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Volume: 118 No.208, September 23, 2021

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CARRY ON, DOC - JUST FOR NOW

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Senior Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net

THE Free National Movement’s council agreed last night to let former Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis remain leader of the party until a new leader emerges from a convention in November, party chairman Carl Culmer told reporters.

The council’s decision came during a spirited meeting in which members gave frank assessments about why the FNM suffered its worst electoral defeat in decades.

The meeting followed the FNM executive committee’s decision to recommend to council that Dr Minnis remain leader during the transition period. Dr Minnis had told committee

members that he will hold on to his Killarney seat and has no plans to resign from the House of Assembly.

“We had a great meeting tonight and a lot of supporters have expressed their concerns and at the end of the meeting we agreed that the leader, the present leader, will take the party into convention and after convention we will select a new leader to take the party forward,” Mr Culmer told reporters outside Holy Trinity Anglican Church.

“Dr Minnis will not offer himself for leadership. We will have an opportunity to choose another leader.”

Mr Culmer said the convention will take place no later than at the end of November.

PAGE EIGHT

AMERICAN JAILED FOR COCAINE IN SUITCASE

A 31-YEAR-OLD man caught trying to travel with cocaine that he claimed he found while jet skiing near Paradise Island was yesterday sentenced to one year in prison.

If the US citizen fails to pay an accompanying $10,000 fine, he could risk spending an additional year behind bars.

SEE PAGE FIVE

SEE PAGE THREE

DEBT TOTAL OVERTAKES VALUE OF ECONOMY

larger than the Cabinet former Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis appointed in 2017.

The new ministers include Minister of Social Services and Urban Development Obie Wilchcombe; Minister of Labour and Immigration Keith Bell; Environment and Natural Resources Minister Vaughn Miller; Transport and SEE PAGE FOUR

HONEYMOON WILL BE OVER QUICKLY FOR PRIME MINISTER DAVIS

By FARRAH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter fjohnson@tribunemedia.net

SMALL STEP FORWARD AS FIVE WOMEN IN CABINET

By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net

ELEVEN ministers were sworn in yesterday to round out Prime Minister Phillip “Brave” Davis’ Cabinet which now has five women around the table.

The group sworn in yesterday includes a mixture of experienced hands and new figures and brings the Davis Cabinet to 22, making it

FRONT PORCH

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

FORMER Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis at last night’s meeting held by the FNM. Photo: Racardo Thomas/Tribune Staff

$1M JOHN BULL ROBBERY TRIAL UNDERWAY

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

A MANAGER of the John Bull Store in Freeport testified in court yesterday about the events surrounding the theft of nearly $1 million in merchandise from the luxury goods store in 2018.

The testimony came as the trial of two men accused of conspiring to rob the store in Grand Bahama got underway in the

CORRADON COCKBURN, left, and Diego Carey, pictured at court previously.

Freeport Magistrate’s Court yesterday.

Accused Corradon Cockburn, 33, and Diego Carey, 26, both of New Providence,

appeared before Deputy Chief Magistrate Debbye Ferguson.

Bjorn Ferguson is representing Cockburn. Carey’s counsel was not present.

In August 2018, the men were charged with conspiracy to commit robbery.

Cockburn was also charged separately with possession of proceeds of criminal conduct, and Carey was charged separately with receiving.

SEE PAGE SEVEN

Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper

THE Bahamas’ $10.4bn national debt is bigger than the size of its economy, it was confirmed yesterday, further exposing the “daunting challenge” the Government faces in tackling twin economic and fiscal crises.

The Central Bank’s affirmation that The Bahamas’ national debt-to-GDP ratio stood at 100.4 percent at end-June 2021 was said by economists and fiscal observers to illustrate “the enormity of the work ahead” for the newly-elected Davis administration to pull the country out of its public finances tailspin.

FULL STORY - SEE BUSINESS

PAGE 2, Thursday, September 23, 2021

THE TRIBUNE

APPOINTMENTS MADE TO COMPLETE CABINET

KEITH Bell receives his instruments of appointment as Minister of Labor and Immigration from Governor General CA Smith yesterday.

Photos: Donovan McIntosh/Tribune Staff

MARIO Bowleg is appointed the new Minister of Youth, Sports & Culture.

GINGER MOXEY, the new Minister for Grand Bahama.

VAUGHN MILLER, the new Minister of Environment and Natural Resources.

ALL smiles for Lisa Rahming, Minister of State for Social Services and Urban Development, and Myles LaRoda, Minister of State in the Office of the Prime Minister.

ZANE LIGHTBOURNE, the new Minister of State for Education, Technology and Vocation.

PIA GLOVER-ROLLE, the Minister of State for the Public Service.

BASIL MCINTOSH, appointed Minister of State for the Environment.

THE TRIBUNE

Thursday, September 23, 2021, PAGE 3

from page one

Mr Robinson said the party lacked succession planning. Drawing from his own experience, he said the party needs to apply principles of the Westminster system evenly, not selectively.

The council meeting now paves the way for the leadership battle in the FNM to begin in earnest.

Although no one has publicly declared an interest in the leadership position, the current favourites are believed to be Marco City MP-elect Michael Pintard, East Grand Bahama MPelect Kwasi Thompson and St Barnabas MP-elect Shandendon Cartwright.

Sources said last night’s meeting likely left Mr Thompson in a stronger position among council members than he was prior to the meeting while potentially weakening Mr Pintard’s standing among the officials.

Mr Pintard reportedly pushed back against St Annes MP-elect Adrian White’s report of how the caucus came to vote for Dr Minnis to enter parliament as leader of the official opposition. Mr Thompson, in turn, defended Mr White and had his views supported by other caucus members.

Carry on, Doc - just for now “Dr Minnis also pledged to work with (the new) leader, whomever he may be, so that the FNM will be battle ready for the election whenever it is called,” he added.

For his part, Dr Minnis said he will help hold the PLP accountable in opposition.

He said: “I thought the government, we did an excellent job in paving the way forward for the country and preparing for a better future. Unfortunately, the public felt different and we accept that. We will regroup, look at everything, analyse as to why voters did not vote, what were the challenges and we will move forward and come out even better. Most importantly, I will be going back to parliament as the leader of the opposition with my parliamentary colleagues and we have had lots of experience both in opposition and in government and we are assured that we will be a very very vibrant, aggressive opposition and we will keep the government’s feet to the fire. They’ve made many promises and it is essential that when you

FORMER Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis at last night’s FNM meeting.

Photo: Racardo Thomas/Tribune Staff Although the closed-door the quality of some of the movement, to get it right, to make promises, you adhere meeting was not particu- candidates ratified for the fix things.” to the promises.”

Although some FNM sup- larly contentious, sources election.

“The reality is that people Former Bain & Grants felt that the FNM and our porters wanted Dr Minnis said speakers were critical to step down immediately, of the performance of party Town MP Travis Robin- leadership, the prime minlast night’s vote reflected a leaders even while empha- son gave a particulalry ister, was not in tune with greater desire in the party sising the need for unity. fiery speech. He said: “The the Bahamian people. The for an orderly transition Some called for a proper reality is that people on felt that we said things that assessment the outside of this build- we should not have said, did that allows the outgoing post-mortem leader to be treated with on what went wrong while ing is depending on us as things that we should not others complained about a a party, the free national have done.” dignity and respect.

OBIE: TOO MANY ARE BELOW THE POVERTY LINE

By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net

NEWLY appointed Minister of Social Services and Urban Development Obie Wilchcombe yesterday pledged to revamp social assistance initiatives for hurting Bahamians, saying there are too many people “living below the poverty line”.

Mr Wilchcombe spoke to reporters shortly after he took the oath of office at Baha Mar yesterday. He was one of 11 ministers who was sworn into the Davisled Cabinet yesterday.

“I am delighted and very grateful to the prime minister for the vote of confidence because as he explained, we have so many who are living below the poverty line. We have so many hurting in our

OBADIAH WILCHCOMBE, the new Minister of Social Services and Urban Development and also Leader of Government Business in the House of Assembly. country, so much suffering,” Mr Wilchcombe said.

“My job is to alleviate poverty. My job is to declare war on poverty today and that we get a programme of transformation to ensure that we eliminate human suffering and bring

a new day to people’s lives.”

Mr Wilchcombe served as the Minister of Tourism in two Christie administrations. His appointment to the new post comes at a time when the country is facing one of its worst economic crises.

During the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, thousands of Bahamians were either laid off or temporarily furloughed after a near total shutdown of the nation’s leading tourism industry.

Although hundreds have returned to work since the country began its phased re-opening, many are still struggling to make ends meet and have been forced to rely on social agencies for help.

Yesterday, Mr Wilchcombe assured Bahamians that there will be an assessment of all the ministry’s programmes to determine their effectiveness and the way forward.

He said: “We’re going to look at all of the programmes to see what is working and what is not working and to see how best to continue to assist

COLEBY-DAVIS: WE’LL REVIEW PROSPECT RIDGE

By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net

TRANSPORT and Housing Minister JoBeth Coleby-Davis said yesterday her ministry will review the former government’s Prospect Ridge development project before it makes any decision relating to the housing programme.

The housing programme, geared towards young professionals, was initiated by the Minnis administration in a bid to make affordable homes more accessible to Bahamians.

After the programme’s launch, officials revealed in August that some 1,500 applications had already been received for the housing initiative.

Yesterday, Mrs ColebyDavis was asked if the Davis administration

JOBETH COLEBY-DAVIS, the new Minister of Transport and Housing, at yesterday’s ceremony.

Photos: Donovan McIntosh/ Tribune Staff planned to continue with the programme.

She said. “We’re going to review everything that’s on the table, what will work, will stay and where it doesn’t fit in the plans, there will be some maneuvering but we’re not in the

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business of going out there and cancelling things right away.

“We know a lot of young Bahamians are interested in becoming home owners and that’s important for them and so our focus would be how we can assist Bahamians in general, especially young Bahamians to get into their homes and so I think that idea is a good one.”

Her comments came after she was sworn into office yesterday, becoming one of five women to take a Cabinet post.

Yesterday, Mrs ColebyDavis expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Phillip “Brave” Davis for the

appointment and also briefly outlined her plans for the ministry while in office.

She said: “Before I put forward my plans, I want to meet with the ministry, speak to the staff, speak to the persons in the office and the permanent secretary and understand where they are, but we know for sure that we want to build some homes in this country and there haven’t been any built in the last four and a half years so definitely that’s our number one focus – how we tackle building homes and getting Bahamians back into homes so that they can be owners.”

and where necessary do a new programme.

“The bottom line as we go through a pandemic, we should not have anyone living in substandard conditions or anyone hurting.

Our job is to take care of the people. I’ve been given that responsibility and we will deliver.”

As for his priorities while in office, he said he wants to focus on providing housing and food assistance to the most vulnerable.

“The first thing that needs priority if you look at Grand Bahama for instance, there’s still so many people who still today, their homes are not repaired. They’re still living in squalor conditions following Hurricanes Matthew and following Hurricane Dorian so I want to make sure that we get to work on that immediately,” Mr Wilchcombe said.

“There are so many who do not know where to live so how do we find places for them to live. How do we ensure that they have a hot meal every day. We have to ensure that that happens.

Urban Renewal, we’re going to look at the communities and see how best to transform these communities. I want to bring the marching bands back. I want to bring the communities back together and I want to make sure that we see transformation of people and people’s lives.”

He also said: “Too often, we’re told of individuals given a one week stay or

a two week stay and then what? Then they’re back on the streets. You’re causing more pain and hurt in the society. You must remember what AD Hanna said, ‘wipe the tear from every eye.’ Remember what Sir Lynden Pindling said, ‘bring peace to every heart.’ That’s going to be how we drive our ministry.”

Also speaking to reporters yesterday was Minister of Grand Bahama Ginger Moxey, who said food security and job employment were top priorities for her ministry.

“The major key right now is people don’t have jobs and many of them are going to bed hungry,” she told reporters yesterday.

“The key really right now is going in and assessing the situation, but also bringing in some immediate relief and the Progressive Liberal Party does have a plan and we have an economic plan.

“We also have our ten point plan that focuses on bringing back Grand Bahama and Abaco and Dorian really hurt us bad and the pandemic was right after and so we’re going to look at ways to address those that are still hurting from Dorian and so the first order of business is bringing some relief, but, of course, I have to go into office and assess the situation and move on from there.”

After yesterday’s ceremony, there are now 22 ministers in Cabinet.

PAGE 4, Thursday, September 23, 2021

THE TRIBUNE

Small step forward as five women in Cabinet from page one

Housing Minister JoBeth Coleby-Davis; Minister of Grand Bahama Ginger Moxey; and Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Mario Bowleg.

Other appointees are Minister of State in the Office of the Prime Minister Myles Laroda; Minister of State for Public Service Pia Glover-Rolle; Minister of State for Social Services and Urban Development Lisa Rahming and Minister of State for Education, Technical and Vocational Training Zane Lightbourne.

Speaking at yesterday’s ceremony, Mr Davis committed his administration to building a “lasting legacy” that will benefit all Bahamians. He also said his team of experienced and new parliamentarians has already started to demonstrate the type of skills and expertise needed to help chart the nation towards recovery.

Mr Davis said such qualities can be seen in newly appointed Social Services and Urban Development Minister Obie Wilchcombe. The West End and Bimini MP served as minister of tourism in two Christie administrations. “It is because of his deep knowledge and lengthy experience

ALL appointed Cabinet Ministers pictured with Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis, Deputy Prime Minister Chester Cooper and Governor General Cornelius A Smith (excluding Dr Michael Darville who is traveling on business).

Photo: Donovan McIntosh/Tribune Staff of government, that I have appointed him as Minister of Social Services and Urban Development,” Mr Davis said yesterday at the Baha Mar Convention Centre.

“Mr Wilchcombe’s vast governmental experience and knowledge of the mechanisms of government will enable him to ensure that people don’t fall through the cracks,” Mr Davis said. “We must do everything possible to look out for the vulnerable, and those most in need.”

He said Mr Bell will also apply the same standards of excellence during his tenure

at the Ministry of Labour and Immigration. Mr Bell, a former senator, was Minister of State of National Security in the last Christie administration.

“Labour relations are at an all-time low. In all things related to jobs, employment and labour relations, we will put Bahamians first,” he added.

As for Mr Miller, the new Environment and Natural Resources Minister, Mr Davis said he “will bring the strong sense of purpose for which he has become so noted in recent years.”

He echoed similar comments for Mrs Coleby-Davis,

who he praised as a woman with great fearlessness. Ms Moxey, he added, will also bring her years of wisdom, innovation and experience to the Grand Bahama community, which, two years later, is still trying to recover from Hurricane Dorian.

“Ms Ginger Moxey is ideally-suited for the job. She will bring to bear her unique combination of executive experience at the Grand Bahama Port Authority, her track record of entrepreneurial success, and deep ties to the Grand Bahama community,” he also said.

Speaking about Mr

Bowleg, Mr Davis recognised him as a “legendary coach” with decades long experience. He said the new minister will play a key role in the development of the country’s creative economy.

The prime minister also highlighted the achievements of Mr Laroda, Mrs Glover-Rolle, Ms Rahming and Mr Lightbourne – who he said will also play instrumental roles in their respective ministries.

The Davis-led Cabinet is slightly larger than the previous administration, which had 19 ministers. Asked about his Cabinet size, Mr Davis told reporters he wanted more “hands on deck” given the enormous challenges facing the country.

“I know everyone is trying to distract from our job at hand,” he said when asked about the issue. “The enormity of the task at hand is what caused me to select the number of persons that I have. I have additional parliamentary secretaries to be sworn into tomorrow (today).

It is to reflect the enormity of challenges I have and all hands are need on deck.”

As for why he did not appoint a minister to the Ministry of Disaster Preparedness, which was created by Dr Minnis, Mr Davis said: “That is why I appointed Basil McIntosh

to the Ministry of Environment. With his background in structural engineering and civil engineering and understanding of the resiliency that we require for all, he is in there. “(So), the elements of that ministry is going to be falling under the Office of the Prime Minister.”

Cabinet ministers who were sworn in on Monday include Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs Senator Ryan Pinder; Minister of Foreign Affairs and Public Service Fred Mitchell; Minister of Works and Utilities Alfred Sears; Minister of National Security Wayne Munroe; Minister of Health and Wellness Dr Michael Darville; Minister of Economic Affairs Senator Michael Halkitis; Minister of Agriculture, Marine Resources and Family Island Affairs Clay Sweeting; Minister of Education Glenys Hanna Martin; and Minister of State for Legal Affairs Jomo Campbell.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism, Investments and Aviation Chester Cooper was sworn in last week.

Mr Davis is also a part of the Cabinet, but has yet to announce a substantive role. A minister of finance has not yet been appointed.

I can understand where we are so we can start planning ahead.”

The Ministry of Social Services and Urban Development will have a substantive minister and a minister of state running it.

Ms Rahming looks forward to the partnership with her minister. She also feels the five women playing roles in the Cabinet will, “definitely bring something different to the table.”

“We will work in partnership and collaboration with each other after going into the ministry and seeing what needs to be done to push things forward,” she said. “I am elated and I know that as women we are going to bring something totally different to the table.

“Women have more compassion. Women have more understanding. We come to bring a lot to the table.”

For her part, Ms GloverRolle believes in training and vows to make it a priority within the civil service.

“First of all I plan to meet with the technical experts in the ministry to find out what’s going on to be able to assess,” Ms Glover-Rolle said. “Training has always been very important to me. I’m looking to a public

service wide training where we address customer service, technology and we ensure that we place civil servants based on their skills set. I think that is very important.

“I think we also have to address the backlog in the Public Service Commission.

So there are so many things to address, but the first thing I have to do is check with the technical experts from the ministry.”

Ms Glover-Rolle, who was elected to represent the Golden Gates constituency, said she learned a few things while campaigning that she will have to look into when she takes up office.

“Going door-to-door in Golden Gates I found that there are a number of civil servants who live in the Golden Gates constituency,” Ms Glover-Rolle said. “They have told me some disparities that exists so I will use that as a reference as well.”

Lanisha Rolle was the only woman appointed to Cabinet by former Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis in 2017. When she resigned her post earlier this year, Pakesia Parker-Edgecombe was sworn in as a Cabinet minister.

NEW CABINET RECRUITS SAY THEY ARE ‘HAPPY TO SERVE’

By TANYA SMITHCARTWRIGHT tsmith-cartwright@ tribunemedia.net

THE Davis administration now has five women in Cabinet, with four of those sworn in yesterday saying they are happy to serve.

There has been a call in recent years for more women to be given a seat around the Cabinet table.

Throughout its term, the Minnis administration only had one woman in Cabinet.

Only five women served

in the House of Assembly in the last term.

Last week, all seven of the Progressive Liberal Party’s women candidates were elected to Parliament.

In addition to Glenys Hanna-Martin, Minister of Education, Technical

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and Vocational Training, Governor General Sir Cornelius Smith, swore in four other women in the roles of minister and ministers of state.

They are: JoBeth Coleby-Davis, Minister of Transport and Housing; Ginger Moxey, Minister of Grand Bahama; Pia GloverRolle, Minister of State for Public Service and Lisa Rahming, Minister of State for Social Services and Urban Development.

The swearing-in took place at a ballroom in the Grand Hyatt, Baha Mar as hundreds of Progressive Liberal Party supports witnessed the event.

Ms Coleby-Davis was excited about heading up her ministry and assisting with the “rebuild” of this country.

“It feels great,” she said of her appointment. “It really feels wonderful. I’m excited and happy with the Bahamian people for entrusting me with the constituency of Elizabeth.

I am grateful to the Prime Minister for giving me this opportunity.

“I am excited to get the work started and to help rebuild our country. I would like to get in the office and meet with the staff so that

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THE TRIBUNE

Thursday, September 23, 2021, PAGE 5

Police chief ‘elated’ PASTOR TRIBUTE at return of officers POLICE Commissioner Paul Rolle said he was “elated” to announce yesterday that three assistant commissioners who had been reassigned will return to active duty on Monday.

The officers are Assistant Commissioner Clayton Fernander, Assistant Commissioner Leamond Deleveaux, and Assistant Commissioner Kendal Strachan.

“I am extremely pleased to have these officers rejoin the ranks and become a part of my executive team as we continue to address the scourge of crime, drugs and the proliferation of firearms on our streets,” Commissioner Rolle said in a statement last night.

“These men are well respected and hold a wealth of knowledge and experience which will definitely be an asset to the team.

“Notably, Clayton Fernander has extensive experience in criminal investigations and

POLICE COMMISSIONER PAUL ROLLE operations; Leamond Deleveaux has vast experience in policing throughout the Force; and Kendal Strachan has extensive experience in criminal investigations, both locally and internationally where he is well respected.

“I enthusiastically welcome these honourable men to make a

positive and impactful difference in our country as we rebuild and move forward in creating safer communities throughout the Commonwealth of The Bahamas.”

The three senior officers were among those who were directed to take vacation leave in 2019.

Although the former

Minnis administration justified the vacation policy by citing fiscal measures, the officers believed that the administration simply wanted to sideline them.

When their vacation leave ended, they were sent on special assignments for a year.

In March, The Tribune reported that Commissioner Rolle issued letters to the three officers that extended their “special assignment” at various government ministries for a further two years.

At the time, one of the officers labelled the treatment as disrespect.

Their attorney was Wayne Munroe, QC, who is the newly appointed national security minister. After he was sworn in this week, Mr Munroe advised that the men would be returning to the police force, but said the decision had nothing to do with him as he had just assumed his portfolio.

PRIME Minister Philip “Brave” Davis has offered condolences to the family of local religious leader Rev Timothy Stewart.

“I am indeed saddened to learn of the passing of a giant in the international religious community, a consequential national leader, a community leader and builder and a supporter of the progressive movement, the Rev Timothy Stewart,” Mr Davis said in a statement yesterday.

Rev Stewart was a long-serving pastor of the historic Bethel Baptist Church. He also served as the international head of the Progressive National Baptist Convention and the Bethel Baptist Union of churches locally. He died last week.

“In those capacities, Rev Stewart provided a global platform for the collective voices of The Bahamas and the Caribbean to be heard on not only religious matters, but secular issues affecting the developing world,” Mr Davis said.

“He is noted and widely celebrated for his civic and humanitarian work in Over-the-Hill communities, especially the iconic

community of Bain Town and Grant’s Town.

“His passing brings to an end an important era in servant leadership. As he goes with God, the Progressive Liberal Party thanks Rev Timothy Stewart for his service and vast contributions to nation building during his earthly sojourn.

He will be sorely missed.”

In a statement posted on Facebook, Bethel Baptist Church reflected on Rev Stewart’s legacy.

“At the young age of 26, Pastor Stewart took over the pulpit of our historic Bethel Baptist Church and for almost 39 years led with love, care, wisdom, and divine direction,” the church said.

“Dr Stewart faithfully served the Progressive National Baptist Convention for over three decades, making history in 2018. He was the first president from the international region in Progressive’s 60-year history.

“We grieve not in despair but with hope that we shall meet again.”

Rev Stewart leaves behind his wife, Sharon, and children Timothy, Michael, and Gardner Calvin.

FAREWELL TO ‘GIANT OF THE LABOUR MOVEMENT’ BASTIAN THOMAS Bastian, a founding member of the Bahamas Hotel, Catering and Allied Workers Union, died yesterday.

In a statement mourning his death, Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis lamented the loss of “a giant of the labour movement and a nation builder”.

He said as secretary general and later president of the BHCAWU, Mr Bastian was credited with building that institution into one of the largest and most powerful labour unions in The Bahamas.

“The Worker’s Bank,

a day care centre, a laundromat, a restaurant, and three union buildings were among the union’s impressive list of commercial acquisitions and extensive real estate holdings under the leadership of Mr Bastian.

“He was a good friend and I always admired his conviction – expressed through his ardent advocacy for the rights and protection of the Bahamian worker. Many of the rights and employment benefits enjoyed by hotel workers today were the result of his dogged tenacity and determination

in protecting the rights and job security of hotel workers.

“Even though we found ourselves sometimes on opposite sides of the negotiating table, he was always respectful of me, my colleagues and the process,” Mr Davis said.

He said Mr Bastian was the architect behind two memoranda of understanding with the Progressive Liberal Party on the way forward for Bahamian workers – one signed in 1977 and the most recent MoU signed with union leaders this year.

“His passing brings to an

AMERICAN JAILED FOR COCAINE IN SUITCASE from page one

D’Neco Cleare of Springs, Florida was arrested after officers found four pounds and 13 ounces of cocaine among his belongings when they searched his luggage at Lynden Pindling International airport on September 20.

Police said they also recovered a small quantity of Indian hemp from the suitcase during their search.

He pleaded guilty to possession of Indian hemp, possession of cocaine with the intent to supply and conspiracy to possess dangerous drugs with the intent to supply, when he appeared before Magistrate Samuel McKinney.

He was charged with his Bahamian wife, however the charges brought

against her were withdrawn after Cleare admitted the offences.

The prosecution said around 6.15 on the morning in question, an officer on duty at LPIA went to the domestic terminal’s screening area where they spoke with a head security officer who pointed out a pink floral suitcase.

The court was told that the suitcase was checked into a Western Air flight that was travelling from Nassau to Abaco. When the officers examined the luggage, they found two square packages with cocaine.

The prosecution said the officers then proceeded to the departure lounge area where they identified Cleare and his wife and showed them the suitcase with the drugs. He said under caution, the accused told officers it was his bag

and insisted his spouse had nothing to do with the incident.

When Cleare was interviewed at the Drug Enforcement Unit, he told officers he found the cocaine while riding a jet ski in waters near Paradise Island. He said after he retrieved the drugs, it was his intention to turn them into police. The court was told that a further search of Cleare’s luggage in custody led to the discovery of 5.8 ounces of marijuana. He was subsequently charged with the offences.

After accepting the accused’s guilty pleas yesterday, Magistrate McKinney sentenced him to a year in custody and fined him $10,000. He warned Cleare that if he failed to pay the fine, he could risk spending an additional year in custody.

end a significant era in the country’s labour movement.

Thomas Bastian has left big shoes to be filled with many miles to travel before rest is taken.

“I thank him for his service to the labour movement and to our country,” Mr Davis said.

Yesterday, the BHCAWU released a statement about Mr Bastian’s death, calling him a “true hero” and

founding member of the union.

“He served the union diligently for 18 years — from 1982 to 2000. Indeed, Bastian was the longest-serving president of the hotel union and will be missed by all,” the union said.

“Bastian was a man of many ideas. Among his accomplishments, he opened the Workers Bank on Harrold Road; Workers

Laundry; Workers Day Care Centre; and a multimillion-dollar complex known as Workers House on Harrold Road.

“Bastian also kept alive the Worker’s Pension Fund.

Under his portfolio, he was also in charge of the advancement of the housing projects for hotel workers throughout the Family Islands, among other such initiatives,” the union said.

PAGE 6, Thursday, September 23, 2021

THE TRIBUNE

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FNM should choose its new leader swiftly FORMER Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis will get to stay as the leader of the FNM – for now.

Dr Minnis will keep his role as party leader, and leader of the Opposition, until a new leader is chosen at convention in November, according to party chairman Carl Culmer.

Dr Minnis also intends to retain his Killarney seat and has no plans to quit the House of Assembly.

Last night’s meeting was described as “spirited” with some strong words following the FNM’s worst election defeat.

Some of those strong words came from former Bain and Grants Town MP Travis Robinson, who said that “the FNM and our leadership, the Prime Minister, was not in tune with the Bahamian people” – a Bahamian people which also chose to elect the PLP candidate and not Mr Robinson in his constituency, it should be noted.

It would be easy to hang all the blame on Dr Minnis, but a government is run under a doctrine of collective Cabinet responsibility. If people thought Dr Minnis was on the wrong path, they should not have remained as part of a Cabinet taking that path.

Absolutely, part of the election result was a reaction by voters against Dr Minnis and his style of leadership, but it was also a rejection of those who were part of his government.

Where Mr Robinson is right, however, is when he says that the party lacks succession planning. It should not, for example, take until November for a convention to be held after an election defeat.

It should not be left to a lame duck leader to be the one to hold a new government to account in Parliament.

Mr Culmer has assured us that Dr Minnis will not offer himself for leadership, and for the sake of the FNM’s future, that should be a promise that must be kept.

The public loudly and clearly said no to Dr Minnis and his platform, and it must be a new leader that will take the FNM forward.

The sooner that process can be completed, the better it will be for the FNM – and the better it will be for the country to have an Opposition with a direction.

Progress?

FIVE women. That’s how many women are now in the Cabinet under

new Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis.

That it represents progress from the single woman who held a post in Cabinet under Mr Davis’ predecessor, Dr Hubert Minnis, is undeniable. That it is not enough progress remains the issue.

Only seven women were elected last week, out of a total of 39 seats, all of them for the PLP. The FNM Opposition now has not a single woman in Parliament.

Part of that of course comes down to voters, who they choose to represent them, but that does require enough women being offered the chance to run in winnable seats by the major parties. It starts with how many women are chosen, and that goes back to the selection process and who is doing the choosing.

As Alicia Wallace pointed out in her column this week, 18 percent of Parliament are now women – a rise from 13 percent in 2017, but some way short of the 30 percent target set by regional and international groups, and short too of the 20 percent in 2002.

So we’re not even falling short of international goals, we’re falling short of where we’ve already been.

Back in June, Mr Davis said that the PLP’s slate would be composed of 30 to 40 percent women candidates. That should have seen between 11 and 15 women as candidates. That was not the case.

At the time, he said: “We are not going to run them because they are female and do that gender a disfavour just to run someone because they are female. We want to have candidates who are good and those who are willing to serve and willing to do what is necessary to uplift the Bahamian people in a manner and in accordance to our philosophies.”

Over at the FNM, Dr Minnis in August said that “we especially need more women to run for the House of Assembly and to sit in the Cabinet of The Bahamas”.

Not so urgent a matter, it would seem, with the party selecting only seven women as candidates, the same number as the PLP. So have we really seen progress? In pure numbers, a little. But where we need to see progress is in the process of selecting candidates to actually give women opportunities.

That is when real progress can have a chance.

Time to heal after the vote EDITOR, The Tribune.

DURING his campaign, Prime Minister Philip Brave Davis journeyed through each island of The Bahamas. His message was simple. It was a promise to help bridge our current divisions as he has always worked to do previously. He embraced the fact that what the country needed at this time was real leadership that seeks to deescalate tensions, open lines of communication, and bring us together to heal.

The many tasks ahead of Prime Minister Davis and the nation is frightening.

Hundreds of Bahamians have died due to this pandemic while many are still ill. And we see that this pandemic is far from subsiding, but in recent cases has been accelerating. The economy still struggles to recover from the worst downturn we have ever seen in the history of our

nation, and many employers are either struggling to survive or have already gone out of business.

I believe that Prime Minister Davis will confront the real issues, and find real solutions. I believe this temperate, honest and realistic approach is what we need more now than ever. But he cannot do it alone. We need more unity over division.

Mr Davis has promised and pledged to be a Prime Minister of all Bahamians, not just the ones that voted for the Progressive Liberal Party. He has promised to reach across the party lines to solve the real problems that this country is facing.

I trust that Mr Davis will strive to allay the fears of those who voted against him and to restrain those in his party who may feel unduly emboldened by this victory. And if we are to truly come together, all parties across the country will

need to find ways to listen to each other too.

Prime Minister Davis cannot be expected to solve all the problems facing the Bahamian people. But maybe, he can help inspire the sort of unity that makes progress possible. It was Abraham Lincoln that once said, “we are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection.”

The election is over and it is time for us to heal. It is time for us to come together as a country, unite and work towards the common goal for a better and safer Bahamas for all. We must not wish the government nor the Prime Minister ill, but encourage, pray and hope for the best.

DR MATHEO SMITH Nassau, September 22, 2021.

Smaller parties in election EDITOR, The Tribune.

NOW that the 2021 general election is over, many people have expressed the view that third parties generally, and the Coalition of Independents in particular, have demonstrated that there is a need for a third political force in the country. The view is that the continual election of the PLP and the FNM merely further entrenches the political elite and the privileged. These third forces are demanding a change of the political system particularly the vestiges of the Westminster system that locks out political access and stymies individualism and free speech.

These sentiments are gaining traction among the electorate. However, my view is that there is not sufficient space in the body politic for a viable third party. For a third party to rise, one of the two major parties will have to disappear. After all most of the mature democracies of the world, including those which operate the Westminster model have only two major parties. It took the PLP fourteen years after it was organised into an official political party to form a government. It took the FNM over twenty years in all its other iterations to become the government of the Bahamas. But before it became a viable political entity its forerunner, the UBP, had to disband. The ability to build resources both human and capital to compete with the PLP and FNM is daunting. Many of the smaller parties also do themselves no favour by organising into political organizations a few months before the election and expect Bahamians to take them seriously.

My belief is that the need to deepen and broaden the democracy is real. The two legacy parties ignore and dismiss this at their own peril. However, I do not believe that the clamour for reform of the political system has to necessarily translate into the creation of new political parties.

I believe that there are ample opportunities for change within the two

LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net political parties. Egos and personal ambitions should be secondary to team building. The cream usually rises to the top. If you have vision, talent and competence, it will be recognised.

A political party that does not permit sunshine within its internal structures cannot and will not allow the light of day to shine in governance.

The energy and dynamism demonstrated in some of the smaller parties can best find forms of expression and acceptance in the two major parties. They ought to bring their crusade and fight for change within existing organisations where their purpose can be more readily achieved. While they are free to march and protest on the outside, they must ensure that they remain fully engaged on the inside.

Moreover, the growing call for system change I believe is really a cry for greater opportunities to participate in the political system. Voting every five years should not be the extent of participation in the political process.

When the voting is over voters feel disengaged from the system, there is a feeling of being powerless in the democracy. The 62% voter turnout in the recent 2021 election ought to be a wakeup call for all Bahamians.

This state of affairs can be at least partially rectified by instituting a legitimate system of local or community government.

The system now in place in the family islands is a relic from our colonial past and is unacceptable in a 21st Century Bahamas. A deepened democracy requires two levels of governance, one at the community level and the other at the national level. This is why so many parliamentarians who try to contribute at the national level seem lost and out of place. Some of these politicians could be excellent community leaders. There are too many cheerleaders attempting to

play in the game.

The local government system I envisage would include: dividing New Providence into four-six districts; the creation of community assemblies to be elected by the local residents of the districts; the empowerment of the districts to collect certain fees such as fees associated with the licensing of vehicles of residents who reside in the various districts; the $100,000 allocated to Members of Parliament as constituency allowance should be assigned to the local government authorities. In a time of dangerous fiscal and financial woes, this re-allocation of funds to parliamentarians to local government would ensure a fairer distribution of public funds and remove the suggestion of political favoritism.

Smaller political parties do bring some value to the political process. They usually introduce issues to the national discourse which the larger parties may be reluctant to address. An example of this is the focus on the value of the natural resources of the country that some of the smaller parties brought to the forefront during the recent political campaign. Smaller parties may also introduce personalities to frontline politics who may not have been given opportunities by the larger parties. However, my central arguments are firstly, that history has demonstrated that there is no space, patience or trust for third parties in local politics; secondly, the energy and enthusiasm of third parties could be more efficiently expended in the makeover within existing political parties; and thirdly, that a concerted effort be made to introduce a legitimate community or local government system which would offer additional opportunities for citizens to participate in the democratic process.

System change is more of a longer term goal which would require extensive constitutional overhaul.

MAURICE TYNES Nassau, September 21, 2021.

THE TRIBUNE

‘CASH THIEF WAS CAUGHT ON CAMERA’

By FARRAH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter fjohnson@tribunemedia.net

SECURITY footage showed a worker at a local automotive services company taking funds out of the cashier’s drawer and pocketing it, according to one of the establishment’s managers.

Anthonique Bowleg, Alice Murphy, Bradlisha Bullard and Shalesia Bannister are accused of collectively stealing nearly $500,000 from Battery & Tyre Specialists between 2016 and 2018.

Prosecutors alleged that Bannister stole $182,372.38 by reason of her employment between January 2016 and March 2018.

They further alleged that she attempted to launder $182,372.43 between those dates.

Police also accused Bowleg of stealing $111,498.55 between April 2017 and March 2018 and laundering $111,498.49 between those dates.

Meanwhile, Murphy is alleged to have stolen by reason of her employment and laundered $33,208.13 between July 2017 and March 2018.

Bullard also allegedly stole $168,246.46 and laundered that amount between January 2016 and February 2018.

Prosecutors say that the women purchased numerous designer items with the money they allegedly obtained illegally.

When their trial before Magistrate Samuel McKinney resumed yesterday, Darren McCartney, a manager at Battery & Tyre Specialists, said after noticing “discrepancies” he and another supervisor “pulled data” from their points of sales system and “ran some surveillance

footage” which concerned the defendants.

Yesterday, that footage was shown in court. Mr McCartney said in the first video, dated March 12, 2018, Bannister could be seen removing cash from the drawer and stashing it by a monitor before taking it and putting it in her back pocket.

In another video, dated March 9, 2018, he said Bannister could be seen removing cash from the drawer, placing it on the counter and eventually putting it in her pocket.

In a third three-minutelong video, Mr McCartney said Bannister could be seen taking money out of the drawer, placing it in an envelope before collecting her personal belongings and leaving the cashier’s cage.

During the hearing, Mr McCartney also showed a video with Murphy and Bannister, which he said displayed “money appearing to be removed from the cashier’s drawer”.

When he was crossexamined by Bannister’s attorney, Mr McCartney admitted it was not unusual for a cashier to place money in an envelope or change cheques for managers or other senior employees on occasion.

However, he said, it would be unusual for a cashier to leave their cage with the funds as the company’s policy required the senior staff to pick up the cash from the cashier’s cage.

When attorney Alfred Gray, who represents Murphy, cross-examined Mr McCartney, he also said he could not say if a manager was in the back room waiting when the cashier took the envelope with the money and left the cashier’s cage.

The case continues on November 8.

COURT TO APPOINT LAWYER IN SEX CASE

By FARRAH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter fjohnson@tribunemedia.net

A MAN seeking to challenge the sentence he received after he was convicted of having sex with a minor five years ago will receive a court-appointed lawyer for his appeal application.

Prosecutors say Samuel Kelly, Jr, attempted to have sex with a 16-year-old dependent between May 9 and 14 of 2016. They also said he had sex with the girl on several occasions between July 2014 and May 8, 2016.

Although he pleaded not guilty to attempted unlawful sexual intercourse with a dependent and unlawful sexual intercourse with a dependent when he was made to answer to the charges, at the end of his trial, he was convicted of the offences and remanded to prison.

Kelly Jr later filed an application to appeal his punishment in the Court of Appeal.

When he appeared before Justices Jon Isaacs, Carolita Bethell and Maureen Crane-Scott during a virtual hearing, he told them he did not have an attorney and could not afford one.

As a result, the panel said they would accede to his request and appoint him counsel at the public’s expense to aid him in

contesting his sentence.

“The court being of the view that you require such legal assistance and that you lack the wherewithal to afford one, the court directs that counsel be appointed for you,” Justice Isaacs said.

“Your lawyer will be advised that because your appeal is out of time, in other words you did not file your appeal within the time required by the statutes, an application for an extension of time within which to appeal will have to be made.

“Once that is done, the court will hear that application and if it grants leave to appeal out of time, the court will then go on and consider your actual appeal.”

The matter was adjourned to September 28 for mention.

Meanwhile, Basil Cartwright was also scheduled to appear before the appellate panel of justices to appeal the three-year indecent assault sentence imposed on him by a magistrate.

However, his attorney, Paco Deal, informed the panel that his client was currently in quarantine at the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services.

Justice Isaacs said since Mr Deal was not given instructions to proceed with the hearing in the absence of his client, the panel would adjourn the matter to October 18.

MAN ACCUSED OF INDECENT ASSAULT

By FARRAH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter fjohnson@tribunemedia.net A 63-YEAR-OLD man who denied indecently assaulting a minor was yesterday granted bail before his trial.

Prosecutors allege Arthur Thurston committed the

act on a 12-year-old girl on September 18.

He denied the allegation during his arraignment before Magistrate Samuel McKinney and the matter was adjourned to November 8 for trial.

Thurston was granted $5,000 bail until that time.

Thursday, September 23, 2021, PAGE 7

$1m John Bull robbery trial underway from page one Paula Robinson, the manager at the John Bull store in Port Lucaya, was the first witness called by the prosecution to give evidence.

She and five other female staff — Margaret Higgs, Shantae McIntosh, Megan Coakley, Daphne Hanna, and Felicia Adamson — were at work in the store at the time of the robbery on the morning of July 23, 2018.

Ms Robinson said she arrived at work around 9am. She was in the back office when she heard the breaking of glass and screaming.

“I heard screams and glass shattering; I looked for the panic alarm, but one of the staff had picked it up,” she told the court.

Ms Robinson said her staff ran in the back and they called the police station, but got no answer. They then called the security at Port Lucaya Marketplace.

After the robbery, Ms Robinson was concerned about a missing staff member and went to check the floor.

She said she saw that the Rolex and Breitling showcases were smashed.

“The glass showcase was shattered and the watches were missing,” she said.

She said after police arrived, she called Nassau to inform her boss and the loss intervention manager, who sent a variance report so she could check and identify what watches were missing.

Ms Robinson said 35 Rolex watches and two Breitling watches were missing from the store.

She said that she marked off the serial number on the variance report to identify each watch, and sent the report to the Nassau store, and also gave a copy of the report to the police.

Prosecutor Anthony Sawyer made an application for the variance report to be exhibited as evidence for

THE PORT Lucaya John Bull store. identification purposes only.

Ms Robinson said that a physical count is taken of the watches in the morning and again in the evening, and a count sheet is prepared.

When asked if there was any sale before the robbery, the store manager said they had just opened the store and nothing had been sold as yet.

The prosecutor asked: “Did you do a count sheet that day?”

Ms Robinson said one should have been done. She explained that the count sheet contains information regarding each watch, including the opening count, the date, closing count, if any was sold, in layaway, or in backup.

The prosecutor asked if police recovered any of the stolen items.

Ms Robinson said officers brought back two Rolex watches that were found on the outside after the robbery on the day in question. She also said police brought back five additional Rolex watches on July 31, 2018.

The prosecutor produced several individual evidence bags, each containing a stolen watch. He asked Ms Robinson to identify the two watches that police had brought back to the store on the day of the robbery.

After looking in the bags, Robinson was able to identify only one – a gold

pearl master women’s Rolex watch.

She could not recall the second watch.

Cockburn’s attorney raised an issue about the witness being presented with several individual bags to look through and pick the two items.

He also expressed dissatisfaction with not being presented with certain documents and reports from the prosecution.

“This is a trial by ambush,” Mr Ferguson told the court.

“We have a constitutional obligation to prepare a defence, and this matter has been outstanding for three years. Items are still outstanding – we have yet to receive a report of fingerprinting and the blood collected,” he said.

“It is an absolute right of the defendant to have a fair trial,” he insisted. “This cannot be fair.”

During cross-examination, Mr Ferguson asked Ms Robinson if she had taken a physical inventory of the items on July 23 at work. She said the staff took a physical count.

The attorney then asked if she had prepared the count sheet. Ms Robinson said she did not count the items, but had signed the sheet with her signature at the bottom and dated it July 23, 2018.

Mr Fergson asked, “You were in the back office so you did not know what transpired in the front?”

No, I could not say what transpired,” Ms Robinson replied.

Mr Ferguson then asked Ms Robinson if she had attended a police ID parade. She said no.

“Do you know the value of the items missing?”

Ms Robinson said the variance report would have the value of the items.

When asked if she had given a report to police, Ms Robinson said she had given a statement to police the day of the robbery on July 23, 2018.

The trial continues today.

PAGE 8, Thursday, September 23, 2021

THE TRIBUNE

THE HONEYMOON WILL QUICKLY BE OVER THEN MR DAVIS WILL HAVE TOUGH, UNPOPULAR DECISIONS TO MAKE

PRIME Minister Philip “Brave” Davis.

Photo: Racardo Thomas/Tribune Staff So much commentary If you can meet with Tri- register.

Bahamians should wish after the election is based umph and Disaster And treat those two the incoming administra- on emotionalism, so-called tion and Prime Minister hunches and biases absent impostors just the same.

Philip Brave Davis well as facts. Disappointingly, this - Rudyard Kipling they now bear the burden of includes professional and THE general election leading the country through educated Bahamians with is over. The time for gov- extremely rough and dan- often a scant understanding ernance has begun. The gerous economic waters of politics and our system Progressive Liberal Party and the continuation of the of government.

Many has a certain mandate and COVID-19 pandemic. opine breezily but not Those wishing ill for the substantively. the responsibility of government, despite a dramatically country for political benefit Many of those who easily or out of pique so that the mock or deride public lower voter turnout.

In the 2021 general elec- new administration quickly officers and others who tion, approximately 65 falters should remember offer their services and talpercent of registered voters that we are Bahamians ents in government would cast their ballots. That was first. We are all in the same not be able to sustain the a record low turnout in national boat. pressures and vortex of If the Prime Minister government for long, easily the modern Bahamas. It is common in our elections needs advice and assistance buckling under the constant for turnout to be in the low both should be accorded demands of office.

90 percent range of regis- our head of government, no matter which party an inditered voters.

Based on preliminary vidual supported.

Whichever party won, Government work is data, the PLP secured only 34 percent of registered hard, complex, often frus- would now confront a voters. They are the Gov- trating and tedious, with complex of unprecedented challenges, ernment with the support of long days and endless economic only one third of registered weeks, with little gratitude, including mass unemployBahamians. That figure appreciation or understand- ment, much of the economy lowers when it is consid- ing by most of the public still shuttered, decisions about public finances ered many people do not and much of the media.

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and funding promises made during the election campaign.

The FNM promised a number of high-priced social programmes such as a Universal School Meals Programme and other initiatives. The PLP promised to reduce VAT for a year to 10 percent and to increase the minimum wage.

Public finances are in a very difficult state in much of the world and most of the Caribbean. The Bahamas is no different. The Davis administration has to make a number of fairly quick decisions, which will likely be highly unpopular.

The poetry and general promises of a campaign must be translated into the prose of specific policies amid limited revenues and resources. In The Bahamas, our policy planning process in government is often dysfunctional and in need of major overhaul.

Prime Minister Davis should shore up his policy advisors in critical areas, as he will at times be failed on this front by public officers and a cabinet made up mostly of unseasoned ministers with little experience in government or understanding of the complexities of policymaking and implementation.

A story in Jamaica’s The Gleaner yesterday is a warning to the new Bahamian Prime Minister. The subheading of the story: “The Government has seen a 19-percentage point plunge in its performance rating in just over a year.”

The story continued: “The rating of Jamaica Labour Party Leader, Prime Minister Andrew Holness has also dipped. In the latest RJRGLEANER-commissioned Don Anderson Poll conducted from August 19 to September 3 this year, the government’s performance rating dropped to 38 percent from 57 percent in July 2020.

“The most recent poll was conducted among 1,003 respondents and has a margin of error of plus or minus three per cent.

The government’s negative (poor and very poor) performance rating worsened from 12 percent in 2020 to 28 percent this year.

“At the same time, there has been a further negative performance rating of the Jamaica Labour Party Leader. The negative rating has worsened from 10 percent in 2020 to 27 percent this year.

“Holness’ positive (good and very good) performance rating of 65 percent in 2020 is now 42 percent.

“On September 3, 2020, Jamaica held its 18th general elections since Universal Adult Suffrage with the JLP sweeping 49 seats to the People’s National Party’s 14. The election happened in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic.”

HANDLE

The pandemic will be with us for the foreseeable future. The new administration must immediately get a

handle on the crises as even a few days, and certainly a week, can make a tremendous difference in the number of cases, hospitalizations and deaths.

Some of what Mr Davis and the PLP said in opposition about addressing the pandemic was irresponsible and pandering. COVID19 does not care who is in office nor which political colours one wears.

Ongoing decisive and strict measures will be required to increase the number of people vaccinated. We will see in a few weeks how the Government’s recent relaxation of various emergency orders will play out.

Last Wednesday, amid a dramatic rise in cases, Belizean Prime Minister John Briceño gave a national address to describe the current state of the pandemic and the projections of what might come in the Central American nation.

He noted: “At this rate, hospitalizations could rise by an additional 150 persons daily over the next two weeks. Of those hospitalized cases, approximately 15 people will require ICU admission and a minimum of 10 daily deaths are projected.”

As the country moves forward, it is important to try to dissect and understand the election results.

Thus far, much of the analysis, especially from certain media commentators, has been unconvincing, some of it hackneyed and some of it trite. Some seem to have stock and readymade answers. Some have based their analysis on personal hatred and deepseated anger.

“Psephology is a division of political science that deals with the examination as well as the statistical analysis of elections and polls.” It would be of considerable benefit to have a trained psephologist do a deep dive and more thorough analysis of Bahamian elections so that we can gain a better understand of our electoral patterns.

There is a cultural and social psychology to societies and electorates. It would also be beneficial to have a number of sociologists and political scientists study our democracy and elections as we approach 50 years of independence, and a longer period of self-rule.

DEEPER

We require a deeper analysis of Bahamian democracy and practices beyond each election cycle. A better understand of this election and the several past elections may be best done first by proposing a series of questions rather than a number of quick and pat answers that are currently circulating.

While some of the already proposed reasons for the outcome of the vote make sense and seem reasonable, a number seem specious. The reasons for the outcome might be viewed through a pie chart, with the various parts afforded percentages and ranking.

There is likely a confluence of reasons for the current outcome. What role did the pandemic play in a dramatic decrease in turnout? What was the role of having an election during a surge in cases and quite a number of deaths?

How much did the displeasure toward and the dislike of former Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis, including his style of governance, and his government and the Free National Movement play in their defeat?

Dr Minnis, his cabinet

and the FNM must accept responsibility for their errors in government and in the election. There must be an honest and thorough analysis and stocktaking by the FNM and the former Prime Minister.

Will we see a decline in the percentage of voters, especially younger voters, as we move past those who have a personal memory of majority rule and independence? How disengaged or uninformed are citizens from the workings of government?

Our elections include an ongoing and often open solicitation by voters for money, sometimes with the retort: “I haven’t voted yet.

What you ga do for me?”

Outside of elections, scores want government contracts and funds. What role does such “throw me out” play in our election cycles?

What role will social media and the press play in democratic politics, including the abuse on social media of those in political life and the sometimes skewed journalism?

ACID-LIKE

Social media has calmed down for now post-election.

But in a few weeks, the vomiting of rage and the acid-like reflux of anger will quickly gather force and engulf the new government, which will now become for many the target of outrage and venom. This will include toxicity from certain talk show hosts and social media personalities.

The outrage cycle is on a temporary vacation. When it ramps back up it will deny the new government a honeymoon or an appreciation of the challenges the country faces. With only a third of registered Bahamians voting for the party, the PLP is going to feel the brunt of outrage with every decision it makes.

There may currently be no other democracy in the world that has changed its government consecutively as we have from 1997 to 2021. If we change again at the next election this will be a period of 30 years.

This is not a picture of democratic health, especially in comparison with other Caribbean democracies, with similar democratic, socio-economic and psephological features.

Our changing of administrations every five years now may say as much or more about the electorate than it does about former Prime Ministers Hubert Ingraham, Perry Christie or Hubert Minnis.

We need more selfreflection about the state of our democracy beyond the former Prime Ministers.

Our democratic instability may be rooted in a number of sociological and political reasons.

Along with this near 25 years of changing governments, during this period we have also twice voted against giving women full equal rights in citizenship referenda.

We are a young electorate. In a number of ways we have not fully matured to assess broadly and reasonably the variables needed to properly understand and manage our democracy.

Both politician and voter must accept responsibility for the current state of our democracy.

It would be all too easy for politicians and voters to blame each other for the dysfunction in the body politic. Political maturity demands a fuller understanding of the role we all play in augmenting the strength of our democracy and in addressing and ameliorating the deficiencies.

THE TRIBUNE

Thursday, September 23, 2021, PAGE 9

Fine words - but look what they are actually doing rather than promising WE’RE in the third week of September. Every year, that means the world remembers there is an organisation dedicated to world peace and the harmonious settlement of disputes between and within nations.

It’s United Nations General Assembly week in New York City in the UN’s 75th anniversary year. The nexus of world diplomacy shifts into an ageing but still inspirational building in mid-town Manhattan, looking out over the busy East River toward the borough of Queens.

The UN’s 193 members descend on America’s largest city and typically dominate its peculiar, selfcentred news scene. This week, for instance, the President of the Philippines is urging the world to reverse course on inequality. The President of Somalia is emphasizing the need for COVID-19 vaccines for everyone in the world. The President of Iran declares economic sanctions are the “American way of war”. Chinese President Xi Jinping makes a commitment to wean his country off its dirty dependence on coal and achieve carbon neutrality within 40 years. The President of Brazil arrives and joins the party, defiantly disrespecting the UN’s coronavirus safeguard measures.

Most observers take all these pronouncements with more than a grain of salt.

After all, back home, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has presided over a highly controversial administration that has been reportedly marked by the use of extrajudicial political acts known as “death squads”. The American influence in the Philippines is still strong, and Duterte’s methods of terminating drug dealers and other criminals is sometimes compared with the memorably unsentimental tactics of Clint Eastwood’s “Dirty Harry” in five movies from 1971-1988.

Meantime, Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo prepares for the latest “elections” in a nation that has not held a parliamentary direct election since 1969. After assuming office five years ago with a pledge to break that undemocratic trend, the current President has waffled and delayed until finally agreeing an indirect method involving voting by

SOMALIA’s President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed Farmajo is seen on a video screen as he addresses the 76th Session of the United Nations General Assembly remotely on Tuesday at UN headquarters.

Photo: Spencer Platt/AP

STATESIDE

with Charlie Harper

various Somali clans would suffice to select this fractious nation’s next chief executive.

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi holds some power in the Middle East’s most powerful and belligerent nation. But as he hews to the anti-American party line, he knows real power in his nation is wielded by Supreme Leader and theocrat-in-chief since 1989, Ali Khamenei.

China’s President, who has reportedly not left his country in two years, may be the world’s most feared leader in our current era.

As he presides over a central administration exercising tight political control over a sprawling, disparate, multicultural empire, Xi Jinping is leading a menacingly expanding economic and military juggernaut that causes jitters and anxiety everywhere. Climate change opponents won’t

celebrate his 2060 carbon neutrality pledge. Many worry that we’ll have definitively lost the climate battle by then.

And then there’s Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro.

This ebullient showman, who has occasionally compared himself with Donald Trump, has loudly resisted COVID vaccines for himself and has led one of the world’s most heavily criticized responses to the pandemic. Bolsonaro has repeatedly downplayed the threat from the coronavirus, resisted quarantine measures and was fined for refusing to wear a mask in the capital city of Brasilia.

COVID-19 has killed more than 590,000 people in Brazil. They’re going to catch the US (current death toll: 679,000) if the Brazilian government doesn’t soon awaken to reality.

“After the last Brazilian

has clearly served Germany well. Her relations with American Presidents were better with some than with others, but German-American ties largely held steady.

Now, uncertainty looms in Berlin, and not just on American relations. How a new German government will relate to giant eastern rivals Russia and China is increasingly the subject of scholarly speculation.

The ramifications of those relationships will be felt throughout Europe for certain, but also in the wider world.

At a recent forum in Washington held at the well-regarded Wilson Centre, scholarly experts on Germany, Russia and China discussed the future.

There was general agreement that at least until 2019, German business had done very well in China.

Under Merkel’s guidance, a positive pragmatic view of this relationship prevailed, both politically and economically. But starting two years ago, the business climate in China for foreign enterprises generally and German ones in particular began to deteriorate.

An emerging bilateral rivalry began to replace previous cooperation. This was underlined by continued political-military Chinese expansion in Southeast Asia and the rancid residue of suspicion engendered by initial Chinese obfuscation about the origins and spread of COVID-19.

While the experts see no cataclysmic decoupling

of the German and Chinese economies after Sunday’s election, they agreed change is inevitable.

The Green and Free Democratic parties in Germany offer the clearest path to further weakening of ties between these two giant economies. There appears to be a good chance that some combination of Green/FDP support will be needed for either the Christian Democratic Party of Merkel or its main opponent Social Democratic Party to form a new parliamentary government.

As for Russia, the experts see tumultuous times ahead here too for Germany. Despite the two nations’ collaboration on the Nord Stream 2 pipeline under the Baltic Sea which now directly links the two nations on direct natural gas deliveries, the Germans share general European angst over aggressive Russian actions in Eastern Ukraine and its annexation of Crimea.

Furthermore, most of Merkel’s tenure has coincided with Vladimir Putin’s increasing resistance to any further integration with the West.

According to these experts, Berlin sees Russia increasingly as more of a spoiler than a collaborator.

Perhaps the UN won’t solve these problems. But bilateral diplomacy among the US, Europe, Russia and China will be essential if the progress the UN and Biden seek is to be atttained.

CHANGING LANDSCAPES BIDEN is in New York reasserting America’s leading role for good in the world, even as some of the closest traditional allies of the US are restive, despite the reassurance that Biden’s election represented ten months ago.

France is sore at the American preemption of its lucrative nuclear deal with Australia, whereby the US essentially scuttled a huge French deal to build Aussie submarines by offering nuclear technology. Britain is uneasy at its failure so far to negotiate a giant AngloAmerican bilateral trade deal whose potential Prime Minister Boris Johnson offered during his successful election campaign in 2019 as an economic offset to Brexit.

And Germany, central to two world wars and so many other pivotal events during the 20th Century and still an economic powerhouse, is reportedly reassessing its American ties as it faces life without Chancellor Angela Merkel as its political leader for the first time in 16 years. Germany’s much-anticipated federal elections, when Merkel’s successor will be chosen, are to be held this Sunday.

During her lengthy time in office, Merkel has dealt with five British Prime Ministers, four French Presidents, seven Italian Prime Ministers, and four American Presidents. Her period in power has certainly been eventful, and Merkel’s stability during her long tenure

gets vaccinated, if there’s a spare shot, I will decide whether or not I get vaccinated,” he declared on TV. “That’s the example the boss must provide.”

Bolsonaro set a different example the other day.

He and some members of his entourage were photographed on a New York

sidewalk eating pizza, unwilling or unable to comply with the restaurant’s health protocols.

Brazil’s chief executive has also weakened many restrictions on development and deforestation in “the earth’s lungs” – the Amazonian rain forest. He might join these other Presidents in a sea of bad press.

But during UN Week, there is a predominant civility within the organization’s capacious halls. The culture of mutual respect permeates the atmosphere.

And delegates always react with polite applause as political leaders brazenly misrepresent their nations’ virtuosity.

Still, the United Nations

does epitomize the practice and potential of diplomacy.

America’s own President Joe Biden said so in New York. “We’ve ended 20 years of conflict in Afghanistan, and as we close this era of endless war, we are opening an era of endless diplomacy,” he said hopefully.

“We’ve turned the page. All the unmatched strength, energy and commitment, will and resources of our nation are now fully and squarely focused on what’s ahead of us, not what was behind,” Biden said. “We must all choose to do more than we think we can do alone so that we accomplish what we must do together.”

PAGE 10, Thursday, September 23, 2021

THE TRIBUNE

DOCTORS ‘HOPEFUL’ AFTER MEETING WITH NEW PM

By KHRISNA RUSSELL Tribune Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net

CONSULTANT Physicians Staff Association President Dr Sabriquet Pinder-Butler says the group feels hopeful after discussions with Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis and Health and Wellness Minister Dr Michael Darville.

She said senior doctors are optimistic that the talks on Tuesday was a precursor for what is to come over the

next several years.

“We were invited to the meeting,” Dr Pinder-Butler said. “We have had discussions as it relates to being more involved in the processes so we are hopeful that will materialise.

“We feel as if it’s important for the Prime Minister and the Minister of Health to meet with the persons at the ministry who might have been advising the (former) Minister of Health and (former) Prime Minister.

We do know that perhaps

SOCIAL SERVICES TO TAKE OVER FOOD ASSIST PROGRAMME

some recommendations that were made were not necessarily recommendations that were received by that grouping as well, but we are mindful of all of that going forward.”

Open dialogue is welcomed by all stakeholders in the fight against COVID19, she said.

“I think that most of the unions that were present, we felt that way. In the first instance we welcome open dialogue to share our concerns and recommendations

across the table and so we thought the meeting represented a way forward and we are hopeful that it is indicative of what will be in the future.

“If not, we will be disappointed, but nonetheless it doesn’t stop us. We have said we have been working through various governments so the work never stops, the fight will continue.”

Asked whether the CPSA has taken a position on the new curfew which has been

rolled back to 11.59pm, she said senior doctors had mixed feelings.

However, Dr Pinder-Butler cautioned Bahamians to not let a little freedom cost them their health and safety.

“Certainly, I want to encourage all Bahamians to please be mindful that we’re still very much in a serious COVID pandemic in this country and do not allow what I have heard several times persons expressing that its freedom

to cause them to let their guards down and that is always the fear.

“Please continue to wear your masks, avoid crowds, wash your hands, social distance. All those things are important. Get the vaccine because we don’t want this to continue on beyond what is necessary. So, I think the main thing is for all of us to take personal responsibility, which is something that we’ve been really asking everyone to be mindful about.”

THE NATIONAL Food Assistance Task Force pictured in action in June.

By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net THE head of the National Food Assistance Task Force Susan Larson has revealed that the Department of Social Services will be taking over the programme on October 4.

The handover discussions have been going on with senior members of the Department of Social Services for six weeks and, given that there is a little more than a week left until the transition date, officials are wrapping up those talks.

“The programme formally started working in June of 2020,” Ms Larson said. “We were put together as a task force for initially a 12-week programme, we are now ending the programme after 70 weeks.

The commitment to food security has been extraordinary and the government

of The Bahamas has spent $54m on helping people achieve food security over the last 69 (weeks), next week will make 70 weeks.”

She also said: “The Department of Social Services is permanently staffed, permanently mandated…so we already have a structure as a country to help people in an ongoing fashion with food assistance.”

In July, Bahamas Feeding Network Executive Director Philip Smith confirmed the task force’s assistance would continue through to the end of September.

Ms Larson noted at the height of the programme, 57,000 households were registered for food assistance. At this point in the last phase of the programme, 18,000 households across the country were registered and the numbers have been getting smaller incrementally week by week.

Asked if there were persons taken off the list wanting to be put back on, Ms Larson answered: “Yes we’ve seen that but we’ve also seen for example in one zone in New Providence over the last month that zone has been reduced 50 percent, 50 percent of the people in that zone did not need food assistance any longer. So it’s not accurate to look at it as it is sort of a national thing. It really depends on zones and where you are and employment in those zones, so yes (there are) people that continue to need assistance but there are also many, many people (who have) willingly gotten off the programme.”

The food assistance programme began in June 2020 to help families in need.

The initiative was initially set to end in August of that year, but was later extended several times to meet the needs of residents.

THE TRIBUNE

Thursday, September 23, 2021, PAGE 11

Migrants’ fears grow on Mexican border Pre Holiday Sale September 27th to October 2nd

A LITTLE girl holds on to her Barbie doll as she is carried over the Rio Grande river to Del Rio, Texas, as some migrants, many from Haiti, wade across in the opposite direction to return to Ciudad Acuna, Mexico, early yesterday.

Photo: Fernando Llano/AP CIUDAD ACUÑA, Mexico Associated Press AFTER more than a week at this crossing on the US-Mexico border, Haitian migrant Nelson Saintil felt like the walls were beginning to close in on him and his family.

Saintil was along the banks of the Rio Grande on Wednesday morning with his wife and four children, ages 5, 10, 13 and 16. They had returned to Ciudad Acuña the day before after eight days in the squalid camp in Del Rio, Texas, where as many as 14,000 migrants had gathered.

Reports of US deportations to Haiti had pushed them back to Mexico, but the situation remained fluid. The family constantly reevaluated its situation based on imperfect information.

“I don’t want to be like the mice who don’t know about the trap and get caught, because returning to Haiti is like being buried alive,” Saintil said.

At the same time, he and others feared straying far from the growing river camp on the Mexican side, because Mexican immigration agents continued picking up migrants around town and conducting overnight raids at the small hotels where some stayed. The threat of possible deportation on both sides of the border created the sensation of an open-air jail, he said.

Without the sort of overwhelming show of force deployed by the United States and Texas on the north side of the border, Mexico has been ramping up efforts to relieve migrant numbers at this segment of the border.

National Guard troops accompanied immigration agents on operations during recent nights. Sometimes they picked up migrants from the street and loaded them into vans. In other cases they raided hotels.

Well before dawn Wednesday, a couple of immigration vans pulled up outside a small hotel in Ciudad Acuña with National Guardsmen carrying rifles. Soon, shattered glass rained down from a second floor window and a woman screamed. Several migrants were led out with their hands secured behind their backs and loaded into a van.

Inside, an AP journalist found blood — whose was unclear — spattered on the tiled floor of the room in which they had been staying.

Bodlet Manaasse, 27, was the only migrant not taken from the hotel in the raid.

“I was sleeping, they knocked on the door and I didn’t open,” he said. “The owner opened it, and they told me, ‘you have to go with me’.”

They didn’t ask to see any documents, but he told them he was sick and had to see a doctor, showing his

swollen belly. He was the only one they left, he said.

The rest of the hotel exploded in shouts, scuffles and breaking glass.

One family tried to hide in the bathroom, but authorities broke down the door.

A couple families wielded shards of glass to ward off agents and managed to dash out of the hotel with their children and run into the night.

The hotel manager, shaken by the event, would only say that he witnessed part of the action and had never seen anything like it.

On Tuesday, Mexico flew the first planeload of migrants from the border city of Piedras Negras — just downstream from Ciudad Acuña — to the southern city of Villahermosa. More flights were expected, including to Tapachula, near the Guatemala border.

At the same time, Mexico was trying to keep more migrants from reaching the northern border. Bus lines were reminded not to sell tickets to migrants without proper documentation.

On Monday, immigration agents in the northern city of Monterrey, a key transportation hub for travel to the border, detained about 100 migrants at the bus station who were then flown to Tapachula.

In Monterrey, the number of Haitian migrants arriving at a local shelter had grown exponentially since Sunday.

Some 1,500 Haitian migrants had arrived to the shelter since Sunday. The shelter, which has a capacity of 700, has expanded outside with tents for the overflow.

“The wave started with the deportation from from the United States, which has been done inhumanely,” said José Jaime Salinas, administrator of the Casa INDI shelter. “It is the new United States president’s first error, because this is being seen around the world.”

Selomourd Menrrivil, 43, left Tapachula to head to Monterrey with his family after seeing the situation developing in Ciudad Acuña and Del Rio. He and his wife arrived in Monterrey Sunday with their two teenage daughters.

Their plan is to regularise their status in Mexico and find work, even though he conceded that their ultimate destination remains the United States.

“Without work we can’t do anything,” said the CapHaitien native who lived for five years in Santiago, Chile before heading north. “We want documents here.”

Mexico also plans to begin direct flights to Haiti, which would initially target Haitian migrants already in Mexico’s detention centers who have not applied for asylum. Those with open asylum cases would be flown or bused to Tapachula, according to a federal official who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Little by little the migrant camp in Ciudad Acuña was growing beside the Rio Grande. Small tents and tarps were sprouting to provide shelter for several hundred migrants, mostly families, in a scene reminiscent of camps that have appeared in other border cities like Matamoros, Reynosa and Tijuana in recent years.

On Wednesday morning, Antonio Pierre, 33, listened to the news on a friend’s cellphone.

“They are releasing some, but they are very few,” he said. His wife and daughter were across the river in Del Rio. He had waded back across the river through waist-deep water just to charge his cellphone, but said it was possible the whole family would join him in Mexico before the day was through.

The humanitarian group Doctors Without Borders said in a statement Wednesday that it had been in Ciudad Acuña since Monday offering services to the migrants.

“The situation of dozens of thousands of migrants in Mexico, as well as the US, is unsustainable and of an extreme vulnerability due to the failure of asylum policies and continual deportations,” it said.

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SPORTS PAGE 14

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2021

MLB, page 16

Jonquel Jones voted Player of the Year

By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

J

onquel Jones received the first of what many pundits anticipate will be several postseason awards in recognition of her stellar 2021 WNBA season.

The Connecticut Sun All-Star forward was unanimously voted the Associated Press’ Player of the Year and was named to the All-WNBA First Team.

Jones has previously been honoured by the AP as its Most Improved Player in 2017 and in 2018 as its Sixth Woman of the Year.

The Sun won several awards when the AP announced its list of winners, including a first place finish as a team in the final Power Poll of the season, Most Improved Player Briona Jones and Coach of the Year Curt Miller.

Jones led the league with 18 double doubles, averaged 19.4 points, 2.8 assists

and 1.3 steals per game all career highs. She also added 1.3 blocks per game, shot 52 percent from the field, 80 percent from the free throw line and 36 percent from beyond the three point arc. Jones became the 1st WNBA player to average over 19 points, over 11 rebounds, and more than one steal and one block per game in a single season.

“She is the elite rebounder in the world when she plays. She anchored an historic rebounding season for us.

She’s the main piece for that. We hung our hat on that,” Miller said. “The record-breaking type of season we had rebounding wise is a contributing factor to our win-loss success.”

Earlier this week, Jones was named the league’s Eastern Conference Player of the Week for the third time this season. She also won the award for June and August.

For the month of September, Jones led the Sun

to a 5-0 record averaging 15.4 points, 12 rebounds and three assists per game.

She was also named a Peak Performer as the WNBA rebounding leader at 11.2 boards per game. It was her third time leading the league, having also led the league in 2019 and 2017.

The Sun had an historic finish to the 2021 WNBA regular season with a 14-game winning streak and now set their sights on the postseason as the No. 1 overall seed.

Their 26-6 record includes a 15-1 record at home in the Mohegan Sun. As the top overall seed, the Sun have earned a double bye through to the semifinals.

Connecticut will host game one of the best-of-five series against the lowest seeded team to emerge from the second round.

Since the WNBA changed its playoff format in 2016, the No. 1 seed has reached the championship round every year.

CONNECTICUT Sun forward Jonquel Jones (35) shoots over Los Angeles Sparks forward Nneka Ogwumike (30) during a WNBA basketball game in Uncasville, Conn., on Saturday, August 28, 2021. This year, the 6-foot-6 Jones is the unanimous choice AP Player of the Year honours by the 14-member panel, announced yesterday.

(Sean D Elliot/The Day via AP, File)

Soto takes over NL batting lead, Nationals defeat Chisholm Jr and Marlins 7-5 MIAMI (AP) — Juan Soto took over the NL batting lead, getting three hits and three RBIs to help the Washington Nationals beat the Miami Marlins 7-5 last night.

Soto singled, doubled and hit his 27th homer, raising his average to .321 and passing former teammate Trea Turner of the Los Angeles Dodgers, who began the night at .318. Soto walked twice and with 130 tied Bryce Harper’s team season record, set in 2018.

“I try to motivate myself every day,” Soto said. “I

just try to come in and grind it as hard as I can and play to win games. Since last month, I’ve been seeing the ball really well. I’ve been taking my pitches. It feels good.”

Soto has reached safely 49 times, second-most since 1901 ahead of a player’s 23rd birthday behind Ted Williams’ 54.

“What he’s done and what he’s meant to this team as you know, he carries this team, day in and day out,” Nationals manager Dave Martinez said. “He knows the ball he wants to swing

at, he’s ready to hit them and when he gets them, he smokes them.”

Josiah Gray (1-2), a 23-year-old rookie righthander acquired from the Dodgers for Max Scherzer and Turner on July 30, got his first big league win. He allowed two runs and six hits in six inning with eight strikeouts and two walks.

“I’m really happy that I got that first one tonight but I try not to think about it too much and just go out there and pitch my ball game,” Gray said. “It’s definitely something I would

WASHINGTON Nationals’ Juan Soto (22) is out on second base as Miami Marlins second baseman Jasrado “Jazz” Chisholm Jr throws to first to complete the double play during the fifth inning of a baseball game yesterday in Miami.

(AP Photo/Marta Lavandier) think about here and there, but at the end of the day, I just want to pitch well and put the team in position to win.”

He nearly got his second big league hit when he lined the ball into right field in the sixth only for right fielder Jesús Sánchez to grab the ball on one bounce and throw him out at first.

Yadiel Hernández and Luis García also went deep for the Nationals, who won the season series 11-8.

Washington remains last in the NL East, just behind Miami. At 63-89, the Nationals are nearing their poorest record since 2010’s 69-93.

Elieser Hernández (1-3) gave up four runs and seven hits in four-plus innings.

Yadiel Hernández homered leading off the second, Soto hit a two-run homer in the third — a drive into the right field upper deck — and García made it 4-0 with a leadoff homer in the fourth.

Miami closed to 4-2 on Lewin Díaz’s run-scoring

single in the bottom half and Sánchez’s RBI single in the sixth, but Washington widened its lead in the seventh on Soto’s run-scoring single, Josh Bell’s sacrifice fly and Hernández’s RBI double against Zach Thompson.

Nick Fortes’ pinch-hit, two-run homer and Sandy León’s one-out drive off Ryne Harper in the ninth closed the gap before Tanner Rainey came in and retired Miguel Rojas and Jasrado “Jazz” Chisholm Jr on groundouts for his second save.

“Nick gets us two and Sandy gets us one and suddenly you need a runner to put the game on the line,” Marlins manager Don Mattingly said. “It’s nice to see the guys continue to go.”

CEILING Chisholm Jr hit a sixthinning ball that bounced off the roof in foul territory and was caught by first baseman Josh Bell, but ground rules say a ball is dead once it hits the roof outside fair territory.

TWO MARLINS TEAM CO-MVPs Marlins pitcher Sandy Alcantara and first baseman Jesús Aguilar were voted the team’s co-Most Valuable Players by the South Florida Chapter of the Baseball Writers Association of America. Alcantara has become the ace of the rotation and leads the team in wins (9) and is among the NL leaders in starts and innings pitched. Aguilar has a team-leading 22 homers and 93 RBIs. ROSTER MOVE The Marlins selected the contract of RHP Luis Madero from Triple-A Jacksonville and designated RHP Taylor Williams for assignment.

UP NEXT Nationals: LHP Patrick Corbin (8-11, 6.11) will start the opener of a four-game series at Cincinnati today.

Marlins: RHP Edward Cabrera (0-2, 5.31) is scheduled to start the opener of a three-game series at Tampa Bay on Friday.

THE TRIBUNE

Thursday, September 23, 2021, PAGE 15

Dolphins say ‘Tuna’ broke ribs, won’t play against the Raiders

By TIM REYNOLDS AP Sports Writer MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Tua Tagovailoa’s bruised ribs are actually fractured ribs, and that means the Miami Dolphins will have a new starting quarterback this week when they visit the Las Vegas Raiders.

The Dolphins announced the updated diagnosis Wednesday after initial tests suggested Tagovailoa was dealing with bruised ribs.

Further exams showed the fractures, and the Dolphins already have decided that Jacoby Brissett will start this weekend.

It’s unclear how long Tagovailoa will be sidelined.

Dolphins coach Brian Flores did not want to offer a timetable for a potential return but said Tagovailoa is already improving.

“This is a tough kid,” Flores said. “He wants to play. He’s actually trying to play. We’re going to save him from himself a little bit on this and hold him out this week and then take it week to week from there.”

Brissett last started a game at the end of 2019, though he played almost the entire game against Buffalo last weekend. He’s 12-20 as a starter, the role he said he prepares himself for each week.

“I think that’s been my mentality since I got in the league,” Brissett said. “I’ve been in situations where I honestly didn’t know what my chances were and when my opportunities were going to come. So I just wanted to make sure when I went out there I put my best foot forward and just stick with that mindset that has put me in good situations.”

Panthers, off to 2-0 start, visit Texans in prime time

By BARRY WILNER AP Pro Football Writer IN an effort to get every team a Thursday game, NFL schedule makers often take some of the likely tailenders and stick them in early season games.

Sort of a “let’s get them out of the way before they’ve lost a lot” philosophy.

It’s unlikely those folks expected an undefeated Carolina Panthers when they were put in the Week 3 prime-time match against Houston, which is almost as surprisingly 1-1.

So everyone should be happy with this matchup, right?

Well, there’s enough interest, first because with the Texans minus their stand-in starting quarterback, Tyrod Taylor, out with a hamstring issue, won’t be turning to their in-limbo star and former starter, Deshaun Watson.

He’s been inactive so far after 22 women filed lawsuits alleging sexual assault or harassment.

So rookie Davis Mills goes for Houston after stepping in for Taylor last week in a loss at Cleveland.

“Other than the first drive, I don’t think he was really that uncomfortable on Sunday, and that’s probably to be expected for a guy that’s come in,” offensive coordinator Tim Kelly said. “That’s not an easy place to play, and the situation was tough being backed up like we were. So I thought he did a good job of settling down, and really, he put us in a spot to make it a one-score game with just over two (minutes) to go.”

Carolina (2-0) comes off a beatdown of New Orleans and is tied with Tampa Bay atop the NFC South. The Panthers have been holding sack parties so far. “We constantly talk about pass rush,” Haason Reddick said of a friendly competition he has with teammate Brian Burns. “All day, every day, every time we see each other. When we are out at practice, during the game, we constantly talk about pass rush.”

Look for the Panthers, ranked 10th in the AP Pro32, and 8-point favourites over No. 27 Houston, to give Mills fits.

PANTHERS, 24-10

KNOCKOUT POOL: Cleveland made it tighter than it should have been, but we survived to pick DENVER this week.

No. 31 New York Jets (plus 11) at No. 12 Denver Teddy Bridgewater was once Jets property. Now he will tear them down.

BEST BET: BRONCOS, 30-12 No. 24 Cincinnati (plus 5) at No. 14 Pittsburgh This worked for us in Week 1, and the Steelers have a bunch of key injuries.

UPSET SPECIAL: BENGALS, 21-18 No. 1 Tampa Bay (plus 1) at No. 2 Los Angeles Rams It makes no sense to bet against that 44-year-old quarterback and his Bucs crew. Call us nonsensical.

RAMS, 30-27 No. 17 New Orleans (plus 3) at No. 19 New England Drew Brees versus Tom Brady. Can’t wait ...

Oh, wait, they ain’t there anymore.

PATRIOTS, 23-21 No. 21 Miami (plus 4) at No. 5 Las Vegas WE BELIEVE. At least this week, Pro Picks believes in the Raiders with Miami undermanned.

RAIDERS, 26-16 No. 18 Los Angeles Chargers (plus 7) at No. 3 Kansas City That KC defence is worrisome. But Patrick Mahomes won’t get intercepted in a key spot again.

CHIEFS, 30-27 No. 6 Baltimore (minus 9) at No. 28 Detroit That Ravens D is worrisome, too. Somehow, Baltimore will hold on.

RAVENS, 28-24 No. 4 Arizona (minus 8) at No. 32 Jacksonville In 2021, West teams heading East simply shrug — and win.

CARDINALS, 37-13 No. 11 Seattle (minus 2) at No. 25 (tie) Minnesota Well, not all of them.

VIKINGS, 27-26 No. 15 Green Bay (plus 4) at No. 8 San Francisco After two victories in the Eastern time zone, the Niners get a home game.

And ...

49ERS, 30-28 No. 22 Washington (plus 9) at No. 7 Buffalo Thought about this as Best Bet, but still not sure about Buffalo.

BILLS, 20-10

For now, the Dolphins aren’t planning to make a roster move. Tagovailoa hasn’t yet been placed on injured reserve, a move that — if it happened — would keep him sidelined for at least three games.

The Dolphins have Reid Sinnett on the practice squad, and Flores said he would serve as the backup quarterback this week.

Sinnett had a strong preseason finale for Miami last month, completing 22 of 33 passes for 343 yards with two touchdowns and an interception in a 29-26 comeback win over Cincinnati. He has not thrown a regular-season NFL pass.

“We’re just going to move forward with the guys we have available,” Flores said.

Tagovailoa was injured on the second series of Miami’s 35-0 loss to Buffalo last weekend. He took a hit

MIAMI Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (1) is carted off the field after getting injured in a play during the first quarter of an NFL football game against the Buffalo Bills at Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday. A battery of tests run on Tagovailoa failed to show any serious problems other than bruised ribs, raising at least the possibility that he could play next weekend when the Dolphins (1-1) visit the Las Vegas Raiders (2-0).

(David Santiago/Miami Herald via AP) on a fourth-down play from the Bills’ A.J. Epenesa, then slowly made his way to the sideline where a cart was waiting to take him off the field.

Tagovailoa completed 17 of 22 passes for 94 yards and a touchdown when the Dolphins went to Las Vegas and beat the Raiders 26-25 last season.

Brissett completed 24 of 40 passes for 169 yards and an interception after entering the game as Tagovailoa’s replacement last week. He was sacked four times — Miami allowed six on the day, a figure that

doesn’t even count the play when Tagovailoa got hurt.

Offensive line play has been a major concern for Miami this season, and Flores said the evaluation process to find the best five players there continues.

“There’s going to be a lot of competition in practice this week,” Flores said.

“And when we come out of practice this week, we’ll make the decision on who will be out there.”

But Brissett pushed back on the notion that the biggest issue in the Buffalo loss was the offensive line.

He said the blame should

be felt by numerous positions, and that everyone should have felt like part of the problem. “Look, it’s not my offence or Tua’s offence,” Brissett said. “It’s the team. We’re going to go as the team goes, not as the quarterback position goes or whatever position goes.

We’re going to go as we go.

And that’s what I relayed to the guys. That’s what it’s all about. It’s not about who’s starting at quarterback. It’s about us understanding that objective that week and it’s about us every week and we’ve got to go take care of our business.”

AP PRO PICKS: Look for surprising Panthers to continue sack party Carolina (2-0) is coming off a beatdown of New Orleans and is tied with Tampa Bay atop the NFC South, while rookie Davis Mills gets the start for Houston at QB. Look for the Panthers, ranked 10th in the AP Pro32, and 8-point favorites over No. 27 Houston, to give Mills fits.

GAME CAR at HOU NYJ at DEN

STORYLINE

PICK

The Panthers have been holding sack parties so far this seasons

CAR 24-10

Teddy Bridgewater was once on the Jets ... now he will tear them down

DEN 30-12

CIN at PIT

This worked for us in Week 1, and the Steelers have a bunch of key injuries

CIN 21-18

TB at LAR

It makes no sense to bet against that 44-year-old QB and his Bucs but ...

LAR 30-27

NO at NE

Drew Brees versus Tom Brady, can’t wait ... Oh, wait, they ain’t there anymore

NE 23-21

MIA at LV

Pro Picks believes in the Raiders with Miami undermanned

LV 26-16

LAC at KC

KC D is worrisome but Mahomes won’t get intercepted in a key spot again

KC 30-27

BAL at DET

That Ravens D is worrisome too, but somehow, Baltimore will hold on

BAL 28-24

ARI at JAC

In 2021, West teams heading East simply shrug – and win

ARI 37-13

SEA at MIN

Well, not all of them ...

MIN 27-26

GB at SF WAS at BUF

After two victories in Eastern time zone, Niners get a home game and ...

SF 30-28

Thought about this as Best Bet, but still not sure about Buffalo

BUF 20-10

CHI at CLE

Also not sure what the Browns are, surely talented, but mystifying

CLE 27-17

IND at TEN

Early battle for AFC South lead, and the Colts have a ton of issues

TEN 24-13

PHI at DAL

Early battle for the NFC East lead ... more like a pillow fight

DAL 30-20

ATL at NYG

This week’s only matchup of winless clubs ... Falcons have looked worse

NYG 26-22

No. 23 Chicago (plus 7) at No. 9 Cleveland Also not sure what the Browns are. Surely talented, but mystifying.

BROWNS, 27-17 No. 25 (tie) Indianapolis (plus 6) at No. 16 Tennessee Early battle for AFC South lead, and the Colts have a ton of issues.

TITANS, 24-13 No. 20 Philadelphia (plus 4) at No. 13 Dallas, Monday night Early battle for the NFC East lead. More like a pillow fight.

COWBOYS, 30-20 No. 30 Atlanta (plus 3) at No. 29 New York Giants This week’s only matchup of winless clubs. The Falcons have looked worse.

GIANTS, 26-22 2021 RECORD Last Week: Straight up: 11-5. Against spread: 10-5-1.

Season: Straight up: 18-14. Against spread: 16-14-2.

Best Bet: Straight up: 2-0.

Against spread: 2-0 Upset Special: Straight up: 2-0. Against spread: 2-0.

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PAGE 16, Thursday, September 23, 2021

THE TRIBUNE

TAMPA Bay Rays players react after defeating the Toronto Blue Jays during a baseball game yesterday in St. Petersburg, Florida. With the win, the Rays clinched a playoff berth.

(AP Photo/ Chris O’Meara)

AL East-leading Rays beat Jays 7-1, clinch postseason berth AUSTIN Meadows hit a three-run homer in a sixrun third inning., and the Tampa Bay Rays clinched a postseason berth with a 7-1 victory over the Blue Jays yesterday.

The AL East-leading Rays (94-59) secured a postseason berth for the third season in a row and the seventh time since 2008.

The defending AL champions lost the World Series to the Los Angeles Dodgers in six games last year.

Toronto (85-67) dropped into a tie for the second AL wild-card berth with the New York Yankees, who played later Wednesday.

The Blue Jays lost two of three to Tampa Bay and are 16-5 in September.

Six Tampa Bay pitchers combined on a four-hitter.

JT Chargois (6-1) struck out two during a hitless fourth.

The Rays’ Kevin Kiermaier was hit by a pitch, apparent retribution for scooping up a Toronto scouting report two days earlier.

Reliever Ryan Borucki hit Kiermaier on the back with his first pitch of the eighth inning, when the Rays led 7-1.

Borucki was ejected after the umpires met. Blue Jays manager Charlie Montoyo and enraged pitching coach Pete Walker to storm out of the dugout to argue as

played spilled onto the field, Walker also was tossed.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. had two hits and scored when Teoscar Hernández picked up his 109th RBI on a sacrifice fly.

Ross Stripling (5-7) took the loss.

YANKEES 7, RANGERS 3 NEW YORK (AP) — Gleyber Torres doubled home Joey Gallo for the tiebreaking run in the eighth inning, Gary Sánchez followed with a two-run homer and New York rallied past Texas for a three-game sweep heading into a divisional stretch that will decide their postseason fate.

New York made two errors, allowed two stolen bases, had a baserunner sprint through a stop sign but score easily and another thrown out at home plate.

The Yankees’ wild-card chase takes them to Fenway Park for three games starting Friday night followed by three at at Toronto and a season-ending three-game homestand against Tampa Bay. New York is half a game ahead of Toronto for the second and final AL wild card after the Blue Jays lost a matinee to Tampa Bay, which clinched a postseason spot with the victory.

Boston was two games ahead of the Yankees when the Red Sox began play Wednesday and cruising toward a blowout win against the Mets.

The Yankees won their third straight, scoring four runs with two outs in the eighth inning after Gallo reached when his popup off Spencer Patton (1-2) dropped in against the shifted Rangers.

Chad Green (9-7) pitched a scoreless eighth, and Aroldis Chapman cruised through the ninth in a nonsave situation.

In the fifth, Gio Urshela scoring from first without a throw home after running through third base coach Phil Nevin’s stop sign.

PHILLIES 4, ORIOLES 3 PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Bryce Harper threw out the tying run at the plate in the eighth inning and Andrew McCutchen hit a two-run home run to keep Philadelphia in the hunt in the NL East race.

The Phillies took two of three against the 104loss Orioles. Next up, four games against the Pirates.

Philadelphia entered three games behind Atlanta for first in the division.

The Braves faced Arizona in a late game Wednesday.

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The Orioles trimmed the lead to 4-3 with two outs in the eighth and had a runner on second when Pat Valaika singled to right field. Pedro Severino was waved home and Harper fired a strike to catcher J.T. Realmuto to end the innng.

Jose Alvarado (7-1) got the win. Ian Kennedy earned his 25th save. Phillies starter Zack Wheeler struck out nine over six innings. Conner Greene (1-2) took the loss.

RED SOX 12, METS 5 BOSTON (AP) — Kyle Schwarber homered twice and scored four times, and Chris Sale struck out eight in five innings as Boston won its seventh straight.

The Red Sox scored in each of the first six innings and have not lost since Sept. 13.

The winning streak has lifted Boston from fourth place in the AL East — percentage points out of playoff position — into second and the top AL wild-card spot, with a two-game lead over the Yankees.

Sale (5-0) allowed two runs on six hits in his seventh start since returning from Tommy John surgery.

Taijuan Walker (7-11) allowed six runs on six hits and two walks in two innings. Pete Alonso homered for the Mets, his 35th of the year.

ROCKIES 10, DODGERS 5 DENVER (AP) — Sam Hilliard lined a three-run homer, C.J. Cron had four hits and Colorado snapped a five-game skid at Coors Field by beating NL West title-chasing Los Angeles.

The Dodgers may be in danger of losing more ground to division-leading San Francisco. They entered the day a game behind the Giants, who played late in San Diego.

The game had all the makings of a pitchers’ duel with All-Stars Walker Buehler and Germán Márquez on the mound. Instead, it was anything but, as the teams combined for 19 hits, including three homers.

The Dodgers Luke Raley displayed his power by drilling a two-run homer to center in the third inning that was measured by Statcast at 472 feet.

Robert Stephenson (2-1) earned the win for the Rockies, who got a solo homer from infielder Brendan Rodgers. Dodgers reliever Justin Bruihl (0-1) took the loss.

TWINS 5, CUBS 4 CHICAGO (AP) — Max Kepler homered twice, rookie Joe Ryan struck out a season-high 11, and Minnesota dealt Chicago its ninth loss in 11 games.

Kepler staked the Twins to a 2-0 lead with a homer

in the first inning and hit a tiebreaking drive in the fourth. Ryan (2-1) limited the Cubs to three hits in five innings.

The 25-year-old righthander became the first pitcher in Washington Senators//Twins history with 11 strikeouts in five innings or fewer.

Starter Kyle Hendricks (14-7) took the loss as the Cubs struck out 18 times, tying their season high against Pittsburgh on Sept.

2.

CARDINALS 10, BREWERS 2 MILWAUKEE (AP) — Paul Goldschmidt and Tyler O’Neill homered as St. Louis won its 11th straight game and extended its lead for the second NL wild-card spot with a win over NL Central-leading Milwaukee, which dropped its fourth straight.

Goldschmidt also doubled, singled and scored four runs to help St. Louis stretch its best winning streak since an 11-game string in 2001.

Miles Mikolas (2-2) gave up two runs and four hits in seven innings. It was his longest outing of the season.

St. Louis scored six runs before Milwaukee starter Brett Anderson (4-9) departed.

Avisaíl García hit his 29th home run of the season for the Brewers.

Naughty’s NFL Picks: Week 3 Last week 12-4 Season 18-14 WOW what a difference a week makes.

After a robust 12-4 performance and right back in the thick of things.

After last week’s rash of injuries league wide at key skill positions, several of this week’s games have been affected as a result.

Despite the potholes and speed bumps caused by injuries and positive COVID tests, this weeks NFL games will be played (Thank God) and here’s who I like THURSDAY PANTHERS vs TEXANS PANTHERS 24 TEXANS 17 SUNDAY COLTS vs TITANS TITANS 27 - COLTS 17 FALCONS vs GIANTS GIANTS 24 FALCONS 23 CHARGERS vs CHIEFS CHIEFS 38 -

EAGLES cornerback Darius Slay (2) in action against 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk (11) on Sunday in Philadelphia. (AP) CHARGERS 34 BENGALS vs STEELERS STEELERS 27 BENGALS 24 BEARS vs BROWNS BROWNS 23 BEARS 13 RAVENS vs LIONS RAVENS 31 - LIONS 17 SAINTS vs PATRIOTS SAINTS 24PATRIOTS 23 CARDINALS vs JAGUARS CARDINALS 34 JAGUARS 17 WFT vs BILLS BILLS 24 - WFT 17 JETS vs BRONCOS

BRONCOS 24 - JETS 10 DOLPHINS vs RAIDERS RAIDERS 24 DOLPHINS 20 SEAHAWKS vs VIKINGS SEAHAWKS 24 VIKINGS 23 BUCCANEERS vs RAMS BUCS 24 - RAMS 23 PACKERS vs 49ERS PACKERS 27 49ERS 24 MONDAY EAGLES vs COWBOYS COWBOYS 31 EAGLES 20

THE TRIBUNE

QUEST

FOR THE

By DOUG FERGUSON | AP GOLF WRITER

T

he Americans would seem to have a lot going for them in the Ryder Cup.

This, of course, is nothing new.

They are on home soil at Whistling Straits along the Wisconsin shores of Lake Michigan, and the home crowd figures to be louder than usual because of travel restrictions for European-based fans. They have eight of the top 10 players in the world ranking (Europe has only Jon Rahm at No. 1) and a team that has combined to win twice as many majors.

The Americans always bring a better collection of players to the Ryder Cup. They just rarely leave with the gold trophy.

“I feel like on paper, from head to toe, the world ranking, I would say we’re a stronger team,” U.S. captain Steve Stricker said. “But I don’t think our guys feel we’re better. They know deep down how hard it is to beat them.”

The only paper that matters is the record book: Europe has won nine of the last 12 times in the Ryder Cup, and it looks to extend its dominance Sept. 24-26 when the Ryder Cup returns after a oneyear postponement from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Padraig Harrington, the three-time major champion from Ireland, takes the helm of a European juggernaut that returns seven players from the 2018 team that had an easy time winning outside Paris. While the Americans are leaning on youth — six rookies and the youngest team in U.S. history — Harrington relies on experience. He has three Ryder Cup rookies, and Europe has never lost when

CUP

FACTS

it had three or fewer newcomers. Lee Westwood and Sergio Garcia have played the Ryder Cup in parts of four decades.

Experience only matters when the putts are falling. Harrington was aware of this when he said, “You can’t just bring in experience for the sake of it. ... That’s no use unless they are playing well.”

As for the Americans, what value is experience in losing so much? Stricker is bringing a strong team minus the scar tissue. Dustin Johnson and Jordan Spieth are the only players who have competed in at least three Ryder Cups, only one of those ending in a victory.

Koepka have been antagonizing each other, mostly on social media, for nearly two years. Koepka has made it clear he doesn’t like DeChambeau but that he can get along for a week. Fans have chimed in, getting under DeChambeau’s skin by calling him, “Brooksie.” Stricker spoke to them a month before the Ryder Cup and said they told him it would not be an issue.

Koepka, meanwhile, was trying to heal an injured left wrist in the weeks leading into the matches. DeChambeau was preparing for a Long Drive Championship right after the Ryder Cup. This is the kind of drama Stricker could do without.

THE NEW GUARD Stricker used four of his six captain’s picks on players who had never taken part in the Ryder Cup. The six rookies are the most for an American team since 2008 at Valhalla, which the U.S. won. Eight of the players are in their 20s. The youngest is 24-year-old Collin Morikawa, who already has won two majors, a World Golf Championship and earned the most points in Ryder Cup qualifying.

THE POSTPONEMENT The Ryder Cup was scheduled for the last week in September 2020 until it was postponed one year because of the COVID-19 pandemic. “A Ryder Cup with no fans is not a Ryder Cup,” said Seth Waugh, the PGA of America’s CEO. The other postponements since the Ryder Cup began in 1927 was for World War II (eight years) and the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

THE OLD GUARD The best illustration of Europe’s overwhelming advantage in experience is Garcia. He has won 25½ points in his Ryder Cup career, as many as the entire U.S. team combined. Westwood ties Nick Faldo’s record for most appearances by a European player (11). Harrington used one of his picks on Ian Poulter, who was won 68% of his matches in his six Ryder Cup appearances.

A NEW ERA This will be the first Ryder Cup without Tiger Woods or Phil Mickelson since 1993, the year five players on this U.S. team were born. They are the two biggest stars of their generation based on victories and money and majors. But in the Ryder Cup? Perhaps they won’t be missed. Mickelson, an assistant captain to Stricker, holds the record for most Ryder Cups (12) and for most losses (22). Woods won just 39% of his matches and played on only one winning team in 1999.

THE STRIFE Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks

&

Thursday, September 23, 2021, PAGE 17

FIGURES

Date: Sept. 24-26 The course: Built in 1998 by the late Pete Dye, Whistling Straits emulates a cliffside links course with two miles of Lake Michigan shoreline, bluffs, sand dunes and natural fescue lining the fairways. It has hosted the PGA Championship three times, most recently in 2015.

Format: Four matches of fourballs (better ball) and foursomes (alternate shot) on Friday and Saturday and 12 singles matches on Sunday.

Points: Europe needs 14 points to retain the cup. The United States needs 14½ points to win the cup.

All-time series: United States leads 26-14-2 US vs. Europe series (from 1979): Europe leads, 11-8-1 Last time: Europe won on home soil for the sixth straight time, losing only the opening session. The result was 17½-10½, and the difference was the captain’s picks. Europe’s four picks combined to go 9-41. The U.S. picks were 2-10-0 as Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Bryson DeChambeau combined to go 0-9-0.

Captains: Padraig Harrington (Europe), Steve Stricker (United States) European roster: Paul Casey, Matt Fitzpatrick, Tommy Fleetwood, Sergio Garcia, Tyrrell Hatton, Viktor Hovland, Shane Lowry, Rory McIlroy, Ian Poulter, Jon Rahm, Lee Westwood, Bernd Wiesberger.

U.S. roster: Daniel Berger, Patrick Cantlay, Bryson DeChambeau, Harris English, Tony Finau, Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka, Collin Morikawa, Xander Schauffele, Scottie Scheffler, Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas.

Tale of the tape: Europe’s average world ranking is 30. USA’s average ranking is 9.

Key statistic: Europe’s team has combined to play in 168 matches at the Ryder Cup compared with 49 matches for the American players.

Noteworthy: The Americans have the most Ryder Cup rookies (6) since 2008 and its youngest team ever with an average age of 29.

Quoteworthy: “If we don’t win the Ryder Cup, it’s not a good Ryder Cup for me.” — Sergio Garcia, who has won more points than anyone in Ryder Cup history.

Television: Friday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m (Golf Channel); Saturday, 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. (Golf Channel), 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. (NBC); Sunday, Noon to 6 p.m. (NBC)

Whistling Straits in Haven, Wis.

CONTENT BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

RYDER CUP ROSTERS U N I T E D S TAT E S

DANIEL

BERGER*

PATRICK BRYSON HARRIS

CANTLAY

DeCHAMBEAU

ENGLISH*

TONY

FINAU*

DUSTIN

JOHNSON

C A P TA I N

XANDER SCOTTIE JORDAN JUSTIN

BROOKS COLLIN

KOEPKA

MORIKAWA

SCHAUFFELE*

SCHEFFLER*

THOMAS

SPIETH*

STEVE STRICKER

EUROPE

PAUL

CASEY

MATT

FITZPATRICK

TOMMY SERGIO

FLEETWOOD

GARCIA*

TYRRELL VIKTOR

HATTON

HOWLAND

C A P TA I N

PADRAIG HARRINGTON

SHANE

LOWRY*

RORY

McILROY

IAN

POULTER*

JON

RAHM

LEE

WESTWOOD

BERND

WIESBERGER

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PAGE 18, Thursday, September 23, 2021

THE TRIBUNE

MARIO BOWLEG SWORN IN AS MINISTER OF YOUTH, SPORTS AND CULTURE

By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune SPORTS REPORTER rdorsett@tribunemedia.net A LONGSTANDING member of the local sporting community, newly elected Member of Parliament for Garden Hills, the Honourable Mario Bowleg - was officially sworn in as the Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture.

Bowleg was one of the cabinet ministers who received their appointments yesterday under the Prime Minister Philip Davis-led Progressive Liberal Party administration.

Bowleg, an iconic coach at the high school, amateur league and national team levels who also recently served as president of the Bahamas Basketball

Federation, said his ministry will begin work towards its platform from its first day in office.

He listed the development of a cohesive relationship between his ministry and its affiliated groups as principal goals.

“The first thing we want to do is to put an advisory council together when it comes to culture and sports,” he said.

“The idea and purpose of the ministry is to work along with the federations responsible for the various sporting disciplines within the country and working along with those persons who are on the ground on a daily basis to give you the ins and outs of what’s going on. I think once we improve the relationship with those federations there will be a

smooth transition to ensure that what they want and we can work toward what we want as a government for the betterment of sports in the country.”

Pending the improvement of the status of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country, Bowleg said the reintroduction of events like the World Athletics World Relays will spearhead the continued development of the sports tourism initiative.

“We are going to do all we can to ensure that we get the IAAF back here.

I have been involved in sports tourism tremendously through the game of basketball but I believe that we can grow sports tourism not only in the discipline of basketball, but in other sports like volleyball,

NEWLY elected Member of Parliament for Garden Hills Mario Bowleg, who was officially sworn in as the Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture, at the ceremony with Governor General CA Smith. baseball, softball, and others,” he said.

“The idea again is to build the necessary facilities on the various islands so we can be less Nassau centric, and increase sports tourism as well on those islands.”

Bowleg said that entering office with a strong network built over several decades

within the local sports community will prove beneficial to fostering that aforementioned relationship between the country’s athletes and administration.

“I’m familiar with most of the athletes. It’s just a matter of reaching them at the right point in time.

Once these athletes feel

loved and appreciated by us, we should have no problem working in partnership with them in order to continue to promote this country,” Bowleg said.

“We have to improve the relationship, not only be supportive of them after their success but prior to that success.”

Manchester United knocked out of League Cup by West Ham, Chelsea wins LONDON (AP) — One route to a first trophy since 2017 is already over for Manchester United.

Ole Gunnar Solskjær’s team was knocked out of the League Cup in the third round by West Ham yesterday.

Manuel Lanzini clinched a 1-0 victory after sweeping in from Ryan Fredericks’ cutback to give David Moyes a first victory in management at Old Trafford — seven years after United fired him.

In the fourth round, West Ham will take on the other Manchester squad — City, winners of the last four League Cup finals — as the London club chases a first domestic trophy since the 1980 FA Cup. It was a completely changed United lineup from the side that won at West Ham in the Premier League on Sunday so Cristiano Ronaldo did not feature.

It is in the league after five rounds that United remains among the frontrunners with Liverpool,

which plays at Preston next in the League Cup. United also lost its opening game in the group stage of the Champions League last week against Young Boys.

“We know it’s going to be a long, long journey all season,” Solskjær said.

“Champions League, FA Cup, Premier League. We have got loads of games.”

Chelsea advanced by beating Aston Villa 4-3 on penalties, with Reece James scoring the decisive spot kick. The game was tied at 1-1 through 90 minutes after Cameron Archer canceled out Chelsea’s opener from Timo Werner’s header from James’ cross that was the German’s first goal in 11 games. Chelsea will play Southampton in the fourth round.

Arsenal will host Leeds after beating AFC Wimbledon 3-0. Alexandre Lacazette’s penalty in the 11th minute was not built on until the final 13 minutes when substitute Emile Smith Rowe and Eddie Nketiah wrapped up the

victory over the third-tier side.

Tottenham will face another Premier League team away — Burnley — after ousting Wolverhampton.

Tottenham survived a scare after blowing a 2-0 lead secured by Harry Kane and Tanguy Ndombele.

Leander Dendoncker and Daniel Podence hauled Wolves level to force the game to penalties. But Ruben Neves, Dendoncker and Conor Coady failed to score in the shootout as Tottenham won 3-2 on penalties. It was Nuno Espirito Santo’s second win at Wolves since leaving the club in the offseason, having also won in the Premier League with Tottenham.

Ademola Lookman scored his first goal as Leicester won 2-0 at second-tier Millwall, knocking in a rebound after Kelechi Iheanacho’s long-range shot was saved. Iheanacho added a late second goal to secure a meeting with Brighton in the next round.

Brazil’s soccer body seeks quarantine waiver for EPL players

LIVERPOOL’s goalkeeper Alisson stretches during warmup before the English Premier League soccer match between Leeds United and Liverpool at Elland Road, Leeds, England, September 12.

(AP Photo/Rui Vieira)

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MANCHESTER United’s Anthony Martial, left, and Eric Bailly leave the pitch at the end of the English League Cup soccer match between Manchester United and West Ham at Old Trafford in Manchester, England, yesterday. West Ham won the match 1-0.

(AP Photo/Dave Thompson)

CALLING ALL: BREA Agents Contractors Landscapers Paint Suppliers Cabinet Makers Furniture Stores Alarm Companies Insurance Companies Financing Institutions

By MAURICIO SAVARESE AP Sports Writer

SAO PAULO (AP) — Brazil’s soccer confederation has requested quarantine waivers from the government so England-based players can play in a World Cup qualifying match in Manaus next month.

The confederation told The Associated Press on Wednesday it is seeking waivers for the English Premier League players that coach Tite might field in a match against Uruguay on October 14.

Brazil’s squad for three World Cup qualifiers, including the Uruguay game and matches at Venezuela and Colombia, will be announced on Friday.

The request includes a quarantine waiver for Uruguay and Manchester United striker Edinson Cavani, who is also expected to play in Manaus.

Britain and Brazil are on each other’s red lists for coronavirus risk. That means those arriving from the United Kingdom to the South American nation have to quarantine for 14 days. Uruguay is also on

Britain’s red list, so Cavani missed World Cup qualifiers earlier this month because he would have had to enter 10 days of hotel quarantine on his return. The Premier League is still working with the government to secure quarantine exemptions for players returning from World Cup qualifiers, emulating waivers in place for teams playing Champions League matches in England.

Uruguay’s soccer officials confirmed they made the request for Brazil’s soccer body related to Cavani.

The move is aimed at avoiding more chaotic scenes related to COVID-19 protocols like the suspension of a qualifier between Brazil and Argentina in Sao Paulo on September 5.

Uruguay soccer association vice president Gastón Tealdi told local media that FIFA and the South American soccer body CONMEBOL are also aware of the request regarding Cavani.

Brazil’s government has not yet responded. Brazil leads with 24 points after eight matches and hosts third-place Uruguay (15 points in eight games) at

the Arena da Amazonia in Manaus.

Brazil’s health agency Anvisa blamed the Brazilian and Argentinian soccer federations and CONMEBOL for the chaos that halted the World Cup qualifying match earlier this month. The match was interrupted after seven minutes when an Anvisa agent and a police officer walked onto the pitch at NeoQuimica Arena to remove four Argentina players who the agency said should be in quarantine. Later, the match was suspended.

Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez, defender Cristian Romero, midfielder Giovanni Lo Celso and winger Emiliano Buendia are English Premier League players. They are now under investigation in Brazil for allegedly providing false information.

Brazil called nine England-based players for that match, but none of them showed up due to restrictions imposed by their clubs.

FIFA has opened an investigation on the suspension of the match. A decision has not been made on whether the match will be replayed.

THE TRIBUNE

Thursday, September 23, 2021, PAGE 19

USOPC: American hopefuls for Beijing Games must have vaccine

By EDDIE PELLS AP National Writer US athletes trying to make the Winter Olympics will have to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 under a groundbreaking new policy announced yesterday by the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee.

CEO Sarah Hirshland wrote in a letter obtained by The Associated Press that, starting November 1, the USOPC will require staff, athletes and others utilising training centres and other USOPC facilities to be vaccinated. The requirement, she

said, “will also apply to our full Team USA delegation at future Olympic and Paralympic Games.”

According to the team website, athletes will have to show proof of vaccination

by December 1. The US is expected to send around 240 athletes to the Winter Olympics, though the mandate will impact hundreds more — anyone with hopes of making the final squad.

The International Olympic Committee has been encouraging vaccines but did not require them for athletes who competed in the Summer Olympics. With

that guidance, most national Olympic committees, including the USOPC, followed suit by strongly recommending the vaccines but not requiring them. The IOC’s first “Playbook,” a booklet offering health-related and other guidance for the Winter Games, is due out next month. Earlier this year, around 83% of the more than 600 American athletes who qualified for Tokyo got the shots in time for the Summer Games, according to the USOPC’s final count. The IOC estimated about 85% of all athletes in the Olympic village had been vaccinated.