07242024 NEWS AND SPORT

The Tribune

‘TIME T O CHANGE

OUR DIVORCE LAWS’

Senator: ‘No-fault’ clause for end of marriages can help take out contention

By JADE RUSSELL

Tribune Staff

Reporter

jrussell@tribunemedia.net

FREE National Movement Senator Michela Barnett-Ellis said it is time to amend the Matrimonial Causes Act to permit “nofault” divorces. “Divorces are a breakdown of a marriage,” she said. “Both parties contribute to the breakdown

in some sort of way, so the move to no-fault divorces takes that angst and contention out.

Senator Barnett-Ellis, who called for reform in the Senate on Monday, added that couples experiencing a divorce deal with emotional turmoil, but a no-fault ground would make the process less dreadful.

BNT: PROT EC T A ND PRESERVE T HE VALUE OF AT HOL ISLA ND

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter

dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

THE Bahamas National Trust is concerned about possible development projects on Athol Island. The BNT said the island and its surrounding waters hold significant “ecological and historical” value that should be preserved and protected. “The BNT has noted with great concern recent media reports about development taking place on Athol Island,” the BNT said in a statement yesterday. “The BNT, along with many others, is eager for clarity regarding the future of this barrier island, which plays

PMH morgue employees continue sick-out protest over diesel spill

By KEILE CAMPBELL Tribune Staff Reporter kcampbell@tribunemedia.net

ALMOST a week has passed since Princess Margaret Hospital’s morgue employees began their

By KEILE CAMPBELL Tribune Staff Reporter kcampbell@tribunemedia.net

sick-out protest, calling on the government to address a diesel spill affecting them.

Bahamas Allied Health Care Workers Union (BAHCWU) president Krista Burrows-Campbel said during a press

PUBLIC Disclosure Commission chairman Bishop Victor Cooper wrongly claimed the commission cannot gazette information about the financial declarations parliamentarians must make. In its latest investment climate

report on The

conference that the issue affects the hospital’s staff generally, not just the ten morgue workers. She said people have experienced headaches and

Bahamas, the United States noted that the Public Disclosure Commission has failed for the past 13 years to meet its legal obligation to gazette reports concerning legislators’ declaration of assets, income and liabilities. The US noted that the most recently gazetted report was from December

By NEIL HARTNELL

CUSTOMS’ top official yesterday conceded not all officers were initially “on the same page” over newlyimplemented aviation fee increases which may not be “a shut case”. Ralph Munroe, the Customs comptroller, told Tribune Business that the agency has swiftly tackled the “different treatment” that some pilots and operators have encountered at separate ports of entry over fee rises implemented on July 1, 2024. FULL STORY - SEE BUSINESS

PUBLIC Disclosure Commission chairman Bishop Victor Cooper.

THE Bahamas Hotel Catering and Allied Workers Union signed a four-year industrial agreement with Club Med Columbus Isle yesterday to help over 180 union members. See PAGE FIVE for story. Photo: Dante Carrer/Tribune Staff

Betty Major and Max

READERS have been hearing our call to join in our Love Ya Dog campaign.

Pictured is Mrs Betty Major, who said she would love to share a photo of her dog Max so it can be a part of the Love Ya Dog campaign.

The campaign encourages dog owners to take care of their pets - and we are calling on readers to join in. We want to encourage those who do treat their pets well to show them off - and by doing so letting others see a better way to treat their pets.

CARE TIP: When you take your dog to the beach, remember to bring water for him too, not just yourself, and a bowl for him to drink out of, keep the water cool like yours. Remember the sand gets very hot and he has no protection.

with your dogs to loveyadog@tribunemedia.net to join the campaign and show that you Love Ya Dog.

‘Time to change our divorce laws’

from page one

Currently, people in The Bahamas can only get a divorce if their spouse has committed adultery, has been cruel, if the two have lived separately for five years, if one has deserted the other for two years or if a spouse has been found guilty of a homosexual act, sodomy or bestiality.

The United States, Australia, Canada, China, Germany, Malta, Mexico, Russia, Spain and Sweden are among the countries that permit no-fault divorces. The Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act 2020 amended the United Kingdom’s Matrimonial Causes Act 1973 and the Civil Partnership Act 2004 to remove fault-based concepts from UK divorce proceedings.

After the amendments went into force in 2022, the UK’s government said on its website: “It ends completely the need for separating couples to apportion blame for the breakdown of their marriage, helping them to instead focus on key practical decisions involving children or their finances and look to the future.” Free National Movement leader Michal Pintard said he supports amending the law to permit no-fault divorces, adding there have been a limited number of options for people seeking a divorce. He said his party had not yet discussed the matter, but he is confident it would quickly do so and give its position.

He had previously supported no-fault divorces in the House of Assembly in November, 2022.

However, earlier that year, he described the current divorce grounds as “solid” and said there are “people who are leaving people for very frivolous reasons”.

BNT: Protect and preserve the value of Athol Island

from page one

a crucial role in protecting northeastern New Providence from storm surges.”

The Department of Environmental Planning and Protection gave Andrew Hanna a certificate of environmental clearance to construct a wooden dock at Athol Island. It is not clear whether any other works have been approved.

St Anne’s MP Adrian White has repeatedly raised concerns about development projects on the marine protected area. The BNT said it has advocated for protected Athol Island since 1982 for its protection since 1982 and, in 2022, restated its recommendation that the island be protected and managed as a national park.

The BNT said while the island is only two miles long, it is biodiverse. Its terrestrial habitats cater to various species of birds and reptiles. Its marine environment comprises seagrass beds, patch reefs, and underwater habitats that support

stony and soft coral, fish, and invertebrates.

The BNT said Athol Island and the other areas have not been assigned to any protected area management agency, with no legal entity responsible for their management.

“Amid these new concerns, BNT stands by its recommendation that Athol Island warrants protection and active management as a national park,” it said.

The organisation believes the island provides recreational opportunities for New Providence residents, who have expressed concerns regarding the loss of public access to shoreline areas.

“We envision a national park that is accessible to all, with trails, signage and mooring buoys, allowing people to appreciate and learn about the island’s significance,” the BNT said.

“We implore the government to address these public concerns and consider Athol Island’s historical, ecological, and economic importance in the growing eco-tourism market.”

Family and friends of missing American Taylor Casey raise $32k

By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter

ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

FRIENDS and relatives of Taylor Casey, an American woman who went missing in The Bahamas, have raised $32,000 through crowdfunding as they try to find the 42-year-old.

The donations will help them secure an attorney and legal team, support mental health, and pay for additional trips to New Providence and Washington, DC.

Ms Casey’s disappearance was discovered on June 20 when she did not attend morning classes at the Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreat. She was last seen at the retreat late on the evening of June 19.

Her friends and relatives have criticised the investigation into her disappearance. The company behind the retreat have dismissed their claims as “false and defamatory and not based on facts.”

ST Anne’s MP Adrian White expresses concerns over ongoing construction at Athol Island during a sitting of the House of Assembly on July 8, 2024.

Photo: Dante Carrer/Tribune Staff

SENATOR MICHELA BARNETT-ELLIS

PMH morgue employees continue sick-out protest over diesel spill

from page one

nausea, with some seeking medical attention.

“We are actually here to say we cannot work in those conditions because our health and safety are paramount; they come first, and it is not safe for our staff to be in that kind of environment,” she said, sitting next to Obie Ferguson, president of the Trade Union Congress. She said the situation has prevented families from collecting their loved ones. She said 28 bodies should be released, but the diesel spill has prevented this.

She said the hospital’s managers are not taking the matter seriously. She also complained that the morgue is over capacity. She said it should not have more than 80 bodies but has over 200.

“We need to get things going so we can get people out so they can get their

loved ones buried,” she said.

She said her efforts to discuss the matter with Health Minister Dr Michael Darville have failed.

“Everyone says he’s so easy to come by. I don’t find it so, but I would love to have a sit down with him,” she said. She said the diesel spill happened last Wednesday, but when she asked how it would be addressed, officials said they were waiting to receive the chemicals needed to neutralize the scent. She said she was told it would be addressed over the weekend, but it wasn’t.

Last week, the Public Hospitals Authority said a strong diesel odour prompted an investigation, which revealed a leaking pipeline as the source. The PHA said the affected area was isolated, and remedial work, including cleaning, was done.

Cooper ‘can’t gazette’, law says he can

from page one

2011, and “it contained information on disclosures only up to 2008”.

Bishop Cooper said he did not read the US report, adding:

“We complete our reports. We aren’t empowered to put them in a gazette. That is something the prime minister, you know, the opposition they are responsible for that.”

“Whatever we do, we gotta go through the Office of the Prime Minister, and once that is approved, we will go forward.”

In fact, Section 6(2) of the Public Disclosure Act says that after the commission has examined parliamentarians’ declarations, “it shall publish a summary of that declaration in the Gazette in the form prescribed by Form B in the Second Schedule”.

That form requests information about a declarant’s spouse, children, particulars of bonds, stocks, shares and similar investments that officials may hold and their annual income.

The law does not empower the commission to disclose who has failed to declare. The commission can report this to the prime minister and the leader of the opposition,

either of whom can have the information disclosed in the House of Assembly or the Senate or be sent to the attorney general or commissioner of police for further action.

Parliamentarians and senior public officials must submit their financial declarations to the commission by March 1. Keishla Adderley, the press secretary in the Office of the Prime Minister, said earlier this year that the commission extended the deadline to March 31.

In April, Bishop Cooper said 90 per cent of parliamentarians had filed by March 1. He said many senators and senior civil servants failed to declare last year.

The penalty for not disclosing is a $10,000 fine and/or up to two years in prison.

Bishop Cooper said he “feverishly” hopes to see changes in the commission’s operations.

“What is happening now, we have made a report, we’ve made some request to work on the commission as it is, and so we have to wait again for the approval, and it’s a parliamentary thing, you know, they have to draft the right paper, and that has to go through Parliament for their approval, and then some things will happen,” he said.

PRINCESS MARGARET HOSPITAL

PUBLIC Disclosure Commission chairman Bishop Victor Cooper

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Running mate a major test for Harris

Vice P resident Kamala Harris is zeroing in on four potential candidates as she races to choose a running mate for her fledgling campaign, fasttracking a process that usually takes months but must be finalized in only a few weeks.

E ric Holder, the former U. S . attorney general, and a team of lawyers at his firm Covington & Burling are taking the lead on vetting potential choices, according to two people with knowledge of the matter who requested anonymity because the process is being closely held.

T he political conversation has centered on an assortment of white men — Arizona S en. Mark Kelly, P ennsylvania Gov. Josh S hapiro, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper — who would provide demographic balance for the first major party ticket that would be topped by a woman of color. T hree of them are from battleground states. T he list of possibilities could expand or shift. But Harris, who has locked up the delegates she will need to be the Democratic nominee, hopes to finish the process in time for delegates to also vote on her running mate when they hold a virtual roll call vote in the first few days of August, ahead of the Democratic National Convention. T he goal, according to one of the people with knowledge of the matter, is to keep the process drama-free, as Harris and Democrats try to project confidence after an extraordinarily tumultuous few weeks for the party.

Choosing a vice president is among the first major tests for Harris, and few people know the importance of the choice better than her. Four years ago, after Harris’ own presidential campaign imploded, Joe Biden revived her political career by selecting her as his running mate.

Now that Biden has abruptly ended his bid for a second term less than four months before E lection Day, Harris has swiftly established herself as his successor with the help of the president’s endorsement. I f Democrats formally nominate Harris, she would face off with Republican candidate Donald Trump in a race that’s viewed by both parties as an existential battle over the country’s future.

California S en. Laphonza Butler, a longtime Harris ally, said the vice president views the choice as an “urgent but deliberate decision,” and said Harris’ own experience as a running mate would be a “grounding force.” Harris has seen “the importance of the working relationship, the trust, the energy and connection, as well as the shared values,” Butler said.

P aul Begala, a longtime Democratic strategist, said Harris is lucky that the party has the “best bench I ’ve ever seen in my entire career,” providing an array of options for running mates. He said there should only be one consideration for the choice.

“Forget the electoral college. Forget the polls,” Begala said. “ P ick the person that, if something happens, they can step into the job.” Begala recalled disagreeing with Bill Clinton’s choice of Al Gore as vice president in 1992, arguing that the decision did nothing to expand the appeal of the ticket by pairing one moderate white man from a southern state with another.

Clinton rejected the advice, Begala said, by saying “ I might die.” T he message was clear — Clinton thought that Gore could do the job if necessary and voters needed that assurance.

Dan P feiffer, a former adviser to P resident Barack Obama, said John McCain fumbled that test when he chose S arah P alin, an inexperienced

Alaska governor, in 2008.

I know it’s cliche, but the most important thing by far is the readiness test,” P feiffer said. “ I t’s table stakes.”

Nine vice presidents have unexpectedly ascended to the presidency in American history. E ight of them did so after the president died from illness or assassination. Only one, Gerald Ford, became president because of a resignation, when Richard Nixon stepped down over the Watergate scandal in 1974.

T he role of vice president, and the process for choosing a running mate, has evolved since the country’s founding. Originally they were chosen not by the presidential candidates themselves but by convention delegates, usually in a deal intended to unify the party along geographic or ideological lines after a fractious primary.

“ I t often meant that the ticket consisted of two people who had different views on important issues,” said Joel Goldstein, a vice presidential historian. Goldstein said that began to change in 1940, when Franklin Delano Roosevelt demanded to choose his own running mate before he agreed to run for a third term.

One of the vice president’s only constitutional duties is to preside over the S enate. But that role has become largely ceremonial except for the occasional tie breaking vote, and vice presidents more commonly serve as a top adviser, troubleshooter and emissary for the president.

T he consequences of the choice are greater because the expectation is that the vice president is going to be in the room and do consequential things,” Goldstein said. “You can’t dismiss him or her as easily as in the old days.”

Trump chose his running mate, Ohio S en. JD Vance, at the start of the recent Republican convention.

Vance is 39 years old, providing a jolt of youth to a ticket led by a 78-year-old man. A former venture capitalist who wrote a bestselling memoir, he’s served just two years in the S enate.

Democrats swiftly criticized Vance as an extremist because of his support for strict abortion limits and for Trump’s efforts to overturn his election loss in 2020.

Harris appears likely to choose a more moderate running mate, which could counterbalance her reputation as a liberal from California.

A few of the potential choices are, like Harris, former state attorneys general.

Beshear, the Kentucky governor, gained national recognition by beating Trump-endorsed Republicans in a red state. T he son of a former governor, he’s backed abortion rights and distinguished himself as an adept political communicator.

S hapiro has been a key advocate for Biden, and he’s governor of the key battleground state of P ennsylvania. He would be the first Jewish person elected to the role of vice president.

Mark Kelly, a senator from Arizona, is a former astronaut and military pilot. He’s also the husband of Gabby Giffords, the former Democratic representative who was grievously wounded in a 2011 shooting.

Cooper is a longtime North Carolina politician who has won six statewide elections. He’s finishing his second term as governor, and he successfully worked with Republicans to expand Medicaid access under the Affordable Care Act.

By CHRIS MEGERIAN and ZEKE MILLER Associated Press

PICTURE OF THE DAY

Study more before we legalise

EDITOR, The Tribune.

DESPITE my ageless and youthful looks, I have been around the blocks a few times. Some detractors and scoffers often try to ridicule me or many of my economic and political stances. In public life that is how it should be. The recently passed Cannabis Bill in the House of Assembly will, I predict come back to haunt this wonderful nation in the pursuit of elusive economic gains. This position which I am going to lay out has absolutely nothing to do with pure politics or a criticism of this enlightened Davis administration.

At the outset, please allow me to state for the record that for a period in my adult life I regularly “smoked” marijuana. If I recall correctly, I would have been in my early 20s when I first started to indulge on a regular basis, even though I had been “exposed” to cannabis from my high school days in Mandeville, Jamaica. Getting “high” was mostly a pleasant exercise, but I always had a problem with the pungent and noticeable scent of the burning bush. What were the effects on me getting “high”?

Ordinarily, I would develop a craving for snacks such as cashews or chocolates. Liquor was and never has been my forte so there was no combination of the two. While my sexual drive, on a personal level, has remain consistent, when I smoked there was a noticeable decline in the same and all I wanted was to ingest the weed; relax or simply meditate. In fact, back in those days, some of my “best” ideas were conceptualised and brought into manifestation. I was never aggressive or violent and never smoked with others or in public.

Apart from the above, marijuana was never my thing, so to speak. After deep consideration, I came to the conclusion that mind altering narcotics or drugs were simply not for me and I went cold turkey. Yes, there were withdrawal symptoms and a degree of discomfort and anxiety for a few days, but in short order the addictive cravings would have totally disappeared.

What are the benefits

and what are the known disadvantages from ingesting marijuana in plant/ weed form? Apart from the above wherein I described the effects on me, the chronic ingesting of marijuana, based on extensive medical and mental research by City University of New York and elite institutions like Columbia and Harvard universities (which are readily available online) it has been found that; the healing has a tendency to reduce the size of a male’s testicles; reduce fertility and sperm count; promote mental illness and physiological disorder to the point where one could ‘see’ and ‘hear’ things that do not exist; the communal smoking could cause unwanted events with law enforcement and, of course, possession and distribution of the same is still criminalised offences.

Many of the crimes which are being perpetuated, according to statistics provided by The Royal Bahamas Police Force, are fueled by the consumption and mingling of marijuana and alcoholic beverages... a potentially deadly cocktail. One’s reflexes while driving or operating machinery have also been shown to be drastically affected. Traffic accidents could result in fatalities and damage or destruction of property and material things. This is not even considering that it has also been shown that a large percentage of the motor vehicles on our streets are not insured. Who will grow the essential marijuana plant and where will land be obtained on which to grow the same? Crown Land, when ordinary deserving and funded Bahamians, traditionally, have been placed “in the Civil Service dance” and are unable to access the smallest of plots. How many licenses or permits to cultivate the plants be issued and what will be the qualifications? How will it be packaged and marketed, in food stores; service stations and drug stores? Who will determine the wholesale and retail prices? What type

grades of marijuana will be available to sale to the public and who will ensure quality control? There are lots of other questions that remain unanswered in the head long rush to legalise and regulate what some say will be an economic boasting industry. I am of the opinion that additional and more intensive medical studies be done and that more town hall styled meetings must be held with the wider public. We should not simply leave it to the legislators and their functionaries to simply shove this bill down our throats or up in our noses. The Bill itself should be referred to a joint parliamentary committee where, hopefully, it will die a natural death while going up in smoke, literally. Yes, there are medical benefits but for what type ailments will the proverbial “healing” be prescribed for and which medical doctor will be “allowed” to write the same?

There is an allurement about marijuana, almost akin to the forbidden fruit. Shelve the Cannabis Bill and allow additional studies. Some say that marijuana is a way of them worshipping God. I beg to differ. In my view one must always worship God while sober and having one’s wits about him/ her. Cocaine has medical values also but do you see any legislator running and beating the doors down to decriminalise cocaine or to allow its usage for worship purposes. We have more than enough societal fires to be dampened. Do we need or want more when we witness the marijuana zombies and potential criminals creeping out of the wood work? Lucifer, the #1 Adversary, has one all encompassing goal in mind: the absolute and total destruction of individuals, especially the males of the species and then the traditional family unit. Marijuana, even though made by God, like everything else has its good; bad and ugly. Which one will emerge at the end of the day? To God then, in all things, be the glory.

ORTLAND H BODIE, Jr Nassau, July 23, 2024.

A LIONFISH patrols a coral reef.

Photo: Francesco Ungaro

A guide to Bahamian words and phrases published

by teen

By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

NICO Miller, 19, spent about three hours a day for two months working on a book he has published: “The Bahamian Dictionary: A Guide to Bahamian Words and Phrases.”

The Mississippi State University student, who graduated as valedictorian from Kingsway Academy, is preparing to enter his sophomore year. He studies mechanical engineering.

But cultural preservation, he said, is something he is passionate about, so he wrote a book to bridge the gap between Bahamians and those unfamiliar with their vocabulary.

The book references many popular Bahamian words and phrases, such as muddasick (”used to express any strong feeling”), boongie (”a person’s buttocks or rear end”), and carry ya c***y (”used to tell someone to go away; a general insult”).

One hundred and thirty words are featured.

Mr Miller also plans to build a website similar to Urban Dictionary or dictionary.com, allowing users to change or add definitions.

“I just thought that it was something we needed because there were no real log or history book of our culture regarding the way we speak and also because at Mississippi, I had people who I’d talk to, my friends, and some of the words I’d say they wouldn’t understand so I wanted a resource I could just hand to them and they could see some Bahamian words,” he said yesterday.

“At first, I wrote down a collection of Bahamian words I remembered and I figured out a format of how I’d write them in the book and as I kept writing them and talking to other people, I kept getting ideas for other words and things we say so I added them to the book and just alphabetized it.”

“Some words were really simple, like words that everybody can agree on the definition for, but in other words, I had to consult some Bahamian friends to get a concrete definition.”

Mr Miller’s book is available through Amazon.

Two men charged with stealing woman’s car at gunpoint

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter

pbailey@tribunemedia.net

TWO men were remanded after they were

accused of stealing a woman’s car at gunpoint in New Providence earlier this month.

Chief Magistrate Roberto Reckley arraigned

Gregory Davis, aka Gregory Sweeting, 35, and Victor Johnson, aka Victor Thompson, 47, for armed robbery. The pair, while armed

with a firearm, are accused of robbing Tierra Higgs of her silver coloured 2013 Nissan March valued at $6,700 and her black Anabelle purse containing $41 cash on July 11. They were both informed that their matter would be transferred to the Supreme Court by a voluntary bill of indictment (VBI).

The accused will be remanded to the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services until their VBIs are served on November 21.

BIMINI MAN ACCUSED OF STRING OF BURGLARIES M AN CHARGED FOR HAVING UNLICENCED FIREARM

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net

A BIMINI man was remanded yesterday after he was accused of a string of home burglaries and attacking a police officer on a Family Island.

Magistrate Algernon Allen, Jr, arraigned Gavargo Saunders, 32, on two counts of burglary, assaulting a police officer, resisting arrest, trespassing, unlawfully carrying arms and two counts of possession of dangerous drugs.

Chief Magistrate Roberto Reckley arraigned Saunders’ associate, Shantron Sands, 36, with harbouring a criminal. Saunders is accused of breaking into the residence of Henry Tellez in Bimini Bay on June 20.

He also allegedly broke into the residence of Paulita Ellis-Lyden in Bimini Bay Villas on July 15. Saunders is accused of trespassing on Phil Jay Lewis’s vessel at slip #19 at Bimini Big Game on July 5. Finally, on July 16, Saunders was allegedly found carrying a knife and a quantity of marijuana and cocaine on King’s Highway, North Bimini. He is also accused of resisting arrest by Constable 4277 Young and assaulting Sergeant 3705 Thompson. Sands is also accused of helping Saunders avoid lawful arrest, knowing him to be a burglary suspect, between June 24 and July 16 in Bimini. Saunders was not required to enter a plea for the burglary charges. While he entered a not guilty plea

for the remaining charges, he was told the burglary charges would be moved to the Supreme Court by a voluntary bill of indictment (VBI).

Saunders was remanded to the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services until he returns to court on September 23 and 24, when his lower court trials will be transferred to Bimini. His VBI will be served on October 10.

Meanwhile, Sands pleaded not guilty to his charge, and the prosecution raised no objection to his bail.

Sands’ bail was set at $3,500 with one or two sureties. He must sign in at the Alice Town Police Station every Friday by 6pm.

Sands will return to court on September 27 in Bimini. Stanley Rolle represented the accused.

FOUR MEN CHARGED OVER LARGE QUANTITY OF DRUGS

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net

FOUR men were granted bail after they were accused of having $15,500 worth of marijuana and a large quantity of marijuana plants last week.

Senior Magistrate Raquel Whyms arraigned Ryan Greene, 52, Braxton Thompson, 19, Dinari

Brown, 18, and Daymon Brown, 50, on two counts of possession of dangerous drugs with intent to supply and cultivation of dangerous drugs. The defendants were allegedly arrested at a multi-complex residence off Infant View Road after police found 15lbs of marijuana and 21 cultivated cannabis plants on the premises at 2pm on July 18.

The defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The youngest defendant’s bail was set at $9,900 with one or two sureties. The remaining defendants bail was each set at $17,500 with one or three sureties.

All four defendants must sign in at the Nassau Street Police Station every Friday by 6pm. Their trial is scheduled to begin on September 24.

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net

A MAN was granted

$6,500 bail after he was accused of having a gun in his car on East Street last Friday.

Magistrate Lennox Coleby charged Mario Lockhart, 35, with possession of an unlicensed firearm. Lockhart was allegedly found with a silver and black coloured FNS-9 9mm pistol when authorities

stopped his white Nissan Versa around 2pm on July 19.

After pleading not guilty, Lockhart was informed that his trial would begin on August 22. Donna Major represented the accused.

19-year-old Nico Miller, author of The Bahamian Dictionary: A Guide to Bahamian Words and Phrases.

Reading with purpose

DURING the summer, many people decide to at least try to read more. Maybe it is the vacation energy that comes at this time of year, maybe it is a way to model and share good habits with children, maybe it is a great way to pass the time in air conditioned spaces. There is no shortage of excellent literature, or even of books that have been discussed for reasons other than the brilliant language or memorable characters. With so many books being adapted for television shows and movies, even people who do not profess a love for books are curious about what is being published and how these works are entering popular culture.

By Alicia Wallace

of Black people from the south in the US. Her deep research included interviews with more than 1,000 people. She used that data while focusing on the stories of three people who left the south in 1937, 1945, and 1953. Toni Morrison said this book is “profound, necessary and an absolute delight to read”.

The New York Times recently shared its list, The 100 Best Books of the 21st Century, which many readers found lackluster, and even discriminatory. To develop the list, it sent a survey to “literary luminaries” including Stephen King, Min Jin Lee, Marlon James, and Roxane Gay. Stephen King, in fact, put one of his own books on his list. Readers were more dissatisfied with the list than the New York Times could have predicted. People commented on the issues of discrimination in the list, starting with the limitation to books published in the US and in English. Readers were quick to weigh in by naming the books they con- sidered to be overrated. They also identified, of course, the excellent and muchloved books that were not on the list. In a later Instagram post, featuring a list of 100 books that readers wanted to see on the list, New York Times said, “One of the best things about working in books

‘The state of the world today demands that we read, and that we read widely.’

is just this: the passion of our constituency. No way would we deprive readers of the chance to vote for their own list and make their voices heard.”

Here are 11 of the books that made the Readers’ Choice: Best Books of the 21st Century:

1. Pachinko by Min Jin Lee. If you enjoy family sagas, pick up this book about a poor Korean immigrant family in Japan. I read it a few years ago, and it is one of my favourite books that I have read. Author of The Bone Clocks, David Mitchell, called it a “deep, broad, addictive history of a Korean family in Japan enduring and prospering through the 20th century.” Min Jin Lee is also the author of Free Food for Millionaires.

or even know much about video games, to enjoy this book. It is fascinating and fun to dive into this world which is presented through the interesting characters and their relationships rather than the technicalities of game design.

3. The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead. This book was on every mustread and

highly-recommended list, and it featured prominently in bookstores for a long time. It follows the “adventures” of an enslaved person “as she makes a desperate bid for freedom in the antebellum South”.

4. Homegoing by Yah Gyasi. Two sisters are born in different villages in Ghana, and they do not know of one another. Their lives take them in opposite directions. Ta-Nehisi Coates called it “an inspiration”, Zadie Smith called it “spectacular”, and Roxane Gay said, “I could not put this book down.”

2. Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin. This may be hard to believe, but you do not have to be a gamer,

5. The Warmth of Other Suns by Elizabeth Wilkerson. Wilkerson tells the story of the mass migration

6. Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese. Here is another one for readers who enjoy family sagas. Twin brothers Marion and Shiva, born in Ethiopia, are deeply interested in medicine. Their mother died in childbirth and their father disappeared. Love for the same woman tears them apart, and one of them, eventually, has to depend on the other along with their father, to sur-

vive. USA Today called Verghese “something of a magician as a novelist”.

7. Circe by Madeline Miller. I bought this book long after it was all the rage, very uncertain about it. I was convinced before I got very far into reading it. Circe isn’t just for Greek mythology enthusiasts. It is a complex hero, magic, interesting family and power dynamics, and imagery that can make readers long for a movie adaptation, even knowing that it would be unlikely to measure up to the book.

8. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. Here is a book you can read with the young people in your life. Liesel, living outside of Munich in 1939, steals books and shares them with the people around her. It would be also interesting to read this alongside Anne Frank’s The Diary of a Young Girl.

9. Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout. If you love an unlikeable character, this one is for you. This book is also written as a series of short stories, so it

lends itself to little breaks for the introspection it is likely to inspire. Olive is what we may call “rough”. She is no nonsense and bitingly honest. Her husband and son have a hard time connecting with her and understanding her way of being and doing. Through the stories in this book, it is clear that Olive is more than she is perceived to be and may actually be worthy of being the main character of this book.

and that we read widely.

10. There There by Tommy Orange. This book, grappling with history and the current reality for indigenous communities, got people’s attention when it swept into bookstores in 2018. Remain, Reclaim, and Return are the first three sections of the novel. You can likely imagine what the author worked to accomplish as he welcomes us to follow 12 characters from Native communities as they make their way to the Big Oakland Powwow. Marlon James said this it “drops on us like a thunderclap; the big, booming, explosive sound of 21st century literature finally announcing itself”. 11. Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus. This novel has been widely features in bookstores and best titles lists. Elizabeth Zott works at a research institute that is hostile to women in the workplace and attempts to limit them. Zott unexpectedly becomes the star of a cooking show, and she may be teaching women more than how to make dinner. There is a television series adaptation that makes what seem to be substantial departures from the book. I watched three episodes on a plane and have yet to read the book, but I look forward to diving into it. Which of these books, if any, pique your interest? Which, if any, have you already read, and what do you think of them?

The state of the world today demands that we read,

Read to be exposed to other worlds. Read to learn history, how it repeats itself, how it shapes people, and how it teaches those of us who are willing to learn and are invested in learning. Read to visit other parts of the world. Read to see beneath the surface of other people’s lives. Read to learn new languages. Read to feel something, or to experience many different emotions. Read to have new conversation starters. Read to get new ideas. Read to learn to write. Read to be immersed in the new, the bold, the strange, the provocative. Read to find your place in the work ahead of us, collectively.

Here are some of the other titles on the Readers’ Choice list that caught my attention:

1. On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong.

2. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

12.

James by Percival Everett.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens.

The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen.

Know My Name by Chanel Miller.

Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward.

Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner.

10. 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami, translated by Jay Rubin and Philip Gabriel.

11. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot.

In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado.

13. Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt. Look them up. Read the book blurbs and samples. You may want to add a few of them to your To Be Read (TBR) pile, and you may decide to dive into one of them

More than words - A call to heed your ‘better angels’

By DONALD N IEMAN, Binghamton University, State University of N ew York

FOLLOWING the attempted assassination of Donald Trump, community leaders, clergy and politicians including President Joe Bidenhave called on Americans to tone down white-hot political rhetoric. Some have invoked the words of one figure in particular: Abraham Lincoln. As a scholar who has written about how American politics became so deeply polarized and teaches a course on Lincoln, I’m not surprised.

Lincoln eluded an assassination plot as he traveled to Washington to assume the presidency in 1861, and he took the oath of office when the nation was even more deeply divided than today. As president, he brought a bitterly divided North together to wage a protracted, costly war that saved the Union.

What’s more, his ability to make prose poetic resonates across the centuries – making him the obvious source for politicians and pundits looking for emotive language in times of crisis.

Few of Lincoln’s aphorisms have been quoted more than his appeal to “the better angels of our nature” in his 1861 inaugural address. Liberals, conservatives and those in between have invoked the phrase to decry the intractable partisan warfare that has escalated over the past decade and call for a return to civility.

ED IT S FOR THE AGES

Lincoln didn’t coin the phrase, as noted by David Blankenhorn, a political activist who founded “Braver Angels,” a nonprofit aimed at overcoming polarization. It appeared in Shakespeare’s “Othello,” and Charles Dickens observed that “our own desires stand between us and our better angels” in his 1841 novel “Barnaby Rudge.”

Although Shakespeare was a favorite of Lincoln’s, the president took the phrase from another politician, William Henry Seward. The former New York governor and U.S. senator was far better

known than Lincoln and had been his chief rival for the Republican nomination in 1860.

Lincoln realized that in order to govern, he needed to calm factional conflict within his own party. So, he brought his principal rivals into his cabinet, appointing Seward secretary of state. When the New Yorker suggested extensive revisions to Lincoln’s inaugural address, the president-elect took note.

Lincoln believed that the speech was perhaps the last hope of averting civil war. By the time he took the oath of office on March 4, 1861, seven states that permitted human bondage had seceded from the Union. Secessionist forces were at work in eight others.

Seward’s influence was most notable in the critical closing paragraph. Lincoln had ended his draft by explaining that he hoped to avoid war, but the ball was in the Confederacy’s court. The secessionists had no binding obligation to destroy the government, Lincoln asserted, while he had taken the constitutional oath to “preserve, protect and defend” it. While his language was temperate, logical and lawyerly, it was abrupt. There was no olive branch held out to southerners who feared his leadership, no appeal to shared history and values.

Seward urged Lincoln to appeal to Americans’ “bonds of affection” that grew from “so many patriot graves.” The “mystic chords” reverberating in all Americans’ “hearts and hearths” would “again harmonize” when touched “by the better angel … of the nation.”

Lincoln took Seward’s advice but gave his language a poetic turn that has echoed across the centuries:

I am loath to close. We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory, stretching from every battle-field, and patriot grave, to every living heart and hearthstone, all over this broad land, will yet swell the chorus of the Union, when again touched, as surely

they will be, by the better angels of our nature.

MORE THAN WORDS

It was graceful and moving, but it didn’t bring the Union back together. Nor did it prevent four other states from joining the Confederacy, or a civil war that took almost three-quarters of a million lives.

Yet the address spoke volumes about Lincoln’s qualities as a leader. He was open to advice, even from those who had been rivals. Though he took decisive and divisive actions when necessary, he tried to be a unifier.

The Emancipation Proclamation that declared slaves in Confederatecontrolled territory free, for example, was highly controversial. By framing it as a measure necessary to defeat the Confederacy, Lincoln appealed to abolitionists and radical Republicans on the left, as well as conservatives who cared little about slavery but were committed to preserving the Union.

To defeat a determined South, Lincoln first had to unify a fractured North. That began with calming divisions in his own party and ensuring that critical border states such as Kentucky and Missouri, where secessionist sentiment was rife, stood with the Union. It also meant outreach to members of the Union’s Democratic opposition who supported strong measures to win the war. In 1864, for example, he appointed a Tennessee Democrat, Andrew Johnson, as his running mate.

Today, the U.S. is bitterly polarized, only four years removed from an insurrection to stop the peaceful transfer of power. It may seem naive to hope leaders will do more than appeal to “better angels” – to hope they’ll walk the walk.

Lincoln sought to unify in part because more division would make victory impossible. If voters punish appeals to hate and division, politicians may be forced to discover their better angels, rather than merely talk about them.

The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts. The Conversation is wholly responsible for the content.

16TH president of the United States of America, Abraham Lincoln

Secret Service head resigns after failed assassination attempt of Trump at rally

WASHINGTON Associated Press

THE director of the Secret Service resigned Tuesday in the aftermath of the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump that unleashed an outcry about how the agency failed in its core mission to protect current and former presidents.

Kimberly Cheatle, who had served as Secret Service director since August 2022, faced growing calls to resign and several investigations into how a gunman was able to get so close to the Republican presidential nominee at an outdoor campaign rally in Pennsylvania.

“I take full responsibility for the security lapse,” she said in an email to staff obtained by The Associated Press. “In light of recent events, it is with a heavy heart that I have made the difficult decision to step down as your director.”

Cheatle’s departure was unlikely to end the scrutiny of the long-troubled agency after the failures of July 13, and it comes at a critical juncture ahead of the Democratic National Convention and a busy presidential campaign season. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have promised more investigations. An inspector general probe and an independent, bipartisan effort launched at President Joe Biden’s behest will keep the agency in the spotlight.

Cheatle’s resignation came a day after she appeared before a congressional committee and was berated for hours by both Democrats and Republicans for the security failures. She called the attempt on Trump’s life the Secret Service’s “most significant operational failure” in decades, but she angered

lawmakers by failing to answer specific questions about the investigation.

Biden said in a statement that “what happened that day can never happen again,” and he planned to appoint a new director soon, but he did not discuss a timeline.

The president and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas thanked Cheatle for her service. Mayorkas appointed Deputy Director Ronald Rowe as acting director. He has worked for the agency for 23 years.

“At this moment in time, we must remain focused,” Rowe said in a note to staff obtained by AP. “We will restore the faith and confidence of the American public and the people we are entrusted to protect.”

Congressional questioning

At the hearing Monday, Cheatle remained defiant that she was the “right person” to lead the Secret Service, even as she said she took responsibility for the failures. When Republican Rep. Nancy Mace suggested Cheatle begin drafting her resignation letter from the hearing room, Cheatle responded, “No, thank you.”

The 20-year-old shooter, Thomas Matthew Crooks, was able to get within 135 meters (157 yards) of the stage where the former president was speaking when he opened fire. That’s despite a threat on Trump’s life from Iran that led to additional security for the former president in the days before the rally.

Cheatle acknowledged Monday that the Secret Service was told about a suspicious person two to five times before the rally shooting. She also revealed that the roof from which

KIMBERLY CHEATLE, Director, US Secret Service, testifies during a House Committee on Oversight and Accountability hearing on Oversight of the US Secret Service and the Attempted Assassination of President Donald J Trump, on Capitol Hill, on Monday in Washington.

Crooks fired had been identified as a potential vulnerability days earlier. But she failed to answer many questions about what happened, including why there were no agents on the roof. A bloodied Trump was quickly escorted off the stage by Secret Service agents, and agency snipers killed the shooter. Trump said part of his right ear was pierced in the shooting. One rallygoer was killed, and two others were critically wounded. Details continue to emerge about signs of trouble that day and the roles of the Secret Service and local authorities. The agency routinely relies on local law enforcement to secure the perimeter of events. Former top Secret Service agents said the gunman should never have been allowed to gain access to the roof.

After Cheatle’s resignation, Trump posted on his social media network: “The Biden/Harris Administration did not properly protect me, and I was forced to take a bullet for Democracy. IT WAS MY

Photo: Rod Lamkey, Jr/AP

GREAT HONOR TO DO SO!”

The House Homeland Security Committee had asked Cheatle to testify Tuesday for another hearing on the assassination attempt, but lawmakers said she refused. Cheatle’s name was on a card on a table in front of an empty chair during the hearing, which began shortly before her decision to step down became public.

Investigating an evergrowing number of threats

The Secret Service is a part of the Department of Homeland Security, which includes immigration, transportation security and the Coast Guard. The department was formed after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

A few years ago, there was a movement to shift the agency back to the Treasury Department, where it was housed before Sept. 11, particularly because Homeland Security’s intense focus on immigration added to the growing divide between what the Secret Service

IOWA LAW BANNING MOST ABORT IONS AFTER SI X WEEKS

DES MOINES Associated Press

AN Iowa judge has ruled the state’s strict abortion law will take effect Monday, preventing most abortions after about six weeks of pregnancy, before many women know they are pregnant.

The law passed last year, but a judge had blocked it from being enforced. The Iowa Supreme Court reiterated in June that there is no constitutional right to an abortion in the state and ordered the hold to be lifted. That translated into Monday’s district court judge’s decision ordering the law to into effect July 29 at 8:00 am Central time.

Lawyers representing abortion providers asked Judge Jeffrey Farrell for notice before allowing the law to take hold, saying a buffer period was needed to provide continuity of services. Iowa requires pregnant women to wait 24 hours for an abortion after getting an initial consultation. Abortion had been legal in the state up to 20 weeks of pregnancy.

The high court’s order gave a decisive win to Iowa’s Republican leaders after years of legislative and legal battles.

Iowa will join more than a dozen states where abortion access has been sharply curbed in the two years

since the US Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade. Currently, 14 states have near-total bans at all stages of pregnancy and three states — Iowa will make four — ban abortions after about six weeks of pregnancy.

Abortion access stands to be a major issue in the 2024 election, especially as Vice President Kamala Harris aims to lead the Democratic Party. Harris has said “everything is at stake” with reproductive health in November’s election and has travelled across the country to draw attention to the issue, including in Des Moines roughly a year ago after the stricter law initially passed.

Iowa’s Republican-controlled Legislature passed the law in a special session last July, and a legal challenge was immediately filed by the American Civil Liberties Union of Iowa, Planned Parenthood North Central States and the Emma Goldman Clinic. The law was in effect for just a few days before a district court judge temporarily blocked it.

“Today is a victory for life,” Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds said in a statement Tuesday. There are limited circumstances under the Iowa law that would allow for abortion after six weeks of pregnancy: rape, if reported

to law enforcement or a health provider within 45 days; incest, if reported within 145 days; if the fetus has an abnormality “incompatible with life”; or if the pregnancy endangers the mother’s life.

The state’s medical board defined standards of practice earlier this year, though the rules do not outline how the board would determine noncompliance or what the appropriate disciplinary action might be.

Representatives from Planned Parenthood and the Emma Goldman Clinic have indicated they will continue to provide abortion services in Iowa in compliance with the law when it takes effect.

sees as its dual missions — protecting the president and investigating financial crime — and the mission of its parent department. But that movement stalled.

Roughly half of the Secret Service’s $3 billion budget is spent on protective services. It also has a robust cybercrime division, state-of-the-art forensic labs and a threat-assessment center that studies how to mitigate and train against threats.

With a workforce of 7,800 special agents, uniformed officers and other staff, the Secret Service has investigated an ever-increasing number of threats against the president and other officials under its protection. It has also managed a growing number of high-profile government figures asking for support. Staffing has not kept pace with the workload increase. Around Sept. 11 there were about 15 full-time protectees. That number has now more than doubled.

Trump is the first modern ex-president to seek another term, and because of his high visibility, his protective detail has always been larger than some others. That protective bubble got tighter in recent months as he drew closer to the nomination. All major party nominees are granted enhanced details with counterassault and countersniper teams similar to the president.

Calls for accountability

There were calls for accountability across the political spectrum, with congressional committees immediately moving to investigate and issuing subpoenas. Top Republican leaders from both the House and the Senate said Cheatle should step down.

Biden, a Democrat, ordered an independent review into security at the rally, and the Secret Service’s inspector general opened an investigation. The agency is also reviewing its countersniper team’s “preparedness and operations.”

On Tuesday, Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson said Cheatle’s resignation was “overdue.”

“Now we have to pick up the pieces. We have to rebuild the American people’s faith and trust in the Secret Service as an agency,” Johnson said.

Meanwhile, Sens. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., introduced legislation Tuesday to require Senate confirmation of future Secret Service directors.

Cheatle served in the Secret Service for 27 years. She left in 2021 for a job as a security executive at PepsiCo before Biden asked her to return in 2022 to head the agency. She took over amid a controversy over missing text messages from around the time thousands of Trump supporters stormed the US Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, following his 2020 election loss to Biden.

During her time at the agency, Cheatle was the first woman to be named assistant director of protective operations, the division that protects the president and other dignitaries, where she oversaw a $133.5 million budget. She was the second woman to lead the agency.

When Biden announced Cheatle’s appointment, he said she had served on his detail when he was vice president and he and his wife “came to trust her judgment and counsel.”

OF PREGNANCY TO TAKE EFFECT MONDAY

Before that point, Planned Parenthood said Tuesday it will continue to operate “under current protocols,” and take as many appointment as possible.

In June, Ruth Richardson, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood North Central States, also said the organization has spent the last year making “longterm regional investments” in preparation for this outcome, including expanding facilities in Mankato, Minnesota, and in Omaha, Nebraska, — both cities near Iowa.

Planned Parenthood in Iowa has ceased abortion services in two Iowa cities in the last year, including in Des Moines. Two of the

NOTICE is hereby given that DAMIAN NDUBUISI OZURUIGBO of P.O. Box EE15015 Prince Charles Drive, Nassau, The Bahamas applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for Registration Naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 17th day of July, 2024 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.

NOTICE

NOTICE is hereby given that HEROLD STERLING of P.O.Box SS19009, Bougainvillea Boulevard, Nassau, The Bahamas applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for Registration Naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/ naturalization should not be granted, should send a written

state’s five Planned Parenthood clinics offer in-person abortion services, and three offer abortion through medication.

People in and around Des Moines seeking an abortion have been travelling about 35 miles (56 kilometres) north to Ames.

Alex Sharp, who manages the Ames facility, said conversations with patients will be difficult once the ban lifts and staff will be empathetic. There is “the sensitivity of being told you’re too far along and it’s too late now: ‘You have to, you know, leave and go somewhere else and you have to travel and you’re going to have to miss work again.’”

NOTICE

“A lot of people don’t know this happened,” Sharp said of the stricter law.

Sarah Traxler, the Planned Parenthood region’s medical director, said a law prohibiting abortions after cardiac activity can be detected is “tricky.” Since six weeks is approximate, Traxler said, “we don’t necessarily have plans to cut people off at a certain gestational age.”

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that 44% of the 3,761 total abortions in Iowa in 2021 occurred at or before six weeks’ gestational age. Only six abortions were at the 21-week mark or later.

NOTICE

NOTICE is hereby given that SEYMOUR ANTHONY WHITE of Highbury Park, Nassau, The Bahamas applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for Registration Naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed

NOAH LYLES WARMS UP FOR

OLYMPICS BY SETTING PB OF 9.81

SECONDS TO WIN 100 IN LONDON

LONDON (AP) —

Heading into the Paris Olympics, Noah Lyles has never been faster.

The American world champion warmed up for the Paris Games by setting a personal best in the 100 metres at Saturday’s Diamond League meet in London, clocking 9.81 seconds to beat a strong field in the last major meet before the Olympics.

Lyles trailed his rivals at the start before powering past the field over the last 50 metres. Akani Simbine of South Africa was second in 9.86 and Letsile Tebogo of Botswana was third in 9.88, with the top five

finishers all breaking the 10-second mark. “I could have had a better start. I’ve been having a lot better starts in practice,” Lyles said. “I wanted to drop under 9.80, but I’ll take a PR every day of the week.”

Lyles’ previous best was the 9.83 he clocked at last year’s world championships in Budapest — where he won the 100, 200 and the 4x100 relay — and then matched in the U.S. Olympic trials last month. Saturday’s result further underlines him as the favourite for the gold medal in Paris, where he can cement his status as the

world’s fastest man. And Lyles isn’t shy about his goal at the Olympics.

“I’m going to win,” he said. “That’s what I always do.”

Other notable results at London Stadium — which hosted the 2012 Olympics — included Matt HudsonSmith of Britain setting a world-leading time of 43.74 in the men’s 400 and world champion Femke Bol taking the women’s 400 hurdles in 51.30, her second fastest time ever. In the women’s 200, Gabrielle Thomas came from behind to pass Julien Alfred and Dina AsherSmith to win in 21.82.

Competing and parenting: Some athletes are doing double duty at the Olympics

By TALES AZZONI AP Sports Writer

FROM training and competing to preparing bottles for feedings and changing diapers, some of the Olympians at the Paris Games will be balancing their roles of athletes and parents.

There is the British rower who raised more than $4,000 through GoFundMe to go to Paris “as a full-time mom.”

The American marathon runner who trained with his daughters’ support by the track. The New Zealand rowers who sang children’s songs to motivate each other after rough nights waking up to take care of their babies.

There will be some help from organisers this time for athletes in Paris juggling the demands of elite sports with the tasks of parenthood.

The International Olympic Committee and Paris organisers set up what they call the first Olympic Village nursery to allow athletes to be closer to their children and have quality time with them during the Games.

“The IOC and IOC Athletes’ Commission want to ensure that pregnancy and motherhood do not mean a career end in particular for female athletes,” the IOC said. “The nursery forms part of an ongoing commitment from the IOC and IOC AC to ensure parent

athletes are cared for and supported at the Games.”

Organisers said the space is intended “to reunite competing moms and dads with their children,” and that it will provide “more complimentary services and products to athletes than ever before at the Olympic and Paralympic Village” through one of the IOC’s partners that sells diapers.

The IOC, which aims to make the 2024 Olympics the first fully gender-equal Games, said it doesn’t compile data on how many parents will be competing in Paris, but said it “was seeing good interest in the nursery” ahead of the event.

Olympic Village nursery ‘a shift in culture’

The nursery is welcome news for parent athletes after restrictions at the Tokyo Olympics caused by the COVID-19 pandemic meant family members weren’t allowed to accompany athletes.

Canadian basketball player Kim Gaucher complained at the time that the IOC was making athletes choose between the Games and their children, and the IOC eventually allowed breastfeeding mothers to take their children to Japan with them.

Past Games included iconic celebrations by parents with their kids, including American Nia Ali with her young son after winning a silver medal

Lucy

the

World

May

in the 100 metres hurdles at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics.

American Allyson Felix, an 11-time Olympic medallist who often celebrated victories with her children, told CBS that the nursery represents a “shift in culture” and a move in “the right direction.”

“I think it really tells women that you can choose motherhood and also be at the top of your game and not have to miss a beat,” said Felix, who is on the IOC’s athletes’ commission.

Among the Olympians who may end up using the nursery in Paris are New Zealand rowers Brooke Francis and Lucy Spoors, who will be in the same boat in Paris, both literally — they are paired in the double sculls category — and because they both gave birth about two

years before the Games. Before training they often discussed how many times they had to wake up the night before to take care of their babies. And when they were too tired, they sang kids’ songs in the boat — those “stuck in our heads,” Francis said — to try to cheer themselves up.

American marathon runner Clayton Young had his daughters help him train by yelling power phrases every time he went by through a grass loop section on his training route. When he clinched his spot at the Olympic trials earlier this year, they were among the first to hug and congratulate him at the finish line.

“Kids take a lot of physical effort and exertion,” Young told The Associated Press. “Maybe I’m not sleeping or eating or resting as well as some other

professional athletes, but from a mental standpoint, I’m way more grounded and way more present and have a much bigger internal perspective than most athletes.”

Athletes seek support from family members and crowdfunding British rower Mathilda Hodgkins-Byrne turned to GoFundMe to take her young son and her partner to competitions as she tried to qualify for the Games.

“The funding I receive is enough to help me pay rent, buy food and support with child care,” she said.

“However, with the current cost-of-living crisis, it wouldn’t be enough to fund Freddie and his dad (or grandparents) with travel, accommodation and food at training camps and competitions.”

Dutch table tennis player Britt Eerland also resorted to GoFundMe to raise money to make it to the Paris Games after giving birth in March 2023.

“This campaign aims to show the world that motherhood and elite sports can coexist. By supporting me, we’re championing the message that mothers can pursue their dreams and excel at the highest levels,” she said on her GoFundMe page.

“With your help, I will not only make my dream come true to go to Paris in 2024 but also inspire countless mothers worldwide.”

Francis and Spoors will be counting on help from their parents and partners to take care of their kids during the Games. They will all stay at a rented apartment until Francis and Spoors join their teammates at the team hotel and leave the toddlers with their families.

“We’re so lucky that we have people that we feel comfortable enough with to have the kids staying with them and know that they’re safe and happy,” Spoors told the AP.

“Basically it has been a lot of planning and there is an element of a lot of logistics to it.”

Spoors said motherhood brought extra physical challenges and made them “super conscious of injury and things like that.”

“But then obviously the other side of balancing just being a new mom and how to do that and learning what comes with all of that,” she said. “Basically we have two goals this year: to aim for a gold medal at the Olympics but also to be the best mom that we can be.”

Francis said they were “really lucky that we do get to be both moms and sort of have our dream job rowing as well.”

“You sort of just realise how much of a privilege it is to be able to represent your country and bring your kids along for the ride,” she stated.

UNITED STATES FAVOURED TO TOP OVERALL MEDAL

GAMES. CHINA MAY CHALLENGE

By STEPHEN WADE AP Sports Writer

AS the Paris Olympics are set to open this week, the United States goes in as the favourite to win the most medals. China is unlikely to overtake the U.S. in the overall medal haul, but has a chance to win more gold medals than the Americans. Though the Games highlight great individual athletes, they are also a surrogate for geopolitcal influence and national pride.

The United States is projected to win 112 medals

overall — 39 gold, 32 silver, and 41 bronze. China is forecast to win 86 overall — 34 gold, 27 silver, and 25 bronze. This forecast is by Nielsen’s Gracenot e Sports, which supplies statistical analysis for sports leagues around the world. It also tracks major competitions involving Olympic sports leading up to the Games.

The United States and China finished 1-2 in both categories in 2021 in the pandemic-delayed Tokyo Olympics.

The International Olympic Committee does not

compile medal rankings.

Gracenote has calculated its standings on overall medals won, although others focus the rankings on gold totals.

The forecast for the Americans on top is no surprise. This would be the eighth consecutive time the United States has won the most overall medals at the Summer Games.

The Unified team topped the overall count in 1992 at Barcelona, composed of athletes from the former Soviet Union just after it broke up as a sovereign state.

The last Summer Olympics in which the United States did not top the goldmedal table was in 2008 in Beijing.

After the United States and China, the next in line with overall totals and gold totals are: Britain (63-17), France (60-27), Australia (54-15), Japan (47-13), Italy (46-11), Germany (35-11), Netherlands (34-16), South Korea (26-9).

The next places 11 to 20 are: Canada (21-7), Hungary (20-7), Brazil (18-8), Spain (18-5), Poland (17-3), Denmark (14-5), Turkey (14-4), New Zealand (144), Ukraine (13-2), Ethiopia (12-6).

THE MEDALS for the Paris 2024 Olympic are displayed at the Paris Olympic organisers in SaintDenis, outside Paris, Feb. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/ Thibault Camus)

WINNER Noah Lyles celebrates after the Men’s 100m final during during the Diamond League London Athletics Meet in London, England, this past Saturday.

(John Walton/PA via AP)

BROOKE FRANCIS, left, and

Spoors of New Zealand compete in

Women’s Double Sculls semifinal on the second day of the 2024

Rowing Cup at Rotsee, in Lucerne, Switzerland, Saturday,

25, 2024. (Philipp Schmidli/Keystone via AP)

BAHAMIAN YOUTH SAILING TEAM MAKES A SPLASH AT OPTIMIST NORTH AMERICAN CHAMPIONSHIPS

FROM PAGE 16

an IODA event. Despite facing some setbacks, his performance highlighted his potential among the world’s best sailors.

Finley McKinneyLambert also impressed, rebounding from a disqualification to secure victory in the Silver fleet (61st overall).

The team’s efforts in the team racing event led to a top 8 finish, narrowly missing the semifinals against a strong U.S. team.

Coach Manrique expressed his pride in the team, stating: “I am incredibly proud of the team and truly delighted with the effort each sailor put forth.

“Having trained them since 2020, it’s truly gratifying to see the Bahamas prominently showcased and gaining respect from countries worldwide. This marks the first occasion where one of our sailors came so close to winning the event itself, and while falling short is disappointing, it’s also a moment to reflect on the tremendous progress and dedication we’ve shown to reach this stage.

“I’m particularly pleased with the team’s overall performance and the valuable experience they gained. They have all grasped the level of commitment required to compete at this high level, and I’m hopeful they are all eager to continue their hard work and further improve.”

With sailing recently designated as the national sport of the Bahamas, the team’s success at the Optimist North American Championships underscores the growing prominence of sailing within the nation.

The Bahamian youth sailing team continues to inspire young athletes and set new standards in the sport.

THE BAHAMIAN Optimist sailing team recently showcased their remarkable skills and resilience at the Optimist North American Championships held in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Under the guidance of coach Martin Manrique and team leader Edgar Diminich, the eight sailors from various Bahamian sailing schools competed on an international stage, earning respect and recognition.

sailors in action at the Optimist North American Championships in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Minister Bowleg expects ‘at least two to three medals’

FROM PAGE 16

involved, once they get a chance. I am also looking at the 100m hurdles and I am hoping that we can bring home at least two medals in that. I cannot say who they will be but if we can bring home three that would be good,” he said.

The swimmers will be in action first for Team Bahamas, with the swimming portion of the Olympics beginning with the heats on Saturday, July 27 and continuing until Sunday, August 4.

The athletics portion of the Olympics begins on Thursday, August 1 and wraps up Sunday, August 11.

Minister Bowleg, who is currently in Paris, France, spoke about the addition of Adderley, the country’s youngest Olympian, to the Olympic contingent.

“I am very happy to see that. I think she is deserving to go even if it is just to go there and watch. I am just happy that she has been named to the team and I am very proud of her at 16 years old. One day we will not want to leave the country without her by our side,” he said.

The 2024 Summer Olympic Games is scheduled to continue from July 26 to August 11 in Paris, France.

BRITISH EQUESTRIAN DUJARDIN OUT OF OLYMPICS AFTER VIDEO REVEALS POSSIBLE HORSE ABUSE

PARIS (AP) — Three-time Olympic gold medallist Charlotte Dujardin of Britain has withdrawn from the Paris Games after a video emerged that showed her “engaging in conduct contrary to the principles of horse welfare,” according to the sport’s governing body.

Dujardin said in a statement Tuesday that the video from four years ago “shows me making an error of judgment during a coaching session.” It wasn’t clear what video Dujardin referred to or what specifically the video shows.

“What happened was completely out of character and does not reflect how I train my horses or coach my pupils; however, there is no excuse,” Dujardin said in a statement on Instagram. “I am deeply ashamed and should have set a better example in that moment.

“I am sincerely sorry for my actions and devastated that I have let everyone down, including Team GB, fans and sponsors.”

By The Associated Press

A’JA Wilson had 19 points and 14 rebounds to help the United States women’s basketball Olympic team rebound from a rare exhibition loss to beat Germany 84-57 on Tuesday night.

The Americans lost to a team of WNBA All-Stars on Saturday before travelling over to London for the exhibition contest against Germany. These two teams are in the same pool in the Olympics and will play again in the Paris Games on August 4.

“It was a breath of fresh air to get out of All-Star and come here, there’s one goal and it’s to win,” United States guard Sabrina Ionescu said.

The Americans raced out to a 22-9 lead, scoring the first seven points of the game. By the end of the first 10 minutes, the Americans had built that 13-point lead.

The Germans, who will be making their first appearance in the Olympics, closed within 27-20 midway through the second

quarter, but could get no closer as the Americans led 44-32 at the half.

The U.S. scored the first seven points of the third quarter and Germany never threatened in the second half.

“We need to continue to make sure our starts in the third get better every single game,” said U.S. forward Breanna Stewart. “It’s a tune-up game. We don’t want to peak too soon.” Luisa Geiselsoder scored 13 points to lead Germany. The Americans were without Brittney Griner, who rested. It was her first trip overseas since she was arrested in 2022 in Russia and sentenced to nine years in jail for drug possession and smuggling. Ten months later, she was free after a high-profile prisoner exchange.

Now the two-time Olympic gold medallist was back suiting up for the U.S. Members of the U.S. men’s Olympic team sat courtside to watch the game. The Americans edged the Germans 92-88 in an exhibition game on Monday night.

STEVEN GARDINER

MILLER-UIBO

MULLINGS

CHARLTON

DONALD THOMAS

SHANIA ADDERLEY TERRENCE JONES DENISHA CARTWRIGHT

ANTOINE ANDREWS RHEMA OTABOR IAN KERR CHARISMA TAYLOR

WANYA MCCOY

JAVONYA VALCOURT WENDELL MILLER QUINCY PENN

LAMAR TAYLOR RHANISHKA GIBBS ZION MILLER ALONZO RUSSELL

Jazz powers Marlins to 6-3 win over Orioles

MIAMI (AP) — Jazz

Chisholm Jr. and Nick Gordon each drove in two runs, Jesús Sánchez homered and Kyle Tyler and four relievers held Baltimore without a run after the third inning as the Miami Marlins beat the Orioles 6-3 last night.

Baltimore, which slipped into a tie with Cleveland for the best record in the American League at 60-40, was slowed after losing second baseman Jorge Mateo and starting pitcher Albert Suárez due to injuries in the third inning. Mateo collided with shortstop Gunnar Henderson as they dove to catch a grounder off the bat of

Jesús Sánchez behind the second base bag and left because of left elbow pain.

Suárez’s outing ended when Miami’s next hitter, Otto López, hit a comebacker that deflected the pitcher’s right foot and rolled near the Marlins’ dugout on the third-base side for a single that loaded the bases.

Chisholm Jr had two hits, including a two-run double that capped a fourrun second inning and put Miami ahead 4-1.

Sánchez led off the inning with a 429-foot homer, his 12th of the season, and Gordon added a run-scoring single. Josh Bell and Otto López each had a pair

of singles for the Marlins, who have the worst record in the National League at 36-65.

Tyler, promoted from Triple-A yesterday, struck out five and allowed three earned runs in 4 2/3 innings.

A.J. Puk (4-8) pitched two perfect innings of relief for the win. Tanner Scott closed with a scoreless ninth for his 17th save.

Suárez (5-4) gave up six runs and eight hits in twoplus innings.

The Orioles scored two runs in the third on RBI singles by Ryan O’Hearn and Colton Cowser, before the Marlins extended their lead to 6-3 in the bottom half of the inning on a sacrifice fly

BAHAMAS LADIES READY FOR FIBA TOURNAMENT

Francis and he will be assisted by Diasti Delancy and Tiffany Wildgoose.

Deandra Cunningham and Latoya Silver will serve as the team manager and team delegate respectively.

Francis, head coach of the U15 women’s national basketball team, believes that this group of players have what it takes to secure a podium spot and qualify for the FIBA U16 Women’s AmeriCup 2025.

“We believe that we have picked the best possible and available 12 [players] from The Bahamas and that we can represent well. Hopefully, we are in the medal contention and that we can bring home a medal for The Bahamas and qualify for the next advanced age group in 2025,” coach Francis said.

The Bahamas will play in Group B along with

Puerto Rico, El Salvador and Costa Rica. Each team will have an opportunity to face off against the opposing national teams in Group B and the top two finishers of Group A and B will advance to the semi-finals.

The remaining teams will jockey for the positions 5 through 8. The top three finishers in the tournament will move on to the FIBA U16 Women’s AmeriCup 2025.

Following today’s game, The Bahamas will match up against El Salvador at 2pm on Thursday and will play the third game of the group stage versus Puerto Rico at 2pm on Friday.

Coach Francis expressed that the team will rely on some strong guard play to take them through the next few days of group play.

“We have some excellent guards in our backcourt with Tajhanique Morley and Andica Curtis. We also have Riccara Beadle

and also Sahnai Nixon. We are gonna rely heavily on some good guard play and some very highly skilled young ladies that can actually shoot. We believe that this year we are gonna represent well. Hopefully, the girls are able to leave it all out on the floor. Our coaching staff is gonna do our best to support them and push them and we believe we have prepared them to the best of our abilities and hopefully we can do well,” he said.

Mexico is the reigning champion of the FIBA Centrobasket U15 Women’s Tournament hosted in Puerto Rico in 2022.

The host country finished with the silver medal and the Dominican Republic was third overall.

The Bahamas ended their tournament experience ranked fourth overall after losing to the Dominican Republic 79-39 in the thirdplace game.

by Xavier Edwards sacrifice fly and Gordon’s RBI groundout.

Jordan Westburg’s runscoring single in the first provided an early lead for Baltimore, which leads the majors in homers with 157 but didn’t have another hit after O’Hearn’s two-out single in the fifth.

TRAINER’S

ROOM

Marlins: LHP Josh Simpson (left elbow neuritis) threw a 35-pitch bullpen Tuesday and could be scheduled for two additional bullpens before he progresses to throw live batting practice. ... RHP Yonny Chirinos was designated for assignment to

Bahamian Esports players make The Bahamas proud

CONGRATULATIONS to the Bahamian players who attended EVO 2024 and showed off their dedication, skill, and sportsmanship. You have made The Bahamas proud!

second game of the series today.

Marlins will go with RHP Edward Cabrera (1-3, 7.36 ERA).

MIAMI Marlins’ Jazz Chisholm Jr. reacts after striking out swinging during the first inning of a baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles yesterday in Miami.

(AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

Minister expects 2-3 medals from our Olympians

By TENAJH SWEETING Tribune Sports Reporter

The countdown to the 2024 Paris Olympic Games now has two days remaining and expectations are high for the 21-member Bahamian Olympic team ready to represent The Bahamas with great pride in Paris, France.

Despite the controversy that involved the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations (BAAA) and Bahamas Olympic Committee (BOC) last week with regards to the team selected, Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture (MOYSC) Mario Bowleg feels very ‘good’ about the calibre of athletes chosen to wear the gold, aquamarine and black.

Bahamas ladies ready for FIBA tournament

By TENAJH SWEETING Tribune Sports Reporter

tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

THE Bahamas Basketball Federation (BBF) has fielded a 12-member junior under-15 women’s national basketball team to represent the country at the FIBA Centrobasket U15 Women’s Championship in David, Panama. The national team made their commute to the host country on Tuesday and will be competing from July 24-28 in Group B.

The Bahamas will begin Group B play today against Costa Rica in the Gimnasio La Basita at 5pm. Members named to the national team are Tajhanique Morley, Andica Curtis, Sahnai Nixon, Faith Burns, Zuri Hanna, Kayla Bien, Jada Frazer, Riccara Beadle, Danica Simmons, Skye Wilmott, Anthonique Pedican, and Melodi Ferguson. The coaching staff includes head coach Anton

“I feel very good about the team. Most of these athletes who have been named to the team have been performing at a top-notch level and, at some point or the other, have made the qualification standards all season so it is no surprise. I am looking forward to great things coming from this team in all aspects and in all the various events and races that would be coming

up for each one of them,” he said.

Representing The Bahamas at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games are Shaunae Miller-Uibo, Steven Gardiner, Devynne Charlton, Denisha Cartwright, Charisma Taylor, Wanya McCoy, Terrence Jones, Ian Kerr, Antoine Andrews, Rhema Otabor, Donald Thomas, Ken Mullings, Shania Adderley, Javonya

Valcourt, Quincy Penn, Wendell Miller, Alonzo Russell, Zion Miller, Rhanishka Gibbs and Lamar Taylor. Lacarthea Cooper, who was initially snubbed from the team despite finishing top 3 at the nationals, was added to the group as an observer, but not as a competitor, last week.

Bowleg gave some insight on his expectations

for Team Bahamas as the biggest international multisports event looms.

“I expect to get some medals most definitely with this group. I anticipate at least two to three medals at minimum. We know Stevie is gonna do his thing, be on top of his game and bring us the gold medal and all the other athletes, who are also

BAHAMIAN YOUTH SAILING TEAM MAKES A SPLASH AT THE OPTIMIST NORTH AMERICAN CHAMPIONSHIPS

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico

– The Bahamian Optimist sailing team recently showcased their remarkable skills and resilience at the Optimist North American Championships held in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Under the guidance of coach Martin Manrique and team leader Edgar Diminich, the eight sailors from various Bahamian sailing schools competed on an international stage, earning respect and recognition.

The team, composed of Patrick Tomlinson from Lyford Cay Sailing, Leon Zarchan, Callum Pritchard, and Michael Knowles from the Bahamas National Sailing School, and Finley and Taryn McKinney Lambert, Alethea Tsoumpas, and Javien Rankine from the Eleuthera Sailing Academy, faced challenging conditions with winds of 15 to 20 knots and large waves during the 10-race series.

Following a week of rigorous training and two qualifying days, the fleet

was divided into Gold, Silver and Bronze categories. Patrick Tomlinson excelled in the Gold fleet, while Finley ML, Alethea T, and Javien R competed in the Silver fleet, and Leon Z, Callum P, Taryn ML, and Michael K raced in the Bronze fleet.

Patrick Tomlinson’s standout performance included 2nd place in four out of 10 races, finishing 17th overall and 5th among North American Sailors - a remarkable achievement for a Bahamian sailor in

TEAM EFFORT: Team Bahamas has made their journey to David, Panama yesterday for the FIBA Centrobasket Under-15 Women’s Championship scheduled for July 24-28.

A YOUNG sailor competes during the Optimist North American Championships in San Juan, Puerto Rico.