Bulgaria turned out to be the first tamer of Japan in the World Grand Prix 2013. The “Bulgarian Lions” claimed in three, but very tight sets. Both teams contributed to one of the most attractive game this year. USA achieved the same result like Bulgaria, but playing against the Czech Republic. It seems that the issue of Final Six advance will be adjudicated in the direct match between USA and Bulgaria.

 

 

USA – Czech Republic 3 – 0 (25-20, 25-20, 25-23)

USA: A. Glass 1, Hill 8, Gibbmeyer 7, Murphy 10, Hildebrand 15, Paolini 4, Miyashiro (L) and Lichtman, Fawcett 7, Harmotto 3, Hagglund
Czech Republic: Vincourova 1, Mlejnkova 2, Plchotova 6, Havlickova 15, Vanzurova 12, Monzoni 6, Jasova (L) and Dostalova, Hodanova 1, Kossanyiova 3, Kubinova 2

It was the first time the two teams had met in the World Grand Prix. In other competitions, the USA have now have a five-game winning streak over the Czechs.

The Americans opened the match with a three-point spurt before the Czechs got into a rhythm and took seven of the next eight points, including two good kills by Aneta Havlickova. The Czechs led by a point at the first technical timeout, but the Americans pulled even at 11 and, aided by successive blocks, were three points ahead at the second TTO. While neither side was at the top of its game, errors were creeping into the Czech game and coach Carlo Parisi called timeouts at 14-18 and 15-21. A good hit by Nicole Fawcett earned the Americans six set points but coach Karch Kiraly called his players off court when they dropped the next three points. He needn’t have worried – a poor strike by Kristyna Pastulova on the next play handed the first set to the USA 25-20.

There wasn’t more than a point between the two teams through to 10-10 in the second set when American captain Kristin Lynn Hildebrand came up with a good spike and block on Havlickova, who also spiked long, giving USA a 13-10 lead and prompting Parisi to call a timeout. Fawcett followed up with a block on Michaela Mlejnkova and a good kill of her own to stretch the Americans’ lead to five points at 15-10. The Czechs never got closer than two points and an ace – left by the Czechs – gave USA a 21-15 lead and Parisi called his players off court again. Hildebrand spiked her team to set point at 24-19 and after a point by Havlickova, a hit by Lauren Gibbemeyer put USA 2-0 up.

Hildebrand started to rip some shots at the start of the third set and scored four points with kills as the Americans took a two-point lead at the first TTO. But successive defensive mix-ups allowed the Czechs to go 12-11 up and Kiraly called a timeout. Tamari Miyashiro fluffed the next service reception and the Czechs held a two-point advantage at the second TTO. USA pulled the scores even at 18-18 but a spike by Michaela Monzoni and a block by Sarka Kubinova on Kimberly Hill put the Czechs two points up at 20-18  and Kiraly called a timeout. Two good shots by Hill and a wide kill by Tereza Vanzurova gave the Americans a one-point lead and prompted Parisi to haul his players off. Christa Harmotto then came up with a huge block on Havlickova to give the Americans a two-point lead at 22-20 before the Czechs drew level again. A long shot by Vanzurova brought up match point at 24-22 and, after a good spike by Ivana Plchotova, the same player then sent a serve long to finish off the match.

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USA had the advantage in blocks 13-8, but the Czechs led in service aces 4-2. The Czechs made 19 errors to the Americans’ 15

Kristin Lynn Hildebrand was the top scorer for the USA with 15 points. Aneta Havlickova also scored 15 for the Czech Republic.

 

Team Stats:

ActionsSpike pointsSpike %BlockServeDigReceptionSets noteUnforced ErrorsUSA4142%1321535%7.6715Czech Rep.3634%841434%8.3319

 

Team Leaders:

Actions/PlayersPointsSpike pointsSpike %Spike errorsBlockServeUnforced ErrorsKelly Murphy10731%5306Aneta Havlickova151334%6118

 

 

Japan – Bulgaria 0 – 3 (23-25,23-25, 29-31)

Japan: Miyashita 1, Kimura 15, Iwasaka 2, Nagaoka 4, Oumi 5, Harai , Sato (L) and Ishida, Hashimoto, Shinnabe 9, Ebata 5, Kawashima 1
Bulgaria: Kitipova 5, Vasileva 19, Ruseva 6, E. Nikolova 11, Rabadzhieva 13, S. Filipova 6, M. Filipova (L) and D. Nikolova, Zarkova 3, Karakasheva, Nenova

It was the first time the two had met in the World Grand Prix and the first time the Bulgarians had defeated Japan in any competition.

Japan started out cold and coach Masayoshi Manabe called his players off court after an errant hit by Miyu Nagaoka with the score at 1-5. Another wayward strike saw Bulgaria to an 8-2 advantage at the first technical timeout and that was to prove too big a mountain to climb for Japan, but only just. Manabe called his second timeout at 6-13 following a good block point and a kill by Emiliya Nikolova. The Bulgarian blocked Nagaoka on the next play and her team were eight points ahead at the second TTO. Bulgaria coach Marcello Abbondanza called a timeout when Japan reeled off three straight points to make the score 19-13 and did the same again when Japan closed to 21-17. As Japan found their feet, the Bulgarians got jittery and the gap narrowed to 21-19.  They earned four setpoints with a nice crosscourt kill by Elitsa Vasileva and they needed all of them as Japan nearly pulled off a remarkable escape following spikes by Yukiko Ebata and Saori Kimura and a block by Ebata. But Strashimira Filipova sent down a big hit to end the set at 25-23 and put her team 1-0 up.

Neither team played convincing volleyball at the start of the second set, but the Bulgarians still held the edge. They led 8-6 at the first TTO before a couple of errors allowed Japan to level at 10-10. Three big points by Vasileva opened up a three-point gap, but a nice tipover by Ebata and two aces by Nana Iwasaka saw the teams level again. Bulgaria were two up at the second TTO but a solid block by Kimura on Filipova saw Japan lead for the first time in the match at 17-16. Bulgaria got the jitters again and Japan were up by three points. But Aimi Kawashima served long before two good points by Dobriana Rabadzhieva drew the teams level at 20. Bulgaria got a big break at 21-21 when Rabadzhieva’s serve trickled over the net. Ebata then blew two kills wide and Bulgaria had three setpoints. Again, they needed them after spikes by Ebata and Kimura made the score 24-23, but Nikolova sent a spike through the Japanese defence to put her team 2-0 up.

Risa Shinnabe came up with four points in the first phase of the third set, and a big thump down the middle saw Japan 8-5 ahead at the first TTO. Abbondanza called a timeout a point later, but Japan weren’t firing on all cylinders and allowed Bulgaria to level at 11-11. Manabe called a timeout at 12-14 to try and settle his players but his team dropped the next two points. Rabadzhieva delivered some more power hits and after an ace by Lora Kitipova gave Bulgaria the lead at 22-21, Manabe called a timeout. Abbondanza did likewise when a block by Iwasaka saw Japan into a 23-22 lead. Akari Oumi then plonked her next serve into the net. Two huge blocks by Iwasaka brought Japan their first set point, but they couldn’t convert as the two teams traded points to 29-29. A shot wide handed Bulgaria their fifth matchpoint and Rabadzhieva finally killed off Japan’s challenge.

Team Stats:

ActionsSpike pointsSpike %BlockServeDigReceptionSets noteUnforced ErrorsJapan4635%752259%9.3324Bulgaria4943%1221131%2.6719

 

 Team Leaders:

Actions/PlayersPointsSpike pointsSpike %Spike errorsBlockServeUnforced ErrorsSaori Kimura211843%4025Elitsa Vasileva191670%2302

 

Descriotions: FIVB

Yesterday ended championship for NORCECA zone – North America and Caribbean. American team had almost no tougher opponents. Only one team, which stole USA a set, was their final rival – Dominican Republic.

Play Off Round Results:

Places 7th-9th:
Cuba – Saint Lucia 3-0 (25-6 25-15 25-6)
Costa Rica – Cuba 1-3 (24-26 25-23 15-25 22-25)

Quarterfinals:
Canada – Trinidad & Tobago 3-0 (27-25 25-11 25-22)
Puerto Rico – Mexico 3-0 (25-16 25-22 25-19)

Places 5th-6th:
Trinidad & Tobago – Mexico 0-3 (23-25 19-25 22-25)

Semifinals:
Dominican Republic – Puerto Rico 3-1 (25-18 26-24 19-25 25-21)
United States – Canada 3-0 (25-22 25-14 25-15)

Places 3rd-4th:
Puerto Rico – Canada 3-0 (25-23 25-16 25-16)

Final:
Dominican Republic – United States 1-3 (19-25 24-26 25-21 19-25)

All tournament was quite easy to predict. As I expected the best team: USA and Dominicana met each other in final battle. Quite nice background for these two were Puerto Rico with almost the best roster (only missing was setter Vilmarie Mojica) and Canada. The biggest disappointment was Cuba, without 3 escapers from this year: setters Ana Cleger and Lilianny Marcillan and wing spiker Yoana Palacio, team took only 7th place. With these 3 they could fight for a medal, in Pan-Am Cup Cuban team lost vs. Puerto Rico after tiebreak.

USA winning NORCECA Continental Championships secured place in World Grand Champions Cup, in November in Japan. Their ooponents there will be Japan (host), Russia (European Champion), Brazil (South American Champion, tournament is still running), Thailand (Asian Champion) and team with Wild Card (most likely it will be Germany or Korea, we should wait for FIVB decision).

Individual Awards:
Most Valuable Player: Kelly Murphy (United States)
Best Spiker: Kelly Murphy (United States)
Best Setter: Alisha Glass (United States)
Best Blocker: Sinidad Jack (Trinidad & Tobago)
Best Server: Jordan Larosn-Burbach (United States)
Best Receiver: Debora Seilhamer (Puerto Rico)
Best Digger: Brenda Castillo (Dominican Republic)
Best Libero: Janie Guimond (Canada)
Best Scorer: Karina Ocasio (Puerto Rico)

All-Star Team of tournament:
Setter: Alisha Glass (United States)
Opposite: Kelly Murphy (United States)
Outside Hitters: Bethania De La Cruz (Dominican Republic), Aurea Cruz (Puerto Rico)
Middle Blockers: Sinead Jack (Trinidad & Tobago), Candida Arias (Dominican Republic)
Libero: Janie Guimond (Canada)

Source: NORCECA

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The Italian Diatec Trentino booked their tickets to the Playoff 12 round of the 2014 DenizBank Champions League, whereas the German Berlin Recycling Volleys made another step toward the same goal. The two respective country champions outclassed Arkas Izmir and Energy Investments Lugano one more time after the convincing away victories before the month-long pause.

Released from the burden of high expectance, the Turkish champions Arkas had their chances in the Italian Alps. It would be far-fetched to state Trentino were wildly motivated at the beginning of the game, but the decent performance of their guests made them sweat, especially in the second set. Urpo Sivula was once again shaky and most of the danger came from the two outside attackers John Gordon Perrin and Tine Urnaut. The Slovenian took Sivula’s opposite position after the latter sat on the bench in the second part. The inability of Hoag‘s lads to tie up the score totally demoralized them and Trentino could do whatever they want on the field from then on.

“We have brought home 3 important points. They basically make sure we will advance to the Playoffs 12, for we will at least finish among the second ranked teams with the best score. As I said before the match, Arkas has become much stronger compared to the first match we played in Turkey. Nevertheless, we could win thanks to our good performance in block and defense and managing difficult actions and situations. I am satisfied, as I saw the team I expected to see, especially in the hardest sections of the match”, stated local coach Roberto Serniotti.

Diatec Trentino – Arkas Izmir 3-0 (25-21, 26-24, 25-15)

Diatec Trentino: Suxho 2, Ferreira 15, Birarelli 6, Sokolov 17, Lanza 5, Sole 10, Colaci – libero, Szabo 1, Burgsthaler
Arkas Izmir: Ramazanoglu, Perrin 11, Kamnik 5, Sivula 5, Urnaut 11, Koc, Yesilbudak – libero, Gokgoz 5, Gulmezoglu, Capkinoglu 5

The Bundesliga titleholders surely did not start defending their domestic title in the brightest possible way, but enjoy rather friendly winds in Europe. The Swiss Lugano was beaten in the packed Max-Schmeling-Halle and thus the Berlin side assured themselves of at least a second position in Pool D. Lugano could only cope up with their German hosts in the opening set which eventually went in favour of the crowd’s favourites. The big difference that night came at the net where Berlin dominated by eleven stuff blocks to only three for the visitors. The Slovak international Tomas Kmet scored seven of them and together with Lugano’s opposite Felipe Airton Bandero was the game’s highest scorer.

Berlin Recycling Volleys – Energy Investments Lugano 3-0 (25-21, 25-18, 25-18)

Berlin Recycling Volleys: Shoji 3, Kromm 9, Kmet 14, Carroll 7, Touzinsky 9, Lisinac 9, Krystof – libero
Energy Investments Lugano: Garnica 1, Roberts 4, Lehtonen 7, Bandero 14, Bruschweiler 9, Simac 4, Rosic – libero, Mariano 4, Rizo Gonzalez

Pictures: CEV

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Day 2 in Pool B of FIVB Womens WCH gave us a lot of interesting emotions. The most interesting match was the so called Balkan derby between the teams of Serbia and Bulgaria.

But let’s begin with the first one.

Turkey has gained first three points in the tournament after outclassing Canada by 3-0 (25-10,25-12, 25-17). The girls around Massimo Barbolini had the leadership during the whole match and didn’t allow any big surprises. Ozsoy Neriman was called best scorer with 16pts.

Barbolini was pleased with the match and told he wants his squad to continue on this way : “We understood that we are going to have an easy match, but despite this fact my players stayed concentrated and this is why I am pleased. We tested our real strength”.

On the other hand the Canadian head coach Arnd Ludwid seemed to be disappointed by the result : “We couldn’t find the way to use our opportunities in the end of each set. I think the pressure on us was quite a lot. Turkey was excellent on serve and attack, and had caused serious problems to our reception”.

The second match in Pool B was Brazil vs. Cameroon.

The Olympic Queens haven’t had any problems with their opponent  and beat them 3- 0 (25:14; 25:15; 25:18).  During the whole match Brazil had the leadership and kept an aggressive tempo. The most wonderful thing happened not on the court but among Brazil’s and Cameroon’s supporters. Both were cheering up for their teams and smiling. The atmosphere in Pala Trieste was like a real sports holiday and reminded us of the true values of volleyball.

The Brazilian head coach Ze Roberto was very happy after the match not only for the result but for the atmosphere. He thanked all the Cameroons fans, players and coach staff : “I am always happy when I see that someone is putting his soul into a technical effort. I wish only the best to Cameroon, I hope that they’ll qualify for Rio 2016. Their fans are amazing- one cannot see dances, photos and smiles after a loss, but Cameroon’s supporters proved that it is possible”.

Jean-Rene Akono, head coach of Cameroon, was on the same opinion: “ I told my girls to enjoy the game, of course we can improve in the next matches. Thanks to the Brazil team for the photos after the match- it is like a gift for us”.

The real volleyball battle in Pool B was in the match Serbia vs. Bulgaria, which was named the Balkan derby. Both teams showed quality play and made the spectators in Pala Trieste feel happy for having seen such a great volleyball. The intrigue in the match was kept during the whole time as Serbia took the leadership with 1- 0 (25:19), but Bulgaria answered with 1-1 (23:25). The players of Zoran Terzic won the third set (25:19) and were only set way from the final win. Elena Koleva and Strashimira Filipova from Bulgaria led their team to the win in the fourth set (25:18) and so all the volleyball lovers expected the tie break. In this tense moments both teams played very well, but in the end Serbia closed 15-12 in their favor.

The head coach of Bulgaria Vladimir Kuziytkin was pleased with the team spirit his girls showed : “ I want to congratulate Serbia for the win. I think that both teams showed good play. My players showed a fighting spirit and this matters most to me. I think that we could have won but sometimes what we wish for is not turning in reality.”

Zoran Terzic surprised the journalists in the press conference hall after telling that he is happier that his squad won 3-2 and not 3-0 : “I know that it might sound strange but I prefer this result because it shows a good team spirit and the availability of my players to manage with difficult situations. We know that our group is a very tough one, this is why I didn’t expect to have5 pts.on the second day.” 

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Baku, Azerbaijan, June 28, 2015. On Sunday morning Germany’s mentor Vital Heynen had shared his optimism ahead of the gold medal match with Bulgaria tweeting he had slept extremely well and thought this was a good omen for the final act of the men’s Volleyball tournament at the Baku 2015 European Games. He was proved right in the end since his guys claimed the coveted gold medal that the Belgian mentor had set his sight on already weeks – if not months – ago. The players captained by Jochen Schöps accomplished this feat by showing nerves of steel following a dramatic third set where they missed out on a two opportunities to finish it off but they deservedly started their celebrations at the end of the fourth stanza (25-16, 25-18, 29-31, 25-21). 

This is Germany’s first ‘major’ international title in more than four decades – with the only exception being their European League gold in 2009 – and more specifically since the former German Democratic Republic had triumphed at the 1970 World Championships in Sofia. Russia complete the podium of the first ever European Games following their 3:1 win (26-24, 23-25, 25-23, 25-23) over Poland in the bronze medal match. 

Bulgaria vs. Germany 1:3 (16-25, 18-25, 31-29, 21-25) 

Both Bulgaria and Germany got to play their first ‘major’ final in decades; though Germany had claimed gold in the 2009 edition of the CEV Volleyball European League and bronze at last year’s FIVB World Championships in Poland, this was the first time they got the chance to vie for a ‘major’ title since the former East Germany had topped the charts at the 1970 World Championships held in… Sofia. Back then Bulgaria was the team standing on the other side of the net and as hosts of the World Champs the ‘Lions’ had to settle for the silver, the same medal they had to be content with 10 years later at the Moscow Olympics, their last ‘major’ final to date which they lost to the Soviet Union. 

Bulgaria’s resume also includes three bronze medals from the 2006 World Championships, 2007 World Cup and 2009 Europeans but as an emotional team captain Todor Aleksiev had stated after the victorious semi-final match with Poland, Sunday was some kind of D-Day as Bulgaria finally had the chance to fight for the most coveted place of the podium, waiting for the Final Round of this year’s European Championship to take place on home soil in Sofia and Varna.  

The final match was definitely a special occasion for Bulgaria’s sports community that on Saturday had celebrated their first gold medal at the Baku 2015 European Games in Badminton and the country’s President Rosen Plevneliev was also in attendance taking his seat on the VIP tribune of Crystal Hall already during the warm up of his compatriots in green shirts. Germany, on the other hand, were cheered on by their colleagues of the women’s national team whose European Games adventure had come to an end already on Tuesday in a dramatic quarter-final with Poland. 

After skipping this year’s World League and travelling to Baku with almost all of their best players – but a couple of exceptions including György Grozer – Germany were spotted as the favourites going into the tournament and after an initial upset in their opening match with Russia they had indeed swept six wins in a row on the way to the ‘grand finale’. The real ‘man of the match’ from the semi with Russia, Christian Fromm opened his personal quest for gold with two straight points and an ace by Marcus Böhme contributed to Germany’s first positive break at 7:4. The march of the guys in golden shirts continued with almost no hesitation (16:9, 20:12) and they eventually brought the opening set to an end with a fairly comfortable 25-16 on a spike killed by – yet again – Christian Fromm.  

The story repeated itself also in the second set with Germany dictating the tempo of the game right from the early stages of this stanza (6:3, 10:6) and the players of Bulgaria looking almost hopeless as they did not seem able to find a way to stop a German team that was working like a perfect winning machine. Christian Fromm – who this year had a fairly good season in Italy with Sir Safety PERUGIA making the Playoffs 6 of the CEV DenizBank Volleyball Champions League – continued to leave his mark on the match propelling a 16:11 lead for his side at the second technical time-out. Setter Lukas Kampa orchestrated Germany’s wide array of spiking options in a superb way and a missed serve by Jani Jeliazkov sealed the final 25-18 win for Germany that at this stage was only one set way from a historic gold medal. 

As for Bulgaria, the third set was on the other hand a make-or-break bout but the road was not easy at all as the ‘Lions’ trailed 5:8 at the first technical time-out. The men around 1996 Olympian Nikolay Jeliazkov attempted a comeback that resulted in the score being levelled at 10 and then again at 18. At this stage Vital Heynen stopped the actions and the break seemed to have worked really well since his guys re-started their quest for gold by scoring two straight points, including an ace by their captain and absolute leader Jochen Schöps. The drama followed later on as Bulgaria tied again at 21, and Svetoslav Gotsev stamped a block to claim a first-time lead for his side at 22:21. Bulgaria’s back-up setter Dobromir Dimitrov’s missed serve contributed Germany’s first match point but Nikolay Nikolov stayed cool to make it 24 all. A bad reception by Denys Kaliberda helped Bulgaria finish the next rally and get their first set ball, Germany responded well, a net fault by Fromm provided Bulgaria with their second opportunity to stay alive, and the drama continued until a Bulgarian block stamped the final 31-29 to stretch the final to at least a fourth stanza. 

 

At this point the question was if Germany was going to suffer a psychological blow after missing out on their chances to finish it off in three sets but following a shaky start (0:2) they got back on track and the teams exchanged the lead back and forth up until Germany edged ahead at 13:10. A massive German block propelled the guys in golden shirts – another good omen apart from Vital Heynen’s good sleep from last night! – to an 18:13 lead and this time around they fully capitalised on it bringing the set, the match and the Volleyball competition of the first ever European Games to a happy end with a back-row attack by the always outstanding Christian Fromm (25-21), top scorer in the end with 21 points.  

Final standing 

1.    Germany 
2.    Bulgaria 
3.    Russia 
4.    Poland 
5.    France 
       Serbia
       Slovakia 
       Turkey 
9.    Belgium 
       Finland 
11.  Azerbaijan 
       Italy 

Press Release& Photo: CEV (www.cev.lu)

 

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The pilot in the January helicopter crash that killed Kobe Bryant, his young daughter and several others erroneously reported that the aircraft was climbing and may have been disoriented, according to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).

Hundreds of pages of documents related to the NTSB’s analysis of Bryant’s accident were released Wednesday and indicate that the pilot, Ara Zobayan, was attempting to avoid cloud cover when he crashed into a California hillside.

“During the final descent the pilot, responding to [communications from air traffic control], stated that they were climbing to four thousand [feet],” the report reads.

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“Calculated apparent angles at this time show that the pilot could have misperceived both pitch and roll angles,” it adds.

The documents also include photos and reconstructions of the crash scene, but NTSB officials warned that a final conclusion on the crash should not yet be drawn.

“The docket contains only factual information collected by NTSB investigators; it does not provide the final report, nor does it contain analysis, findings, recommendations, or probable cause determinations. As such, no conclusions about how or why the crash occurred should be drawn from the information within the docket. Analysis, findings, recommendations, and probable cause determinations related to the crash will be issued by the NTSB in a final report at a later date,” reads the NTSB’s news release.

Bryant’s widow Vanessa Bryant is suing the helicopter rental company, Island Express, as well as the owner of the vehicle for negligence over the Jan. 26 crash that killed her husband and daughter, Gianna, as well as seven others. The rental company has denied responsibility.

The House Armed Services Committee will conduct its own investigation into the coronavirus outbreak aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier, its chairman said Friday.

Chairman Adam SmithDavid (Adam) Adam SmithOvernight Defense: Navy won’t reinstate fired captain | Dems probe use of federal officers in DC | Air Force appoints woman as top noncommissioned officer House panel launches investigation into Roosevelt coronavirus outbreak after captain’s firing upheld House panel again presses Pentagon leaders to testify on military’s role in protests MORE’s (D-Wash.) announcement comes after the Navy released the results of its probe, including a decision not to reinstate Capt. Brett Crozier, who was removed from command of the ship amid the initial uproar over the outbreak.

“The department’s civilian leadership portrayed Capt. Crozier’s decision-making aboard the Roosevelt as the critical weakness in the Navy’s response, but the truth is that civilian leadership was also to blame,” Smith said in a statement.

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“In order to better understand the full range of mistakes that were made throughout the entire chain of command, the House Armed Services Committee has launched an investigation into the COVID-19 outbreak aboard the Roosevelt,” he added.

In April, Crozier was fired by then-acting Navy Secretary Thomas Modly after a letter he wrote pleading for help with the outbreak leaked in the media. Modly himself resigned after he gave a speech aboard the Roosevelt berating Crozier.

The virus ultimately infected more than 1,000 crew members, killing one.

Navy leaders had initially recommended reinstating Crozier in April at the conclusion of a preliminary investigation.

But the Navy said Friday that a more thorough investigation revealed Crozier made serious errors in judgment, including not adhering to protocols such as social distancing to stem the virus’s spread on the ship and being slow to evacuate sailors from the ship when it arrived in Guam.

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“Had I known then what I know today, I would have not made that recommendation to reinstate Capt. Crozier,” Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Michael Gilday said at a press briefing. “Moreover, if Capt. Crozier were still in command today, I would be relieving him.”

In addition to upholding the decision to fire Crozier, the Navy is suspending the promotion of Rear Adm. Stuart Baker, the one-star commander of Carrier Strike Group 9 and the senior officer onboard the Roosevelt at the time of the COVID-19 outbreak.

In his statement, Smith said that “everyone up and down the chain of command had a role to play in the inadequate response.”

“While the committee works on our own investigation, it is my hope that the Navy will learn from this series of mistakes,” Smith said. 

“The COVID-19 pandemic is far from over,” he added. “The Navy and DoD will continue to grapple with the challenges presented by the pandemic for months to come. Civilian leadership at the Department of the Defense is crucial to our national security, and as such they must be held accountable as we move forward.”

Rep. Mac ThornberryWilliam (Mac) McClellan ThornberryHouse panel launches investigation into Roosevelt coronavirus outbreak after captain’s firing upheld Overnight Defense: Trump plan to pull troops from Germany gets bipartisan pushback | Top GOP senator says it’s time to look at changing Confederate-named bases | GOP divided over renaming Army bases Trump’s move to pull troops from Germany draws bipartisan warnings MORE (R-Texas), the ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee, said in his own statement that it “is clear that there are lessons to be learned and improvements that must be made.”

Thornberry also declined to specifically comment on Crozier, saying he does “not believe it is appropriate for Members of Congress, who are outside the chain of command, to comment on individual personnel actions. Doing so is too often unfair to the individual service members involved and their leadership.”

In the Senate, Sens. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Chris Van HollenChristopher (Chris) Van HollenTrump to host 4th of July event despite pleas from lawmakers to cancel Overnight Defense: Navy won’t reinstate fired captain | Dems probe use of federal officers in DC | Air Force appoints woman as top noncommissioned officer House panel launches investigation into Roosevelt coronavirus outbreak after captain’s firing upheld MORE (D-Md.), who previously requested an inspector general investigation into the situation on the Roosevelt, said they have “serious reservations” about the decision not to reinstate Crozier.

“We will carefully review the Navy’s report, but we are disappointed that the initial recommendation to reinstate Captain Crozier has been rescinded without any major new findings of fact,” Blumenthal and Van Hollen said in a joint statement. “When the COVID-19 pandemic was beginning to take hold, there was no formal training in place and the military was responding — like the rest of the world — without clearly defined safety precautions. The Navy’s decision now seems to apply a retroactive standard and after-the-fact procedures and practices to justify Capt. Crozier’s firing.”

The recession caused by the coronavirus could have a bigger impact on emissions than the earlier stay-at-home orders tied to the pandemic, experts say.

Researchers found that emissions dropped by as much as 17 percent worldwide at the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak as travel plans and daily commutes to work and school came to a halt.

But experts say that decline is likely to rebound to pre-coronavirus levels, unless a protracted recession takes hold.

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“The economy is dependent on energy,” said Steve Davis, a professor at the University of California, Irvine. “If you’re making stuff, you need heat and electricity to make that stuff. Then you need oil to deliver that stuff. So when the economy slows down, you get less consumption demand as people do less and make less.”

Research has found that emissions dip when there’s an economic downturn, whether it’s the oil crisis of the late 1970s or the financial crisis surrounding the Great Recession.

That recession, from 2007 to 2009, led to a 10 percent drop in U.S. emissions, according to research by Davis and others.

Emissions typically rebound alongside the economy, but a lengthy recovery accompanied by potential changes in consumer behavior could keep emissions lower for a longer period.

“Emissions were down one-sixth, and now they’re only down one-twentieth globally,” said Rob Jackson, an environmental scientist at Stanford University and head of the Global Carbon Project, as emissions levels tick back up in China, the U.S. and elsewhere.

“Now we’re moving quickly back to close to normal. But if close to normal lasts a long time, we could see a sustained drop in emissions that’s meaningful.”

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The length of the virus’s presence and the sheer toll on the global economy mean the recovery could take years — not an ideal way to slow emissions, experts emphasized.

The combination of a faltering U.S. economy, with 13.3 percent unemployment, and fear of the coronavirus could keep tens of millions of people from resuming their typical driving and consumption habits.

“What’s interesting and what we don’t know is how this recession is different from previous recessions,” said Klaus Hubacek, an environmental economist affiliated with the University of Maryland.

“It’s going to be a much deeper recession; it’s going to be larger and there might be structural changes that are difficult to predict.”

The success of teleworking has prompted some companies to embrace the practice, encouraging employees to continue working remotely if it suits them. And the proliferation of online meeting software gives companies the option of reconsidering travel for short meetings.

At the same time people may increasingly turn to their cars as their preferred mode of transportation, spurning public transit and carpooling in an effort to keep their distance from others.

“It’s not just about stay-at-home orders but the lack of comfort people have to integrate into societies,” said Robert Stavins, an environmental economist at Harvard University.

Researchers say they’re not yet sure what the overall effect on emissions will be as people change their habits.

“I don’t know where transportation will end up,” Jackson said. “This recession is different in that most of the emissions decrease came from transportation. We stayed at home in this recession in ways we didn’t in the past.”

“People are not going to jump back on airplanes anywhere near what we used to in the past any time soon,” he said, while noting that it’s too to say whether an increase in car use might offset that.

It’s also tough to sort out how the recession will affect the energy industry.

Oil companies have made major cuts in response to lower fuel prices, while the renewable energy industry has lost more than 600,000 jobs.

“Fossil fuels are getting hit harder than renewables. They’re both getting hit, but fossil fuels are getting hit harder,” said Glen Peters, research director at the Center for International Climate Research.

“If a few more fossil fuel companies fall off the cliff while renewable companies don’t,” the clean energy sector could be in a stronger position going forward, he said.

Many environmental economists and green activists have been pushing for investments in clean energy as a way to both reduce emissions and spur economic growth.

The European Union is pushing a so-called Green Deal that would transition Europe to a net-zero economy by 2050. The plan predated the virus, but the idea, which is expected to cost at least $1.12 trillion, has taken on new significance as leaders weigh methods to inject money into the economy.

Discussions in the U.S. have been far less concrete, as Democrats push for measures to assist renewables, while efforts to aid the struggling fossil fuel industry have largely come from the right.

The International Energy Agency is calling on countries to invest $1 trillion globally over three years in renewables, modernizing the electric grid and retrofitting buildings to improve energy efficiency.

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“Governments have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to reboot their economies and bring a wave of new employment opportunities while accelerating the shift to a more resilient and cleaner energy future,” Fatih Birol, the IEA’s executive director, said in a statement.

But even those supportive of such investments say addressing the underlying public health issues that caused the economic collapse is the biggest key to fixing the economy.

“In order for the economy to truly recover, it will be necessary that we get beyond the pandemic,” Stavins said.

“That requires one of two things: herd immunity or a vaccine.”

Happy Thursday and welcome back to On The Money. I’m Sylvan Lane, and here’s your nightly guide to everything affecting your bills, bank account and bottom line.

See something I missed? Let me know at slane@thehill.com or tweet me @SylvanLane. And if you like your newsletter, you can subscribe to it here: http://bit.ly/1NxxW2N.

Write us with tips, suggestions and news: slane@thehill.com, njagoda@thehill.com and nelis@thehill.com. Follow us on Twitter: @SylvanLane, @NJagoda and @NivElis.

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THE BIG DEAL—Trump says ‘decoupling’ from China on the table: President TrumpDonald John TrumpOklahoma venue management asks Trump campaign for health plan ahead of rally Pompeo slams Bolton account as spreading ‘lies,’ ‘fully-spun half-truths’ and ‘falsehoods’ Twitter flags Trump tweet featuring fake CNN chyron as ‘manipulated media’ MORE on Thursday said options to “decouple” the U.S. economy from China were on the table.

• Decoupling refers to a process of separating the two countries’ intertwined economies and supply chains, which would amount to a major economic realignment.
• On Wednesday, U.S. Trade Representative Robert LighthizerRobert (Bob) Emmet LighthizerGOP senator warns quick vote on new NAFTA would be ‘huge mistake’ Pelosi casts doubt on USMCA deal in 2019 Pelosi sounds hopeful on new NAFTA deal despite tensions with White House MORE testified before the House Ways and Means Committee that he didn’t think a full decoupling was possible, though he favored moves to bring supply chains back to the United States. 

“It was not Ambassador Lighthizer’s fault (yesterday in Committee) in that perhaps I didn’t make myself clear, but the U.S. certainly does maintain a policy option, under various conditions, of a complete decoupling from China. Thank you!” Trump tweeted Thursday afternoon.

The Hill’s Niv Elis explains here.

The background:

• The issue of decoupling has resurged in foreign policy circles as the U.S.-China relationship has become increasingly combative. The trade war, followed by the hunt for key health supplies during the COVID-19 pandemic, put a spotlight on the idea of reducing dependence on foreign suppliers for certain goods. 
• Similar issues have come up in the field of telecommunications, with officials raising flags that parts manufactured by Chinese giant Huawei could give China a backdoor into U.S. communications if they were used in key infrastructure, such as building 5G networks. 

The catch: But outside of supplies with public health or national security implications, some economists warn that decoupling would amount to building giant trade barriers between the world’s two largest economies, which could send the cost of goods up, reduce economic growth and set the table for an economic cold war.

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LEADING THE DAY

More than 1.5 million file new jobless claims in second week of June: More than 1.5 million Americans filed new claims for unemployment insurance in the second week of June, according to data released by the Labor Department on Thursday.

• In the week between June 7 and 13, the total number of seasonally adjusted initial claims for jobless benefits fell to 1,508,000 from a revised total of 1,566,000 in the first week of June.
• Roughly 760,526 Americans also filed new claims for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, an extension of jobless benefits to workers who lost their jobs during the pandemic but do not qualify for standard unemployment insurance. Slightly more than 705,000 workers applied for those benefits in the first week of June.

What it means: Experts say the millions of new jobless claims filed since the start of June signal how long it could take the U.S. to fully recover from the pandemic-driven downturn. While roughly 15 million unemployed Americans say they expect to return to their pre-pandemic jobs, according to the Labor Department, millions may be unable to come back to work in industries severely restricted by the pandemic.

Read the full story from me here. 

Looming deadline: The Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act signed by President Trump in March added $600 to weekly unemployment benefits, pushing the aid above the average weekly wage in 38 states. 

• Democrats are at odds with Trump and GOP lawmakers over extending those benefits after they expire on July 31 as the economy faces new threats from surging coronavirus cases in Texas, Arizona, Florida and many other states.
• Republicans argue that the enhanced unemployment benefits create a disincentive for people to return to work if they can make more money staying home. 
• Democrats counter that extending the boost will protect high-risk workers from potentially lethal trade-offs while supporting the millions of unemployed who worked in leisure and hospitality, travel, entertainment and other fields where the risk of contracting COVID-19 remains high.

Democrats unveil $1.5 trillion infrastructure plan: House Democrats unveiled a $1.5 trillion infrastructure plan Thursday that calls for a huge increase in funding to repair roads and bridges while expanding broadband access in rural areas.

Democrats described the bill as the biggest legislative effort to fight climate change, with Speaker Nancy PelosiNancy PelosiOn The Money: Trump says ‘decoupling’ from China on the table | More than 1.5 million file new jobless claims in second week of June | Democrats unveil .5 trillion infrastructure plan Overnight Energy: EPA declines to regulate chemical tied to developmental damage | Democrats unveil .5T infrastructure plan | Land management bureau eases requirements for oil, gas royalty cut requests McCarthy slams Bolton book, says it’s a national security risk MORE (D-Calif.) saying the package would “make real the promise of building infrastructure in a green and resilient way.”

“It’s job-creating in its essence, but it’s also commerce-promoting. So it grows the economy of our country,” she said.

The legislation is the latest attempt to advance an infrastructure package that has been discussed since the early days of the Trump administration but continuously fails to gain traction. The Hill’s Rebecca Beitsch breaks it down here.

GOOD TO KNOW

• New York Times: “Black customers risk being racially profiled on everyday visits to bank branches. Under federal laws, there is little recourse as long as the banks ultimately complete their transactions.”
• A group of conservative organizations is urging Treasury Secretary Steven MnuchinSteven Terner MnuchinOn The Money: Trump says ‘decoupling’ from China on the table | More than 1.5 million file new jobless claims in second week of June | Democrats unveil .5 trillion infrastructure plan Bolton book shows nastiness rules at Trump White House Conservative groups urge Mnuchin to extend tax payment deadlines into 2021 MORE to extend the July 15 tax deadlines into next year, arguing that this should be an “immediate priority.”
• President Trump on Thursday announced his intention to nominate Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) senior counsel Caroline Crenshaw to fill an open Democratic seat at the financial regulator.
• Since the start of the coronavirus pandemic in the U.S., Americans have skipped payments on 100 million student loans, auto loans and other forms of debt, according to The Wall Street Journal.
• Stocks on Thursday closed relatively flat after a day of volatility.

Officials from Twitter and Facebook said Thursday that while they have not seen any “coordinated” efforts by malicious foreign groups to spread disinformation around the 2020 elections, the groups’ tactics are changing and evolving.

“We have seen a change in tactics, and this in part is because of the success that we’ve had in clamping down on the inauthentic platform manipulations,” Nick Pickles, the director of global public policy strategy and development at Twitter, testified during a House Intelligence Committee virtual hearing.

Pickles gave the example of online Chinese actors unfavorably comparing the heavy U.S. police response to recent protests over the death of George Floyd to crackdowns on protesters in Hong Kong. 

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“That shift, from platform manipulation to overt state assets, is something that we have observed, and it reminds us we have to be vigilant that the challenges we faced in 2016 aren’t constant, and that this remains an evolving security challenge,” Pickles testified. 

Nathaniel Gleicher, the head of security policy at Facebook, testified that his team was seeing “inauthentic behavior” around the COVID-19 pandemic and in connection to recent protests over the death of George Floyd.

“We definitely see the tactics in this space evolving, and we see the threat actors trying new efforts to get around the controls that are put in place,” Gleicher said. 

He emphasized that while Facebook has not seen any “coordinated inauthentic behavior” from foreign nations targeting voting or voting systems, it was “definitely something we are monitoring.”

Facebook has seen other coordinated foreign activity that it has removed this year. Gleicher testified that Facebook had removed 18 inauthentic networks this year including three based in Russia, two from Iran, and two based in the United States. He also said Facebook removed around 1.7 billion fake accounts from its platform between January and March.  

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“We are up against determined adversaries, and we will never be perfect, but we will continue our vital work to stop bad actors and give people a voice,” Gleicher testified. 

Heavy pressure was put on social media companies following the 2016 elections to make changes and weed out foreign influence operations. 

Former special counsel Robert MuellerRobert (Bob) MuellerCNN’s Toobin warns McCabe is in ‘perilous condition’ with emboldened Trump CNN anchor rips Trump over Stone while evoking Clinton-Lynch tarmac meeting The Hill’s 12:30 Report: New Hampshire fallout MORE, along with U.S. intelligence officials, concluded that the Russian Internet Research Agency (IRA) conducted a sweeping campaign designed to sow discord in the U.S. and sway public opinion against Democratic presidential nominee and former Secretary of State Hillary ClintonHillary Diane Rodham ClintonTwitter, Facebook see new tactics in foreign disinformation efforts Facebook takes down Trump ads featuring symbol used by Nazis to mark political prisoners Redistricting: ‘The next decade of our democracy is on the ballot’ in November MORE.

Facebook estimated in 2017 that around 146 million people may have been exposed to Russian-linked content on both Facebook and Instagram in the run-up to Election Day, while many more were exposed to this content on Twitter.  

Social media groups have stepped up, instituting new guidelines on how to flag, and sometimes take down, content from malicious foreign actors. Facebook on Wednesday rolled out a massive voter registration campaign on its platforms to help Americans gain access to election resources.  

Earlier this week the persistence of the disinformation threat was demonstrated when social media analysis group Graphika published research that found Russian disinformation group “Secondary Infektion,” which targeted the 2016 election, is still active and targeting U.S. officials and other governments.  

On Capitol Hill on Thursday, Rep. Lauren UnderwoodLauren UnderwoodTwitter, Facebook see new tactics in foreign disinformation efforts NRCC turns up heat on vulnerable Democrats over Omar’s call to abolish police Julián Castro launches PAC to support progressive candidates MORE (D-Ill.) introduced legislation designed to bolster federal efforts to defend against disinformation, particularly in light of increasing disinformation during the COVID-19 pandemic.

House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Bennie ThompsonBennie Gordon ThompsonTwitter, Facebook see new tactics in foreign disinformation efforts ‘Defund the police’ movement hits semantics roadblock Democrats see path to ridding Capitol of Confederate statues MORE (D-Miss.) praised the legislation, which would require the Department of Homeland Security to develop methods to identify disinformation and assess the impact of misleading posts on American preparedness for threats.  

“The proliferation of disinformation – whether on public health information or our elections – is a clear national security threat. When we face an emergency, it is imperative we ensure the truth gets through,” Thompson said in a statement. “The Federal government must do more to combat the misinformation threat and help states and localities do the same.”

Republican members of the House Intelligence Committee did not participate in the virtual hearing on Thursday, an issue Committee Chairman Adam SchiffAdam Bennett SchiffTwitter, Facebook see new tactics in foreign disinformation efforts McCarthy slams Bolton book, says it’s a national security risk Lin-Manuel Miranda jabs Bolton over book title’s similarity to ‘Hamilton’ lyric MORE (D-Calif.) said was “unfortunate.”

“Election day is a mere five months away, and malicious actors including Russia, but also others, persist in attempts to interfere in our political system in order to gain an advantage over our country and undermine our most precious right, that to a free and fair vote,” Schiff said.

Rep. Eric SwalwellEric Michael SwalwellTwitter, Facebook see new tactics in foreign disinformation efforts NASCAR bans display of Confederate flag from events and properties Gloves come off as Democrats fight for House seat in California MORE (D-Calif.) warned the officials testifying Thursday, which also included a top Google executive, to be prepared for elections this year.

“I am afraid a storm is coming, and we all need you to be ready,” Swalwell said.