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Bahamas placed on Level 4 ‘do not travel’ list by US By YOURI KEMP Tribune Business Reporter ykemp@tribunemedia.net THE Bahamas Hotel and Tourism Association’s (BHTA) president called it “regrettable” that the US has placed The Bahamas on its Level 4 “do not travel” list. Yesterday, the US State Department placed The Bahamas on its Level 4 (Very High) travel advisory, warning Americans to not travel here due to the high cases of COVID-19 infections. The advisory explicitly said: “Because of the current situation in The Bahamas, even fully vaccinated travellers may be at risk for getting and

• Advisory: Even fully vaccinated travellers may be at risk • August worst reported COVID numbers of the year • Sands: ‘Very regrettable position to find ourselves in’ spreading COVID-19 variants,” despite there not being a confirmed case of any new COVID-19 variant in country. This comes at a time when the economy was seeing a minor rebound, with Tourism Minister Dionisio D’Aguilar noting that 440,000 stopover

visitors have already spent some $875m in The Bahamas in the first six months of 2021. BHTA president Robert Sands, told Tribune Business: “It is a very regrettable position to find ourselves in. I remain hopeful that Bahamians will take up the cause to become vaccinated and

also to engage in the proper protocols so that we can continue to work towards reducing the number of positive COVID-19 cases. August is being reported as the worst month of the year for COVID-19 as cases

for the month already are on track to surpass last year October when a record 2,612 cases were recorded. So far the cases confirmed over this past weekend

SEE PAGE 2

BECAUSE of the high prevalence of COVID-19 infections in The Bahamas, the US State Department placed The Bahamas on its Level 4 (Very High) travel advisory. Photo:File

Red Lobster Bahamas seeks $2.7m investment from local crowd funding platform By YOURI KEMP Tribune Business Reporter ykemp@tribunemedia.net THE Arawak X crowd funding platform is looking to deliver $2.7m for a new Red Lobster franchise. Chris Mortimer, chairman and chief executive officer of Red Lobster Bahamas, speaking at the launch of his company’s listing on the Arawak X platform yesterday, said that during his 20 year experience in the food and beverage industry he is excited to bring to this new operation to the country. The Red Lobster Bahamas will be operating formally under the Pinnacle Franchise Brands and has a location ready to open in the near future at the Mall at Marathon and the second branch by Q1 next year in the new downtown Nassau Cruise Port.

“Pinnacle Franchise, through the Red Lobster brand is looking to provide a sweet food franchise in The Bahamas and the entire Caribbean that provides affordable customer oriented services where you can enjoy dining out as an individual, family or group that still has a reasonable cost for its value provided.” Chris Mortimer CHRIS MORTIMER Mr Mortimer said: “Pinnacle Franchise Brands has a team of local and international experts and advisors with years of experience in the entertainment and food industry. They have managed companies that have produced multimillion dollar revenues and are looking to sue the expertise to bring you this wonderfully new and beloved franchise.

purchasing equipment and other furnishings for the restaurant. This is where the Arawak X crowd-funding platform will be vital for Red Lobster’s development and expansion as Pinnacle Franchise was listed on the crowd-funding platform yesterday, making them eligible to raise that money through the platform

SEE PAGE 2

Maura to serve as chairman for 2021 Anchor Awards Gala THE American Caribbean Maritime Foundation (ACMF) has announced that Mike Maura, CEO of Nassau Cruise Port Ltd., will serve as the chairman of the distinguished 2021 Anchor Awards Gala. The gala is the premier fundraising event for the ACMF, at which it recognises and honours top regional performers in the maritime industry. This year, the distinguished honourees are Alyse Lisk, Senior Vice President of Technology & Operational Excellence at Tote LLC, and Harriat “Harry” Pershad Maragh, former chairman and CEO of The Lannaman & Morris Group of Companies (posthumously).

MIKE MAURA The ACMF is a United States non-profit organization whose mission is to “alleviate poverty and transform lives in the Caribbean through maritime education and community development.”

The gala will be held on Friday, November 5 , at the historic New York Yacht Club in Manhattan. The fundraising goal of the gala is to bring in $250,000 to support the education of the next generation of Caribbean maritime professionals. The Foundation provides full-tuition scholarships and grants to Caribbean nationals who plan to work in the industry and qualify to attend any one of these three academic partners – the Caribbean Maritime University in Jamaica, University of Trinidad and Tobago, and the LJM Maritime Academy in The Bahamas. “I firmly believe that education is the most

empowering force in the world,” said Mr Maura.“As a part of our support of the event, two Nassau Cruise Port Ltd. scholarships will be established and awarded to Caribbean maritime students this year. I think that it is incumbent upon us as regional maritime professionals to help ensure that our best and brightest young minds have access and opportunities in such a vital industry.” “Seafarers and those who support them make the world go round. If we, as Caribbean maritime professionals, do not support and push the development of this sector, we will put the growth of all our economies

SEE PAGE 3

D’ARCY RAHMING SR

Rahming: Arawak X will push The Bahamas to a ‘greater arena’ By YOURI KEMP Tribune BUSINESS REPORTER ykemp@tribunemedia.net THE Arawak X crowd funding platform is moving offshore services near-shore says the company’s chief executive officer. D’Arcy Rahming Sr, speaking at a press

conference yesterday for the platform’s launch of its first two companies, said that Arawak X will push The Bahamas to a “greater arena” in the finance world. Mr Rahming Sr said: “The Bahamas will soon be known as a near shore centre because the

SEE PAGE 3

PAGE 2, Tuesday, August 24, 2021

THE TRIBUNE

DEVEAUX-ISAACS ELECTED PRESIDENT OF THE CBU KAYLEASER Deveaux-Isaacs , General Manager of The Broadcasting Corporation of The Bahamas, was elected President of the Caribbean Broadcasting Union (CBU) at its 52nd Annual General Assembly earlier this month. The corporation is a founding member of the CBU which began in 1970. The CBU is a not-forprofit association of public service and commercial broadcasters, reaching over 4.8 million people. The 36 Member stations are drawn

from 19 countries of the Caribbean region. Mrs Deveaux-Isaacs has been on the Board of Directors of the CBU since June 2017 and was selected Vice President in December, 2020. Her term as President runs from 2021-2023. In June 2017, Mrs. Deveaux-Isaacs and the BCB team hosted the 48th Annual General Assembly of the CBU which attracted record number of visitors from the region and internationally to the event.

Mrs. Deveaux-Isaacs said: “I am very pleased and honoured to be chosen by my regional peers to the high office of President of the CBU. This special honour is shared with all of the BCB staff, past and present who represented The Bahamas at this forum and it is for the Bahamian people. I look forward to working with my media colleagues from the around the Caribbean and internationally, as we all continue the fight against this COVID-19 Pandemic. We must continue the push to

get accurate information to our people, so that they can make informed choices and decisions to protect against COVID-19, and at all times.” The Broadcasting Corporation of The Bahamas also won Best Television Documentary for its production on Hurricane Dorian: Category 6 with Meagan Shepard and Gershon Swain. BCB also won Best Radio Health Programme for HIV/AIDS (in association with the Ministry of Health).

Bahamas placed on Level 4 ‘do not travel’ list by US FROM PAGE ONE include 317 on New Providence; 32 on Abaco; 24 on Grand Bahama; 23 on Eleuthera; 10 on Long Island; 10 on Exuma and Mayaguana, Bimini, Cat Cay and Andros with one each respectively with another four locations listed as still pending. These new cases bring the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 17,386, of which 3,200 are still active. There was a total of eight additional deaths with 47 more deaths under investigation. Mr Sands added: “I can’t say that I was aware that the US was going to do this, but certainly The Bahamas has high numbers. August has been exceptionally high.” The see-saw effect of the US changing its advisory for The Bahamas has

“It is a very regrettable position to find ourselves in. I remain hopeful that Bahamians will take up the cause to become vaccinated and also to engage in the proper protocols so that we can continue to work towards reducing the number of positive COVID-19 cases.” ROBERT SANDS been ongoing for the past year now. It was just last year August the US issued the same warning about The Bahamas, but then in January of this year they

lowered it to a Level 3, where tourism officials were anticipating a steady decline in the advisory down to at least a Level 2, which would have been seen as a good

Robert Sands indication that the country was managing the COVID19 pandemic successfully.

KAYLEASER DEVEAUX-ISAACS

RED LOBSTER BAHAMAS SEEKS $2.7M INVESTMENT FROM LOCAL CROWD FUNDING PLATFORM FROM PAGE ONE and have investors take an equity interest in the company. Investors will be given share certificates for the amount of stock they buy in the company through the platform. Calling this a “watershed moment,” Mr Mortimer added: “This should be congratulated as it is something that this country needed so desperately for such a long period of time. He also said: “The beauty about today is that Bahamians far and wide are going to be able to benefit financially in a brand that they know and love and accumulate shares and decisions in a company that will be

beneficial for themselves and for their family over the long term. “This is truly an opportunity for us to connect with everybody out there who wants to be a part of Red Lobster.” Mr Mortimer added: “I also wish to say that in other territories such as Jamaica, Trinidad, and the Dominican Republic that we already have individuals who are ready for those territories as well. “So the benefit for the Bahamian investor, or any investor is that not only will they benefit in what we do in The Bahamas, they will also be able to benefit as we bring on stream that Red Lobster brand in all of those territories.”

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, August 24, 2021, PAGE 3

Rahming: Arawak X will push The Bahamas to a ‘greater arena’ FROM PAGE ONE

environment that has been set for us with all of the wonderful rules and laws that have been set for us, now the part of the ecosystem that was missing, the capital raise, will ensure that we move from an offshore centre to a near short centre, where companies can come, both local and international, and raise capital.” Two companies launched on the Arawak X platform yesterday, Pinnacle

Franchise Brands and Bahama Myfi Ltd., both are seeking to raise upwards of $2m each for various company and corporate upgrades. Bahamas Myfi Ltd is a tourism platform geared for enhancing the tourist experience in The Bahamas. People who wish to invest in these companies can do so for as little as $25 under a 90 day minimum trade window. They can do so and earn shares in the individual company that they invested in.

Darcy Rahming Jr, chief technology officer at Arawak X, also said: “We’ve tried to make it super simple, so that companies can onboard and investors can onboard. Further explaining the onboarding process Rahming Jr said, “So as you go through the process of signing up, we’re going to ask for your information, these are assets that you’re purchasing. “So these are ownership and these gentleman’s companies and so what that

means is that those assets come with certain rights. Rights to dividends, they’re an asset, so you’ll be able to borrow money against them.” With the ability to trade these assets and leverage them for other purposes, Know Your Customer (KYC) due diligence is essential and something Mr Rahming Jr places as an utmost priority. “It’s important that you understand what is the KYC documentation in there so we can know who you are, so we

can register those assets appropriately,” said Mr Rahming Jr. Marlon Johnson, acting financial secretary in the ministry of finance was also on hand and remarked, “I just want to say on behalf of the ministry of finance and all of the persons throughout the public service, who would have been instrumental in bringing forward the enabling regulations, that we too are pleased to see that we are at this particular point.”

The launch of a crowdfunding platform was years in the making and featured prominently in the Economic Recovery Committee’s report in October, 2020 Mr Johnson said. “Part of that economic recovery committee’s recommendations was to enjoin the government, the put in place, regulations and protocols to enable a Junior stock market to enable crowd-funding and the like.”

SENATORS QUESTION FDA ON WORK Maura to serve as chairman for WITH OPIOID MAKER CONSULTANT 2021 Anchor Awards Gala

By TOM MURPHY AP Health Writer

SEVERAL U.S. senators are questioning the Food and Drug Administration’s work with a consulting firm that helped businesses sell prescription painkillers during the nation’s overdose crisis. Democrat Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire and Republican Chuck Grassley of Iowa, among others, have asked the FDA about potential conflicts of interest in its work with McKinsey and Co. The senators sent a letter Monday to the FDA noting that the agency paid McKinsey more than $140 million after hiring it several times starting in 2008. While helping the government, McKinsey “also worked for a wide range of actors in the opioid industry, including many of the companies that played a pivotal role in fueling the opioid epidemic that our country now faces,” the letter said. An FDA representative said the agency has received the letter and would respond directly to the senators. Earlier this year, McKinsey agreed to almost $600 million in settlements with nearly every state and five U.S. territories over its work with drugmakers on prescription opioid sales. Opioids, which also include illegal substances like heroin, have been linked to almost a half million deaths in the U.S. since 2000, a problem that has deepened during the COVID-19 pandemic. Under its contracts with the FDA, McKinsey worked with the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, the agency’s main division for approving prescription opioids and other drugs, the letter states. While working with the FDA, McKinsey also advised opioid manufacturers on avoiding oversight from the regulator, according to the letter. The consultant advised Purdue Pharma on how to soften an

FROM PAGE ONE

THIS Feb. 19, 2013, file photo shows OxyContin pills arranged for a photo at a pharmacy in Montpelier, Vt. Several U.S. senators are questioning the Food and Drug Administration’s work with a consulting firm that helped businesses sell prescription painkillers during the nation’s overdose crisis. Democrat Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire and Republican Chuck Grassley of Iowa, among others, have asked the FDA about potential conflicts of interest in its work with McKinsey and Co. The senators sent a letter Monday, Aug. 23, 2021 to the FDA noting that the agency paid McKinsey more than $140 million after hiring it several times starting in 2008. Photo:Toby Talbot/AP FDA drug safety program that required companies to communicate risks to patients, care providers and pharmacists. The senators noted that the final program announced in 2012, “was largely devoid of the restrictions the FDA had initially proposed.” The senators asked the FDA to answer several questions and provide documents by Sept. 20. They want to know how the agency checks for conflicts of interest and what its current relationship is with McKinsey. They also asked what disclosures McKinsey made to the agency about potential conflicts and when the FDA became aware that McKinsey’s clients included “several major opioid distributors and retailers.” Four Democratic senators joined Hassan and Grassley in signing the letter. They include West Virginia’s Joe Manchin, Rhode Island’s Sheldon Whitehouse and Massachusetts Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Edward Markey.

at risk. If we want to remain competitive in the cruise and maritime sectors, we must give our children a chance – as engineers, navigators, managers, artists, and specialists of every sort – to be a part of it. All of our futures depend on it.” Geneive Brown Metzger, President of the ACMF, explained why Mr Maura was selected to chair this year’s gala. “Mike is certainly a trailblazer, so we are very excited to have his support and that of Nassau Cruise Port Ltd this year,” she said. “He is a champion in bringing people together and believes strongly in supporting our communities,

and that’s what the ACMF is all about – reducing poverty and improving lives through education and advancement. Events like these and those who support them are critical in moving our nations, and our region, forward. “We have received great support for this event from our strategic partners over the years, including Michael Bayley and the team at Royal Caribbean International, Tropical Shipping, the Caribbean Shipping Association, and many other organizations and private donors and for this we are exceedingly grateful. Every year, however, the need increases. There are many ways to get involved, and every dollar counts.”

PAGE 4, Tuesday, August 24, 2021

THE TRIBUNE

Existing home sales rose in July, inventory ticked higher By ALEX VEIGA AP Business Writer SALES of previously occupied U.S. homes rose for the second consecutive month in July, though only modestly from a year ago, suggesting the red-hot housing market may be cooling a little. Existing homes sales rose 2% last month from June to a seasonally-adjusted annual rate of 5.99 million units, the National Association of Realtors said Monday. That’s greater than the 5.82 million economists were expecting, according to FactSet. Sales rose only 1.5% from July last year. By comparison, sales in June jumped about 23% from a year earlier, when many states were still in a pandemic lockdown. “Sales are still running above pre-pandemic conditions, but appear to be settling down,” said Lawrence Yun, the NAR’s chief economist. The median U.S. home price climbed 17.8% from a year ago to $359,900, near the all-time high it set in June, NAR said. That annual gain was more modest than the 20%-25% year-over-year increases seen earlier this year. “Clearly, the home price growth is moderating,” Yun said. Sales of homes above $500,000 rose last month while those below that tier fell, helped skew the median price higher.

IN this Feb. 27, 2021, file photo, South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Orlando, Fla. Teachers, educators and other South Dakota citizens charged with crafting new state social studies standards said Tuesday, Aug. 10,2 021, that Gov. Noem’s administration deleted many references intended to bolster students’ understanding of Native American history and culture from their draft standards. Photo:John Raoux/AP

AS CASES CLIMB, GOP LAWMAKERS TRY TO BAN VACCINE MANDATES By STEPHEN GROVES Associated Press

IN this Sept. 29, 2020 file photo, a sale pending sign is displayed outside a residential home for sale in East Derry, N.H. Sales of previously occupied U.S. homes rose in July for the second month in a row, though they only increased modestly from a year ago, suggesting the red-hot housing market may be cooling off a little. Existing homes sales rose 2% last month from June to a seasonally-adjusted annual rate of 5.99 million units, the National Association of Realtors said Monday, Aug. 23, 2021. Photo:Charles Krupa/AP Would-be homebuyers who have been trying to navigate the most competitive market in more than a decade had perhaps a wider selection to consider at the end of July, when the inventory of unsold homes stood at 1.32 million. That’s an increase of 7.3% from June, but it’s still down 12% from July last year. At the current sales pace, the unsold inventory amounts to a 2.6-month supply, the NAR said. With so few homes up for sale, it has become routine for anyone putting a house on the market to receive

multiple offers that exceed the asking price, and many sell within days. In July, homes typically remained on the market 17 days before getting snapped up. That’s unchanged from June, but down from 22 days in July 2020. “I expect we’ll have more inventory in upcoming months,” Yun said. First-time homebuyers made up 30% of all transactions last month, down from 31% in June and 34% a year ago. These buyers have to contend with fewer homes for sale in the more affordable end of the market and

competition from all-cash buyers, often investors. Some 23% of homes sold in July were paid for with cash, unchanged from June and up from 16% in July last year. Still, first-time buyers continue to benefit from ultra-low mortgage rates. The average interest rate on a 30-year mortgage eased last week to 2.86%, according to Freddie Mac. The benchmark rate, which reached a peak this year of 3.18% in April, stood at 2.99% a year ago.

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — South Dakota House lawmakers have tried to pressure Gov. Kristi Noem to call a special session to pass a ban on employers requiring COVID-19 vaccinations even as virus cases climbed on Monday. Several Republicans in the House of Representatives have circulated drafts of bills that would stop employers from mandating vaccinations against the virus, stepping up pressure on Noem to call a special session for them to approve the bills. But she has resisted those calls, saying there is not widespread support for a special session. The issue has Noem, who has carved out a nationwide following for her handsoff approach to the virus, being pushed from the right to intervene on the state’s

largest employer, Sanford Health. House Speaker Spencer Gosch said late Friday he wanted the governor to call a special session as he released a draft of a bill that would make COVID-19 vaccination status “strictly confidential medical information” that would be off-limits to employers. The state’s largest employer, Sanford Health, plans to require all employees to get a shot by Nov. 1. “Gov. Noem has been a leader in fighting tyranny this past year, and we believe that she can understand the urgency here,” Gosch said in a statement. However, Noem’s spokesman Ian Fury cast Noem’s resistance to the idea as keeping with her conservative approach to the pandemic and argued that government should not be dictating whether or not employers require vaccinations for their employees.

WHO HEAD CALLS FOR TWO-MONTH VACCINE BOOSTER MORATORIUM By JUSTIN SPIKE Associated Press

DIRECTOR-General of the World Health Organization Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, left, and Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto exchange copies after they signed a cooperation agreement during their meeting in the ministry in Budapest, Hungary, Monday, Aug. 23, 2021. Photos:Balazs Mohai/AP

BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — The head of the World Health Organization on Monday called for a two-month moratorium on administering booster shots of COVID-19 vaccines as a means of reducing global vaccine inequality and preventing the emergence of new coronavirus variants. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters in Hungary’s capital, Budapest, that he was “really disappointed” with the scope of vaccine donations worldwide as many countries struggle to provide first and second doses to more than small fractions of their populations while wealthier nations maintain growing vaccine stockpiles. Tedros called on countries offering third vaccine doses “to share what can be used for boosters with other countries so (they) can increase their first

and second vaccination coverage.” Several countries including the United States, Israel, and Hungary, as well as others in Europe, the Middle East and Asia, are already offering or planning to offer their populations COVID-19 booster shots. In early August, Hungary became the first country in the 27-member European Union to allow residents to sign up for a third dose, and more than 187,000 people have received a booster so far, according to government statistics. Last week, U.S. health officials announced plans to dispense COVID-19 booster shots to all Americans in an effort to shore up protection against a surge in cases attributed to the delta variant and signs that the vaccines’ effectiveness is slipping. Yet the U.N. health agency has repeatedly called for rich nations to do more to help improve access to vaccines in the developing world. On Monday, Tedros said that of

the 4.8 billion vaccine doses delivered to date globally, 75% have gone to only 10 countries while vaccine coverage in Africa is at less than 2%. “Vaccine injustice and vaccine nationalism” increase the risk of more contagious variants emerging, Tedros said. “The virus will get the chance to circulate in countries with low vaccination coverage, and the delta variant could evolve to become more virulent, and at the same time more potent variants could also emerge,” he said. Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto told the news conference that Hungary has 8 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine in storage, and that the Central European country has donated more than 1.5 million doses to other countries. Tedros thanked Hungary for making those donations, adding that “we hope that you will do more, because no one is safe until everyone is safe.”

DIRECTOR-General of the World Health Organization Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, left, speaks during a joint press conference with Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto after their talks in the ministry in Budapest, Hungary, Monday, Aug. 23, 2021.

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, August 24, 2021, PAGE 5

Budget clash pits moderate Democrats against Biden, Pelosi By KEVIN FREKING and ALAN FRAM Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Confronting their party’s most powerful leaders, moderate Democrats are tapping the brakes on President Joe Biden’s multitrillion-dollar domestic program and insisting on their own priorities first in a smaller infrastructure deal. The interparty showdown is headed for a test vote Monday evening in the House. The band of moderates has threatened to oppose a $3.5 trillion budget blueprint unless the House first approves a $1 trillion package of road, power grid, broadband and other infrastructure projects that’s already passed the Senate. They could conceivably sink the fiscal blueprint in the narrowly divided House. With most of Biden’s domestic agenda at stake, it’s unimaginable that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., would let her own party’s centrists deal him an embarrassing defeat. That’s especially true with the president already under criticism over his handling of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan and with Democrats’ prospects uncertain in the 2022 elections for control of Congress. Pelosi implored lawmakers Monday afternoon to come together, saying there is no time to waste. “We must not squander our Congressional Democratic Majorities and jeopardize the once-in-a-generation opportunity to create historic change to meet the needs of working families,” she said in a letter to colleagues before the session. Members of the House returned to Washington on Monday in what Democratic leaders hope will be just a two-day interruption of lawmakers’ August recess to make gains on Biden’s priorities. Leaders want quick approval of the budget resolution, which will set the stage this fall for setting further legislation directing $3.5 trillion at safety net, environment and other programs over the next decade. Lawmakers were scheduled to huddle privately before the vote for a caucus meeting. That huge measure comprises the heart of Biden’s vision for helping families and combating climate change and is progressives’

top priority, all of it largely financed with tax increases on the rich and big business. But the moderates want Congress to quickly send the smaller, bipartisan infrastructure measure to Biden so he can sign it before the political winds shift. That would nail down a victory they could point to in their reelection campaigns next year. “The House can’t afford to wait months or do anything to risk passing” the infrastructure bill, Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., said late last week. He’s a leader of the nine moderate mavericks who each released statements reaffirming a desire that the infrastructure vote come first, and others may join them. Pelosi, backed by the White House, is leading her party in a tightly-scripted strategy that aims to keep moderate and progressive lawmakers on board for what would be a landmark federal investment and the cornerstone of Biden’s domestic policy agenda. In the narrowly divided Congress, to pass any legislation over solid GOP opposition, Democrats can lose no more than three votes in the House. The Monday evening procedural vote on the infrastructure measures, as well as a voting rights bill, another top Democratic goal, will test the strategy ahead. Some solution averting a Biden setback in the House seems likely. Leaders were in talks with lawmakers signaling they want both infrastructure bills passed by Oct. 1, an ambitious schedule. Pelosi, top House Democrat since 2003, has a long history of doing what it takes to line up the votes she needs on important issues. White House press secretary Jen Psaki on Monday underscored Biden’s support for Pelosi’s plans. Psaki deemed it a “healthy debate” within the party and said that it was “a highclass problem to have” as Democrats debate the particulars of the legislation. So far, neither the moderates nor the powerful forces confronting them were showing signs of budging. The party’s progressive members are vowing to withhold their votes on the infrastructure bill unless the larger measure focused on expanding child care, Medicare and providing for paid family leave is passed.

IN this Dec. 21, 2020, file photo, Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., speaks to the media on Capitol Hill in Washington. Nine moderate House Democrats are trying to upend leaders’ plans for enacting President Joe Biden’s multi-trillion-dollar domestic agenda. Top Democrats want the House to quickly approve a budget resolution setting up future passage of legislation directing $3.5 trillion at safety net and environment programs. But the moderates are threatening to oppose the budget unless the House first approves a $1 trillion infrastructure package. Photo:Jacquelyn Martin/AP

IN his Aug. 10, 2021, file photo, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi speaks regarding the Emergency Rental Assistance program in San Francisco. Nine moderate House Democrats are trying to upend leaders’ plans for enacting President Joe Biden’s multi-trillion-dollar domestic agenda. This week, they face a showdown. The nine are outnumbered and their party’s most powerful leaders are against them Biden and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Photo:Nick Otto/AP

Biden met virtually with Pelosi and other Democratic leaders and committee chairs late last week. In a show of solidarity, the White House and Pelosi issued similar statements afterward

underscoring their determination to approve both measures soon and pointedly ignoring moderates’ demand to do infrastructure first. Unless the moderates decide to oppose

the procedural measure, Democrats controlling the chamber 220-212 should be able to push it through. Among moderates, Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas, said in an interview, “No progressive is going to

cram something down my throat.” Rep. Jared Golden, D-Maine, said failure to pass the infrastructure bill quickly “leaves the nation’s economy and crumbling infrastructure hostage to political gamesmanship.”

PAGE 6, Tuesday, August 24, 2021

THE TRIBUNE

Stocks rise broadly; Pfizer gains after FDA approves vaccine By ALEX VEIGA AP Business Writer STOCKS notched gains on Wall Street Monday, pushing the Nasdaq composite to an all-time high and helping the S&P 500 more than make up for its losses last week. The S&P 500 rose 0.9%, after spending much of the day within striking distance of notching its own record high. The benchmark index ended less than 0.2% below its all-time high set a week ago. Technology, communication and financial stocks helped lift the S&P 500. Companies that rely on consumer spending also

notched gains. Energy stocks rose as the price of U.S. crude oil jumped 5.3%, recovering some of the ground it lost last week. Only utilities, household goods makers and real estate companies fell. Treasury yields were mixed. Pfizer rose 2.5% after the Food & Drug Administration gave full approval to its COVID-19 vaccine. The vaccine had been under an emergency use authorization since December, but the full approval could convince some reluctant Americans to now get their shot and will likely give local authorities the legal backing to impose mandates.

BioNTech, a German drug manufacturer which developed the vaccine with Pfizer, jumped 9.6% on the news. Moderna, which developed a similar vaccine that uses the same technology, vaulted 7.5%. The prospects of more vaccinations and signs of some easing in the growth rate of coronavirus cases, helped put investors in a buying mood, said Sameer Samana, senior global market strategist at Wells Fargo Investment Institute. Hopefully, the FDA approval “increases the uptake of the vaccine,” said Samana. The market’s gains “shouldn’t be viewed as

anything other than a vaccine rally.” The S&P 500 rose 37.86 points to 4,479.53. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 215.63 points, or 0.6%, to 35,335.71. The Nasdaq gained 227.99 points, or 1.5%, to 14,942.65, eclipsing its last all-time high set early this month. Small-company stocks outgained the broader market. The Russell 2000 index picked up 40.70 points, or 1.9%, to 14,942.65. Bond yields mostly fell. The 10-year Treasury yield slipped to 1.25% from 1.26% late Friday.

IN this June 16, 2021 file photo, the facade of the New York Stock Exchange. Stocks are opening higher on Wall Street led by gains in a broad range of technology, financial and health care companies. Energy stocks were also doing well in the early going Monday, Aug. 23, 2021 as the price of crude oil recovered some of the ground it hast lost in recent days. Photo:Richard Drew/AP The market remains in a summer slowdown, with late August being historically one of the slowest times for trading with the exception of the Christmas holiday season. Markets are expected to pick up in volume and volatility after the Labor Day weekend. Investors will be looking to the Federal Reserve as the Kansas City Fed’s annual conference in Jackson Hole, Wyoming starts later this week. It will likely provide Wall Street with more insight into what the Fed may do about inflation. Last week, minutes from the most recent Fed meeting showed that policymakers had discussed reducing the

central bank’s bond-buying program later this year to start winding down some of the emergency measures implemented during the pandemic. They stopped short of setting a firm timeline. In economic news, sales of previously occupied homes rose from June to July at a fasterthan-expected pace of 5.99 million, more than the 5.82 million economists were expecting. Still, sales increased by only 1.5% from July last year, a more modest annual gain than it recent quarters. Homebuilders fell broadly following the report.

NOTICE

NOTICE is hereby given that MARJORIE MILHOMME, of #120 Commonwealth Boulevard, Elizabeth Estate, Nassau, The Bahamas applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for Registration Naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 17th day of August, 2021 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.

NOTICE

NOTICE is hereby given that VANESSA MONALISA SAUNDERS of Ridgeland Park, P.O Box N-7147 Nassau, The Bahamas applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for Registration Naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 24th day of August, 2021 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.

NOTICE

NOTICE is hereby given that GEFFREY DOLCE of Millinieum Gardens, Nassau, The Bahamas applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for Registration Naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 24th day of August, 2021 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.

NOTICE

NOTICE is hereby given that MARIA ANDREA HAMILTON of Foxhill Road, Nassau, The Bahamas applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for Registration Naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 24th day of August, 2021 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.

PAGE 8, Tuesday, August 24, 2021

THE TRIBUNE

Skincare ingredients you can find right in your kitchen By JEFFARAH GIBSON Tribune Features Writer jgibson@tribunemedia.net EVERYONE has a different approach to their skincare routine. Some people wash their faces with soap and water and call it a day (or a night), while others follow a strict stepby-step regimen, using only those products which are touted as being of the highest quality. Still others fall somewhere in the middle of these two extremes. Then there are those who choose to take a trip right into their kitchen and utilise ingredients in their pantry to whip up their own organic skincare products. In recent years especially, this has been the route taken by some Bahamian women who are seeking to save money or just can’t keep up with the constantly changing products that claim to offer results they believe they can achieve by making their own products at home. That has definitely been the case for Tribune reader Abby, who said she enjoys using homemade items on her skin. “It’s been a long time since I actually bought skincare products to use on my skin. I am someone that wears makeup every day to work, so I have always kept a skincare routine to ensure that my skin stays healthy. But obviously when you

are trying to keep up with what’s trending that can become very expensive. So I decided to use some items I have at home,” she told Tribune Health. One such ingredient that she pulls from her pantry to make a cleansing paste for her skin is sugar. “It’s for exfoliating. And it is very easy to make. I mix one part olive or coconut oil with two parts sugar, adding a few drops of an essential oil,” she explained. Abby said it took some trial and error before finding her perfect blend. “I don’t recommend putting it on your skin unless you do a test first,” she said. Cynthia has another popular product in her arsenal of homemade skincare. “Coconut oil is a must have. It’s soothing and antiinflammatory. So I use it as a moisturiser. It’s feels so good going into the skin,” she said. Coconut oil is a highly saturated oil that is traditionally made by extracting the oil from raw coconuts or dried coconut kernel. At room temperature, it’s solid, but when heated it can soften or melt. According to HealthLine.com, coconut oil is rich in medium-chain fatty acids, which are a form of saturated fat. In fact, these medium-chain fatty acids make up about 65 percent of its total composition.

“It has so many benefits and it makes the skin feel very good. It’s one of those ingredients that are utilized a lot in skin care products,” said Cynthia. Cucumbers are Ava’s go-to good product for homemade skincare, simply because they are natural, easily accessible and can be purchased for a little over $1. “And it’s just that refreshing feeling when it goes on your skin,” she said. Ava explained how she makes cucumber work for her: “I blend or puree half an unpeeled cucumber in a blender or food processor until it’s the consistency of a watery paste. Then I separate juice from any solid bits by pouring the mixture through a strainer. I put the juice on my face and rinse 15 minutes later. The result is clean, fresh skin.” When it’s in season, like during the summer months, avocado can be a really good fruit to utilise, according to Janice. “I learned this from a friend who worked at a spa many years ago. She swore by it, and I was glad when I tried it. Instead of only eating avocado, use it on your skin,” she said. Janice whips up her own paste of avocado, honey and coconut oil and applies it to her skin. “This is one of those skincare hacks I’m never letting go,” she said.

US REGULATORS GIVE FULL APPROVAL TO PFIZER COVID-19 VACCINE WASHINGTON Associated Press THE US gave full approval to Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine yesterday, a milestone that could boost public confidence in the shots and spur more companies, universities and local governments to make vaccinations mandatory. The formula made by Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech now carries the strongest endorsement from the Food and Drug Administration, which has never before had so much evidence to judge a shot’s safety. More than 200 million Pfizer doses have been administered in the US — and hundreds of millions more worldwide — under special emergency provisions since December. “Vaccines are one of our greatest weapons against the virus,” acting FDA Commissioner Janet Woodcock said. “We hope this approval will bolster confidence in those who’ve been wavering.” Pfizer said the US is the first country to grant the company’s vaccine full approval. The shot will be marketed in the US under the brand name Comirnaty. Moderna has also

level, President Joe Biden is requiring government workers to sign forms attesting that they have been vaccinated or else submit to regular testing and other requirements.

ANXIOUS AMERICANS INCREASINGLY ARE ON BOARD

PHARMACY technician Hollie Maloney loads a syringe with Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine at the Portland Expo in Portland, Maine. Photo: Robert F Bukaty/AP applied to the FDA for said Dr Jesse Goodman of full approval of its vaccine. Georgetown University, a Johnson & Johnson, maker former FDA vaccine chief. of the third option in the That should help “anyone US, said it hopes to do so who still has concerns gain later this year. confidence” in the shots. Just over half of the US The FDA’s action may population is fully vacci- also lead to more vacnated. Vaccinations in this cine mandates covering country bottomed out in students, employees and July at an average of about customers. a half-million shots per day, “Mandating becomes down from a peak of 3.4 much easier when you have million a day in mid-April. full approval,” said Dr As the delta variant fills Carlos del Rio of Emory hospital beds, shots are on University. “I think a lot of the rise again, with a million businesses have been waita day given last Thursday, ing for it.” Friday and Saturday. This month, New York Full approval of Pfizer’s City, New Orleans and COVID-19 vaccine means San Francisco all imposed it meets the same “very proof-of-vaccination high standards required requirements at restauof all the approved vac- rants, bars and other indoor cines we rely on every day,” venues. At the federal

Close to six in ten favour requiring people to be fully vaccinated to fly or attend crowded public events, according to a recent poll by The Associated PressNORC Centre for Public Affairs Research. The delta variant has sent cases, deaths and hospitalisations soaring in recent weeks in the US, erasing months of progress. Deaths are running at about 1,000 a day on average for the first time since mid-March, and new cases are averaging 147,000 a day, a level last seen at the end of January. “For weeks we have watched cases go up at an alarming pace among individuals who are not vaccinated while the vaccinated are largely protected,” said Dr Tomas J Aragon, director of California’s public health department. “If you are not vaccinated, let this

be the milestone that gets you there.” The FDA, like regulators in Europe and much of the rest of the world, initially allowed emergency use of Pfizer’s vaccine based on a study that tracked 44,000 people 16 and older for at least two months — the time period when serious side effects typically arise. That’s shorter than the six months of safety data normally required for full approval. So Pfizer kept that study going, and the FDA also examined realworld safety evidence in deciding whether to fully license the vaccine for people 16 and older, those studied the longest. Pfizer’s shot is still being dispensed to 12- to 15-year-olds on an emergency basis. Normally, doctors can prescribe FDA-approved products for other reasons than their original use. But Woodcock strongly warned that the Pfizer vaccine should not be used “offlabel” for children under 12. Both Pfizer and Moderna have vaccine studies underway in youngsters, and they are using different doses from what is available for those 12 and older. Results are expected in the fall.

Currently, the FDA has authorised third doses of either Pfizer’s or Moderna’s vaccine only for certain people with severely weakened immune systems, such as organ transplant recipients. For everyone else, the Biden administration is planning for boosters starting in the fall. But the FDA is evaluating that question separately. In reaching Monday’s decision, the FDA said safety tracking of millions of doses found serious side effects remain extremely rare, such as chest pain and heart inflammation a few days after the second dose, mostly in young men. As for effectiveness, six months into Pfizer’s original study, the vaccine remained 97 percent protective against severe COVID-19. Protection against milder infection waned slightly, from a peak of 96 percent two months after the second dose to 84 percent by six months. Those findings came before the delta variant began spreading, but other data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows the vaccine is still doing a good job preventing severe disease caused by that mutant.

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, August 24, 2021, PAGE 9

Waking up to pee? High blood pressure may be the cause Waking up to urinate multiple times could lead to disruptive sleep and daytime fatigue with reduced productivity. Excessive nighttime urination may also be an important warning sign of serious medical conditions such as uncontrolled hypertension or an enlarged obstructive prostate in men. Clinically significant, nocturia as defined as two or more nightly voids of urine could be a sign of uncontrolled blood pressure and/or excessive salt intake. Black men in particular may be prone to nocturia because of blunted nighttime blood pressure dipping, use of diuretic medications (water tablets) for hypertension and other medical conditions that could predispose to nocturia. Excessive nighttime urination may occur secondary to multiple causes such as excessive fluid intake, incomplete bladder emptying secondary to obstructive causes such

as an enlarged prostate in men or non obstructive causes such as an impaired nerve supply to the bladder that may result from poorly controlled diabetes. Other common medical conditions that could lead to nocturia are numerous but include obstructive sleep apnea, venous insufficiency, heart failure, poorly controlled diabetes, kidney failure and bladder prolapse in women. The Journal of the American Heart Association published a scientific study in March 2019 involving over 4,000 non-Hispanic

black men aged 35 to 79 years old from Los Angeles County, California. Men with treated but uncontrolled hypertension were 2.63 times more likely than men with normal blood pressures to wake up two or more times to urinate at night. Black men with untreated hypertension were 39 percent more likely than black men with normotension to experience two or more nightly voids, whereas black men with treated well controlled hypertension were no more likely than black men with no hypertension to experience nocturia of two or more times. The study concluded that nocturia is a common and potentially reversible symptom of uncontrolled blood pressure in black men. A scientific study in Japan that was presented at the 83rd Annual Scientific Meeting of the Japanese Circulation Society found that excessive nocturia could be linked to excessive daily salt intake and uncon-

trolled hypertension. A total od 3,749 residents, both men and women of the Japanese town of Watari, were involved in this study published in April 2019. Data showed that waking up to urinate was associated with a 40 percent greater chance of having uncontrolled blood pressure and the risk of hypertension rose quite significantly with the number of nighttime urine voids. Hypertension can be a silent killer with few or no symptoms. Nocturia could be an important symptom that blood pressure is uncontrolled. Early detection and treatment of hypertension is important to prevent heart disease and many potentially devastating negative health consequences such as kidney failure and to reduce the risk of stroke. More than one billion

people worldwide have hypertension and hypertension is the leading cause of premature death. Waking up to urinate more than twice could also be a sign of incomplete bladder emptying. Middle-aged men and older often experience incomplete bladder emptying secondary to an obstructive prostate that usually is benign in origin. Women may have nocturia due to multiple potential causes including bladder prolapse, uterine fibroids compressing on the bladder, urinary tract infections and others. One in three women have an overactive bladder that leads to increased daytime and nighttime urination. Excessive nighttime urination should never be

cartilage growth and reduces inflammation. Changing your diet to include more healthy options is a personal and sensible decision and not too difficult to do. It may be surprising to you to know that many foods will increase both pain and inflammation within the body. Foods to be avoided are processed foods which contain many chemical or other substances or additives which are irritants to the human body. Fresh fruits and vegetables should be a priority if you suffer from OA so increase your consumption of berries, cherries, ginger root which can be grated

and added to any cooked food, as well as celery and celery seeds. Oily fish such as sardines or salmon are beneficial as are walnuts or walnut oil and other nuts such as raw almonds. Nuts may be small but can have a big impact as they contain vitamins and micronutrients essential for good health in general. They contain protein, carbohydrate, and fat. The total protein content is relatively high, which makes them a good source of plant protein (especially for vegetarians); and are rich in phytochemicals that act as antioxidants; are rich in vitamins E, B6, niacin and folate; and they provide minerals such as magnesium, zinc, plant iron,

calcium, copper, selenium, phosphorus and potassium. Curcumin, the therapeutic component of turmeric, the spice that make curry yellow, can be taken as a supplement. It possesses natural inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Reducing body weight is also very important as the less weight the joints have to carry can only help. You will hear me saying this all the time, but it is always worth repeating: Keep moving! Do not allow the affected body part to lose function because it is a slippery and rapid path into decline with increasing pain, loss of movement, muscle weakness and issues with balance. Yes, canes and

ignored and the route cause should be investigated and treated to avoid ill health effects. Reduce salt intake, drink alcohol only in moderation, eat healthy and never smoke nicotine cigarettes. • Dr Greggory Pinto is a board-certified Bahamian urologist and laparoscopic surgeon. He has trained in Germany, South Africa and France, and is a member of the European Association of Urology. He can be contacted at OakTree Medical Center, #2 Fifth Terrace & Mount Royal Avenue. Telephone: (242) 322-1145 (6) (7); e-mail: welcome@ urologycarebahamas.com, or visit the website:www. urologycarebahamas.com.

WHAT IS ARTHRITIS? By HANNAH FOSTERMIDDLETON, BSc (Hons) Physiotherapy, MCSP, SRP

AGING in the human body is a natural process and inevitable, but suffering with pain or loss of mobility isn’t. Physiotherapy can help relieve many conditions such as arthritis, those aches and pains or stiffness we experience when we try to get up out of a chair or bend to pick something up from the floor. Those actions that used to come easily and which we never had to think about but suddenly notice are a little or a lot more difficult. There are different kinds of arthritis, the most common being osteoarthritis (OA) and the one most likely to cause the difficulties mentioned. OA is wear and tear of the cartilage in your joints due to the aging process and cannot be reversed. Hip replacements and knee repairs are common surgical remedies along with steroid injections, but long before those decisions are considered or made at all, there are many ways to relieve pain and keep the body working at an optimum level. These include the many physiotherapy related treatments available as well as your daily diet to be considered as they will contribute to a positive outcome. The symptoms of OA are joint pain, swelling and stiffness making normal movement such as walking or sitting uncomfortable, difficult or

HANNAH FOSTER-MIDDLETON painful. Physiotherapy can help restore normal range of motion. Rehabilitation and therapeutic exercise will reduce the risk of future damage and long term disability. Osteoarthritis in the lower body benefits greatly from low-impact exercising which reduces stress on the affected joint at the same time increasing its stability: suitable exercises are swimming, water aerobics, yin yoga. You should avoid any exercises that put an increased load on the joints and that means no jogging, running, jumping jacks or high impact aerobics although walking is always beneficial. For pain management we use dry needling (similar to acupuncture); cupping, which brings blood to the affected area to promote healing; light therapy and decompression stretching. Other treatments available here in Nassau can be delivered by a doctor specialising in injections which control pain, stimulates

walkers are available, but I really consider them a last resort as you will become reliant on them; they literally become a crutch but have no restorative value. I strongly recommend that if you are suffering from osteoarthritis in the early or later stages, you consider these options before contemplating surgery - which should be your last resort, not the first. Take care of your body and it will take care of you. • For questions and comments, call Hannah Foster-Middleton at 356 4806, e-mail genesisphysiotherapy@gmail.com, or visit www.physiotherapybahamas.com.

JESSE JACKSON AND WIFE REMAIN UNDER OBSERVATION FOR COVID-19 CHICAGO Associated Press THE Rev Jesse Jackson, and his wife, Jacqueline, remained under doctors’ observation Sunday at a Chicago hospital and were “responding positively to treatments” for COVID-19, their son told The Associated Press. The couple, married for nearly six decades, were admitted to Northwestern Memorial Hospital a day earlier. Physicians were “carefully monitoring their condition” because of their ages, Jonathan Jackson, one of the couple’s five children, said in

a statement. Jesse Jackson is 79, and Jacqueline is 77. “Both are resting comfortably and are responding positively to their treatments,” Jonathan Jackson said. “My family appreciates all of the expressions of concern and prayers that have been offered on their behalf, and we will continue to offer our prayers for your family as well.” Jesse Jackson, a Chicago civil rights leader, is vaccinated against the virus and received his first dose in January during a publicised event as he urged others to receive the inoculation as

soon as possible. The vaccination status of his, wife, who is also an activist, was unclear. Family members said she has an unspecified underlying health condition that triggered concerns in recent days. “We ask that you continue to pray for the full recovery of our parents. We will continue to update you on a regular basis,” Jonathan Jackson said. Jesse Jackson, who has Parkinson’s disease, was hospitalised earlier this year for an unrelated gallbladder surgery. A mentee of the Rev Martin Luther King, he was crucial in guiding the

modern civil rights movement on numerous issues, including voting rights. Despite his Parkinson’s diagnosis, Jackson has stayed active and continued travel, even during the pandemic. In recent weeks he has been arrested for civil disobedience, including last month during a sit-in at the Phoenix office of Democratic US Senator Kyrsten Sinema, who has faced pressure over her opposition to ending the filibuster to pass voting rights legislation. A Northwestern spokesman did not have further information.

JESSE Jackson and his wife, Jacqueline.

PAGE 10, Tuesday, August 24, 2021

THE TRIBUNE

Women’s pain is routinely underestimated, and gender stereotypes are to blame – new research By AMANDA C DE C WILLIAMS Reader in Clinical Health Psychology & Science, Medicine & Society Network, UCL

WHEN a man consults a doctor about pain, he will hope to be taken seriously: to convince the doctor that the pain is real, and a problem that needs addressing. The experience is different for women, who may suspect that gender stereotypes could lead their doctor to conclude they’re

not in as much pain as they say they are. Unfortunately, this suspicion is valid. Evidence suggests that healthcare staff routinely underestimate patients’ pain, and particularly women’s pain, based on a number of biases and beliefs that have little to do with their actual testimony. Now, a new study has found gender stereotypes are particularly decisive in the estimation of patients’ pain. Because of the false belief that women are

oversensitive to pain, and express or exaggerate it more easily, healthcare staff, both men and women, often discount women’s verbal reports and nonverbal behaviour expressing pain. Not only do they tend to underestimate women’s pain but, on the basis of their underestimate, they often under-treat pain – and even recommend psychological rather than analgesic treatment to women. The

Gendered pain new study

ingeniously separates potential sources of observer bias in underestimating women’s pain: beliefs about women’s sensitivity to pain (“pain threshold”), about their willingness to report it, and their capacity to endure it (“pain tolerance”) – all, of course, compared to men as the norm or ideal. Researchers used brief video clips of real patients undergoing painful examinations, with supporting information about patients’ ratings of their own pain, and a quantification of their pain expression. Male and female lay participants watched a selection of these videos and, after each, recorded the patient’s sex, estimated their pain on a numerical scale, and rated their pain expressiveness too. Compared with the patient’s own rating of their pain, observers of both genders consistently underestimated women’s pain and overestimated men’s pain. When men and women showed exactly the same amount of pain in their facial expression, women were thought to be in less pain than men. An additional experiment showed that stereotypes drove these judgements: men’s pain was estimated higher by those who believed that the typical man endured pain better than the typical woman, and women’s pain was estimated lower by those who thought that women were more willing to report pain than men. Consistent findings The gender effect in pain estimation is surprisingly strong. In 2016, a study in my lab examined whether clinicians’ pain estimations were affected by patients’ depression history and their “trustworthiness” – an automatic judgement we make of other people’s faces. What emerged was a

strong underestimation of women’s pain, again by participants of both sexes. If women were perceived to be untrustworthy, this further disadvantaged them – but untrustworthiness had little effect on estimates of men’s pain. These stereotypes do not necessarily help men, and serious studies of men’s pain are rare. While men’s pain may be estimated by clinicians closer to their pain self-ratings, being less than stoical can attract adverse judgements of being unmanly or weak, while the expectation of stoicism may encourage men to present symptoms to medical scrutiny later than they should. Judging pain Pain expression is complex: though partly hard-wired by evolution, it is affected by many personal factors, including your personal history of pain and your social context. The observer’s task of interpreting pain expression is also complex, modulated by their personal qualities, by social context, and by broader factors, such as gender, age and cultural norms. Several studies of young children show that while boys and girls playing together have similar numbers of accidents (falls, collisions, conflicts) that might cause pain, and express their distress largely similarly, girls may be offered more physical comfort than boys. Although findings are not entirely consistent, and may be mediated by girls expressing distress more vocally, they do demonstrate that gender stereotypes about pain may take root early in our lives. And in these cases, differences in judgement may lie more in observers’ responses to the children than in any differences in behaviour from the children themselves.

The gender bias effect even holds when observers are watching the same expression of pain. In one simple experiment, observers watched a video of a five year old having blood drawn from a finger, expressing pain. Observers for whom the child was described as “Samuel” rated the child’s pain higher than those for whom the same child was described as “Samantha”. Further, participants believed that girls were more sensitive to pain, and were more willing to show it. Given how frequent minor painful incidents are for small children, as is the parental or other adult response, this is a surprisingly neglected area of enquiry. Pain bias Unfortunately, the pain expression database upon which many pain experiments are conducted consists mainly of middleaged Canadian Caucasians. This provides little opportunity to explore another very consistent bias in pain assessment and treatment: discounting of the pain of black and Asian or other non-white patients, leading, in research studies, to shocking shortcomings in treatment. There is much to be done by clinicians to abolish the inequalities in pain care – and many more inequalities, based on false stereotypes, to be unearthed through research. But this latest study, confirming that gender stereotypes inform our estimation of others’ pain, should help healthcare staff reflect on the social and personal bias they may bring to their practice. • This article is republished from The Conversation, an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts. Read the original article here: https://theconversation.com

REVIEW: NICHOLE PERKINS CELEBRATES SOUTHERN BLACK WOMANHOOD By MOLLY SPRAYREGEN Associated Press “SOMETIMES I Trip On How Happy We Could Be” is about seeking, nay, demanding pleasure for oneself. Nichole Perkins shares essay after brilliant essay on life as a Southern Black woman learning to own her own power. The poet and Nashville native expertly uses pop culture as a lens through which to examine her life, and mostly her sexuality. Through musings on everything from reality television to sexual fantasies to “Frasier” to body image issues to Miss Piggy, Perkins paints a deeply personal and unapologetic portrait of her journey to becoming the strong, empowered woman she is today. One of the most fearless

books out there, it opens with a young, inexperienced Perkins navigating sex and love and ends with a woman who knows exactly what she wants and isn’t afraid to go and get it. Through additional mediations on race, religion, mental health, and femininity, Perkins presents herself as a woman who has allowed herself the space to grow and change, but also one who has remained steadfast in demanding the best possible life for herself. She is also not shy in sharing with readers some of the extreme hardships she has been through. Above all else, this is a book about desire, and more specifically, shamelessly owning that desire. Utilizing humour, raw honesty, and an intimate writing style with which readers can easily connect, Perkins has crafted a powerful memoir that is well worth the read.

NICHOLE PERKINS

DEMOCRATISING THE SHOPPING EXPERIENCE FOR WOMEN OF ALL SIZES SAN FRANCISCO (BUSINESS WIRE) Old Navy is striving to revolutionise the shopping experience with the launch of a new approach to sizing. Beginning this month, as part of its “Bodequality” campaign, Old Navy will redefine size inclusion, offering every one of its women’s styles, in every size, with no price difference. This will make Old Navy the first value retailer to offer sizes 0-30 and XS-4X for all women’s styles at price parity. With this launch, the brand is reimagining the shopping environment in all stores and online to be more size inclusive, giving women everywhere the fashion and experience that they deserve. New store and online experience Old Navy is transforming its fleet of over 1,200 stores and online shops into fully

size-integrated shopping experiences. Every store will offer all women’s styles in sizes 0-28 merchandised together - no special sections. Stores will also offer new inclusive visual cues for shoppers, including mannequins in sizes four, 12 and 18, alongside new “Bodequality” marketing imagery. Old Navy associates will play an important role in

the revamped store model, participating in extensive customer-focused training to create an environment where every shopper feels they belong. Online, the brand is merging its Women’s and Women’s Plus collections from the navigation menu to provide one size-integrated shopping destination for sizes 00-30.

Women’s styles will be showcased on models in sizes four, 12 and 18, and shoppers can use a new toggle feature to select their preferred default model display size. “We saw an opportunity to meaningfully change the women’s shopping experience by making it more inclusive regardless of size,” said Nancy Green, President and CEO of Old Navy. “‘Bodequality’ is not a one-time campaign, but a full transformation of our business in service to our customers based on years of working closely with them to research their needs. I’m proud of the collaboration across our Old Navy teams to evolve the retail experience for women.” Updated fit and design With the launch, Old Navy reinvented its fit process and size standards to create the brand’s most democratic, comfortable, and consistent size run and

fit ever. After years of extensive research, customer consultation and design reviews, Old Navy said it is proud to offer shoppers clothing that is fit for confidence and feels good on each and every woman as they are, no matter the size. Steps the fashion retailer implemented into their women’s fit and design process include: Administered body scans of 389 women to create digital avatars based on real women’s bodies. Ran fit clinics with numerous models in sizes 20-28 to build new fit blocks based on their unique proportions, revamping the industry practice of scaling up from smaller sizes. Obsessed over every design detail - from pocket placement and their proportions, to denim waistband pitch and ankle tapers, to the body lengths of dresses, tops and outerwear - to ensure consistency in fit and aesthetic across

styles and sizes. Partnered with full-time fit models in size eight and 20 to review every single style on both women side-by-side. Interviewed hundreds of women about body image and related fashion concerns. “Developing ‘Bodequality’ allowed us to rethink the way we serve women in the retail industry,” said Alison Partridge Stickney, Head of Women’s and Maternity Merchandising at Old Navy. “We set out to understand what women of all sizes wanted from fashion and the shopping experience and were inspired to revolutionize every area of our business from how we fit and design our products, to how we communicate to customers in stores and online - to ensure that all women feel welcome and represented. This launch is a transformative moment for our brand and the fashion industry.”

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, August 24, 2021, PAGE 11

FORMER BEAUTY QUEEN GIVES YOUTH A CONFIDENCE BOOST from page 12

new school year, diving into their self-confidence and mindset was priority,” said the former beauty queen. “We see all that is happening around the world (as it relates to women and girls) and we are blessed to not have to face some of the same plights. That doesn’t mean that the importance of education, confidence and overcoming shouldn’t be promoted within our young girls.” Chantel took the bull by the horns, so to speak, and touted this message to the youth she encountered.

“The promotion of youth development is without a doubt essential. A lot of times we hear that youth are the future, but they’re really the change for our present. We have a duty and responsibility to young people to ensure that they feel empowered and equipped for tomorrow’s advancement,” she said. Given the kind of feedback she has received and the fact that their partnership resulted in an event that has made a positive impact on those who attended, Chantal is grateful to Brunay Clarke and all those who helped make

the event a success. She is now looking forward to hosting more initiatives of this kind. “I’ve always had the opportunity to work in some capacity for back-toschool efforts in the past. However, with the help of our sponsors, Da Bush Cook, Miller Designs and Ja’Vanno Stubbs, this standalone initiative was made successful. I am an entirely grateful for them. I look forward with the help of like-minded individuals and companies to continue this giveback in the future,” she said. While she determines when the next giveback

event will take place, Chantal is also focusing on her career as a life coach. “I have seen major success from my clients with local and international victories. Aside from that, ‘Perfection is a Myth’, a mantra of mine, has been used to help youth and women alike build selfconfidence, dream big and challenge challenges. From virtual confidence conferences to self-confidence check-ins, speaking engagements and other similar programmes, I love the work that I’ve been able to do within the community,” she said.

THE WEATHER REPORT

5-Day Forecast

TODAY

ORLANDO

High: 91° F/33° C Low: 77° F/25° C

TAMPA

TONIGHT

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

Breezy in the morn‑ ing; some sun

Mainly clear, warm; a shower late

Windy with a shower and t‑storm

Periods of sun with a shower

A shower; breezy in the morning

High: 91°

Low: 80°

High: 89° Low: 79°

High: 90° Low: 80°

High: 89° Low: 80°

High: 90° Low: 79°

AccuWeather RealFeel

101° F

83° F

98°-83° F

100°-87° F

100°-84° F

99°-87° F

High: 89° F/32° C Low: 79° F/26° C

The exclusive AccuWeather RealFeel Temperature® is an index that combines the effects of temperature, wind, humidity, sunshine intensity, cloudiness, precipitation, pressure and elevation on the human body—everything that affects how warm or cold a person feels. Temperatures reflect the high and the low for the day.

almanac

ABACO

High: 88° F/31° C Low: 82° F/28° C

8‑16 knots

High: 91° F/33° C Low: 82° F/28° C

7‑14 knots

FT. LAUDERDALE

FREEPORT

High: 90° F/32° C Low: 82° F/28° C

W S

WEST PALM BEACH

| Go to AccuWeather.com

High: 90° F/32° C Low: 78° F/26° C

MIAMI

High: 91° F/33° C Low: 81° F/27° C

8‑16 knots

Statistics are for Nassau through 2 p.m. yesterday Temperature High ................................................... 90° F/32° C Low .................................................... 81° F/27° C Normal high ....................................... 89° F/32° C Normal low ........................................ 76° F/24° C Last year’s high ................................. 92° F/33° C Last year’s low ................................... 81° F/27° C Precipitation As of 2 p.m. yesterday ................................. 0.00” Year to date ............................................... 16.11” Normal year to date ................................... 23.65”

ELEUTHERA

NASSAU

High: 91° F/33° C Low: 80° F/26° C

High: 88° F/31° C Low: 79° F/26° C

KEY WEST

High: 89° F/32° C Low: 83° F/28° C

tiDes For nassau High Today

Ht.(ft.)

Low

Ht.(ft.)

9:53 a.m. 10:12 p.m.

3.2 3.4

3:52 a.m. 4:03 p.m.

0.3 0.3

Wednesday 10:36 a.m. 10:53 p.m.

3.2 3.2

4:32 a.m. 4:48 p.m.

0.4 0.5

Thursday

11:19 a.m. 11:34 p.m.

3.1 3.0

5:11 a.m. 5:34 p.m.

0.5 0.8

Friday

12:03 p.m. ‑‑‑‑‑

3.0 ‑‑‑‑‑

5:50 a.m. 6:20 p.m.

0.7 1.0

Saturday

12:16 a.m. 12:49 p.m.

2.7 2.9

6:31 a.m. 7:10 p.m.

0.8 1.2

Sunday

1:01 a.m. 1:38 p.m.

2.5 2.8

7:14 a.m. 8:04 p.m.

1.0 1.3

Monday

1:51 a.m. 2:33 p.m.

2.4 2.8

8:03 a.m. 9:03 p.m.

1.1 1.4

sun anD moon Sunrise Sunset

High: 87° F/31° C Low: 78° F/26° C

10‑20 knots

ANDROS

Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.

The higher the AccuWeather UV IndexTM number, the greater the need for eye and skin protection.

6:48 a.m. 7:36 p.m.

Moonrise Moonset

9:20 p.m. 8:41 a.m.

Last

New

First

Full

Aug. 30

Sep. 6

Sep. 13

Sep. 20

CAT ISLAND

uV inDex toDay

SAN SALVADOR

GREAT EXUMA

High: 88° F/31° C Low: 78° F/26° C

High: 87° F/31° C Low: 80° F/27° C

High: 89° F/32° C Low: 80° F/27° C

W S

LONG ISLAND

tracking map

High: 87° F/31° C Low: 78° F/26° C

10‑20 knots

MAYAGUANA High: 87° F/31° C Low: 79° F/26° C

Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures

CROOKED ISLAND / ACKLINS

are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.

RAGGED ISLAND High: 87° F/31° C Low: 78° F/26° C

High: 87° F/31° C Low: 78° F/26° C

GREAT INAGUA High: 88° F/31° C Low: 78° F/26° C

12‑25 knots

marine Forecast ABACO ANDROS CAT ISLAND CROOKED ISLAND ELEUTHERA FREEPORT GREAT EXUMA GREAT INAGUA LONG ISLAND MAYAGUANA NASSAU RAGGED ISLAND SAN SALVADOR

Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday:

WINDS SE at 7‑14 Knots ENE at 10‑20 Knots SE at 10‑20 Knots ENE at 12‑25 Knots E at 10‑20 Knots E at 10‑20 Knots E at 12‑25 Knots ESE at 10‑20 Knots ESE at 8‑16 Knots ENE at 12‑25 Knots SE at 8‑16 Knots E at 8‑16 Knots E at 10‑20 Knots ENE at 12‑25 Knots NE at 12‑25 Knots E at 10‑20 Knots E at 10‑20 Knots E at 10‑20 Knots ENE at 12‑25 Knots ESE at 10‑20 Knots ESE at 8‑16 Knots ENE at 15‑25 Knots E at 12‑25 Knots E at 8‑16 Knots E at 10‑20 Knots E at 10‑20 Knots

WAVES 3‑5 Feet 4‑8 Feet 1‑2 Feet 1‑2 Feet 3‑5 Feet 4‑8 Feet 3‑5 Feet 3‑5 Feet 3‑5 Feet 5‑9 Feet 1‑2 Feet 1‑3 Feet 1‑2 Feet 1‑2 Feet 3‑5 Feet 2‑4 Feet 3‑5 Feet 2‑4 Feet 4‑7 Feet 4‑7 Feet 1‑3 Feet 2‑4 Feet 3‑6 Feet 2‑4 Feet 1‑3 Feet 2‑4 Feet

VISIBILITY 10 Miles 5 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 5 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 5 Miles 10 Miles 5 Miles 10 Miles 5 Miles 4 Miles 10 Miles 7 Miles 6 Miles 5 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 5 Miles 10 Miles 4 Miles 10 Miles 4 Miles

WATER TEMPS. 85° F 85° F 86° F 86° F 84° F 84° F 84° F 84° F 85° F 85° F 86° F 87° F 85° F 85° F 84° F 84° F 84° F 84° F 84° F 84° F 85° F 85° F 84° F 84° F 85° F 85° F

PAGE 12

TUESDAY, AUGUST 24, 2021

Confidence or arrogance? BAHAMIAN WOMEN WEIGH IN ON THE SHA’CARRI DEBACLE By CARA HUNT Tribune Features Writer cbrennen@tribunemedia.net SPRINTER Sha’Carri Richardson, who has captured the attention of many Bahamians, has certainly been setting tongues wagging with her performances both on and off the track. But the question is whether the 21-year-old is simply confident or just plain arrogant. Many young Black women are looking for positive role models to inspire them, and sometimes when those chosen role models “misbehave”, it can be disappointing. In many cases there is debate whether the public is less forgiving when it comes to missteps by Black women in the spotlight. In Sha’Carri’s case, initially she was tapped to be one of the Team USA’s female sprinters to watch at the Toyko Games. However, her Olympic dreams were dashed after she tested positive for marijuana use immediately after the US Olympics trial and was banned from competition for a month. At the time, Sha’Carri owned up to her actions, tweeting that she is “only human” and that she used marijuana as a coping mechanism after the death of her mother. This past weekend marked her return to the competition in the 100 metres at the Prefontaine Classic, where she placed last, well behind the Olympic trio from Jamica - Elaine ThompsonHerah, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Shericka Jackson, who again took first, second and third, respectively.

Sha’Carri was once again unapologetic to the point of using profanity in a post-race interview “This is one race. I’m not done. You know what I’m capable of. Count me out if you want to. Talk all the (expletive) you want, ‘cause I’m here to stay. I’m not done. I’m the sixth-fastest woman in this game, ever. And can’t nobody ever take that from me. Congratulations to the winners. Congratulations to the people that won, but they’re not done seeing me yet. Period,” she proclaimed.

And while many were understanding of the marijuana use, it seems like Sha’Carri may have turned some of her fans off with her latest comments Social media was abuzz this past weekend with tweets and memes about her performance. “I felt bad for her when she was banned from the Olympics, because I don’t feel weed is a performance-enhancing drug, so I respected that she owned up to her mistake, however, this latest show of attitude is just not attractive to me,”Tribune reader Gail said.

“You came last in the race and then you want get mad when the journalists asked what happened. She is not showing the class you would want to see from an elite athlete. She needs to be concerned about her sponsors as well at this point.” Anita added: “Look at the Olympics we just had and how gracious the Jamaican girls were and even the way ones who didn’t win carried themselves. Sha’Carri is gifted, but no one will respect her if she continues to display this behaviour. I hate to say it, but she

JAMAICA’S ELAINE THOMPSON-HERAH, left, wins the 100m, as American track and field sprinter Sha’carri Richardson, centre, also competes, on Saturday, at the Prefontaine Classic track and field meet in Eugene, Oregon. Richardson finished in last place. Photo: Thomas Boyd/AP

is ghetto.” Briana noted that Sha’Carri is talented but needs to work on her public persona. “She is fast, no doubt, but at this rate, she needs to change her circle, because she is not getting good advice. She needed someone to take that joint out her hand and she needs someone to teach her that not everything you think you need to say. What she should have said is something like, ‘I am getting back into competing after my suspension, but I’ll be back.’ Humble, polite. This just came across as rude and having an attitude, and you can’t have an attitude when you come hot last. If you are Elaine or Shelly Ann with the medal and the record, then you can be bolder. But there is a difference between confident and rude. She can be such a role model to young women after overcoming so many challenges.” Marly thinks it’s just Sha’Carri’s youth that is coming into play here. “As she herself said, she is indeed one of the fastest women in the world. Her record speaks for her on the track. The maturity you see in people like Shaunae (Miller) and Shelly Ann and Elaine, that will come as she competes on larger stages and grows up. I think people who are giving her a hard time need to realise that,” she said. Trinity agreed: “I think what I like about her is that she is confident and sure of herself. You know she is willing to work, and she realises that it may not be her time today, but it will come. I think she will get it together for Paris 2024 and all will be well.”

FORMER BEAUTY QUEEN GIVES YOUTH A CONFIDENCE BOOST By JEFFARAH GIBSON Tribune Features Writer jgibson@tribunemedia.net

BEYOND just giving kids the necessary items to go back to school this semester, former Miss Bahamas World Chantel O’Brian wanted to equip students with a confidence boost that will help them conquer this new school year. Dozens of youngsters attended the give-back event held last Thursday. It was a partnership with Brunay Clarke, a youth leader and the founder of the Virtuous Organisation, to break down ‘Perfection is a Myth’. The duo distributed school supplies for the upcoming school year at the Edmund Moxey Youth Community Centre. As an advocate for youth development and as someone who finds it important to give back in

more ways than one, Chantal told Tribune Woman this event was “more than necessary.” “It is extremely important for young people to be exposed to opportunities that will better their future. Before the school year began, I felt they needed a gentle and transparent reminder, especially during this pandemic, that they may encounter more

difficulties than ease, personally, at home and at school.” And in order to face some of those difficulties that will come along, its beneficial for young people to be prepped and equipped with knowledge from someone who has overcome their fair share of trials. “Aside from contributing to the preparation for the SEE PAGE 11

FORMER Miss Bahamas World Chantel O’Brian is passionate about youth development.