A4 THE BULLETIN • MONDAY, MARCH 8, 2021
TODAY
DEAR ABBY
Today is Monday, March 8, the
67th day of 2021. There are 298
days left in the year.
Today’s Highlight in History:
On March 8, 2014, Malaysia
Airlines Flight MH370, a Boeing
777 with 239 people on board,
vanished during a flight from
Kuala Lumpur to Beijing, setting
off a massive and ultimately
unsuccessful search.
In 1618, German astronomer Jo-
hannes Kepler devised his third
law of planetary motion.
In 1817, the New York Stock &
Exchange Board, which had its
beginnings in 1792, was formal-
ly organized; it later became
known as the New York Stock
Exchange.
In 1930, the 27th president of
the United States, William How-
ard Taft, died in Washington at
age 72.
In 1948, the Supreme Court, in
McCollum v. Board of Education,
struck down voluntary religious
education classes in Champaign,
Illinois, public schools, saying
the program violated separation
of church and state.
In 1960, Democrat John F. Ken-
nedy and Republican Richard M.
Nixon won the New Hampshire
presidential primary.
In 1965, the United States
landed its first combat troops in
South Vietnam as 3,500 Marines
arrived to defend the U.S. air
base at Da Nang.
In 1979, technology firm Philips
demonstrated a prototype com-
pact disc player during a press
conference in Eindhoven, the
Netherlands.
In 1983, in a speech to the
National Association of Evangel-
icals convention in Orlando, Flor-
ida, President Ronald Reagan
referred to the Soviet Union as
an <evil empire.=
In 1988, 17 soldiers were killed
when two Army helicopters
from Fort Campbell, Kentucky,
collided in mid-flight.
In 1999, baseball Hall of Famer
Joe DiMaggio died in Holly-
wood, Florida, at age 84.
In 2004, Iraq9s Governing Coun-
cil signed a landmark interim
constitution.
In 2008, President George W.
Bush vetoed a bill that would
have banned the CIA from using
simulated drowning and other
coercive interrogation methods
to gain information from sus-
pected terrorists.
Ten years ago: Voters in Bell,
California, went to the polls in
huge numbers and threw out
the entire City Council after
most of its members had been
charged with fraud. (Residents
were infuriated to find out that
former City Manager Robert
Rizzo had been receiving an
annual salary of $1.5 million, and
that four of the five City Council
members had paid themselves
$100,000 a year to meet about
once a month.)
Five years ago: Democrat
Bernie Sanders breathed new
life into his longshot White
House bid with a crucial win in
Michigan9s primary while Hillary
Clinton breezed to an easy vic-
tory in Mississippi; Republican
Donald Trump swept to victory
in Michigan, Mississippi and
Hawaii, while Ted Cruz carried
Idaho. Sir George Martin, the
Beatles9 urbane producer who
guided the band9s swift, historic
transformation from rowdy club
act to musical and cultural revo-
lutionaries, died at age 90.
One year ago: Italy9s prime
minister announced a sweep-
ing quarantine restricting the
movements of about a quarter
of the country9s population. Two
members of Congress, Sen. Ted
Cruz and Rep. Paul Gosar, said
they were isolating themselves
after determining that they9d
had contact at the Conservative
Political Action Conference with
a man who later tested positive
for the coronavirus. The U.S.
State Department issued an
advisory against travel on cruise
ships. Actor Max von Sydow,
who played the priest in the hor-
ror classic <The Exorcist,= died at
the age of 90.
Today’s Birthdays: Jazz musi-
cian George Coleman is 86. Actor
Sue Ane Langdon is 85. College
Football Hall of Famer Pete
Dawkins is 83. Songwriter Carole
Bayer Sager is 77. Actor-director
Micky Dolenz (The Monkees) is
76. Singer-musician Randy Meis-
ner is 75. Pop singer Peggy March
is 73. Baseball Hall of Famer Jim
Rice is 68. Jazz musician Billy
Childs is 64. Singer Gary Numan is
63. NBC News anchor Lester Holt
is 62. Actor Aidan Quinn is 62.
Actor Camryn Manheim is 60. Ac-
tor Freddie Prinze Jr. is 45. Actor
James Van Der Beek is 44. Rock
singer Tom Chaplin (Keane) is 42.
Rock musician Andy Ross (OK Go)
is 42. Actor Jessica Collins is 38.
R&B singer Kristinia DeBarge is 31.
— Associated Press
Write to Dear Abby online at dearabby.com
or by mail at P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069
Jessica Hill/AP
Kindergarten school teacher Christina Kibby receives the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine by pharma-
cist Madeline Acquilano in Hartford, Connecticut, on Wednesday.
Teachers
Continued from A1
Portland Public Schools,
the state’s largest district where
learning remains largely re-
mote, is not keeping track
either as it works toward
launching a hybrid model for
elementary schools by April.
No states are publicly report-
ing the percentage of teach-
ers and school staff that have
been vaccinated, according to a
Johns Hopkins University anal-
ysis published Thursday.
Education leaders are miss-
ing out on an opportunity to
address hesitancy about when
it’s safe to go back, said Me-
gan Collins, co-director of the
Johns Hopkins Consortium
for School-Based Health Solu-
tions. Increased transparency
could influence back-to-school
decision making, she said, and
would likely make teachers and
students more willing to return
to classrooms.
“We’re seeing a substantial
disconnect. There are states
not prioritizing teachers for
vaccine that are fully open for
in-person instruction, and oth-
ers that are prioritizing teach-
ers for vaccines, but aren’t open
at all,” Collins said. “If states
are going to use teacher vacci-
nations as a part of the process
for safely returning to class-
rooms, it’s very important then
to be able to communicate that
information so people know
that teachers are actually get-
ting vaccines.”
Over a dozen states had
yet to prioritize teachers for
vaccines before President Joe
Biden directed all state gov-
ernments this week to admin-
ister at least one coronavirus
vaccination to every teacher,
school employee and child-
care worker by the end of
March. Biden has promised to
have most K-8 schools open
for classroom instruction by
the end of his first 100 days in
office, or the end of April.
The Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention did
not include vaccinating teach-
ers in its guidelines for schools
to consider when to bring
students back to classrooms.
But vaccines have been a stick-
ing point in reopening debates.
A push for statewide vaccine
data is under way in at least
one state, New York, where
Democratic Gov. Andrew
Cuomo said he would direct
districts to report weekly how
many staff members have been
vaccinated. The more teachers
that have been vaccinated, he
said, the better others will feel
about returning to classrooms.
Los Angeles Unified School
District, the second largest in
the country after New York
City, lets teachers register for
vaccine appointments offered
by the school system through
an app designed with Micro-
soft. But district spokesperson
Shannon Huber said the dis-
trict is not tracking who has
gotten vaccinated. A reopening
date for Los Angeles schools
is still undetermined and de-
pends in part on all school staff
being offered vaccines, a de-
mand of the district’s teachers
union.
At Jefferson County Public
Schools, the Kentucky district
including Louisville, all staff
wanting to receive COVID-19
vaccines got shots in arms by
mid-February, and the district
is now gearing up to reopen
schools. A district spokesper-
son said vaccination figures
were not available.
Vaccinations are not man-
dated in Kentucky, but Demo-
cratic Gov. Andy Beshear does
require vaccinated teachers
who were working remotely to
return to their school buildings
whenever in-person classes re-
sume. Exceptions can be made
with an accommodation under
the Americans with Disabilities
Act, or if the employee quali-
fies as a high-risk employee.
Beshear has called for dis-
tricts statewide to reopen, say-
ing the state “didn’t vaccinate
our educators for nothing.”
Vaccines were a contentious
part of the fight to reopen
schools in Chicago, which nar-
rowly avoided a teachers strike
last month over COVID-19
safety plans. Vaccinations be-
gan in mid-February, but it’s
unknown how many of the
nearly 40,000 Chicago Public
Schools employees have been
vaccinated.
Chicago school system of-
ficials say they have some
data from appointments that
were allocated to school staff-
ers, but medical privacy laws
limit their ability to publicize
a firm count. A plan that re-
cently cleared the school board
will require school employees
to disclose their vaccination
status and, eventually, require
vaccinations.
Even after vaccines are
widely available to teachers,
that may not be enough to
leave behind distance learning.
In Philadelphia, where
schools are preparing to launch
hybrid learning for students
in PreK-2, a dispute with the
teachers union over the state
of school infrastructure has
remained a stumbling block
in returning to in-person in-
struction.
In Detroit, teacher distrust
in health care has made the
district slow to reopen, Su-
perintendent Nikolai Vitti
said. With a community pop-
ulation that is 78% Black, the
disproportionate impacts of
COVID-19 have sowed fear
about receiving vaccine, as well
as a reluctance from teachers to
inform the district that they’ve
been inoculated.
Though $750 in hazard pay
is being offered to teachers as
an incentive to return to school
buildings, Vitti said Detroit
will need different outreach
from other school districts to
encourage vaccinations and
in-person returns.
“What I’m fearful of is what
usually happens in this coun-
try,” Vitti said. “Based on what
the majority is doing — the
majority in this case being
white suburban rural districts
coming back — the under-
standing is, ‘Well, everyone’s
back, why wouldn’t we be
back?’ There needs to be a dif-
ferentiated, unique intention-
ality about the communication
and effort to bring back our
students and other students like
ours throughout the country.”
Dear Abby: My girlfriend
and I call each other horrible,
disparaging names as a form
of “love.” Recently, I asked her
to stop calling me names like
that because it was fun at first,
but now not so much. For me,
it was just too negative.
I love her, and I want to
show it by my actions. I want
us to be a positive couple. I
now call her “Bebe.” Well, she
got mad and accused me of
not letting her be herself. Am
I wrong for asking her not to
call me ugly, gender-based
names? I know she loves me,
and I just want her to tone
down the name-calling. Is
that too much to ask?
— No Dumb-A** in California
Dear No D-A: No, it is not
too much to ask. Jokes can
get old and stale, and the
name-calling stopped being
cute or fun for you a while
ago. People who love each
other are sensitive to the
other person’s feelings and
don’t do what your girlfriend
is doing. If she persists, it may
be time to step back and re-
evaluate this relationship be-
cause her “just being herself”
WILL become a turnoff.
Dear Abby: My husband of
34 years has really bad table
manners. He smacks when he
chews, makes gulping noises
when he drinks liquids and
stuffs huge amounts of food
in his mouth. He once swal-
lowed a whole hard-boiled
egg all at once and almost
choked. It’s gross.
I love him, but his lack of
manners is embarrassing, es-
pecially when we are invited
out or are over at a friend’s
house. What can I do?
— Rolling My Eyes in Tennessee
Dear Rolling: Have you
talked to him about this? If
you have, sometimes a pic-
ture is worth a thousand
words. Hand him a mirror or
record a video of him eating
so he can see for himself how
unappealing he looks when
he does this. If that doesn’t
persuade him to slow down
and take smaller bites, con-
sider putting less food on his
plate before serving it. I can’t
guarantee this will work, but
it’s worth a try.
P.S. A whole egg? OUCH!
Dear Abby: After recently
having gone through a di-
vorce, my brother has now
decided to start a family. He
claims he loves her, but I’m
afraid she’s taking advan-
tage of him. They are both in
their mid-30s and blinded by
lust. They plan on marrying
“maybe a year from now.”
I don’t know what to think.
On the one hand, I’m happy
he has moved on and found a
new life. On the other hand,
I’m afraid for him, know-
ing he’s vulnerable. How do
I cope?
— Bewildered Sis in Vermont
Dear Sis: Your brother is
talking about getting married
a year from now. Unless he’s
putting the cart before the
horse by starting a family be-
fore the wedding, he seems
to be handling things quite
well and not rushing into a
commitment he can’t get out
of. Calm yourself. Let this
play out and get to know his
girlfriend. If you do, you may
find you like her.
YOUR HOROSCOPE
By Madalyn Aslan
Stars show the kind of day you’ll have
õeõeõeõeõ DYNAMIC | õeõeõeõ POSITIVE | õeõeõe AVERAGE | õeõeSO-SO | õ DIFFICULT
HAPPY BIRTHDAY FOR MONDAY, MARCH 8, 2021: Magnetic,
psychic and nonconformist, you are a generous iconoclast. Your inner life is
stormy at times, but your work in the public is powerful. This year, you do a
project completely your way and it9s very successful. If single, you are irresist-
ible and have many suitors but can still feel lonely. You meet your soul mate
in June 2022. If attached, you practically hypnotize your partner. PISCES is
under your spell.
ARIES (March 21-April 19)
õõõõ eToday brings pleasant opportunities to combine business with plea-
sure. Ask co-workers for ideas and assistance. Others have plans in mind that
involve you. Maintain goodwill by cooperating and consulting. Tonight: Your
source of income goes through a shift. Be adaptable and economize.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20)
õõõõõ eToday turns your attention toward distant shores and imported
items. You9ll tire of all that has become comfortable and familiar. A blockage
that has hampered your progress melts away. A goal is about to materialize.
Tonight: Catch up with friends who are far away.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20)
õõõõ eToday emphasizes your casual friendships and career prospects.
Deep roots related to old times are stirring. Make the best of the situation
and enjoy the moment. Postpone taking on new projects, as they could
overwhelm you. Tonight: Intimacy in a relationship 4 pleasure or business
4 deepens.
CANCER (June 21-July 22)
õõõõõ eTeamwork, compromise and flexibility are important today. Part-
ners have strong feelings concerning plans and ideas they wish to discuss
with you. You make an important commitment. A sense of completion and
freedom surrounds you. Tonight: Listen to some of your very favorite music.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22)
Where Islamic State ruled, pope
calls on Christians to forgive, rebuild
overheard coincidentally offer useful information. Keep up with regular med-
ical checkups. Make an appointment today if there is something overdue.
Tonight: Decisions might fall on you. Let others run the show.
BY NICOLE WINFIELD
AND SAMYA KULLAB
Associated Press
time outdoors with the one you covet. This promises twists and turns for the
better in your relationship. Sudden meetings and partings also play a part in
today9s drama. Tonight: A relaxing soak in an herbal bath.
QARAQOSH, Iraq — Pope
Francis urged Iraq’s Christians
on Sunday to forgive the injus-
tices against them by Muslim
extremists and to rebuild as
he visited the wrecked shells
of churches and met ecstatic
crowds in the community’s
historic heartland, which was
nearly erased by the Islamic
State group’s horrific reign.
“Fraternity is more durable
than fratricide, hope is more
powerful than hatred, peace
more powerful than war,” the
pontiff said during prayers for
the dead in the city of Mosul,
with the call for tolerance that
has been the central message of
his four-day visit to Iraq.
At each stop in northern
Iraq, the remnants of its Chris-
tian population turned out,
jubilant, ululating and decked
out in colorful dress. Heavy se-
curity prevented Francis from
plunging into the crowd as he
would normally. Nonetheless,
they simply seemed overjoyed
that he had come and that they
had not been forgotten.
It was a sign of the desper-
ation for support among an
ancient community uncertain
õõõõ eListen carefully. Casual conversations or broadcasts about health
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)
õõõõ eToday emphasizes a nurturing and meaningful relationship. Share
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)
õõõõ eToday accents your home and family. Discussions revolve around
home improvements and decisions about your residence. Visitors suggest
interesting ideas and offer valuable insights during casual conversation.
Tonight: Prepare a house blessing and do a sage smudge with a family
member.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)
õõõõ eThe pace is fast and somewhat hectic today and promises an in-
teresting schedule punctuated by numerous messages and outings. The
secret to juggling several ongoing projects successfully is organization.
Tonight: Stay informed. Different news will provide valuable perspectives
and insights.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)
Andrew Medichini/AP
Women wait outside the Chaldean Cathedral of Saint Joseph in Bagh-
dad on Saturday. Pope Francis, depicted on a giant poster at their back,
is visiting Iraq.
whether it can hold on. The
traditionally Christian towns
dotting the Nineveh Plains
of the north emptied out in
2014 as Christians — as well as
many Muslims — fled the Is-
lamic State group’s onslaught.
Only a few have returned to
their homes since the defeat
of IS in Iraq was declared four
years ago.
Iraq’s Christian population,
which has existed here since
the time of Christ, has dwin-
dled from around 1.5 million
before the 2003 U.S.-led inva-
sion that plunged the country
into chaos to just a few hun-
dred thousand today.
The pope’s visit, on its last
day Sunday, aimed to encour-
age them to stay, rebuild and
restore what he called Iraq’s
“intricately designed carpet” of
faiths and ethnic groups.
Throughout his visit, Fran-
cis has delivered a message
of interreligious tolerance to
Muslim leaders, including in a
historic meeting Saturday with
Iraq’s top Shiite cleric, Grand
Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani.
õõ ePrepare for a financial roller coaster ride. Family members will require
help and extra assistance. Look for ways to reduce expenses related to hous-
ing. Don9t overextend yourself financially. Set funds aside to cover an unex-
pected expense. Tonight: Financial brainstorming sessions.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)
õõõõõ eThis is a great day to plan a journey, either for business or for plea-
sure. Your career prospects are brighter. Heed suggestions offered by others.
Communication with loved ones is pleasant and easy. You9re the center of
attention now. Tonight: All eyes are on you.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)
õõõ eYou will relish peace and privacy today. Examine the past if you would
know the future. During meditation you might be inspired to pursue charita-
ble work and a volunteer opportunity. Satisfaction comes from helping those
in need. Tonight: An early night9s sleep.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20)
õõõõõ eToday brings supportive friendships your way. Seek a mentor to
help you select worthwhile goals. You are seeking guidance for practical help
in resolving problems. You receive an invitation to join a prestigious club or
organization. Tonight: Discussion with old colleagues.
e e
e e
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