and what there was on campus to commemorate and remember him.

A play about Greener’s life – and named for one of his essays, “The White Problem,” in which he took on the ideology of white supremecy – was commissioned and performed as part of the University of South Carolina’s bicentennial in 2001. But that play has not been performed since. There is a scholarship in memory of Greener given by the Black Alumni Council, and a portrait of Greener hangs in the president’s office, but these have a limited audience.

THE rising COVID-19 cases has sparked a lot of reaction on Tribune242. com. Here is what ISpeakFacts had to say” “Have you seen the lines at the food stores thanks to Minnis and his crazy lockdown orders? It seems this power drunken buffoon didn’t learn from his mistakes many months ago when he introduced ABC shopping and had the D- population breathing on each other’s necks thanks to the panic buying!

“Minnis and his administration along with the crayon eaters at the Ministry of Health/Tourism MUST resign immediately... each of them has been a disaster before and especially during this pandemic! The sooner these idiots are gone, the quicker we can steer this country back in the right direction!

Chaddock started a dialogue with her graduate students and others from the Higher Education and Student Affairs program, along with me and Lydia Mattice Brandt, an art history professor.

Students, faculty, staff, alumni and community members all got involved.

We ultimately decided that a statue was the best way to publicly honor Greener.

That statue was unveiled on February 21, 2018.

During the unveiling ceremony, I pointed out how some people wanted to forget when the campus desegregated briefly during Reconstruction and hired its first black professor.

For example, when white students returned to campus after it reopened as an all-white institution in 1880 – three years after its desegregated status from 1873 to 1877 came to an end – they ripped or blacked out pages from the ledgers of the debating societies that had been used by black students during Reconstruction.

Richard T. Greener was appointed professor of mental and moral philosophy at the University of South Carolina in 1873. As a student at Harvard (class of 1870), he won both the Boylston Prize for elocution and the Bowdoin Prize for writing.

At the time of his appointment, the South Carolina legislature was majority black, a radical change brought about by the revision of the state constitution in 1868 allowing for universal suffrage, meaning that for the first time all men, including black men, in the state could vote.

In addition to teaching philosophy, Latin and Greek, Greener served as university librarian and reorganised and modernised the library’s catalog. He also recruited black students throughout the state and developed a preparatory program to help them succeed. While on faculty, he earned a law degree. His diploma and law license were found in Chicago in 2012 and later obtained by the University of South Carolina.

After being forced out of South Carolina because the university was closed, Greener served as dean of the Howard University School of Law, as a U.S. diplomat in Vladivostok, Russia and as the chief administrator of the Grant Memorial Association.

Greener died in 1922 in Chicago, where he had gone to live with family and practice law after leaving Russia.

The statue not only celebrates Greener’s contributions, it stands as a symbol of how we can reclaim and understand a lost, misunderstood or misrepresented history.

By Christian K Anderson from the the University of South Carolina. theconversation.com

“PS: The peak of the record breaking Hurricane Season is nearing upon us and not ONE island is prepared to take on another Dorian!”

Which prompted this from tribanon: “Most Bahamians don’t know that Sept 10 is the peak day of the hurricane season this year. And with the curse of Minnis upon us, it is not unreasonable to expect the very worse will happen. Penance is being imposed upon us for having allowed this very evil man to become PM and our country and our people will continue to suffer in most

horrible ways for as long as he remains PM.” Then there was UN who wrote: “Next week the PM will announce everyone has to stay inside forever (while rent and other bills keep piling up). Very soon lockdown won’t be necessary (living on the streets).

Where is the money coming from to keep everyone cooped up?

“Extending full benefits to help keep people inside would have made more sense. And our much quoted nobody ‘Princess’ will continue to be near (we can continue to watch her do laundry, take out the trash, and can continue to babble from our homes to try and feel important we’re that pathetic).

“It’s not a surprise that during the pandemic many people are thinking of filing for divorce.”

We must take more offence whenever we hear the N word EDITOR, The Tribune IT will take a stretch of credulity to try and make the case that Bahamians are inherently racist. Black, brown, white or any hue in between, we are wedded to the principle of equality.

But to hear some Bahamians speak, one can be forgiven for thinking that we have deep issues of self-acceptance or we are just tone-deaf to external events.

Some of us have a fascination with and complete detachment from the use of the so-called N word in even our most mundane or congenial conversations.

What’s more, there is a sick pathology associated with our casual familiarity with the N word. Too many of us use it in front of family just as easily and freely as we do strangers.

Grandparents use it.

Parents use it. Students use it all too frequently.

And, most unfortunately, children use it with reckless abandon. It is learned speech and it is as wrong as it is offensive.

Worse still, few people cringe or take offence at the use of the word. It is so commonplace that it can be dropped multiple times in a single sentence.

While Bahamians generally sympathize with the US-led global Black Lives Matter movement, its very message of respect and dignity seems to have been lost in the fifty-mile gulfstream between our two countries.

This is sad, given the fact that many Bahamians can trace their ancestry back to enslaved people in the United States. We are as

LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net true-true Gullah in Andros as the people in the low country of South Carolina.

Just because some people want to appropriate the word as a term of endearment, they don’t get the right to determine who gets to show them that twisted kind of verbal love. Don’t plant corn and expect peas.

The etymology of the N word shows that while its use has been expanded by the off-spring of its original target, Negro slaves in the New World, it still remains a deeply offensive word meant to degrade a whole race of people.

Talk about black people appropriating the word and thereby lessening its sting smacks of a gross double standard. That word was at times tantamount to a death sentence or at best cruel and inhumane treatment.

Saying it with a smile or using it to address a trusted friend or lover doesn’t cleanse it of its history.

Perhaps the only way we are going to scrub this word from our vernacular is if more of us start calling people out on its use.

If more people would take offence to the next N word infused tirade they hear, then slowly we might be able to banish the word from public conversation.

This is going to be a hard sell to do in private conversation because so much of the imported popular culture is laced with the N word. Rap music, originally

a poetic art form with intricate lyrics that tell of love interests or social injustice, has evolved to become a principal medium for spewing the N word with reckless abandon.

Hollywood turned its back on homophobia and xenophobia in rap music and quickly it got scrubbed from the lyrics. But too many people are comfortable with a word that was often the last one some ancestors heard before a noose tightened on their neck.

With the advent of social media and the ability for even the most mundane local video to go global, our liberal use of the N word could backfire and hit us in the pocketbook. So-called “woke” people may not want to vacation in a place so apparently verbally racist. Even though we are not intrinsically racist.

To some this will sound like nit-picking, but as any builder will tell you, it is often neglect of the smallest detail that gradually leads to the destruction of the whole house.

It is true that the N word is often preceded by the equally cringe-worthy F bomb. The F bomb is an equal opportunity symbol of vulgarity. The N word is a blaspheme aimed solely at the heart of one race of people.

It took the unschooled linguistic genius of a previous generation of Bahamians whose ultimate put down was to call someone and old “so-and-so”.

THE GRADUATE Nassau, August 16, 2020

Time to bring back Bay Street EDITOR, The Tribune TRIBUNE Business on Thursday 13th August “Commercial Landlords Urged…” realtor David Morley tells the desperate story of where the country is today and perhaps portends where we are on the way to, on our current trajectory. To say that Commercial Real Estate

has been gutted would be an understatement. Bay Street itself seems little better off than Cowpen Road.

And I recently heard of a competent Government Official being quoted as saying that Bay Street is mostly owned by white millionaires and they should do what they can to bring Bay Street back.

Why should the Government? This from the wife of well-known Nassau hotel executive. So maybe this is why Government(s) have never been very interested in the success of Downtown Nassau. This is sadder than COVID-19.

MONKEEDOO Nassau August 16, 2020

THE TRIBUNE

Monday, August 17, 2020, PAGE 7

SUSPECT AND WORKER HURT AFTER ATTEMPTED ARMED ROBBERY

Killed by bullets fired through window THE SCENE at the fatal shooting on Saturday night. from page one Smith was described by his grandmother Marina Forbes as a “kind hearted” person.

“He was a very quiet person. He would do things for anybody. As a matter of fact, they would call him mechanic,” she told The Tribune yesterday.

“I thought mechanics does get a lot of money and thing but he was always asking for a dollar or so.

I would say ‘you working for charity aye’ because I don’t ever see anything, but he always would work.

Anytime someone wants to do to the car, he would willingly do it. He was very kindhearted.

“He was (also) a very

mannerly person so that’s why, at 36, he could still live here with me.”

Ms Forbes said she spoke to her grandson just before he was shot. He was “dishing up some food” at the time, she said. Moments later, Ms Forbes said she heard gunshots in the area.

“I heard it because I went in my room and next thing I heard is the gunshots and then he ran from there to me and told me he got shot,” she said.

“I say ‘shot? Why?’ and he said ‘I don’t know why’ and he fell out right there and came back to close the door. He ran from me to close the door. It seems as if he forgotten something and he said ‘oh’.”

“When the ambulance came, he still had life. My

THE SCENE of the incident. Photo: Terrel W Carey Sr/Tribune Staff

By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

Photo: Terrel W Carey Sr/Tribune Staff son was there fanning him and saying that to stay with him. I saw the blood and I saw his face but I don’t know what else has happened.”

Ms Forbes said the ordeal has left the entire family in shock.

“The whole family is shocked. I noticed that recently about two or three weeks ago, he got very close. He would come in the room and sit down and talk and make little jokes with me.”

Smith’s killing has pushed the country’s murder count for the year to 39, according to The Tribune’s records.

No one has been taken into custody, according to police.

Investigations into this latest homicide are still ongoing. In the meantime,

anyone with information is asked to call police at 919, 502-9991 or Crime Stoppers at 328-TIPS. The killing comes more than a week after a man was shot while parked outside a residence on Pine Yard Road.

Rhodrigo Gray, 46, was awaiting the return of his passenger when a burgundy Nissan Cube pulled alongside his vehicle.

A male passenger exited the Cube and produced a handgun, discharging it in the direction of the driver injuring him.

The gunman returned to the vehicle and the driver sped off. The victim was transported to the hospital by the Emergency Medical Services where he later succumbed to his injuries.”

AN ATTEMPTED armed robbery at a business establishment has left an employee and suspect injured and receiving care in hospital.

ASP Audley Peters explained that shortly after 2pm on Friday, two men entered the establishment on the access road south of Carmichael Road and asked to purchase an item.

“When the attendant proceeded to retrieve the item for the gentleman and on his return he produced a handgun and demanded cash from the establishment. The gentleman gave the cash and at this time the suspect started to leave the establishment,” he said.

“Unaware, an employee of the establishment was walking in and saw what was going on. This employee grabbed the suspect from behind. A struggle ensued and as a

result of the struggle, a firearm was discharged and the suspect was injured.

Apparently, the attendant at the business establishment was also injured. EMS was called and both persons were taken to the hospital.”

As for the second man who entered the business, ASP Peters told The Tribune that he is at large and an active search is underway to arrest him. The officer added that members of the public are asked to be vigilant and to be careful.

“We certainly ask members of the public to continue to be vigilant during these times to take the precautionary measures in respect to safeguarding themselves and their business establishment and we’re also asking other members of the public as they do business in and around the Bahamas to be careful for incidents of the like that may cause persons to believe that they can become victims themselves,” ASP Peters said.

21-YEAR-OLD CLAIMS ANOTHER 16 HAITIANS HELD IN CUSTODY MAN RAPED HIM AFTER DRINK

By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net A 21-YEAR OLD Haitian man, who claimed he attacked another man because he believed he was sexually assaulted by him, was remanded to prison on Friday.

The defendant, appearing before Magistrate Andrew Forbes, was charged with grievous harm after he was accused of striking a man near his right eye on August 7 in Harbour Island.

According to Prosecutor Kenny Thompson, around 11:20 pm on the day in question, a complainant reported to police that a Haitian man known to him had visited his residence in Harbour Island to apologize for “moving” his cell phone.

The complainant told the police that after receiving the phone, he noticed his sim card was missing.

This then led to an argument between the two, resulting in the defendant

“striking” him near the right eye.

Prosecutor Thompson said officers in Harbour Island then arrested the defendant on August 11 and interviewed him a day later. However, during the interview, officers said they were told by the defendant that he was allegedly raped by the complainant.

When given the chance to speak, the defendant, using the aid of an interpreter, told the court on Friday that the complainant got him drunk by “putting something into his drink.”

He also claimed that when he woke up at the complainant’s residence the next morning, he had no clothes on.

“I got upset and struck him to the face. I am not gay. I struck him with a hammer,” he said through his interpreter.

The defendant also said he did not remember hitting the complainant near his right eye, but on his neck.

“I could’ve hit him and

didn’t remember, but I remember hitting him in the back of his neck,” his interpreter added.

When asked about his coming to the country, the defendant said he arrived in the Bahamas on September 3, 2018.

After hearing all the facts, Magistrate Forbes noted that due to the strong assertions made, the matter would have to be placed on trial as the defendant has the right to defend himself.

“If that is his argument, then he is making a case for justifiable force or harm,” the magistrate said. “So if that’s the case, he has reason of defence.”

Asked, if he maintained the view that he was still assaulted by the complainant, he said through his interpreter: “I believe so because when I got up, I had no clothes on.”

The defendant pleaded not guilty to the charge and the matter was adjourned for trial on October 8 at 10 am before Magistrate Evans.

TEENAGERS ACCUSED OF ARMED ROBBERY

By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net

TWO teenagers were remanded to prison on Friday after being arraigned in a Magistrate’s Court on two counts of armed robbery.

Okino Whymms, 19, and Elltin Jean,19, appeared before Deputy Chief Magistrate Andrew Forbes charged with two counts of armed robbery.

It is alleged that the two,

armed with a handgun, stole $250 from Rob Judah Thurston on August 10 and also stole a PlayStation 4 valued at $240 from Anton Bullard the same day.

During Friday’s hearing, the teens were not required to enter a plea and the matter was adjourned to October 7 for service of a voluntary bill of indictment (VBI).

Also appearing before Magistrate Forbes on Friday for similar offences was Jean Vanderpool,

51. He was charged with one count of burglary and another count of stealing.

It is alleged that Vanderpool broke into the house of Glenn Woodside around 3.40am on August 11.

Officers also allege that he stole two cans of corned beef, two boxes of large macaroni and cheese, one can of tuna and one can of cream from Woodside valued at $12.

When given the chance to speak, Vanderpool denied to committing the crimes.

TWO MEN ADMIT SEPARATE FRAUD CHARGES

By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net

TWO men were arraigned in a Magistrate’s Court Friday on fraud related charges.

Travis Evans, 31, appeared before Magistrate Samuel McKinney charged with fraud by false pretences after he was accused of obtaining grocery items valued at $704.41 from Extra Value Food Store on

University Drive between July 19th and July 22nd “by means of false pretences.”.”

Evans was further charged with attempted fraud after officers alleged, he attempted to buy grocery items valued at $987.53 from Budget Meat Food Store in Yamacraw on August 12 by means of false pretence.

Evans pleaded guilty to both charges and was placed on probation for one year. He was also ordered

to compensate both Extra Value and Budget Meat Food Store.

Shourn Alphonse, 20, also appeared for Magistrate McKinney on Friday, charged with possession of forged documents and uttering the same after he was found with a false NIB smart card #12012009 on August 12.

Alphonse pleaded guilty to the charges and was placed on 12 months’ probation.

SIXTEEN Haitian nationals were taken into Bahamian custody after they were retrieved by United States officials in waters near Bimini last week.

The group was interdicted on August 12 and turned over to officers of the Immigration Enforcement Unit on August 15.

There were seven males, four women and 5 “unaccompanied minors”

according to a Bahamas Immigration press statement.

It read: “This group of migrants were assessed and tested for the Coronavirus (COVID-19) by the Ministry of Health Surveillance team, Freeport, Grand Bahama.

“They were also interviewed and evaluated by the Department of Social Service Child Welfare Unit, after which placed

in isolation.

They are expected to be arraigned in the Freeport Magistrate’s Court on Monday for infractions of the Immigration Laws. The Department will continue its commitment to carrying out the mandates of our agency to combat illegal migration by establishing effective border control management in compliance with the Statute Laws of our country.”

THE STORIES BEHIND THE NEWS

MONDAY, AUGUST 17, 2020

We must be careful not to let the cure be as damaging as the disease

BY MALCOLM STRACHAN WITH the country being engulfed in the raging second wave of COVID-19 infections, our knee-jerk response for flattening the curve - lockdown - is once again being implemented in full force. During the first stay at home orders, the natural response of fear to this invisible threat allowed the majority of Bahamians to be more understanding of the directive. As we witnessed from afar China’s effectiveness in using lockdown measures, the general feeling was we

would experience shortterm pain in exchange for long-term gain. And in the end, it would have been worth it.

However, when there is no end in sight, a frightening reality sets in.

After the decision to reopen our borders, allowing citizens and visitors to travel in and out of the country to and from areas where cases were still surging, The Bahamas’ rate of infection has increased by nearly 900 percent. And here we are again – the country locked down and many afraid that if the virus doesn’t kill them, the effects of these lockdown measures will.

Experts researching the efficacy of lockdowns, while noting how well they can work in the right scenario, also point to the risks for countries with major income inequality to create deleterious conditions for their people when trying to crush the curve.

University of Oslo researchers studying the economic and social implications of lockdowns during Italy’s bout with COVID-19 made some discoveries that will likely resonate with many Bahamian people.

The researchers determined: “We find that the impact of lockdown is stronger in municipalities

HUNDREDS queued at the Thomas A Robinson National Stadium last week to collect cheques from the NIB after weeks of waiting to receive payouts.

Photo: Terrel W Carey Sr/Tribune Staff

with higher fiscal capacity.

Second, we find evidence of a segregation effect, since mobility contraction is stronger in municipalities in which inequality is higher and for those where individuals have lower income per capita. Our results highlight both the social costs of lockdown and a challenge of unprecedented intensity: On the one hand, the crisis is inducing a sharp reduction of fiscal revenues for both national and local governments; on the other hand, a significant fiscal effort is needed to sustain the most fragile individuals and to mitigate the increase in poverty and inequality induced by the lockdown.”

This pretty much encapsulates the darker side of the COVID-19 lockdowns in The Bahamas. Certainly, the government has sought to assist many families with the food assistance programme. But many issues still exist and there is no shortage of criticism levelled at the government for its response.

The government recently touted the moves it has made in response to a scathing critique from Opposition Leader Philip Davis – approval of $18m in tax credits through its tax credit and tax deferral employee retention programme for medium and large sized businesses; disbursing over $38m in grants and loans for small businesses; and a projected $200m being spent on unemployment benefits by mid-September.

Without a doubt, the government isn’t just resting on its laurels. However, whether they’re inflating their response for public perception or the Bahamian people are just failing to see it, we are still in a lot of danger that goes beyond the disease.

The two-pronged reality is very clear – neither the government nor the citizenry will be able to continue along this path for much longer if nothing changes. Particularly as it relates to the Public Service Minister Brensil Rolle’s most recent pronouncements that the

National Insurance Board will not be able to sustain the amount it is paying out beyond September. This is, indeed, tragic for a populace that has been paying NIB contributions, in many cases, for decades. Some individuals have yet to even receive assistance - in some instances, for months – and without a definitive timeline for when they will be able to collect unemployment benefits, the roads behind and ahead of us are extremely difficult.

Our hope is the Ministry of Finance is able to work a miracle to ensure we can continue to provide support to our people – especially the lesser fortunate among us. Our brothers and sisters whose livelihoods are being strangled by these lockdowns need a strategic and scientific focus from the competent authority and its medical advisors about how we should progress forward.

To lockdown or to ease restrictions – that, my friends, will be the question. The reality is these measures, too, are slowly killing us. Undeniably, the stress that is being felt by Bahamians is palpable.

Have the Bahamian people been as disciplined as they should be during this time? Perhaps not.

Nonetheless, just as the government wants grace from us, we, too, are human and desire the same. None of us have ever endured such a crisis. The difference is, though, we elected our leaders to be fair and exemplify good governance That must be consistently reflected in the execution of their duties throughout this pandemic.

Citizens being fined or jailed for breaching the order is also very punitive at a time when many are simply desperate. Have we not considered community service instead of fines or imprisonment in such difficult times?

Further, we must consider how effective these lockdowns are if once the public is freed to move about, we cluster together to restock on necessities and tend to essential business. We are shooting ourselves in the

foot with this approach time and time again.

Irrational policies, will no doubt, continue to lead to irrational decisions all around.

That said, there has to be a more methodical way of ensuring people can adequately get what they need for these measures to make sense.

It has been suggested previously in this column for the government to create a goods delivery portal connected to qualifying stores based on a set of criteria on islands where this makes sense like New Providence and Grand Bahama. The services of local couriers can be employed to lead this initiative, and where operations need to be expanded, the government can use this as an opportunity to inject funds into the economy through contracting and training unemployed Bahamians to provide additional support.

Service providers can be outfitted in PPE and trained in contactless delivery methods to keep them and our fellow citizens safe.

The private sector cannot do this alone. And business owners are sure to be reticent to invest further into their businesses in such uncertain conditions if the government doesn’t have any skin in the game.

Indeed, this can be a very effective way to ensure citizens are receiving the goods they need safely.

Thus, we cannot any longer be slow to innovate and become creative with how we’re approaching this virus. Likewise, we have to be considering how we can empower our people throughout this pandemic because assumptions that this will be gone in the near future may shock us.

Government of The Bahamas, I implore you to keep working for the good of the Bahamian people.

And while we may want to aggressively blunt this second curve, we must also consider the hardship the populace has to experience as this continues to become an elongated battle.

Our fear must not supersede our love for fellow brothers and sisters.

EMAIL: insight@tribunemedia.net

INSIGHT

MONDAY, AUGUST 17, 2020 PAGE 9

THE MV WAKASHIO, a bulk carrier ship that ran aground near Mauritius. Below, volunteers take part in the clean up operation. Residents have stuffed fabric sacks with sugar cane leaves in an effort to stop the oil spill reaching their shores.

With the prospect of drilling for oil in the southern Bahamas approaching ever closer, recent events in the distant Indian Ocean nation of Mauritius are worth close examination as we consider economic alternatives in a post-COVID world.

by Adam Moolna Lecturer in Environment and Sustainability, Keele University ON the evening of Saturday July 25, the MV (Merchant Vessel) Wakashio grounded on coral reefs in the south-east of the Indian Ocean tropical island of Mauritius. The ship, a Japanese-owned but Panama-registered bulk carrier designed to transport unpackaged goods such as coal or grain, was empty of cargo but had an estimated 200 tons of diesel and 3,800 tons of heavy fuel oil onboard. The ship sat for over a week before cracks emerged in its hull.

Fuel oil began to leak into the expansive turquoise blue lagoon outside the coastal village of Mahébourg. Striking satellite images show the resulting oil spill weaving a black slick between the mainland at Pointe D’Esny and the flat round island of Ile-auxAigrettes. The impacts seen closer up are gruesome.

On August 7, nearly two weeks after the shipwreck, the government declared the incident a national emergency.

With at least 1,000 tons of fuel oil estimated to have already emptied into the lagoon, two ships moved alongside to transfer off remaining fuel in a race against time as the vessel threatened to shear into two.

I’m a Mauritian living in the UK and visit my dad’s house in Mahébourg once or twice a year. The coastline affected is the waterfront at the end of our street and the beaches where we swim and picnic.

It feels scary and strange to be writing this but inspiring to see local people taking action and coming together.

What’s under threat?

Spills like this harm marine life because the chemicals that make up oil are toxic to plants and animals, including mangrove forests and the corals that build reefs. While the black and sticky heavy oils used to fuel ships are less toxic than light oils like diesel or petroleum, they persist longer and smother life in the sea and on the coasts. Ecological effects ripple across interconnected marine and land ecosystems.

It’s very difficult to predict how severe the impacts will be in Mauritius – and how quickly or well the environment might recover – from even detailed analyses of case studies and ecology of mangroves and coral reefs. There are just too many variables, including the complexity of the

Pristine beaches and crystal clear waters now smothered in oil - can you imagine it? ecosystems, what mix of oil has been spilled, and how clean up is attempted, which can have negative environmental impacts too.

The 22 hectares of mangrove that make up the Pointe D’Esny Wetlands (roughly the area of 22 soccer pitches) are designated as a Ramsar site, a protected area for internationally important wetlands.

The mangroves are home to species and habitats of conservation importance and to nurseries of fish supporting coastal fisheries.

Just along the coastal road to the south is Blue Bay Marine Park, another Ramsar site, with 353 hectares of coral reefs, seagrass meadows, and more mangroves. It is home to turtles, 72 species of fish, and an exceptional coral diversity of 38 species from 15 families.

Ile-aux-Aigrettes, opposite Pointe D’Esny, has the last remaining coastal ebony forest in Mauritius and is an island I spent three months living on as a volunteer in my youth. The coastal ebony species is one of 11 remaining endemic ebony species of Mauritius, a twelfth is believed extinct.

This 27-hectare island nature reserve is named for the egrets, various long-legged and typically white-feathered species of the heron family that fish these coasts.

Successful conservation efforts have restored numbers of the Pink Pigeon, one of the rarest birds in the world in 1990, on Ile-auxAigrettes. It was brought to the island by the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation, the conservation charity that has painstakingly restored its ecosystems. Conservationists have been helped by the reintroduction of free-roaming giant tortoises who act as ecological engineers in the restoration of the various coastal islands.

Local fishermen depend on the now oil-polluted lagoon for their livelihoods and local people depend on it for most of the fish they eat. Many local small businesses, often family run, such as guest houses, tour guides, eateries and tourist shops are geared towards holidaymakers attracted by

the beautiful sea, beaches and nature that Mauritians enjoy every day.

And it seems the oil spill could eventually devastate most of the east coast of Mauritius. This includes stretches further north that host a large share of luxury coastal hotels. The coronavirus has closed international tourism since March. It would have been a slow recovery even without the environmental degradation.

Volunteer efforts The MV Wakashio is wrecked on almost the same spot where a British steel-hulled sailing vessel, the Dalblair, sank carrying coals to Mauritius in 1902.

The jagged remains of its decaying hull protrude to this day as a landmark above the waves, which ironically in daylight would have been a sobering warning.

After the oil spill, the usual sights of families strolling by the sea were quickly replaced by volunteers working hard in a grassroots effort to protect their coast. Packing straw from the fields of tall swaying sugar cane into homemade floating booms, self-organised groups of local people and activists deployed these along kilometres of coast with visibly evident success, halting expansion of the slick and soaking up oil.

The Mauritian government has told volunteers to stop and leave any efforts to officials. But people and local organisations are carrying on their making and deploying booms, which is the only apparent action dealing with the oil floating on the sea. It seems better to risk a fine or arrest than to stop. And local sentiment seems to be unanimously negative about the government’s slow response and lack of action targeting the slick.

Why the mistrust? Just four years ago on June 17 2016 another bulk carrier, the MV Benita, ran aground in Grand Port just 7km along the coast to the south. I was in Mauritius when this happened and looked out at the MV

Benita (which had a fifth the cargo capacity of MV Wakashio) from the beach at Blue Bay. There had reportedly been a fight on board and the ship had lost power, before drifting to Mauritius – without coming to the attention of the national coastguard. How the ship could simply crash into Mauritius without the authorities knowing bewildered people locally.

The vessel was there for five weeks before it was finally refloated, thankfully the oil having been taken off without major spillage or tank rupture. It was being towed to be scrapped

in India when it then sank 90km offshore from Mauritius.

Satellite evidence suggests in July 2020 the MV Wakashio had been on a clear direct collision course with Mauritius for several days and hit the reefs at Pointe D’Esny with ocean cruising speed maintained, meaning the government was again likely taken by surprise. The same evidence suggests it took six days for the government to even send out a tug to try to refloat the ship.

Governance failures in shipping The

recent

Beirut

tragedy – a deadly explosion of ammonium nitrate in long-term port storage – and now this Mauritius incident raise questions about governance and security in international shipping. Ships can be registered (flagged) in any country of choice, meaning owners are able to find jurisdictions with least regulations. As a Forbes article suggested: “It is unclear how effective the regulators of the flagged nations were in ensuring the safety of the vessel, port, crew and locations through which the vessel travelled.” This will need to be investigated. theconversation.com

PAGE 10 MONDAY, AUGUST 17, 2020

C

ARICOM countries have been subject to intense scrutiny in the period March to August this year, relating to the conduct of general elections, maintaining democracy and upholding the rule of law.

Elections were held in four countries – Guyana, St. Kitts-Nevis, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago.

No country was more closely scrutinised than Guyana by both vigilant domestic groups and watchful international observers.

That is good for the elected government which gained strong legitimacy both at home and abroad.

Guyana’s elections were held on March 2 and could not be declared until August 2, largely because of actions by officials of the Elections Commission who are expected to be investigated in the coming weeks.

The role played by the international community was a key factor in the declaration of a credible result of the elections, that led to the swearing-in of Irfaan Ali as the country’s new President.

The most outstanding

INSIGHT

EMAIL: insight@tribunemedia.net

External observation of elections protects democracy and rights country, however, was Suriname. Not only was its elections process transparent and judged to be so by local and foreign observers, but the President and party in power accepted the will of the majority of the electorate and handed

over office peacefully after an initial, but brief, call for a recount of votes in some areas. The former President, Desiré Bouterse, himself sashed the new President, Chandrikapersad Santokhi.

There were no

international observers at the St. Kitts-Nevis and Trinidad and Tobago elections.

In both nations, quarantine restrictions, on persons arriving in the countries, prohibited the presence of external elections observation missions. It has been argued that incumbent governments took advantage of the curtailments, occasioned by the COVID19 pandemic, to constrain political party campaigning and to exclude observers from organisations such as the Commonwealth, the Organisation of American States (OAS) and

SURINAME’s new president, Chandrikapersad Santokhi CARICOM – all of which played a vital role in Guyana.

Speculation still lingers over the St. Kitts-Nevis elections on June 5, where opposition parties claimed that the government used border closures to prevent nationals from returning home to vote, and to exclude external observers.

In the case of Trinidad and Tobago, it is doubtful that the integrity of the elections suffered from the absence of external observers. Over the years, the electoral machinery, as an institution, has been strengthened, providing confidence in the process.

This confidence was evident when the August 10 elections were hailed by all the parties as free and fair. It was only the main opposition party, that called for a recount of six constituencies.

Nonetheless, the presence of external observers would have helped to engender trust in the elections and eliminate the claims that led to the recount.

The experiences of Guyana, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago – each of them plural societies in which ethnicity plays a part in political party support – underscore the vital importance of strong, independent bodies to oversee elections. In both Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago, it is generally accepted that the elections bodies are institutionally strong.

This was not the case in Guyana, and it is precisely why the presence of international observers was so vital to a democratic result of the elections and maintenance of the rule of law.

Similarly, international observers, and their assessment of the fairness of the Suriname elections, contributed to the acceptance of the results of the May 25 poll. Mr Bouterse, an army man and leader of two coups d’état in the past, might otherwise have fancied his chances of seizing office. An identical prospect also hung-over Guyana for five months.

What this all emphasises is that external observation of general elections is

important to guard against fraud and elections rigging, and for the maintenance of the rule of law and democracy. Even if the elections machinery in a country is strong, it takes only one or two key officials to act improperly to manipulate results in favour of political parties they support.

Almost every country in the world now accepts the value of external observation of its elections, even the United States. In 2016, both the OAS and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe observed the US Presidential elections and are preparing to do so again for the 2020 elections on November 3.

The value that external observation missions bring to the integrity of an election, the legitimacy of a declared winner, and the willingness of a population to accept a result, is vital and should be encouraged.

In this connection, Jamaica’s Prime Minister Andrew Holness has announced that early general elections will be held on September 3. While Jamaica has quarantine restrictions in place for visitors, there is time now for invitations to be issued to CARICOM, the Commonwealth and the OAS either to send separate teams or to collaborate, to save higher costs, by sending a combined team to observe the elections. Such a mission would give greater credibility and acceptability to the elections for which parties have been gearing for weeks.

External elections observer missions proved decisive in Guyana and beneficial in Suriname – the peoples of both countries can attest to their crucial value.

The writer is Antigua and Barbuda’s Ambassador to the U.S. and the OAS. He is also a senior fellow at the Institute of Commonwealth Studies at the University of London and at Massey College in the University of Toronto. The views expressed are entirely his own). Responses and previous commentaries: www. sirronaldsanders.com

JAMAICA’s Prime Minister Andrew Holness

THE TRIBUNE

Monday, August 17, 2020, PAGE 11

WHITE HOUSE CHIEF ACCEPTS HARRIS IS ELIGIBLE TO SERVE AS VP WASHINGTON Associated Press

WHITE House chief of staff Mark Meadows yesterday said he accepts that Kamala Harris is eligible to serve as vice president, rejecting a false and racist conspiracy theory that President Donald Trump had promoted.

“Sure,” said Meadows, when asked on CNN whether he accepts the fact that she meets the constitutional requirements to be president or vice president. “And I think the president spoke to this yesterday. This is not something we’re going to pursue.”

Trump twice last week declined to say whether he believed she met the requirements when asked about social media claims that the California senator and former presidential candidate couldn’t serve in the White House because her parents were immigrants to the United States.

Trump initially said he had just heard the claim and had “no idea if that’s right,” but that the charge was serious and he would look into it. Pressed again on Saturday to accept her eligibility, Trump demurred, saying at a news conference at his New Jersey golf club that it didn’t bother him but

he had “not got into it in great detail.”

Harris is without question eligible for the office. The 55-year-old was born in Oakland, California, making her a natural-born US citizen and eligible to be president if Joe Biden were unable to serve a full term. Her father, an economist from Jamaica, and her mother, a cancer researcher from India, met at the University of California, Berkeley, as graduate students.

The Constitution requires a vice president to meet the eligibility requirements to be president. That includes being a

natural-born US citizen, at least 35 years old and a resident in the U.S. for at least 14 years — all criteria that Harris fulfills.

When asked about Trump’s promotion of the conspiracy theory, Harris said she and Biden fully expect Trump and his campaign to engage in “lies” and “deception” in a bid to beat Democrats in the Nov. 3 election. “They’re going to engage in an attempt to distract from the real issues that are impacting the American people,” she said. “And I expect they will engage in dirty tactics. And this is going to be a knockdown, dragout. And we’re ready.”

BELARUSIAN opposition supporters rally in the centre of Minsk, Belarus yesterday

Harris is the first black woman and Asian American to compete on a major party’s presidential ticket. Trump in past years indulged in the false conspiracy theory that President Barack Obama was born abroad. Only after mounting pressure during his 2016 campaign did Trump disavow the claims.

Jason Miller, a Trump campaign adviser, said that the campaign would not be promoting the conspiracy theory. “This is something the media brings up to him in his press conferences,” he said. “It’s not something that anyone in our campaign is talking about.”\

AMID PROTESTS, BELARUS LEADER REFUSES TO RERUN PRESIDENTIAL VOTE MINSK, Belarus Associated Press THE embattled president of Belarus tried to put on a show of strength yesterday, rejecting any possibility of repeating the vote that gave him a sixth term. But opponents countered with a huge demonstration that attracted as many as 200,000 people.

Alexander Lukashenko, who has ruled the former Soviet republic of 9.5 million since 1994, lashed out at the West and declared to his crowd that the country would “perish as a state” if the election were rerun.

About 50,000 people listened to Lukashenko in a square near the main government building in the capital of Minsk. But as he spoke, throngs of supporters streamed to their own rally about 2.5 kms away.

During 26 years in office, Lukashenko has repressed opposition figures and independent news media. But this year, protesters fed up with the country’s declining living standards and Lukashenko’s dismissal of the coronavirus pandemic have posed the biggest challenge to his rule.

Pelosi to call House back into session WASHINGTON Associated Press

SPEAKER Nancy Pelosi yesterday announced she is calling the House back into session over the crisis at the US Postal Service, setting up a political showdown amid growing concerns that the Trump White House is trying to undermine the agency ahead of the election.

Pelosi is cutting short lawmakers’ summer recess with a vote expected the Saturday after the Democratic National Convention on legislation that would prohibit changes at the agency as tensions mount.

President Donald Trump’s new postmaster general, Louis DeJoy, has sparked nationwide outcry over delays, new prices and cutbacks just as millions of Americans will be trying to vote by mail to avoid polling places during the coronavirus outbreak.

“In a time of a pandemic, the Postal Service is Election Central,” Pelosi wrote to colleagues, who had been expected to be out of session until September. “The life of our American Democracy are under threat from the president.”

SPEAKER Nancy Pelosi The decision to recall the House, made after a weekend of high-level leadership discussions, carries a political punch. Voting in the House will highlight the issue after the weeklong convention nominating Joe Biden as the party’s presidential pick and pressure the Republicanheld Senate to respond. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell sent senators home for a summer recess.

Earlier yesterday, Democratic lawmakers demanded that leaders

of the Postal Service testify at an emergency oversight hearing Aug. 24 on mail delays.

The House Oversight and Reform Committee said it wants to hear from DeJoy and from the chair of the Postal Service board of governors, Robert “Mike” Duncan.

With heightened scrutiny of its operations, the Postal Service is now requesting a temporary preelection rate increase, from mid-October through Christmas, although not for first-class letters.

The agency did not immediately respond to requests for comment about whether the two men would appear before the House committee. But it said Sunday it would stop removing its distinctive blue mailboxes through mid-November following complaints from customers and members of Congress that the collection boxes were being taken away.

“Given the recent customer concerns the Postal Service will postpone removing boxes for a period of 90 days while we evaluate our customers’ concerns,’’ Postal Service spokeswoman Kimberly Frum said.

House Democrats are expected to discuss the lawmakers’ schedule details on a conference call today and were likely to be in session next Saturday, a senior Democratic aide said on condition of anonymity because the plans were private.

The legislation being prepared for the vote, the “Delivering for America Act,” would prohibits the Postal Service from implementing any changes to operations or level of service it had in place on Jan. 1.

DeJoy, a major Republican donor and ally of the president who took control of the agency in June, has pledged to modernize the money-losing agency to make it more efficient, and has eliminated most overtime for postal workers, imposed restrictions on transportation and reduced of the quantity and use of mail-processing equipment. .• PRESIDENT Donald Trump’s younger brother, Robert Trump, a businessman known for an even keel that seemed almost incompatible with the family name, died on Saturday night after being hospitalised in New York, the president said in a statement. He was 71.

THREE TEXAS OFFICERS SHOT

BY GUNMAN Associated Press

THREE police officers were shot and a man remained barricaded inside a home with three of his family members in a suburb of Austin, Texas late last night, authorities said.

Officers responded to a call from a mother who said her son kicked in the door of the home, Interim Chief of Police Mike Harmon said.

The mother, a juvenile and another person, whose age was unknown, remain in the home held by the suspect, believed to be in his mid-20s, Harmon said. The suspect has “some mental health issues,” he said.

Harmon said when officers arrived they were met with gunfire and taken to a local hospital. All three officers were in stable condition with non lifethreatening injuries. At least one officer will remain in the hospital overnight.

“We want to end this peacefully for everyone involved,” Harmon said, making a plea to the unidentified suspect. “Please, come out and surrender.”

PAGE 12, Monday, August 17, 2020

THE TRIBUNE

NCAA DOC SEES NARROW PATH TO PLAY AS FIELDS STARTS PETITION

By RALPH D RUSSO AP College Football Writer THE NCAA’s chief medical officer says there is a narrow path to playing college sports during the coronavirus pandemic and if testing nationwide does not improve, it cannot be done.

Meanwhile, one of college football’s biggest stars sent out a petition yesterday, calling on the Big Ten to play football this fall.

Dr Brian Hainline told CNN late Saturday that “everything would have to line up perfectly” for college sports to be played this fall. Much of the fall college sports season has been cancelled, with conferences hoping to make up competitions, including football, in the spring.

But not everyone has accepted those decisions.

Yesterday morning, Big Ten football players continued to push the conference to overturn its cancellation of the fall season.

Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields, a Heisman Trophy finalist last season, Penn State tight end Pat Freiermuth and other players posted on Twitter an online petition requesting the Big Ten reinstate the schedule the conference released six days before it pulled the plug.

Player parent groups from Iowa, Ohio State, Penn State and Nebraska have sent letters to Big Ten Commissioner Kevin Warren asking for the conference to reverse course and seeking more transparency into the decision.

The letters also call for players to be allowed to sign liability waivers with their schools in order have a season. It was just two

weeks ago Pac-12 players with the We Are United movement called for its conference to ban such waivers. Big Ten United, another group of players pushing for more oversight and uniformity in COVID-19 protocols, also demanded liability waivers be banned.

The NCAA did just that a few days later, saying member schools could not require athletes to sign a liability waiver related to COVID-19 to participate.

Michigan defensive back Hunter Reynolds, one of the leaders of College Athletes United, a group that helped organise Big Ten United, said he wasn’t familiar enough with the parents’ letters to comment on them.

“I am focused on figuring out a way with my fellow players to work with the conference and the

NCAA to find a way to return to play that is as safe as possible and ensure the well-being of the players in as timely a manner as possible,” Reynolds said in a text to AP. The NCAA has no jurisdiction over major college football, so the conferences have been left to make their own calls. At the highest level of college football, four conferences — including the Big Ten and Pac-12 — have postponed fall sports and are hoping to make them up in some fashion in the spring.

Six leagues, including the Atlantic Coast Conference, Southeastern Conference and Big 12, are moving forward with plans to play in the fall.

Hainline told CNN that how colleges and universities handled the reopening of campuses to

students will be crucial in determining when fall sports can be played. Athletes have been on campus for nearly two months in some cases preparing for their seasons and being regularly tested for COVID-19.

Testing of athletes will need to increase when competition begins. Recent breakthroughs in saliva testing could provide faster results and more access to testing for everyone, but just how much remains to be seen. The availability and turnaround times of COVID-19 tests is still a problem in parts of the country.

“Right now, if testing stays at it is, there’s no way we can go forward with sports,” Hainline told CNN. He added: “We’re not in a place today where we could safely play sports.”

White Sox hit four consecutive homers in win over Cardinals CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago White Sox tied a major league record with four consecutive home runs, all against Roel Ramirez in his major league debut, and went on to beat the St Louis Cardinals 7-2 yesterday.

Ramirez is the first pitcher to allow four straight homers in his debut. Yoán Moncada, Yasmani Grandal, José Abreu and Eloy Jiménez connected during a six-run fifth inning.

It was the 10th time in major league history a team hit four straight homers.

The only other time the White Sox did it was on August 14, 2008, against Kansas City, when Jim Thome, Paul Konerko, Alexei Ramirez and Juan Uribe connected.

The White Sox got another solid start from Dallas Keuchel (3-2) and won for just the third time in 11 home games.

St Louis right-hander Dakota Hudson (0-2) allowed one run in four innings in his first start since July 26.

INDIANS 8, TIGERS 5 DETROIT (AP) — Franmil Reyes homered twice, and the Indians beat the Tigers for the 20th straight time, nearing the major league record for most consecutive wins by a team over a single opponent.

Baltimore holds the mark with 23 straight wins over Kansas City in 196970. The Indians can match the record when they host Detroit in a three-game series next weekend.

The New York Yankees currently have an active streak of 18 straight wins against the Orioles.

Francisco Lindor, Jose Ramirez and Sandy Leon also homered as the Indians connected a season-high five times. Oliver Perez (1-0) got the win.

Detroit star Miguel Cabrera had a pair of gametying singles, driving in three runs. John Schreiber (0-1) got the loss.

ATHLETICS 15, GIANTS 3 SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Stephen Piscotty, Chad Pinder and Marcus Semien homered during Oakland’s nine-run fifth inning, powering the A’s to their fourth straight win.

Piscotty matched his career high with five RBIs as the A’s, with the best record in the AL, won for the 13th time in 15 games.

Oakland’s Mike Fiers (2-1) permitted two runs and seven hits in six innings.

Brandon Belt and Brandon Crawford homered for San Francisco. Logan Webb (1-2) issued five walks in 4 1/3 innings.

DODGERS 8, ANGELS 3 ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Keibert Ruiz homered in his first major league at-bat, Corey Seager hit a threerun homer and the Dodgers swept the Freeway Series.

Max Muncy and Matt Beaty also connected for the NL-leading Dodgers

right hand by Scott Heineman’s line drive, but he threw him out to end the game.

Manager Bud Black said Estevez would be sent for an X-ray.

Ryan McMahon homered to help the Rockies end a three-game skid.

Rougned Odor also went deep for Texas. Kolby Allard (0-1) got the loss.

TWINS 4, ROYALS 2 MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Max Kepler hit a two-run homer to support another strong start by Minnesota’s Randy Dobnak.

Dobnak (4-1), the surprise right-hander who was promoted four levels last season before making a postseason start, allowed two runs, both on solo homers, in 5 1/3 innings.

Alex Avila doubled, walked twice and scored a pair of runs for Minnesota, which has won four of six after being swept in Kansas City last week. Sergio Romo collected his third save.

Hunter Dozier and Alex Gordon connected for the Royals. Rookie Brady Singer (1-2) allowed three runs and four hits in 5 2/3 innings.

CHICAGO White Sox’s Eloy Jimenez celebrates his home run off St Louis Cardinals relief pitcher Roel Ramirez during the fifth inning yesterday in Chicago. Jimenez’s home run was the fourth in a row given up by Ramirez.

(AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast) (16-7), who have won a season-best five straight.

Scott Alexander (1-0) got the win.

The Dodgers swept a three-game series at Angel Stadium for the first time since interleague play began in 1997, although the Angels still hold a 70-57 overall lead in the rivalry.

Anthony Rendon homered for the fifth time in six games for the Angels, who have lost four straight.

Julio Teherán (0-2) got the loss.

RAYS 3, BLUE JAYS 2 RAYS 7, BLUE JAYS 5 BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Willy Adames hit a two-run homer in the eighth inning, and Tampa Bay, helped by a huge Toronto error, earned their second win of the day against the Blue Jays.

Earlier, in the finish of a game suspended Saturday night because of rain, Brandon Lowe hit a solo shot off Jordan Romano (1-1) in the ninth to lift the Rays to the victory.

Aaron Loup (3-0) got the win in both games.

In a game scheduled for seven innings, Adames came up with one out and hit the first pitch from Wilmer Font (1-2) for an opposite-field homer. An automatic runner started at second base under Major League Baseball’s extrainnings rule and Adames connected.

The Rays tied the game with two outs in the seventh when Austin Meadows scored from first after Blue Jays right fielder Teoscar

Hernandez misplayed Yandy Diaz’s single.

Randal Grichuk, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Anthony Alford went deep for Toronto in the second game. The Blue Jays went 2-3 despite hitting 17 homers in their first week at Sahlen Field, the team’s temporary home this season and the park of their Triple-A affiliate.

Nick Anderson pitched a perfect ninth in the first game to record his third save. Aaron Slegers worked a perfect eighth inning for his first save in the second game.

BRAVES 4, MARLINS 0 MIAMI (AP) — Nick Markakis drove in three runs for Atlanta, and five pitchers combined on a two-hitter.

The Braves took two of three games from the NL East-leading Marlins and trail them by only percentage points. Atlanta is 31-10 against Miami over the past three seasons.

Markakis’ RBI single in the sixth off Nick Vincent (1-1) gave Atlanta a 1-0 lead. The Braves added three runs in the seventh after their first two batters were retired.

Darren O’Day (2-0) pitched 1 1/3 innings for the win.

PHILLIES 6, METS 2 PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Andrew McCutchen entered as a mid-game replacement and hit a

two-run homer to help Philadelphia complete a three-game sweep.

McCutchen was hitting just. 180 this season with no homers and got the day off against Mets starter Rick Porcello (1-3). Jay Bruce got the start in left field but was pulled in the fourth inning with a left quad injury.

The Phillies tied it at 2 in the sixth on rookie Alec Bohm’s opposite-field double to right that scored J.T. Realmuto. McCutchen, batting in Bruce’s spot, drove the first pitch he saw deep to left for a 4-2 lead.

Philadelphia’s Zack Wheeler (3-0) pitched seven innings in his first appearance against his former team.

BREWERS 6, CUBS 5 CHICAGO (AP) — Keston Hiura and Orlando Arcia homered, and the Brewers earned their third straight win against the NL Central leaders.

Arcia had three hits and scored the go-ahead run on Ryan Braun’s seventhinning single off Jason Adam (0-1).

Hiura belted a tying three-run drive in the third for his fifth homer.

Eric Yardley (1-0) pitched a scoreless inning for the win. Josh Hader got three outs for his fifth save.

Hader, David Phelps and Devin Williams combined to strike out six over the final three innings. The Cubs struck out 53 times during the four-game set.

Steven Souza Jr. and Jason Kipnis each drove in two runs for Chicago.

ASTROS 3, MARINERS 2 HOUSTON (AP) — Kyle Tucker hit a gameending homer in the ninth inning, lifting the Astros to their fourth straight win.

Tucker drove a 96-mph fastball from Erik Swanson (0-2) deep to right for his first career game-ending homer.

Houston also got a terrific effort from its bullpen in its fifth win in six games overall. Andre Scrubb, Enoli Paredes, Blake Taylor and Ryan Pressly (1-0) combined for 3 1/3 innings of one-hit ball in relief of Lance McCullers Jr. Seattle wasted a solid performance by Justus Sheffield, who allowed one earned run in six innings.

Kyle Lewis had two hits and drove in a run.

ROCKIES 10, RANGERS 6 DENVER (AP) — Colorado’s Jon Gray struck out seven over a season-high seven solid innings and was backed by a 14-hit attack.

Gray (1-2) retired 11 of his last 12 batters following Joey Gallo’s solo homer in the fourth and ended his day with a strikeout of Derek Dietrich.

The Rangers had the tying run at the plate in the ninth after two basesloaded walks by Jairo Diaz but Carlos Estevez came on for his first save. Estevez was hit on the back of his

DIAMONDBACKS 5, PADRES 4 PHOENIX (AP) — Eduardo Escobar hit a three-run homer in the eighth inning, and the Diamondbacks completed the three-game sweep.

The 31-year-old Escobar had been struggling this season, batting just .167 with one homer after hitting a career-high 35 homers in 2019. But he connected for a huge hit off Emilio Pagán (0-1), launching a line drive into the right-field seats.

Taylor Clarke (1-0) got the win after giving up one unearned run in two innings.

Archie Bradley pitched a scoreless ninth for his sixth save. Arizona’s comeback spoiled a solid start for San Diego’s Garrett Richards, who pitched seven innings and gave up two runs. The Diamondbacks have won four straight to improve to 11-11.

NATIONALS 6, ORIOLES 5 BALTIMORE (AP) — Max Scherzer struck out 10 over seven innings, and Washington went ahead to stay with an unearned run in the eighth.

With the victory, the defending World Series champion Nationals won the three-game series and climbed out of last place in the NL East at 8-11.

Washington got the decisive run after Scherzer (2-1) blew a four-run lead during an up-and-down performance in which he gave up a pair of solo homers to Anthony Santander and a three-run shot to Pedro Severino. Travis Lakins (2-1) was charged with the loss. Tanner Rainey struck out the side in the eighth and Daniel Hudson got three outs for his fourth save.

THE TRIBUNE

Monday, August 17, 2020, PAGE 13

MIAMI Heat’s Bam Adebayo (13) dunks over Phoenix Suns’ Deandre Ayton during the second half on Saturday, August 8 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida.

MILWAUKEE Bucks’ Thanasis Antetokounmpo, left, slams a dunk over Washington Wizards’ Anzejs Pasecniks (18) during the second half on Tuesday, August 11.

Welcome to the playoffs: The NBA’s best time of year is here

By TIM REYNOLDS AP Basketball Writer THERE seem to be fewer players fishing at Walt Disney World these days. Getting a tee time or streaming video games might not be as much of a priority as it was a few weeks ago, either.

Summer vacation is over.

The restart gets real now.

The NBA playoffs start today, the beginning of a two-month journey to see which team will be able to say it won a championship. It would come in the most unusual, most trying season the league has ever seen because of a shutdown caused by the coronavirus pandemic and 22 teams eventually moving into a so-called bubble at the Disney complex in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, to salvage the season.

“This is why we got here, why we worked so hard, why everyone put their egos aside and put their effort into this, so we could get to that point where we could crown a champion,” said guard Kyle Lowry of the defending champion Toronto Raptors. “The best part of the NBA season is the playoffs.”

The Raptors are back, with realistic aspirations to repeat their title. The Eastern Conference field also includes the Milwaukee Bucks, who posted the best regular-season record for the second consecutive year and have a likely backto-back MVP in Giannis Antetokounmpo.

In the Western Conference, for the first time since 2015, the Golden State Warriors won’t be going to the NBA Finals — their gap year, so to speak, meant

LOS Angeles Lakers’ Kyle Kuzma (0) is congratulated by teammates after hitting a game-winning 3-pointer against the Denver Nuggets during the second half on August 10 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. The Lakers won 124-121.

(AP Photos/Ashley Landis) they fell to the bottom of Frank Vogel told reporters the postseason. For others, The vibe was different in the West as they look to last week. only a title will do. the opening days of bubble reset with a healthy Stephen “But really, all of it is just “I didn’t mention that we life. Bass fishing on the Curry and Klay Thompson a buildup to us ... going into secured the 2 seed,” Clip- Disney campus was all the next season, possibly with the playoffs. So we’re here, pers coach Doc Rivers said. rage, more than a few playthe No. 1 overall draft pick we’re excited about it and “I don’t think anybody in ers tried golf for the first as well. confident in what we can the locker room talked time — a group from one LeBron James is back in accomplish.” about it. We really don’t team, perhaps not yet fully the playoffs, after taking the The matchups: Mil- care. Like, we want to win it versed in golf etiquette, Los Angeles Lakers — who waukee-Orlando, all. ... That’s the only thing tried to play with nine couldn’t get to the postsea- Toronto-Brooklyn, Bos- that matters right now for people, compared with the son in his injury-marred ton-Philadelphia and us.” typical max of four — and first year in Hollywood Indiana-Miami in the East, Teams have been in the everything from poker tab— to the best record in with the Lakers against bubble for nearly six weeks letops to wine fridges were the West. He’s gone to the play-in game winner Port- now, first for a couple weeks being shipped in to help NBA Finals in each of his land, the Los Angeles of training camp, then three players pass the time. last eight postseason trips; Clippers against Dallas, scrimmages followed by Some gamers have put four with Miami, then four Denver-Utah and Houston- eight seeding games that down their controls for the more with Cleveland.

Oklahoma City. were critical to some clubs next few weeks; Miami’s “We’ve been through a Some of those clubs can and little more than tune- Meyers Leonard, generally lot this year,” Lakers coach say they are happy to be in ups to others. considered the best Call of

Duty player in the NBA, announced that he needs a break to focus on the playoffs.

“For now, it’s time to lock in and help my team win a championship,” Leonard said.

There’s no travel in these playoffs, obviously. It’ll be 16 teams, with games limited to two arenas at Disney. For the first round, it’ll be four games per day at each site, meaning drama will begin in the early afternoon and continue until late in the evening.

Outside the Disney gates, the coronavirus pandemic continues. Most NCAA sports won’t be played this fall, and college football’s hopes seem to be hanging by a thread. When the US Open tennis tournament begins this month, both reigning champions — Rafael Nadal and Bianca Andreescu — will be among the many big names sitting out because of virus concerns. Baseball has dealt with outbreaks, though it continues pushing to complete its much-shortened season.

But inside the bubble, daily testing is working and the value of the strict protocols has been proven. No players inside have had a confirmed positive test and now the best time of the NBA year is set to begin.

Finally.

“Two months ago, it didn’t really look like this was a realistic opportunity,” Miami coach Erik Spoelstra said. “You just see what’s going on around the world.

Other leagues, colleges, not everybody has been given this opportunity to continue to do what you love. We have and we want to take advantage of it.”

INTO THE UNKNOWN: NBA TEAMS FACE CONCERNS OUTSIDE OF BUBBLE

By BRIAN MAHONEY AP Basketball Writer LAKE BUENA VISTA, Florida (AP) — Luke Walton was trying to find the right words to motivate his players to finish the season strong.

The Sacramento Kings had been eliminated from playoff contention, which was nothing new for the team with the NBA’s longest streak of missing the postseason.

Yet, even players who’d spent their whole careers with the organisation had never heard the type of speech their coach made this week. This wasn’t the normal talk of playing for pride, of trying to make an impression for next season.

“He said something like, ‘We don’t know when the basketball is going to come back after this time,’” guard Bogdan Bogdanovic said.

The 22 teams who qualified for the NBA’s restart will be down to 16 by the end of the weekend, when

the playoff bracket is set.

The other six clubs exit World Disney World the same way as tourists who normally pack the place.

Their fun is over. Now it’s back to the real world, and the real world in 2020 is an unsettling place.

“The unknown, none of us like that,” Washington coach Scott Brooks said.

Uncertainty awaits at the end of every season for teams that miss the playoffs. Coaches might not be retained. Free agents may not be re-signed.

This time, though, the questions go far beyond simple basketball matters.

The coronavirus pandemic forces teams to wonder whether they will be safe, and when — or where — they might be back together again.

“I mean, we’re leaving the happiest and safest place on earth and it’s definitely going to be tough, but it’s also going to be exciting because we all get to see our families and that’s what

we miss the most,” Brooks said.

“But we don’t know what the next step is going to be.”

NBA teams have been on campus since early July and there has not been a player test positive for the coronavirus during that time.

Meanwhile, the virus has raged on elsewhere in the US, strengthening in some places as the number of cases in the country soared past 5 million.

More than 750,000 have been killed worldwide and there have been more than 20 million known infections.

With only a limited number of people allowed inside the bubble and a commitment among them to making sure it worked, players could count on a safe environment. They were tested daily and reminders about mask wearing, social distancing and hand washing were so ubiquitous that Brooks said the Wizards could pretty

much memorise the video the league gave them.

“Honestly, the NBA’s done a great job,” New Orleans guard Jrue Holiday said. “This has been the safest place on earth. Seriously, the safest place on earth.”

Players aren’t assured of that security now.

Mask wearing isn’t required in some places, not enforced in others. A common commitment to following medical recommendations is one of the reasons the US has struggled so badly to slow the spread of the virus in the first place.

Walton said there is obvious concern for those already gone or on their way out of Florida.

“And I think one of the biggest challenges for us who have been in this bubble — there’s been zero positive tests and it’s been such a safe and natural movement going on throughout here — (is) readjusting to what’s

happening outside of the bubble,” he said.

The Kings’ Harrison Barnes, Buddy Hield, Alex Len and Jabari Parker had already tested positive before the restart, so the Kings know the dangers of the virus.

Walton said his players will need to continue following the same precautions they did while at Disney.

But there are still basketball issues.

A December start has been targeted for the 202021 season and the NBA would love for it to be in home markets with fans in the arenas, but those are far from guaranteed. Teams won’t be able to prepare for it in normal ways, not while they’re still limited to voluntary workouts in their facilities.

“A lot of the offseason is normally based on player development, where you send coaches all over the country to work with your guys every day,” Walton

said. “And a lot of that won’t be able to happen and we won’t know a start date for who knows how long.”

Concerns about the unknown, Walton noted, are being faced by people all over the world. NBA teams have been shielded for a little while, but the Pelicans, Kings and Wizards, and soon more teams, have lost that now.

They will miss out on more than playoff bonus money. They will miss the comforts of campus, the place where they had all the answers. And for a young team like the Pelicans, who already had to learn NBA life in the strangest season ever, the offseason could be even more challenging.

“Still kind of getting used to this league,” Holiday said of his teammates, “definitely in a weird year which I feel like nobody’s ever really dealt with this before, or even what’s going to happen in the foreseeable future.”

PAGE 14, Monday, August 17, 2020

THE TRIBUNE

Herman rallies to win Wyndham, qualify for the FedEx playoffs GREENSBORO, N.C. (AP) — Jim Herman rallied to win the Wyndham Championship yesterday for his third PGA Tour title and a spot in the FedEx Cup playoffs, shooting a 7-under 63 for a one-stroke victory over Billy Horshel.

Known for his friendship with President Donald Trump, Herman overcame a four-stroke deficit in the final round at Sedgefield Country Club. He overtook Horschel with a birdie on the 71st hole.

The 42-year-old Herman finished at 21-under 259.

Horschel closed with a 65. He had a final chance to tie on the 72nd hole, but his 8-foot birdie putt slid left of the cup. Herman got into the playoffs, jumping from 192nd to 54th in the race for the 125 spots. He hoisted a trophy for the second straight season and third time since 2017.

Si Woo Kim, the thirdround leader, had a 70 to tie

for third at 18 under with Kevin Kisner (64), Webb Simpson (65) and Doc Redman (68).

Herman had two birdies and an eagle — from 59 feet — on his first five holes to catch up to Kim. Then, trailing Horschel by a stroke, Herman stuck his approach to No. 17 to just over 3 feet for a birdie. to reach 21 under. He gained the lead when Horschel missed a 12-footer for par on 16.

It was quite a week for Herman, who had three birdies over his final four holes Friday simply to make the cut. He followed that up with a career-low 61 on Saturday to get into striking distance before taking the victory.

Horschel looked as if he was the one to rally as he moved from three behind Kim to the lead with a birdie-eagle- birdie run on the front nine while Kim struggled with a double

bogey and a bogey over his first eight holes.

Kim was a birdie machine with 21 birdies and a hole in one the first three rounds.

But he stumbled out of the gate and a pair of bad drives cost him his first win since The Players Championship in 2017.

He drove right into a hazzard of thick grass and, despite six people searching, could not find his shot.

Kim made double bogey to fall from the top.

Two holes later, Kim would up near a cart path bridge for a bogey to fall four shots off the lead.

JIM Herman holds the championship trophy after winning the final round of the Wyndham Championship golf tournament at Sedgefield Country Club yesterday in Greensboro, N.C. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

Stacy Lewis wins Ladies Scottish Open in ‘4-way playoff NORTH BERWICK, Scotland (AP) — Stacy Lewis won the Ladies Scottish Open with a 23-foot birdie putt on the first hole of a playoff yesterday, giving the American her first title in nearly three years and a confidence boost ahead of the Women’s British Open.

The 35-year-old Lewis took a swig of champagne beside the 18th green after fending off Azahara Munoz, Cheyenne Knight and Emily Kristine Pedersen for her 13th LPGA Tour victory — and first since the birth to daughter Chesnee in October 2018.

“I have been trying to get a trophy from the day she was born.

That’s been my goal,” Lewis said.

“I just called them, got to FaceTime with them. My husband said she was hitting the TV screen with her plastic golf clubs when I made that putt. So it’s just pretty cool. I can’t wait to get home with them in a week or so and celebrate.”

Lewis closed with a 1-over 72 to match Munoz (73), Knight (70) and Pedersen (68) at 5-under 279 at The Renaissance Club.

The Texan won for the first time since the 2017 Cambia Portland Classic and won for the first time in a playoff after dropping her previous three.

“On this golf course, you’re going to hit good shots and they are just not going to end up where

you want them to. That’s links golf. That’s this type of golf,” Lewis said.

“The patience was tested today.

There were moments there on the back nine where I wanted to go at pins but knew I couldn’t. So I really just tried to wait for my opportunity and just kept hanging in there.”

After Lewis holed her birdie putt in the playoff, Knight missed a 10-foot birdie try.

“I’m really happy the way I hung in there today. The conditions were really tough,” Knight said. “t’s all a learning experience.

I kind of struggled starting the restart, so I feel really good about my game.”

Lewis will look to follow up at Royal Troon next week, when the first women’s major of a reshaped golf year takes place. She is a twotime major winner, triumphing at the Women’s British Open in 2013.

In light wind on a cloudy day with the temperature in the upper 50s, Lewis bogeyed the par-4 eighth and made a double bogey on the par-4 11th. She birdied the par-3 14th, but gave back the stroke with a bogey on the par-4 15th. She parred the final three holes to get into the playoff, twoputting from 30 feet on the par-4 18th.

“I was just very much in control and then hit a bad shot on 11

and it leads to double, and then really hit some good shots after that,” Lewis. “Made the birdie on 14. 15 was a mess. 16, I should have gotten up-and-down. 17, I probably should have made that putt. It was frustrating that I had my chances, but at the same time with all the stuff that went on there in that back nine, I still had a chance to win the golf tournament. So I stayed very positive for me throughout the day, and just proud of the way I hung in there.”

Danielle Kang, coming off consecutive victories in Ohio in the LPGA Tour’s return, was a stroke back after a 69. Nanna Koerstz Madsen also was 4 under after a 65.

FRANCE VS GERMANY SEMIS MARK CHAMPIONS LEAGUE POWER SHIFT

By ROB HARRIS AP Global Soccer Writer LISBON, Portugal (AP) — Emmanuel Macron was quick to appropriate France’s unexpected Champions League prowess for political purposes.

“In Brussels, as on the pitches,” the French president tweeted. “France

and Germany, engines of Europe!”

The most powerful voices in European Union decision-making. And the last countries standing in the continent’s premier football competition, too.

It has never happened before: two French teams in the Champions League semi-finals after two nights

of incredible results in Lisbon. It is only the second time — after 1991 — since the European Cup was first handed out in 1955 that no teams from England, Italy or Spain made it to the last four.

Lionel Messi and Barcelona were sent packing after an 8-2 demolition by Bayern Munich on Friday.

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Then Lyon, the lowestranked quarterfinalist, on Saturday knocked out Manchester City, the world’s most expensively assembled squad.

Standing in the way of a first European Cup final for Lyon, which finished seventh in the pandemiccurtailed French league, is five-time champion Bayern on Wednesday. The previous night will see Paris Saint-Germain, which ended Atalanta’s fairytale run, facing knockout stage debutant Leipzig, which was only founded 11 years ago.

You have to go back even longer to find a Champions League semi-finals that didn’t feature Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo. It hasn’t happened since 2005.

Ronaldo, a Champions League winner with Manchester United and Real Madrid, didn’t even make it to this Portuguese city where his career was launched at Sporting.

Juventus was eliminated in the last 16 by a Lyon side that confounded its domestic form to edge past the side that has won nine Italian titles in a row.

It signals a resurgence for Lyon, which swept seven French titles from 2002 to 2008 before the rise of PSG, with more than $1 billion of Qatar-funded player spending since 2011, transforming the dynamics of Ligue 1. Seven of the last eight domestic titles have been won by PSG. But Kylian Mbappé is delighted by Lyon muscling

into the elite, allowing the PSG forward to use it to shoot down jibes about the quality and status of Ligue 1.

“FARMERS LEAGUE,” Mbappé tweeted in all caps alongside emojis of a clown face and applause, tagging in Lyon’s Twitter account after the 3-1 victory over City.

With Pep Guardiola — twice a Champions League winner as Barcelona coach — outwitted by Lyon’s Rudi Garcia, the last of the managerial heavyweights exited this mini-tournament.

Diego Simeone, who has lost two Champions League finals with Atletico Madrid, was dumped out by Leipzig on Wednesday. The last 16 saw Julian Nagelsmann mastermind Leipzig’s victory over Jose Mourinho’s Tottenham, the 2019 finalist. The same stage saw Jürgen Klopp’s title defence ended at Atletico. Zinedine Zidane’s hopes of a fourth title were thwarted

by Guardiola’s City in the last 16.

So a manager is guaranteed to lift the European Cup for the first time next Sunday. And in a rarity for football, the coaches in the semi-finals are all natives of the countries represented by the remaining teams.

Three of the four are German. Bayern’s Hansi Flick, PSG’s Thomas Tuchel and Leipzig’s Nagelsmann.

“It’s clear that this is lovely for German football,” Nagelsmann said.

“Coaching education in Germany is good. I enjoyed a good apprenticeship as a trainer and was satisfied with what I picked up along the way.”

Nagelsmann picked up his early coaching tips from Tuchel, who he worked under at Augsburg before leading Hoffenheim into the Champions League for the first time.

“I always look back to words that said German football would be left behind on the international stage because we mainly had German coaches,” Nagelsmann said. “And now everything is great. Of

course, that’s not the case either. But we shouldn’t live in extremes.”

At 33, Nagelsmann would be the youngest manager to ever win the biggest prize in club football.

“One German coach will definitely be in the final,” he said. “That is certain.”

It has been a shared journey for Leipzig and Lyon.

They took the two qualification spots from the same four-team group after being the lowest ranked teams, below Zenit St Petersburg and Benfica, whose stadium will host the final.

It should have been staged in Istanbul and in May. It’s not just the dates and location that were hastily changed. So was the format, transforming the dynamic of the competition.

The quarter-finals and semi-finals are being condensed into 10 days in neutral Lisbon, rather than being spread over two months with home-andaway fixtures, to ensure the competition can be completed during the pandemic.

The disruption to football caused by the coronavirus has favoured France and Germany. The English, Italian and Spanish leagues could only resume in June, so only completed their domestic fixtures in late July or early August.

No wonder the French and German team players were so much fresher heading into this final eight tournament.

The Bundesliga was completed in late June. Ligue 1 was curtailed after playing its last fixtures in March as COVID-19 forced Europe into lockdown. The only competitive French fixtures since then were the two finals in July, and Lyon taking PSG to penalties in the League Cup before losing.

“The head guides the legs — this did not preventing some of my players being exhausted,” Garcia said after Lyon ousted City.

“But usually we recover better when we have won, and this was a great victory for us and for French football.”

THE TRIBUNE

Monday, August 17, 2020, PAGE 15

AN ANDRETTI WINS 1ST INDY 500 POLE FOR FAMILY IN 33 YEARS

By JENNA FRYER AP Auto Racing Writer

MERCEDES driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain leads the pack out of the 1st curve during the Formula One Grand Prix at the Barcelona Catalunya racetrack in Montmelo, Spain, yesterday.

(AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

Lewis Hamilton wins Spanish GP for his 88th victory in F1

By JEROME PUGMIRE AP Auto Racing Writer LEWIS Hamilton was worried about Max Verstappen before yesterday’s Spanish Grand Prix.

Worried, too, about how the Mercedes tires would cope under a searing summer sun after wilting last week in the lesser heat of Silverstone.

His concerns proved as unfounded as his 88th career victory was comprehensive. The six-time world champion is now within three of Michael Schumacher’s Formula One record of 91 wins.

Hamilton beat Verstappen by 24 seconds to extend his championship lead over him to 37 points - 132 to 95 - after six races.

“I was just in a daze out there. I felt really good,” Hamilton said. “I didn’t even know it was the last lap I was so zoned in.”

His teammate Valtteri Bottas is fading from the picture, and already languishes 43 points behind Hamilton despite winning the first race of the season.

Hamilton’s fourth win of the coronavirus-shortened campaign was also timely, considering Verstappen’s superb win last Sunday — when Mercedes anxiety levels rose.

“It was a surprise because we had that problem with the tires last weekend,” Hamilton said.

“But we seem to have understood it.”

The pre-race thinking from Mercedes was that Verstappen — who has eight podiums in the last nine races — was favourite. But a thrilling contest never happened, and Verstappen’s priority became keeping Bottas in third place.

“It was good to split the two Mercedes. I didn’t have the pace like Lewis but I’m happy with second,” he said. “The start was crucial to get ahead of Valtteri.”

Although Bottas secured a bonus point for the fastest lap, he is six points behind Verstappen in the standings.

The winding 4.7-kilometre ( 2.9-mile) Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, with its combination of slow and fast corners, is one of the hardest for overtaking.

After narrowly securing a record-extending 92nd career pole position Hamilton made a strong start on the long straight to the first corner. But Bottas was overtaken by Verstappen and the Racing Point of Lance Stroll — who jumped from fifth to third with a fine move on Bottas’ right flank.

“The start was the key point, I lost a position and then had to push hard to make ground and suffered the tire condition,” Bottas said. “I was behind Max and everyone knows how hard that is.”

Track temperatures on the circuit were around 50 degrees C (122 F) and Bottas was concerned.

“These black overalls are hot,” he said during the race, throwing in an expletive for emphasis.

It was another miserable day for struggling Ferrari, with Sebastian Vettel seventh and Charles Leclerc

abandoning after his engine cut out on track.

“I don’t know why the car switched off completely,” Leclerc said.

He crawled into the pits but his race was over on lap 41.

Had he stayed out on track, he would likely have been lapped by Hamilton just as Vettel was.

Hamilton set the pace with a confident start.

While he and Verstappen swapped fastest lap times, Bottas labored behind Stroll for four laps.

It was Verstappen — and not Hamilton — who was complaining about his rear tires and by lap 20 of 66 he said there was “nothing left” in them.

The ice-cool Dutchman was getting flustered.

“Do you want me to repeat it again?” he shouted moments later on his radio. “I’m losing so much time.”

Finally, his team brought him in for new tires on lap 22 but he was 10 seconds behind Hamilton.

Both Mercedes pitted for new tires on the next lap.

But a blip attaching the rear left saw Hamilton emerging about four seconds clear of Verstappen.

He was given a brief glimmer of hope as Hamilton’s tire was showing signs of blistering only six laps after being fitted.

But Hamilton was soon pulling away again.

MERCEDES driver Lewis Hamilton celebrates on the podium after the Formula One Grand Prix.

(Albert Gea/Pool via AP)

WINNER Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain, centre, celebrates on the podium besides second placed Red Bull driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands, right, and third placed Mercedes driver Valtteri Bottas of Finland after the Formula One Grand Prix at the Barcelona Catalunya racetrack in Montmelo, Spain, yesterday.

(Alejandro Garcia/Pool via AP) Racing Point’s Sergio of Stroll with McLaren’s Perez, who missed the last Carlos Sainz Jr in sixth two races as he recovered place.

Vettel is having his worst from the coronavirus, finished in fourth place ahead start since 2008 but drove

OPEN

very well with just the one tire stop.

It proved the right choice but came after a tense exchange between Vettel and his race engineer.

“What do you think about going to the end on these tires?” his engineer asked.

After barking out an expletive, Vettel replied: “I asked you this before!”

Minutes earlier, Vettel had asked his team whether they thought he could go to the end on the same tires — and got no response.

His final season with Ferrari could prove to be long and arduous while Hamilton is odds-on to end it with a seventh title to equal Schumacher — Vettel’s childhood hero.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Marco Andretti was 2 months old the last time his venerable racing family led the field to green at the Indianapolis 500. In this strange pandemic-plagued season, he ended a 33-year Andretti drought by winning the pole.

That darned “Andretti Curse” has haunted three generations of racers at Indianapolis Motor Speedway since 1969, when Mario Andretti won his only Indy 500. Now his grandson, with a lightning-fast and fearful four laps around the speedway, has cleared the first hurdle toward an elusive victory.

Mario Andretti was 1 for 29 in “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing,” with just three career poles, his last in 1987. His son, Michael, never won a pole and his best finish in 16 tries was second in 1991. Jeff Andretti went 0 for 3. John Andretti was 0 for 12 and Marco currently is 0 for 14.

In his 15th attempt, he will attempt to end that stupid family curse once and for all.

The last of nine drivers Sunday to make a qualifying run, Marco Andretti logged a four-lap average of 231.068 mph to bump fivetime IndyCar champion Scott Dixon from the pole.

Andretti worried about the wind all morning and relied on advice his grandfather has long given the racers of the family to find the courage to hold it wide open for four laps around one of the most famous tracks in motorsports.

“The wind will scare you, but it will never crash you,” Marco Andretti said, quoting his grandfather after his run. He seemed to have tears in his eyes and his hands appeared to briefly shake as driver after driver congratulated him on pit lane. Then came a strong embrace with his father, owner of the six Andretti entries in the rescheduled August 23 race.

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TOP-SEEDED SIMONA HALEP WINS 21ST WTA TITLE AT PRAGUE OPEN PRAGUE (AP) — Topseeded Simona Halep defeated third-seeded Elise Mertens 6-2, 7-5 in the Prague Open final yesterday to claim her 21st WTA title.

The second-ranked Romanian broke Mertens for a 6-5 lead in the final set before converting her first match point to win her second title this year after the Dubai Championships in February.

Before the Wimbledon champion recovered from a foot injury she sustained in Dubai, the coronavirus pandemic forced a five-month break. “It was really tough to get back,” Halep said.

“I’m happy to be back on tour with a victory.”

It was the eighth title on clay for Halep and the first since she won the 2018 French Open.

Among the active players, only Serena Williams with 13 and her sister Venus with nine, won more titles on clay.

The No. 23-ranked Mertens jumped to a 2-0 lead in the opening set before Halep took charge, taking six straight games.

“I was very pleased about the way of adjusting my game to her game,” Halep said.

Halep improved her record against her Belgian opponent to 4-1 at WTA tournaments.

After the final, Halep said she would decide today if she is ready to play at the forthcoming US Open.

NISHIKORI TESTS POSITIVE FOR COVID-19 NEW YORK (AP) — Kei Nishikori, the 2014 US Open runner-up, tested positive for COVID-19 yesterday and said he will pull out of the tuneup tournament at Flushing Meadows that starts next week.

Nishikori posted what he called “some unfortunate news” on his mobile app.

While he is withdrawing from the Western & Southern Open — a hard-court event usually held in Cincinnati but moved this year to the US Open site in New York because of the coronavirus pandemic — he did not say what his plans are for the Grand Slam tournament that begins Aug. 31.

The 30-year-old from Japan said he is in Florida, where he is based, and had planned to fly to New York on Monday. But that plan was scrapped.

He will offer an update on his status Friday.

“I am feeling well and have very little symptoms but will obviously be in complete isolation for the safety of everyone,” Nishikori said.

He has been ranked as high as No. 4 and is currently No. 31, which puts him in line to be seeded for the US Open.

Nishikori lost in the 2014 final there to Marin Cilic and was also a semifinalist in New York in 2016 and 2018.

SEE PAGE 15

MONDAY, AUGUST 17, 2020

Gardiner shows his speed and versatility Miller-Uibo settles for 6th in 150m, not at full strength

SHAUNAE MILLER-UIBO, of the Bahamas, competes in the 150 meteres at the Weltklasse Zurich Virtual Inspiration Games on July 9 in Bradenton USA.

STEVEN GARDINER, of Bahamas, reacts after winning the men’s 400 metre finals at the World Athletics Championships in Doha, Qatar, on Friday, October 4, 2019.

(AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

L

ike his Bahamian On Track Management, Inc. counterpart Shaunae Miller-Uibo, World Championship men’s 400 metre champion Steven Gardiner showed his versatility and speed over the weekend by competing in a pair of meets in Atlanta, Georgia.

On Saturday night at the Atlanta 150m Challenge at the Life University in Mariette, Georgia, Gardiner erased Chris ‘Fireman’ Brown’s Bahamian national 150m time of 15.10 seconds that he ran in Manchester, England on May 17, 2014 when he clocked 15.07 to pull away from his nearest rival Christopher Belcher of Nike, who did 15.58 for second. Alonzo Edward of Adidas was third in 16.08.

Earlier in the day at the American Track League Meet #6 at the same facility in Georgia, Gardiner raced to victory in the second of six heats of the century in 11.19.

However, that was only good enough for 10th place overall.

Edward had the fastest time overall in 10.37 as he took heat six. Another quarter-miler Fred Kerley of Nike won heat three in 11.05 for eighth place overall.

Gardiner, who improved from the men’s 400m silver medal at the 2017 World Championships in London, England to gold in Doha, Qatar last year, is now the national record holder in the 150m, 200m (19.75), 200m straight (19.88), 300m (31.83) and 400m (43.47). His name is also on the indoor 300m record with a time of 32.24.

Claude Bryan, the chief executive officer of On Track Management, Inc., the management group for Gardiner and Miller-Uibo, simply stated that they were “quite pleaded with his run.”

Gardiner, the 24-year-old sprinter from Murphy Town, Abaco, who started his international journey as a 200m competitor under coach Anthony Williams, adds his 100m time to his season’s best of 19.96 in the 200m and 31.83 in the 300m.

As for Miller-Uibo, who had to withdraw from the finals of the women’s 100m last week at the Star Athletics Sprint Showcase

in Florida where she ran 13.56 seconds in the first round of the event, was back in action as she contested the women’s 150m in the same meet Saturday night.

Still not at full strength from her unconfirmed condition, Miller-Uibo had to settle for sixth place in 20.35. American Jessica Beard, also representing Adidas, was the overall winner in 18.02 with Chrisann Gordon-Powell second in 18.18. Hannah Cunliff was third in 19.32.

Before her final two races, 26-year-old Miller-Uibo was the world leader up to August 9 with 10.98 before Jamaica’s 1-2 punch of Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (10.87) and Elaine ThompsonHerah (10.88) surpassed her in a meet last weekend as well in Kingston.

Miller-Uibo, however, remains the world leader in the 200m at 21.98 and 400m with 50.52. She also holds the Bahamian national records in the 150m straight (16.23), 200m (21.74), 200m straight (21.76), 300m (34.41) and 400m (48.37). The 2014 World Indoor Championships’ bronze medallist also holds the national indoor 300m record (34.35).

Both Gardiner and Miller-Uibo have opted from competing in the 400m this year. Last year, Gardiner ascended to the top of the podium at the World Championships with the gold in the men’s 400m, just a day after Miller-Uibo had to settle for the silver in a sterling run in the women’s event behind Bahrain’s Salwa Eid Naser in Doha, Qatar.

Naser, who rocked the championships by producing the third fastest time of 48.14 to become the first woman athlete from Asia to win the 400m gold, is under investigation by World Athletics for a doping violation.

If she is proven guilty, MillerUibo could be elevated to the gold after her Central American and Caribbean and Bahamian national record breaking silver medal feat of 48.37, adding to her title in the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

The results could also determine whether or not there will be a rematch at the 2020 Olympic Games, which have been postponed to 2021 in Tokyo, Japan because of the coronavirus pandemic as Naser could face a suspension for the violation.

Chavano ‘Buddy’ Hield: ‘Y’all can read me well’

By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net A POSSIBLY tenuous situation between Chavano “Buddy” Hield and the Sacramento Kings front office this offseason has already begun.

Following the Kings’ regular season finale, Hield spoke with reporters on several topics, most noteworthy was his reply when asked whether he would be content to continue his role off the bench next season.

“Y’all know me, y’all know how I talk, y’all know how I feel with a lot of stuff, y’all can read me well, so I’ll let y’all answer that for yourselves,” Hield said.

Hield played sparingly in several of Sacramento’s seeding games, including a season low 11 minutes in a win over the New Orleans Pelicans. He averaged just 14.3 points per game on 43 per cent field goal shooting in Orlando.

“I just have to work on my game, stay locked in, focused on what I got to do and just remember where I came from what got me here in the league and how I can stick around for a long time,” Hield said.

Just days after Hield’s comments, both Kings general manager - Vlade Divac and assistant general manager - Peja Stojakovic resigned from their

SACRAMENTO Kings head coach Luke Walton, left, talks with Buddy Hield during the fourth quarter against the Los Angeles Lakers on August 13 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida.

(Kevin C Cox/Pool Photo via AP) roles in the organisation. Joe In 72 games this season, Hield Dumars will take over as interim averaged 19.6 points, 4.6 rebounds executive vice president of basket- and three assists per game. He ball operations. shot 43 per cent from the field Hield’s development was one of and 39 per cent from three-point the many issues Divac discussed range. He started 44 games this with the Sacramento Bee follow- season before he was moved to ing his resignation. bench in favour of Bogdan Bog“He didnt like the role he was danovic on January 24. The Kings in. I support his feeling...he has to went 13-7 once Hield moved to look in the mirror and see what he the bench, prior to the league’s does right and does wrong,” Divac hiatus due to the COVID-19 pansaid. “He is an elite shooter….but demic in March. he has to provide that (more conLast November, Hield consistently). He has to do a better cluded his contract negotiations job defensively.” with the Kings and reached the

most lucrative deal ever signed by any Bahamian athlete when he agreed to a four-year, $94 million contract extension. Had the sides not reached the deal, Hield could have become a restricted free agent next summer.

During the negotiations, Hield was very vocal on his situation in the national media and discussed his role in the team’s future.

“If it [the contract extension] don’t get done, me and my team will look somewhere else, probably look for another home. Until then, we’ll see what happens here.

That’s the goal, to be here, and I love Sacramento. But if they don’t want me here, they don’t feel like I’m part of the core — I like respect and loyalty and I feel like I’m part of the group that’s been getting the team back to where it needs to be. So like I said I want to be here, but if they don’t want me here I’ll find somewhere else to be.”

During the same time period, the Kings offered Bogdanovic a four-year $51 million deal which remains unsigned. Third year point guard De’Aaron Fox will be eligible for his max extension next year and 2018’s second overall pick, Bagley, the following year.

In April, the Athletic reported that Sacramento considered retaining Bogdanovic a priority and would match any offer sheet toward the veteran guard.