Grumpy Editor

NEW RULE BANS SITTING ON ROME'S FAMOUS SPANISH STEPS

 

Actors Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck on Rome's Spanish Steps

The classic 1953 movie, Roman Holiday, which shows stars Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck sitting on Rome’s famous Spanish Steps, would have brought fines to Paramount Pictures if shot today because of a new regulation, notes Grumpy Editor.

Rome now bans tourists from sitting on the Spanish Steps.  Violators can face a fine up to $280, and up to $450 if caught “making a mess” there. 

Police began patrolling the 136 steps last week and blowing whistles at anyone sitting, eating or drinking on them.

 

The new restriction is accompanied by other rules that prohibit jumping into fountains, rolling suitcases, walking around without a shirt on or engaging in "messy eating" at monuments.

The steps were built in the 18th century and underwent restoration three years ago.

In the movie, Peck portrays a reporter who meets Hepburn as a royal princess out to see Rome on her own.

 

Hepburn's performance won an Academy Award for best actress.  Screenplay and costume design also won Oscars.

 

 

IN CASE YOUR FAVORITE NEWS OUTLETS MISSED THESE...

 

COWS STLL BLAMED.  The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change says agriculture, forestry and other land uses produce nearly half of the world's methane emissions, a greenhouse gas that also comes from cows. But many ranchers argue the cow-climate change connection is overblown. One study says going vegan for a year reduces the carbon footprint by half as much as avoiding a single flight to Europe. That footprint, according to the UN report, contributes to 44% of methane emissions that come from agriculture, forestry and human land use. 

WHAT?  SAY AGAIN.  Here is how a major company chief executive explains a drop in revenue:  “We continue to strive to optimize our business by leveraging our best assets for future growth while managing the segments of our business in secular decline by executing on cost efficiency programs and selective capital investment...we continue to be challenged by ongoing revenue declines, content cost escalations, higher labor costs, and other pressures across the business."

 

MERCURY LEVELS RISE IN FISH.  Mercury levels in popular fish, including tuna, salmon and swordfish, are rising, and climate change and overfishing may be to blame, a new study suggests.

 

SOME GEN Z FOLKS SNUB COLLEGE.  A study by TD Ameritrade finds about one in five Gen Z and young millennials say they may choose not to go to college. Others see a less conventional path through education as a good idea. Over 30% of Gen Z and 18% of young millennials mention they considered taking a gap year between high school and college.

 

ROBBERS GRAB GOLD COINS.  Two Mexico City robbers, in broad daylight, throw a mint's security guard to the ground, take his gun, then grab 1,567 gold coins worth an estimated $2.5 million from an open vault.

 

NATIONAL DOG DAY LOOMS.  Along with an upswing in adopting canines from local shelters, look for dogs to get special treatment --- ranging from new toys to spa treatments ---  on Aug. 26, National Dog Day.

 

BANK ROBBER IDENTIFIES SELF.  A Cleveland bank robber makes things easier for police.  His note demanding money is written on the back side of a document containing his name and address.

 

JAPAN PROMOTES FLYING CAR.  A flying car, from electronics maker NEC Corp., is tested in Japan and hovers steadily for about a minute about 10 feet off the ground.  The Japanese government is promoting flying cars, with the goal of having people zipping around in them by the 2030s.

 

HEADLINE OF THE WEEK.  Brazilian president suggests less pooping to help save environment

 

 

MORE ARABLE LAND BECOMES VULNERABLE TO DESERTIFICATION

While most media are focused on climate change in general, a key element is that the planet is becoming more vulnerable to desertification, the permanent degradation of land that was once arable and good for growing crops, Grumpy Editor observes in a National Geographic story.

As writer Christina Nunez explains it:  “While land degradation has occurred throughout history, the pace has accelerated, reaching 30 to 35 times the historical rate, according to the United Nations. This degradation tends to be driven by a number of factors, including urbanization, mining, farming, and ranching. In the course of these activities, trees and other vegetation are cleared away, animal hooves pound the dirt, and crops deplete nutrients in the soil.”

This contributes to soil erosion, she points out, “and an inability for the land to retain water or regrow plants,” adding “about 2 billion people live on the drylands that are vulnerable to desertification, which could displace an estimated 50 million people by 2030.”

More than 100 countries are affected, she mentions, “hitting some of the poorest and most vulnerable populations the hardest, since subsistence farming is common across many of the affected regions.”

 

IN CASE  YOUR FAVORITE NEWS OUTLETS MISSED THESE...

 

 

AIRCRAFT CARRIER FACES ELEVATOR PROBLEM.  Post-delivery shakedown cruise of the USS Gerald R. Ford is being delayed because only two of 11 elevators needed to lift munitions to the deck of the $13 billion aircraft carrier have been fully installed.  The ship was supposed to be delivered with the "advanced weapons elevators” — moved by magnets rather than cables — in May, 2017. 

 

MILITARY NEWSPAPER TO MARK 75th YEAR.  For veterans who served in the Pacific and beyond from the tail end of World War II (when the Pacific battle was being fought on Okinawa), Pacific Stars and Stripes, the daily military newspaper, marks its 75^th year next May.

 

AMERICAN EXPRESS IRKS SOME CARD HOLDERS.  Some long-time American Express card holders are grumbling with notification that their credit limits are being reduced despite on-time payments and excellent credit status.

 

SOME VEGAS HOTEL RESORT FEES RISE...AGAIN.  Bellagio, Aria and Vdara, Las Vegas Strip casinos operated by MGM Resorts International, are raising daily resort fees to $45, up $6, despite officials earlier this year promising no increase in those sneaky fees for 2019.

 

BASEBALLS FLY OUT OF PARKS.  In major league baseball games, Rawlings balls are flying out of parks this season. Through last week, an average of 2.76 home runs per game is on pace to beat the old record of 2.52 set in 2017.  "I believe the ball has changed, and I don't know why,” says Tony Clark, executive director of the MLB Players Association. 

 

NEWSPAPER LAYOFFS CONTINUE.  Roughly one fourth of newspapers with an average Sunday circulation of 50,000 or more experienced layoffs last year, according to a new Pew Research Center analysis. The layoffs, with mainly mid-market newspapers most likely to be affected, come on top of about one-third of papers in the same circulation range that experienced layoffs in 2017. 

 

SOME ADULTS SEE CURB IN FREEDOM OF SPEECH.  A Rasmussen Reports survey finds 26% of adults believe Americans have true freedom of speech today while 68% disagree, mentioning people have to be careful not to say something politically incorrect to avoid getting into trouble. 

 

$100 BILLS GROW IN CIRCULATION.  For the first time in history, U.S. $100 bills surpassed $1 bills in circulation volume, according to an International Money Fund report. But data show most of the bills aren't being held by Americans. The Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago says nearly 80% of $100 bills -- and more than 60 percent of all U.S bills -- are held overseas.

 

U.S. SUPPLIES FUNDS TO REPAIR WALL --- IN ZIMBABWE.  The U.S. Ambassadors’ Fund for Cultural Preservation grants $475,000 to the Great Zimbabwe Museum to make repairs to the border wall of an 11th century stone fortress that surrounds ruins in its ancient city location. 

 

VETERAN ADOPTS DOG ALSO WITH MISSING LEG.  In Dickson, Tenn., Joshua Ferguson, a veteran who lost a leg in an attack, adopts a dog, with a missing leg, found by fishermen.  Ferguson hopes to train Scooter as a service or therapy dog and visit amputees at local hospitals through a volunteer program.

HOTEL RESORT FEES FINALLY FACE LEGAL ACTION

A resort fee --- a trick charge hotels have been using in recent years to extract additional money from guests --- are finally facing legal action, notes Grumpy Editor.

The fee nicks overnight guests to pay for additional services such as wi-fi, pool and gym access even when not used.

It’s a practice that most Las Vegas Strip casinos, for example, employ, sending unsuspecting guests home grumbling.

Nebraska Atty. Gen. Doug Peterson filed a lawsuit against Hilton Hotels Corp. for its use of resort fees which he terms can “deceive and mislead consumers.”

The lawsuit accused Hilton of hiding the “true price” of hotel rooms to boost profits and seeks to force Hilton to advertise “true prices of its hotel rooms,” pay civil penalties and provide monetary relief to consumers who have been charged.

Peterson pointed out at least 78 Hilton properties in the U.S. charge resort fees ranging from $15 to $45 per room per night.

 

IN CASE YOUR FAVORITE NEWS OUTLETS MISSED THESE...

QUIET PERIOD IN WASHINGTON.  Look for fewer Washington, D.C. datelines over the next few weeks.  House and Senate members are on vacation until Sept. 9.

HOME OWNERSHIP ACTIVITY DIPS.  Home ownership in the U.S. fell for the second straight quarter — to 64.1 percent in the April-June period, from 64.2 percent in the first quarter, down from 64.3 percent in the 2018 second quarter.

HEAT WAVE PUTS EUROPE IN A SWEAT.  A heat wave in Europe late last week set records with 101 degrees in Cambridge, England; 109 degrees in Paris, 107 degrees in Lingen, Germany and 104 degrees in Eindhoven, Netherlands, as examples.

$100 SANDWICH DEBUTS IN LAS VEGAS.  A restaurant on the Las Vegas Strip now offers a sandwich named for Howard Hughes — at $100.  It includes roast beef brisket and prime rib, topped with a truffle sauce.  This compares with earlier times when a casino offered a full dinner plus show for a modest $4.99.

NEWSPAPER BUILDING TO BECOME POLICE HEADQUARTERS.  The city of Reno, Nev. plans to buy the Reno Gazette Journal building on seven acres for $7 million for use as its police headquarters.  The newspaper will settle in a new location that Executive Editor Brian Duggan says "will better suit our news organization's digital future.” 

NEWSPAPER CIRCULATION HITS LOW.  U.S. newspaper circulation, in a 2018 tally, reached its lowest level since 1940.  Total daily print/digital circulation was an estimated 28.6 million with 30.8 million for Sunday, down 8 percent and 9 percent, respectively, from the previous year, according to Pew Research Center’s analysis of Alliance for Audited Media data. 

BBC SHORTENS CLIMATE DOOMSDAY COUNTDOWN.  British Broadcasting Corp., in a climate doomsday countdown, claimed there could be as little as 18 months remaining to “save the planet” from a “global heating crisis.”

TV NEWS AUDIENCE DECLINES.  A new survey finds local TV news audience last year dropped 10 percent for morning news and 14 percent for late night and evening news from the prior year. 

'MANHOLE' WORD SOON WILL BE BANNED IN BERKELEY

 

News writers soon won’t be able to mention “manhole” in Berkeley, California.  It will be a banned word, notes Grumpy Editor.

 

A manhole --- the opening to a confined space such as a shaft or utility vault --- is an access point for an underground public utility, allowing inspection, maintenance and system upgrades.

 

But in Berkeley, where the city council approved an ordinance eliminating gender-preference language in the municipal code, manholes starting in the fall will be termed maintenance holes.

 

It's among 40 gender-neutral terms:

 

“Sibling” will  replace brother and sister.

"Human-made," "artificial" or "manufactured” will take the place of man-made.

 

“Human effort” will substitute for manpower.

Replacing gendered pronouns like "he" and "she" will be "they" or "them."

“Collegiate Greek system residences” will be the new identification of college sororities and fraternities.

 

 

 

IN CASE YOUR FAVORITE NEWS OUTLETS MISSED THESE...

 

 

Tiny print above beer reads "root"

BOY SELLING 'BEER' DRAWS ATTENTION.  Police in Brigham, Utah responded to multiple calls that a young boy was selling ”ice cold beer” at the side of the road. Officers arrived on the scene and discovered the boy's sign had the word "root" in small print over "beer."   Thus, root beer was okay. But the incident brought national attention.

ENTER MILITARY AT 16?  There is a growing debate over whether the U.S. military --- in efforts to overcome one of the toughest recruiting environments in decades --- should consider lowering the minimum enlistment age to 16 from 17.  That would place the age lower than it was during the height of World War II.

 

CAMBODIA NIXES U.S. WASTE.  Cambodia seeks to return 1,600 tons of plastic waste in 83 containers dumped at its main seaport by the United States and Canada after Cambodia’s environmental ministry said the country should not be treated as a “dustbin” for foreign governments.

 

TOYS 'R' US RETURNING.  Toys ‘R’ Us will be making a comeback in November at the Galleria in Houston and Westfield Garden State Plaza in Paramus, N.J.   The initial stores will each be about 6,500 square feet, roughly a quarter the size of former stores.

 

PETTING CAT OR DOG LOWERS STRESS.  Researchers from Washington State University in Pullman have found objective, physiological evidence that 10 minutes spent petting a cat or dog will lower stress levels.

 

737 MAX NAME CHANGE?  Photos shared on Twitter show an aircraft in Ryanair colors outside Boeing's manufacturing base identified as a 737-8200 replacing the former name 737 Max.  It fueled speculation that the troubled Max will be rebranded after two fatal accidents led to a worldwide grounding.

HIGHWAY PATROL RESCUES 250-POUNDER.  California Highway Patrol came to the rescue of a 250-pounder wandering away from home and spotted on the side of the road in Santa Ynez.   Turns out it was a tortoise --- which the CHP delivered to its worried owners.

GANNETT, GATEHOUSE DISCUSS COMBINING.  Gannett Co., owner of USA Today, and Gatehouse Media, which owns many newspapers in small and midsize towns, are in "advanced talks to combine."  

VW's BEETLE REACHES END OF THE ROAD

In case you missed the major Volkswagen news: The Beetle model reached the end of the long-traveled road which goes back to pre-World War II days when German dictator Adolf Hitler sought a “people’s car,” notes Grumpy Editor.

 

The car's original design,  a rounded silhouette with seating for four or five with a nearly vertical windshield and air-cooled rear engine, goes back to Austrian engineer Ferdinand Porsche.

 

After the war, Americans took a liking to “the Bug” and the United States became Volkswagen's biggest foreign market, peaking at 563,522 cars in 1968, or 40% of production.

 

The car was relaunched after World War II to distance it from the Nazi regime and it eventually became heavily associated with hippie culture in the 1960s.

 

Production at VW’s Wolfsburg plant in Germany ended in 1978 when newer front-drive models like the Golf arrived.  Volkswagen revamped the iconic auto in 1998 and 2012 but failed to win mass appeal of the original. VW last year announced it would stop making the ladybug-shaped vehicle in wake of decreased industry demand for compact vehicles.

 

With production moved to Mexico, the last version of the Beetle model rolled off assembly lines last week in Puebla, Mexico.

 

The car was featured in a number of movies.  It was the star of a few films, including "Herbie Fully Loaded" and "The Love Bug,” which featured an anthropomorphic Beetle named Herbie that made a splash on the California racing circuit.

 

The factory in Mexico will shift to producing compact SUVs. 

 

IN CASE YOUR FAVORITE NEWS OUTLETS MISSED THESE...

 

GYROCOPTER ON WAY TO CIRCLING GLOBE.  On his way circling the globe, James Ketchell is piloting a a 16-foot long gyrocopter with 66 stops in 49 states.  He left England on March 31 and expects to return by mid-September after traveling more than 22,000 miles.  No stranger to adventure, in 2010 Ketchell rowed solo across the Atlantic in 110 days.

MAJOR BIG ISLAND ROAD CLOSED TODAY.  On Hawaii’s Big Island, the road to Mauna Kea mountain will be closed today.  Equipment is being delivered to the construction site of a giant $1.4 billion telescope, in the Thirty Meter telescope project.

NEWSPAPERS OFF RACKS AT STARBUCKS.  Starbucks, with about 8,600 U.S. stores, will no longer sell newspapers starting Sept. 1, a move that will affect The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and USA Today. The coffee-serving chain says the move was triggered by "changing customer behavior."  In addition to newspaper stands, Starbucks also will remove shelving fixtures that display whole-bean coffee and different grab-and-go snacks.

U.S., AUSSIES IN MILITARY DRILLS.  U.S. and Australian forces are in massive, month-long military drills Down Under while expectations are that the action will be closely monitored by a Chinese Auxiliary General Intelligence vessel.

JOURNAL OBSERVES 130TH ANNIVERSARY.  The Wall Street Journal is marking its 130^th anniversary.  Says editor Matt Murray:  “As the story has grown, so have we. From a small office in New York, we have become a global operation, with reporters in dozens of countries producing stories in many mediums on multiple platforms for more than 2.6 million subscribers, the most in our history.” He adds, “Even amid great change, the essential mission of The Wall Street Journal has stayed the same: to fairly and factually chronicle the forces that have shaped our times, and to help our readers understand and navigate the world.”

GOP CANDIDATE ASKS FOR MALE BY HIS SIDE.  Robert Foster, a Republican candidate for Mississippi governor, refuses to be interviewed by a female reporter unless he is accompanied by a male colleague, reports Larrison Campbell, a reporter for Mississippi Today, who sought to shadow Foster on a 15-hour "ride-a-long" on his campaign, but was denied because of her sex.  His reason: He was acting out of precaution and did not want to raise any suspicions about his marriage.

ANOTHER NEWSPAPER ENDS PRINT RUN.  The Chicago Defender, the storied African American newspaper, ends print operations after 114 years and switches to a digital-only platform.

HOSPICE SYSTEM GETS TROUBLING REPORTS.  Reports from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services paint a troubling picture of America’s hospice system.  A high 87% of hospices surveyed over a five-year period had a deficiency. Nearly all of the more than 4,500 hospices that provided Medicare were contacted and 300 of them were identified as poor performers.  One-third of hospices had complaints filed against them. 

EXTREME PRIDE IN THE U.S. HITS 18-YEAR LOW: GALLUP

A Galllup Poll finds extreme pride in the country is at an 18-year low, with 45 percent of adults saying they are “extremely proud” to be Americans with 70 percent mentioning they were proud, notes Grumpy Editor.

“Record-low American patriotism is the latest casualty of the sharply polarized political climate in the U.S. today,” finds Gallup.  “The decline reflects plummeting pride among Democrats since Trump took office, even as Republican pride has edged higher.”

“Highest readings on the measure, 69 percent and 70 percent, were between 2002 and 2004, after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, when the American public expressed high levels of patriotism and rallied around the U.S. government,” adds Gallup.

With this, New York Post’s Kyle Smith, in an opinion column, points out:

"American military, economic and cultural power dominates the world (you’ve never heard of the biggest movie made by China or France this year, but they’ve certainly heard of “Avengers: Endgame”). America leads the world in Nobel laureates, and it isn’t close. America leads the world in the success of our middle class, and it isn’t close. True, America has more poor people than some other countries — but that’s because we let in millions of people from poor countries. Saying “America has a poverty problem” is like saying, “Florida has a high death rate.” Florida doesn’t kill people, it just attracts a lot of old ones." 

 

IN CASE YOUR FAVORITE NEWS OUTLETS MISSED THESE...

 

Alfred E. Neuman

 

MAD MAGAZINE LEAVING NEWSSTANDS.  MAD, the magazine instantly recognizable by the gap-toothed smiling face of mascot Alfred E. Neuman (debuting in 1956), will be leaving newsstands after the August issue.   Starting with the issue that goes on sale in October, the long-running satirical magazine will be available only at comic book stores or mailed to subscribers.  Most material will be pulled from cartoons and parodies published over the magazine's 67-year run. The only new material will come in special editions at year's end.

 

LAID OFF NEWS STAFFERS GROWS.  About 3,000 people in the news business have been laid off or been offered buyouts in the first five months of this year.  Cuts have been widespread. Newspapers owned by Gannett and McClatchy, digital media companies like BuzzFeed and Vice Media, and cable news channel CNN have all shed employees.  The level of attrition is the highest since 2009, when the industry saw 7,914 job cuts in the first five months of that year in the wake of the financial crisis, according to data compiled by Challenger, Gray & Christmas Inc., an outplacement and executive coaching firm.

 

EMPLOYED PEOPLE HITS RECORD.  A record 157,005,000 people were employed in June, the most since February and the 19th record of Trump's presidency, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported.  The economy added 224,000 jobs in June, well above the estimate of 160,000.  Meanwhile, the unemployment rate, lowest in 50 years, ticked up a tenth of a point to 3.7 percent.

BOSSA NOVA PIONEER DIES.  Joao Gilberto, 88, Brazilian singer, guitarist and songwriter considered one of the fathers of the bossa nova genre that gained global popularity in the 1960s, died Saturday.  Bossa nova emerged in the late 1950s and gained a worldwide following in the 1960s, pioneered by Gilberto and Antonio Carlos Jobim, who composed the iconic The Girl From Ipanema that was performed by Gilberto and others.

YOUNG FOX WALKS FROM NORWAY TO CANADA.  BBC News reported a young Arctic fox walked across the ice from Norway's Svalbard islands to Ellesmere Island in northern Canada --- 2,176 miles --- in 76 days. To aid in tracking, researchers at Norway's Polar Institute fitted the young female with a GPS device and freed her into the wild in late March, 2018, on the east coast of Spitsbergen, the Svalbard archipelago's main island. The fox was under a year old when she set off on her westward trip.

U.S. ECONOMY SETS RECORD.  The U.S. economy set a record for the most consecutive months without a recession -- 121 -- which dates back to 2009.  Cities that have fared tbest were New York, Los Angeles, Dallas and Miami.  Unemployment peaked at 10 percent in October, 2009 and now is at 3.6 percent, lowest level in 50 years.

FOX NEWS CONTINUES TOP OF LIST.  Fox News finished this year’s  second quarter in precisely the place the network has been for the last 70 consecutive quarters: on top. According to ratings data compiled by Nielsen, Fox News had seven of the top 10 cable news programs and eight of the top 10 among viewers 25-54, the demographic group most valued by national advertisers. 

TESLA SETS RECORD IN DELIVERIES.  Tesla reported 95,200 vehicle deliveries to worldwide customers in the second quarter, breaking its previous quarterly record of 90,700 set in 2018's fourth quarter.

 

 

 

 

 

BEWARE OF FAKE LISTINGS ON GOOGLE MAPS

Something affecting just about everyone seeking to travel somewhere but not getting much play in most media are fake businesses that post listings on Google Maps and lead users astray, noted Grumpy Editor.

The Wall Street Journal tackled the story, noting "listings that show up often contain made-up information."

As Journal writer Katherine Bindley pointed out, "Some fake business listings might just be a popular search term or phrase.  The address might be occupied by an entirely different company, or it might not exist at all.  The phone number might route you to a marketing firm known as a lead-generation business that is paid to forward your call to a service provider."

Google, she added, responded on its effort to combat fake business listings, saying "It's a constant balancing act and we're continually working on new and better ways to fight these scams using a variety of ever-evolving manual and automated systems."

How does one spot a fake business?  Bindley said be wary of business names with keywords such as "best," "dependable" or "emergency."

Also, check the Better Business Bureau and Google the address to see if the same business pops up.

Keep in mind, too, that customer reviews can be faked.

 

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RESCUE DOG INSPIRES LA-Z-BOY.  La-Z-Boy, the furniture company, noted the story of a starving four-month-old puppy found abandoned in a recliner on the side of a remote Mississippi road.  In the care of Brookhaven Animal Rescue League, the puppy is getting back to health after going nearly a week without food. La-Z-Boy contacted Brookhaven to learn more about the puppy and was so moved “by the work behind the organization and the amount of animals that are taken into the shelter each month,” La-Z-Boy said in a statement obtained by PEOPLE, that the company decided to make a donation to the rescue.  Along with funds to Brookhaven, La-Z-Boy also sent the shelter 50 pet beds to ensure shelter residents stay comfortable while they wait forever homes.

INVESTORS CHEER FIRST-HALF MARKET ACTION.  Wall Street wrapped up a booming June and first half of the year as investors cheered the prospects of easier monetary policy from the Federal Reserve and awaited clarity on U.S.-China trade relations.  The Dow rallied 7.2% in June, its best June performance since 1938. 

NORTH KOREA SECURITY GUARDS INJURE TRUMP'S NEW PRESS SECRETARY.  Stephanie Grisham, who recently replaced Sarah Sanders as White House press secretary, suffered bruises when North Korean security guards tried to protect Kim Jong Un from media members covering the DMZ meeting between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

BIBLE, SHOTGUN, FLAG IN PROMOTION.  A Chatom, Ala. car dealership is giving away a Bible, a 12-gauge shotgun and an American flag with the purchase of a new or used vehicle as part of its Fourth of July sales promotion in a “God, Guns and Freedom” campaign that runs until July 31. 

BOATER RESCUES STRUGGLING FAWN.  A boater at California's Folsom Lake, near Sacramento, spotted a struggling baby deer, jumped out of his vessel to rescue the fawn and bring it back to his boat.

PEW FINDS LOCAL TV MORE TRUSTED.  Pew found that local TV is more trusted (mostly by viewers 50 and up) and was still the preferred choice of getting news. But viewership of local TV news continued to decline. 

GOLDEN STATE KING SALMON SEASON JUMPS.  California commercial fishermen reported the biggest king salmon season in a decade.  It came after three years of very low catches stemming from the drought. The boost in catch resulted in a price drop for the coral-pink, fatty fillets to $20 per pound in many markets, down from the $30 to $35 per pound in recent years.

MITSUBISHI MOTORS MOVES U.S. HEADQUARTERS EAST.  After three decades in California's Orange County, Mitsubishi Motors is relocating its North American headquarters to a Nashville, Tenn. suburb.  Japanese automakers have been attracted to lower cost of operations in Southern states.

ALLSTATE CITES AREAS WITH WORST DRIVERS.  Fifteen metro areas with the worst drivers, according to an Allstate study --- along with “risky roads” where most crashes tend to occur:

1. Baltimore, Maryland: Highway 695

2. Washington, D.C.: Highway 295

3. Boston, Massachusetts: Route 93

4. Worcester, Massachusetts: Main Street

5. Glendale, California: 134 Freeway

6. Los Angeles, California: 405 Freeway

7. Springfield, Massachusetts: Interstate 91

8. Providence, Rhode Island: Route 95

9. Alexandria, Virginia: Richmond Highway

10. Oakland, California: Highway 880

11. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Roosevelt Boulevard

12. San Francisco, California: Highway 101

13. Baton Rouge, Louisiana: Interstate 10

14. Pasadena, California: 210 Freeway

15. Hayward, California: Highway 880

MOST PEOPLE AVOID NEWS BECAUSE IT AFFECTS MOOD: SURVEY

 

Some 58 percent of people avoid the news because it has a negative effect on their mood or because they feel powerless to change events, noted Grumpy Editor.

Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism at Oxford University two years ago found 29 percent of those surveyed worldwide said they “often or sometimes avoid the news,” including 38 percent in the United States and 24 percent in Britain.

 

This year those numbers increased to 32 percent worldwide, 41 percent in the U.S. and 35 percent in the U.K.

 

Why do people avoid news?

 

Leading causes for Americans were, “It can have a negative effect on my mood” (57 percent) and “I can’t rely on news to be true” (35 percent).

 

Among comments:

 

     There is never anything positive in the news. It’s always negative, and I’m not a negative person.

 

     I hate hearing or reading a paper that constantly has nothing but bad reports in it.

 

     News organizations have become dependent on sensationalism and shocking news. While I agree that we need to shed light on what is terrible and the atrocities in the world, balance those with what is right in this world.

 

     I haven’t read a newspaper in years. It was all too depressing, and I have enough to read.

 

     I stopped reading newspapers or watching the news when I realized that facts don’t matter anymore.  Pressing a political or commercial interest is all they’re good for, and that isn’t healthy.

 

    Grumpy Editor, meanwhile, observed that broadcast news has become too repetitious with the same headlines carried through the day (without a "fresh" hourly top, as in former days) and sometimes into the next day or two.

 

 

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WORKHORSE DRONE.   Iran’s attack on a U.S. RQ-4A Global Hawk unmanned reconnaissance aircraft flying in international airspace over the Strait of Hormuz marked the first known instance of an adversary shooting down the workhorse drone in its nearly 18-year operational history. 

 

WOMAN TO HEAD U.S. NAVAL WAR COLLEGE. Rear Adm. Shoshana Chatfield, a helicopter pilot who heads a military command in Guam, will be the first female leader of the U.S. Naval War College.  She will replace Rear Adm. Jeffrey Harley, who is being investigated for excessive spending and abusing his hiring authority.

 

FATHERS TEND TO BE BETTER EDUCATED.  A U.S. Census Bureau report finds fathers tend to be better educated than those without children and relatively few men over age 40 have children.  The report also discovered more than 60 percent of the 121 million adult men in the U.S. are fathers and just under a fourth between 40 and 50 are childless.

 

ONLY ONE NEWS CHANNEL CARRIES S.C. DEMOCRATS' GATHERING.  Other news networks were upset Saturday that that the South Carolina Democratic Party decided only one TV outlet — MSNBC — provide live coverage to the South Carolina Democratic Convention where presidential candidates spoke.  Among banned networks:  C-Span which has never been denied live coverage of a state convention in its 40 years.

165-YEAR-OLD BRITISH WEEKLY CLOSES.  An era came to an end on the Scottish island of Bute with closure of one of the United Kingdom's oldest weekly newspapers. The Buteman has recorded the ebb and flow of the island community of just over 6,000 residents 90 minutes from Glasgow for 165 years. With circulation dropping below 1,000, its owners decided to call time. 

ANGELINA JOLIE JOINS TIME MAGAZINE.  TIME announced Angelina Jolie will join the magazine as a contributing editor.  She will write on a variety of topics, focusing primarily on displacement, conflict and human rights.  Jolie’s writing for TIME will draw on her 18 years working with the U.N. Refugee Agency.

GOING AWAY PARTY FOR SARAH HUCKABEE.  A going-away party for departing White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders is slated today at an upscale Washington bar and restaurant.  She plans to depart her post at the end of this week.

BEAR GETS INTO HOUSE, LOCKS DOOR, NAPS.  A black bear in Missoula, Mont. decided he didn't want to be disturbed while taking a nap inside an empty home he entered.  So, somehow, he locked the deadbolt inside, making it difficult for authorities to reach him.  They finally did, and he was relocated. 

LAURA YEAGER BECOMES FIRST WOMAN TO COMMAND ARMY INFANTRY DIVISION

 

After 33 years in the military, Brig. Gen. Laura Yeager will be the first woman to command an Army infantry division, observed Grumpy Editor.  She takes command of California National Guard’s 40th Infantry Division at the end of next week.

“I’m hoping the novelty of the situation will fall away and we can focus on doing the work,” she told Rose L. Thayer, Stars and Stripes writer, mentioning she was also the first woman to hold her previous assignment as commander of Joint Task Force North, U.S. Northern Command at Fort Bliss, Texas.

The daughter of a Vietnam War veteran, Yeager began her active-duty military service in May, 1986, receiving her commission from the California State University, Long Beach, ROTC program. She completed military helicopter training in 1989, and served as UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter aeromedical evacuation pilot.

Yeager deployed to Iraq in 2011 as the deputy commander of the California Guard’s 40th Combat Aviation Brigade, in which she later became the commander.

Members of the 112-year-old 40th Infantry Division fought in World War I, World War II and the Korean War. More recently, division soldiers deployed to Kosovo, Afghanistan, Iraq and other locations around the globe.

Grumpy Editor once served in the 40th Infantry Division as a public information specialist.

 

IN CASE YOUR FAVORITE NEWS OUTLETS MISSED THESE...

 

NATURE VISITS BOOST GOOD HEALTH.   People who spend at least two hours in nature a week are significantly more likely to report good health and higher psychological well being than those who don't visit nature at all during an average week, according to research led by Britain's University of Exeter, published in Scientific Reports.

 

MARIJUANA REVENUE RISES IN COLORADO.  Colorado's department of revenue said the state surpassed $1 billion in marijuana revenue since it legalized cannabis sale in 2014. The revenue included marijuana tax, licenses and fees. Sales topped $6.56 billion.

 

MILITARY SUPPORT NIXED FOR HBO SERIES.  An upcoming HBO series called “We Are Who We Are,” focusing on American military teenagers in Italy --- and seeking U.S. military support and facilities --- won’t have the Defense Department’s support, said Lt. Col. Robert Bockholt, film and television liaison at the Los Angeles office of the chief of public affairs.

 

O.J.'s FAMOUS ROAD TRIP WAS QUARTER OF CENTURY AGO.   It was 25 years ago on this day that  95 million Americans watched as O.J. Simpson participated in the slow-speed car chase of the century on Los Angeles freeways. More people watched Simpson on the freeway system than that year’s Super Bowl.

 

MORE U.S. MILITARY CONSIDERED FOR POLAND.  President Donald Trump is considering moving up to 2,000 troops from Germany to Poland, after that country proposed building a “Fort Trump” in efforts to lure the United States to base a larger American military force there.

 

U. S. COMPANIES WARN ABOUT DAMAGE FROM TARIFFS.  More than 600 U.S. companies and industry trade associations warned President Donald Trump that tariffs on China will damage the U.S. economy, leading to job losses and harm to millions of consumers.

 

SOLDIER TOURS EXTENDED BY ONE YEAR.   Single-soldier tours in Europe and Japan will increase to three from two years in a move designed to save money and boost the combat readiness of overseas units, revealed the Army.  The policy change, affecting 3,000 to 5,000 soldiers a year, applies to all single soldiers who receive unaccompanied travel orders. 

WEATHER FORECAST WAS KEY ELEMENT IN PINPOINTING D-DAY

 

 

 

D-Day events in the past week reminded Grumpy Editor of the excellent, well documented writing by David Eisenhower, the grandson and namesake of Gen. Dwight Eisenhower with “Eisenhower at War 1943-1945,” originally published December, 1986.

 

Its 977 pages, a masterful work that reshapes thinking about World War II in Europe, was nominated for Pulitzer Prize for History. 

 

Along with media keeping mum --- something that would never happen these days --- on the planned landings on the beaches of France, the other major element was the weather, most important on an English Channel crossing, and how word from the Allies' meteorologists made the June 6 invasion a “go.”

 

The book pointed out that “on the strength of a weather forecast (Gen. Eisenhower) decided to launch the invasion on the sixth (of June) instead of postponing it until the nineteenth without having to clear that decision with higher authority,” adding “it was “one of the truly great decisions in military history.”

 

Adverse weather would have curtailed close support of gunships and aircraft.

 

The Germans, who expected bad weather conditions for an invasion, were victims of faulty intelligence.

 

The Luftwaffe was in charge of predicting weather patterns and did not detect the break in the weather charted by the Allies.  The Germans predicted unsettled weather would force at least a two-week delay on any Allied activity toward France.

 

Allies' daily weather analysis, as pointed out in the book, was prepared by a group headed by meteorologist Group Captain Dr. John Stagg, on loan to the Royal Air Force, along with American-British experts drawn from various U.S. and British military sections.

 

 

 

IN CASE YOUR FAVORITE NEWS OUTLETS MISSED THESE...

 

 

BETTER THAN A HAMBURGER?  Justin Sun, 28-year-old founder of cryptocurrency platform Tron and CEO of BitTorrent, provided a record winning bid --- $4,567,888 --- for a three-hour lunch date at a New York steak house with Warren Buffet, Berkshire Hathaway chairman.  Every year, Buffett auctions off the expensive lunch that benefits Glide, a San Francisco charity that fights homelessness and addiction.  Last year's lunch with Buffet went for about $3.3 million.  The winner can invite up to seven friends for the lunch.

MAGAZINES CHANGE ISSUES.  Entertainment Weekly will no longer be a weekly magazine starting in August, when it starts publishing monthly as part of a larger "reimagining" of the brand.  The July 5 issue will be the last weekly.  Meanwhile, Newsweek — which started 80 years ago — will see its last print edition with the Dec. 31 issue.  Then it goes all digital.

MONSTER EYES SPIRITS.  California-based Monster Beverage Corp., leader in energy drinks, is considering branching into selling spirits, malt beverages and hard seltzers.  Coca-Cola owns 18.5% of Monster and distributes the brand through its beverage network. 

CONSUMER REPORTS GETS $6 MILLION DONATION. Consumer Reports received $6 million from Craig Newmark Philanthropies, allowing it to keep a closer watch over digital products and platforms, reported Chris Roush, Talking Biz News.

 

PLENTY OF DOUGHNUTS IN L.A.  National Geographic noted almost 1,500 independent doughnut shops dot the Los Angeles area.

 

TROUBLED NURSING HOMES LIST DUE. The U.S. government soon will start posting a list of about 400 troubled nursing homes and it'll be updated on a regular basis.

 

MARKETING CHIEFS TIME ON JOBS EBBS.  Average time chief marketing officers spent at their jobs at the 100 largest advertisers dipped to 43 months last year from 44 months the year prior, according to research firm Spencer Stuart.

WOULD TODAY’S MEDIA KEEP D-DAY PLANS A SECRET?

 

 

D-Day landing, 1944

 

 

With the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landing in France being observed on June 6, press action — or more precisely inaction at that time — on activity leading up to the event that led to liberation of Europe would never happen today, declares Grumpy Editor.

 

Those representing print and radio at that time were patriotically mum on the most heavily guarded secret on the planet:  Invasion of Normandy across the English Channel.  It was the major turning point in the war.

 

Nowadays most members of the media can't keep a secret, or even a rumor, without firing it off.

 

On that noteworthy day in 1944 surprise was crucial, especially with Germany’s 55 divisions in France.

 

Six parachute regiments, with more than 13,000 troops, flew from nine British airfields in more than 800 aircraft, part of a massive flight of more than 11,000 planes.

 

More than 300 aircraft dropped 13,000 bombs over coastal Normandy in advance of the invasion when more than 160,000 troops stormed the beaches.

 

The main Allied invasion force of almost 7,000 naval vessels carried troops, weapons and heavy equipment, including tanks.  The armada included 1,200 warships that transported the troops and nearly 30,000 vehicles.

 

Ships of various sizes dotted the 100 miles across the channel, stretching as far as the eye could see.

 

True journalists at that time kept the secret that resulted in a surprise landing in Normandy.

 

Most of today’s media, with many members holding political science rather than journalism degrees, simply wouldn’t abide by a top-secret label on a major event.

 

IN CASE YOUR FAVORITE NEWS OUTLETS MISSED THESE…

 

NAVY UNIFORM PATCH UNDER REVIEW.  The federal government was reviewing Defense Department policy regulations on dress code after some service members wore a uniform patch with the words “Make Aircrew Great Again” along with a likeness of Donald Trump during the president’s visit to the USS Wasp in Japan.

WETTEST 12 MONTHS SETS RECORD.  The National Weather Service said there's never been a wetter 12 month period in the past 124 years. The continental U.S. averaged six inches of precipitation above average during the period.

 

PATRIOTIC PARADE GETS SLIM COVERAGE.  Outside of the nation’s capital, there wasn’t much coverage of the thousands of spectators who lined Constitution Avenue to pay tribute to the past and present U.S. military in the National Memorial Day Parade.  Parade participants wore uniforms dating back to the Revolutionary War.  Along with floats, vehicles carried the parade's grand marshals — World War II veterans — as well as Medal of Honor recipients and celebrities.

 

MAN SHOOTS PROWLERS, GETS ARRESTED.  A 64-year-old man was arrested for possession of an illegal handgun after he fatally shot a pair of prowlers burglarizing his home in Deerfield, N.Y.  He told the district attorney the weapon he used in self-defense was his late father’s.   He was charged with felony possession of an illegal handgun.

SINGLE PURCHASE BOOSTS STORE SALES.  Costco performed a price check after noting a nearly $400,000 purchase at one of its stores during its most recent quarter. The lofty price tag was linked to one item — a diamond ring.

 

CANINE RULES TOWN.  Maximus Mighty-Dog Mueller II (Max for short), has been Idyllwild, Calif.’s mayor since 2014. The non-incorporated community in the San Jacinto mountains has has been electing canines for its highest office since 2012.  

 

BANK ROBBER NABBED IN CASINO.  A suspect in at least four armed bank robberies in Massachusetts and Rhode Island was captured as he gambled at the Plainridge Park Casino in Plainville, Mass.

 

CHINESE COUNTERFEIT GOODS CITED.  Military Times reported military and government agencies plus others purchased more than $20 million worth of Chinese-made counterfeit goods designed to look like domestically produced gear from a company that defrauded the government and helped to orchestrate the counterfeiting process between January, 2013 and October, 2018. 

 

51ST STATE LOOMING?  A House committee will hold a hearing July 24 on a bill that proposes Washington , D.C. be recognized as the nation’s 51st state.  The bill calls for two senators and one representative for D.C.

RESTORED WORLD WAR II HISTORIC C-47 READIES FOR D-DAY CEREMONIES

 

WORLD WAR II C-47

 

A great sight few newspaper readers/TV viewers saw:  A vintage World War II aircraft flying over New York's Statue of Liberty the other day on the way to D-Day ceremonies next month, observes Grumpy Editor.

The restored C-47 troop carrier was discovered parked in a Wisconsin boneyard, in poor shape, but the Commemorative Air Force in Texas raised $250,000 to purchase and restore the plane, identified as That's All, Brother.

The twin-engine aircraft was identified as the one that led the main D-Day invasion in the air.

The aircraft returned to Europe following the same route it flew to reach Normandy, France in 1944 --- via Canada, Greenland and Iceland.

To commemorate D-Day, the C-47 will take off from England and fly over Normandy to commemorate D-Day 75th anniversary ceremonies on June 6.

On that day in 1944, more than 160,000 Allied troops landed along a 50-mile stretch of heavily-fortified French coastline, to fight Nazi Germany on the beaches of Normandy.  More than 5,000 ships and 13,000 aircraft supported the D-Day Allied invasion.

That's All, Brother dropped off paratroopers.

Some of those military veterans, now in their 90s, will be on the ground observing the distinguished warplane's flyover.

 

IN CASE YOUR FAVORITE NEWS OUTLETS MISSED THESE...

 

CITY FROWNS ON LARGE U.S. FLAG.  Flags are out in force today, Memorial Day.  But in Statesville, N.C. there’s a controversy over a large American flag flying over Camping World.  The city has filed a lawsuit seeking removal of the flag, fining the company $50 a day going back to Oct. 15, 2018.  Many in the city are backing Camping World.

CHINESE REPORTERS RAISE EYEBROWS.  Germany’s military is investigating what information three Chinese reporters collected while Chancellor Angela Merkel visits a NATO unit.  The Xinhua reporters trigger suspicion by filming military equipment and interviewing soldiers about daily routines.

LAYOFFS IN MULTIPLE NEWSROOMS.   Newspaper giant GateHouse Media is making additional cuts in its U.S. newsrooms, following layoffs in January and February.  The action affects 45 local newsrooms in Florida, Pennsylvania, Texas, Ohio, California and Massachusetts. 

ONE DOG ENTERS CAR, EIGHT LEAVE.  A pregnant dog with a broken leg, left at a kill shelter in Georgia, is rescued by Rebecca Lynch, president of Poodle and Pooch Rescue of Florida.  She and her husband pick up the dog, noting the canine “very pregnant, afraid and confused.”  On route home, the rescued dog gives birth to seven pups in the back seat.  All is well.

 

BURGER KING PLANS AGGRESSIVE EXPANSION IN CHINA.  Despite trade tensions betwen the U.S. and China, Burger King plans to open 1,000 franchised outlets there over the next three years.  It follows 1,000 openings in China 13 years after it entered the country.

 

DOGS WATCH MOVIES, TOO.  Attracting attention is K9 Cinemas in Plano, Texas  allowing theatergoers to bring their dogs to watch movies, too.  Their masters get tickets that come with all the wine they can drink.

 

POLICE CHIEF RESIGNATION SOUGHT.  The San Francisco Police Officers’ Association calls for San Francisco’s police chief to resign after the chief apologized Friday for raiding the home of journalist Bryan Carmody, seeking to identify a confidential source.

U.S. REMAINS WITHOUT AN OFFICIAL LANGUAGE

This may come as surprise to many:  Although English is the primary language in the U.S., it is not the official language at the federal level, reminds Grumpy Editor.

 

However, most states and territories within the U.S. consider English as the official language.

 

People in this country have been speaking languages other than English since before the founding of the republic. 

 

Going back to the 13 colonies, common languages spoken at that time included English, Dutch, French and German, plus languages spoken by Native Americans.

 

Some lawmakers over the years have tried to ensure English is used above all other languages.

 

In 1981, U.S. Sen. S.I. Hayakawa of California introduced an amendment to do just that. But it failed to pass. The Senate tried again in 2006, passing an amendment to a comprehensive immigration bill that would have made English the official language. The bill never passed the House.

 

However, English remains the language of government documents, court proceedings and business contracts.

 

The U.S. is a melting pot of languages with at least 350  spoken.  After English, the top five in terms of native speakers are Spanish, Chinese (including Cantonese, Mandarin and other varieties), French/French Creole, Tagalog and Vietnamese.

 

 

IN CASE YOUR FAVORITE NEWS OUTLETS MISSED THESE...

 

GRUMPY EDITOR SAD TO NOTE GRUMPY CAT DIES.  Grumpy Cat (real name was Tardar Sauce) died from complications from a recent urinary tract infection. The seven-year-old cat brought smiles to millions of people around the world. The feline, with 2.4 million followers on Instagram, inspired some of the most popular memes on social media after her permanent displeased expression was first shared on Reddit six years ago.

SHOOTING NEAR TRUMP RESORT GETS COVERAGE.  Because it was near President Donald Trump's resort in Florida, a shooting outside a rental car facility received broad coverage in U.S. newspapers.

OLDEST MEDAL OF HONOR RECIPIENT DIES.  Bob Maxwell, 98, the nation's oldest Medal of Honor recipient, died in Oregon more than seven decades after grabbing a blanket and throwing himself on a German hand grenade in France to save his squad mates. 

CBS'S KROFT RETIRES FROM 60 MINUTES.  Steve Kroft, 73, the longest-tenured 60 Minutes correspondent, retires at the end of his 30th season on the iconic CBS newsmagazine. His last piece, capping 50 years in journalism, aired on last night's 51st season finale.  His background includes serving in Vietnam and working as a correspondent and photographer for Stars and Stripes and the Armed Forces Network.

BILL PRESS WRAPS UP RADIO SHOW.  Talk radio host Bill Press is ending his daily morning show on May 31 after a 14-year run.  The liberal political commentator and author was chairman of the California Democratic Party from 1993 to 1996.  He’ll begin podcasting next month, focusing on Democratic primaries. 

ROYAL BABY'S FEET GRABS SPACE. A photo of Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, cradling the feet of her newborn son with a bed of spring flowers in the background, makes the rounds in newspapers around the world.

 

ESPN BUILDING LAS VEGAS STUDIO.  ESPN is building a Las Vegas studio, expected to begin operating next year, for producing sports betting news and entertainment.

CRIME HEADLINES OFTEN INCLUDE 'VETERAN,' NOTES NEWSPAPER READER

Are news outlets giving veterans a slap, asks Grumpy Editor.

It seems whenever there are criminal acts by former soldiers, sailors and Marines, the person is identified in headlines and text as a veteran, observes a Nevada newspaper reader (a veteran) who points out the criminal veteran’s status has nothing to do with the story or the criminal act.

 

The reader adds, "I note suspects in many local and national crimes have Hispanic names,” yet he rarely sees the term “illegal” or “undocumented" linked to the perpetrator, especially in headlines.

 

He notes that news outlets seldom identify criminals as white, black, Asian, Hispanic or Native American, so why veteran?

 

“Do the media believe that veterans are somehow tainted because of their military service?” he wonders.

 

 

IN CASE YOUR FAVORITE NEWS OUTLETS MISSED THESE…

 

 

WILL DROUGHT TALK CONTINUE?  Precipitation over the last year (May 2018 to April) in the United States sets a record. An average of 36.2 inches fall over the Lower 48, the first time it tops 36 inches during a 12-month period in more than 120 years of record-keeping.

 

COIN MYSTERY.  Two coins, one minted in Madrid in 1660 and the other made around the 1200s, are found on the ground at Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Utah. Their presence in the desert remains unexplained while other artifacts could remain in the area.

 

TYPO ON 46 MILLION BILLS.  An Australian radio station notices a typographical error on 46 million $50 bills printed by the Reserve Bank of Australia last year.  Seems "responsibility" is incorrectly spelled on about $1.6 billion worth of currency.

 

WALMART PAYS ABOVE MINIMUM WAGES.  Walmart, the nation’s largest employer, pays its U.S. store managers an average of $175,000 a year.  A company report says its one-million-plus U.S. workers earn more than the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour, with the average wage for full-time hourly workers at $14.26.

 

MAJOR NEWSPAPER'S STAFF GONE WITH SALE.  The Times-Picayune, top newspaper in New Orleans --- founded in 1837 --- is sold to its major rival, the New Orleans Advocate. The deal results in the layoff of every member of the Times-Picayune staff.  But some of those may wind up at the Advocate.

BEVERLY HILLS PLANS BAN ON TOBACCO.  Beverly Hills, Calif., home to the rich and famous, may be the nation's first to outlaw the sale of tobacco products everywhere except a few cigar lounges and via concierge or room service in the city's luxury hotels. The Beverly Hills City Council is slated to vote on the measure May 21.

ALLIGATOR IN WOMAN'S PANTS.  A Florida woman pulls a small alligator out of her pants during a highway traffic stop in Punta Gorda. When an officer asks "Do you have anything else?" 42 striped mud turtles and one softshell turtle are found in the woman's vehicle.  Florida is home to more than a million gators, protected under state law.

WALL STREET JOURNAL BOOSTS POLITICAL TEAM.  Preparing for the 2020 elections, The Wall Street Journal is expanding its political team with the hiring of three reporters who will focus on national politics, the White House and Congress.

 

WAITER FINDS BIG CHECK ON TABLE.  Clearing off a table at Patsy’s Pizzeria in Manhattan's East Harlem neighborhood, a waiter finds an envelope containing a $424,000 cashier's check left behind by a customer. The restaurant's owner contacted the Daily News which helped locate the mystery woman, a 79-year-old retired social worker from Manhattan.  The waiter refused a tip for his efforts.

MORE MILLENNIALS LIVE AT HOME.  Zillow, a housing research firm, finds student loan debt, rising rents and stagnant wages result in more millennials living at home with their parents than at any other point this century.  It tallies 22% of millennial Americans are either staying home or returning to childhood bedrooms.

NEW REGULATIONS IN TV PITCHES.  In a move to improve transparency in health-care costs, new regulations will require TV pitches for prescription drugs to include list prices.  The disclosures will appear in TV commercials within a few months.  

REP. OMAR GRABS ATTENTION OF PRINT/BROADCAST MEDIA

With 535 members of Congress --- 100 in the Senate and 435 in the House of Representatives --- one member gets heavy coverage just about every day, observes Grumpy Editor.

That’s Rep. Ilhan Omar, a far-left, first-term Democrat from Minnesota’s 5th congressional district.

 

In her latest controversial comments, as reported  by CNSNews, she blames the U.S. for the problems in Venezuela.

 

"A lot of the policies that we have put in place has kind of helped lead the devastation in Venezuela,” says Omar.  “And we’ve sort of set the stage for where we’re arriving today. This particular bullying and the use of sanctions to eventually intervene and make regime change really does not help the people of countries like Venezuela, and it certainly does not help and is not in the interest of the United States."

In response, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says “for a member of Congress, who, frankly, one who sits on an important national security committee, to make a statement blaming America first in this way, it’s not only ignorant, it’s disgusting."

The problems in Venezuela, adds Pompeo, “have been years in the making. It has been a socialist regime, first with Chavez, now with Maduro.”

 

IN CASE YOUR FAVORITE NEWS OUTLETS MISSED THESE...

 

WORKERS' EFFICIENCY JUMPS.   Labor Department reports U.S. workers’ efficiency increased over the past year at the best pace in nearly a decade, pointing to stronger wage growth and further economic expansion.

POLL SHOWS BEST DAYS AHEAD.  The latest Rasmussen Reports survey finds 54% of likely voters say America's best days are in the future --- the first time a majority of voters has expressed this sentiment since November 2006.

SEXUAL ASSAULT IN MILITARY RISES.  The Defense ‘s Department’s 2018 report on sexual assault in the military finds 20,500 servicewomen experienced sexual assault within the past year, up 38% from 14,900 in fiscal year 2016.

SNAKE WITH EXTRA EYE.  Northern Australia wildlife authorities discover a three-eyed snake found on a highway.  Nicknamed Monty Python, the baby carpet python died weeks after it was found .  The snake's third eye was on top of its head.

WORSHIPERS FADE.  Gallup finds the percentage of Americans who belong to a church, synagogue or mosque is at an all-time low, averaging 50% in 2018. The past 20 years have seen an acceleration in the drop-off, with a 20-percentage-point decline since 1999 and more than half of that change occurring since the start of the current decade, adds Gallup.

HISPANIC UNEMPLOYMENT HITS RECORD LOW.  National seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate for Hispanics and Latinos in the U.S. labor force falls to a record low of 4.2% in April, finds the Bureau of Labor Statistics.  Last month, unemployment rate for Hispanics and Latinos, age 16 and up, was 4.2%, down from 4.7% in March.

IT'S TUITION OR DINNER.  A survey by Temple University’s Hope Center for College, Community and Justice indicates 45% of student respondents from over 100 institutions say they have been food insecure in the past 30 days.  Paying off student loans is taking much of their funds.

SINCLAIR BUYS SPORTS NETWORKS.  Sinclair Broadcast Group, in a deal valued at $10.6 billion, plans to buy 21 regional sports networks from Walt Disney Co.

KELLOGG SALES SINK.  Kellogg Co., with lofty prices for cereal boxes, reports first quarter North America earnings decline 36.5% on weaker demand.

 

 

MERRIAM-WEBSTER ADDS WORDS WITH NEW MEANINGS

Folks at Merriam-Webster remind that the "English language never sleeps and neither does the dictionary,” notes Grumpy Editor.

"The work of revising a dictionary is constant and it mirrors the culture’s need to make sense of the world with words," they point out.

Merriam-Webster last week adds 640 words, explaining what’s behind some old words with new meanings, such as:

 

• Tailwind and headwind: These words are now often used figuratively to refer to a force or influence that either helps or hinders progress.
• Peak: Metaphorically extended to mean “being at the height of popularity, use, or attention,” as in “peak television” (or maybe “peak word nerd”). 
• Goldilocks: Even a fairy tale can become a metaphor, and this new colorful definition, referring to the character whose preferred porridge is neither too hot nor too cold, has inspired astronomers to use it to describe “an area of planetary orbit in which temperatures are neither too hot nor too cold to support life.”
• Snowflake: Now used to mean both “someone regarded or treated as unique or special” and “someone who is overly sensitive.”
• Purple: Extending the blending of red and blue to the metaphorical level, purple can now refer to geographical areas where voters are split between Democrats and Republicans. 

Among new entertainment words: 

• Buzzy: Causing or characterized by a lot of speculative or excited talk or attention (that is, generating buzz).
• Bottle episode: An inexpensively produced episode of a television series that is typically confined to one setting. 
• EGOT: An entry in the dictionary seems like an appropriate award for the acronym that stands for the rare achievement of winning an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar, and a Tony.

The word compilers explain that “each word follows its own path at its own pace before its use is widespread enough to be included in a dictionary."

 

IN CASE YOUR FAVORITE NEWS OUTLETS MISSED THESE…

 

 

SOURCE OF NORTH KOREA'S MERCEDES A MYSTERY.  Daimler AG, the German multinational automotive corporation, says it has no idea where North Korean leader Kim Jong Un got his armored Mercedes limousines since it has no business dealings with the communist nation. Kim used Daimler-branded stretch limousines at several very high-profile summits, including his meeting last week with Russian President Vladimir Putin and earlier in summits with President Donald Trump.

 

VATICAN AIDS MIGRANTS IN MEXICO.  Pope Francis provides assistance for food, lodging and basic necessities in donating $500,000 to help migrants in Mexico.

 

TRUMP PRAISES DRUG-DETECTING DOGS.  President Donald Trump praises drug-detecting canines at the U.S.-Mexico border during the Rx Drug Abuse & Heroin Summit, calling working canines "the greatest equipment in the world."

 

18 COLONOSCOPES STOLEN.  Three people broke into a medical facility in Wynnewood, Pa. and fled with 18 colonoscopes.  The devices, reportedly worth a total of about $450,000, are used for examining the health of patients’ colons.

 

CALL OUT FOR WWII CLICKERS.  So-called “clickers,” used in World War II ‘s D-Day Normandy landings to determine friend or foe, are being sought to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the landings.  Two clicks in response to one meant it was a friend.  About 7,000 of the devices were produced.

 

CALIFORNIA DINERS SUBJECT TO CLIMATE CHANGE SURCHARGE.  People eating at California restaurants may start to see an optional 1% surcharge added to their bill to fight climate change. The money will go to a public fund that helps farmers who use practices that reduce carbon in the atmosphere.

 

ECONOMY UP, YET STRESS UP.  A Gallup poll finds “even as the economy roared, more Americans were stressed, angry and worried last year than they have been at most points during the past decade.” In asking about their feelings the previous day, 55% mention they had experienced stress during the day, while 45% say they felt worried a lot and 22% reveal they felt anger a lot.

  

SOME AMERICANS PLAN TO SKIP VACATIONS.   More than one in four Americans have already decided to forgo a summer vacation this year and another 22% remain undecided, according to a Bankrate survey of almost 2,600 adults.  Biggest reason?  They can’t afford it.

 

3M TO CUT JOBS.  3M Co., a favorite with investors over the years since debut of Scotch tape, plans to eliminate 2,000 jobs and restructure its sprawling business.

 

MIDDLE CLASS SHRINKING.  An Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development report warns the middle class is shrinking while its economic power is fading in the U.S. and rich nations, thus threatening political stability and economic growth.

MONEY MAGAZINE PRINT VERSION ENDS AFTER 47 YEARS

Money magazine, which debuted in 1972, publishes its final print edition with the June/July issue, notes Grumpy Editor.

That is sad news to many readers, especially those who renewed subscriptions in recent days.

Money, with almost 2 million circulation, lures readers with articles covering personal finance topics, including investing, saving, retirement, home improvement, taxes and family finance.  It also attracts attention with its annual list of "America's Best Places to Live."

However, a digital version will be available.

Money outlasted competitor Smart Money, launched in 1992 by Hearst and Dow Jones, which printed its last edition in September 2012.

Meredith Corp. welcomed Money in a $2.8 billion acquisition of Time Inc. in January 2018. Then it put Money on the block a few months later along with Time, Fortune and Sports Illustrated.

Des Moines-based Meredith has been trying to sell Money, putting a $10 million price tag on the magazine.

 

IN CASE YOUR FAVORITE NEWS OUTLETS MISSED THESE...

LYING AND WASHINGTON GO TOGETHER.  "Lying is the word that I would use to describe this town (Washington).  I don't know if it will ever stop.  It's gotten worse rather than better, and both sides do it.  You've got to listen very carefully to what they're saying," C-Span founder Brian Lamb tells The Wall Street Journal.  Lamb, 77, signs off from that cable channel on May 19.

UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS FILINGS DROP.  The number of Americans filing for initial unemployment benefits falls to a 50-year low in the week ended April 13 while the unemployment rate last month reaches a low 3.8%.

NO END IN SIGHT FOR AFGHANISTAN WAR.   Deaths of three U.S. Marines in Afghanistan reminds Americans that after almost 18 years of fighting there, no end is in sight.  

TRUMP PLANS JAPAN VISIT NEXT MONTH.  President Donald Trump and his wife, Melania, plan a state visit to Japan May 25 to 28 to visit the newly enthroned emperor.  

GROCERY STRIKE AFFECTS NANTUCKET.  Two Stop & Shop grocery stores on Nantucket, 30 miles off the Massachusetts coast, are involved in a company-wide strike, making food shopping difficult for the island’s 11,000 year-round residents. 

 TWO CLASSIC SITCOMS RETURN FOR ONE NIGHT.  In a live, one night only event, a 90-minute ABC-TV special on May 22 brings back two updated classic sitcoms:  All in the Family and The Jeffersons. 

CROWLEY JOINS TREASURY DEPARTMENT.  Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin plans to hire Monica Crowley, a regular Fox News guest, as assistant secretary for public affairs.

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

ASSOCIATED PRESS NOW ALLOWS USE OF % WITH FIGURES

Over the years, one word --- percent --- triggers much confusion, and continues to do so, notes Grumpy Editor.

Is it percent, % or per cent?

It causes copy editors to grumble.

The Associated Press, in updating its stylebook, is allowing use of % with figures such as income rose by 14% rather than 14 percent.

That makes headline writers happy.

As Merrill Perlman at Columbia Journalism Review points out, "Thus continues the evolution of  ‘percent.’ In the early part of the 20th century, a common rendering was ‘per cent,’ two words with a period after the “cent,” possibly because it was abbreviating the Italian ‘per cento’.”

Perlman adds, “The first formal AP stylebook, in 1953, called for “per cent,” and that stuck at least through the 1970 stylebook. By 1977, though, it had come together as ‘percent.’ That’s common in the United States, though British English leans towards ‘per cent’.”

However, some confusion continues.

Perlman mentions The Chicago Manual of Style says, “In nontechnical contexts, the word percent is generally used; in scientific and statistical copy, the symbol % is more common.”

One wonders what % of readers care about the change.

 

IN CASE YOUR FAVORITE NEWS OUTLETS MISSED THESE...

   

GASOLINE PRICES SOAR IN CALIFORNIA. Four-dollar a gallon gasoline is the average in two California counties -- San Luis Obispo and Mono. In San Francisco, the average price is $3.98. Average price in the Golden State is up 20 cents a gallon to $3.83 just in the past week — and heading higher this week.

FREE ONLINE MAGAZINE FOR WRITERS. The spring 2019 issue of Writers Tricks of the Trade, a free magazine, is unveiled online today. Produced by Las Vegas-based Morgan St. James, author of 16 books, the 40-page issue provides information and news of interest to freelance writers. View it at http:bit.ly/WTTSpring2019.

CHRIS MATTHEWS BLASTS TRUMP.  Fox News reports MSNBC host Chris Matthews blasts President Donald Trump for playing the "political sidekick" of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

 

B OF A RAISES MINIMUM WAGE.  Bank of America is raising its minimum wage starting pay to $17 an hour effective May 1, on the way to reaching $20 an hour in 2021.

NETFLIX PLANS TO ADD FAMOUS HOLLYWOOD THEATER.   Netflix is in talks to buy the historic Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood. The Egyptian’s price tag is said to be in the tens of millions of dollars.

PARADE OF HIGHER TAXES LOOMS IN GOLDEN STATE. Democrats in the California legislature introduce bills that hike taxes on residents who use or buy firearms, tire changes, oil/gas and water.

LAST OF WORLD WAR II DOOLITTLE RAIDERS DIES. Retired Lt. Col. Richard (Dick) Cole, 103, last of the 80 Doolittle Tokyo Raiders who carried out a U.S. attack on Japan during World War II, died last week in a San Antonio military hospital.

TOP BABY NAMES OF YEAR.  Nameberry, a baby-naming site, tallies the top baby names making the rounds this year.

  

Girls

1. Posie
2. Isla
3. Olivia
4. Aurora
5. Maeve
6. Cora
7. Amara
8. Ada
9. Amelia
10. Charlotte

Boys

1. Milo
2. Jasper
3. Atticus
4. Theodore
5. Asher
6. Silas
7. Jack
8. Finn
9. Henry
10. Felix

 

BILLIONS OF ROBOCALLS REACH 'EPIDEMIC' STAGE IN U.S.

Robocalls affect any person who possesses a telephone.  Yet, most media somehow ignore the big and growing problem that irks millions of Americans, notes Grumpy Editor.

About 26.3 billion robocalls were directed at Americans last year, up 46 percent from 2017.

While people can register with the National Do Not Call Registry, illegal robocalls --- many from foreign locations --- grow like a fungus.  It's not unusual for some people to receive 10 or more robocalls a day, the largest source of consumer complaints to the Federal Trade Commission.

The May issue of Consumer Reports terms robocalls "epidemic."

CR mentions "the telecom industry has promised to roll out new technology that, though not stopping robocalls on its own, would identify calls as potentially fraudulent so that consumers can decide whether to answer."

Grumpy Editor finds it interesting that when some nabbed robocallers go to court, they get off easy.

Examples CR cites:  One outfit that blasted millions of unlawful robocalls was ordered to pay $2.2 million.  But the Federal Trade Commission suspended that judgment upon payment of $65,000 --- based on inability to pay. Another operation that engineered billions of illegal robocalls was ordered to pay $2.7 million by the FTC, growing to $9.9 million when factoring in other people in the scheme.  But this was cut to $510,000 because of inability to pay.

There may be hope ahead.

Introduced in Congress in January is a bill called Telephone Robocall Abuse Criminal Enforcement and Deterrence Act.  It would make robocall fines bigger and easier for the Federal Communications Commission to obtain.

 

IN CASE YOUR FAVORITE NEWS OUTLETS MISSED THESE...

 

GEORGIA SEEKS JOURNALISM ETHICS BOARD.  Republicans in the Georgia House file a bill that proposes a "Journalism Ethics Board" to oversee news coverage in the state.  The bill calls for the creation of an "independent" board --- housed at the University of Georgia's journalism and communications school --- to make "canons and ethics" and "rules and regulations" for journalism in the state.

UNEMPLOYMENT CLAIMS DECLINE.  Initial claims for state unemployment benefits decline 10,000 to a seasonally adjusted 202,000 for the week ended March 30, lowest level since early December 1969, reports the Labor Department. 

 

BIG SHAKER "OVERDUE" IN GOLDEN STATE.  California is in an earthquake drought, proclaims the Los Angeles Times in a periodic, lengthy, illustrated feature.  The latest, in a series of efforts to shake up readers, mentions it has been almost five years since the state experienced its last earthquake of magnitude 6 or stronger.

 

WIND TURBINES CAUSE CANCER?  The White House is refusing to explain why President Donald Trump claims, falsely, that the noise from wind turbines causes cancer, notes CNN.

 

BULLETPROOF VEST AT BORDER MOCKED.  Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D., N.Y.) mocks Lawrence Jones for wearing a bulletproof vest while reporting for Fox News at the southern border.  Jones says border patrol agents advised him to wear the protective garment, because “we control this side of the border, but the cartel controls the other side of the border. There’s been gun fights.”

 

MEASLES CASES RISE.  More people are sickened by measles in the first three months of 2019 than for all of 2018.  It's the second-highest number reported since U.S. health officials declared the highly contagious and sometimes deadly disease “eliminated” in 2000.

 

12-YEAR-OLD TO ADDRESS COLLEGE GRADUATES.   University commencement speaker is added to 12-year-old Hilde Kate Lysiak’s accomplishments that include crime reporter, publisher, author and subject of a television series.  She is scheduled to address graduates of West Virginia University’s Reed College of Media next month in Morgantown, W.Va. Hilde first came to national attention at age 9, when she covered a homicide in her hometown of Selinsgrove, Pa., and for her self-published newspaper and website, Orange Street News.

13-YEAR-OLD BUYS CAR FOR MOM.  A 13-year-old boy surprises Krystal Preston, his single mother in Nevada, by presenting her with a white 1999 Chevrolet Metro, earned by mowing yards and clearing yards.

TRUMP AGAIN NIXES CORRESPONDENTS DINNER.  President Donald Trump says he's got better things to do than attend the "boring" and "negative" White House Correspondents' Association dinner April 27.  He will be holding a rally at that time, skipping the dinner for the third year in a row.

 

 

MEDIA SHOULD REFRAIN FROM NAMING MASS SHOOTERS, SAY EXPERTS

Grumpy Editor agrees with the growing movement for print and broadcast media to refrain naming mass shooters because it fuels celebrity-style coverage that encourages more violence.

Too many news outlets go into detail with biographical material on trigger-happy gunmen, often anxious to see that information along with photos that sometimes go back to high school days.

A recent Associated Press story by Lisa Marie Pane, mentions Adam Lankford, a criminologist at the University of Alabama who studied the influence of media coverage on shooters, saying it’s vitally important to avoid focusing excessive attention on gunmen.

“A lot of these shooters want to be treated like celebrities," adds Lankford. "They want to be famous. So the key is not to give them that treatment."

The criminologist argues attackers are trying to outdo previous shooters with higher death tolls and media coverage encourages copycats.

James Alan Fox, a professor at Northeastern University who has studied mass shootings, tells AP's Pane that naming shooters is not the problem but it's over-the-top coverage that includes details about the killers, such as their writings and their backgrounds, that “unnecessarily humanizes them.”

Fox adds, “We sometimes come to know more about them --- their interests and their disappointments --- than we do about our next-door neighbors."

Pane reminds that “late last year, the Trump administration’s federal Commission on School Safety called on the media to refrain from reporting names and photos of mass shooters. It was one of the rare moments when gun-rights advocates and gun-control activists agreed."

 

IN CASE YOUR FAVORITE NEWS OUTLETS MISSED THESE...

 

MARINES MIXED TRAINING ENDS.  The Marine Corps experiment integrating female recruits into an all-male unit in boot camp ended Friday.  It lasted three months.

MANY SPORTS EDITORS SNUB BASEBALL.  While many newspaper sports pages curb baseball coverage with the season opener Thursday, the Wall Street Journal on Friday runs a four-column front-page photo spotlighting the Milwaukee Brewers - St.Louis Cardinals game, with additional baseball coverage inside the first section.

DODGERS BELT EIGHT HOMERS IN GAME.  Speaking of baseball, first game of the season sees Los Angeles Dodgers players belting eight home runs, setting a major league record for opening day in a 12-5 thrashing of the Arizona Diamondbacks.

TAXPAYERS FOOT $25 MILLION PROBE.  The two-year probe by special counsel Robert Mueller that finds President Donald Trump and his campaign did not collude with the Russians cost American taxpayers $25 million.

SCHUMER CALLS TRUMP UNIFORMED.  CNSNews notes Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D.-N.Y.) on the Senate floor calls President Donald Trump "the least informed president we have ever had in American history."

WHITE REPORTERS BANNED BY CHURCH.  Breitbart reports white members of the press barred from entering the Bolton Street Baptist Church for a community event highlighting black mayoral candidates in Savannah, Ga.  Sign on the church door: "No media (T.V., Radio, etc.). Black Press Only!" 

IWO JIMA BATTLE REMEMBERED.  A dozen of the dwindling number of U.S. World War II veterans of the February 1945 Battle of Iwo Jima are among those allowed onto the island last week for an annual remembrance ceremony.

MEMOIR ON TRACK TO SET RECORD.  Michelle Obama's memoir "Becoming" sells nearly 10 million copies around the world since its November release.  It could set a sales record in its genre.

MELTED SNOW LEAVES OFFENSIVE SHAPE.  A Tennessee woman claims her homeowners association is fining her $100 because heat from her parked car's engine melted snow underneath resulted in "displaying offensive images or slogans."

BEWARE: COFFEE, EGGS ARE BAD FOR YOUR HEALTH

One way to shake up print readers or TV listeners is to spotlight things that are bad for their health, finds Grumpy Editor.

During the past week it was tea and eggs.

The World Health Organization advises to wait for tea to cool a bit to decrease risk of getting cancer of the esophagus. 

Researchers (maybe while drinking hot coffee or hot chocolate) suggest waiting for tea to cool, mentioning the danger zone comes when the beverage temperature passes the 140 degrees Fahrenheit mark.

Grumpy Editor asks:  Why just tea?  How about hot coffee?  Or hot soup?

Meanwhile, eggs are getting fried again in another periodic warning.  This time in a study published in JAMA, a medical journal.

It puts an omelette in peril.

Each large egg contains about 180 milligrams of cholesterol.

Those who dine on two eggs each morning are the most in danger, based on the study.

Thus, eating 300 milligrams of cholesterol (via about two egg yolks), according to the study, puts the eater at a 17 percent higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease.

WebMD reminds that the average egg contains 200 milligrams --- more cholesterol than in most fast-food double cheeseburgers.

Well, there go eggnogs in holiday festivities.

 

IN CASE YOUR FAVORITE NEWS OUTLETS MISSED THESE...

 

KEEP OPINIONS OUT OF NEWS STORIES. Fox News senior political analyst Brit Hume says his former ABC News colleague Ted Koppel’s comments that the “establishment press” is out to get President Trump are true and that the blurring of lines separating commentary and coverage is a problem for outlets like the Washington Post and the New York Times. “We come out of the same tradition, which is neutrality in news coverage, opinion is reserved for columnists and editorial writers,” he emphasizes.

NORTH KOREA WITHDRAWS LIAISON STAFF.  North Korea, under instructions from "higher-level authorities" withdraws its liaison staff for South Korea from an office in Kaesong, a North Korean border town.

GLOBAL GROWTH SLOWS, WORRYING INVESTORS.  Investor anxiety about the global economy is blamed for sending the Dow down a steep 460 points to 25,502 on Friday.

L.A. TIMES TAKES TO TV.  Los Angeles Times readers get an option for television news with “L.A. Times Today," produced by the Times for Charter Communications.  The  hour-long program airs Monday through Thursday at 7 p.m. 

MOST FEEL PAYING TOO MUCH TAXES.   A Rasmussen Reports survey finds 57 percent of Americans believe they are paying more than their fair share of taxes.

RATTLESNAKE STEALS TV SCENE.   A TV reporter for NBC affiliate KMIR, Palm Springs, Calif., reports at an outdoors location while a scene-stealer ---a  rattlesnake ---  slithers behind her.  Alerted, the reporter moved.

 

IS YOUR STATE HERE?  WalletHub compares the 50 states and the District of Columbia across 24 key metrics.  The results:

 

Most Innovative States			Least Innovative States
1	Massachusetts		42	Nebraska
2	Washington		43	South Dakota
3	District of Columbia		44	Kentucky
4	Maryland		45	Hawaii
5	Colorado		46	North Dakota
6	California		47	Tennessee
7	Virginia		48	Iowa
8	Utah		49	West Virginia
9	Delaware		50	Louisiana
10	Oregon		51	Mississippi

 

LOSS OF NEWSPAPER ALSO MEANS LOSS OF COMMUNITY WATCHDOG

More than 1,400 towns and cities across the nation have lost newspapers over the past 15 years, sadly notes Grumpy Editor.

Those figures --- leaving some towns and entire counties without local news coverage --- are from an Associated Press analysis of data compiled by the University of North Carolina.

 

As AP writer Michael Casey points out:  “The loss of a reliable local news source has many consequences for the community. One of them is the inability to act as a watchdog over the actions of government agencies and elected officials.”

Adds Casey: “Newspapers typically have played the lead role in their communities in holding local officials accountable. That includes filing requests to get public records that shine a light on government action – or inaction – or even filing lawsuits to promote transparency.”

Absence of a local newspaper that plays watchdog in a community can translate into real costs to a community and its taxpayers, Casey points out.

“When investigative scrutiny declines, stories go untold, which means waste, fraud, and abuse will be less likely to be discovered,” says James Hamilton, director of the Stanford University’s journalism program.

In an earlier AP story, focusing on Waynesville, Missouri (population about 5,000), residents say loss of their newspaper left a hole in the community. 

“Losing a newspaper,” says Keith Pritchard, 63, chairman of the board at the Security Bank of Pulaski County and a lifelong resident, “is like losing the heartbeat of the town .”  He tells AP about scrapbooks of news clippings about his three daughters and wonders: How will young families collect such memories?

"Other residents talk with dismay about church picnics or school plays they might have attended but only learn of through Facebook postings after the fact," AP notes. 

“I miss the newspaper, the chance to sit down over a cup of coffee and a bagel or a doughnut … and find out what’s going on in the community,” says Bill Slabaugh, a retiree. Now he talks to friends and “candidly, for the most part, I’m ignorant.”

 

IN CASE YOUR FAVORITE NEWS OUTLETS MISSED THESE...

 

CHASE TO ADD BRANCHES.  JPMorgan Chase & Co. plans to add 90 branches by the end of the year along with hiring up to 700 employees.  New branches will be in cities such as Kansas City, St. Louis, Nashville, Providence and Pittsburgh.

 

CATHOLICS MULL LEAVING CHURCH.  A Gallup poll finds more than a third of U.S. Catholics say sexual abuse scandals have made them consider leaving the church.

 

MAGAZINE RETURNED AFTER 51 YEARS.  The Cuyahoga (Ohio) County public library receives an apology from a borrower who returned a 1968 copy of Life magazine with the Beatles on the cover.  He gave $100 to cover late fees.

 

FOX NEWS MOST WATCHED.  Fox News Channel continues as the most-watched cable network in total day viewers, averaging 1.33 million.  FNC first became No. 1 in total viewers at the end of the Nielsen month in January 2002.

 

RISK SEEN WITH SEVERAL EGGS A WEEK.  Research from Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine finds adults who eat several eggs (high in cholesterol) a week have significantly higher risk of cardiovascular disease.  The findings suggest it may be time to re-evaluate the current U.S. dietary guidelines.

 

USS WASP WRECK FOUND IN CORAL SEA.  The wreck of World War II aircraft carrier USS Wasp, sunk on Sept. 15, 1942 during the Guadalcanal campaign, is found two-and-a-half miles down in the Coral Sea.  The carrier was hit by four torpedoes from a Japanese submarine. Of the ship’s crew of 2,162, 176 were killed in the attack.

 

EXOTIC TURTLES FOUND IN BAGGAGE.  More than 1,500 live exotic turtles wrapped in duct tape, in a flight from Hong Kong, are found in four pieces of luggage at Manila airport in the Philippines.

LONG-LOST CAT RETURNS HOME.  An Essex, Massachusetts family says a pet cat that went missing in August, 2013 is back home via reading of a microchip by an animal rescue shelter in nearby Salisbury.  The feline is healthy but missing part of a paw.

 

L.A. LEADS WITH AGGRESSIVE DRIVERS.  GasBuddy analysts tally the top 10 U.S. cities with the most aggressive drivers, based on  frequency of speeding, hard braking and swift acceleration:

1. Los Angeles
2. Philadelphia
3. Sacramento
4. Atlanta
5. San Francisco
6. San Diego
7. Orlando
8. Detroit
9. Austin
10. Las Vegas

 

BUSY GUY IN PRINT AND BROADCAST.  Bi-coastal, talk radio host Larry O’ Connor, heard mid-mornings on KABC, Los Angeles and in afternoon drive on WMAL-AM/FM, Washington, D.C., is expanding to the Washington Examiner where he is launching a regular print column and audio podcast.  

 

 

 

NO DROUGHT TALK IN CALIFORNIA --- THIS MONTH

Heading into spring, California soon will be concerned (an annual ritual) about its water supply, especially with the influx of millions of new residents since the last reservoir was constructed in 1979, observed Grumpy Editor.

Since that last reservoir --- New Melones in Calaveras County --- went operational, California has added 15 million people.

An upcoming reservoir, the Pacheco Reservoir in southeast Santa Clara County, is in the works but completion is more than a decade away.

The Sierra Nevada snowpack, source of about one-third of California’s water supply, last week was up 161 percent from its historical average for that date and up from just 69 percent on New Year’s Day.

Every major reservoir in California is at or above its historic average, and some, like San Luis, east of Gilroy, were full.

The 10 largest reservoirs in California were built between 1927 and 1979.

Shasta Lake, the massive inland sea on the Sacramento River, was completed in 1945. Oroville, the tallest dam in the country at 770-feet on the Feather River in Butte County, was finished in 1968.

Until more reservoirs are built, much California water runoff continues to flow into the Pacific Ocean.

 

IN CASE YOUR FAVORITE NEWS OUTLETS MISSED THESE...

SOME STATES EYE DUMPING DST.  With daylight saving time kicking in yesterday, some states were mulling joining Hawaii and most of Arizona to opt out of a system established more than 100 years ago. Considering staying permanently on standard time: California, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Texas and Wisconsin. 

NORTH KOREA NUKE SITE BACK IN ACTION.  In the wake of summit talks last month between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, North Korea appeared to restore normal operations at a long-range rocket launch site it partially dismantled last year as part of what was claimed to be disarmament steps, declared U.S. analysts. 

 

TORNADO SENDS BILLBOARD 20 MILES.  A fierce tornado with 170 m.p.h. winds that blasted southeastern Alabama were so strong a billboard sign was sent flying 20 miles into neighboring Hamilton, Georgia.

 

GOAT NAMED HONORARY MAYOR.  Fair Haven, Vermont elected a three-year-old Nubian goat named Lincoln that edged out a victory over Sammie the dog.  As the town's first honorary pet mayor, Lincoln will attend special events throughout the year. 

 

NEW JERSEY CITY FROWNS ON BARKING. Saddle River, N.J. seeks to clamp down on excessive dog barking, proposing an ordinance that would prohibit loud, continuous barking for over 20 minutes from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.  It would be stricter at night, with penalties kicking in for barking lasting more than 15 minutes from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. (Officials didn't say how they plan to muzzle barking canines.)

 

DNC NIXES FOX NEWS ON DEBATES.  The Democratic National Committee nixed Fox News hosting any 2020 Democrat primary debates, citing the network's "inappropriate relationship with President Donald Trump."

 

RECORD WET WINTER.  The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said from December to February (what it calls winter), the lower 48 states received 9.01 inches of rain and snow --- 2.22 inches more than the 20th century normal. Record or almost record rain and snow fell in the West, Tennessee Valley and parts of the Great Lakes. 

 

MILWAUKEE GREETS NEW SPORTS EDITOR.    Louisa Boardman has been named the third sports editor in the history of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. She started her career with Milwaukee newspapers in 1985.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

U.S.-NORTH KOREA TALKS PROVIDE LITTLE ACTION --- AGAIN

Grumpy Editor observed "there wasn’t much action coming out of the latest U.S. talks with North Korea focusing on nuclear disarmament."

Was that line from last week's two-day summit in Hanoi?

No, it was from Grumpy Editor's posting on Feb. 27, 2012 under the headline:  LATEST U.S.-NORTH KOREA TALKS PROVIDE LITTLE ACTION.

So, exactly seven years later, there has been no change in North Korea stringing the U.S. along in talks such as the meeting last week between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

Also, North Korea continues the threat that it is ready for war.  

Mentioned as one of the upcoming highlights during the two-day summit was a joint signing ceremony that would officially end the Korean War.  But that was cancelled.

Few in media seem to be aware that the Korean War, which started 69 years ago --- before most people in media were born --- remains open-ended.  A peace treaty was never concluded.

Also labeled "The Forgotten War,” the Korean War erupted when 135,000 communist North Korean troops crossed the 38th parallel into South Korea in pre-dawn hours of June 25, 1950. Battles, many involving Chinese soldiers, ended with a cease fire on July 27, 1953. 

For the U.S., that war resulted in 33,739 military lives lost and 103,284 wounded in action.  More than 7,500 U.S. troops  remain unaccounted.

So we'll see what happens at the next two-day summit.

 

IN CASE YOUR FAVORITE NEWS OUTLETS MISSED THESE…

 

 

L.A. RECORDS COLD FEBRUARY.  Last month turned out to be the coldest February in downtown Los Angeles since 1962, with the average high temperature at 60.6 degrees, eight degrees below normal, tallied the National Weather Service.  Snow fell in some parts of the city.

 

VETS WITH PURPLE HEARTS GET FASTER ACTION.  In efforts to provide faster claims decisions, the Department of Veterans Affairs starting next month will give priority consideration to combat veterans with Purple Hearts when processing claims.

 

ACCUWEATHER'S ABRAMS RETIRES.  AccuWeather’s popular meteorologist Elliot Abrams retired, marking the end of a 51-year broadcasting career for one of America’s most highly regarded weather forecasters. He said he knew he wanted to be a weatherman when he was five years old.

 

CONDUCTOR ANDRE PREVIN DIES.  Pianist, composer and conductor Andre Previn died, age 89, in his Manhattan home. Once married to actress Mia Farrow, Previn went overseas during the Korean War as a member of  the 40^th Infantry Division, which contained many California National Guard members. 

 

G.E. TRIMS 30,000 FROM PAYROLL.  General Electric disclosed that last year in let go 30,000 workers as the conglomerate sold some of its operations.   About 283,000 workers remain.

 

BRYCE HARPER IN RECORD BASEBALL DEAL.  Baseball player Bryce Harper, a star outfielder, signed a record $330 million, 13-year contract with the Philadelphia Phillies, marking the largest such financial deal in baseball history. 

 

MERRILL LYNCH NAME FADING.  Bank of America said it would phase out the Merrill Lynch name from its family of operations. However, it will rename most of its wealth management operations Merrill.  BofA acquired the investment bank, founded in 1914, 11 years ago.

 

BLOOMBERG EXPANDS IN BEIJING, SHANGHAI.  Bloomberg Television is opening a studio in its Beijing bureau while constructing another studio at its Shanghai bureau that will be operational soon.

 

VINYL DISCS COMEBACK CONTINUES.  Recorded music retail revenues in the U.S. last year increased about 12 percent, to $9.85 billion.  Sales of the old favorite, vinyl, continued a comeback, up 7.9 percent, at $419.2 million. 

WARNING ISSUED ON BAHAMAS.  U.S. State Department issued a level 2 travel advisory warning for the Bahamas, triggered by crime, including burglaries, robberies, sexual assault and risks associated with using unregulated recreational watercraft.

EX-BUSH SERVICE DOG JOINS NAVY.  Sully H.W. Bush, the former service dog to late President George H.W. Bush, started a new job with the Navy at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center outside Washington. The yellow Labrador was appointed to the rank of hospital corpsman second class.

CALIFORNIA SOLAR REQUIREMENT COULD ADD $10,000 TO NEW HOME PRICE

Little has been said about it nationally, but home buyers in California, already facing some of the highest prices in the nation, will be paying a bit extra next year when the Golden State makes solar mandatory for new houses, notes Grumpy Editor.

The requirement could easily add $8,000 to $10,000 to the home’s price, according to the California Energy Commission (CEC).

The solar addition will increase the average monthly mortgage payment by $40, figures CEC.  But, it adds, new home buyers will save an average $80 a month on  heating, cooling and lighting bills.

Danielle Hale, chief economist at Realtor.com, tells CNBC's "On the Money" that the new solar requirement could undermine a segment of the real estate market that's struggled to add to new homes relative to demand.

Added costs could hit "the affordable side of the market," she mentions, where prices on available homes have been under pressure.

"It's a very different perspective depending on if you're looking for affordable homes, or pricier homes," she adds.  “It's already difficult for builders to build, and I think this is just going to exacerbate that problem."

 

IN CASE YOUR FAVORITE NEWS OUTLETS MISSED THESE…

 

RUSSIAN INTERFERENCE REPORT DELAYED.  Robert Mueller’s final report on the two-year investigation of the so-called Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, which media were awaiting this week, won’t be out after all, leaving print and broadcast outlets in suspense.

DOW POSTS NINTH STRAIGHT WEEKLY GAIN.  The Dow rose above 26,000 again on Friday, gaining 181.18 points to close at 26,031.81 for the first time since Nov. 8 in posting its ninth consecutive weekly gain --- longest streak since May 1995.

MILLENNIALS TARDY ON AUTO LOAN PAYMENTS.  A record seven million Americans are more than 90 days late on auto loan payments and millennials are clearly leading delinquency rates, finds the New York Fed. It notes the number of new auto loans and leases appearing on credit reports last year reached the highest level in 19 years.  Researchers note there was a “sharp worsening” in the number of delinquent auto loans held by borrowers under 30. 

FOUR TERM MINNESOTA DOG MAYOR DIES.  Duke the four-term ceremonial canine mayor of Cormorant Township, Minn., went to "doggy heaven" last week.  The Great Pyrenees, 13 years old, made national news for being elected the dog mayor, acting as the village's ambassador to the public.

 

SEN. SCHUMER QUESTIONS HEDGE FUND WITH EYES ON GANNETT.  Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer wants to know how many journalists hedge fund Alden Global Capital intends to lay off if it manages to take control of Gannett, publisher of USA TODAY.

 

SMOLLETT REAPS HEAVY COVERAGE IN MEDIA.  Actor Jussie Smollett, gaining more media coverage than the President over the past week, was cut from this season’s final two episodes of Fox’s “Empire” after Chicago police charge him with filing a false report for allegedly staging a hate crime attack on himself.

SNOW HITS HOLLYWOOD.  Last week's snow in the Hollywood Hills area of Los Angeles is the first such dusting since 1962.

NBC SITS ON 'RUSSIA' EXCLUSIVE GOING AIRBORNE

Imagine this:  A major broadcast network grabs an exclusive in reporting (on the web) that the Senate Intelligence Committee has found no material evidence of collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia, notes Grumpy Editor.

But in the two following days, the news does not yet go airborne.

 

Under a Washington dateline, NBC’s Ken Dilanian wrote, “After two years and 200 interviews, the Senate Intelligence Committee is approaching the end of its investigation into the 2016 election, having uncovered no direct evidence of a conspiracy between the Trump campaign and Russia, according to both Democrats and Republicans on the committee.”

 

Bill D'Agostino, a research analyst for Media Research Center's News Analysis Division, points out “yet none of the three major broadcast networks (ABC, CBS and NBC) have given it even a single second of coverage in their evening newscasts.  Considering these networks have given the Russia probe a massive 2,202 minutes of airtime, their silence on this major development is deafening."

 

He adds, “MRC analysts examining all coverage on ABC’s World News Tonight, the CBS Evening News and the NBC Nightly News found that those 2,202 minutes spent on the Russia investigation accounted for nearly 19 percent of all Trump-related reporting between January 21, 2017 and February 10, 2019.”

Through Sunday, meanwhile, media continue to report special counsel Robert Mueller is close to wrapping up his investigation into possible collusion between Trump's campaign and the Russian government.  Example:  CNN's Reliable Sources with Brian Seltzer Sunday kept the investigation alive with a segment on "Russia Mueller Probe Rolls on."

IN CASE YOUR FAVORITE NEWS OUTLETS MISSED THESE…

 

PIECE OF AMERICANA FADES.  Minor league baseball stadium for the Hartford Yard Goats, a Double-A affiliate of the Colorado Rockies, says fans will not be buying peanuts or Cracker Jack (made famous in the lyrics of the famous, "Take Me Out to the Ball Game") to make the venue safer for people with food allergies.

NO FEDERAL TAXES FOR AMAZON.  Amazon, which doubled its profits and made more than $11 billion in 2018, won't pay any federal income taxes for the second year in a row, reports the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy. 

 

SNOW FALLS LOWER IN HAWAII.  While snow usually falls in Hawaii a few times a year in winter on the state's highest peak, Mauna Kea --- the dormant volcano on the island of Hawaii, rising 13,803 in feet --- the white stuff is rarely seen at elevations below 9,000 to 10,000 feet.  But that's what happened on Maui's 10,000-foot Haleakala that received a rare thick dusting of snow that accumulated at 6,200 feet in Polipoli State Recreation Area.   

CHICAGO RANKS AS MOST CORRUPT.  Information from the Justice Department ranks the Chicago metropolitan area  as the most corrupt U.S. city.  Meanwhile, Los Angeles tops the list of the most public corruption convictions in America, based on the number of federal corruption convictions between 1976 and 2017. 

 

STOP THE PRESSES.  Grabbing space in U.S. newspapers was the earth-shaking report from Toronto about a 19-year old woman who tossed two chairs from a 45th floor balcony onto a busy street in front of her condo building's entrance.  No one was injured. 

DIRTY MONEY.  The typical Manhattan ATM is more bacteria-ridden than a wide range of other heavily-used objects, including a subway pole and the handle of a public toilet at Penn Station, reports the New York Post.

STUDY: MILLENNIALS PREFER GOLDEN OLDIES IN MUSIC

A study, not covered by most U.S. media, finds millennials prefer golden oldies in music --- from the 1960s to 1990s --- rather than the relatively bland, homogenous pop of today, notes Grumpy Editor.

 

Golden oldies proved to be much more memorable than tunes released in the 21st century, according to the study that appeared in Metro, Britain’s highest circulation newspaper in tabloid format.

 

Metro explains that “scientists tested a group of millennials on their ability to recognize hit records from different decades. The 643 participants, typically aged 18 to 25, maintained a steady memory of top tunes that came out between 1960 and 1999. In contrast, their memory of 21st-century songs from 2000 to 2015 – while higher overall – diminished rapidly over time.”

 

The newspaper adds, researcher Dr. Pascal Wallisch, from New York University, said: “The 1960s to 1990s was a special time in music, reflected by a steady recognition of pieces of that era-even by today’s millennials. During this period songs reaching the top of the U.S. Billboard charts were significantly more varied than they were between 2000 to 2015, or the 1940s and 1950s.”

Certain songs were far more memorable than others, according to the study, with “well known examples including ‘When a Man Loves a Woman’ by Percy Sledge (1966), ‘Baby Come Back’ by Player (1977) and ‘The Tide is High’ by Blondie (1980). Others, including ‘Knock Three Times’ by Dawn (1970), ‘I’m Sorry’ by John Denver (1975) and ‘Truly’ by Lionel Richie (1982).”

 

IN CASE YOUR FAVORITE NEWS OUTLETS MISSED THESE…

 

TWO-DAY SUMMIT IN HANOI  SET.  President Donald Trump will hold his second summit with North Korea’s Kim Jong Un Feb. 27 and 28 in Hanoi. A key goal: Continuing efforts to persuade Kim to give up nuclear weapons. 

OVERLOOKED BY MOST MEDIA. White-garbed Nancy Pelosi and many similar dressed female Democrats refused to stand or applaud when President Donald Trump, in the State of the Union address, mentioned taking care of veterans.

BUSINESS NEWS SITES THRIVE.  Crain’s New York ran an article pointing out some business news web sites are thriving at a time when general news sites are struggling, coupled with layoffs.

POLICE HANDCUFF PHOTOGRAPHER, DISCIPLINED.  The Denver Police Department disciplined two officers who handcuffed and detained a journalist who was photographing them as they were dealing with a man sitting naked on a public sidewalk. The department determined the officers were in violation of police policy for detaining the journalist for recording an officer in a public place.

JEWISH LEADERS BEHIND PRO-TRUMP AD.  More than 50 leading American Jewish leaders took out a full-page ad in the New York Times to thank President Donald Trump for his efforts to combat anti-semitism across the globe and criticize Democrats for their open embrace of causes advocating the destruction of Israel.

TSA CONFISCATES RECORD NUMBER OF FIREARMS.  The Transportation Security Administration confiscated 7 percent more firearms last year than in 2017, revealed the agency. Of the record 4,239 guns discovered, 3,656 were loaded — an average 10 per day.

NEWSPAPER PROFESSIONALS TO GATHER IN LAS VEGAS.  The Key Executives Mega-Conference in Las Vegas Feb. 25 to 27 is expected to draw about 800 newspaper professionals.  The event is hosted by Inland Press Association, Local Media Association, Southern Newspaper Publishers Association and News Media Alliance, in association with the Nevada Press Association. “Growing digital subscribers is the top priority across the industry, but we know the reason is to reduce the risk of the declining print advertising business,” said Jay Horton, the show’s executive producer.  

BUT DID ANYONE YELL B-I-N-G-O?  A bingo session at a nursing home in Rideau Lakes, Ontario, near the New York border, turned ugly when two women (aged 79 and 86) got into a “physical altercation” over a seat. Others in the room got involved, turning the situation into somewhat of a brawl.

SUPER BOWL SUNDAY LEADS TO SLUGGISH DAY TODAY

Work productivity takes a big slide today following the Super Bowl and one study estimates companies will lose $484 million as a result, notes Grumpy Editor.

"Some white-collar workers --- particularly men, Millennials and senior managers --- will be a little sluggish the day after the big game between the New England Patriots and Los Angeles Rams," according to Captivate’s Office Pulse, which offers marketers timely analysis and insights from a proprietary panel of upscale professionals. 

 

One so-called positive result, says Office Pulse, is "more than one in five senior managers are going to be hungover or tired, so they’ll probably leave you alone.”

 

The survey also indicates "more than one in 10 business professionals (12 percent) confessed that they’ll show up to work hungover and/or extra tired the day after the Super Bowl.”  

 

Other predictions:

 

• 9 percent of men will take the day after the Super Bowl off from work, another 5 percent will show up late. That’s compared to 3 percent and 2 percent, respectively, for female professionals.
• 7 percent of Millennials will take Monday off. That’s more than Gen Xers (5 percent) and Boomers (3 percent).
• 13 percent of senior managers will take the day after off from work;  7 percent will show up late.

Even if they’re not taking the day off, a considerable amount of professionals (30 percent) feel that the Monday after the Super Bowl should be a national holiday.

 

Office Pulse points out "the real winner will be the commercials” — the most popular topic of discussion today.

 

 

IN CASE YOUR FAVORITE NEWS OUTLETS MISSED THESE…

 

 

 

JOBS BLOOM IN JANUARY.  Job growth last month shattered expectations, with nonfarm payrolls surging by 304,000 despite a partial government shutdown that was the longest in history.  Noting the "sunny results" for January from the Labor Department, a Saturday Wall Street Journal editorial under the headline, "Sorry for the Good News," takes a poke at some media that overlooked the economic news with "Friday was a bad day in certain media and political precincts as the labor market turned in another gangbuster performance in January.  The recession may not be imminent after all, and more people are working and making more money."

 

MOST ECONOMISTS SEE NO RECESSION THIS YEAR. Two thirds of business economists see no recession this year but predict a slowdown of growth, finds a survey by the National Association for Business Economics, the largest international association of applied economists, strategists, academics and policy-makers.

 

TYPHUS HITS L.A., RATS IN CITY HALL.  There are rats living in Los Angeles City Hall, says Deputy City Attorney Liz Greenwood who believes she contracted typhus from fleas in her office there.  Fleas often live on rats, which congregate in the many heaps of trash that are visible across L.A. and are a breeding ground for typhus.

 

NEWSPAPER CHAIN OFFERS BUYOUTS.  McClatchy Co. says about 10 percent of the newspaper chain's employees would be offered voluntary buyouts.

 

POSTAGE STAMPS TO HONOR MILITARY DOGS.  Look for postage stamps this year that will recognize military working dogs. Spotlighted:  German shepherd, Labrador retriever, Belgian Malinois and Dutch shepherd breeds.

 

PIONEER FEMALE NAVAL AVIATOR DIES. Rosemary Mariner, one of the first group of female Navy aviators who broke barriers, died at 65.  In 1973, she was one of the first eight women chosen to fly Navy aircraft and was the Navy’s first female jet pilot to fly the A-4C and the A-7E Corsair II. In 1990, she became the first woman in the military to command an operational air squadron. During her 24 years of service, Mariner logged more than 3,500 flight hours in 15 types of aircraft.

 

BEN & JERRY'S GOES FOR WOODEN SPOONS.  Ben & Jerry's is joining a growing list of companies phasing out single-use plastic. The ice cream vendor says by April it plans to phase out plastic straws and spoons in 600 stores worldwide, shifting to wooden spoons.

 

SURE IT'S HOT DOWN UNDER.  With a record cold period in the U.S. over the past few days, media, in discussing climate change, point to record heat in Australia --- failing to mention that it's summer there and January is like July in the U.S.

 

L.A. OFFICIALS PLAN TO CHARGE MOTORISTS BY THE MILE

Los Angeles officials, always with grabbing more taxes on their minds, have come up with a nifty (they think) idea: charge motorists more to drive, noted Grumpy Editor.

 

L.A. County politicians claimed they have no choice but to contemplate charging motorists more to drive in efforts to relieve congestion.

 

Terming it “congestion pricing,” among moves being considered are converting carpool lanes to toll lanes, taxing drivers based on the number of miles traveled and charging a fee to enter certain neighborhoods and business districts.

 

The Metropolitan Traffic Authority (MTA) figured getting more drivers off the road would allow freeing up space for better bus service, while incoming billions of dollars in revenue could fund a major expansion of the transit network.

 

But how does charging to drive, with daily commuters motoring to work and others with necessary tasks that require them to get behind the wheel, result in getting more vehicles off the roadways?  For example: How will driving a pregnant woman to a hospital be treated, especially with using a popular road?

 

How will merchants in targeted business districts feel about curbing potential customers?     

 

To avoid road fees, will there be more use of recently-developed flying cars?  That would lead to more flight control personnel.

 

MTA’s board of directors next month will be asked to approve a study and assemble a panel of experts to examine how congestion pricing would work.

 

 

IN CASE YOUR FAVORITE NEWS OUTLETS MISSED THESE…

 

 

GANNETT SLASHES JOBS.  Poynter reported Gannett Co., Inc. began slashing jobs across the country Wednesday in a cost-cutting move that was anticipated even before recent news that a hedge-fund company was planning to buy the chain that includes USA Today, Indianapolis Star, Cincinnati Enquirer, Des Moines Register, Arizona Republic and many others.

 

DAILY WHITE HOUSE PRESS BRIEFINGS SHELVED  President Donald Trump directed White House press secretary Sarah Sanders not to hold traditional daily briefings because "most (reporters) will never cover us fairly and hence, the term, Fake News!"  Last press briefing was on Dec. 18.  But there is no lack of media accessibility.  Sanders reminded that "I take questions from reporters every single day." 

 

MOST ADULTS DON'T BUY NEWSPAPERS.  A Rasmussen Reports survey tallied 63 percent of adults rarely or never buy a print version of their local newspaper, up from 57 percent last May and 30 percent 10 years ago.

 

FINE PRINT DISTRACTS WITH APPEALING AD.  A Wells Fargo half-page ad under the headline “Give your money a raise,” with an appealing savings account interest figure, also has 23 page-wide lines in hard-to-read tiny type on “to qualify for this offer...”

 

BRITISH PAPER APOLOGIZES TO FIRST LADY.  The Telegraph newspaper in Britain apologized and paid undisclosed damages to First Lady Melania Trump after publishing a Jan. 19 cover story it said contained many false statements.

DOG RETURNS HOME WITH TWO PALS.  A Concordia, Kansas, family thought their dog was lost when it did not return home from the back yard.  But the dog did return much later accompanied by another dog --- and a goat.

BERKELEY TO CHARGE FOR DISPOSABLE CUPS.  Patrons of Berkeley, California restaurants and coffee shops who don't bring reusable beverage cups, will need to pay a 25-cent fee for a disposable cup starting next January. The Disposable-Free Dining ordinance also will require eateries to provide takeout containers that are compostable by mid-2020 and to use only reusable plates and utensils for those eating in.

RUNAWAY EMUS CAPTURED IN GALVESTON.  Police in Galveston, Texas captured a pair of runaway emus ---not permitted in the city --- that had been loose after escaping from their owner's backyard.  Its owner said the large, flightless birds were brought in after the death of his mother who owned them at her Houston home.

 

DRUNK ON RUSSIAN PLANE MAKES HEADLINES IN U.S.  Must have been a dull news day when U.S. newspapers carried a story on an intoxicated passenger  threatening the crew of a Russian passenger plane flying from a Siberian city to Moscow, forcing  it to land shortly after takeoff.

WILL ARMY GIVE CURRENT FOOTWEAR THE BOOT?

With military editors mostly gone from major newspapers, there’s an absence of news on everyday developments focusing on men and women in uniform, observed Grumpy Editor.

An example:  The U.S. Army is testing new combat boots that are lighter and more comfortable.

Stars and Stripes writer John Vandiver revealed the Army Research, Development and Engineering Command Soldier Center in Natick, Mass., has developed prototypes that soldiers will wear at three basic training and active duty sites during the next four months.

The general-purpose prototypes being tested are the first significant change to basic Army combat boots in 30 years.

Vandiver quoted an overseer of the new footwear saying, “Soldiers live in their boots and many will tell you that there is no piece of equipment more important to their lethality and readiness.  A bad pair of boots will ruin a soldier’s day and possibly result in injuries, so we really believe that each of these prototype boots have the potential to improve the lives of soldiers.”

The prototypes --- up to 1.5 pounds lighter per pair than those issued today --- utilize more flexible types of leather and lighter outsoles and will be field tested on 800 recruits at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo. and Fort Jackson, S.C.

Another 900 pairs will go to soldiers at Fort Bliss, Texas, said Vandiver, adding the Army’s soldier center team will custom-fit each pair and collect solider surveys on boot performance in the spring.

 

IN CASE YOUR FAVORITE NEWS OUTLETS MISSED THESE…

 

BANKS CONTINUE TO SNUB HIGHER RATES FOR DEPOSITORS.  While growing higher interest rates have boosted income for banks, allowing them to make more money on their loans, not widely reported is that customers are starting to demand higher interest rates on deposits.

GANNETT TARGET OF TAKEOVER.  MNG Enterprises Inc. — better known as Digital First Media — made a takeover bid for Gannett Co., publisher of USA Today, Detroit Free Press, Cincinnati Enquirer, Des Moines Register, Arizona Republic and many others as the nation's largest newspaper publisher measured by total daily circulation.

VINYL SEES RESURGENCE.  Music industry consumption figures show that CDs, as expected, are declining in popularity but vinyl is experiencing a resurgence, particularly for classic albums, noted Fortune, which added cassettes also are experiencing sales growth. 

FREE ONLINE MAGAZINE FOR WRITERS.  The winter 2019 issue of Writers Tricks of the Trade, a free magazine is now online.  Produced by Las Vegas-based Morgan St. James, author of 16 books, the 37-page issue provides information and news of interest to freelance writers.  View it at  https://joom.ag/aNTa 

SEARS STILL HANGING IN.  Sears Holding Corp. received another reprieve, a bankruptcy auction win for the company’s chairman Eddie Lampert.  However, experts pointed out problems that got the retailer into trouble in the first place continue with little hope for change. 

SURVEY FINDS TRUMP APPROVAL RISES WITH LATINOS.  President Donald Trump’s approval rating among Latinos jumped almost 20 points from December to January in a NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist Poll.

FIRST FEMALE EDITOR OF CRAIN’S CHICAGO BUSINESS.  Veteran Chicago journalist Ann Dwyer, 54, will become the first female editor of Crain’s Chicago Business in its 41-year history.  She joined Crain’s from the Chicago Tribune in 1995 as a copy editor, reported Chris Roush, of Talking Biz News.

RUNAWAY DOG SHAKES UP LAX.  A runaway German Shepherd, named Cashmere, created a headache on the tarmac at Los Angeles International Airport Thursday afternoon when she escaped while being loaded onto a plane for an international flight.  Nine officers responded and after a half hour Cashmere was secured and loaded back onto the aircraft.

 

POSSIBLE MATE FOUND FOR LONELY FROG.   A Sehuencas frog, named Romeo, thought to be the last of its kind, and alone in a tank at an aquarium in Bolivia for a decade while scientists tried to find him a mate, finally may have a friend.  Scientists from a museum in Cochabamba City have found five more, first to be seen in the wild for 10 years.