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Volume: 119 No.31, January 6, 2022
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EDUCATION Minister Glenys Hanna Martin speaking yesterday.
Accuses former minister of leaving schools in crisis and ignoring pupils’ plight By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Senior Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net EDUCATION Minister Glenys Hanna Martin yesterday blasted her predecessor, Jeffrey Lloyd, saying he opposed the resumption of face-toface teaching and left behind “a crisis and debacle” in public education.
Her comment came after Mr Lloyd, during a Free National Movement press conference on COVID-19, criticised the government for postponing its plan to resume learning with a hybrid model amid soaring COVID19 cases. “It is with utter disbelief that I SEE PAGE FIVE
HOTELS RELIEF AS PCR SUPER VALUE TARGETS TEST RULE SUSPENDED 60% CUT FROM SOLAR By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net
BAHAMIAN tourism was yesterday said to have secured “a huge win” after millions of dollars in visitor bookings were rescued by
the Government suspending tougher COVID testing measures. Robert Sands, the Bahamas Hotel and Tourism Association’s (BHTA) president, told Tribune Business the Davis administration had “addressed
a significant amount of industry concerns” by halting plans that would have required vaccinated visitors to obtain a negative RT-PCR test result during the three days before travelling to this nation. SEE BUSINESS SECTION
By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net
SUPER Value’s principal yesterday revealed the supermarket chain is aiming to slash its energy bill by “60 percent
or better” through installing solar power at all its stores by summer 2022. Rupert Roberts told Tribune Business the estimated $3m-$4m investment would need less than four years to start
producing financial returns given the $1m monthly bill that Super Value and its Quality Supermarkets affiliate are currently paying to Bahamas Power & Light (BPL). SEE BUSINESS SECTION
TWO SURVIVE AS PLANE DITCHES IN SEA By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net
TWO people were rescued after an aircraft crashed in waters approximately four miles from Chub Cay Airport in the Berry Islands yesterday. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Authority (AAIA) said shortly after 9am it received reports from Bahamasair Navigation Services (Air Traffic
THE CESSNA 402 aircraft. Control) that a Cessna 402 aircraft with United States registration N145TT had crashed in the water at approximately 8.47am.
“The aircraft departed the Opa Locka Executive Airport, Opa Locka, Florida at 7.52 am with two persons on board en route to Chub Cay. Further reports indicate that an engine malfunction occurred that subsequently resulted in the aircraft crashing into waters. “The United States Coast Guard in conjunction with the Royal Bahamas Police
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SEE PAGE THREE
FRONT PORCH: ARCHBISHOP TUTU’S RAINBOW VISION AND ETHIC
- SEE PAGE EIGHT
PAGE 2, Thursday, January 6, 2022 LAMARK PIERRE, 34.
THE TRIBUNE
Man who died after being stabbed ‘was trying to stop fight’ By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net A MAN died days after being stabbed on Christmas Day when he was trying to stop a fight, a relative said. Although police have not officially revealed his identity, loved ones told The Tribune the victim was dadto-be Lamark Pierre, 34. Police said shortly after 1am on December 25 they were informed that a man had been brought to the Accident and Emergency section at Princess Margaret Hospital suffering from a stab wound to the stomach. “The victim was admitted and treated for serious injuries. However, on Tuesday 4 January, 2022 sometime around 5am he succumbed to his injuries,” police said. The victim’s cousin, who did not want to be named, said the family is taking the
death “very hard”. “We didn’t spend Christmas or New Year’s (together). . . he never came home. “The hospital hasn’t told us anything as of yet. They just told us that he passed away and I got a call from another relative that he passed away.” Mr Pierre was supposed to get married this year. His cousin said based on what people have told her, there was a fight at a bar and Mr Pierre was trying to stop it. Asked if the 34-yearold knew the person who stabbed him, the cousin said: “Apparently, one of the guys he went out with knows the guy (who) stabbed him, but he personally don’t know them.” The relative said the incident injured the victim’s kidney and they were told that it was “serious”. “They said because his
pressure was too high they couldn’t operate on him, but he was in a lot of pain,” the relative said. “. . .They tried to save it, but like I said because it was injured so bad and it was giving him pain and with his pressure (there was) nothing else they could’ve done.” She said Mr Pierre was excited about the new addition to the family. “A week before his death there’s a place that we call The Yard where all of us go out and me and him was just there talking and just sharing jokes and having fun. “He was telling me how he happy his baby soon come and he about to get married. He was supposed to get married this year.” Anyone with information is asked to call police at 502-9991, Crime Stoppers at 328-TIPS (8477) or the nearest police station.
HEADS OF AGREEMENT SIGNED WITH WESTERN ATLANTIC UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
STANDING from left: Minister for Grand Bahama Ginger Moxey; Minister of Health and Wellness Dr. Michael Darville; Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Philip Davis; Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism, Investments and Aviation Chester Cooper; Founder and CEO/ WAUSM Peter Goetz; and WAUSM Managing Director Bill Colgan. Not pictured: Joseph Davis, Founding Investor and Government Affairs Liaison; Adrian Hunter, Legal Advisor; and Tanya Pratt Liaison. (Photos/OPM) THE government signed an amended Heads of Agreement with Western Atlantic University School of Medicine yesterday. According to a press release from the Office of the Prime Minister, this new HoA provides a more profitable structure for The Bahamas as it removes the moratorium on medical schools. “This opens The Bahamas to more educational investments,” the press release said. “The devastation of Hurricane Dorian in Grand Bahama did not sway WAUSM’s commitment to the island.” CEO Peter Gotez said they were “committed to being a part of the renaissance of Grand Bahama.” There are currently 22 students enrolled in the university and 50 more are slated to join in May. For
the fall semester 250 students have applied for the 100 spots available. Five Bahamians will receive full scholarship this year to the institution. Secretary to the cabinet Nicole Campbell executed the heads of agreement. At the ceremony at OPM yesterday, Minister of Tourism, Investments and Aviation Chester Cooper said: “. . .These types of projects bring great economic benefit to our communities and traditionally we have attracted many touristic developments that usually warm my heart as the Minister of Tourism. But let me say that this investment is also important to bring diversity to Grand Bahama, (and) brings diversity to our investment portfolio.” The school will hold a grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony at the campus in Freeport today.
SECRETARY to the Cabinet Nicole Campbell is pictured signing.
THE TRIBUNE
Thursday, January 6, 2022, PAGE 3
MINISTER DEFENDS GOVT’S DECISION TO SUSPEND RT-PCR TEST FOR VACCINATED By KHRISNA RUSSELL Tribune Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net
HEALTH and Wellness Minister Dr Michael Darville has defended the government’s decision to suspend the mandatory RT-PCR test requirement for vaccinated people entering the country, citing challenges travellers were having obtaining the tests due to supply shortages overseas. Yesterday, the minister said over the last few days officials were “battling” the issue as hundreds of Bahamians were stuck abroad and millions of dollars in hotel reservations were at stake. While noting the RT-PCR requirement remains in place for people who are not fully vaccinated, Dr Darville said it was the intention of the government to reinstate the PCR test requirement across the board by the end of January when the spike in cases is expected to calm. The mandatory PCR test requirement was to come into effect tomorrow. The decision to suspend it was announced Tuesday. “Well, it’s the right move for us because what’s happening is it’s so difficult to get a RT-PCR test that it’s pretty much impossible for people to travel,” Dr Darville said. He was asked yesterday
by The Tribune whether the decision was the right move considering increasing COVID-19 cases. The Ministry of Health and Wellness said there were 375 new cases of COVID-19 recorded in the country Tuesday. There were 317 in New Providence, 31 in Grand Bahama, one case in Abaco, four new cases in Eleuthera, nine in the Berry Islands, two in Exuma, three in Andros and one in Long Island. There were also four new cases in Cat Island and three cases with locations pending. Hospital cases have also surged, rising from 58 on January 3 to 71 on January 4. Dr Darville continued: “We were supposed to go into effect by the 7th but the demands for the RT-PCR are so intense that it’s virtually impossible to get it. “We have Bahamians stuck. “They can’t get the test and when you do get the test you can’t get the test results for at least five to six days. So, even though our initial proposal was to go online by the 7th, it’s virtually not practical for it to happen because of the demand for the testing. “So, we have to modify the rules so that we would be able to have some movement across the border for Bahamians as well as some
“Well, it’s the right move for us because what’s happening is it’s so difficult to get a RT-PCR test that it’s pretty much impossible for people to travel.” Health and Wellness Minister Dr Michael Darville of our guests. “We came up with a compromise where we would do the rapid antigen test 72 hours prior to departure and rather than waiting for five days on arrival we do it at 48 hours on arrival. “You know why the decision was made?” Dr Darville added, “Not because we didn’t want RT-PCR tests, but you can’t get them and so that’s what we’ve been battling with for the last couple of days where we’ve had hundreds of Bahamians stuck because they can’t get the test. “Millions of dollars in bookings at hotels were at stake because you can’t get the test, that’s the problem. “It sounds good and practical and we tried to implement it but can’t because some people have to drive from Miami to almost Orlando to get a test. That’s how high the demand is.
“The demand for testing exceeds the supply for testing. It’s that bad.” Regarding when the measure will be implemented, Dr Darville said: “I am proposing the suspension to be pushed back until the end of January when the season calms down and we begin to see the fall of the Omicron variant because it’s just skyrocketing, particularly in South Florida. “I want the test but can’t get it so for practical terms we have come up with a compromise.” Vaccinated persons, as well as children ages 2-11,
Alarm raised over community spread By KHRISNA RUSSELL Tribune Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net
CONSULTANT Physicians Staff Association president Dr Sabriquet Pinder-Butler has raised alarm over the apparent level of community spread that has been fuelling the rise in COVID-19 infections. She said the issue has not only created strain in the healthcare system where around 130 workers are out sick in New Providence and Grand Bahama due to the virus, but made it difficult to get a handle on transmissions. Her comments came as the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention increased The Bahamas’ travel risk warning to level three – reconsider travel. “We have been in this pandemic for a while now,” Dr Pinder-Butler said yesterday when asked if the rise in cases was reason enough to tighten restrictions. “We have seen different modalities that have helped with curbing cases which have helped with mitigating spread such as wearing masks, washing hands (and) trying to social distance as much as possible. “We know that vaccinations have also been a part of the material as it relates to covid and the fight against the pandemic. Unfortunately, we also know that different variants have had different levels of transmissibility and we’ve seen further increases with Delta and then Omicron that we believe is in the country. So, all of those things allow for the COVID pandemic to potentially have been worse than what we saw when we first had COVID as it relates to case numbers and how things are
“Certainly, when you have this amount of community spread it is difficult as it relates to transmission. So, we have to be mindful of those things but at this particular point we have to continue to see what is happening in other countries and see what’s been helping and be able to move as necessary.” Dr Sabriquet Pinder-Butler
managed. “Certainly we know that certain restrictive measures with us not moving about as much with us limiting the amount of contact we have with people as much as possible, we know that those things have also helped in terms of being able to contain certain things and have also helped as it relates to our healthcare institutions being able to try to combat the impact that the overwhelming pandemic has had on top of non-COVID cases can do to the healthcare system and that was primarily too why we even had supported certain restrictions as it relates to movements and as it related to curfews and those types of things.” She continued: “I think at this stage it behoves us as a people to bear those things in mind. “Often times we say we’ve been waiting for the country or the government to make these things but I think we’ve all been in this pandemic long enough now that we can take certain measures ourselves to restrict certain things and activities that
we’re involved with, certain crowds that we may be around. “Certainly, when you have this amount of community spread it is difficult as it relates to transmission. So, we have to be mindful of those things but at this particular point we have to continue to see what is happening in other countries and see what’s been helping and be able to move as necessary.” She said there was also noticeable strain at the nation’s healthcare facilities. “It’s similar to what you might see at a bank. I have
heard people complaining recently that hours have had to change and you’re not able to access things all the time because if you don’t have persons in place to run those operations then they can’t be had. “So, unfortunately, we’ve had to restrict specialty clinics. We’ve had to restrict certain theatre services and a lot of things because of the wide community spread, which has now impacted our healthcare, our staff, impacted patients who are coming to the hospital and all of those things. “So, it has been significant despite best efforts for us to contain things as best as we can given the challenges with manpower and those types of things. So, that within itself is unfortunately inevitable when you have community spread at this level.” Last month, Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis said “blunt instruments like shutting down our borders or prolonged, nationwide lockdowns are off the table” when addressing the latest wave of COVID-19 cases.
may continue to present either a negative rapid antigen test or negative RT-PCR test, according to updated travel protocols on the Ministry of Tourism’s website. In addition, effective January 4, all persons remaining in The Bahamas for longer than 48 hours will be required to undergo a rapid antigen test, regardless of vaccination status. Details of the protocol changes include that all those travelling to this country from other countries, whether fully vaccinated or unvaccinated, will be required to obtain
a negative COVID-19 test taken no more than three days (72 hours) prior to the date of arrival in The Bahamas. In addition, vaccinated travellers and all children between the ages of 2- 11 can present either a negative rapid antigen test or RT-PCR test. Further all unvaccinated travellers, ages 12 and older, must present a negative RT-PCR test. Acceptable tests include NAAT, PCR, RNA, RT-PCR and TMA, the ministry said. Full travel details are listed at Bahamas.com/ travelupdates.
TWO SURVIVE AFTER PLANE DITCHES IN SEA FROM PAGE ONE
Force and the Royal Bahamas Defence Force dispatched aerial and marine assets to conduct search and rescue and were successful in locating and retrieving the two occupants who were then airlifted to the United States to receive further medical attention.” According to police, the officers launched a search and rescue operation with the assistance of a local captain. “The team later located the crash site some two miles NW off Chub Cay. Two Caucasian males ages 50 and 59 years were pulled from the waters. They were both suffering from injuries sustained during the crash,” a press release from police noted. The AAIA has launched an investigation into this matter and is coordinating with the United States’ National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). “The AAIA has been informed by our United States based salvage and recovery team, that salvage of the aircraft is not feasible due to the location of the crash, which extends thousands of feet down into the ocean in some areas. Subsequently, the AAIA’s investigation will focus on maintenance, operational and human factors in the absence of availability of the aircraft for analysis,” the agency said.
PAGE 4, Thursday, January 6, 2022
THE TRIBUNE
Pintard: PM irresponsible to take strict measures off the table By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Senior Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net
FREE National Movement leader Michael Pintard said Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis was irresponsible when he said the government has taken off the table strict measures for reducing community spread of COVID-19, such as curfews and lockdowns. Mr Pintard said although the FNM is not recommending such measures now, but they could be needed in the future. He said: “What I would say about those provisions that they have in a blanket way (said) they will not implement is that it’s irresponsible for a government to completely take off the table tools that may at some point in the future be useful and necessary for a country.” The COVID-19 positivity rate remains alarmingly high; it was 47 percent according to an analysis of the latest dashboard figures. While infections with COVID-19
remain milder than during previous waves, the hospitalisation numbers are steadily increasing and stood at 71 yesterday. Three hundred and seventy-five new cases were reported yesterday, bringing the nation’s total to 26,701. Only 3,830 cases are active however.
Cases Seventy-five of the new cases have a history of travel within the past 14 days. Last month, Mr Davis said “blunt instruments like shutting down our borders or prolonged, nationwide lockdowns are off the table” when addressing the latest wave of COVID-19 cases. “The government is in the chair, they know what the internationally recommended positivity rate is, five percent, and we are nine times beyond that,” Mr Pintard said during a press conference. “At every stage as we look at the percentage of the positivity rate, 10 percent, 15, 30, there
ought to be a list of provisions that the government then implements based on health professionals’ advice that corresponds with increased cases. “They are in the chair. They ought to be able to tell you what those provisions are. “We are asking to be at the table so that we are able to hear accurately what that information is. “What percentage of positivity triggers what provisions and measures? Have they thought about this previously? “Have the health professionals recommended them? “And let us know what the health professionals are recommending. The health professionals when we were in the chair, they were very candid. “As the numbers increased, we met with them, they told us what the numbers were, they told us what percentage of positivity that required certain measures and then we came to the public after consultation.”
FNM leader Michael Pintard speaking yesterday. Photo: Donavan McIntosh/ Tribune staff
THE TRIBUNE
Thursday, January 6, 2022, PAGE 5
CDC RAISES BAHAMAS COVID-19 TRAVEL RISK RATING TO LEVEL THREE By KHRISNA RUSSELL Tribune Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net THE Bahamas’ COVID-19 Travel Risk Advisory Rating was increased to a level three —“reconsider travel” warning—yesterday by the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention in response to skyrocketing new infections believed to be caused by the Omicron variant. The reclassification came a little more than two weeks after the CDC lowered the country to a level two “exercise increased caution” rating. Yesterday, Tourism, Investments and Aviation Minister Chester Cooper said he remained hopeful that the change by the CDC would have minimal impact on the now vibrant tourism market, which was performing well beyond regional partners. However, he downplayed the new development saying it was not cause for alarm. Mr Cooper added that he was satisfied that the country’s protocols in collaboration with health officials created the right balance. “We have a very resilient product and we are hopeful that the impact will be minimal,” the minister said. “The past several months have shown a rapid and robust rebound of tourism well ahead of our regional partners. Our proximity to the USA, the pent-up demand for travel and the attractiveness of our product should continue to bode well for us. “We have an exceptional team of tourism professionals around the world who will continue to monitor reactions in our major markets. “We are satisfied that our protocols, arrived at in collaboration with our health officials, create the right balance between protecting the health and safety of our residents and guests, as well as supporting our tourism industry and economy for the benefit of the Bahamian people.” The Bahamas, like the rest of the world, is experiencing a rise in COVID-19 cases due to the Omicron variant. Although officials have not yet confirmed the variant’s presence here, they say they have no doubt it is spreading locally. The country has recorded more than 1,400 confirmed COVID-19 cases between January 1-4. In a statement from
the Ministry of Tourism, Investments and Aviation, Mr Cooper also said that Bahamians should remain vigilant, adding that the CDC’s rating would continue to fluctuate and was no cause for alarm. “Much like the rest of the world, The Bahamas is experiencing a surge in cases brought on by the Omicron variant,” according to the statement. “The CDC evaluates advisory distinctions based on increase and decrease of COVID19 case counts as well as case trajectory. “Vaccine coverage rates and performance also play a role in the CDC’s determination of advisory levels. “We must remain vigilant and stay the course in order to curb the spread of the virus. We are continuing to evolve as the pandemic evolves, and we know that we have seen this advisory from the CDC before. “The CDC rating will continue to fluctuate throughout the pandemic and is not cause for alarm, but it is a reminder that we cannot let our guard down. “All measures and protocols are essential to ensuring the safety of our residents and visitors, and we must continue to take them very seriously.” The ministry also said The Bahamas government recognised concerns around Omicron and is further supporting Bahamians with the distribution of medical-grade masks, which will help reduce risk and safeguard capacity at hospitals and medical facilities. Masks are being distributed by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) at clinics and vaccine sites. Due to the fluidity of COVID-19, the government of The Bahamas will continue to monitor islands individually and enact protective measures to address specific cases or spikes accordingly. For an overview of The Bahamas’ travel and entry protocols, please visit Bahamas.com/travel updates, the ministry said.
EDUCATION Minister Glenys Hanna Martin speaking yesterday.
Glenys lets rip at Lloyd FROM PAGE ONE listen to the comments of the former Minister of Education Jeffrey Lloyd at today’s press conference,” Mrs Hanna Martin said in a video recording. “I will say at the outset that I have endeavoured to resist commentary on the lacklustre performance of the former minister. However, he has re-emerged into the spotlight and as a result I am compelled to respond. “He must be aware that by now I know the facts. The former minister must remember that as he advocates for children to resume face-to-face learning when the Ministry of Health and Wellness advises otherwise, during his term in office he made the decision to keep public school children in a fully virtual mode when there was no such public health prohibition and at that time all other schools in the country went into a hybrid model which he is now advocating for. “He also knows that no other active steps were taken or focus brought to bear to track down or help the thousands of children who were plummeting through the cracks because they have never attended school in almost two years. In fact, he has hardly, if ever, spoken of those children. Further, the inaction of school repairs nationwide was a level of political delinquency that was perhaps unprecedented. The former minister knows full well he left behind a crisis and a debacle and he should instead be heard to say that he will join hands with all stakeholders to ensure that children are given every opportunity possible to
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FORMER Minister of Education Jeffrey Lloyd. develop their potential. This is the time for heroes not hypocrites,” the Englerston MP said. Earlier yesterday, Mr Lloyd said the continued absence of students from classrooms will be detrimental to the advancement of Bahamian students. He said: “In December, 2020, after extensive consultations with stakeholders, the MOE released a 95-page document entitled the Strategic Plan for The Safe Reopening of schools. The plan did not only cover the present COVID situation, but included all
circumstances where school attendance may be disrupted, such as with a hurricane or other natural disaster. It was the calculated decision of the Ministry of Education that the education of Bahamian students could continue in almost all circumstances under one of three modalities.” He said there are some schools on various islands that can facilitate in-person learning. “The FNM, therefore, urges the government to revisit its decision, and permit those public and private schools who can demonstrate the capacity for strict adherence to the health protocols to operate. Bahamian students cannot afford to miss another day of essential school instructions. Too many have suffered already,” he said. “Before the FNM demitted office in September, 2021, Cabinet approved the appointment of some 150 all-purpose workers to assist with the COVID compliance on school campuses. This was intended to relieve administrators and teachers of the burdensome task of extra vigilance in dealing
with COVID, while placing it in the hands of duly qualified and suitably trained COVID invigilators. Where are those invigilators now? They can be a vital ingredient in the safe conduct of the operation of schools.” Last August, the Ministry of Education announced public schools would open with a completely virtual format to begin the 2021/2022 academic year. Mr Lloyd was Minister of Education at the time. The ministry also advised private institutions to adopt the virtual learning model and warned that any school wishing to open with face-toface learning would first have to seek permission from the Ministry of Education. “As the 2021/2022 academic year approaches, the Ministry of Education would like to inform the public that all government schools will open in a virtual learning format on August 30, 2021,” the ministry said in a statement at the time. “While the preferred mode of instructional delivery continues to be face-to-face, the ministry remains guided by the mantra of ‘safety first, education always’.”
PAGE 6, Thursday, January 6, 2022
THE TRIBUNE
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Chopping and changing on COVID ANOTHER 375 cases to add to the soaring COVID count yesterday and if you were confused about where we are heading, we’re not surprised. In a rapid about-face on the mandatory requirement for an RT-PCR test for all vaccinated people to enter the country has now been suspended. The test requirement was to have begun tomorrow but, with an eye almost certainly on the risk of bringing the tourism numbers to a screeching halt, now it seems the simple and much cheaper Rapid Antigen Test will suffice for now. In addition visitors remaining in The Bahamas for longer than 48 hours will be required to undergo a Rapid Antigen Test, regardless of vaccination status. Health Minister Michael Pintard cited the difficulty of obtaining a PCR test overseas as a driving factor in suspending the move. He also conceded “millions of dollars” of hotel bookings are at stake. We appreciate the pandemic is a challenge which presents new problems every other day but surely once the health officials have decided on a course of action - having explored all available data and studied different scenarios of ‘what if’ they should themselves be convinced of the requirement for a new measure before they announce it. In this case to remove the RT-PCR rule before it was even due to commence doesn’t add much to the public’s confidence that we really do have a grip on this. Anyone who has travelled overseas since the US and UK reopened knows it’s not that easy to obtain an PCR test and get the results back within the timeframe our protocols demand. Mr Pintard said the PCR rule will be implemented - when the Omicron surge calms down. Seems a bit odd to us to be tightening things up when the situation is improving. We’d advise keeping on eye on what the UK government announced yesterday which was that PCR tests pre-arrival in the UK were now no longer required at all.
Another example of the speed with which things change was seen – unsurprisingly given the massive leap in positive cases – was the US decision to raise The Bahamas alert status back to Level 3. Remember it was only a few weeks ago we were dropped to Level 2 and the government was shouting from the rooftops what a great signal this was and that we’re “open for business”. Sadly all this chopping and changing seems to have little effect on ordinary people and their attitude to catching the virus. We used to talk about vaccine hesitancy. Well, now it seems to have been replace by COVID lethargy. Talk to anyone now and while the case numbers are beyond anything we’ve seen since all began and the reality is people don’t seem to care. They’re looking at the numbers being admitted to hospital which is only slowly rising in comparison with the infection - and test positivity rates. What they’re taking from this is the omicron variant - which is clearly responsible for the cases explosion - gives you nothing more than a few days of pretty much a normal heavy cold or flu. That may be true - and we should give a small thanks for that - but there are still those who are going to end up in the PMH or Doctor’s Hospital. Some of those will die. That’s why the message we’ve had hammered home for months shouldn’t now just be ignored. Large gatherings should be avoided, mask wearing - which we’re actually pretty good at - should continue, hand washing, sanitising surfaces all should continue. You don’t want to be one of the “seemingly few” who needs that bed in hospital. They’re filling up and unfortunately the health workers who care for patients are, in greater numbers, also falling to the virus themselves. Why take a chance? It’s something each of us - and the government should have in mind every time we make a decision.
Are we all the same? EDITOR, The Tribune. I knew a gentleman many years ago who spoke volumes to me as a young man, some the truth and a lot of bravado also. I was apprenticing for a machinist and he was one of my foremen. Paul was from Italy, and had worked for my dad’s firm for over twenty years. His conversations were like a Margaret Atwood novel, long, precise and often long winded, until finally a bead of truth appeared that was relevant to you the reader. I spoke about my hopes to travel, and he told me that there was no real reason to travel, as all
Readers have their 50 percent of say on patron tax Bahamians are not fully vaccinated AFTER Economic Affairs Minister Michael Halkitis said the government will do away with a patron tax on lottery winnings, although the levy was never implemented on gaming houses, readers posted their responses on tribune242.com.
• Carltonr61 said: “Yeah, it is funny also that those same people who hate VAT tax delight in spending 3/4 of their income gambling as an income for gov revenue. The gov never followed its own Gaming Act to protect the Bahamian people from dangerous gaming harms. Which is criminal. Some of gov and gaming houses profits – as is done in the rest of the world – goes toward gambling harm reduction and education. But in The Bahamas we are not a part of the world. Gov spends twice as much in social welfare taking care of gamblers’ uncontrolled behaviour that lands them in poverty than in taxes received from gaming houses.”
• Bahamianson asked: “What about the rich paying their ‘fair share’? Webshops are most certainly rich. Is that just the other rich? Just asking for a friend.” • There was this from Birdiestrachan: “Truth be told people lose more often than they win. Why should they be taxed on the few times they win? When they have lost so much? “Many people believe gambling is great fun. I may disagree but it is their money. The numbers business is not new. Government receives money in taxes. If they are closed down they will go underground where they have always existed.” • And Proguing said: “The majority of people voted against gambling. Why did the PLP not listen to the people’s voice?” Don’t miss your chance to join the conversation on tribune242.com.
EDITOR, The Tribune. I was disappointed to hear Minister of Health Dr Michael Darville say in his last press conference before the holidays that nearly 50 percent of Bahamians were fully vaccinated. That does not seem correct based on the data the Government presents to the Bahamian people The last data on vaccinations from the final week of December stated that 154,153 people were fully vaccinated. At the last census in 2010 there were 351,461 people in the country. There was no census in 2020 due to the pandemic. We, therefore, have to reasonably assume what the current population is. It would be reasonable to assume that The Bahamas has a population of approximately 400,000 based on customary growth over a decade. If that were the case, the 154,153 people fully vaccinated would represent 38.5 percent of our population. That is nowhere close to the 50 percent figure the New Day Government claims. We need the media to challenge the Government when it is off course. The near 50 percent vaccination claim was obviously nonsense. Truth is, our vaccination rate has slowed tremendously in the past few months. We need it to increase substantially if we are to get out of the emergency phase of the pandemic. The PLP Government has to do more to encourage and compel Bahamians to get vaccinated. Its efforts thus far have been unsuccessful. MSG Nassau, January 3, 2022.
LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net
cities were the same, and that it was the people that inspired his interest. Well, that spoke to me. I have travelled to many places, and, yes, the similarities are there, of the good and bad things one can find in an urban centre. What about the people I had asked Paul? Are they different or the same too? Paul described Toronto to me, a multi-cultural city of millions of different people, from different cultures and places from around the globe. They were different and also very similar. Paul then described it this way...if Homer Simpson, from Springfield, was living in Italy or France, Homer and his family would be the same except for a few things, namely they would speak another language, have certain cultural rituals and rites that were different from North America. And yet they would also be the same people, doing the same crazy things they do on television. “Are all people basically the same?” I asked. Paul looked at me with his piercing eyes saying the person within is often the same, going through the same struggles, journeys and history as others do. The drama and costume we wear may be different, but the person in Spain, Jamaica or Bermuda is the same. What do you think? I would go to an Asian grocery store with my mother-in-law, who always took off quickly forcing me to find her. I looked for short silver haired ladies with walkers and usually bulky winter coats. Well I introduced
myself to many elderly Asians, all looking somewhat similar, but surely not the same until I finally found her. Our similarities complement our many differences. White, Black, Asian, Aboriginal or different culturally, we have more similar than different. We may be greedier, angrier, poorer, richer or more or less challenged, but we have our humanity, and a singularity of common purpose. We all wish to survive and prosper. Shylock (Shakespeare’s comedy) speaks of our similarities, our humanity... “I am a Jew. Hath not a Jew eyes, hath not a Jew hands, organs, dimensions and senses, affections and passions? Fed with the same food, hurt with the same weapons, subject to the same diseases, healed in the same means, warmed and cooled by the same winter and summer?” You get the idea, do you not? The horrible things we humans have done to ourselves and neighbours, all because we see ourselves as different, better perhaps. Shylock ends this lesson claiming that someone has disgraced him because he is different, he is a Jew. Perhaps we must celebrate our unique similarities instead of our differences. “He hath disgraced me, and hindered me a half million, laughed at my losses, mocked at my gains, scorned my nation (Jewishness), stopped my bargains, attacked my friends, befriended my enemies, and what is his reason? I Am A Jew. (I am different). STEVEN KASZAB Bradford, Ontario, Canada. January 4, 2022.
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THE TRIBUNE
Thursday, January 6, 2022, PAGE 7
Minister looks forward to local govt nomination day MINISTER of Agriculture, Marine Resources and Family Island Affairs Clay Sweeting has expressed excitement for local government nomination day, which takes place today. “I am excited about what I am seeing across our family of islands,” he said in a press release. “Young people, women, business persons and many others have already started to campaign towards serving as members on their councils and town committee(s)/ boards. “Like I reiterated a few weeks ago, we need to be a part of this change that is taking place across this country. Now more than ever, persons are realising that you cannot just say ‘do something’ in order to help shape the future of this country. We need dedicated, inspirational Bahamians who really want to be a part of the process to efficiently govern the Family Islands.” Local government plays
MINISTER of Agriculture, Marine Resources and Family Island Affairs Clay Sweeting. an instrumental role in the overall governance of the country. Both councilors of thirdschedule district councils and members of town committees are directly elected, while members of second-schedule councils are indirectly elected from town committees. Third schedule district councils have between five and nine members, whereas the size of councils in both
CARIBBEAN NEWS
ANTI-VACCINATION PROTESTERS ATTACK GUADELOUPE HOSPITAL STAFF SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Dozens of antivaccination protesters in the French Caribbean island of Guadeloupe attacked a hospital director and other medical staff following recent violent demonstrations against vaccines and COVID-19 restrictions, officials said Wednesday. The attack occurred Tuesday outside the University Hospital Center as police tried to escort the director and other staff elsewhere for safety. The hospital said the director briefly lost consciousness and that the crowd ripped the clothes of the deputy general director and threw urine at both. The car of an executive assistant also was seriously damaged, officials said. A health workers’ union that organised Tuesday’s demonstration and previous ones that turned violent to protest vaccine requirements and other measures told local media that members are seeking to recover lost wages after being suspended for refusing to become vaccinated as required by law. Guadeloupe’s prefect, Alexandre Rochatte, condemned the attacks and said the government will prosecute those responsible. “These deliberate abuses are unacceptable and intolerable,” he said in a statement. Meanwhile, French government spokesman Gabriel Attal expressed support for the hospital director, saying Wednesday that what happened is “shameful. It’s revolting. It’s scandalous. And it’s inadmissible in the republic.” The French government declared a “state of health emergency” for Guadeloupe and several other overseas territories Wednesday, citing a “considerable rise” in virus cases due to omicron’s fast spread and calling it a “health catastrophe putting the population’s health in danger.”
Restrictions The measure allows the government to issue decrees that curtail temporarily freedoms, including restrictions on movements, trade, entrepreneurship and gatherings. It also enables the government to requisition necessary goods and services to fight against a health disaster. Guadeloupe, an island of some 400,000 people, has one of the lowest vaccination rates in France. Vaccinations are mandatory for all French health workers, while France’s COVID-19 health pass is required to enter food establishments, cultural venues and sport arenas, and for long-distance travel. The measures have met the stiffest opposition in Guadeloupe and Martinique, prompting rioting that also reflects long-running frustrations over inequality with the French mainland. Guadeloupe, an overseas department of France, uses the euro currency. One-third of the island’s population lives below the poverty line, and the cost of living is higher than in the French mainland. Water supplies have been a major problem in recent years because of obsolete pipes. Anger over France’s handling of a toxic pesticide in Caribbean banana fields also has fueled mistrust in the government’s COVID-19 vaccine policies, along with misinformation shared on WhatsApp or Telegram groups.
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second-schedule councils and town committees varies, according to population size. Verification of information on the register will be held on January 15. Publication of the register will be completed on January 17 and the local government election is set for January 27. The recount will be held the following day and the election writs will be returned on January 31. The results of the election will be published on that same date. Mr Sweeting added that he looks forward to working with the successful candidates to progress their respective communities. “Let’s think national, but act local. Our country needs you and I look forward to working together to decentralise government services, empower local government and to continue our emphasis on Family Islands,” he said.
MIGRANTS APPREHENDED IN THREE SEPARATE INCIDENTS MORE than 100 migrants were apprehended in three separate incidents in recent days, the Department of Immigration said. On Sunday, 12 people—11 Cubans and one Haitian—were apprehended by the Royal Bahamas Police Force at Hog Cay in the Berry Islands and subsequently turned over to immigration officials at Chub Cay to be processed. The migrants were apprehended after they were sighted disembarking from an unknown vessel. A search of the area was conducted and the group was later found at Frazer’s, Hog Cay. All migrants were assessed by the local emergency medical personnel and were reportedly in good health. Upon interview, the group claimed that they had been on a boat excursion from Nassau, New Providence when they were informed by the captain to disembark as the vessel had experienced problems, the Department of Immigration said. Initial investigations revealed that the department has documentation for the Haitian national. Additionally, all Cuban nationals were visitors who overstayed their authorised stay in the country. The group was transported to New Providence on January 3 for further processing and to be charged with overstaying. The department also said 51 Haitians were apprehended in Savannah Sound, Eleuthera on Monday. The group consisted of 37 men, 10 women, and four minors who were taken into custody
after being found on a vessel on Monday. The group was held at the Savannah Sound Resource Centre where a team from the Ministry of Health and Wellness Unit assessed them. No major medical issues were reported. They were subsequently sent to New Providence on Tuesday for further processing and prosecution in violation of Chapter 191 of the Immigration Act. On December 31, 2021, 66 Haitian migrants were interdicted near Anguilla Cay. The department’s Enforcement Unit in Grand Bahama District received the group from the United States Coast Guard. The group of 44 men, 15 women, and seven minors, was originally sighted by USCG cutter Charles Sexton aboard a vessel near Anguilla Cay, surrounding the southeast extremity of Cay Sal Bank. The group was stopped and later handed over to USCG cutter, Bernard C Webber in Freeport. COVID-19 testing was conducted after migrants were taken into custody by immigration officials; all migrants tested negative. Once at immigration headquarters, the group was assessed by the Ministry of Health and Wellness’ Disease and Surveillance Unit where no major health issues were found. They appeared in the Magistrate’s Court, charged with illegal landing and were subsequently transported to the Carmichael Road Detention Centre, where they await deportation.
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Archbishop Tutu’s rainbow vision and ethic A RELATIVE recalls a solemn service at Westminster Abbey in London, one of the United Kingdom’s and the Church of England’s most prestigious religious edifices. A Royal Particular, the Abbey is directly responsible to the British Sovereign, the head of the Church. It is the site of coronations since William the Conqueror in 1066. The sermon was delivered by the Archbishop of Cape Town, Desmond Tutu. Before he began to preach, the five-footfour diminutive figure of this moral giant let out a loud, “Yippee”, which reverberated throughout the church, with a seating capacity of 2000. The relative’s clear impression was the irrepressibly spirited and gregarious Archbishop was simultaneously expressing his joy, while somewhat mocking the British establishment that defended and bolstered the vicious apartheid regime in South Africa that was then crumbling. Here was a black son of the continent preaching at the religious heart of an empire that had enslaved millions and raped many countries of identity, natural resources and dignity.
Mindset Archbishop Tutu was not awed by human power or conceit, whether political, economic, religious/clerical or tribal. He was willing to confront every human institution and mindset which offended human dignity, including at times the African National Congress. In remembering him, British author and journalist Andrew Harding described, “the clarity of his moral fury”. It was an ethic and a passion for justice rooted in a profound Christian anthropology and vision of human dignity and equality. A clerical associate of many years insists Archbishop Tutu had only one homily which he repeated through near endless examples, metaphors and
analogies: all human beings are made in the image and likeness of God. The Archbishop typically added “beautiful” before the word “image”. He believed in the radical dignity of the human person, which inspired his rainbow vision and ethic of love and fixed and steadied his moral compass. The rainbow is a symbol in many traditions and movements. It is seen as a covenant or sign of God’s promise for a new beginning. The nuclear non-proliferation movement rallied under the rainbow flag as a banner of peace. It is a symbol of equality and diversity, including for the gay rights movement and others. Some indigenous peoples have used it as a symbol of inclusion. For Archbishop Tutu it was a powerful symbol and sign of the diversity and magnificence of God’s beautiful and marvellous creation, a promise, a beacon of hope for the marginalized, including those suffering from racial, economic, gender and sex discrimination. As the political bulwarks and ramparts of apartheid fell, Archbishop Tutu and others envisioned a rainbow nation, symbolized in the national flag and entrenched in the national constitution. Section 10 of the South African Constitution’s Bill of Rights states: “Everyone has inherent dignity and the
right to have their dignity respected and protected.” The Constitution prohibits discrimination on various grounds but specifically lists: “race, gender, sex, pregnancy, marital status, ethnic or social origin, colour, sexual orientation, age, disability, religion, conscience, belief, culture, language and birth.” A distinction is made between gender and sex as well as between race and colour. This was the first constitution in the world to list sexual orientation in its non-discrimination clause, for which the Archbishop assiduously lobbied. A decade after the 1996 Constitution, South Africa became the sixth nation to legalize same-sex marriage. One Anglican bishop who was among many who decried the former’s stance on gay and transgender rights once declared Archbishop Tutu as “spiritually dead”. How did a South African Episcopal cleric in a conservative country on a mostly socially conservative continent become so committed to equality for all?
Dignity His commitment to the dignity, equality and full rights for gays and lesbians was a part of his seamless and consistent ethic of love, dating back to the 1970s, when such views were even more unpopular. His ethic of equality was concomitant with his commitment to racial and economic justice and respect for other religions. For Desmond Tutu, God was a Creator and a community of love. We are each of us, individually, uniquely, wonderfully, beautifully made in God’s image and likeness. And because Christians believe in a triune God, we are also collectively made in the image of God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit, a community of love. We are all a part of what Dr Martin Luther King, Jr., inspired by others, described as the “beloved community”.
ARCHBISHOP Desmond Tutu pictured in 2006. (Salvatore Di Nolfi/Keystone via AP)
Soon after the end of apartheid in 1994, Desmond Tutu, the champion of the intimate companions of justice and love, declared: “If the church, after the victory over apartheid, is looking for a worthy moral crusade, then this is it: the fight against homophobia and heterosexism.” He was attuned and sensitive to how all power structures may offend human dignity, including the oppression of women and the oppression of gays and lesbians. He famously stated that he “would rather go to hell than to a homophobic heaven”. The Archbishop unambiguously - and to the annoyance of many equated racial and sexual equality, demanding that one cannot argue morally and intellectually for the rights of one group of people while denying equality to others. This moral equation has been supported by a variety of civil rights champions, including the late Coretta Scott King and the late Representative John Lewis, who decried the 1996 Defence of Marriage Act (DOMA) in the US in the face of tremendous opposition. Lewis thumped: “This bill is a slap in the
face of the Declaration of Independence. It denies gay men and women the right to liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Marriage is a basic human right. “You cannot tell people they cannot fall in love. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., used to say when people talked about interracial marriage and I quote: ‘Races do not fall in love and get married. Individuals fall in love and get married’. Speaking on Mr Lewis’s sponsorship of pro-gay rights legislation and his championing of these rights for decades, activist Victoria Kirby York noted: “When you’ve stared death in the face solely because of the colour of your skin, it gives you a different view of justice.” She was referring to his brushes with death during the civil rights struggle in the United States.
Liberation The gay anti-apartheid activist Simon Nkoli participated in the liberation from apartheid and homophobia in South Africa. He stated: “I am black and I am gay. I cannot separate the two parts of me into secondary or primary struggles. In South Africa, I am oppressed because I am a black man and I am oppressed because I am a gay man. So, when I fight for my freedom I must fight against both oppressions. … All those who believe in a democratic South Africa must fight against all oppression, all intolerance, all injustice.” An article on The Conversation website rooted the Archbishop’s theology of human equality and dignity. It is from “an abbreviated version of a chapter on Archbishop Tutu in the book Reimagining Christianity and Sexuality in Africa, co-authored by Adriaan van Klinken and Ezra Chitando.” The writers note: “In the 1980s, Tutu and other Christian leaders had used the concept of ‘heresy’ to denounce apartheid in the strongest theological language. They famously stated that ‘apartheid is a heresy’, meaning that it is in conflict with the most fundamental Christian teaching. “Tutu also used another strong theological term: blasphemy, meaning an insult of God-self. In 1984, he wrote: ‘Apartheid’s most blasphemous aspect is … that it can make a child of God doubt that he is a child of God. For that reason alone, it deserves to be condemned as a heresy.’ “More than a decade later, Tutu used very similar words to denounce homophobia and heterosexism. He wrote that it was ‘the ultimate blasphemy’ to make lesbian and gay people doubt whether they truly were children of God and whether their sexuality
was part of how they were created by God.” An inveterate local letter-writer cum bigot has been consistently narrowminded and driven by perverse heterosexism and injustice in denying the dignity of gays and lesbians. Here is the latest example, which Archbishop Tutu would guffaw and easily dismantle. The letter-writer stated: “Decrying opposition to homosexuality, Tutu conflated mere opposition rooted in love to hatred of gay people. In reality, however, not every form of discrimination is bad. “For instance, no rightthinking parent would entrust their children to a known paedophile; nor would a sane woman feel comfortable sleeping in the same room with a known serial rapist. Anglicans know that God loves sinners.” This is not opposition rooted in love. By conflating homosexuality with paedophilia, a well-worn trope that has been discredited, the writer is again suggesting gays and lesbians are mostly paedophiles, ignoring the fact that paedophiles may be straight or gay. It is a perverse conflation on his part. Imagine a gay couple ignorantly and stupidly stating they would not leave one of their children with a straight person, with the inference that most straight people are paedophiles. The other inference is that gays and lesbians are like rapists. This is not love in opposition. This is a perverse, sickening and disgraceful mindset by someone who seeks to demonize an entire class of people, breezily likening them to paedophiles and rapists. This is similar to the white supremacists who characterized all black people in the most insidious and racist manner. Throughout much of slavery black men were described as inherently rapists, ignorant, slothful, barely human. The letter-writer seems to have borrowed a mindset from such a cesspool of ignorance and hatred, who has his favourite forms of discrimination. Archbishop Tutu counselled believers to pray for the oppressors and the bigots. He would urge us to pray for the conversion of the homophobes and bigots who would pen such a graceless and tasteless attack on the fundamental dignity of God’s gay sons and daughters. And he would invite us all to keep working to bend the arc of justice in the fashion that the rainbow bends and blesses all of humanity equally as children made individually and collectively in the beautiful image of God, who loves and graces his beautiful and wonderfully-made gay sons and daughters.
THE TRIBUNE
Thursday, January 6, 2022, PAGE 9
Just another date in the calendar? I don’t think so HAVE you ever googled your birthday? Or maybe your wedding day, or the day your child was born? Have you wondered what else might have happened on a date that has special significance for you? Today is January 6. Let’s consider some of the events over the centuries that have occurred on this date, with a big assist from the internet. 1066 – Harold Godwinson is confirmed as King of England. This helped to precipitate the Norman invasion of England. 1412 – Joan of Arc is born in the Vosges region of France. 1536 – The first European secondary school is established in Mexico City. 1809 – British, Portuguese and Brazilian forces capture Cayenne, French Guiana during Napoleonic Wars. Six years later, the Congress of Vienna restored this colony to France, of which it remains a constituent department today. 1907 – Maria Montessori opens her first school in Rome. 1929 – Mother Theresa arrives for her life’s work in India. 1946 – The first-ever general election is held in Vietnam. 1950 – Britain grants diplomatic recognition to the Peoples Republic of China. 1994 – American Olympic figure skater Nancy Kerrigan is attacked at a skating rink and wounded by the exhusband of her rival Tonya Harding. 2017 – Five are killed and six injured in a mass shooting at Fort Lauderdale International Airport. 2021 – James Cross, CMG, dies at home in East Sussex of COVID at the age of 99. In 1970 while serving as senior British Trade Commissioner in Montreal, Cross was kidnapped by separatists aligned with the Front de Liberation de Quebec. Cross spent 59 days in captivity, and in a related incident, Quebec’s minister of labour was assassinated. In response to what became known as the October Crisis, Canadian PM Pierre Trudeau invoked the nation’s War Measures Act for the only time in peacetime. 2021 – An unruly mob attacks, invades and pillages the US capitol building in Washington DC, in an attempt to interrupt the congressional ratification of Joe Biden’s election as American president two months earlier. But was that really what happened? 2022 – Today: Many in America eagerly await the public hearings expected in the spring of a controversial congressional commission assigned by Speaker Nancy Pelosi to investigate the 2021 riot and report its findings to the American people. During the year just past, Democrats, liberals and most independent voters appear to have accepted at face value the fact that thenPresident Donald Trump incited the riot, then gloated in the White House while rioters overwhelmed inadequate Capitol Hill police and other hastily scrambled law enforcement personnel, including the FBI. They saw it all on live TV, after all. The congressional commission – essentially a commission of inquiry – is chaired by Bennie Thompson of Mississippi and features such Trump impeachment veterans as Adam Schiff of California and Jamie Raskin of Maryland. The idea originally was that Republicans and Democrats would be evenly represented on the committee, but the GOP minority House leader, Kevin McCarthy of California, nominated ideologues like Jim Jordan of Ohio with the avowed intention of dynamiting the process. Pelosi balked, and only Adam Kinzinger of Illinois and Liz Cheney of Wyoming now represent the Republicans on the commission. (Both voted to impeach Trump). Polls consistently show most Republican rank and file voters still believe Trump was robbed of an election victory in 2020, and that he was unseated via some shadowy plotting. Furthermore, many Republicans tell pollsters the riots one year ago today were really a set-up by anti-fascist (Antifa) groups or Black Lives Matter. The list of conspiracies flying around in cyberspace is extensive and imaginative. Democrats and moderates look on in disbelief,
astounded at the apparently obdurate gullibility of those with different political views. They continue to miss the point that emotionally, Trump continues to resonate with his loyal base of support. Not so long ago, a wellknown Bahamian business leader and public figure asked a visitor where he could really get unbiased, factual news reporting in the American media. The answers might be surprising to some, and there isn’t total consistency among media pundits who study such matters. But there is broad agreement on fewer than a dozen outlets. Leading most lists are major daily newspapers The New York Times, Wall Street Journal and Washington Post. Republicans often rail against the Times and to a lesser degree the Post, but they are always quick to cite accounts in those journals when their reporting reinforces points the politicians are making. The Journal is owned by conservative Rupert Murdoch, who also owns Fox News, so liberals are suspicious. But the Journal, along with the New Yorker magazine, has long emphasized well-written, expansive, exhaustively fact-checked reporting and both are widely respected. Wire services Associated Press and Reuters have broad credibility, as do the Economist magazine and the BBC. CNN makes some lists for reliable reporting, especially its web site. Some support is found for the major American networks ABC, CBS and NBC, and it’s no secret to anyone that outlets such as Fox News, One America News, Newsmax, MSNBC and others make their money preaching to like-minded ideological choirs. Cited by several pundits as mostly free of bias is USA Today, a daily newspaper essentially founded on the principle of being easy to read. There are lots of pictures, relatively short, punchy stories and a consistently broad approach that fully incorporates entertainment news, sports and lifestyle features along with a “hard news” section. USA Today enjoys the largest daily circulation of any US daily newspaper. As part of its run-up to today, USA Today published a lengthy listing of narratives about the January 6, 2021 riot and fact-checked them. Here are some of the more provocative: The claim: A facial recognition firm claimed Antifa infiltrated pro-Trump rioters at the Capitol Our rating: False Claims that members of Antifa disguised as Trump supporters orchestrated the
insurrection are baseless and stem from a rumour that a facial recognition company identified left-wing activists among the rioters. The technology firm mentioned in the claims refuted the story, and there is no evidence Antifa was responsible for the attack. The claim: The shirtless man pictured in the Capitol breach is with Antifa and Black Lives Matter Our rating: False. Jake Angeli, a man who was pictured at the Capitol shirtless wearing a fur hat with horns, is a well-known Trump follower - he is not tied to Black Lives Matter nor Antifa. The claim is part of the false larger conspiracy theory that Trump’s supporters were not actually behind the riot.
The claim: FBI operatives organized the attack on the US Capitol. Our rating: False There is no evidence that “unindicted co-conspirators” listed in federal charging documents related to the Jan. 6 attack are undercover FBI agents or federal informants. Legal experts say the term can’t be used to describe undercover government operatives. Rioters have been identified by authorities as Trump supporters, conspiracy theorists and members of far-right groups. The claim: CNN employees took part in the riot Our rating: False Posts claiming CNN employees were among the Capitol rioters are unfounded. Jade Sacker, mentioned in the claims, is a freelance journalist and has never worked for the cable news outlet. Well-respected news blog Politico reports that as of New Year’s Day this year, 71 of the more than
RIOTERS scale a wall at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana) 700 people charged in the January 6 riot have been sentenced. Of those 71, only 30 have received actual prison time, and almost all of those were implicated in acts of physical violence. The history of the legal aftermath for the rioters will not be written for several years, but there are already criticisms of federal prosecutors and judges for the differentiated and often lenient treatment some of the rioters have received. As the nation continues to anticipate the congressional commission’s ongoing investigations, reports have
circulated about then-president Trump’s behaviour leading up to and during the riot. Supposedly, Trump’s children, House minority leader McCarthy and several others tried unsuccessfully to get Trump to “call off his dogs” and end the violence at the Capitol. The three-hour delay from the end of the Trump rally near the White House until he finally publicly urged the rioters to leave the Capitol is sure to be the source of much of the more lurid information the commission will reveal. We’ll see if it changes anyone’s mind.
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US ATTORNEY GENERAL VOWS ACCOUNTABILITY FOR ANYONE RESPONSIBLE FOR ATTACK ON CAPITOL By MICHAEL BALSAMO Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Attorney General Merrick Garland on Wednesday vowed to hold accountable anyone who was responsible for last year’s insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, whether they were physically there or not. In a speech to Justice Department employees, Garland said prosecutors remained “committed to holding all January 6th perpetrators, at any level, accountable under law.” His remarks come just shy of the one-year anniversary of the attack on the Capitol and as the Justice Department has faced increased pressure from some Democrats to focus more on actions that may have inspired the thousands of pro-Trump rioters to storm the building. “We will follow the facts wherever they lead,” Garland said in his speech. “The actions we have taken thus far will not be our last.” The investigation into the attack on the Capitol is the largest
in the Justice Department’s history. So far, more than 700 people have been arrested and 350 others are still being sought by the FBI, including 250 of whom are accused of assaulting police officers. Garland also detailed the serious assaults on law enforcement officers, describing in detail how officers were beaten and shocked with stun guns. During January’s riot, one officer was beaten and shocked with a stun gun repeatedly until he had a heart attack; another was foaming at the mouth and screaming for help as rioters crushed him between two doors and bashed him in the head with his own weapon. “Those involved must be held accountable, and there is no higher priority for us at the Department of Justice,” Garland said. ATTORNEY General Merrick Garland speaks at the Department of Justice in Washington, Wednesday, in advance of the one year anniversary of the attack on the U.S. Capitol. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, Pool)
CAPITOL POLICE CHIEF SAYS FORCE SURE ‘TO GET TESTED AGAIN’ By FARNOUSH AMIRI and KEVIN FREKING Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — A year after the Jan. 6 Capitol attack, the new chief of the U.S. Capitol Police said Wednesday he is making progress in resolving “critical deficiencies” despite major staffing shortages and thousands of new threats to members of Congress. “We’re going to get tested again” and will be prepared, declared Chief J. Thomas Manger. Changes include improving the agency’s ability to gather, analyse and share intelligence with other federal and state law enforcement forces, Manger said. That failing contributed to a lack of defensive forces at the violent Capitol insurrection as rioters fought past outmanned police, leaving more than 100 of them injured. Manger is dealing with recommendations from an internal watchdog to move the agency from a traditional police department to a protective force. “January 6 exposed critical deficiencies with operational planning, intelligence, staffing and equipment,” Manger said in testimony. “I recognise those issues have to be addressed, and that is what we are doing.” Manger, who was installed as the new leader shortly after the attack, said the force today is stronger and better equipped to handle an attack against the Capitol or lawmakers than it was a year ago. The force is also working toward more stateof-the-art training for its 1,800 sworn police officers and nearly 400 civilian employees after a report from U.S. Capitol Police Inspector General documented that more than 75% of officers on Jan. 6, 2021, were forced to protect the Capitol in their regular uniforms, often facing off with rioters who were better equipped for a fight. But even with new equipment and intelligence-sharing capabilities, the biggest challenge the force faces is staffing. It is now 450 officers short of the agency’s needs, Manger said. More than 150 officers have either retired or resigned over the past year. In the short term, the chief is looking to add more transfers from other law enforcement agencies and to contract with private security officers for locations that don’t need armed officers. Over the longer term, he wants to hire 280 police officers per year over the next three years. “That will get us ahead of attrition, and my hope is that will get us to where we need to be in terms of staffing,” Manger said. Lawmakers are also concerned about the rise in threats in their home districts and states. “Many people in this very room, committee members have experienced them. Over 9,000 threats in 2021 alone,” Sen. Amy Klobuchar, chairwoman of the Senate committee, said Wednesday. Manger said the Capitol
U.S. Capitol Police Chief Tom Manger testifies during a Senate Rules and Administration Committee oversight hearing on the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol on Wednesday, in Washington. (Tom Williams/ Pool via AP) Police are looking to improve coordination with local law enforcement to better secure lawmakers’ offices and homes. “The biggest challenge I think we have is keeping up with the number of threats,” Manger said. “We’ve doubled the number of officers that investigate these threats. ... If they continue to go up the way they have, clearly we’re going to need additional officers to assign to this responsibility.” The department is also planning on hiring a new deputy chief to take on the role of intelligence. Manger said that intelligence and leadership failures within the Capitol Police contributed to the breaching a year ago. He said that with a few phone calls he now can get substantially more police officers into place to protect the Capitol complex. “We’re going to get tested again, but we have put things into place to make sure that we will not be impacted by intelligence failures or failure to plan ahead, failure to imagine or failure to have enough people here,” Manger said. “I’m confident that when we’re tested again, we’re going to be fine.” Asked to comment on assertions by some Republicans that have downplayed the violence, Manger demurred at first, saying, “We are not concerned about political ideology, we’re concerned about behaviour.” But when pressed, he said, “I was horrified by what I saw. I saw police officers being assaulted, and that’s the reason I’m sitting here today, because I wanted to do what I could to help this police department and to better protect our nation and the Capitol and what this Capitol represents.” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said the root cause of the violence on Jan. 6 is continuing, “the big lie, pushed by Donald Trump that is undermining faith in our political system and making our democracy, our country, less safe.” Sen. Ted Cruz, a Texas Republican who led some of the challenges against certifying Trump’s defeat, said Wednesday that anyone who committed an act of violence against law enforcement should be prosecuted and go to jail, “whether they are right wing, left wing or they’ve got no wings at all.”
THE TRIBUNE
Thursday, January 6, 2022, PAGE 11
RANSOM FREED SOME MISSIONARY HOSTAGES IN HAITI, WORKERS SAY By PETER SMITH Associated Press
AN UNIDENTIFIED person paid a ransom that freed three missionaries kidnapped by a gang in Haiti under an agreement that was supposed to have led to the release of all 15 remaining captives early last month, workers for their Ohio-based organisation have confirmed. The person who made the payment was not affiliated with Ohio-based Christian Aid Ministries, and the workers say they don’t know who the individual is or how much was paid to the gang, which initially demanded $1 million per person. Internal conflicts in the gang, they say, led it to renege on a pledge to release all the hostages, freeing just three of them instead on Dec. 5. The accounts from former hostages and other Christian Aid Ministries staffers, in recent recorded talks to church groups and others, are the first public acknowledgement from the organisation that ransom was paid at any point following the Oct. 16 kidnapping of 16 Americans and a Canadian affiliated with CAM. CAM officials had acknowledged at a news conference Dec. 20 that an unaffiliated party had offered to provide ransom money, but at the time
A BANNER for the freed hostages is displayed at Christian Aid Ministries in Berlin, Ohio, last month. (AP Photo/Tom E. Puskar, File) they refused to say a payment members) had the intention had been paid. of releasing the prisoners.” In subsequent remarks, His and others’ accounts, officials said the group had which The Associated Press opposed paying cash ransom gained access to this week, on principle, though it did are archived at PlainNews. make an offer of food boxes org, an online news source that the captors rejected. for conservative Anabaptists Eventually CAM accepted a such as Mennonites, Amish third-party offer to negotiate and Brethren, who comprise with the gang. the core of CAM workers “In the course of this whole and supporters. One of the thing, there was Christian Aid ex-hostages, Austin Smucker, Ministries’ no-ransom policy,” said in a recorded talk that a Philip Mast, a CAM Execu- gang member “promised that tive Committee member, said we were all going to be going in a recent talk at Mt. Moriah home in the next few days” Mennonite Church in Cross- after the Dec. 5 release of ville, Tennessee. three hostages, but that did But “there was a donor not happen. who offered to take the Barry Grant, CAM’s field negotiations and deal with director in Titanyen, Haiti, the situation, and so CAM said the captors “reneged” on accepted that offer, and it was the deal. Smucker and Grant turned over to another party both said they learned gang to deal with it,” he continued. members refused to release “Yes, there was ransom paid, all the hostages to try to force but I don’t think (the gang the Haitian government to
free their imprisoned leader. The 400 Mawozo gang seized the 17-member group of missionaries, which included young children, as they were traveling home from a visit to a CAMsupported orphanage in Ganthier, in the Croix-desBouquets area. Two hostages were released in November for medical reasons, and the last 12 suddenly turned up Dec. 16. While CAM officials have described it as a dramatic escape, a Dec. 30 column in the Yonkers Times of New York cited an unnamed source as saying the gang deliberately left the door unguarded and allowed the 12 to walk to freedom in fulfillment of the ransom deal.
The person, whom the paper described as someone with “direct and detailed knowledge” of the case, said if the gang hadn’t allowed them to leave, someone would have reported the escapees before they reached safety. However ex-hostages have continued to say, in detailed and consistent accounts, that they escaped during a narrow window of opportunity under fear of being recaptured or shot. They said recent rains had led the guards to congregate on the more sheltered side of the house, away from where the hostages nudged open a barricaded door and sneaked out for an overnight trek for miles through mud, thorns and mountainous terrain.
They also spoke of what they characterised as a divine deliverance, saying that a guard miraculously was blinded to evidence of their tampering with the door despite looking directly at it, and that neither villagers nor dogs reacted as they went through the gang-controlled territory. A CAM spokesman declined further comment. Haitian police have declined to comment on the kidnappings, and the gang’s leaders have not given interviews. The U.S. State Department declined to comment beyond thanking “our Haitian and international partners as well as the U.S. interagency for their assistance in facilitating their safe release.”
SPORTS PAGE 17
THURSDAY, JANUARY 6, 2022
Ellison Hanna II goes pro By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net
E
llison Hanna II is preparing for a 2022 season where he will serve in multiple roles - a graduate student, assistant coach and his first season of professional baseball. Hanna officially signed with the Missoula PaddleHeads of the Pioneer League and will join the league’s defending champions when they begin their title defence in May. The Missoula, Montana based franchise finished last season 65-31 and defeated the Boise Hawks to win the title last September. The championship marked the Paddleheads’ first since their rebranding and first Pioneer League title for the franchise since 2015 when they were the Missoula Osprey.
The Pioneer League is an MLB Partner League. As the Ospreys, the franchise was an affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks from 1996-2020. Both Jasrado Chisholm Jr and Kristian Robinson spent their respective rookie seasons with the Ospreys. Following the restructure of Minor League Baseball out of the COVID-19 pandemic, the league was converted from an MLB-affiliated Rookie Advanced league to an independent league and granted status as an MLB Partner League. Hanna was one of three prospects chosen by the Paddleheads following last September’s inaugural Pioneer League tryouts. In 2021, Hanna also made the transition from the field to the sidelines at the collegiate coaching ranks when he was named an assistant coach for the
ELLISON Hanna II Hood College Blazers baseball programme. The Blazers compete in the Middle Atlantic Conference in NCAA Division III. Hood finished last season 11-21 and was eliminated in the MAC Commonwealth quarterfinal series. Hanna concluded his play in 2021 by winning a Prospect League Championship with the Cape Catfish.
He was also named a West Conference All-Star. The Prospect League is a collegiate summer baseball league comprising teams of college players throughout the United States and Canada. Hanna, a 22-year-old outfielder, recently completed his collegiate career with the Indiana State Sycamores in the NCAA Tournament’s Nashville Regional. He hit .429 and scored five runs in the Sycamores’ three tournament games. In 26 games of his senior season, Hanna hit .337 with 30 hits, 20 RBI, 28 runs, five home runs, seven doubles, and two triples. The Sycamores finished the season 31-21 and were runners-up in the Missouri Valley Conference Championships. Hanna was selected to the MVC Baseball AllTournament team. The
redshirt senior outfielder finished the tournament hitting .278 (5-18), with five runs, nine RBI and three home-runs. A former student at St Augustine’s College, Hanna began his collegiate career with two seasons at Kirkwood Community College. He finished the 2018 season with a .318 batting average, 15 doubles, 10 home runs and a pair of triples for a .573 slugging percentage, 55 RBIs and scored 45 runs and 12 stolen bases in 59 games. He transferred to the Division I level at Indiana State, and in his first season with the programme, played in 16 games while making eight starts. The following season was cut short due to COVID19, but in nine games he hit .231 with six hits, one double and a triple, scored three runs and drove in one run.
‘Buddy’ Hield catches fire, scores 26 in loss to Lakers By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net CHAVANO “Buddy” Hield continued a pair of recent trends Tuesday night - his hot start to 2022 and productive shooting nights against the Los Angeles Lakers. Hield finished with 26 points on 8-18 shooting from the field and 7-13 from three-point range off the bench in the Kings’ 122-114 loss to the Lakers at Crypto.com arena. His night was highlighted by a pair of threes on consecutive possessions to give Sacramento a 108-107 lead with less than four minutes left to play before the Lakers rallied for the win. In a November 26 matchup earlier this season, Hield scored 25 points, including 13 after regulation to help lead the Kings to a 141-137 triple overtime win. The next meeting between the two teams will be January 12. Hield, who was the focus of trade scenarios following a much maligned 2020-21 season, was rumoured to be the principle of a draft night trade package that would have sent him to the Lakers, but the franchise
eventually shifted toward the eventual deal to trade for Russell Westbrook. Hield said although it felt as if he would be a Laker in the offseason, he’s focused on the opportunity to improve irrespective of his situation. “It did,” Hield told NBA.com following Tuesday night’s loss. “Talking to my agents and the media, of course. The media knows more than the agent and team, basically. But it didn’t happen. So, I’m still here. I’m still in the league and have an opportunity to play basketball. That’s the fun about it.” He was also rumoured to be attached to a deal that could see him involved in a trade to the Philadelphia 76ers for Ben Simmons. Despite the speculation, Hield said he is ready to move on and contribute to team development, due in large part to his relationship with Kings general manager and president of basketball operations, Monte McNair. “It’s basketball. If it happened, it happened. If it didn’t, it didn’t,” he said. “But it’s basketball, and you have to live with it. It’s the business side of it. At the end of the day, I still have a job. I can go to all
SACRAMENTO Kings guard Chavano “Buddy” Hield (24) shoots in front of Los Angeles Lakers guard Talen Horton-Tucker (not seen) and centre Dwight Howard (39) during the second half Tuesday night in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez) De’Aaron 30 teams in the league. As cornerstone long as I have a job, I’m Fox, Rookie of the Year finalist Tyrese Haliburton happy.” Hield said his approach and the No.9 overall pick remains the same irrespec- in the 2021 Draft - Davion tive of where he fits into the Mitchell. “It’s my personality and Kings’ loaded backcourt which includes franchise where I came from,” Hield
Ex-US Soccer president running again two years after quitting By RONALD BLUM AP Sports Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Carlos Cordeiro is running to regain his job as US Soccer Federation president, two years after he quit amid a backlash to the group’s lawyers filing legal papers claiming the women’s national team players had less physical ability and responsibility than their male counterparts. Cordeiro was immediately criticised by women’s national team star midfielder Megan Rapinoe, who accused him in a tweet of allowing “caveman levels of misogyny.” Cordeiro, a former Goldman Sachs partner, headed the federation from 20182020. He resigned in March 2020, three days after the federation’s filing prompted
NBA, Page 20
widespread criticism from players, MLS Commissioner Don Garber and sponsors that included The Coca-Cola Co., Anheuser Busch Cos. Inc., The Procter & Gamble Co. and Volkswagen Group. The federation said in the filing that the women’s team players who sued the organisation in a pay dispute “ask the court to conclude that the ability required of an WNT player is equal to the ability required of an MNT player, as a relative matter, by ignoring the materially higher level of speed and strength required to perform the job of an MNT player.” “I had put in place multiple layers of oversight to ensure that the litigation with the women’s national team was conducted in keeping with the values of
CARLOS Cordeiro our federation,” Cordeiro said in a statement yesterday. “In hindsight, I realise that a matter of this importance deserved much more personal oversight from me so that the Federation’s legal strategy and filings showed our women’s players the respect and dignity they deserve. “When those layers of oversight failed, it resulted in the inexcusable and offensive legal filing that
caused so much pain, especially for our incredible women’s players. Had I seen that language, I would have objected and never allowed it to be submitted as written. Given the severity of what happened, words of apology were clearly not enough. As the president of our federation, I felt it was important to take responsibility.” Cordeiro launched a campaign website and said “I will make it a top priority to reach a settlement with our women’s national team players ... who deserve equal pay.” He said as president he would raise money for “a one-time payment so that US Soccer can help reduce the discrepancy between past FIFA Men’s and Women’s World Cup prize money.”
said. “I come from the Bahamas. In the NBA, we complain, we argue and say we want more playing time and we want more shots. But being in the NBA, you have to enjoy being here. People are fighting every day to be in this league. I got an opportunity to be in this league, and hopefully I stick around for longer. I’m blessed to be here.” Hield contrasted his experience under McNair, with his experience with the New Orleans Pelicans in 2017 under GM Dell Demps. “Whenever I’m called on, whatever the team wants me to do, I’ll just go out there and have fun,” Hield said on the final day of training camp prior to the season opener. “Be the star in your role and whatever time I get out there, whatever shots I get up there be an All-Star in that, contribute to the team and whatever they need me to do.” In 38 games, with six starts, Hield is averaging 15.8 points per game but shooting just 39 percent from the field and 37 percent from three-point range. His field goal and three-point percentages are the lowest in his career since his rookie season.
COVID-19 DELAYS OPENING OF YOUTH BASEBALL LEAGUES A RECENT surge in COVID-19 cases in New Providence has prompted both youth baseball leagues in the capital to postpone the projected opening date of their seasons. The Freedom Farm Baseball League and the Junior Baseball League of Nassau traditionally open play in January. However, both organisations announced that those plans were altered by the pandemic. Freedom Farm began competition in the 13-14 and 15 and over age groups, but a league-wide opening in all divisions was scheduled for January 8. While no firm date for a league opening has been set, the executive board will continue to monitor the situation. “Due to the high rise in daily COVID-19 cases locally, the board has confirmed it will delay the start of the 2022 Baseball Season that was scheduled to begin this weekend,” the league said in a statement. “We are committed to getting games going but in a much safer environment. A further update will be provided in a couple weeks as we anticipate things getting better. Do continue to exercise all the health guidelines recommended so you and your family can remain safe.” JBLN was expected to begin its season on January 12. “The Board of Directors has decided to delay the start of the 2022 Season until further notice,” the league said in a statement published on social media. “Please be advised that all practice will cease starting January 3 until January 17. No one will be allowed on the fields from that date. The January opening date of January 12 will be delayed until further notice. We will evaluate the COVID-19 situation on January 17 and inform you accordingly.” Both leagues hosted modified versions of their regular seasons in 2021 as the sport attempted to return from a mandated shutdown for much of 2020. Baseball is arguably the sport with the most populous and effective development programme in the country. Each of the leagues fields several hundred boys and girls ranging from age 4-18 in many different divisions.
PAGE 18, Thursday, January 6, 2022
THE TRIBUNE
SPAIN BEATS SERBIA, JOINS POLAND IN ATP CUP SEMIFINALS
ASHLEIGH BARTY, of Australia, top left, plays a forehand return to Cori Gauff, top right, of the United States, during their singles match at the Adelaide International Tennis Tournament, at Memorial Drive, in Adelaide, Australia, yesterday. (Matt Turner/AAP Image via AP)
Barty opens her season with win over Gauff in Adelaide ADELAIDE, Australia (AP) — Top-ranked Ash Barty had a tough opener to her 2022 season, having to rally from a set and a break down to beat 17-yearold American Coco Gauff 4-6, 7-5, 6-1 on Wednesday in the second round of the Adelaide International. The Wimbledon champion dropped serve twice in the first set and was 4-2 down, facing another break point, in the second before recovering to win 11 of the last 13 games. A two-time major winner, Barty is aiming to be the first Australian woman to win her home major since Chris O’Neil in 1978. Barty reached the Australian Open semifinals in 2020 and the quarterfinals in 2019 and last year. She had a bye in the first round at Adelaide, one of the main tune-up tournaments for the Australian Open which starts January 17.
“I felt like I played a prettygood quality match, considering it was the first match in a few months,” Barty said. “Coco played great. She made me hit a lot of balls tonight and I got better and better as the match wore on so it was nice to come out here and get some court time.” The second and third seeds didn’t survive the second round. Second-ranked Aryna Sabalenka had an upset 7-6 (6), 6-1 loss to No. 100-ranked Kaja Juvan and Shelby Rogers fended off third-seeded Maria Sakkari 7-6 (5), 2-6, 6-4. Sabalenka, a semifinalist at Wimbledon and the US Open last year, wasted a set point as she struggled with her serve in the tiebreaker. She then had 11 double-faults in the second set to give her 18 in total for the match. The win was Juvan’s first against a Top 10 player and earned her a spot in the quarterfinals.
“I was a little bit scared at first because she’s incredible and she has done so many things really, really well,” Juvan said. “But on the other hand, it’s the start of the season, it depends on the day a little bit, and I really believed that I could do it.” Rogers had to recover quickly after she led by a set and a break and then lost seven straight games to Sakkari. “It’s nice to start with a big win like that,” Rogers said. “She’s coming off an incredible season last year and she’s such a great competitor. So I knew I had to bring my best tennis, whatever that looks like at the beginning of the year.” Rogers will face seventhseeded Elena Rybakina in the quarterfinals. Travel restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic mean there’s a crammed schedule of tournaments before the Australian Open.
The WTA 500 event in Adelaide is one of three women’s tournaments this week, including two in the so-called Summer Set in Melbourne. In the Summer Set 1 tournament yesterday, second-seeded Simona Halep opened with a 6-4, 6-2 win over Destanee Aiava and Madison Brengle beat Hao Hibino 7-6 (3), 7-6 (4) to move into a second-round match against third-seeded Veronika Kudermetova, who edged Viktoria Kuzmova 7-6 (4), 7-6 (6). In the Summer Set 2 tournament, 2017 US Open finalist Madison Keys had a 6-3, 7-6 (2) win over Harriet Dart to move into a quarterfinal match against third-seeded Daria Kasatkina. The main men’s event this week is the 16-team ATP Cup in Sydney, with Daniil Medvedev aiming to help Russia defend its title. Rafael Nadal is playing in a tune-up tournament in Melbourne.
SYDNEY (AP) — Pablo Carreno Busta beat Filip Krajinovic 6-3, 6-4 to secure an ATP Cup semifinal spot for Spain and Roberto Bautista Agut completed the group-stage victory over Serbia with a 6-1, 6-4 defeat of Dusan Lajovic later yesterday in the second of the singles matches. Spain only needed to win one of the three matches against Serbia to top Group A and set up a semifinal against Poland. Carreno Busta got the job done in 80 minutes, registering his third singles win of the round-robin stage. “It was the best match of the group,” Carreno Busta said in a post-match interview. “I am close to 100 percent. Today I played very well, very aggressively, very solid. I feel very comfortable on court, so it is going well.” Spain dropped only one set on its way to victories over Chile, Norway and Serbia, the 2020 champions. Chile’s 2-1 win over Norway in the day session meant Serbia needed to sweep Spain to advance. Alejandro Tabilo beat Viktor Durasovic 6-1, 6-7 (5), 6-1 to give Chile the lead before No. 8-ranked Casper Ruud leveled it for Norway with a 6-4, 6-1 win over Christian Garin. Tabilo and Tomas Barrios Vera clinched the doubles 6-0, 6-4, giving Chile a 2-1 record in the round-robin stage and leaving Norway 0-3. Poland reached the semifinals for the first time when No. 9-ranked Hubert Hurkacz beat Argentina’s Diego Schwartzman 6-1, 6-4 following Kamil Majchrzak’s 6-3, 7-6 (3) win over Federico Delbonis. Poland finished the round-robin stage 3-0 in Group D, also beating Georgia and Greece. “I’m so happy for our team. We’re in the semis, so super proud of that achievement,” Hurkacz said. “We have great team spirit. We support each other. I think the atmosphere that we bring helps us play better.” Greece picked up its first victory with a 2-0 win over last-place Georgia.
NOVAK DJOKOVIC HELD AT THE AUSTRALIAN BORDER OVER VISA By JOHN PYE AP Sports Writer BRISBANE, Australia (AP) — Novak Djokovic had to spend the night at the Melbourne airport as officials refused to let him enter the country for the Australian Open after an apparent visa mix-up, leading Serbia’s president to blast the “harassment” of the top-ranked tennis player. Djokovic flew in after receiving a medical exemption to play at the first Grand Slam tennis tournament of the season, where he is a nine-time winner and the defending champion. The exemption allows him to play regardless of his vaccination status for COVID-19, something he has not disclosed, but he also needs to meet strict border regulations to enter the country. Australian media reported that Djokovic’s team had applied for the wrong type of visa for someone with a medical exemption. The issue had yet to be resolved more than eight hours after he
landed yesterday before midnight local time at Tullamarine Airport, with politicians. Djokovic’s father, Srdjan Djokovic, told the B92 internet portal that his son was held “in a room which no one can enter” at the airport, guarded by two policemen. Djokovic’s participation in the Australian Open has become a hot political topic, with many Australians furious that he was granted an exemption to enter the country. Meanwhile, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Instagram that he has spoken to Djokovic and added that Serbian authorities are taking measures “so the harassment of the best tennis player in the world be stopped in the shortest possible time.” Speculation of a possible issue with the visa emerged while Djokovic was in transit and escalated with mixed messages from federal and state lawmakers. Djokovic’s revelation on social media that he was heading to Australia seeking a record 21st major title sparked some
SERBIA’s Novak Djokovic in action. Top-ranked Djokovic has withdrawn from the ATP Cup in Australia ahead of the first Grand Slam of the season. Cup organisers didn’t give a reason. The 34-year-old Serbian has declined to comment on his vaccination status in recent months and Australia’s strict regulations require all players, officials and fans to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue) debate and plenty of headThe names, ages and lines on Wednesday, with nationalities of applicants critics questioning what were redacted for prigrounds he could have for vacy reasons before each the exemption and back- application for a vaccine ers arguing he has a right exemption was assessed by to privacy and freedom of two independent panels of choice. experts, and Tiley noted Australian Open tourna- Djokovic is under no obliment director Craig Tiley gation to reveal his reason defended the “completely for seeking one. legitimate application and But, he suggested, it process” and insisted there would be “helpful” if Djokwas no special treatment ovic chose to explain it to for Djokovic. a Melbourne public still The Victoria state gov- getting over months of lockernment-mandated that downs and severe travel only fully vaccinated play- restrictions imposed at the ers, staff, fans and officials height of the pandemic. could enter Melbourne “I would encourage him Park when the tournament to talk to the community starts on January 17. about it,” Tiley said. “We Only 26 people con- have been through a very nected with the tournament tough period over the last applied for a medical two years.” exemption and, Tiley said, Among the reasons only a “handful” were allowed for those applying granted. for a vaccination exemption
can include acute major medical conditions, serious adverse reaction to a previous dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, or evidence of a COVID-19 infection within the previous six months. Jaala Pulford, Victoria state’s acting minister for sports, acknowledged in the Djokovic case that lots of people in the community “will find this to be a disappointing outcome,” but added: “Nobody has had special treatment. The process is incredibly robust.” Concerns about Djokovic’s visa status took a while to circulate. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison initially said the medical exemption decision was a matter for the government of Victoria, where Melbourne is the state capital. “They have provided (Djokovic) with an exemption to come to Australia, and so we then act in accordance with that,” Morrison said. “States provide exemptions for people to enter on those basis, and that’s been happening for the last two years.” Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews then clarified in a statement that the Australian Border Force would make the final determination. “While the Victorian government and Tennis Australia may permit a non-vaccinated player to compete in the Australian Open, it is the Commonwealth government that will enforce our requirements at the Australian border,” Andrews said. “If an arriving individual is not vaccinated, they must
provide acceptable proof that they cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons to be able to access the same travel arrangement as fully vaccinated travelers.” When asked again about Djokovic’s case, Morrison added: “If that evidence is insufficient, then he won’t be treated any different to anyone else and he’ll be on the next plane home.” “And so if medical exemptions had been provided by medical professionals and that’s been furnished to him as a proviso for him to get on that plane, well, that will have to stack up when he arrives in Australia,” the prime minister said. Later still, Pulford, the Victoria state politician, posted on Twitter to say “the federal government has asked if we will support Novak Djokovic’s application to enter Australia.” She said the state government would not be providing individual application support, adding in a second post: “We’ve always been clear on two points: visa approvals are a matter for the Federal Government, and medical exemptions are a matter for doctors.” Djokovic tested positive for the coronavirus in 2020 after he played in a series of exhibition matches that he organised in Serbia and Croatia without social distancing amid the pandemic. It’s possible that the 34-year-old Djokovic, who finished one win short of a calendar-year Grand Slam in 2021 when he lost the US Open final to Daniil Medvedev, could have been infected again.
BELMONT STAKES MOVING TO FOX SPORTS IN 8-YEAR DEAL NEW YORK (AP) — The Belmont Stakes is moving to FOX Sports as part of an eight-year deal beginning in 2023. The deal announced yesterday between FOX and the New York Racing Association includes NYRA Bets as the title sponsor of the third leg of horse racing’s Triple Crown series.
NYRA Bets is an advance deposit wagering business operating in more than 30 states and majority-owned by NYRA with Fox Corp. holding a minority interest. The Belmont Stakes has aired since 2011 on NBC when the network brought together all three Triple Crown races — the Kentucky Derby, Preakness
and Belmont stakes. The Derby and Preakness have aired on NBC since 2001. The deal with Fox includes airing several stakes races in the days leading up to the Belmont Stakes. NYRA and FOX Sports got into business together in 2016 with a daily show airing on FS2 from Saratoga in upstate New York.
FOX Sports’ total coverage of horse racing has grown every year since the partnership began and amounted to over 700 hours in 2020. In 2019, FOX Sports became the national television home for Belmont Park, airing live coverage of nearly every race day throughout the fall and spring-summer meets.
THE TRIBUNE
Thursday, January 6, 2022, PAGE 19
Return of crowds did little to boost home advantage in NFL By JOSH DUBOW AP Pro Football Writer THE cheering fans returned to NFL stadiums this season, forcing road teams into silent counts and other coping mechanisms to deal with the noise. The home-field advantage that could be expected over road teams that have to deal with travel, time zone changes on occasion, and the din from the loud crowds has once again been missing. A trend that began the year before the pandemic and continued last season when games were played in mostly empty stadiums has been evident once again in the 2021 season. Home teams have posted a .510 winning percentage — excluding two games in London — for the thirdworst mark since the
merger in 1970, with only the .498 winning percentage last season and the .508 in 1972 faring worse. “I think really winning on the road is not as big of a challenge in my opinion as it was probably 10, 15 years ago,” Dallas coach Mike McCarthy said. McCarthy pointed to quarterbacks’ comfort from college in using the no-huddle offence and calling the plays at the line of scrimmage to more visiting fans travelling to games among the factors leading to the change. “I think that the home field is something that is definitely still a benefit but I think the statistics would support that the challenge of winning on the road, I think teams do a better job of it in today’s game,” he said. The league was on track for a second straight losing season at home before
home teams went 21-11 the past two weeks. Before a key Week 16 home win against Denver, Raiders interim coach Rich Bisaccia joked that he might take the team out of town before the game because Las Vegas had more success on the road than at home. The Raiders won that game and got a boost from the crowd, but still are just 6-10 in two seasons at fancy new Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas compared to 11-5 on the road in that same span. Now they likely need another win at home on
Sunday night against the Chargers to clinch a playoff spot. “We get Raider Nation coming in here. They call them crazy Raider fans; we can’t get enough of them,” Bisaccia said. “We want every one of them and we want them to be loud. Hopefully it’s a ‘black out’ come Sunday night.” The Raiders are just one of several potential playoff teams that have struggled winning at home this season. The Patriots posted their first losing record in 20 seasons at Gillette Stadium, the Saints have gone 2-5 at the Superdome for their worst mark since 1996, and the Cardinals are taking a 3-4 home record and 8-1 road mark into their season finale. While home field used to traditionally be worth about three points and was reflected that way
on betting lines, that has dropped in recent years to just under two points. But that change is a far smaller factor on betting lines than injuries, weather, or in recent weeks outbreaks of COVID-19. “I would say we’re aware of it, but it really doesn’t play into how we’re going to open the line,” said Adam Burns, the Sportsbook Manager at the Internet gambling company BetOnline. While the home and road records have been close to even this season, home teams have had the edge when it comes to scoring (23.7 points per game at home to 22 on the road), passer rating (92.0 to 89.1) and penalties (5.9 per game to 6.1). That wasn’t the case in 2020 when scoring was even and road teams fared slightly better in passing efficiency.
Chiefs pivot again after game vs Broncos flexed to Saturday By DAVE SKRETTA AP Sports Writer KANSAS City Chiefs coach Andy Reid is a meticulous creature of habit, choosing to hold meetings and practices at the same time and in the same order every week during the long NFL season. If it was up to him, the Chiefs would play their games at the same time every week. Definitely not on Saturday, either. As part of the league’s decision to expand to an 18th week — already a deviation from the norm — it added the ability to shift games from Sunday afternoon to standalone slots on Saturday. And wouldn’t you know it? The Chiefs are one of ‘em, their trip to Denver getting moved up 24 hours (the CowboysEagles game being the other one moved). The idea is to provide even more juice to the final weekend of the regular
season by showcasing games that have playoff implications. And the Chiefs-Broncos game has ramifications that could extend right into Sunday night. The Chiefs (11-5) need to win and hope the Titans lose in their trip to Houston the following day to earn the No. 1 spot in the AFC, which includes a firstround bye and home-field advantage throughout. If the Chiefs lose, they could conceivably drop off the two-line in the playoff bracket depending on how other games play out. So the fact that Reid has a day less to prepare for such an important game doesn’t sit well with some in Kansas City. “I guess COVID-19 has helped us in that area, being able to hang in the box and swing at curveballs and not bail out,” Reid said. “It affects a lot of people, (team president) Mark Donovan on down to us. We have to move things and organise. We’re lucky
KANSAS City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid argues a pass interference call during the first half of an NFL football game against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/David Dermer) we have an organisation that really busts its tail to make sure everything goes smooth.” The NFL has had the ability to flex games for years, but moving games in the new final weekend is — well, new. But the Chiefs and Broncos do have some experience with changes this season; their game in Kansas City in early December was pushed back from an afternoon kickoff to a primetime game on NBC. The Chiefs altered their practice schedule this week by essentially moving everything up a day. Their first full-squad field work is typically on Wednesday, but it took place on Tuesday, and the final walk-through will be Friday. “We have to have a good week of practice. We don’t care when we’re playing,” Reid insisted. “That’s the
kind of locker room I’ve got. We’ll roll with it. It’s a little sudden change for everyone involved, but Denver is doing the same thing.” Indeed, the Chiefs have a lot to work on this week. They were in control of their own fate before losing on a last-second kick in Cincinnati last weekend. They were gouged by Joe Burrow (446 yards passing, four TDs) and Ja’Marr Chase (266 yards receiving, three TDs on defence, failed to reach the end zone in the second half on offence, and they combined for 10 penalties for 83 yards — including a couple that otherwise would have allowed Kansas City to force overtime. After that performance, maybe it’s not such a bad thing that the Chiefs will be back on the field sooner than they thought.
“I’m glad we got back at it right quick and we could turn the page,” Chiefs linebacker Anthony Hitchens said. “You have to be able to adjust in this day and age, whether it’s a COVID issue or switching games. But yeah, we’re ready.” NOTES: The Chiefs designated DB Chris Lammons (ankle) and DT Khalen Saunders (knee) to return from injured reserve, beginning a 21-day window in which they can practice before they must be added to the 53-man roster. Lammons plays on numerous special times while Saunders is a role player on the defensive line. RB Clyde EdwardsHelaire (shoulder) did not practice again Thursday, putting his availability for the game against Denver in doubt.
NFL TEAMS COULD LOSE DRAFT PICK FOR INTERVIEW VIOLATIONS By ROB MAADDI AP Pro Football Writer THE NFL has issued a warning to teams that they could lose a draft pick and face significant fines if club representatives conduct themselves unprofessionally in interviews with draft prospects. In a memo obtained by the AP that was sent to clubs yesterday, the league said a team would forfeit a draft pick between the first and fourth round and be fined a minimum of $150,000 if it’s determined a club representative displayed conduct that is “disrespectful, inappropriate, or unprofessional” during an interview. Fines and/or suspensions of individual club employees also could be imposed, according to the memo. “We aim for dignity, respect and professionalism,” league executive Troy Vincent told the AP. “It’s that simple.” The league also plans to eliminate the Wonderlic test for prospective players, and it is revising some of its scouting combine drills to better simulate gamerelated movement. Wide receivers and tight ends will run crossing routes instead of wheel routes, and running backs will run option routes instead of corner and postcorner routes. Some drills for offensive linemen and defensive players also were revised to better assess in-game player movements. The league reminds teams annually ahead of the combine that federal and state laws as well as the collective bargaining agreement between the league and the NFL Players Association prohibits discrimination based on various factors, including race, colour, disabilities, religion, sexual orientation, national origin and marital status. And questions on these subjects are off limits. This is the first time the NFL has threatened specific accountability measures if draft prospects are asked about any of these subjects. “All clubs should ensure that prospective draft picks are afforded a respectful and professional NFL environment — one that is consistent with state and federal law and our shared commitment to respect, diversity and inclusion,” the memo states. “The same is true of free agents whom your club may consider signing. It is also important for your club to reinforce to prospective players the value your club places on character and the standards of conduct expected of everyone associated with the NFL.”
New year, same Pack: Green Bay still No. 1 in AP Pro32 poll By SIMMI BUTTAR AP Pro Football Writer NEW YORK (AP) — New year, same old Green Bay Packers. The Packers dominated the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday night to clinch the top seed in the NFC and home-field advantage throughout the conference playoffs. With the best record in the NFL heading into the last week of the regular season, the Packers kept the top spot in the latest AP Pro32 poll. The Packers earned all 12 first-place votes for 384 points in balloting Tuesday by media members who regularly cover the NFL. “For the second straight year, the NFC’s road to Super Bowl 56 goes through Green Bay,” Newsday’s Bob Glauber said. “Now we see if the Packers can take advantage of the No. 1 seed after Aaron Rodgers got them this far with what will almost
certainly be a second straight MVP. A brilliant quarterback keeps getting better.” The Tampa Bay Buccaneers moved up two spots to No. 2. The Los Angeles Rams climbed two spots to No. 3. The Rams, who have won five in a row, can clinch the NFC West on Sunday with a victory over the San Francisco 49ers. The AFC West champion Kansas City Chiefs fell two spots to No. 4 after a last-second loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, who clinched their first AFC North title since the 2015 season with a 34-31 victory. The Bengals moved up two spots to No. 7. Despite having the AFC’s top seed at the moment, the Tennessee Titans are at No. 5 in the poll. The Titans inched up a spot after routing Miami and can wrap up home field with a win at Houston on Sunday. The Arizona Cardinals rocketed five places to No.
6 after topping the Dallas Cowboys. The Cardinals can clinch their division with a win over Seattle and a Rams loss on Sunday. The Cowboys fell five spots to No. 8 and will finish the regular season at the Philadelphia Eagles on Saturday night. The Buffalo Bills fell two spots to No. 9 after topping the Atlanta Falcons. The Bills can clinch the AFC East with a win on Sunday against the New York Jets. And the New England Patriots remained at 10. The Patriots need to beat the Dolphins and have the Bills lose to take the division.
GREEN Bay Packers’ Davante Adams acknowledges the crowd after an NFL football game against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers won 37-10. (AP Photo/Matt Ludtke)
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South Africa 118-2 chasing 240 to level series vs India JOHANNESBURG (AP) — South Africa was 118-2 at stumps yesterday chasing 240 to win the second test and level the series against India, setting up a potentially fascinating finish to the game at the Wanderers. The test swung back and forth on Day 3 as India put itself on the brink of a dominant, series-clinching position in its second innings at 155-2, only to falter and lose its last eight wickets for 110 runs. India was ultimately bowled out for 266, giving South Africa a sight at victory and a chance to send the series to a deciding test in Cape Town next week. South Africa was 122 runs away from doing that with eight wickets left.
But nothing was guaranteed on a wearing Wanderers surface that has hassled batsmen throughout the first three days and with India’s four-man pace attack looking threatening. India’s bowlers struck twice before the close, removing Aiden Markram for 31 when the opener was getting into his stride. Medium-pacer Shardul Thakur had that breakthrough to add to this superb seven-wicket haul in the first innings. Ravichandran Ashwin trapped Keegan Petersen lbw for 28 to see the back of South Africa’s top-scorer in the first innings. It was also a rare wicket for a slow bowler this test. South Africa captain Dean Elgar held firm
through to stumps for his 46 not out, and after being hit on the grill of his helmet by a bouncer from Jasprit Bumrah. Rassie van der Dussen fought for over an hour alongside Elgar for his 11 not out. Top-ranked India has never won a test series in South Africa and can change that with victory in Johannesburg after a big win in the first test. It seemed a likely outcome earlier on the third day when the experienced pair of Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane both reached half-centuries and put on a 111-run stand for the third wicket for India. At that stage, India appeared to be on the way to setting South Africa an unreachable target.
INDIA’S SHARDUL THAKUR, celebrate taking the wicket of South Africa’s Aiden Markram during the third day of the 2nd cricket test match between South Africa and India at the Wanderers stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa, yesterday. (AP) Kagiso Rabada intervened with a three-wicket burst before lunch, removing Rahane for 58, Pujara for 53 and the dangerous Rishabh Pant for a duck. He found support from fellow fast bowler Lungi Ngidi and India was on the rack — only to bounce back. Hanuma Vihari, a late call up to the India
team after captain Virat Kohli was ruled out with injury, provided solid resistance for his 40 not out and Thakur showed his ability with the bat to help set a competitive target. Thakur connected for five fours and one six in his free-swinging innings of 28. It may only have lasted 24 deliveries but the way
he attacked South Africa’s bowling seemed to swing the momentum back in India’s favor. In a marker of how good India’s bowling has been, and the extent of the challenge ahead for South Africa, the home team needs to make its highest total of the series so far to win the test.
Kapalua means time for Rahm and Cantlay to get back to work By DOUG FERGUSON AP Golf Writer KAPALUA, Hawaii (AP) — The sweeping views of the Pacific beyond the lush landscape of Kapalua put the soul at ease and can make the first PGA Tour event of the year feel like part work, part vacation. Jon Rahm and Patrick Cantlay have had enough of the latter. Rahm, the No. 1 player in the world, will have gone 83 days since he last hit a shot that counted when he tees off today in the Sentry Tournament of Champions. He shot 74 to miss the cut in the Andalucia Masters three weeks after the Ryder Cup and was so fried that he said. “This is the first time in my life that I don’t want to see a golf club.” He didn’t play the rest of the year. Cantlay won the final two events to capture the FedEx Cup. He was voted PGA Tour player of the year and then was ruthless as ever in an American rout at the Ryder Cup. His next competitive shot will be 102 days later. Whether there will be rust at Kapalua is irrelevant. This was more about rest. “There’s tournaments all year round that you almost have to force yourself to take time off,” Cantlay said. “And I thought that was the perfect opportunity for me to get a couple months and rest my body and rest
my mind, and that way I can play the rest of this year just really fresh and excited to go out and compete.” What’s a golf junkie do without golf? Nothing terribly exciting for Cantlay, except that he was quite content with a book in hand, time in the gym and no doubt being entertained during one fishing excursion in the Atlantic with Dustin Johnson. Rahm’s year was just as hectic, bordering on chaotic. Officially, his lone victory was his first major in the US Open at Torrey Pines. That was two weeks after his positive COVID19 test knocked him out of the Memorial after he had built a six-shot lead going into the final round. And that was two months after becoming a father. But his fatigue goes back even further. When golf returned from the pandemic-forced shutdown in June 2020, Rahm played 11 out of 15 weeks, winning twice. He reached the finish line at the Masters in November, sharing the 36-hole lead before fading. And then he kept working through the winter while changing to a new equipment company. “I did not want changing clubs to really be an excuse,” Rahm said. Not to worry. In the 18 events he played from January through the Tour Championship, the Spaniard finished out of the top 10 only five times.
JON RAHM, of Spain, waits to hit on the 13th tee during the Tournament of Champions pro-am team play golf event yesterday at Kapalua Plantation Course in Kapalua, Hawaii. (AP Photo/Matt York) One of those was his WD with a six-shot lead at the Memorial. “So when that Ryder Cup was over, I was drained for the previous year-and-ahalf,” Rahm said. “And after I went to Spain and finished play, I needed a break — not only for me but also for my family. We all endured it together and I just wanted the time to be a dad and be a husband and just be there for my wife and my son.” Much like Cantlay, Rahm didn’t face any temptations to return earlier than he did. He was busy with diapers, not books, and loving every minute of it. “I know I’m not going to regret it anytime I decide to spend more time with my family and that was what that decision was based on,” he said. “And I couldn’t be happier that I made that decision.”
The excitement level goes beyond the freshest two players in the 38-man field. If there were concerns a decade ago that Kapalua was getting stale and the
winners-only field was losing star power, that’s no longer the case. Even with the PGA Tour taking a six-week hiatus, there is high energy on the rugged, western edge of Maui. The only eligible player not at Kapalua is Rory McIlroy, who starts his new year in Abu Dhabi two weeks from now. Bryson DeChambeau plays his first official event since the Tour Championship — though he had two forgettable outings in a TV match against Brooks Koepka and a tie for 14th in the Bahamas. Jordan Spieth is so excited to be back that he caught himself thinking about Kapalua during the final round of the Texas Open in April, which he
won to end nearly four years without a victory. “I had to kind of throw it out of my head because I had thought about it a couple other times during previous events in the season when I had leads on Sunday,” he said. Spieth at least snuck over to the Bahamas for the Hero World Challenge after fatherhood. Three players are coming off victories. Talor Gooch won the final PGA Tour event of the year and was the last man to qualify. Viktor Hovland won the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas. The other is Phil Mickelson, whose last event was a win in the Charles Schwab Cup Championship on the 50-and-older tour.
PAGE 22, Thursday, January 6, 2022 CHELSEA’S KAI HAVERTZ, centre, scores his side’s opening goal during the English League Cup semifinal first leg against Tottenham Hotspur at Stamford Bridge stadium yesterday. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
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Chelsea gifted goals by Spurs to gain 2-0 Cup semifinal lead By ROB HARRIS AP Global Soccer Writer
LONDON (AP) — With Tottenham’s defenders giving away easy goals, Chelsea could restore tranquility while easing Romelu Lukaku back into the team. For Antonio Conte, though, it was a night of frustration on his return to Stamford Bridge four years after being fired by Chelsea as Tottenham lost 2-0 in the first leg of their League Cup semifinal yesterday. Kai Havertz’s shot after five minutes was inadvertently diverted into his own net by Davinson Sanchez. More absurd was the own goal in the 34th minute after Hakim Ziyech’s swung a free kick into the penalty area. There were no Chelsea players around Tottenham duo Japhet Tanganga and Ben Davies as they combined comically to gift the hosts a second goal. Tanganga’s attempt at a headed clearance came off the shoulder of Davies and past their own goalkeeper, Hugo Lloris. “We try to improve the personality, try to make less mistakes during the game,” Conte said. “Don’t lose stupid balls. This is part of a process and I repeat — I want to be very clear — in these games that we played since I was in charge, if you analyse the games, we struggle.” There’s still a second leg to turn it around next Wednesday back on Tottenham’s home field. But the trip to west London on Wednesday, two months into Conte’s reign, reinforced the need to rebuild a team that is without a title since the 2008 League Cup.
“This type of game can show us the difference, the gap,” Conte said. “We struggled a lot and they showed to be much stronger than us. For sure, we are disappointed.” Collecting trophies — as Conte did in the Premier League and FA Cup — is familiar territory for reigning European champion Chelsea. So is the occasional off-field distraction. Lukaku’s outburst in an interview aired last week, where he said he was unhappy with how he’s being used by Tuchel, led to the club’s record signing being dropped for Sunday’s Premier League draw against Liverpool. Restored to the team after apologising, the Belgium striker had a quiet first half with few touches until having a chance to head in a third before the break. In the second half, he managed a tame shot at Lloris. Most significantly, there was no sense of any dissent against him from Chelsea’s own fans. “He was always involved in dangerous situations,” Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel said. “He showed huge commitment in the defensive work which was important.” Arsenal or Liverpool await in the final but the outcome of their semifinal will be delayed with the first leg postponed until next week due to a coronavirus outbreak at the Merseyside club. Chelsea’s ability to host Tottenham was not affected by announcing two coronavirus infections in the squad ahead of kickoff, with defender Thiago Silva and midfielder N’Golo Kante testing positive.