04252024 NEWS AND SPORT

Pintard says Davis keeps changing view on legislation

FREE National Movement leader Michael Pintard labelled Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis a “serial flipflopper” for suggesting that criminalising marital rape is not a priority because it was not mentioned in his party’s pre-election manifesto, “Blueprint for Change”.

He also criticised Mr Davis’ suggestion that divorce is the solution for women who believe their spouse has raped them. “He changes his position regularly,” Mr Pintard claimed yesterday, adding that Mr Davis should make a principled decision. “You would recall the prime minister promised to address this issue as he has promised with NIB and a number of other areas, and he continues to change his position,” Mr Pintard claimed.

Gas station ordered shut in leak probe

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He said booms set up by the company responsible to help contain the leak are insufficient.

“It’s really concerning because you get an oil slick, it goes down the shoreline, it affects our mangroves,” he said in a video on Facebook. “It affects our ecosystem, also the people in the boats in the harbour. It’s really disheartening.”

“In the meantime, the station has been required to close while comprehensive assessments are being conducted and the necessary replacements can occur on site,” she told The Tribune St Anne’s MP Adrian White called the spill “an environmental disaster” in the House of Assembly yesterday and criticised the government’s response to the leak.

He said he was told the incident happened in March, asking: “Where’s the urgency?” While showing photos of the spill and the area from

Dr Rhianna NeelyMurphy, director of the Department of Environmental Planning and Protection (DEPP), said an assessment was conducted yesterday, with a report still pending on what action would be taken against the fuel station.

where it originated, Mr White said: “We’re in the 24th day of April; twentyfour days of diesel leaking out from a fuel station’s system going down through a drainage system that impacts multiple commercial properties and seeping out into the bay of Marsh Harbour.”

“The amount of diesel that has been leaked into the harbour of Marsh Harbour, Mr Deputy Speaker, has not been stopped. There’s been a complete lack of proper attention given to it by the authorities to remedy this issue.”

However, Environment Minister Vaughn Miller pushed back.

“I want the people of Abaco to know that we are not sitting idly by and just watching this take place. We are actively involved,” he said.

“Again, we sent a local representative from a company here in New Providence. They did the investigation. They submitted the report, their assessment and what the costs will be.”

“We are giving the polluter, the one responsible for this, the opportunity to rectify it. If they do not, then obviously we will do what needs to be done.”

Court told ministry has final say on promotions

commissioner posts, among other things. The financial officer, Melvin Capron, said when current prison Commissioner Doan Cleare returned to the job in September 2021, he fulfilled his request for a report about outstanding financial matters.

The report included a list of assistant commissioners and chief officers awaiting promotion.

Mr Capron said although there used to be a promotion board, and that the commissioner signed off on promotions, the Ministry of National Security made the final approvals. He also said while the prison commissioner would be informed of financial issues, those matters would require the ministry’s

involvement. A section of the report noted that $1.5m worth of promotions were outstanding at the time and that officers brought back from retirement were awaiting pay. He said that although he no longer works in the financial department, many of the outstanding payment issues have been resolved.

When Anton Thompson, the defendants’ attorney, asked if the report highlighted issues about Mr Murphy, he said it did not.

Mr Murphy’s lawyer, Romona Farquharson Seymour, asked Mr Capron about prison officer Valencia Green, whom Mr Murphy disciplined and sent on retirement, only for Mr Cleare to bring her back after he returned in 2021. Mr Capron could not speak to why Mr Murphy disciplined Ms Green.

FNM: PM FLIP FLOPS OVER MARITAL RAPE

“So, he has to make a principled decision as the leader of the country versus trying to wet his finger and determine which direction the crowd is headed in and formulate his opinion.

“What that opinion does not address is whether or not it is correct for a woman against her will to be forced to have sex where she may believe her life is at risk or other reasons she determined this is not the correct time. So the prime minister knows that this is a very complex issue, and he should not dismiss it with such an oversimplified response.”

The Bahamas is one of the few countries in the region to explicitly exclude marital rape from its definition of rape, except where spouses are legally separated or subject to separation proceedings.

A University of The Bahamas study last year found that 30 per cent of Bahamian women were victims of rape in a long-term relationship, and over 50 per cent of adults favoured changing the law to remove the marital exception in cases of rape.

Successive administrations have pledged to criminalise marital rape, but failed to do so.

Mr Pintard said last year that those administrations squandered opportunities to address the matter, but the time has come to fix it.

The Davis administration drafted a bill in 2022 to criminalise marital rape.

However, its commitment to passing the law has become increasingly less certain.

Asked about the matter this week, Mr Davis said: “My thing is that the time when, any time, a couple was married in a blissful marriage reaches the stage where they’re going to report their husband for rape, it seemed to me that marriage was irretrievably broken down, meaning that they’re no longer married even though it may not have been so pronounced by a court.”

LARODA ‘CANNOT SPEAK’ TO LGBT ISSUES - OR DIVERSITY PROGRAMME

their kids to these correctional facilities because they identify us LGBTQ+, I cannot speak to that,” he said. “What I can speak to is that children under the care of The Bahamas government are not subjected to any form of discrimination.”

LGBTQI+ advocate Alexus D’Marco told The Tribune that the Ministry

of Social Services has introduced a diversity programme that prevents children who identify as LGBTQI+ from being sent to juvenile detention centres because of their sexuality.

She said between 2015 and 2020, there were high reports of such youth being placed in juvenile correctional facilities.

Mr Laroda, however, could not confirm nor deny that his ministry has such a programme.

Berkitt Knowles, 41, told The Tribune he was held in a correctional institution because of his sexuality while growing up as a ward of the state from the age of five.

He said as a resident of a home in the 1990s, he was remanded to Simpson Penn Centre for Boys and confined to a cell for three months.

He said he was abused because “they thought maybe it was something wrong with me”.

Mr Lardoa said yesterday: “I do not have any information to support that assertion.

“To suggest that there are no conflicts at these institutions will be foolhardy. I am sure if you put young men or young women, different personalities, from different backgrounds together, there would be conflicts, but to suggest that the institutions themselves engage in these kinds of practices, I have no information to support that.”

FORMER prison commissioner Charles Murphy outside court yesterday. Photo: Pavel Bailey

FNM leader Michael Pintard.

Photos: Dante Carrer

PRIME Minister Philip “Brave” Davis.

FNM says report shows nation economy struggling to recover

By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS

FREE National Move-

Pintard

leader

and East

Grand Bahama

MP Kwasi

Thompson said a new report shows The Bahamas is struggling to recover economically after Hurricane Dorian and the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The fact of the matter is

The Bahamas’ economy is growing at a lower rate than is necessary to absorb those persons who are coming out of school and those persons who are being discouraged from applying for jobs. Our real discussion should be, are we growing

at a rate required to address the recurrent needs and the emerging needs of this economy. “We should get out of this business of just focusing on pre-pandemic numbers and what do we need to do to fix the gut of this economy, the structural problems with the economy to grow at a rate that’s going to benefit the majority of Bahamians.

The Bahamas National Statistical Institute’s 2023 quarterly gross domestic product report revealed the economy experienced increased growth compared to 2022, with all but one quarter of 2023 seeing a year-over-year increase.

“The first and last two quarters of 2023 recorded higher levels of Real GDP compared to those same pre–Pandemic quarters in 2019,” the report noted. Mr Thompson, the Shadow Minister of Finance, questioned whether the average Bahamian feels the benefits of the GDP growth.

“What I think we have to bear in mind is, numbers are numbers, but what we have to look at is whether the ordinary Bahamian is feeling it, whether the ordinary Bahamian is benefiting from it, and I don’t believe that the ordinary Bahamian is feeling what those numbers are reflecting,” he said.

CONCERNS RAISED OVER TRANSPARENCY ON ENVIRONMENT FINES

By JADE RUSSELL Tribune Staff Reporter jrussell@tribunemedia.net

AS parliamentarians passed a bill to introduce spot fines for environmental infractions yesterday, some complained about the Davis administration’s lack of transparency regarding penalties for those who have broken environmental laws. The House of Assembly passed an amendment to the Environmental

Protection and Planning Act, which introduces financial penalties of $1,000 to $20,000 for infractions related to damaging coral reefs, discharging hazardous substances and not complying with laws related to protected areas, among other things. The fines would be deposited into the Environmental Administration Fund to restore the environment in The Bahamas, reduce pollution, and

conserve natural resources. Free National Movement MPs supported the bill. However, East Grand Bahama MP Kwasi Thompson highlighted the government’s lack of transparency concerning fines, which he said undermines efforts to deter other possible violators.

He noted the example of an oil spill in Exuma in 2022 involving The Arabian, a vessel Sun Oil contracted that was offloading fuel

at the Old Navy Base in George Town when it spilled about 30,000 gallons of oil in the sea in July 2022.

Attorney General Ryan Pinder said the company was the first in the country ever to be fined for an environmental infraction, but he refused to disclose the penalty.

“Penalty should be a deterrent,” Mr Thompson said yesterday. “How can there be a deterrent if the public does not know what

MINISTER ATTENDS GRENADA INITIATIVE

the penalty is? “If it is a fine under the act, what section were they charged under, and what justifies the amount they settled on? This is a public matter and must be made public in the interest of the public.” FNM leader Michael Pintard also called for more transparency. “We have had a number of very high-profile spills. It is also important that the government is transparent

about how the work, how the remediation is taking place and, of course, what fines have been levied,” he said.

“This is not a negotiable issue. We should simply be transparent.”

National Security Minister Wayne Munroe noted that consultation to create The Bahamas Wildlife Enforcement, an agency devoted to enforcing environmental laws, has been completed.

MINISTER

as the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification and Land Degradation (UNCCD) Political Focal Point for The Commonwealth of The Bahamas. Danielle Hanek, Bahamas Forestry Unit Acting Director, serves as the Technical Focal Point. They travelled to Grenada to participate in the meeting and witness the establishment of PISLM as an intergovernmental organisation during a signing ceremony of the three sponsor countries: Commonwealth of Dominica, Grenada and St Lucia. FROM left (standing) Steve DevonishCSIDS SOILCARE focal point Barbados; Dr Eric Browne UNCCD Focal Point SKN, Enrique Monize, Commissioner Guyana Lands and Survey Commission; Alwin Dornelly, UNCCD Focal Point St Lucia; Ritesh Sardjoe, Suriname Permanent Secretary; Fitzgerald Providence - UNCCD Focal Point SVG; Michelle Alveraz, UNCCD Focal Point Belize; Oraine Nurse- UNCCD Focal Point Antigua; Joseph Noel UNCCD Focal Point GND, Edgar Hunter UNCCD Focal Point Dominica, Danielle Hanek, UNCCD Focal Point and Acting Director, Forestry Unit, Bahamas; (seated) Vaughn Miller, Minister of the Environment and Natural Resources, Bahamas; Alfred Prospere, Minister St Lucia; Cozier Fredrick, Minister Dominica; Adrian Thomas, Senator Grenada, Minister Adrian Forde, Minister Barbados.

FIVE ARRESTED

TWO men and three women were arrested in Eleuthera yesterday after police found drugs and a firearm with ammunition in their home. Police said officers from the Flying Squad Unit made the discovery after searching the residence in White Town, Hatchet Bay, around 6.30am.

While there, police discovered a firearm with ammunition and a quantity of suspected marijuana.

“At present, the weight and value of the suspected marijuana are unknown,” police reported.

ment

Michael

Photo:

Photo:

Port seeking to encourage Bahamians back to Bay St

THE Nassau Cruise Port (NCP) is fine-tuning its efforts to bring more Bahamians back to Bay Street and revive the city’s nightlife. The port’s marketing and communications manager, Shawn Gomez, believes some residents still remember when the security measures at the old festival place prevented them from enjoying the cruise port as tourists did.

Officials want Bahamians to understand that the cruise port is for them as much as it is for tourists.

“Nassau Cruise Port is completely different,” Ms

Gomez said. “We want Bahamians to come down here. We have over 50 vendors within our marketplace selling a variety of goods, products, jewellery, even straight down to food and drinks. “We want Bahamians to shop locally to keep the money within our economy and spread it around.”

The cruise port is one of the stakeholders and supporters of the Downtown Revitalization Project. Ms Gomez said a vital component of the revitalisation project is giving Bahamians an opportunity to “come back to Bay Street.”

“A few years ago, there were about five to six downtown establishments that had a nightlife, and you could go from one to the next to the other, and we often hear a lot of Bahamians talk about that time and reminisce about it being a very good time in nightlife,” she added.

“For us, while we’re not just centred around nightlife –– it is a family-centred place –– we moreso want people to come downtown and still feel that excitement and that vibe, and that’s what we’re trying to do.”

She highlighted numerous events at the port, which has featured international and local

artists, holds a monthly Sip & Shop event, and hosts a popular happy hour every Friday from 3pm to 9pm. The port will introduce a new quarterly event, Soulful Sunday, this weekend from 7pm to 11pm, featuring the Essence Band and Nevandria Lyric. “We talked to local establishments that may be having their own happy hour, their own event at that time and we try to push the Bahamians that are already here at happy hour to go and attend those events,” Ms Gomez said. “So we are basically crossing our audiences with each other, and that’s a system that we’re

going to finetune and detail out soon enough.”

She spoke of the cruise port’s efforts to encourage its audience to frequent other businesses in the downtown area.

“We want them to go check out Souse Out. We want them to check out Sugar Rush. We want them to check out these different places downtown after they’ve enjoyed themselves at the cruise port because they still have the energy, they still wanna go, and they are our neighbours,” she said.

“Downtown is our community and we believe that 100 per cent.”

MAO WEIMING, governor of Hunan Province, People’s Republic of China, presents Minister of Agriculture and Marine Resources Jomo Campbell with a gift of poetry by Mao Zedong.

MINISTER of Agriculture and Marine Resources Jomo Campbell and Minister for Grand Bahama Ginger Moxey tour the Gladstone Road Agricultural Centre yesterday.

MAO WEIMING, Governor of Hunan Province, flanked by Minister of Agriculture and Marine Re-

Photos: Dante Carrer

The Tribune Limited

Mixed words over marital rape

PRIME Minister Philip Davis does not seem to be able to find his way to a definitive

He has clearly stated that “rape is rape” – which of course it is, there should always be the right to say no. But what to do about that when the law features words that describe rape as being of someone who is not their spouse?

Well, one of his suggestions in the past week has been that women who are raped by their husbands should divorce them.

Previously, in 2020, he took a different tack, saying “to any woman, married or not, if they are aggrieved by being assaulted violently by anyone, they should report it to the police”.

This came at a time that it was reported by a study that one in 12 married women in The Bahamas have been raped by their husbands.

Also in 2020, though he stopped short of committing to bring legislation on the issue in office, saying that there would be “a number of policy initiatives” that would need to be prioritised. He did say, however, “We don’t support men raping their wives and so we will support any measure that will penalise husbands who would rape their wives.”

Asked directly if people could look forward to a Davis government bringing legal changes to penalise marital rape, he said: “Yes.”

And yet now he backs away from the issue saying that it is not in his party’s election manifesto, the Blueprint for Change – even though, as noted by Tribune columnist Alicia Wallace this week, commitments to remove inequality affecting women are in the blueprint.

Even so, this is a weak defence. There are plenty of issues not in the blueprint that are clearly on the government’s agenda.

Take a look through the blueprint

for a mention of the Grand Bahama Port Authority and you will find none, yet clearly the government has chosen to confront the authority over recent months.

The anti-gang legislation that has just been brought to Parliament, with strong penalties for gang membership? You will not find that in the blueprint. So clearly not being in the blueprint has not stopped other issues from coming to the fore. It feels like a thin excuse to lean on the blueprint as an excuse for not taking action.

Ann Marie Davis, on the other hand, has been clear and unequivocal in her answers.

The holder of the Office of the Spouse has previously said clearly that “no means no”, saying in 2022: “Imagine, we are still living in a society where no does not mean no. How could that be? I tell you no and you think I mean yes. No, sir. Of course I’m talking about marital rape, right. No means no.”

She continued: “Women endure so much. We endure too much for too long. So I want to see our marital rape laws improved on the books too. I am happy that this conversation is taking place and when it is done, I hope that our marital laws are upgraded as to where they are supposed to be.”

Yesterday, FNM leader Michael Pintard said Mr Davis was flip-flopping on the issue. He said previous administrations have squandered the opportunity to deal with the issue and said that the time has come to fix it. Those may be strong words in opposition, but we hope it is backed up by a specific pledge in the FNM’s own manifesto if the matter is not dealt with by the time of another election. After all, Mr Davis said strong words in opposition too. It is one thing to speak out when not in government, it is another to govern.

Minnis’ time has passed

EDITOR, The Tribune.

STUBBORN pride, fragile inflated egos, disunity, and mistrust, have continuously plagued the FNM (Free National Movement) from its inception in 1972, except during the Ingraham era.

Party faithful pride themselves in saying that the FNM was born out of the belly of controversy, which is true; but this line of argument has long run its course and can no longer be used as a face-saving measure in 2024. In any organisation, differences of opinion are a safeguard against autocracy, but this is entrenched warfare. Controversy has morphed into dysfunction.

Even in the last Minnis administration, there was revolt which many believed prompted Dr Minnis to call an early election. This is chaos wrapped in controversy. Call it what it is! This is no time for linguistic acrobatics.

Until now, Dr Minnis had assumed the roll of a political pariah. The recent appearance of Minnis, McCartney, and others on Long Island confirmed what everyone knew all along; that Minnis is contemplating a challenge to Pintard’s leadership. No one was fooled by

the pretext of a book tour, which was nothing more than a red herring.

Political observers believe that McCartney is perhaps trying to sneak back to the FNM because he thinks he sees a chance to resurrect his long dead political career-political expediency 101. But McCartney’s credibility might be beyond repairs.

Minnis and McCartney have formed an unholy alliance, but it will not last. They appeared to have swallowed their wounded prides and bury the political hatchet, at least for now, for the sole purpose of overthrowing Pintard.

Meanwhile, multiple players seemed to have emerged from the shadows to join Minnis’ bandwagon, with narrow personal interest and a feeling of loyalty no doubt serving as motivating factors, as opposed to the interest of party or country. They are clinging to diminishing hope that Dr Minnis would rise again like a Phoenix from the ashes and seize the reins of leadership in a bold act of defiance. The FNM will never win another general election with Minnis as party leader. More and more FNM faithful’s seem are threatening not to vote if Dr Minnis is returned as party leader,

and so, replacing Pintard with Dr Minnis cannot be regarded as a winning formula by any stretch. With arrogance and selfishness serving as blinders, and their readiness to spit in the face of mainstream opinion, some persons intent on wrecking the party if they cannot have their own way. The party is bigger than any one man.

The good doctor fails to accept that his time has passed. Quite frankly, it would be an act of political suicide or at least would result in a long tortuous wilderness experience, if Dr Minnis is returned as leader. Maintaining Pintard as party leader is a victory for no one, just a triumph for common sense. If Dr Minnis is returned as party leader, the FNM would be demolished at the polls.

It would be a political embarrassment the likes of which have never been seen. In the final analysis, selfishness, which is the axis of human kind, could prove fatal, as the FNM, not surprisingly, could become the architect of its own distraction. A house divided cannot stand.

The Tribune.

Free National Movement convention, tentatively set for this upcoming Fall, might be the determining factor in Dr Hubert Minnis’ political survival within the Opposition party beyond 2026. That is the year an election must be held. I have opined in the past that Minnis’ presence in the FNM and the House of Assembly presents an awkward dilemma for FNM Leader Michael Pintard.

When asked by a News reporter if he had any plans on challenging Pintard for the leadership post in the upcoming party convention, Minnis gave, what I thought, an evasive answer. This usually implies that the answer is in the affirmative. Minnis has every right to run for whatever position he so desires. Yet as one on the outside looking in, I cannot state dogmatically that the Minnis camp has done everything within its power to assist Pintard, who already faces the daunting task of leading the opposition.

In the event Minnis challenges Pintard at convention and loses, will his camp finally submit to the FNM’s delegated authority, or will it continue its subtle tactics of opposing the FNM leader? Under such a scenario, Pintard might be tempted to deny Minnis a nomination in Killarney. This could then lead to Minnis running as an Independent candidate. He would undoubtedly play the role of political spoiler for the FNM in one of the few safe seats in New Providence. Or another option would be to let sleeping dogs lie by allowing Minnis to run in Killarney under the FNM banner, with the resolve to continue having to deal with his camp’s subtle hostility and insubordination.

Whatever the case might be, the awkward dilemma Pintard is faced with is not unique by any stretch of the imagination. The Progressive Liberal Party, under Sir Lynden O Pindling, also faced the awkward situation of having two

ambitious leaders in the House of Assembly. This was between 1960 and 1964 - the latter being the year

Sir Henry Taylor, one of the cofounders of the PLP, left the party. Taylor had resigned from the PLP after being intentionally snubbed by Pindling when the latter failed to appoint him to the Senate in January 1964. Sir Clifford Darling and Charles Rodriguez, staunch allies of Pindling, were appointed instead. In the previous year, Sir Lynden was elected Chairman of the PLP and Opposition Leader in the House of Assembly. The issue Taylor faced was that he had lost his Long Island seat in 1956 - three years after he, along with Cyril Stevenson and William Cartwright, established the PLP. Pindling, along with Sir Randol Fawkes, won in the Southern District (Over the Hill). Four other PLPs won in 1956. When Taylor was elected to Parliament in 1960 in a special by-election in New Providence, his presence presented an awkward situation for Pindling, who was becoming entrenched as leader of the party. Between 1956 and 1960, Pindling did not have to look over his shoulders. Without a Parliamentary seat, Taylor was hardly a threat to the ambitious Pindling. Bear in mind that Taylor was still chairman of the PLP. Stevenson was secretary general. Both men were effectively elbowed out of the way by the National Committee for Positive Action -- a radical think tank within the PLP, with such luminaries as Sir Cecil Wallace-Whitfield, Sir Arthur Foulkes, Jeffrey Thompson and Warren Levarity. The NCPA firebrands had stated in no uncertain terms that no one in the PLP hierarchy was to accept any of the financial bones dangled in their faces by Sir Stafford Sands, Sir Roland Symonette and the United Bahamian Party. Inspired

by the Black Power movement in the United States, moderate elements within the PLP feared that the NCPA had the potential to advocate for racial violence against the minority Bay Street regime and its surrogates. NCPA radicals viewed Taylor and Stevenson as being too white. Consequently, they were more than happy when the PLP National General Council reprimanded the two PLP founders for staging a press conference in Miami in 1963, in which the two addressed matters relating to Cuba. NCPA also punished Taylor for accepting a position within the Development Board offered to him by Sir Stafford. Taylor would eventually join the UBP. Neither he nor Stevenson received nominations from the PLP ahead of the historic 1967 general election. As long as Taylor remained in the House of Assembly, Pindling regarded him as a looming threat to his position as PLP leader. For Pindling and his inner circle of staunch allies, removing Taylor was the expedient thing to do. This would explain Pindling’s decision not to even recommend Taylor for the Senate in 1964, as mentioned above. The awkward dilemma with Pindling and Taylor between 1960 and 1964 is eerily similar to what I see occurring within the FNM between Pintard and Minnis. Will Pintard emulate Pindling by sidelining his main political rival within his own political organisation? Whatever decision Pintard makes, he is in a tougher situation than Pindling owing to two facts: One, Minnis, unlike Taylor, was prime minister before. And two, Minnis, unlike Taylor, is black. The racial climate in the 1960s made Taylor unappealing to the vast majority of Black Bahamians. Until proven otherwise, Minnis’ presence in the House of Assembly will continue to cast a large shadow over his predecessor.

answer on the issue of marital rape legislation.

Bowleg tables CARIFTA figures

By KEILE CAMPBELL kcampbell@tribunemedia.net

YOUTH, Sports and Culture Minister Mario Bowleg tabled an unaudited financial statement about the 2023 CARIFA Games in the House of Assembly yesterday.

His action came after the release of an Office of the Auditor General report highlighting irregularities concerning the CARIFTA games, including a lack of financial control, a failure to follow hiring procedures, unauthorised use of petty cash, and unauthorised purchases.

The auditor general’s report found that the CARIFTA games experienced a $829,821 deficit even after its initial budget jumped significantly.

Mr Bowleg pushed back against this, saying the games ended with a surplus of $185,000.

Mr Bowleg said the financial statement was not given to his ministry until January 24 this year and was not given to the auditor general before the release of last week’s report. He said: “Madam Speaker, acknowledging there was a notable lapse in communication during the processes involved, I have asked my permanent secretary to schedule additional meetings with the Office of the Auditor General. These meetings are intended to provide further clarifications, address any identified gaps, and ensure that any concerns

arising from the audits are discussed thoroughly.”

“I must express my profound disappointment that the final versions of the audit reports for the CARIFTA Games 2023 and The Bahamas Games were not brought to my attention before they were presented and tabled in Parliament.”

Mr Bowleg said he will meet with the Local Organising Committee (LOC) to “critically assess the audit’s findings”. “This engagement will serve as a crucial benchmark for future events, aiming to enhance our operational efficiencies, improve administrative protocols, and solidify our governance structures,” he said. “We must learn from this audit, strengthening our checks and balances to prevent future discrepancies and uphold our commitment to excellence.”

Shadow Minister of Finance Kwasi Thompson defended the integrity of the Office of the Auditor General, saying it should remain outside of politics.

“I think we on both sides ought to make sure that we see the auditor general’s office with the highest integrity,” he said.

“I know that my experience with the auditor general’s office, as I believe the other side’s experience with the auditor general’s office, has been with the utmost integrity.”

He said an entity that is audited can read the report, respond before its release, and have its response included in the final report.

DISCHARGE FOR MOTHER WHO HIT DAUGHTER WITH CORD

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net

A 35-YEAR-OLD mother was conditionally discharged yesterday after admitting to injuring her 15-year-old daughter because the girl lied about how she got to the movies last Saturday.

Assistant Chief Magistrate Carolyn Vogt-Evans charged the woman, whose name is being withheld to protect the teen’s identity, with cruelty to children.

The defendant reportedly beat her daughter with a wire on April 20 after the girl lied about who took her to the movies. The girl received injuries to her eye, lips, shoulder and arm. She reportedly could not open her left eye and had a swollen lip when she woke up the following day. When questioned by police, the defendant admitted to the offence but told officers that she did not intend to injure her daughter.

After the woman pleaded guilty yesterday, her lawyer, Mark Penn, told the magistrate his client is a mother of three and had no priors offences. He said before the beating incident, the defendant agreed to let her daughter go to the movies with a specific friend. He said problems arose when the girl did not come home at curfew and that when the mother investigated the matter, the friend said she did not drop the girl to the movies.

Mr Penn said when his client went to the movies to find her daughter, she saw the girl dancing in the street with friends. This prompted her to break her daughter’s phone after she became angry.

He said when the mother and child returned home that night, his client tried to discipline the girl for lying. He said his client accidentally hit the girl in the face with a USB cord when the child suddenly turned to face her.

Mr Penn said his client was embarrassed by the charge. The mother then told the magistrate she mistakenly thought the daughter’s friend’s father would pick her up. She said matters escalated because her daughter continued lying after they discussed the matter.

Magistrate Evans admonished the daughter, who came to court wearing sunglasses, for lying and staying out after her mother expected her home. However, the magistrate also said the mother chose the wrong object to discipline her daughter. As part of her conditional discharge, the defendant must attend parenting classes. Additionally, the mother, daughter and the child’s father, who was present in court, must attend family counselling. The defendant will return to court for a report on July 29. Inspector S Coakley served as the prosecutor.

MINISTER of Youth, Sports and Culture Mario Bowleg pictured earlier this month. Photo: Dante Carrer

The failure to civilise new generations

A GNAWING grief seized the family and friends of former Member of Parliament and Deputy House of Assembly Speaker, Don Saunders, following his murder during an armed robbery. Given his status and profile in the country, it shocked many in the political establishment and the nation in general.

The grief, shock, and frustration following his killing, was seen in the images at his funeral mass and at the graveside. It is a grief experienced by the families of murder victims just about every week of the year. Murderous grief stalks New Providence.

His stepfather, Archdeacon Keith Cartwright, gave sobbing voice to the sense of despair in the face of the unrelenting violence and killings that haunt the residents of New Providence.

Fr Cartwright addressed the nation, including the political directorate at the state-recognised funeral at St Agnes, for Saunders, who was on the cusp of turning 50. Yet another Bahamian son, with a wife and children, and with considerable potential, mercilessly and senselessly killed.

The grieving Archdeacon spoke passionately and with understandable anger about the deficits of family life contributing mightily to crime and violence. He rightly noted that the state is not primarily responsible for nor capable of raising children.

He addressed the political elite, including Prime Minister Philip Davis and Opposition Leader, Michael Pintard. He homilised about politicians playing games on crime.

Many politicians are indifferent because they are not as directly affected by the violence and criminality that is the daily reality

of many in the urban harshness and cauldron of our most populous island. Still, when it comes to the political directorate,

the problem is even deeper and more frustrating than the Archdeacon and many others recognise.

Many of our leaders truly do not have the sociological awareness, depth of understanding, social science background, or curiosity to understand the complexity of social elements responsible for the miasma of violence in the country.

Critically, unfortunately, it seems that none of our past prime ministers nor the current leaders of either of our major parties likely understand the deep sociological and cultural problems we face, many of which are at the root of the culture of violence in The Bahamas.

Some have thrown up their hands in frustration because they are truly perplexed that despite spending many tens of millions on the police, the courts, and correctional services, that crime continues to increase.

Neither the Free National Movement nor the Progressive Liberal Party have demonstrated a comprehensive understanding or devised a suite of more targeted social policies in terms of crime and violence. Yes, there have been advances in education, health care, job-creation and other areas. We do need a more functional criminal justice system that will reduce the number of matters requiring a trial. Bail reform remains a critical matter.

However, none of the aforementioned are sufficient given the nature of crime in the country. More direct and sustained intervention is needed in a country, that given our small population, should not be expected to have approximately more than 20 murders a year. Not every child can pull themselves up by their proverbial bootstraps. Moreover, it is a shortsighted mindset that would end certain intervention programmes because they were supposedly too expensive. Imagine how many more young people would have been assisted had certain programmes not been discontinued some years ago.

Social intervention and youth development will cost considerable public funds, especially given the depth of our social problems. We

administrators, teachers, parents, police officers, religious leaders and other people of authority.

We do not know the full details of the video from the school in Grand Bahama.

But many teachers report that their authority and that of others, is breezily dismissed by many young people, indifferent, unafraid and disrespectful to authority figures.

Just as we are taught violence, fighting, maiming, and killing, we have to be socialized in the arts of peace. What might our collective response be as a society?

As noted repeatedly in this column, one major response is an ambitious programme for at-risk and other youth in the criminal justice system.

Such a programme will be geared toward rebuilding young people who lack some of the most basic human abilities they never gained from their families or from a slack and dysfunctional society producing feral behaviour.

have rightly spent hundreds of millions or even billions on physical infrastructure. We will also have to spend many millions on the social infrastructure required to re-civilise many of our people.

Every human generation must be socialised. Such civilising is not an osmotic process. It does not occur naturally. It requires work, repetition, and endless vigilance.

A child has to be pottytrained, taught how to speak and write, and trained how to control his or her temper. None of these is automatic. Absent such socialisation, the human animal is wild. Sadly, there are many feral individuals throughout New Providence.

It is through institutions, such as the family, churches, schools, sports, youth groups, the military, and others that young people are provided with order and civilised.

A friend has a young son in a martial arts programme. When the martial arts teacher or sensei calls the children to order, they quiet down, they dutifully line up, they open themselves to discipline, and they follow instructions.

How might we replicate this sense of order and discipline, especially given the deficits of family life and the deep slackness in our social culture?

Given the myriad problems within families, we need intermediate institutions and programmes that will help to socialise generations of young people who view violence and retribution as the appropriate response to conflict and their sense of being “disrespected” or hurt.

A video is making the rounds on social media of a fight at a government-operated high school in Grand Bahama. The students seem mesmerised by the violence, like it was entertainment. Such a response is typical of many jurisdictions. The culture of violence in The Bahamas is fed by many sources. But what are the sources of non-violence, conflict resolution, restraint? Just as violence is taught and mirrored by those who observe it, so too is the obverse.

Not too long ago, a group of students would stop fighting or curtail certain behaviour when in the presence of school

More judges, more police cars, and more prison cells are not enough to address the roots of our social dysfunction, the symptoms of which have exploded like a dangerous virus in our high levels of crime and violence.

The inculcation of discipline, respect, selfrestraint, life and other skills, require vaccinationlike responses, treatments and rehabilitation to help our young people, repeat offenders, and society to be healthier.

Over the years, various youth programmes have been suggested, but never been reviewed by any government. These include the AMIkids programme, in the United States, which has an 80 percent success rate. The Summer School for Boys, a programme based on the successful Afro Reggae youth initiative in Brazil, a Youth Development Centre, among others have been recommended in this column and by others. Collectively, such initiatives may prove comprehensive and farreaching. What these programmes have in common is helping to directly address the habits and behaviour of those who commit the overwhelming majority of crime: young men.

And, yes, they will cost. But they will be less costly than the grief and loss of potential of individuals like Don Saunders, and those who allegedly committed the crime that led to his woefully unnecessary death.

Another major initiative would be a national afterschool programme that may reach thousands of young people, and which will be explored next week. Imagine a programme that will give greater opportunity and foster more discipline and human development skills for our children and youth.

Archdeacon Cartwright and others are right to call for prayer. One of the prayers we need is for God to grant insight to political and other leaders.

Many of our leaders do not understand or refuse to see the underlying sociological realities of our society mesmerised by a culture of violence and death, to which many of us are immune or becoming increasingly tolerant.

ARCHDEACON Keith Cartwright during the interment of former MP Donald “Don” Saunders at St Agnes Cemetery. Photo: Dante Carrer

War and ideology

STATESIDE

THE lounge, a finger of whiskey still floating one ice cube in the cut glass tumbler resting on the side table next to his favorite arm chair. Several friends sat in a loose circle, arranged on comfortable hard chairs so he could see and respond to each. One of the professor’s oldest acquaintances spoke up.

“So what do you think, Gene? Was Karl Marx right after all?”

“What do you mean, Sheila?”

“Well, I think that one of Marx’s basic 19th Century beliefs was that capitalism, in order to survive, needs periodic wars. Wars are good for a lot of businesses. Military production spikes. That creates a lot of highpaying jobs. Most wars can unify a nation, even a severely fractured one.

“I have even heard the argument that waging war can actually be justified as a legitimate principle of a responsible public policy, under certain circumstances.”

There was a murmur around the lounge. Sheila was known in the group for her outspokenness and provocative comments. But her statements now elicited not controversy but instead, silence. All faces turned toward professor Gene, who thoughtfully took a short pull on his drink, set it down, and started to speak.

“Well, my dear friend,” he began, “I know you’ve often raised tough issues,

but you’ve outdone yourself this time.” There were chuckles all around. “I guess you read the paper on the day before yesterday.” Sheila nodded. Another friend spoke up. “Do you mean the long article in the Washington Post about all the congressional districts that directly benefit from American military assistance to nations like Ukraine and Israel?” The professor nodded. “Yes. As I recall, the author identified congressional districts in 34 different states where businesses are located that directly benefit from the kind of rampedup military spending that has just been augmented by the Congress. The author, by the way, is trying to promote Republican support for military aid to Ukraine. “In those 34 states, 66 different congressional districts were identified as specific beneficiaries. That works out to 15 percent.”

Sitting next to Sheila, her friend Margaret rummaged through her bag. “Here’s the story,” she said, holding it up. “Listen to the names of some of those congressmen whose districts are enriched by increased defense spending.” She read out some names. “There’s ‘Mr. No More Aid for Ukraine’ – Matt Gaetz of Florida,” she read. “Also, Trump favourite Jim Jordan of Ohio, House majority leader Steve Scalise of Louisiana and Scott Perry of Pennsylvania.

Perry is now the Freedom Caucus chair, and was the only member of Pennsylvania’s House delegation to oppose last week’s $60 billion Ukraine assistance bill.”

“Yes, Meg,” Gene replied. “There are certainly some apparent political inconsistencies in all this clamour about military and other aid for Ukraine. And it’s true that many of the Republican congressmen and women seemed to vote in favour of a broad, Trumpian isolationist ideology and against the real-life economic interests of their districts.

“I think it’s important to remember that the US has a long history of isolationism. Look how the Vietnam War tore apart the country. You can certainly argue that was not a ‘just war,’ and that most Americans either did not believe that allowing Vietnam to fall to the North Vietnamese Communists would trigger calamitous consequences, nor that the US had any moral responsibility to prop up a corrupt and unrepresentative government in Saigon. “But that didn’t matter so much to the additional millions of people who just didn’t buy the idea that the US should serve as ‘policeman of the world.’

“And look what happened after that war finally ended in 1975. The US economy basically lost its way. Remember that home mortgage interest rates

rose to nearly 20 percent by 1981 and interest on credit card payments soared to the highest level in modern American history. There were lots of factors that caused such high rates, but the fact that the US was also no longer at war contributed to the economic morass.

“Back to isolationism.

I’m sure you all recall that Republicans in the Senate fought hard against President Franklin Roosevelt’s impulses to aid Britain and other European allies during the period from 1939-41 when the Nazis were threatening to overrun all of Europe. The truth is that there is a big streak of isolationism in the US, and we’re seeing its traces all over again in the matter of the Russia-Ukraine war.

“A lot of Americans still don’t believe it’s their responsibility to solve all the world’s problems. And Republicans, despite their traditional adherence to an active, even aggressive foreign policy, nevertheless often give voice to that perspective.” Sheila waggled her fingers self-consciously. Professor Gene looked over at her. “Can I raise a related issue?” she asked. “I don’t want to monopolise the conversation.” He nodded his assent in response. “OK,” she said. “There’s something else about this big military deal and all the American support for Ukraine that bothers me. I realise that we need to push Putin back. I get that. But in that same Post article, the author – who is very conservative politically – tries to support the aid package with some logic that scares me.

“He wrote the following: ‘In many cases, the weapons now being produced in the US aren’t going to Ukraine at all. Instead, we

are sending older versions of weapons systems to Kyiv and building new, more effective systems which we are keeping as we modernise our own army.’ Yikes!”

Sheila exclaimed. The professor nodded. “Information like that can make you cynical in a hurry,” he said. “The Russians are reportedly emptying prisons in an effort to maintain manpower levels; to some observers, the US is upgrading its military stockpile on the backs of heroic Ukrainian fighters.

“But the big issue is still the existential threat to Europe posed by Vladimir Putin. I agree with those who compare his aggression to the rise of Nazi Germany in the 1930s, and I also believe that Putin must be stopped now. If he is allowed to succeed in Ukraine, I see no likelihood that he will not attack other neighbours later on.

“Any policy that looks like appeasement won’t work now with Putin any more than it did with Hitler nearly a century ago.” The divergence between America’s ideological role as the worldwide champion of freedom and democracy, and its practical responsibility to put first the economic interests of its citizens, is frequently at the heart of political discourse in the US. And it’s certainly true now, with Israel, Gaza and even Taiwan vying with Ukraine for assistance from Washington.

Meanwhile, as this ideological battle continues on Capitol Hill in Washington, a responsible Republican congressional leader may be emerging. Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana, a largely anonymous congressman until thrust into a leadership vacuum by the unseating of Kevin

McCarthy last Fall, has delighted many people by shepherding through the Ukraine assistance package.

Under constant threat to his tenure as speaker from Republican MAGA zealots eager to postpone any diplomatic success until after the November election, Johnson has admitted that he has changed his mind on Ukraine. In his new position, the Speaker has received highly classified briefings on the military situation, and has been informally mentored by veteran senators from both parties.

Johnson has been quietly courted by the White House, and he has received visits from the British foreign secretary and other European leaders. He has been persuaded to adopt a kind of mature, bipartisan perspective on the current parlous European security situation.

It’s hard to say how long Johnson will hold his leadership position, given the ease in challenging him that is now accorded by new House rules to a small handful of extremists like Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia. And Johnson remains a solid MAGA adherent.

But there is increasing speculation that Democrats in the House may rally to support Johnson if he continues to show signs of reasonableness on foreign assistance. Given the years-long chaos that has hobbled the American Congress, some kind of very rare coalition building from parts of both the Republican and Democratic parties may not only be possible, but essential.

The notion of responsible GOP leadership in the House seems fantastic. But Johnson is offering some hope for the future.

with Charlie Harper

FAMILY, friends and army comrades gather to pay respect to Ukrainian army paramedic Nazarii Lavrovskyi, 31, killed in the war, during his funeral ceremony at Independence square in Kyiv, yesterday. Lavrovskyi, who served in the 244th battalion of the 112th Separate Territorial Defense Brigade, was killed April 18 while helping to evacuate wounded troops from the frontline in the Kharkiv area of eastern Ukraine. Photo: Francisco Seco/AP

Cannabis legalisation has led to a boom in potent forms of the drug that present new hazards for adolescents

By TY SCHEPIS Texas State University

EVENTUALLY, most adults reach a point where we realise we are out of touch with those much younger than us. Perhaps it is a pop culture reference that sparks the realisation. For me, this moment happened when I was in my late 20s and working with adolescents in school settings to help them quit smoking. When other drugs would occasionally come up, I didn’t understand some of the slang terms they used for these drugs. Many people may have that feeling now when the topic of cannabis comes up – especially in its different and newer forms. As a professor of psychology, I focus my research on substance use in adolescents and young adults. A major change during my time in research is the legalisation and explosion of cannabis availability across the US.

There are arguments for and against increasing legalisation of cannabis for adult use in the US, but expanded access to legal cannabis also may have unintended consequences for adolescents. These consequences are compounded by the increasing potency of some cannabis products.

A shifting landscape I use the word “cannabis” since it refers to the plant from which the drugs are derived. It also serves as a catch-all term for any substance with chemical compounds from cannabis plants and addresses concerns that the word marijuana has some longstanding racist overtones. Cannabis now comes in a larger variety of forms than it used to. When most people over 40 think of cannabis, they imagine its dried form for smoking. This cannabis was not particularly strong: The average THC concentration of cannabis seized by the Drug Enforcement Agency in 1995 was four percent, while it was roughly 15 percent in 2021.

In addition to the smoked form, some might remember an edible form, often baked into a dessert like a brownie, or hashish, which is derived from more potent parts of the cannabis plant. Today there are many different cannabis concentrates that have high levels of THC, typically ranging from 40 percent to 70 percent, and more than 80 percent in some cases,

depending on the method of extraction. These include oils that can be vaporised by vape or dab pens, waxier substances and even powders.

How cannabis derivatives interact with the brain THC and cannabidiol, or CBD, are the most common chemicals in cannabis. Each one interacts with the brain in different ways, producing different perceived effects. CBD does not produce the same “high” that THC does, and cannabidiol may have benefits as a medication for severe epilepsy, as well as other potential but as yet unproven medical uses. The differences between THC and CBD come from how they interact with cannabinoid receptors – the proteins onto which these drugs attach – in the brain and body. However, CBD can also make people sleepy, alter mood in unintended ways and cause stomach upset.

Never use a CBD product without consulting a physician.

The changing nature of cannabis products THC is the chemical most strongly associated with the high from cannabis. By increasing the amount of THC, concentrated products can increase blood levels of THC rapidly and more strongly than nonconcentrates such as traditional smoked cannabis.

Cannabis concentrates also come in many different forms that range from waxy or creamy to hard and brittle. They are made in a variety of ways that may require dry ice, water or flammable solvents such as butane.

The myriad names for cannabis concentrates can be confusing. Concentrate names include “budder,” which refers to a yellowish paste like frosting; “shatter” is made similarly to budder but comes in a thin, brittle and translucent

form; there’s also “wax” or “crumble,” which confusingly is not waxy but is more like a powdery or grainy substance; and “keef” or “kief,” which is powdery in nature and derived from the most potent parts of the cannabis plant. It is similar to hashish.

The names change regularly and can vary by guide or from person to person. It is best to ask what a term means from an open and curious place than to act as if you know all the terminology.

Many concentrates are vaporized and inhaled. Vaporising is different than smoking, as vaporizing heats the concentrate until it becomes a gas, which is inhaled. Smoking involves burning the compound to produce an inhaled gas.

Many who vaporise concentrates call it “dabbing”. This refers to the dab of concentrate to heat, vaporize and inhale.

Another way to vaporise cannabis concentrates is to use a vape pen. Vape pens are sometimes also called dab pens, depending on the local terms.

Cannabis use and adolescents

One of the reasons why young people are drawn to these sorts of products is that vaping or dabbing the concentrated form makes it easier to hide cannabis use. Vaping cannabis does not create the typical smell associated with weed.

A 2021 systematic review found that past-year cannabis vaping nearly doubled from 2017 to 2020 in

adolescents - jumping from 7.2 percent to 13.2 percent.

A more recent study in five northeastern US states found that 12.8 percent of adolescents vaped cannabis in the past 30 days, a more narrow time frame that suggests potential increases in use. In addition, a 2020 study found that onethird of adolescents who vape do so with cannabis concentrates.

Cannabis use by adolescents is scary because it can alter the way their brains develop. Research shows that the brains of adolescents who use cannabis are less primed to change in response to new experiences, which is a key part of adolescent development. Adolescents who use cannabis are also more likely to experience symptoms of schizophrenia, struggle more in school and engage in other risky behaviors.

The risks of cannabis use are even greater with concentrates because of the high levels of THC. This is true for both adolescents and adults, with greater risk for symptoms of schizophrenia such as hallucinations and delusions, mental health symptoms and more severe cannabis use.

The best analogy is with another drug – alcohol. Most people know that a 12-ounce beer is much less potent than 12 ounces of vodka. Cannabis in smoked form is closer to the beer, while a concentrate is more like the vodka. Neither is safe for an adolescent, but one is even more dangerous.

These dangers make early conversations with kids about cannabis and cannabis concentrates critically important. Research consistently shows that expressing disapproval of drug use makes adolescents less likely to start drug use.

Start these conversations early – ideally before middle school. You can find some helpful online resources to guide the conversation.

While these conversations can be uncomfortable, and you can look like the out-of-touch adult, they can be a major step toward preventing adolescents from using cannabis and other drugs.

• Originally published on www.theconversation.com

Beautiful Grand Bahama project is praised for helping YMCA

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

KAREN Pinder-Johnson, the YMCA’s executive director, has praised Beautiful Grand Bahama (BGB) for assisting with muchneeded improvements to the facility and its sporting amenities.

The Y has been struggling with manpower challenges related to maintenance work and grounds upkeep.

Ms Johnson said BGB has assisted them with painting the facility and adequately grooming the landscape, playing fields, and tennis courts.

“I want to thank Minister (of Grand Bahama) Ginger Moxey for the help we received from BGB because, for so long, we have been running a oneman band to keep the facilities going,” she said.

time because the fields we have here were not up to the level we needed them to be, and they stepped in to help us maintain them. They have been a tremendous help to us,” said Mrs Knowles.

She commended BGB for partnering with the association to provide ongoing upkeep and prevent weeds and outgrowth in the fields. Knowles said they have been struggling for years to secure corporate sponsorship to help maintain the field and dugouts and help with fencing.

Edwin Strachan, BGB team captain, said they were pleased to assist the YMCA.

He said they pressurewashed the tennis courts, removed overgrown bushes from the perimeter fence, cleaned the entire exterior of the building, and did some carpentry work on the dugouts and stands in the playing fields.

Mr Strachan said there has been positive feedback about the improvements at the Y.

He also said the people who have been hired are excited to be part of the BGB programme.

Mrs Johnson said they received a generous donation of 20 gallons of paint from Kelly’s Freeport last year, but it sat idle because they did not have manpower.

BGB brought in a team of 15 men to help paint the building and do other minor work around the premises. Mrs Johnson said the

YMCA caters to young people and wants to create a clean environment that will positively impact the individuals who use and visit the facility.

Sonia Knowles, president of the Legacy Baseball and Softball Association,

was impressed with BGB’s improvements to the YMCA’s playing fields. She said Grand Bahama will be hosting the baseball nationals in June this year, and the fields need extensive work to be up to par. “BGB came at the perfect

She said seating areas have been installed so parents can sit and watch the game. The dugouts damaged during Hurricane Dorian have been fixed and painted. Two additional dugouts are under construction.

“BGB has been a tremendous help for us because many kids come to the YMCA to enjoy the amenities offered here,” Knowles said.

“This programme has given some of them a second chance to get their lives together. They are learning trades and different skills. Some of them have transitioned from the programme and are working at the Ministry of Youth, Sports, and Culture, the Grand Lucayan Hotel, and other government agencies,” Ms Strachan said.

THE BEAUTIFUL Grand Bahama team helped the YMCA in Grand Bahama to improve its facilities and sporting amenities.

Jailed US Capitol rioter had been seeking to bring bibles to The Bahamas

WASHINGTON Associated Press

A MAN who has been jailed for more than two years for his part in the storming of the US Capitol has been part of a missionary trip to The Bahamas to provide free bible. Isreal Easterday was arrested in December 2022 in Miami, where his boat was docked for the planned trip.

The Kentucky man who stormed the US Capitol while carrying a Confederate battle flag was sentenced on Monday to more than two years in prison for pepper spraying two police officers in the face, partially blinding them for hours during the January 6, 2021, riot. Easterday was 19 years old when he joined a mob of Donald Trump supporters in invading the Capitol. He used pepper spray to assault two Capitol police officers who were separately guarding the East Rotunda Doors.

his actions on January 6 and is “deeply ashamed” of himself.

Chief Judge James Boasberg cited Easterday’s youth as a reason for handing down a prison term — two years and six months — that was over five times lower than the Justice Department’s initial sentencing recommendation. The judge said Easterday, now 23, who was homeschooled by his mother while living on a family farm, “may not have fully appreciated what was going on there” at the Capitol on January 6 or recognised that the Confederate flag is a “symbol of rebellion”. “January 6th was no less than an intent and an effort to replace by force who our country had voted for,” Boasberg said. “The mob was there because it hadn’t achieved what it wanted to at the ballot box.” Easterday tearfully apologised to the officers whom he assaulted. He said he accepts responsibility for

At the conclusion of the hearing, Boasberg ordered Easterday to be detained to immediately begin serving his sentence. Some of Easterday’s supporters embraced each other as he was led out of the courtroom.

“I will not let you down,” Easterday told the judge after learning his sentence. Prosecutors initially recommended sentencing Easterday to 12 years and seven months in prison.

During the hearing, a prosecutor advocated for a sentence of 11 years and three months to reflect the court’s lower calculation of sentencing guidelines.

“With the 2024 presidential election approaching and many loud voices in the media and online continuing to sow discord and distrust, the potential for a repeat of January 6 looms ominously. The Court must

sentence Easterday in a manner sufficient to deter him specifically, and others generally, from going down that road again,” prosecutors wrote in a court filing.

A jury convicted Easterday last October of nine counts, including charges that he assaulted Capitol police officers Joshua Pollitt and Miguel Acevedo with pepper spray that he acquired from other rioters.

Easterday traveled from his home in Bonnieville, Kentucky, to Washington, DC, to attend then-President Donald Trump’s “Stop the Steal” rally near the White House on January 6. A photograph captured Easterday holding a Confederate battle flag after he climbed a tree near the rally site.

After marching to the Capitol, Easterday joined other rioters in storming the East Plaza. He waved his flag as he pushed his through the mob to reach the the East Rotunda Doors, where he separately

attacked the two officers. Pollitt lost consciousness and collapsed in the mob after Easterday sprayed his unprotected face. “Once Officer Pollitt regained consciousness, he was terrified by how vulnerable he had been,” prosecutors wrote. “The intense pain and vision loss continued for hours.”

A video shows Easterday smirking just before he sprayed Acevedo. “Easterday’s smirk before deploying the second cannister, having observed the effects of his first spray against Officer Pollitt, demonstrates both his callousness towards other human beings and the enjoyment he received from engaging in violence,” prosecutors wrote. Pollitt pulled other rioters into the Capitol as he entered the building. He spent roughly 13 minutes inside the Capitol. Prosecutors described the Confederate flag as a “symbol of treason, defiance of the law, and insurrection”. Easterday’s attorneys say he has led an “extremely sheltered life” at his Amish family’s farm in rural Kentucky and didn’t fully understand what the flag signifies. “Unlike other defendants who posted messages on various social media platforms voicing their support for former President Trump and otherwise encouraging violent rhetoric, Isreal used this trip as an excuse to leave his family farm, which he never did until he was about 16 or 17 years old,” his lawyers wrote in a court filing.

Biden says US rushing weaponry to Ukraine

WASHINGTON Associated Press

PRESIDENT Joe Biden said yesterday that he was immediately rushing badly needed weaponry to Ukraine as he signed into law a $95bn war aid measure that also included assistance for Israel, Taiwan and other global hot spots. The announcement marked an end to the long, painful battle with Republicans in Congress over urgently needed assistance for Ukraine, with Biden promising that US weapons shipment would begin making the way into Ukraine “in the next few hours”.

“We rose to the moment, we came together, and we got it done,” Biden said a White House event to announce the bill signing. “Now we need to move fast, and we are.”

But significant damage has been done to the Biden administration’s effort to help Ukraine repel Russia’s invasion during the funding impasse that dates back to August, when the Democratic president made his first emergency spending request for Ukraine. Even with a burst of new weapons and ammunition, it’s unlikely Ukraine will immediately recover after months of setbacks.

Biden immediately approved sending Ukraine $1bn in military assistance, the first installment from about $61bn allocated for Ukraine. The package includes air defense capabilities, artillery rounds, armored vehicles and other weapons to shore up Ukrainian forces who have seen morale sink as Russian President Vladimir Putin has racked up win after win. Meanwhile, Ukraine for the first time has begun using long-range ballistic missiles

provided secretly by the United States, bombing a Russian military airfield in Crimea last week and Russian forces in another occupied area overnight, American officials confirmed Wednesday. The US is providing more of the Army Tactical Missile System, known as ATACMS, in the new military package, according to one official who was not authorized to comment and spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Still, longer term, it remains uncertain if Ukraine, after months of losses and massive damage to its infrastructure, can make enough progress to sustain American political support before burning through the latest influx of money.

White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan cautioned that even as new US aid flows into Ukraine, it’s possible that Russia will continue to make tactical gains in the weeks ahead.

“The fact is that it’s going to take some time for us to dig out of the hole that was created by six months of delay,” he said.

Tucked into the measure is a provision that gives TikTok’s Beijing-based parent company, ByteDance, nine months to sell it or face a nationwide prohibition in the United States. The administration and a bipartisan group of lawmakers have called the social media site a growing national security concern, which ByteDance denies.

The bill includes about $26bn in aid for Israel and about $1bn in humanitarian relief for Palestinians in Gaza as the Israel-Hamas war continues. Biden said Israel must ensure the humanitarian aid for Palestinians in bill reaches the Hamas-controlled territory “without delay”.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., delayed the aid package for months as members of his

party’s far right wing, including Reps Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia and Thomas Massie of Kentucky, threatened to move to oust him if he allowed a vote to send more assistance to Ukraine. Those threats persist.

Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, has complained that European allies have not done enough for Ukraine. While the former president stopped short of endorsing the funding package, his tone has shifted in recent days, acknowledging that Ukraine’s survival is important to the United States. Many European leaders have long been nervous that a second Trump term would mean decreased US support for Ukraine and NATO.

The European anxiety was heightened in February when Trump in a campaign speech warned NATO allies that he “would encourage” Russia to “do whatever the hell they want” to countries that don’t meet defense spending goals if he returns to the White House.

It was a key moment in the debate over Ukraine spending. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg quickly called out Trump for putting “American and European soldiers at increased risk”. But in reality, the White House maneuvering to win additional funding for Ukraine started months earlier.

Biden, the day after returning from a trip to Tel Aviv following Hamas militants’ Oct 7 attack on Israel, used a prime-time address to make his pitch for the funding.

At the time, the House was in chaos because the Republican majority had been unable to select a speaker to replace Rep Kevin McCarthy, who had been ousted weeks earlier at the urging of restive legislators on the right.

More than 100 police officers were injured during the January 6 attack. Over 1,350 people have been charged with Capitol riotrelated federal crimes. More than 800 of them have been sentenced, with roughly two-third receiving terms of imprisonment ranging from a few days to 22 years.

US DEPORTS 50 HAITIANS, ENDING PAUSE IN FLIGHTS

MIAMI Associated Press

THE Biden administration sent about 50 Haitians back to their country on Thursday, authorities said, marking the first deportation flight in several months to the Caribbean nation struggling with surging gang violence. The Homeland Security Department said in a statement that it “will continue to enforce US laws and policy throughout the Florida Straits and and the Caribbean region, as well as at the southwest border. US policy is to return noncitizens who do not establish a legal basis to remain in the United States.” Authorities didn’t offer details of the flight beyond how many deported Haitians were aboard.

Thomas Cartwright of Witness at the Border, an advocacy group that tracks flight data, said a plane left Alexandria, Louisiana, a hub for deportation operations, and arrived in Cap-Haitien, Haiti, after a stop in Miami.

Marjorie Dorsaninvil, a US citizen, said her Haitian fiancé, Gerson Joseph, called in tears from the Miami airport Thursday morning to say he was being deported on a flight to Cap-Haitien with other Haitians and some from other countries, including The Bahamas.

He promised to call when he arrived but hadn’t done so by early evening.

Joseph lived in the US more than 20 years and has a seven-year-old US citizen daughter with another woman. He had a deportation order dating from 2005 after losing an asylum bid that his attorney, Philip Issa, said was a result of poor legal representation at the time. Though Joseph wasn’t deported previously, his lawyer was seeking to have that order overturned.

Joseph was convicted of theft and burglary, and ordered to pay restitution of $270, Issa said. He has been detained since last year.

Dorsaninvil said her fiancé has “nobody” in Haiti. “It is devastating for me. We were planning a wedding and now he is gone,” she said.

More than 33,000 people fled Haiti’s capital in a span of less than two weeks as gangs pillaged homes and attacked state institutions, according to a report last month from the UN’s International Organization for Migration.

PRESIDENT Joe Biden speaks before signing a $95 billion Ukraine aid package that also includes support for Israel, Taiwan, and other allies, in the State Dining Room of the White House yesterday.

Photo: Evan Vucci/AP

Comets, Hurricanes repeat as junior soccer champions

By TENAJH SWEETING Tribune Sports Reporter tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

The junior portion of the Bahamas Association of Independent Secondary Schools Sports (BAISS) Soccer Championships is officially in the books.

Both the Queen’s College Comets and St Andrew’s International School Hurricanes repeated as the junior girls’ and boys’ champions respectively yesterday at the Roscoe AL Davies (RALD) Soccer Field.

The Hurricanes triumphed 6-5 against Windsor School in the sudden death phase of the penalty shootout. For the junior girls, the Comets prevailed over the Lady Hurricanes 4-1, thwarting their chances of taking two titles to St Andrew’s International School.

Junior Boys James Bowe, head coach of St Andrew’s, described the championship victory as fantastic.

“It feels fantastic. I have only been at the school since August. I know the boys won one last year but they lost a lot of players. We had a lot of new players this year but most of these boys are still gonna be junior age next year and hopefully we can make it a three-peat,” he said.

It was an electrifying showdown between the Hurricanes and Windsor at the RALD Soccer Field yesterday evening.

Both junior teams were hungry for the hardware but Windsor was the first to hit the back of the net in regulation.

Kaleb Holder scored the first goal for Windsor in the first half of the contest. Windsor was in charge of the game 1-0 at halftime.

The Hurricanes went scoreless until the final 10 minutes of regulation when St Andrew’s was called for a handball. Liam Bauer was successful on the penalty kick to level the score at 1-1. St Andrew’s scored once again thanks to a header

scored by Correl Davis. Shortly after, Windsor’s Aidan Goropse sank the ball to the back of the net from inside the penalty box area.

The score was locked at 2-2 but neither team was able to score a goal in the extra 10 minutes of play,

prompting the penalty shootout. “I tried to stay calm so the boys could stay calm. It was a very close game and they got an early lead. We knew we had the capacity to fight back and we did which is fantastic. We got another goal and then they closed in again.

Paris

Going to 2-2, I thought we had a chance to score a goal in extra time but, when it went down to penalties, it could have gone either way. They clearly have some outstanding players but I am very proud of all of my boys for staying calm under pressure,” he said.

The Hurricanes and Windsor both were perfect in the penalty shootout which led to the score being knotted at 5-5 after five penalties.

In the sudden death, Windsor had an opportunity to seal the deal but St Andrew’s goalkeeper Hunter Hilts thwarted their attempt.

Meanwhile, Noah Bodie stepped up during the heat of the moment and blasted the ball past Windsor’s goalie Johnathan Premock to secure the title for the Hurricanes. Bodie described the intense moment before the celebration with teammates. “It was terrible to be honest but handling it was a little bit easier because my teammates were supporting me. I stepped up to the spot and all the practice that I did just made me think that ‘ I got this’,” Bodie said. He added that it felt good to win the championship with his teammates. SEE

will become a no-fly zone to safeguard ambitious Olympic opening ceremony

The unprecedented waterborne ceremony on the River Seine running through the French capital is the stiffest single security challenge for Paris Games organisers, with crowds of more than 320,000 people expected to line the waterway.

At least one French military AWACS surveillance aircraft will police the skies during the Olympics, using its powerful radar to watch for any potential airborne threats, the French AWACS squadron’s commander previously told The Associated Press. Other military aircraft can be scrambled to intercept any non-authorised flights that enter restricted Olympic airspace.

BRAGGING RIGHTS: The Queen’s College Comets junior girls wrapped up an undefeated season with 4-1 championship win over St Andrew’s International School Hurricanes in the BAISS Soccer Championships.

Photos: Tenajh Sweeting/Tribune Staff

THE ST Andrew’s International School Hurricanes junior boys won in sudden death over Windsor School to be crowned the BAISS soccer champions.

CARIFTA medallist Lanaisha earns full ride scholarship to the University at Albany

By TENAJH SWEETING Tribune Sports Reporter tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

CARIFTA bronze medallist Lanaisha Lubin has signed a contract for a full ride scholarship for the University at Albany in Albany, New York. She basked in the moment along with her family and friends, former coaches and officials yesterday at Empire Fitness Bahamas.

The long and triple jump athlete plans to study sports medicine at the division one school. She had countless offers from other universities but spoke on what drew her to the Albany Great Danes.

“The reason that I chose Albany is because I truly bonded with the jumpers’ coach that was recruiting me. I feel like his coach style is very similar to the coach I have been training with my entire life. He is very welcoming, bubbly and reminds me of myself a bit. “The school itself is a beautiful campus and they have what I wanna study, which is sports medicine. The programme there is very good and there have been countless students that have graduated and are very successful in that area so I am sure I am gonna be good there,” Lubin said. She was grateful for the coaches, family members and friends that helped her on the journey as a field athlete.

“To my previous coaches, I just want to extend my gratitude to you all. You’re very much the foundation of my track and field career.

“Coach Ingraham who introduced me to the sport, coach Clarke, who was my first club coach, coach Riley, who’s always there and coach Sears, who was my second club coach. I just want to thank you all for pouring into me for the time that you did. I hope you all know how

important the role that you played in my life was to development and my overall achievements. “To my mother, I thank you and I hope you know how much I love and appreciate you truly. To my family, thank you for being there for me and continually pushing me and lifting me up. I appreciate you guys. To my spiritual family, thank you guys for constantly uplifting me and being there for me and pouring into me, it’s appreciated. To my peers and friends, you guys are just as important as all my coaches and my supporters,” she said. Denise Munroe emphasized the value of having a great support system in her daughter’s corner. “A team gets you this far. It is not one person and God is first. Lanaisha’s father’s presence was not here but thank God for the finance backing because I could not do it without him. Lanaisha has a supportive brother and prayer warrior sister. Thank you all coaches and BAAAs,” she said.

Jamieson Pratt, of Jumpers Inc, was first introduced to Lubin in 2019 through DTSP Wolfpack head coach Larry Clarke. He said he knew she would be something special in the upcoming years. “From the minute I noticed this girl could bounce I was like she could do some serious damage in the years to come. We were really focusing on the long jump because the triple jump was out of the question but, when we worked on it, I was like she is gonna be my first CARIFTA qualifier in the triple jump so said, so done,” he said.

Recently, Lubin won the bronze medal in the under20 girls’ triple jump event at the 51st CARIFTA Games. One year prior, she took home the silver medal at the 50th CARIFTA Games with a leap of 12.40m in the under-20 girls’ triple jump event. “Moving forward I know she is gonna do much more things for The Bahamas, for herself and for the school she is attending. I am super proud of her. She has worked endlessly for

it. I am proud of mommy Lubin, Jumpers Inc, Bahamas Speed Dynamics, and the BAAAs…I just want to wish her the best of luck and to keep pushing,” coach Pratt said.

Lubin’s final coach Daron Lightbourne, of Bahamas Speed Dynamics, said he knows that she will do well on the next step of her journey. “I want to thank her parents, coach Jamie Pratt for introducing me to Lanaisha. I am thankful to her coach prior to me for getting her to this point. I just want to congratulate her on this journey. I am looking forward to her going to the college of choice and she will do absolutely best there. She was a great athlete to work with. It was a privilege and pleasure to have her with me for this year,” coach Lightbourne said.

Drumeco Archer, president of the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations, said moments like this are what track and field are really about. “Lanaisha has proven to be an outstanding athlete

but I think that the proudest moment that we can all attest is that one can get beyond track and field and achieve excellence professionally. She has already made a declaration that she intends to become a sports medicine physician.

“I think that is just so good for our sport because it tells us that we produce more than just athletes. We produce gamechangers and people who will change this country.

“I am especially proud of Lanaisha because for every family there is also someone who will be the first. When I spoke to her father Samson, he indicated that this will be the first in his family to go off to university.

“I believe that’s a powerful message because it means that track and field has the ability to change the life of not only individuals but it’s an inspiration to the legacy of a family. This is what track and field is all about,” he said. The 17-year-old will begin her college experience this fall at the University at Albany.

COMETS, HURRICANES REPEAT AS JUNIOR SOCCER CHAMPIONS

“This feels great because a lot of people will be leaving soon so it is nice to get them one last trophy,” he said.

Junior Girls

The Comets capped off the regular season with an undefeated record so the BAISS soccer championship was just a cherry on top for the back-to-back champions.

Assistant coach Dion Peterson spoke on the talent level of the Comets’ junior girls team. “It feels good. We are humbled by our win. We have a lot of good girls and they take coaching well. It was a good win. They are hard workers. They really go out to play and represent their school,” he said.

He gave props to the Hurricanes for a good match but said the key to the win was controlling the game in the second half.

“It was a pretty good match. They are a good team. It was kind of even in both halves. We scored two goals and then they came and scored one in the first half. After that we kind of controlled the second half, stepped it up and really took control of the game,” Peterson said.

Eydan Hamilton got the Comets on the scoreboard quickly. She put the ball to the bank of the net in the 4th minute.

Isla Lightbourne got the equaliser for St Andrew’s to tie the score 1-1 at the 16th minute mark.

Four minutes later, the Comets’ Sera Maillis scored a goal to give QC a 2-1 lead going into the intermission.

The Hurricanes remained scoreless in the second half while the Comets’ Aiyanna Hernandez added two more goals to their total.

The senior girls and boys championship games will be played today at the same venue, beginning at 4pm.

LIVERPOOL, England (AP) — Jurgen Klopp’s hopes of a dream send-off were left in tatters after a 2-0 loss at Everton dealt a major blow to Liverpool’s Premier League title bid yesterday.

Goals from Jarrad Branthwaite and Dominic Calvert-Lewin at Goodison Park meant Klopp tasted a bitter defeat in his last Merseyside derby before standing down at the end of the season. “I can only apologise for today to the people. We should have done better and we didn’t and that’s why we lost,” Klopp said. The loss keeps Liverpool three points behind league leader Arsenal in second place and one ahead of defending champion Manchester City, which is in third and has two games in hand on both of its rivals. Klopp had spoken last week of needing perfection to win his second title at the club. But this was the latest setback for his team, which has lost two of its last three games in the league. While the result hurt Liverpool’s title chances, it delivered a boost to Everton’s survival bid, with the win moving Sean Dyche’s team eight points above the relegation zone. That fact seemed to be of less concern to the home fans, who were too busy

reveling in the damage caused to Liverpool’s season. “You lost the league at Goodison Park,” they chanted as the final whistle approached and the majority of the 39,000 crowd remained inside the stadium to drink in the atmosphere as the players celebrated on the field. “I’m very disappointed. We let it happen exactly the game that Everton wanted,” Klopp said. Klopp had dominated this fixture since taking over at Anfield in 2015, winning nine of the past 16 derbies before Wednesday’s match.

It was a different story on what could be his last visit to Goodison Park as an opposition manager as Everton produced a highoctane performance that Liverpool struggled to contain from the start.

Statistics showed Everton won 75% of all duels in the opening half hour.

After just six minutes, Liverpool was grateful for VAR as it escaped an early penalty when Alisson brought down Calvert-Lewin in the box and referee Andrew Madley pointed to the spot. The decision was overturned because of an offside in the build up.

Everton’s pressure was made to count when it took the lead in in the 27th. Liverpool’s defenders repeatedly failed to clear the danger from a free kick and Branthwaite’s shot squirmed through the hands of Alisson and off the post before crossing the line.

Again there was an agonising wait for a VAR check, but on this occasion there was no reprieve for Liverpool.

Luis Diaz had the chance to level before the break, but was denied by the legs of Jordan Pickford from close range.

Liverpool came out with more intent for the second half without forcing Pickford into serious action before conceding a second goal.

Again the visitors failed to deal with a set piece when Dwight McNeil swung a deep corner to the far post and Calvert-Lewin rose unmarked to head home.

Liverpool came close to pulling one back in the 69th, but Diaz’s effort came back off the post.

Manchester City plays Brighton on Thursday.

UNITED SCARE

Manchester United survived another scare — twice coming from behind to beat last-place Sheffield United 4-2.

Having been taken to the wire by second-tier Coventry in the FA Cup semifinals on Sunday, Erik

ten Hag’s team looked in danger of dropping points in its bid qualify for Europe. Sheffield United led 1-0 and then 2-1 through goals from Jayden Bogle and Ben Brereton Diaz in each half at Old Trafford. But Harry Maguire and Bruno Fernandes from the penalty spot leveled on each occasion.

Fernandes put United ahead in the 81st and and Rasmus Hojlund sealed the points four minutes later.

United is up to sixth in the standings, 13 points behind fourth-place Aston Villa.

PALACE SAFE

Crystal Palace ensured top flight safety after JeanPhilippe Mateta struck twice in a 2-0 win against Newcastle.

Palace is on 39 points — 14 clear of 18th-place Luton, which can only pick up a maximum of 37 if it wins its last four games of the season.

It was Palace’s thirdstraight win to erase fears of being relegated. Defeat saw Newcastle drop to seventh.

Bournemouth beat Wolves 1-0 at Molineux through Antoine Semenyo’s first-half strike.

STEPPING STONE: CARIFTA bronze medallist Lanaisha Lubin has signed a full ride scholarship to attend the University at Albany in New York.

EVERTON’S DOMINIC CALVERT-LEWIN, left, celebrates after scoring his side’s second goal during the English Premier League soccer match AGAINST Liverpool at the Goodison Park stadium in Liverpool yesterday.

Super

Braves beat ‘Jazz’ and the Marlins

4-3 to complete 3-game sweep

By BILL TROCCHI Associated Press

ATLANTA (AP) — Michael Harris II doubled home Ronald Acuña Jr. in the 10th inning and the Atlanta Braves edged the Miami Marlins 4-3 after blowing a two-run lead in the ninth last night to complete a three-game sweep.

A.J. Minter (4-1) struck out “Jazz” Chisholm Jr. with the bases loaded and two outs in the top of the 10th to earn the win for the Braves, who have won nine of their last 10. The Marlins had tied it in the ninth with two runs off Braves closer Raisel Iglesias, who blew his first save in eight chances this season. Luis Arraez, Bryan De La Cruz and Chisholm Jr. all singled to load the bases. Braves first baseman Matt Olson committed a fielding error on Josh Bell’s grounder that allowed two runs to score and tied the game at 3. Iglesias retired the next three batters to get out of the ninth. The Braves threatened in the ninth, but Acuña grounded into a double play with two men on to end the inning. Tanner Scott (0-4) took the loss for the Marlins, who have been swept three times this season. Braves starter Reynaldo López allowed one run and three hits in seven innings, walked two and struck out six. He has given up two runs in 25 innings for a 0.72 ERA in his first four starts with Atlanta. Harris was 3 for 5 with a run scored and the winning RBI. Marcell Ozuna went 3 for 4 with two RBIs to give him an MLB-best 29.

Sixto Sánchez, starting for the first time since 2020, gave up three runs in 2 2/3 innings for the Marlins.

Jesús Sánchez snapped a 21-inning scoreless streak for the Marlins with a 430foot home run off the roof of the Chop House in right field in the second inning.

Acuña opened the game for the Braves with a walk and stolen base, the eighth straight game he has reached base to lead off a game. He reached third on a single by Harris, then scored on a balk. Ozuna then singled home Harris for a 2-0 lead. Ozuna knocked in Olson in the third with a single after Olson doubled to right. The hit snapped an 0-for-25 stretch for Olson.

UP NEXT

Marlins: LHP Jesús Luzardo (0-2, 6.58) will open a four-game series at home against Nationals RHP Trevor Williams (2-0, 2.91) on Friday.

Braves: LHP Chris Sale (2-1, 4.38) faces LHP Logan Allen (3-0, 5.06) as the Braves host the Guardians in the opener of a threegame series Friday.

Reloaded kids training in the Dominican Republic

MIAMI Marlins’ Jasrado “Jazz” Chisholm Jr steals second base as Atlanta Braves shortstop Orlando Arcia handles the late throw in the fourth inning of a baseball game yesterday in Atlanta. (AP Photos/John Bazemore)

MARLINS’ Jasrado “Jazz” Chisholm Jr is tagged out by Atlanta Braves catcher Chadwick Tromp (45) as he tries to score on a Tim Anderson ground ball in the ninth inning of a baseball game yesterday in Atlanta.

Gilgeous-Alexander’s 33 points lead Thunder past Pelicans 124-92, OKC takes 2-0 lead

By CLIFF BRUNT AP Sports Writer

OKLAHOMA CITY

(AP) — Shai GilgeousAlexander scored 33 points and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the New Orleans Pelicans 124-92 last night to take a 2-0 lead in their first-round Western Conference playoff series.

Chet Holmgren had 26 points and seven rebounds and Jalen Williams added 21 points for the top-seeded Thunder, who shot 59%

to help the Thunder take a 35-22 lead. Holmgren’s 15 points were the most by a Thunder rookie in any quarter of a playoff game. Oklahoma City led 63-50 at halftime. Holmgren scored 20 points and Gilgeous-Alexander added 16 before the break.

The Thunder extended their lead to 92-74 at the end of the third, and GilgeousAlexander and Holmgren went to the bench for good with the Thunder leading 120-86 in the fourth.

By JIMMY GOLEN AP Sports Writer

BOSTON (AP) — The Miami Heat beat Boston with an unprecedented barrage of 3-pointers last night to erase the homecourt advantage the Celtics worked all season to establish.

Tyler Herro had 24 points and 14 assists, hitting six of Miami’s 23 3-pointers — the most in a playoff game in franchise history — to lead the Heat to a 111-101 victory over top-seeded Boston and tie the firstround playoff series at one game apiece. “It was a very good response,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “And then we also made some shots. It always looks better when you make shots.”

Bam Adebayo had 21 points and 10 rebounds, and new Celtics nemesis Caleb Martin also had 21 points for the Heat, who shot 53.5% (23 of 43) from beyond the arc to bounce back after a Game 1 blowout. That broke Miami’s playoff record of 20 3-pointers, set against the Bucks in the 2021 first round. “They obviously made a conscious effort to have free reign to shoot more,” Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said. And shoot and shoot and shoot. Playing their third straight game without playoff stalwart Jimmy Butler, who was injured in the opening play-in game, Miami shot better than 50% from 3-point range in each

of the first three quarters (and a still productive 4 of 10 in the fourth).

After Boston cut an 11-point lead to six, 102-96, with 3:16 to play, Martin hit a 3 and Boston never got as close as two possessions again. “You have to take ‘em, based on how they were playing us the first two games,” said Spoelstra, who saw Boston hit 22 3-pointers to Miami’s 12 in the opener. “I did not want to get annihilated in that department like we did the game before.” Jaylen Brown scored 33 points for Boston. Jayson Tatum scored 28, showing no ill-effects of Martin’s hard foul that sent him crashing to the floor with under a minute to play in Boston’s 114-94 victory on Sunday.

Tatum got up off the parquet floor. But so did Miami. “It seemed we couldn’t get them to miss,” Brown said. “They had a record-breaking night. ... They made a lot of shots that usually we’re comfortable with.” The series moves to Miami for Games 3 and 4 on Saturday and Monday. “It’s always a good thing if you can get one on the road,” Martin said. “You always look to try to steal one. We were able to do that.”

The Celtics won 64 games in the regular season to claim home-court advantage through the NBA Finals, but they didn’t make very good use of it on Wednesday despite a crowd

that was still fired up over seeing their star land hard in the series opener.

Tatum had his first career playoff triple-double on Sunday, scoring 23 points with 10 rebounds and 10 assists in game in which Boston led by as many as 34 points in the fourth quarter. But the big question was how he would bounce back after getting undercut by Martin while going after a rebound.

Tatum started Game 2 and had 14 points in the first quarter. And Martin was heartily booed every time he touched the ball.

It only seemed to energize him and the Heat, who needed to win a play-in game to earn the right to face the Celtics.

“He’s a competitor. He’s the ultimate X factor,” Spoelstra said. “He’s the X factor of X factors.”

Miami led by five, 55-50, with two minutes left in the first half before Brown hit three straight 3-pointers to open a four-point lead. Brown missed a 3 the next time down, but his layup in the final seconds made it 61-58 at the half.

Miami went on a 10-0 run to take an 82-70 lead with under four minutes to play in the third before the Celtics cut it to six.

“We knew it wasn’t going to be easy,” Tatum said. “There’s a lot of history between these two franchises, especially recently. ... It’s never going to go exactly as people expect it to go and that’s the beauty of it.”

Regatta time again!

“Every little detail costs money, everything that makes the regatta spectacular is an expense. So, we are grateful for Caribbean Bottling Company and Goombay Punch who have been long, long term supporters of the regatta,” he expressed. “We would not be able to carry out nearly as much as we do each year without private sponsorship.

CARIBBEAN Bottling Company (CBC), local producers of Coca-Cola and Dasani products and longtime corporate supporter of the National Family Island (NFI) Regatta, looks forward to another year of stiff competition and culture at the 68th NFI Regatta April 23-27 in George Town, Exuma. The week-long event is anticipated to be filled with great excitement as thousands of Bahamians and visitors enjoy the stunning sights of Elizabeth Harbour. In addition to the natural beauty, regatta goers will also be able to submerge themselves in Bahamian culture. From vendors selling mouthwatering local dishes to live musicians, there will be no room for boredom on the regatta ground. Dallas Knowles, the NFI regatta commodore, spoke to the cultural relevance this and many regattas have on The Bahamas. “It’s an amazing blend of sports and culture. Particularly, with sloop sailing, it gives a look into the past - with sailormen racing on their off days and the style and quality in which they built their boats. The way the boats are crafted and the materials used to build them, something many do not practice anymore around the world, makes this aspect of our culture very unique,” Knowles said. “The history of sailing and what our regattas have evolved into today, is something very special and something we take pride in preserving,” he concluded. A preservation that is upheld through the organisers, visitors, sailors and, most importantly, corporate Bahamas, Knowles said.

We really appreciate Caribbean Bottling Company and Goombay Punch’s support over the years which has allowed us to host a beautiful event.” Knowles concluded.

This years’ NFI regatta will be the first one since the government declared sailing as the official sport of The Bahamas.

While many sailors are thrilled to finally have sailing recognised as the national sport, this

recognition is not new to CBC and Goombay Punch. For many years CBC and Coca-Cola has supported and sponsored the NFI regatta and various regattas throughout the country.

In 2022, CBC took their support for sailing up a notch with the introduction of the Annual Goombay Punch Cup competition as a way to highlight sailing’s cultural significance. The competition, which awards $5,000.00 dollars

to the overall top sailor across the Best of the Best Regatta, National Family Island Regatta and Long Island Regatta, is a testament to their corporate dedication to supporting local culture.

Through the prize money, CBC and Goombay Punch can directly impact the winning sloop by offering financial relief.

Chester Fox, Long Island regatta and Best of the Best regatta commodore, said the decision to make sailing the national sport was a boost and raised their ambitions to do more.

“Now that sailing is the official sport, we look forward to hopefully increasing our fundraising, but we are mostly focused on getting sailing into the schools,” he concluded.

Aside from the cultural significance of sailing, which Fox describes as “an integral part of our society” and “a look into our past way of life”, sailing is also important because of the impact it has on the youth.

“And, of course, we are always on the look out to support the next Bahamian sailing Olympian,” Fox said.

A goal CBC endorses, by providing an eight-thousand dollar stipend to the junior sailing club of the Goombay Punch Cup winner’s island.

As sailors and regatta enthusiasts gear up to head to Exuma this week, Knowles encourages people who are interested in sailing to speak to their local island administrators about sailing programmes.

For those living in New Providence, he suggests visiting the Bahamas National Sailing School for classes.

To learn more about the upcoming National Family Island Regatta and all things sailing, visit their website at www.nationalfamilyislandregatta.com

“We are really striving and focused on getting sailing programmes, if not in all the schools, at least a junior sailing programme on every island. Sailing is a great activity of clean fun that guides and gives young people a purpose to focus on.

Photos by Patrick Hanna/BIS

MP Leon Lundy: We have plans to open up the gym for summer PARIS WILL BECOME A NO-FLY

THE construction of the South Andros multipurpose gymnasium has been in the works for almost a decade and now, with the facility only needing some finishing touches, it can be fully operational by June 6, according to MP for Mangrove Cay, South Andros and Central Andros Leon Lundy.

The state-of-the-art venue was recently utilised to host the Bahamas Basketball Federation (BBF) Round Robin Tournament over the weekend in South Andros. It was the first major national event to get underway at the newly built gymnasium and second sporting event to take place at the facility.

The Danny Pratt Invitational Basketball Tournament christened the venue in October last year.

“This is the second event we had. The organisation was a lot better this time around and we were testing it out again to see whether or not we could host a major event.

“We hosted a high school event in October last year and this one here was [to see] whether we could get on that national level. I could tell you we have plans to open up the gym earlier in the summer. We have a date tentatively set for June 6,” Lundy said. The Minister of State in the Office of the Prime

Minister (OPM) believes that the venue can provide a major economic boost for the community in South Andros which was seen over the weekend due to the BBF Nationals.

“Economically, this will be a major boost for us. As you can see, with these two events everywhere was sold out, we didn’t have rental cars and I had to come through Mangrove Cay because all the flights were sold out. “It will definitely be a boost and anything

that injects anything economically into the Family Islands is much needed,” he said. As for development, the MP for Mangrove Cay, South Andros and Central Andros is hoping to host clinics for the youth to aid in preparing them for the big stage.

“Being here at this tournament I had one of our coaches come up to me who wants to do a programme for some of the young primary school students in the

area. “We are about to host some clinics. It is all about getting them ready for the world out there and showing them that they have facilities to train on to be ready for that world-class stage,” Lundy said. When the construction of the South Andros Gymnasium was in its initial phases, the plan was to use the facility for the various sporting disciplines and as a hurricane shelter for the island. “We are gonna make sure that we

are ready for this hurricane season and this building could be used in the event.

“Hopefully, God spares us and we don’t have a storm but, in the event that we have one, we will be ready for that time.

“There are just some small tweaks that we need to do and we will be ready for it. The parking lot needs to get finished but inside we just need to make sure that the offices have furniture and everything else,” he said.

ZONE

Separately, de Romanet said there’s still a “very, very high” probability that small electric-powered airborne taxis will be trialled with passengers over Paris during the July 26-Aug. 11 Games, which he said would be a world first.

But European air-certification authorities might initially only allow the taxis to fly passengers on an experimental basis, not commercially, he added.

“We have high hopes that we will be able to carry passengers experimentally which will pave the way, over Paris, for the first flight in the world of an electrical vertical take-off aircraft,” he said.

Multiple companies are developing electrically powered aircraft that take off and land vertically.

Some have already flown demonstration flights, in a race to turn their promises of environmentally friendly air transport into a commercially viable reality.

De Romanet insisted that the aircraft are safe, saying: “I am ready to climb aboard.”

Critics worry that taxis zipping through the airs of Paris will be a noisy and potentially dangerous nuisance and affordable only by the wealthy. The Socialist mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, is among opponents of proposals to trial them on a few Paris-region routes during the Games.

BRAND NEW: The newly constructed multipurpose South Andros Gymnasium. INSET: Leon Lundy. MP for Mangrove Cay, South Andros and Central Andros, speaks. He says the facility only needs some finishing touches and can be fully operational by June 6.