Grumpy Editor

DOES SEN. CRUZ’S TRIP TO MEXICO SHELVE FUTURE PLANS TO RUN FOR PRESIDENT?

With Sen. Ted Cruz (R., Texas) undoutedly considering running for president again, did his trip to Mexico last week dampen that outlook, asks Grumpy Editor.

As USAToday notes:  "Cruz's ambitions could be complicated after flying to Mexico as his home state of Texas was weathering the aftermath of a deadly winter storm that left millions without power and running water in freezing temperatures.”

 "Natural disasters have a way of upending politicians careers,” declares Republican strategist Alex Conant, who points to examples including President George Bush during Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

"For politicians, the first rule of any natural disaster is to show up and Cruz broke that rule.”

Meanwhile, NBC’s Saturday Night Live joins the national roast of Mexico-visiting Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, with Aidy Bryant playing Cruz, saying he's sorry for abandoning his state as millions tried to survive without heat, power and water.

 

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TEXANS GET HUGE ELECTRIC BILLS.   Temperatures last week that overwhelmed Texas’s power grid, triggering rolling blackouts and power outages also bring catastrophic electric bills.  Some Texans are hit with power bills totaling as much as $17,000 for only a few days of electricity.

BIG CROCODILE UNDERGOES SURGERY.  A 350-pound, 10.5-foot-long crocodile undergoes successful surgery at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park in Florida to remove a shoe it swallowed that fell off a tourist’s foot.  

NEWSPAPER ACQUISITION IN WORKS.  New York hedge fund Alden Global Capital, largest shareholder in Tribune Publishing Co., reaches a deal to acquire the rest of the newspaper operation that includes the New York Daily News and Chicago Tribune.

BUFFET ADDS STAKES IN VERIZON, CHEVRON.  Billionaire Warren Buffet’s Berkshire Hathaway investment firm adds stakes in Verizon Communications Inc. and Chevron Corp. to its portfolio. 

WATCH OUT FOR LONG DRIVES.  Drivers who spend more than 20 minutes in their cars are at risk of exposure to formaldehyde and benzene, according to a study from the University of California, Riverside. Drivers may be inhaling those dangerous, cancer-causing carcinogens.

PETA FROWNS ON MARINES GULPING SNAKE BLOOD.  PETA, the animal rights group, petitions the Pentagon to end the practice of Marines and soldiers decapitating snakes and consuming their blood during survival training at the annual Cobra Gold exercise in Thailand.

WILL THE N.Y. STOCK EXCHANGE BID FAREWELL TO NEW YORK?

The New York Stock Exchange warns that it may leave New York City if the state legislature imposes a tax on stock transfers, notes Grumpy Editor.

The tax proposal, which would apply to transfers of stocks, bonds and derivatives, comes as the state  faces a sharp budget shortfall caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

“If Albany lawmakers get their way, however, the center of the global financial industry may need to find a new home,” NYSE President Stacey Cunningham warns in an op-ed piece in The Wall Street Journal.

Cunningham and more than 25 other representatives of the securities industry contact state legislative leaders to caution against a proposal to place a tax on certain financial transactions, including from investment banks and hedge funds.

Democrats behind the bill maintain a tax would help make up for lost revenue and deny that the NYSE would need to move if it were passed.

Cunningham points out that “while New York has remained a center of gravity for the financial industry, many employees of Wall Street firms are migrating to Florida, Texas and other states with hospitable tax policies.”

The NYSE started on May 17, 1792, under a buttonwood tree at 68 Wall Street. Twenty-four brokers and merchants signed the aptly-named Buttonwood Agreement to outline the rules for trading securities. 

First stock listed on this exchange was the Bank of New York.

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U.S. MILLIONAIRES GROW.  More than 8 percent of U.S. adults have assets that put them as millionaires, according to Global Wealth Report 2020 by Credit Suisse.  That’s more than 20 million Americans.

KUDLOW DEBUTS ON FOX BUSINESS.   Former National Economic Council director and Fox News contributor Larry Kudlow is getting a Fox Business show that will air weekdays at 4 p.m. Eastern with an encore at 7 p.m. Eastern.  Fox Business says Kudlow’s show will “feature closing market analysis as well as interviews with major industry leaders influencing Wall Street, Washington and business in America.”

SUPER BOWL VIEWERS SHRINK.  CBS notes Super Bowl LV between the Tampa Bay Bucs and Kansas City Chiefs averaged 96.4 million viewers across TV and streaming.  That’s down from last year’s 102 million across Fox and streaming — and the lowest since 2007. 

BIDEN IN MILWAUKEE TOWN HALL.  President Joe Biden will participate in a CNN town hall in Milwaukee.  “CNN Presidential Town Hall with Joe Biden” airs tomorrow at 8 p.m. Eastern.

WALL STREET JOURNAL COMBINES WORDS.  The Wall Street Journal is combining words.  Rather than health care, it’s now one word:  healthcare.  Also going to one word is daycare.

AUNT JEMIMA BOXES GET NEW NAME.  Aunt Jemima identifying pancake mix is being renamed Pearl Milling Company starting with packaging in June.  Pearl Milling Company was founded in 1888 in St. Joseph, Missouri.

MOUNT EVEREST GROWS.  Mount Everest now tops the globe at 29,031.69 feet above sea level, according to latest survey results.  That is more than two feet higher than the altitude previously recognized by the government of Nepal.

 YELLOW LOBSTER CAUGHT.  A lobsterman catches a rare yellow lobster off the coast of Maine and quickly names it Banana, then donates it to the University of New England.  The yellow color comes from a pigment in the lobster's shell and the odds of catching one are about one in 30 million, calculates the University of Maine.

MAJOR USERS OF POSTAL SERVICE FEAR PRICE HIKES COMING

Some businesses are concerned about postage increases expected to be announced in March, notes Grumpy Editor.

Big mail users are asking the District of Columbia’s federal appeals court to block the action.

Major mailers fear the Postal Service will hike prices 5.5 percent to 9 percent this year for letters, magazines and other items, notes The Wall Street Journal.

“Now is not the time to aggressively increase prices when so many businesses are struggling and hanging by a thread,” says Hamilton Davison, president of the American Catalog Mailers Association.  

Postage, adds Davison, is the second biggest expense for many catalog merchants, adding further increases “will force more mail out of the system and contribute to a postal system death spiral.”

Meanwhile, on-time first-class mail delivery dropped below 64 percent in December vs. 92 percent at the start of 2020, according to data from the Postal Service.

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ECONOMY READY TO ROLL.  The U.S. economy this year is set to accelerate its recovery from the coronavirus-induced contraction of 2020, even without further economic stimulus from Washington, says the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office.

66 PEOPLE ICE FISHING RESCUED.  The U.S. Coast Guard and others, using boats and helicopters, rescue 66 ice-fishing people stranded on ice floes in a Door County bay in northeastern Wisconsin.

 

NAVY VET TRAINS SERVICE DOGS TO ASSIST BLIND PEOPLE.  Melissa Harrington, since her retirement from the Navy in 2002, volunteers with the nonprofit Guide Dog Foundation in Virginia training 21 service dogs to assist people who are blind.

CONFEDERATE FLAGS BANNED ON N.C. PLATES.  North Carolina's Division of Motor Vehicles no longer issues or renews specialty license plates bearing the Confederate battle flag or any variation of it.

MIAMI HERALD CLOSES CUSTOM PUBLISHING.  The Miami Herald is closing its 20-year-old travel and tourism custom publishing operation that produced award-winning publications for its clients.

WINSTON CHURCHILL PAINTING TO BE SOLD.  A Winston Churchill painting, a gift to President Franklin D. Roosevelt, that depicts a Moroccan landscape is being sold by actress Angelina Jolie next month at an estimated price of $2.1 million to $3.4 million.  

 

JOB PAYS WELL.  Like to get a hefty-paying job and work only about two or three hours every four days?  Then being a major league baseball pitcher is for you.  As an example, with a free-agent right hander, the Los Angeles Dodgers last week made a three-year $102 million deal.

PANDEMIC INSPIRES THIEVES TO RAID ATMS AROUND THE COUNTRY

 

During the pandemic, ATMs got a higher-than-usual workout from bank patrons last year --- also by thieves, notes Grumpy Editor.

 

With unrest in some cities and ATMs containing more than usual cash, attempts to break into ATMs around the country have more than doubled.

 

With some bank offices temporarily closed, ATMs often contain twice the normal $50,000 to accommodate customers.

 

Inspired by this development, thieves seek access to ATMs by using tools, explosives and driving vehicles into the units.

 

 

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WORLDWIDE ICE MELTING FASTER.   The world’s ice, from the Arctic to the Antarctic, is melting faster than ever, finds a global satellite survey indicating a generation of ice lost to rising temperatures.  The survey shows 28 trillion metric tons of ice disappeared between 1994 and 2007 and global melting accelerated 65 percent since the 1990s

 

NEW D.C. STUDIOS FOR NBC.  NBC News debuts state-of-the-art studios inside an expanded Washington bureau that covers six-floors in an 80,000-square foot building.  Seven studios now house NBC News, MSNBC and CNBC plus NBC News Channel, Noticias Telemundo and Sky News Washington.

 

BANK SAVINGS RATES WAY DOWN.  With bank savings rates continuing to bounce around the bottom (with an annual slim 0.05 percent APY), compared to a decade ago, one financial firm hopes to lure savers with a "mighty" 0.50 percent APY.

 

EXPENSIVE BOTTLE OF WHISKY.  A 72-year-old bottle of single malt whisky from Scotland fetches more than $54,000 (in U.S. dollars) in a Hong Kong auction. It marks the first time the 1948 Glen Grant whisky, by independent bottler Gordon & MacPhail, was offered in an auction.

OWL ATTRACTS ATTENTION IN NEW YORK.  A snowy owl, a rare sight in New York’s Central Park, attracts scores of onlookers seeking a glimpse of a bird that is native to the Arctic tundra and migrates south during the winter.  What was so unusual?   It’s the first recorded sighting of a snowy owl in Central Park since 1890.

$1 MILLION BASEBALL BAT?  Baseball great Lou Gehrig’s bat, linked to the 1938 World Series, could sell for as much as $1 million at an upcoming auction, say experts.

BUD WILL MISS SUPER BOWL.  Pitches for Budweiser, synonymous with the Super Bowl, will be absent in next Sunday’s game for the first time in 37 years.

TOM BROKAW RETIRES FROM NBC NEWS.  Legendary Tom Brokaw, 80, is retiring from NBC News after 55 years. Brokaw is the only anchor to lead all three of NBC’s primary news shows and is best known for anchoring the NBC Nightly News from 1993 to 2004.

 

 

 

 

NATIONAL GUARD TROOPS DIRECTED TO COLD WASHINGTON GARAGE TO REST

 

National Guard members camping in a cold parking garage is something one might see in a third world country --- but it happened in Washington, D.C. where 26,000 Guard members from around the country were deployed to help inauguration activities, notes Grumpy Editor.

 

The National Guard said it moved troops from the Capitol building and other spaces for rest breaks to the garage at the behest of Capitol Police.  It was a crowded scene.

 

Following settling in the garage, it later was announced that nearly 200 Guard members in the Capitol tested positive for the novel coronavirus.

 

Lawmakers from both political parties, noting reports of the undesirable garage rest area (without cots), intervened, allowing Guard members to return to indoor spaces.

 

Capitol Police and National Guard officials offered conflicting explanations on why troops were moved to the parking garage.

 

Most called-up National Guard soldiers hold full-time civilian jobs.

 

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FIRST DOGS RETURN TO WHITE HOUSE.  Canines are back in the White House.  After a four-year hiatus, dogs are back.  President Joe Biden brings in two German shepherds, including one adopted from an animal shelter in 2018.

 

BETTY WHITE REACHES 99.  Actress Betty White marks her birthday by commenting:  “Since I am turning 99, I can stay up as late as I want without asking permission” and later went outside to feed a pair of ducks that frequent home.”

 

GRAY WHALES EBB.  The population of gray whales off the West Coast has dropped nearly one-quarter since 2016, reports NOAA Fisheries.

 

CARGO SHIP LOSES CONTAINERS.  A Maersk cargo ship with more than 13,000 containers, loses about 750 of them in heavy seas half-way to Los Angeles from China. 

 

PANDEMIC BOOSTS HOME SALES.  The pandemic is giving a boost to home sales, surging last year to the highest level in 14 years. Existing home sales reached 5.64 million in 2020, up 5.6 percent from the prior year.

 

PRINT BOOK SALES RISE.  BookScan says print book sales rise 8.2 percent last year, largest annual increase since 2010, despite deep concern over supply chain issues and early spring pandemic-induced store lockdowns. A prolonged decline never came, as online sales and sales through non-book store outlets more than offset declines at physical bookstores.

BEE POPULATION DECREASES.  Researchers say bee species around the world are facing major declines and are warning time is running out to save them, adding up to 25 percent of known bee species haven't been reported in global records since the 1990s. There are over 20,000 known bee species around the world.

GANNETT REBOUNDS.  Gannett reports better than expected fourth-quarter revenue and adjusted earnings, showing what it called a "rebound" as the company's digital subscription strategy gains momentum. Gannett owns USA TODAY, about 260 other daily publications, hundreds of weeklies, a marketing services division and an events business. 

DESCRIPTIONS OF CAPITOL SIEGE CHANGE FROM ORIGINAL 'RALLY'

An Associated Press story recalls changing descriptions given to the Capitol siege earlier this month in which five people died, observes Grumpy Editor.

 

"At first, viewed from a distance, it was a rally or protest,” notes AP.  "Then it became an assault, a riot, an insurrection, domestic terrorism or even a coup attempt.”

 

"The use of ‘riot' as a descriptor is almost universally accepted,” points out AP, "even though the word has become fraught with racial connotations and despite the relatively gradual way the story unfolded.”

 

Originally called protesters, it later became clear as many breached the Capitol and lawmakers fled for safety, that more was happening, continues AP, which later informs staffers that "protest" was too mild a word and terms  like “mob,” “riot” and “insurrection” are appropriate.

 

 

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U.S. PIGEON TRAVELS ACROSS PACIFIC.  A racing pigeon survives an 8,000-mile Pacific Ocean crossing from the U.S. to find a new home in Australia. But authorities consider the bird a quarantine risk and plan to kill it. The exhausted bird that arrived in a Melbourne backyard in December disappeared from a race in Oregon two months earlier.  Experts suspect the pigeon, named Joe after the president-elect, hitched a ride on a cargo ship.

 

YOGI BERRA STAMP COMING.  New York Yankees great Yogi Berra, a 10-time World Series champion and three-time American League most valuable player will be featured on a new stamp coming out this year.

 

MASSACHUSETTS NEWSPAPER BACK IN LOCAL HANDS.  Inquirer and Mirror, Nantucket, Mass., one of the oldest newspapers in the country --- marking its 200^th year in 2021 --- is back in the hands of local owners after Gannett, its previous owner, sold it to 41 North Media LLC last November.

PGA VOTES TO MOVE CHAMPIONSHIP.  The PGA of America votes to move the 2022 PGA Championship from Trump National Golf Club in New Jersey.  It marks the first sports organization to abandon Trump after the Capitol siege. The Trump Organization owns or operates 17 golf courses around the world, generating about a third of the family's revenue, according to the New York Times. 

 

POLITICAL CONTRIBUTIONS CURBED.  Several corporations are restricting or suspending political contributions after the Capitol siege:  They include banks JPMorgan Chase and Citi, Marriott International hotels, Blue Cross Blue Shield Association and Boston Scientific.

 

RADIO HOSTS TOLD TO SHELVE ELECTION CHATTER.  Cumulus Media, the talk radio company with a lineup of conservative hosts such as Ben Shapiro and Mark Levin, tells its radio personalities to knock off the chatter about the election being stolen from President Donald Trump. Cumulus, based in Atlanta, owns 416 stations in nearly 90 markets across the country.

 

PETER DOOCY BECOMES WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT.  Fox News selects Peter Doocy as a White House correspondent covering President Joe Biden’s administration.  The son of “Fox & Friends” co-host Steve Doocy will begin coverage of Biden White House starting on Inauguration Day.

MEDIA TAKE A HIT WHEN PRO-TRUMP MOB OCCUPIES U.S. CAPITOL

 

 

Storming the Capitol shocked world leaders and American citizens, observed Grumpy Editor --- who couldn’t believe what he saw on television.

 

Thousands of protesters --- most without masks to curb spreading coronavirus --- flooded the area as some climbed the walls to the Capitol, fighting police in uniform.

 

Chaos at the Capitol, the center of American democracy, which led to five deaths, saw violent protesters smash furnishings and doors, TV camera equipment and assorted punches, some aimed at reporters and photographers.

 

“Murder the media” was carved into a door of the Capitol.

 

As Poynter pointed out:  This was “the most significant breach of an American government institution since the Battle of Bladensburg on Aug. 24th, 1814, when the British came and burned the Capitol and also burned the White House.”

 

Protesters carrying (and dragging) American flags must have affected many U.S. military veterans --- and those who remember photos of raising the U.S. flag at Iwo Jima during World War II.  

 

Last Wednesday began as a day of reckoning for President Donald Trump’s attempt to cling to power, as Congress took up the certification of President-elect Joe Biden.

 

“What a disgrace,” declared the Wall Street Journal in an editorial Thursday.  The Journal also said “Once the mob was inside, the call went out for backup from Virginia and Maryland, and the National Guard was activated.  But it’s a scandal that the U.S. Capitol wasn’t better protected on such a significant day.”

 

“(Joe) Biden will become President at noon on Jan. 20, and until then the police need to restore order with as much force as necessary.”

 

 

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GM UNVEILS NEW LOGO.  General Motors unveils a new tech-themed logo.  It features GM in lower case letters in a contemporary font.  It's the first major logo change in decades.

 

 

DIFFERENT LOOK.  Look for U.S. Marines on Inauguration Day ceremonies to wear black face masks, white gloves and an unusual combination of Vietnam-era field jackets in woodland camouflage with khaki-and-olive green service dress uniforms.

 

ARCTIC GETTING ATTENTION.  U.S. officials have noted that Russia has been reopening old military bases and moving forces in the Arctic where it operates a large icebreaker fleet. Meanwhile, China is increasing its shipbuilding and port infrastructure in the region.

 

VETERANS BENEFITS CLAIMS DELAYED.  A National Archives bottleneck is delaying benefits claims for 32,000 military veterans.  The Wall Street Journal points out "the archives website has instructions on how to file an emergency claim, but it can be difficult to understand."

 

SUPER BOWL COMMERCIALS CARRY PRICE TAGS UP TO $5.5 MILLION.  The Super Bowl, airing Feb. 7 on CBS, is seeking up to $5.5 million for commercials. 

 

L.A. TIMES STARTS ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER. The Los Angeles Times is launching a newsletter focused on entertainment.  It’s aimed at  industry professionals and workers along with agents and studio executives --- and anyone interested in what’s happening in Hollywood.

GENDER-NEUTRAL TERMS BEING CONSIDERED BY HOUSE DEMOCRATS

So what are House Democrats working on in the new 117^th Congress as we enter 2021?

They propose a rules change switching male and female references like "he" and "she" to gender-neutral terms, notes Grumpy Editor.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House Rules Chairman Jim McGovern are focusing on a rules package to "honor all gender identities by changing pronouns and familiar relationships in the House rules to be gender neutral."

That means eliminating terms such as mother and father, son and daughter, and aunt and uncle.

Proposed changes call for gender-neutral terms such as parent, child, sibling and parent’s sibling.

The plan also includes establishment of a House “Office of Diversity and Inclusion.”

 

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CENSUS BUREAU MISSES DEADLINE.  The Census Bureau misses a year-end deadline for handing in numbers used to determine congressional seats. That’s the first time the year-end deadline is missed since it was implemented more than four decades ago.

DRUGMAKERS HIKE PRICES FOR NEW YEAR.  Following its annual routine, about 70 drugmakers rang in the new year by raising prices an average of 5.8 percent on many products.

MARINE CORPS STARTS TO ISSUE SILENCERS.  The Marine Corps starts issuing thousands of silencers to infantry units worldwide. The suppressors are designed to reduce the visual and noise signature of carbines and rifles including M4 and M4A1 carbines, M27 infantry automatic rifles and M38 designated marksman rifles.

WOOD FOR COFFINS SCARCE.  Coffin manufacturer Universal Caskets Manufacturing Corp. says wood --- especially pine --- for caskets is becoming scarce as the firm struggles to meet demand in the Los Angeles area.

AMERICAN RADIO IN BERLIN ENDS.  American radio presence in Berlin since 1945 ends when the last U.S. radio station in the German capital ceases operation.

MOST YOUNG AMERICANS UNABLE TO SERVE COUNTRY.  The Department of Defense reveals 71 percent of young Americans are unable to serve in uniform, largely due to obesity, drug abuse, poor education or crime record.

STOLEN WWII CHURCH BELL BEING RETURNED.  A church bell dating back to 1555 will be returned to its home in Poland, 77 years after it was taken in World War II by the Nazis who melted down 80,000 bells to make weapons or ammunition.

2020 ALSO KNOWN AS THE YEAR OF SCAMS

As year 2020 bows out, among other things it will be known as the year of scams, notes Grumpy Editor.

The Federal Trade Commission tallies consumers lost an estimated $1 billion in schemes during the pandemic since January.

 

Officials figure only a small fraction of ripped-off customers report losses to authorities.

 

Main targets are seniors and retirees, Blacks and Latinos, immigrants, military families and students.

 

“There are people out there whose job it is to steal your money, Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh tells Associated Press.

 

Frosh points out a growing number of cases involve affinity fraud that is a form of pyramid scheme in which consumers are urged to tap friends, family and members of their church or ethnic community for money in addition to their own payment.

 

 

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ARMY CANNON HITS DISTANT TARGET.  A U.S. Army cannon hits a target 43.5 miles away, marking a milestone in the push to develop longer range artillery.  Service leaders have said long-range precision fires from ground forces are an important part of a modernization effort to give forces “a decisive advantage” in future battles. Design work on a final version of the cannon could be finished next year.

 

AFGHANISTAN BEATS U.S., SAYS TRUMP.   President Donald Trump, tweeting from his vacation in Florida on Friday, says that the United States isn’t as good as war-torn, Taliban-infested Afghanistan, reports Mediaite.

D.C. MEMORIAL HONORS JOURNALISTS KILLED. President Donald Trump signs a bill authorizing a monument honoring journalists killed while reporting the news.   The Fallen Journalists Memorial Act, which passed through Congress with bipartisan support earlier this month, permits the Fallen Journalists Memorial Foundation to plan and raise funds for the construction of a memorial in Washington, D.C.

 

GEN. LEE STATUE REMOVED.  A statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee, that represented Virginia in the U.S. Capitol for 111 years is removed, following the request from Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam.  It follows a decision that Lee is not a fitting symbol for the state.

 

FINANCIAL TIMES CUTS STAFF.  The Financial Times, an international daily newspaper, reportedly is cutting 64 jobs, including 20 editorial positions.

 

U.S. AIRBORNE SOLDIERS AID GERMAN MOTORIST.  Five U.S. 101st Airborne Division soldiers flying over rural Germany near Fabrikschleichach, a Bavarian town, spot a while puff of smoke on the ground, the result of a car rolling over three times.  The aircraft lands in a nearby muddy farm field and one of the soldiers runs to the vehicle and aids a German man on the ground beside the vehicle.

 

WOMAN TO COMMAND NUCLEAR-POWERED AIRCRAFT CARRIER.  Navy Capt. Amy Bauernschmidt, is selected to be the first woman to command a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, San Diego-based USS Abraham Lincoln, the fifth Nimitz-class aircraft carrier in the Navy.  Bauernschmidt previously served from 2016 to 2019 as the Lincoln’s executive officer, another first for a woman.  She is a 1994 graduate from the Naval Academy.

 

 

 

NAVY PLANS TO BUILD 82 SHIPS BY 2026

Not widely covered by media, the Defense Department announces the Navy plans to build 82 ships by 2026 at a cost of $147 billion, notes Grumpy Editor.

The shipbuilding plan includes three attack submarines, four large unmanned surface vessels, development of light amphibious warships and retirement of most of the Navy's current cruisers.

Observers  say the ambitious plan, based on a classified study presented to Congress earlier this month, will likely initiate a battle in Congress between the Navy and other U.S. service branches over funding.

"The plan calls for a larger fleet of both manned and unmanned vessels prepared to face greater challenges on, above or under the sea, by accelerating submarine construction, modernizing aircraft, extending the service life of cruisers and increasing the number of destroyers," says David L. Norquist, deputy secretary of defense.

The Defense Department adds, “The Navy will still sail proven, traditional capabilities, such as attack submarines, nuclear-powered aircraft carriers and air wings, and logistics forces, but the study also looked at building more small multi-mission combatants.”  

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POPULATION, MEDIAN AGE EDGE UP.  U.S. population increased about 8 percent --- to 332.6 million people --- over the past decade, reveals the Census Bureau.   Median age edges up to 38.5 years, vs. 37.2 in 2010.

 

YES, SAME AFGHANISTAN.  On Saturday, five rockets are fired at Bagram Airfield, major U.S. base in Afghanistan.  Grumpy Editor finds many things don’t change in the world after viewing “Enchantment,” a 1948 movie that takes place during World War II.  In the movie, actor David Niven plays a military officer informed that he is going to --- Afghanistan. 

 

MONARCH BUTTERFLY RECOGNIZED.  Federal officials declare the monarch butterfly is a candidate for threatened or endangered status with action likely in the years ahead.

  

TOO MANY WOMEN WORKERS BRING FINE.  City hall in Paris, France, is fined about $110,000 for appointing too many women to top positions in 2018.

 

DAYTIME TV IS SECOND PRIME TIME NOW.  With the pandemic resulting in more people at home, ratings-research firm Nielsen says daytime is a second prime time --- with an audience with much higher spending power.

MARINES WITHOUT TANKS?  U.S. Marines plan to shed its heavy armor (battle tanks) battalions as part of a 10-year redesign.

COYOTE VISITS FIRE STATION.  Firefighters in a Fort Lauderdale station are surprised to find an unusual visitor wandering through their firehouse --- a coyote.  It is surprising since the station is in a dense urban neighborhood about a mile from the beach.  The coyote soon ran out of the station.

BUSINESSMAN PAYS UTILITY BILLS.  Gulf Breeze, Florida, business owner Michael Esmond covers overdue utility bills for 114 families at risk of losing service in the holiday season.  Esmond, owner of Gulf Breeze Pools & Spa near Pensacola, donates $7,615 as the city faces an economic downturn caused by the pandemic and Hurricane Sally.

WORD OF THE YEAR IS PANDEMIC, NOTES MERRIAM-WEBSTER

 

“Pandemic” is the 2020 word of the year, reveals Merriam-Webster, notes Grumpy Editor.

 

“Often the big news story has a technical word that’s associated with it and in this case, the word pandemic is not just technical but has become general. It’s probably the word by which we’ll refer to this period in the future,” Peter Sokolowski, editor at large for Merriam-Webster, tells the Associated Press. 

 

When the World Health Organization on March 11 declared the novel coronavirus outbreak a global pandemic, lookups for pandemic spiked hugely, adds Sokolowski, pointing out site interest for the word has remained significantly high through the year.

Sokolowski says pandemic, with roots in Latin and Greek, is a combination of “pan,” for all, and “demos,” for people or population. The word dates to the mid-1600s, used broadly for “universal” and more specifically to disease in a medical text in the 1660s, he mentions.

 

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GANNETT JOBS GOING TO INDIA.  Gannett informs its business side employees that 485 of their jobs will be outsourced to Hyderabad, India, early next year.

CHINA DETAINS BLOOMBERG NEWS WORKER.  Authorities in China detain Haze Fan, a Chinese citizen working at the Bloomberg News bureau in Beijing since 2017, on suspicion of endangering national security.

MOUNTAIN LION CUBS RESETTLED.  Three mountain lion cubs, rescued from wildfires in California, are settling into their new home at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium after FedEx transported them from California.

MACAW IN ARIZONA DRAWS ATTENTION.  A wandering macaw is rescued by members of Arizona’s Pima Animal Care Center (PACC).  Initially, the colorful bird evades rescuers by perching on tall trees.  But the bird is captured when it settles into a shorter tree. When captured, the parrot ---  common in Central and South America --- was showing signs of exhaustion and dehydration, but is now recovering. 

FOX NEWS TO DEBUT WEATHER SERVICE.  Fox News Media division in the 2021 third quarter plans to debut a streaming weather service, Fox Weather, complementing the traditional news operation.  Fox Weather will  take advantage of 75 meteorologists across 17 Fox stations and Fox News Channel's news gathering units.

HEAVYWEIGHT GOLDFISH DISCOVERED.  Wildlife officials conducting a fish population survey discover a goldfish weighing nine pounds in 12-acre Oak Grove Lake, Greenville County, in South Carolina.

VIRUS SHUTTERS 110,000 RESTAURANTS.  The National Restaurant Association says 110,000 restaurants permanently shuttered this year with 10,000 of them closed in the past three months.  A survey of 6,000 restaurant operators reveals 87 percent of full-service restaurants report an average 36 percent drop in revenue and 83 percent expect sales to be "even worse" over the next three months as the virus continues to lash the country.

HARTFORD COURANT CLOSES NEWSROOM.  The Hartford Courant, Connecticut’s largest newspaper and the oldest continuously published paper in the country, will be closing its newsroom by year-end.

 

BEST NEW YEAR'S CITIES LISTED.   WalletHub tallies  best cities for ringing in the new year without breaking the bank.  The data set ranges from safety and COVID-19 cases to quality food delivery options and costs.

 

Best Cities for New Year’s 1. Virginia Beach, VA 11. Raleigh, NC 2. Honolulu, HI 12. Chesapeake, VA 3. Plano, TX 13. San Jose, CA 4. Fremont, CA 14. Norfolk, VA 5. Irvine, CA 15. Colorado Springs, CO 6. Chula Vista, CA 16. Riverside, CA 7. Lincoln, NE 17. Austin, TX 8. Santa Ana, CA 18. Madison, WI 9. San Diego, CA 19. Pittsburgh, PA 10. Anaheim, CA 20. San Francisco, CA

 

PANDEMIC TRIGGERS MORE LAYOFFS OF TV STAFFERS

More TV staffers were caught in layoffs last week, notes Grumpy Editor.

 

ABC News was hit as part of major restructuring and job cuts across Walt Disney Co.

 

A report said layoffs were in the “low single digit” percentage of the news division's workforce that employs about 1,400.

 

Disney’s Television Group also eliminated positions in general entertainment divisions.

 

Radio Disney is ceasing operations.  ESPN cut jobs last month.  

 

The ABC action follows other network’s layoffs during the year at CBS News, NBC News and Fox News.

 

The pandemic exacerbates a volatile media environment, with a push toward streaming and digital.

 

 

IN CASE YOUR FAVORITE NEWS OUTLETS MISSED THESE...

 

Koala breaks into home, climbs Christmas tree

 

KOALA WITH CHRISTMAS SPIRIT.  Near Adelaide, southern Australia, a koala broke into a home and immediately climbed the Christmas tree.  The tree-climbing koala is an iconic animal, often called the koala “bear."

 

PEARL HARBOR ANNIVERSARY TODAY.  Today marks the 69th anniversary of the Japanese attack on the U.S. Navy base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.  It resulted in four battleships sunk, four others damaged.  Also sunk or damaged were three cruisers, three destroyers and a minelayer, while 188 aircraft were destroyed, 2,402 people were killed and 1,282 wounded, mostly Navy personnel.

 

NAVY LOSES ANOTHER SHIP.  The Navy will decommission the amphibious assault ship Bonhomme Richard following heavy damage from a five-day fire in July near San Diego.  It would have cost up to $3.2 billion to rebuild the vessel.

 

PANDEMIC BOOSTS DAYTIME TV.  The pandemic is boosting daytime television.  Nielsen, the ratings and research firm, says daytime now is "a second prime time" as office workers and professionals are at home instead of the office --- sneaking in some viewing time.

 

ONLY SERVICE ANIMALS CAN FLY.  In a new ruling, dogs are the only service animals allowed to fly on passenger planes.  Emotional support animals are no longer considered service animals, which the Department of Transportation now defines solely as trained dogs.

 

PANDEMIC ELEVATES CREDIT CARD USE.  Many Americans, losing income in the pandemic, are falling deeper into debt and being forced to pay bills, rent or mortgage on credit cards, posing trouble ahead for the economy. 

 

FIRST RESCUE DOG WILL BE IN WHITE HOUSE.  President-elect Joe Biden’s adopted German Shepherd, Major, will be the first rescue dog to take up residence in the White House.  He will join Biden’s other dog, Champ.

 

REAL CHRISTMAS TREES ARE POPULAR THIS YEAR

Demand is up for real Christmas trees this year, observes Grumpy Editor.

Wholesale tree farmers and others report strong demand for fresh-cut evergreens.

Tree sellers say they are seeing more people and earlier than in recent years.

With bigger demand, big box stores are seeking fresh trees earlier this year from places such as Oregon and North Carolina.

Pushing the trend, Walmart is offering free home delivery of the real trees.

More Americans are staying home for the holidays amid pandemic restrictions and are realizing that for the first time in years — or maybe ever — they will be home to water a fresh-cut tree, reports Associated Press.

IN CASE YOUR FAVORITE NEWS OUTLETS MISSED THESE...

 

ROBOT DOGS PATROL MILITARY BASE.  Security forces at the 29,000-acre Tyndall Air Force Base in Florida are using robot dogs for patrolling the installation, a first for mechanized pooches. The computerized canines can be programmed to patrol areas that aren’t desirable for humans and vehicles.

YOUR NEW FRIENDLY BANK.  General Motors’ lending arm is planning to apply for a banking charter that would allow it to accept deposits and expand its auto-finance business.

TONING IT DOWN.  Kim Jong Un, North Korea’s leader, sees any future negotiations with President-elect Joe Biden, potentially more difficult than with President Donald Trump. 

POISON GAS, FIRING SQUADS RETURN. The Justice Department, in amending execution protocols starting Dec. 24, no longer will require death sentences to be carried out by lethal injection, clearing the way for other methods such as poison gas and firing squads.

CHER VISITS LONELY ELEPHANT IN PAKISTAN.  Singer-actress Cher visits Pakistan to mark the departure of Kaavan, dubbed the “world’s loneliest elephant,” that will soon leave a Pakistani zoo for better conditions. Kaavan’s destination is a sanctuary in Cambodia .  The move follows years of lobbying by animal rights groups and activists.

NOT ENOUGH VANS WITH DELIVERY RUSH.  FedEx and United Parcel Service are running into a shortage of delivery vans, prompting a surprise cost squeeze that’s cutting into profits during a record surge in package volumes.

MILITARY CEMETERY CLOSES FOR WREATHS.  Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia, will close to the public from Dec. 13 to 19 to allow Christmas wreaths to be placed at 267,000 graves.  The wreaths will be placed as part of the Wreaths Across America event.

BRITISH ARMY DOG GETS TOP AWARD.  A retired British army working dog — named Kuno, a Belgian Malinois — that suffered life-changing injuries while supporting the British special forces fighting Al Qaeda is awarded the Dickin Medal – the highest award an animal can receive within the British military. The award is equivalent to the U.S.’s Medal of Honor.

SINGER DOLLY PARTON'S $1 MILLION GIFT BOOSTS COVID-19 RESEARCH

 

Dolly Parton's $1 million gift aids research 

 

Missed by some media is that a $1 million gift from country singer Dolly Parton helped researchers develop a coronavirus vaccine, observed Grumpy Editor.

 

She said she felt "very honored and proud" to have given money to research into one of the most promising Covid-19 vaccines.

 

The gift went to Nashville’s Vanderbilt University Medical Center leading to the development of Moderna’s experimental coronavirus vaccine. The Moderna vaccine is reported to be nearly 95 percent effective.

 

"I just felt so proud to have been part of that little seed money that will hopefully grow into something great and help to heal this world,” said the singer.

  

Parton’s donation also is supporting a convalescent plasma study and research involving antibody therapies, said a Vanderbilt University Medical Center spokesperson.  Convalescent plasma is used to treat people who are battling a Covid infection.

 

Funds from Parton’s gift are also supporting research into monoclonal antibodies that act as a temporary vaccine for Covid.  Two of these antibodies are now being tested by a global pharmaceutical firm.

 

Vanderbilt's plasma pilot showed enough promise for the U.S. National Institutes of Health to step in with $34 million in additional support to conduct a national, multi-site clinical trial into the benefits of convalescent plasma.

 

Parton pointed out “my longtime friend Dr Naji Abumrad, who's been involved in research at Vanderbilt for many years, informed me that they were making some exciting advancements towards that research of the coronavirus for a cure.”  She mentioned her $1 million donation toward that research would “encourage people that can afford it to make donations."

 

IN CASE YOUR FAVORITE NEWS OUTLETS MISSED THESE…

 

SMALLER TURKEYS THIS YEAR.  Fewer guests at Thanksgiving dinners this year, due to the coronavirus pandemic, means smaller turkeys — 12 to 14 pounds rather than 16 to 20 pounds.

 

BIG BUCKS FOR RUDOLPH AND SANTA.  A buyer at a Hollywood auction was willing to pay $368,000 for the six-inch-tall Rudolph and 11-inch high Santa Claus figures used in the 1964 Christmas special “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer.”

 

MARS SEEKS TO EXPAND.  Mars, candy maker of  Snickers, Milky Way and M&Ms reached a deal to acquire Kind, which makes nutritional snacks, as a move to expand the candy maker's snack menu.    

 

NEWS CORP. EYES BOOK PUBLISHER.  Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp is making a play for Simon & Schuster, home to best-selling authors like Stephen King and Hillary Clinton. It is one of more than half a dozen inquiries, with one topping $1.7 billion.

 

JOURNALISM SCHOOL HONORS DR. FAUCI.  Dr. Anthony Fauci, infectious disease expert, was honored by the journalism school at San Jose State University for his role in delivering vital public health information during the COVID-19 pandemic.  The William Randolph Hearst Foundation is for excellence in mass communication.

 

MOTORSPORTS BROADCAST BOOTH WELCOMES WOMAN.  Fox Sports said veteran NASCAR reporter Jamie Little, with 20 years in broadcasting, will move to the broadcast booth to call play-by-play for the ARCA Series in 2021 — becoming the first woman named as the television voice of a national motorsports series.

 

CORONAVIRUS DELAYS RETURN TO WASHINGTON POST OFFICES. Because of the coronavirus, Washington Post staffers won’t be back in the offices until at least June 1 next year.

 

MLB MINIMUM SALARY UP $7,000.  Minimum Major League Baseball salary next year rises to $570,500, up $7,000 from this year.

 

2021 MARDI GRAS PARADES SHELVED.  The annual New Orleans Mardi Gras parades, previously scheduled for January and February, will be canceled for 2021, due to the coronavirus pandemic.

 

 

JOURNALISTS STRUGGLE WITH PSYCHOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF VIRUS

Journalists around the world are struggling to cope with the psychological toll of reporting during the COVID-19 crisis, notes Grumpy Editor.

As reported by ijnet, the internnational journalists network, more than 80 percent of respondents note at least one negative psychological effect affecting them:  anxiety, burnout, difficulty sleeping and a sense of helplessness.

With the pandemic inflicting significant economic damage on newsrooms and shuttering of newspapers, three in four respondents say their first priority during the pandemic is survival of their publication, according to the report.

Underscoring the economic impact, almost four in five respondents with access to information about their newsroom's finances reported at least a 50 percent decline in revenue, it mentions, adding “to cope, outlets are cutting back on content, shrinking salaries and laying off employees.”

 

IN CASE YOUR FAVORITE NEWS OUTLETS MISSED THESE…

 

BIDEN SELECTS LONG-TIME ASSOCIATE FOR CHIEF OF STAFF.  President-elect Joe Biden selects Ron Klain as his White House chief of staff, highlighting their long history of working together on the economy and public health crises.  Klain was an editor of the Harvard Law Review and worked in the White House as chief of staff to Biden and Vice President Al Gore.

CORONAVIRUS SIDELINES SECRET AGENTS.  From recent travels, more than 130 Secret Service officers who help protect the White House and the president are ordered to isolate or quarantine because they tested positive for the coronvirus or had close contact with infected co-workers.

FOREIGNERS SCOOPING UP PROPERTY.  After Joe Biden won the election, there is a huge pent-up demand among wealthy foreigners to buy property in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and other major cities.. 

WOMAN BREAKS SPORTS GLASS CEILING.  Kim Ng, 51, becomes general manager of the Miami Marlins baseball team, the first woman to hold that position in Major League Baseball.  Ng began her baseball career in 1990 as an intern with the Chicago White Sox. 

NEW LOGO FOR MUTUAL OF OMAHA.  Mutual of Omaha unveils a new corporate logo that replaces the Indian chief head symbol used for 70 years.  The new logo depicts an African lion.

NO INCREASE IN SUICIDES BY VETERANS.  Since the pandemic struck in March, there is no increase in suicides or suicide attempts among patients or visits to Department of Veterans Affairs emergency rooms related to suicide attempts, says the VA.   

SIDELINES QUIET AT 2020 MASTERS.  After a seven-month delay with the pandemic, action at the 2020 Masters at Augusta National is with no onlookers, no roars, no ropes, no grandstands. Some players miss the noise from the crowd, others enjoy the silence.

TV ANCHORS SURVIVE LONG HOURS OF ELECTION RESULTS

 

TV network anchors sure got a workout covering the extra long election results that usually wrap up in one night, notes Grumpy Editor.

 

Some on-air personalities spent 16 hours or more daily facing cameras.

 

Among them: working maps, Steve Kornacki at MSNBC, John King at CNN, Chuck Todd at NBC and Bill Hemmer at Fox News.

 

Panels were led by Anderson Cooper and Jack Tapper at CNN, Rachel Maddow at MSNBC, Lester Holt and Savannah Guthrie at NBC, Norah O’Donnell at CBS and George Stephanopoulos at ABC.  

 

Viewers are used to election results unfolding in a single evening, as news organizations in the past were able to project winners with confidence as the results are tallied in real time.

 

The surge in mail-in ballots this year, stemming from the threat of the coronavirus pandemic, changed that dynamic.

 

Election officials forewarned vote counting would take several days, especially in key battleground states like Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, where mail-in ballots aren’t processed until the morning of Election Day.

 

According to the U.S. Elections Project, a non-partisan data-tracker run by University of Florida professor Michael McDonald, more than 62 million ballots were cast by mail. That’s part of a staggering 97.6 million strong early voting turnout or more than two-thirds the votes cast in the entire 2016 election.

 

 

IN CASE YOUR FAVORITE NEWS OUTLETS MISSED THESE…

 

Wilbur is new mayor in Kentucky

 

NEW MAYOR HAS LOTS OF BARK.  New mayor in the Kentucky hamlet of Rabbit Hash is Wilbur, a 6-month old French bulldog.  Amy Noland, Wilbur’s owner, says Rabbit Hash has never had a human as mayor.  Noland points out there's a thriving community of dog lovers in the Ohio River town with just under 500 residents.  Noland fosters kittens and cats, ferries rescue dogs to their new homes and has two rescue dogs in addition to Wilbur, adopted four months ago, as an "anomaly" because he's an American Kennel Club registered purebred dog.

 

PARROT CREDITED WITH SAVING MAN'S LIFE.  An Australian man in Brisbane, Queensland, is crediting his pet parrot, Eric, with saving his life after the bird shouted his name and alerted him to a house fire.

 

REPORTER SETTLES LAWSUIT.  Henry Houston, a Eugene, Oregon, reporter who was shot with pepperballs and tear gas at a riot in May settles a lawsuit with the city of Eugene with a $45,000 payout.

 

ANOTHER MEXICAN JOURNALIST MURDERED.  Mexican authorities in the border state of Sonora are looking into the shooting death of a local journalist. The crime marks the seventh murder of a journalist in Mexico for 2020.

 

NEW CONGRESSWOMAN HOLDS JOURNALISM DEGREE. Iowa congresswoman-elect Ashley Hinson is a native of that state, growing up in Des Moines and graduating from Valley High School in 2001. Although, as a violin player, her passion is music, she received a journalism degree from the University of Southern California.

DIGITAL SUBSCRIPTIONS SOAR AT N.Y. TIMES.  The New York Times’ third-quarter report notes for the first time revenue from digital subscriptions (with more than 6 million subscribers) is greater than money brought in from print subscriptions.

 

 

 

MOST NEWSPAPERS BACK JOE BIDEN FOR PRESIDENT

Joe Biden gets the nod from newspaper editorial boards around the country, notes Grumpy Editor.

The Hill finds they favor the former vice president over President Donald Trump by a huge margin this year with their endorsements, with some of the most conservative papers in the country breaking precedent to back the Democrat.

 

At least 119 daily and weekly newspaper editorial boards have written formal endorsements of Biden so far, tallies The Hill.   Among them are conservative outlets Chicago Tribune and New Hampshire Union Leader, which has not endorsed a Democrat candidate in a century.

 

“America faces many challenges and needs a president to build this country up. This appears to be outside of Mr. Trump’s skill set,” the Union Leader proclaims.  “Building this country up sits squarely within the skill set of Joseph Biden. We have found Mr. Biden to be a caring, compassionate and professional public servant.”

Trump wins endorsements from only six daily or weekly periodicals, including the Las Vegas Review-Journal, owned by billionaire casino magnate Sheldon Adelson.  Adelson and his wife have spent millions promoting Trump’s reelection bid.

IN CASE YOUR FAVORITE NEWS OUTLETS MISSED THESE…

 

 

C-130 flies adoptable cats, dogs

ADOPTABLE CATS AND DOGS AIRLIFTED TO MAINLAND.  More than 600 adoptable cats and dogs are airlifted from Hawaii to the U.S. mainland in the largest animal rescue flight in history.  Dubbed "Paws Across the Pacific," a chartered Hercules C-130 aircraft flies across the Hawaiian Islands  picking up dogs and cats from overcrowded shelters on Kauai, Oahu and Maui. 

ON-AIR PERSONALITIES EXPOSED TO VIRUS.  Several Fox News Channel on-air personalities are exposed to someone with the virus on a private plane flight from Nashville to New York.  That person later tests positive for COVID-19, leading the network to take extra precautions.

SALT LAKE TRIBUNE GOING WEEKLY.  The Salt Lake Tribune will stop printing a daily newspaper at the end of December after nearly 150 years and move to weekly print editions that will be delivered by mail.  Reporters and editors will continue to file breaking news online.

 

FOX NEWS MOST WATCHED ON CABLE.   Fox News was the most-watched cable network in October in both total day and primetime total viewers. Tucker Carlson's show sets the record for the highest-rated monthly viewership of any program in the history of cable news with more than 5.3 million viewers.

ARMY UNIFORMS GOING GREEN.  Two hundred Army privates, nearing the end of basic training at Fort Sill, Okla., receive the Army’s new, throwback style dress green uniforms, becoming the first recruits to be issued the World War II-inspired threads.

RARE CHAMELEON SPOTTED.  Scientists find an elusive chameleon species that was last spotted in Madagascar 100 years ago.  Researchers from Madagascar and Germany discover several living specimens of Voeltzkow's chameleon during an expedition to the African island nation.

FEWER ISSUES FOR GLOSSY FASHION/LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE.  The Wall Street Journal is cutting its glossy fashion and lifestyle print magazine to eight issues a year from 12.  It’s an insert in the Journal’s weekend edition. 

 

 

CORONAVIRUS HITS HALLOWEEN CANDY SALES --- AND HERSHEY

With Halloween a few days away, coronavirus is having an effect on candy maker Hershey, notes Grumpy Editor.

Normally, days leading to Halloween produce one tenth of Hershey’s $8 billion in annual sales.

 

But coronavirus this year is putting a damper on candy sales, smacking trick or treating activity.  Los Angeles health officials, for example, advise against trick or treating because of coronavirus  concerns. 

 

U.S. candy sales during last year’s Halloween season reached $4.6 billion, making it the biggest period for candy sales, notes the National Confectioners Association. 

 

Since the pandemic hit  in March, a Wall Street Journal story points out "Hershey’s sales have been tempered by social distancing restrictions that lead to fewer parties, vacations and shopping trips, especially to convenience stores where a lot of candy is purchased.”

 

Hershey says trick or treating normally makes up about half of its Halloween candy sales.

 

The National Confectioners Association sees two-thirds of Americans this year planning on trick-or-treating with appropriate safety measures.

 

 

IN CASE YOUR FAVORITE NEWS OUTLETS MISSED THESE...

 

SANTA WON'T BE VISITING MACY'S.  Blaming coronavirus, Santa Claus won’t appear at Macy’s flagship in New York plus Chicago and San Francisco stores this year.  It interrupts a holiday tradition that debuted nearly 160 years ago.

TESLA ELIMINATES PR STAFF.  Tesla Motors, one of the nation’s largest companies, eliminates its media relations department.  It’s an unusual move and journalists will have a difficult time seeking the right Tesla person for answers to questions.

NORTH KOREA RATTLES AGAIN.  No matter who wins in the November election, the U.S. administration will face a growing nuclear threat from North Korea, which recently rolled out a huge new intercontinental ballistic missile that may be able to target the United States.  Observers figure the North’s next step will likely be to test-fire a long-range missile, but probably not until after the results are in from the Nov. 3 vote.

99-CENT SHRIMP COCKTAIL REAPPEARS IN VEGAS.  Good news for shrimp cocktail lovers:  The 99-cent classic returns to Las Vegas with the opening this week of the Circa hotel-casino in the city’s downtown area. Keep in mind, the special is offered from 3 a.m. to 5 a.m.

STOLEN MING CHINESE VASE RECOVERED IN U.K.  British police recover a 15th century Ming Chinese vase valued at $3.3 million that was stolen in June, 2019 in Switzerland.  Police arrest two suspects and say the vase will be returned to Switzerland.

 

N.Y. DINERS SERVED EXPENSIVE WINE BY MISTAKE.  A young couple, dining in New York City, order an $18 bottle of wine at a popular restaurant but are served a $2,000 bottle meant for a table of businessmen, who didn’t even notice they ended up drinking the cheap stuff. Identical decanters are blamed.

 

WOMAN, 102, SKYDIVES.  A Maryland woman fulfills a longtime dream by skydiving for the first time at the age of 102. Vivian (Millie) Bailey, a World War II veteran, says President George H.W. Bush skydiving at 90 years old, provided the inspiration.  After the jump, Bailey calls it exhilarating.

 

SEWAGE PLANT NAMED AFTER COMEDIAN.  Quite an honor?  Comedian John Oliver cuts a ribbon in Danbury, Connecticut with the naming of a new sewage treatment plant in his honor.

CORONAVIRUS PUTS DAMPER ON HALLOWEEN EVENTS IN SOME CITIES, STATES

 

Some cities and states are discouraging Halloween activities this year due to the coronavirus and upscale Beverly Hills, Calif. is one of them, notes Grumpy Editor.

City officials opted to nix the Halloween tradition in the face of ongoing coronavirus concerns.

Thus, their decision prohibits house-to-house trick-or-treating  on the spooky night. 

 

Moreover, residents will be barred from giving out candy or other holiday treats outside of their immediate households.

Beverly Hills’ decision came the same day California health officials released new guidelines advising Californians to skip trick-or-treating for 2020, though they didn’t outright prohibit the tradition. 

Officials figure trick-or-treating doesn’t lend itself to social distancing and instead leads to numerous interactions between different households, possibly contributing to the spread of coronavirus.

California Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly  explained, “We don’t want to turn certainly what is a celebration and a time of joy into something that is difficult or contentious, but we also recognize the need to provide a clear understanding of the risks and why we recommend strongly that we do Halloween differently than we have in the past.”

IN CASE YOUR FAVORITE NEWS OUTLETS MISSED THESE...

 

Maki, the lemur, safely back at zoo

STOLEN LEMUR FOUND, RETURNS HOME.  A ring-tailed lemur named Maki, stolen from San Francisco’s zoo last week, is found a few days later near a church playground. The animal, in good health, is back at his home in the city’s zoo.  A lemur, native to the island of Madagascar, is small, with a pointed snout, large eyes and a long tail, living mainly in trees and active at night.

SERVICE WOMEN MONUMENT REOPENS.  Women in Military Service for America Memorial, at the gateway to Arlington National Cemetery, closed for about seven months during the coronavirus pandemic, reopened Saturday.  The bronze monument, titled The Pledge, depicts a service woman outfitted for combat, kneeling and staring face-to-face with a military working dog. The base of the monument mentions it honors “all women of the U.S. military, past, present and future.”

LATEST DAREDEVIL BUILDING CLIMBER.  A man who tried to scale the New York Times building made it five stories up before police officers brought him down.

2020 ON  TRACK TO BE EARTH'S HOTTEST.  NOAA researchers say there is a 64.7 percent, or nearly 2-to-1, chance that this year will end up as Earth's hottest year on record.

REPORTERS NIX TRAVELING WITH PRESIDENT.  The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post staffers, among others, are not traveling with the president out of concerns that Donald Trump and his aides are not following safety protocols to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

 

SAILORS’ BEARDS TO RETURN?  The Navy’s chief of naval operations indicates he’s open to rethinking the service’s mandatory clean shaven policy in relaxing grooming standards.

 

TOP DOG NAMES.  BarkBox rounded up the 100 most popular dog names of 2020 based on subscribers for Travel + Leisure. Top 10 names:

1. Bella
2. Luna
3. Charlie
4. Lucy
5. Cooper
6. Max
7. Bailey
8. Daisy
9. Sadie
10. Lola

ABUNDANT NEGATIVE HEADLINES CURB SMILES

Grumpy Editor has a handle on why so many people are glum these days:  they read/hear abundant negative headlines such as these over the past three days —
 

U.S. sees highest number of new coronavirus cases since August

 

North Korea displays massive ICBM at military parade

Hurricane Delta leaves hundreds of thousands without power

A diabetes drug is recalled because it contains high levels of a cancer-causing agent

Coronavirus could worsen in winter, remain major threat through 2021

California wildfires ravage dozens of family-run wineries

 

COVID-19 vaccine delivery pegged for start of new year

 

USDA mourns inspector, 24, shot in Mexico

 

French hospitals packed amid rise in COVID cases

 

The World Health Organization estimates roughly 1 in 10 people worldwide may have been infected by the coronavirus. 

 

 

IN CASE YOUR FAVORITE NEWS OUTLETS. MISSED THESE…

 

 

Ursula Andress in "Dr. No" Bond movie

 

AUCTION SET FOR BIKINI IN JAMES BOND 007 MOVIE.   Actress Ursula Andress’s iconic bikini that made waves when she emerged from the ocean in the 1962 first James Bond movie, “Dr. No,” is scheduled to be auctioned --- for an estimated $500,000 --- in Los Angeles Nov. 12-13. 

 

FLY BECOMES WORLD FAMOUS.  A fly that landed on Vice President Mike Pence’s forehead for two minutes during last week’s debate with Sen. Kamala Harris grabs worldwide fame in stories and photos, including coverage in the New York Times.  The fly also takes center stage on "Saturday Night Live."

 

BROADWAY TO REMAIN DARK THROUGH MAY 30. New York’s Broadway lights will remain dark until at least May 30 as social-distancing guidelines designed to curb mounting COVID-19 infections undermine businesses dependent on high customer volume. Producers previously said shows would resume after Jan. 3.

 

SINGAPORE OFFERS TO PAY NEW PARENTS.  To help reassure people who face financial pressure and are worried about their jobs, Singapore is offering a one-time payment to aspiring parents during the coronavirus pandemic.

CBC TRIMS STAFF.  Canadian Broadcasting Corp. plans to shed more than 60 jobs across multiple divisions, including its news division.

 

U.S. TROOPS TO BID FAREWELL TO AFGHANISTAN.  After 19 years in the country, all U.S. troops will be out of Afghanistan by year-end, says President Donald Trump.

 

CALIFORNIA'S IMPERIAL VALLEY SHAKES.  A swarm of nearly 600 earthquakes hits California’s Imperial Valley area since Wednesday.  The swarm, including one with a magnitude 4.9 tremor, is centered beneath agricultural fields south of the Salton Sea, about 2 1/2 miles northeast of the small town of Westmorland.

 

OVERSEAS VOTERS CAN USE MILITARY POST OFFICES.  Americans overseas who are registered as absentee voters for the Nov. 3 election can mail their ballots from military post offices, regardless of whether they have base access.

WHITE HOUSE ILLUSTRATES IMPORTANCE OF WEARING FACE MASKS

With President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump testing positive for COVID-19, will that inspire non-mask wearers to put on face coverings, asks Grumpy Editor.

Time will tell.

The president's condition sent him to the hospital.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for months declared wearing masks slows the spread of COVID-19 while others, including politicians,  were not firm on face coverings in public places.

"For the next seven to 10 days, I think there will be an uptick in all sorts of prevention and safety behaviors, so there will be more people buying masks, more people wearing masks, more people using hand sanitizer, more people respecting social distancing," said Kelly Goldsmith, an associate professor of marketing at Vanderbilt University.

The growing coronavirus outbreak at the White House has left members of the media scrambling to find out if they, too, are infected after three journalists tested positive on Friday.

"Given these positive cases, the president's diagnosis and positive cases among members of the White House staff, a number of White House journalists are self-isolating pending diagnostic testing,” said the White House Correspondents Association.

 

IN CASE YOUR FAVORITE NEWS OUTLETS MISSED THESE…

 

 

 

 

One of five cussing parrots in England 

NAUGHTY PARROTS CUSS.   Five parrots are removed from an English wildlife park for swearing at guests.  The parrots, adopted and brought to the Lincolnshire Wildlife Park, are together now in the same room.  They had apparently taught each other curse words.

GOVERNOR NIXES JOURNALISTS' PROTECTION.  California Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoes a bill that would have protected journalists covering demonstrations from physical or verbal obstruction by law enforcement officers.

AMERICANS ARE DRINKING MORE.  Americans are drinking alcohol more frequently and in higher quantities in the first half of this year compared to 2019, finds a study. The experts pin the higher drinking on the stress of the pandemic with the highest changes among women and people ages 30 to 59.

AIR FORCE ALLOWS LONGER HAIR. The Air Force approves a revision to its dress and personal appearance regulations, allowing men to have hair two inches long from the scalp, a “hair bulk” that is three quarters of an inch longer than previously allowed.  Meanwhile, maximum length of women’s hair increases from three and a half to four inches.

EASTWOOD STARS, DIRECTS FILM.  Oscar-winning filmmaker Clint Eastwood, 90, will star in and direct a big-screen adaptation of N. Richard Nash's 1970 novel, Cry Macho. He will play a former rodeo star who agrees to bring his old boss' young son back to Texas from rural Mexico.

ISLAND SUES AMERICAN WRITER.  An American is sued by an island resort in Thailand over a negative TripAdvisor review and could face up to two years in prison if found guilty.  A visit to Sea View Resort on Koh Chang island lands Wesley Barnes in trouble after he writes unflattering online reviews about his holiday.

FRANCE BANNING WILD ANIMALS.  France will be banning use of elephants, bears, lions, tigers and other wild animals in traveling circuses along with not allowing dolphins and killer whales to be kept in captivity.

SUBMERGED WWII STEAMER FOUND.  Polish divers find an almost intact sunken wreckage of German World War II steamer Karisruhe, bombed in the Baltic Sea by Soviet aircraft in April, 1945.

CARNIVAL CANCELS MOST SAILINGS.  Carnival Cruise Line is canceling sailings from all U.S. ports except Florida’s Miami and Port Canaveral through the end of tjis year.

NO KIDDING: GIANT RAT GETS AWARD FOR ANIMAL BRAVERY

 

Rat wins medal for bravery.

 

Magawa, a giant African pouched rat, was awarded a veterinary charity’s top civilian award for animal bravery after sniffing out and detecting 39 land mines and 28 items of unexploded ordnance in Cambodia, notes Grumpy Editor.

 

During his seven-year career, he helped clear more than 1.5 million square feet, the equivalent of 20 soccer fields. 

 

He was hailed as a "hero rat” with the presentation of the medal from People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA), a veterinary charity in the United Kingdom.

 

"The PDSA Animal Awards program seeks to raise the status of animals in society and honor the incredible contribution they make to our lives,” said director general Jan McLoughlin.  "Magawa's dedication, skill and bravery are an extraordinary example of this and deserve the highest possible recognition."

 

Magawa was cited for dedication, skill and “life-saving bravery and devotion to duty.”

 

 

IN CASE YOUR FAVORITE NEWS OUTLETS MISSED THESE...

 

 

SOPHIA LOREN FACES MOVIE CAMERAS.  Italian actress Sophia Loren, 86, returns to movies playing a Holocaust survivor who befriends an orphan in a Netflix film The Life Ahead, directed by her son Edoardo Ponti.

 

STRANDED DOG RESCUED FROM BRIDGE.  A bridge inspector rescues a dog that was stranded 120 feet above the Mississippi River on the Natchez--Vidalia Bridge. The Natchez Police Department says the dog, in good shape, was adopted soon after her rescue.

 

END OF AN ERA IN TINSELTOWN.  Two longtime Hollywood trade publications, Variety and The Hollywood Reporter, will be on the same team following a merger of publishers.

 

ARMY INFANTRY SCHOOL MELLOWS.  Army infantry recruits no longer will have drill sergeants barking orders at them inches from their faces during basic training as the “shark attack” technique, which uses intimidation to establish authority and weeds out the weak, is dropped in favor of a new approach called “The First 100 Yards,” which seeks to develop mental and physical toughness, instill pride in the infantry, and build trust among recruits and their leaders, reports Stars and Stripes.

 

WOODWARD'S BOOK REACHES FOURTH PRINTING.  Publisher Simon & Schuster says Bob Woodward’s "Rage" sold 600,000 copies in the U.S. in the first week, and ordered a fourth printing that will bring the number of hardcover copies to 1.3 million.

 

NIXON SANDWICH PRESERVED.  Steve Jenne celebrated an unusual milestone last week — 60 years holding onto a sandwich that former President Richard Nixon once munched.  Jenne, of Sullivan, Illinois, was a 14-year-old Boy Scout when the then-vice president made a campaign stop to Jenne’s hometown, leaving a half-eaten sandwich which Jenne picked up and preserved.

 

N.Y. TIMES CHAIRMAN TO RETIRE.  The New York Times chairman, Arthur Ochs Sulzberger Jr., retires at year-end and will be replaced by his son, A.G. Sulzberger, Times publisher.  The elder Sulzberger has been chairman since 1997 and was publisher from 1992 to 2017, when he was replaced by his son.

 

HALLOWEEN CANDY SALES UP.  U.S. sales of Halloween candy are up 13 percent from last year in the month ended Sept. 6.   Sales of Halloween chocolate alone are up 25 percent.

 

BABY BORN ON AIRLINER GETS TICKETS FOR LIFE.  A baby girl born on an EgyptAir flight traveling from Cairo to London will be given free airline tickets for life, at least to Munich, says the carrier.

 

BONUS REPORT NOT TRUE.  Poynter reports “employees of Tribune Publishing are furious, and rightfully so, over something that happened Wednesday.  After seeing Tribune Publishing slash jobs in recent years, employees received an email that they were getting bonuses. So why were they angry? Because it wasn’t true but a test to see if the company is vulnerable to a phishing scam." 

 

DESERT SUN PRINTING SHIFTS TO ARIZONA.  Palm Springs, Calif.-based Desert Sun newspaper is moving its printing operations to Phoenix, Arizona, 260 miles away.

 

READY TO VOTE FROM SPACE.  NASA astronaut Kate Rubins says she plans to cast her next vote from space --- more than 200 miles above Earth.

SURVEY: POLICE-PROTESTERS CONFRONTATIONS GRAB MOST ATTENTION

The upcoming election, unusual weather and forest fires news stories have been competing for Americans’ attention in recent weeks but the public is more likely to have heard “a lot” about ongoing confrontations between police and protesters, notes Grumpy Editor.

 

That’s the finding of a Pew Research Center survey of almost 10,000 adults conducted Aug. 31 to Sept. 7.

 

About eight-in-10 adults (78%) say they have heard or read a lot about ongoing confrontations between law enforcement and protesters in cities around the country, finds Pew.

 

By comparison, smaller shares of adults say they have heard or read a lot about how increased mail-in voting could affect the 2020 presidential election (64%); President Donald Trump’s criticism of the U.S. Postal Service and his administration’s actions toward it (49%); attempts in Congress to pass another economic relief and stimulus bill (40%); and the Trump administration considering banning the social media app TikTok (40%). 

 

The survey of 9,220 adults was conducted as part of the Center’s American News Pathways project.

 

Overall, 41% of adults say recent protests related to racial inequality have received too much attention from news organizations, while 36% say they have received the right amount and 23% say they have received too little.

 

 

IN CASE YOUR FAVORITE NEWS OUTLETS MISSED THESE...

 

STUDENT LOCALES SHOW HIGHER VIRUS RATES.  Among the 50 U.S. counties with the highest shares of students and overall population of at least 50,000, 20 have consistently reported higher virus rates than their states, finds an Associated Press analysis.

MOST YOUNG ADULTS FUZZY ON HOLOCAUST.  Nearly two-thirds (63%) of young American adults are not aware that 6 million Jewish victims died during the Holocaust in World War II.  That’s the finding in a study commissioned by the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany, also known as the Claims Conference.

IMPORTANCE OF FACE MASKS CITED.  Dr. Robert Redfield, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, at a Senate Appropriations subcommittee hearing, emphasizes the importance of wearing face masks, saying, “I will continue to appeal for all Americans, all individuals in our country, to embrace these face coverings. ... [I]f we did it for six, eight, 10, 12 weeks, we'd bring this pandemic under control.” 

 

MORE CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS SEEN THIS YEAR.  A Rasmussen Reports survey finds 45% of U.S. voters are more likely to contribute time or money to a political campaign this year vs. 34% two years ago.

 

FOX TRIMS STAFF.  Fox News Media expects to cut less than 3% of its overall staff as the unit, the financial engine of parent Fox Corp., works to make its operations more efficient. Fox News’ hair and makeup staffers are said to be the most affected.   Fox guests will no longer receive make-up and hair services, which are being relegated to anchors and contributors.

 

SUBARU MODEL ATTRACTS TICKETS.  A study from insurance comparison site Insurify, that looked over 2 million insurance applications, finds drivers of the Subaru WRX compact sports car are more likely to get a speeding ticket.

 

CULTURE AND TALENT M.E. NAMED.  The Los Angeles Times appoints reporter Angel Jennings as the newspaper’s first assistant managing editor for culture and talent.  It’s part of The Times’ efforts to reform hiring practices, increase staff diversity and overhaul how it treats Black and Latino journalists and communities.

SHUTDOWN ORDER REVERSED, STARS AND STRIPES WILL CONTINUE TO BE PUBLISHED

Stars and Stripes is a major source of news for military.

 

After several top media sources early this month indicated President Donald Trump sought to pull funding from Stars and Stripes, a worldwide newspaper for American troops, the Defense Department is rescinding its order to shut down the military's independent newspaper, observes Grumpy Editor.

 

The action occurs after the president dispatched this tweet:  "The United States of America will NOT be cutting funding to @starsandstripes magazine under my watch,” adding, "It will continue to be a wonderful source of information to our Great Military!”

 

As Grumpy Editor pointed out last week, the president referred to Stars and Stripes as a magazine, indicating he is not familiar with the daily newspaper.

 

In an email to Stripes' publisher Max Lederer, Army Colonel Paul Haverstick said the paper does not have to submit a plan to close.

 

Haverstick, acting director of the Pentagon's Defense Media Activity, said a formal memo is being drafted that will rescind the order to halt publication by Sept. 30 and dissolve the organization by the end of January. 

 

Trump's tweet came as he fought off accusations, first reported by The Atlantic, that he called service members killed in World War I "losers" and "suckers" during an event in France in 2018.

 

 

IN CASE YOUR FAVORITE NEWS OUTLETS MISSED THESE...

 

A FIRST FOR WALL STREET.  Jane Fraser will be the first woman to lead one of Wall Street's big six banks.  She takes over as CEO of Citigroup in February.

 

VETERANS UPSET WITH WHITE HOUSE MOVING FLAG.  A Trump administration decision to move the flag honoring missing war veterans from a prominent position atop the White House to a less visible spot on the South Lawn angers some veterans and lawmakers, who see it as disrespectful and potentially illegal.

 

BRIT HUME SIGNS MULTI-YEAR DEAL. Fox News signs Brit Hume to a new multi-year deal to remain as the network’s senior political analyst. 

 

EISENHOWER MEMORIAL NEARS UNVEILING.  The long-awaited presidential memorial honoring Dwight D. Eisenhower will be dedicated and unveiled in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 17, more than 20 years after Congress commissioned it.

 

CAT NAPS TAKE BACK SEAT.  An Army study finds catching up on sleep by taking cat naps during the day isn’t as beneficial to the brain as getting a good night’s sleep, and could increase the risk of developing neurological disorders including Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. 

 

AMAZON TO HIRE 33,000.   Amazon says it will hire 33,000 additional corporate and technology workers at an average compensation of $150,000.  That includes salary and stock.

 

McCLATCHY RARE BOOKS AUCTION SET.  Rare books and first-hand accounts of California history will be sold Sept. 16 as part of an online auction of property from the estate of C.K. McClatchy, head of McClatchy newspapers, who died in 1989 at age 62.

 

CUSTOMS DESTROYS ALLIGATOR HANDBAG.   An $18,900 alligator skin handbag is destroyed by customs officials in Australia because its owner did not have a required $50 importation permit.

 

STORY ON PENTAGON CLOSING STARS AND STRIPES NEWSPAPER STIRS ACTION

Grumpy Editor notes a Friday article in USA TODAY stirred some White House reaction with the headline and subhead:  "The Pentagon has ordered Stars and Stripes to shut down for no good reason.  Trump wants to pull funding from Stars and Stripes, a newspaper for American troops that began in the Civil War and has been serving our soldiers.

Then a few hours later President Donald Trump said he planned to reverse Pentagon budget cuts that would have permanently closed Stars and Stripes, the military newspaper that has informed and spoken for American troops over the decades.

 

The USA TODAY story mentioned, "Under Defense Department spending plans, the paper would cease print and online publication by Sept. 30, a move seen as expanding the Trump administration’s war on news media to include those paid by the government to cover the military.”

 

The Wall Street Journal and Associated Press later carried similar stories on Stars and Stripes.

 

Trump late Friday tweeted, "The United States of America will NOT be cutting funding to @starsandstripes magazine under my watch,” adding, “It will continue to be a wonderful source of information to our Great Military!”

 

Grumpy Editor observes Trump, curiously, described Stars and Stripes as a magazine, not a daily newspaper distributed around the world to U.S. troops.

 

That means Trump is not familiar with Stars and Stripes.

 

The newspaper, headquartered in Washington and a souce of information for American troops since the Civil War, publishes four daily print editions for military service members with European, Middle Eastern, Japanese and South Korean editions. 

 

 

 IN CASE YOUR FAVORITE NEWS OUTLETS MISSED THESE...

 

 

COLD AIR TO HIT DENVER.  A strong cold front is expected to smack Denver with a 62-degree drop in the temperature, from 99 degrees on Friday to 37 degrees tomorrow.

 

PORTLAND REACHES 100 NIGHTS OF PROTESTS.  Portland, Oregon, on Saturday reaches the 100th consecutive night of protests that escalates into a riot as people hurled multiple fire bombs, mortars, rocks and other items at police officers.

 

GIRL SWIMS ENGLISH CHANNEL IN 14 HOURS.  Vera Rivard, a 16-year-old from Springfield, New Hampshire, swims 33 miles across the English Channel --- from Dover to Calais --- in 14 hours.

 

FOX NEWS GETS HIGHEST RATINGS IN AUGUST.  Fox News in August was the most-watched TV network in all of primetime, averaging 3.63 million viewers.

 

BLACK WWII MARINE RECEIVES MEDAL.  Ambrose “Cowboy” Anderson of Gloversville, N.Y., a 95-year-old World War II veteran, one of the nation’s first African-American U.S. Marines, receives a medal and a car parade from the New York Senate as a birthday present.

 

FREE RIDES IN L.A. MULLED.  Free public transit in Los Angeles?  As ridership falls during the pandemic, officials are convening a task force to study the possibility of going fare-ffee.

 

WITH NO VISITORS, AQUARIUM CUTS STAFF.  At California’s Monterey Bay Aquarium, sea animals are happy during the pandemic, but business is tanking.  With the aquarium missing its entire summer tourism season, its finances are hit, triggering more than a third of its staff to be laid off or furloughed.

MANY ZOO ANIMALS LONELY WITHOUT HUMAN VISITORS

Where is everybody?

With most zoos closed around the nation, many animals miss the human visitors, finds Grumpy Editor.

As The Wall Street Journal puts it: “The animals appear to have noticed that they have the place to themselves.  Some of them seem to miss people, staff say, while others don’t exactly seem to mind that no one is tapping on the glass.”

A Los Angeles zoo worker, for example, observes a black bear and red river hogs “seeming to peer around in the sudden quiet.”  Many animals, with the absence of visitors, are less active and sleep more.

An Associated Press story notes lack of revenue from visitors hits animal food costs --- $55,000 a month at the Oakland Zoo, for example, putting the 100-year-old zoo in a dire financial situation.

That zoo and others around the country were ordered to close in March, start of the busiest season for most animal parks.

 

IN CASE YOUR FAVORITE NEWS OUTLETS MISSED THESE…

FOX AIRS VINTAGE FOOTBALL GAME.  In efforts not to lose its sports viewers, FOX TV on prime time Friday, Aug. 28 airs vintage football — a Jan. 9, 1977 Super Bowl game between Oakland and Minnesota.

 

SKI RESORT PLANS NAME CHANGE.  Squaw Valley Ski Resort in California will be changing its name because “squaw” is considered a derogatory term for Native American women.

 

VIN SCULLY SELLING MEMORABILIA.  Vin Scully, the retired long-time Los Angeles Dodgers broadcaster, is selling items from his personal collection of memorabilia for auction on Sept. 23.  Included are bats, balls, baseball cards, award plaques, trophies and World Series rings.

 

JOURNALISM SCHOOL RECEIVES $3 MILLION DONATION.  The University of Missouri School of Journalism receives a $3 million donation from an anonymous graduate to promote business-related journalism.  The money will create an endowment for scholarships, paid internships and mentoring for students at the Missouri Business Alert, which produces business news in emails, weekly podcasts and multimedia content.

 

EXCESSIVE DRINKING PROBLEM WITH TROOPS.  More than 101,000 active-duty U.S. troops end up in the hospital between 2009 and 2018 because of a problem related to excessive drinking, finds a new study.

 

SNAKES CURB FLUSHING.  An Australian woman who had difficulty flushing her toilet is shocked to find four snakes coiled up inside the tank.  

 

INCREASED STORM DAMAGE AHEAD?  A combination of increased coastal development, natural climate cycles, reductions in air pollution and man-made climate change could lead to higher damage from tropical storms around the globe, reports Associated Press. 

 

ISLANDS SEEK TO ATTRACT REMOTE WORKERS.  Barbados and Bermuda, in a bid to boost their tourism-reliant economies, are offering special programs to attract U.S. remote workers to relocate there.

 

YOUNG GOLFER SCORES.  Rocco Figaretti, a West Virginia four-year-old golfer at Oglebay Park's Par 3 course hits a ball that lands just short of the green and rolls directly into the hole.

FERRIES ENCOUNTER PROBLEM WITH BRIDGES.  Some of Sydney, Australia's 10 new ferries don't fit under some of its bridges, causing passengers sitting on the viewing deck  to lower heads or take cover.

TIME TO BREAK OPEN THOSE PIGGY BANKS

 

 

  

Another effect stemming from the coronavirus pandemic:  a shortage of nickels, dimes and quarters, notes Grumpy Editor.

 

The Federal Reserve says the supply system for coins is severely disrupted because many businesses are closed and consumers are not out spending as much.

 

Lack of coins poses problems for those who use parking meters, toll booths, vending machines and other coin-gulping sites such as coin-operated machines in laundromats.  

 

The U.S. Mint urges Americans to use coins in transactions or turn them in to their banks, while retailers suggest shoppers use credit cards or exact change whenever possible.

The North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores sees the shutdown as a splendid opportunity to help offset lost revenue by clearing out the aquarium’s waterfall to gather coins tossed by visitors over the past 14 years.  The collected washed coins will go toward operating costs.

The coin supply is expected to normalize as the economy recovers and businesses reopen.

 

 

IN CASE YOUR FAVORITE NEWS OUTLETS MISSED THESE…

 

FEMALE JOURNALIST BECOMES FINANCE MINISTER.  Chrystia Freeland, Canada's first female finance minister, is a former journalist.  She started her journalism career as a stringer for the Financial Times, the Washington Post and The Economist then worked later as a deputy editor for the Financial Times in London, later serving as Moscow bureau chief for the Financial Times.  Later she became deputy editor of The Globe and Mail, then managing director and consumer news editor at Thomson Reuters, moving on to U.S. managing editor at the Financial Times based in New York City.  A Harvard graduate, Freeland speaks five languages.

 

GANNETT AIMS FOR DIVERSITY.  Gannett, owner of USA TODAY and more than 260 local news operations, unveils a broad initiative to make its workforce as diverse as the country by 2025 and to expand the number of journalists focused on covering issues related to race and identity, social justice and equality. With that, the company says it is adding or reassigning journalists to 60 newly-created beats in a concerted effort to enhance coverage of topics such as criminal justice, educational inequity, roots of racism, environmental justice, fairness in housing and employment, and LGBTQ issues.

 

SOCIAL MEDIA FOLLOWERS.  A Pew Research Center analysis of surveys conducted between October, 2019 and June, 2020 finds those who rely most on social media for political news stand apart from other news consumers.   These U.S. adults, it adds, tend to be less likely than other news consumers to closely follow major news stories, such as the coronavirus outbreak and the presidential election.

 

ALCATRAZ REOPENS TO VISITORS.  Noted for containing hardened prisoners, Alcatraz island, off San Francisco, reopens to the public after months shut down by the pandemic.

 

ORDINANCE WOULD ALLOW CHICKENS IN CITY.  The Bakersfield (Calif.) City Council drafts an urban hen ordinance that would allow chickens in many parts of the city.  If passed, urban hens could be a common sight in local neighborhoods.

 

GERMAN S NOW WALK DOGS TWICE DAILY.   A new rule forces Germans to take their dogs for a walk twice a day.  It unleashes a debate on whether the state can decide what is best for the country’s 9.4 million pet canines.

 

MELTING GREENLAND ICE RAISES SEA LEVEL.  The melting Greenland ice sheet is already one of the largest contributors to the rise of sea level.  Scientists confirm the region saw a record amount of ice melt last year, shattering previous records, with 532 billion metric tons of ice lost. 

 

POSTMASTER SEEKS TO CURB CRITICISM.  Guided by a public relations firm, Postmaster General Louis DeJoy and the U.S. Postal Service are now scrambling to clean up after weeks of criticism and allegations that the Trump administration is using the agency to meddle in November's election.

NOISY BALLPARKS --- WITH NO PEOPLE.  With the current unusual baseball season --- with no real people in the stands (just cutouts of smiling heads) --- hearing constant recorded fans' noise plus beating of drums during telecasts is very irritating, as with the Angels-Athletics games in Oakland over the weekend.  Solution:  press the mute button. 

 

HAWAII FLYOVER MARKS 75TH ANNIVERSARY SINCE END OF WWII

While coronavirus reports fill newspaper pages, overlooked by most is the 75^th anniversary marking the end of World War II, notes Grumpy Editor.

An interesting celebration will be in Hawaii where 14 vintage airplanes from that era are slated for flyovers Aug. 29 and 30.  They made the journey to Hawaii from San Diego aboard the USS Essex.

      Will your favorite newspaper run photos of this event?

Victory over Japan day or VJ Day, when Japan surrendered on Aug. 15, 1945, three months after Nazi Germany surrendered in Europe, generally receives less attention than Victory in Europe or VE Day on May 8.

More than 30 million soldiers and civilians were killed in the Pacific theater during the war, compared with 15 million to 20 million who died in Europe.

IN CASE YOUR FAVORITE NEWS OUTLETS MISSED THESE...

 

Tucson the dog is "car consultant" at auto dealership.

CANINE IS CAR CONSULTANT.  A stray dog is given a job as "car consultant" at a Hyundai dealership in Brazil.  It all started when the manager of Prime Hyundai first began seeing the stray canine several months ago.  The manager starts leaving food and water for the dog, which is around a year old.  The pooch kept coming back, winning over the hearts of the dealership's staff in the process.  The manager finally gives in and decides to adopt him.

POSTAL SERVICE FACES PROBLEMS.  The United States Postal Service is dealing with crippling backlogs of letters and packages.  Despite a surge in package delivery during the pandemic, postal workers are no longer able to work overtime and fewer mail trucks are on the road.  The self-funded Postal Service has been seeking billions in aid from Congress, an effort stymied by President Donald Trump, who has long had a contentious relationship with the USPS and has pushed to privatize it.

PEORIA POLICE HELP LEMONADE PROVIDERS WHO WERE ROBBED.  Folks, including police, in Peoria, Illinois, rally behind two 13-year-old boys after their lemonade stand was robbed of $30 at gunpoint by two men.  Fifteen Peoria police vehicles arrive at the lemonade stand when it reopens after the robbery. The officers and police chief get out of their cars and talk to the boys and say how much they support them. They give them a donation and take turns buying lemonade. As news of the incident spreads through Peoria, neighbors, friends, and strangers begin donating money to the boys to encourage them not to give up.  So far, more than $3,500 has been raised.

BABY BORN ON AIRLINER IS NAMED SKY.  The mother of a baby born on an airplane that was taking her to a hospital in Anchorage names her son Sky --- stemming from where he is born less than an hour into the flight.  At an Anchorage hospital, mother and baby are expected to be discharged later this week.

STEIN MART SHUTTERS STORES.  Off-price retailer Stein Mart, offering designer and name brand apparel, home decor, accessories and shoes for both men and women, is hit by the pandemic and plans to close most of its nearly 300 stores in 30 states.  Stein Mart began in 1908 as a small department store in Mississippi.  

FLORIDA SHERIFF NIXES MASKS.  Florida’s Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods, despite being in a state struggling with record-breaking coronavirus numbers, insists there's no conclusive evidence wearing masks curbs the spread of the virus.  So he bars his deputies from wearing facial coverings in most work settings.

SEAL ENJOYS RIDE ON PADDLE BOARD.  Most seals are elusive. But in Weymouth, England, an unusual seal named Sammy approaches people on the beach and is seen catching rides on a paddle board.

 

250,000 MASK-LESS MOTORCYCLISTS FLOOD SOUTH DAKOTA TOWN

 

 

Despite the worldwide emphasis on masks, an estimated 250,000 mask-less motorcyclists this week are buzzing around a small South Dakota town for the 80th Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, notes Grumpy Editor.

 

Sturgis, with a population of 7,000, is the scene of the 10-day event.  Most residents fear the gathering of mostly Harley-Davidson motorcycles could lead to a massive coronavirus outbreak.

 

Officials are worried that social distancing will not be possible at the event.

 

An Associated Press reporter on scene says masks were almost nowhere to be seen, counting fewer than 10 among the rally’s thousands over a period of several hours.

 

South Dakota to date reports about 9,000 cases of the virus, among the lowest state tally in the country.  Meade County, home to Sturgis, tallies about 78 infections.

 

CNN reports Monument Health, the local hospital system, adds 172 "Covid beds" in preparation for the rally and is prepared to offer 1,300 Covid-19 tests to anyone who is asymptomatic but concerned about the disease after the rally ends.

 

The event stretches for miles beyond the city and also attracts tourists and vendors each year from across the country, points out CNN.

 

IN CASE YOUR FAVORITE NEWS OUTLETS MISSED THESE...

 

 

FORTUNE MAGAZINE WITH COVER STORY ON STEVE JOBS BRINGS BIG BUCKS.  An Oct. 9, 1989 Fortune magazine featuring a Steve Jobs story with the cover autographed by him sells at auction for more than $16,000.  That's more than 4,500 times the original $3.50 cover price.

 

NETWORKS EXPAND LATINO COVERAGE.  NBC News and Noticias Telemundo are combining resources to expand coverage of the Latino community that will be presented in both Spanish and English.

 

PANDEMIC HITS THEATERS REVENUE.  AMC Theatres, the world's largest cinema operator, loses $561 million in its most recent quarter as revenue collapses because of the pandemic. 

 

STAFF INCREASES LOOM.  Look for staff increases coming at USA Today and Gannett's network of 260 regional dailies. Gannett employs about 5,000 journalists. 

 

BARTIROMO MARKS ANNIVERSARY.  Fox Business anchor Maria Bartiromo celebrates the 25th anniversary of being the first TV journalist to report from the New York Stock Exchange floor.

 

EXPENSIVE PENNY.  A nearly 230-year- old U.S. penny --- a 1793 Strawberry Leaf cent --- is sold for $660,000 at auction.  Since 1890, the coin has been auctioned four times.

 

GHOSTS WON'T LIKE THIS.   There is increasing talk about cancelling Halloween this year because of the coronavirus.  It would mark the first time Oct. 31 is not celebrated.

 

AIR FORCE WOMEN ALLOWED ADDED GARB.  Women in the Air Force now have the option of wearing pants with their semi-formal “mess dress” uniforms instead of a floor-length skirt.  Before the change in policy, women were required to wear a floor-length skirt with the mess dress uniform, which is the Air Force equivalent to the civilian world’s evening  gown. 

MAILED MYSTERY SEEDS FROM CHINA CONCERN U.S. OFFICIALS

 

Unordered seeds via mail, that appear coming from China, has thousands of people around the country guessing what is behind the mystery deliveries, notes Grumpy Editor.

 

U.S. state and federal officials are asking recipients not to handle or plant the seeds and to turn them over to local or federal agricultural agencies for analysis and investigation, adding planting the seeds could see the introduction of invasive species causing destruction of native crops, introduction of diseases to native plants and could be dangerous to livestock.

 

A seed expert in Iowa is concerned the seeds may have been coated with something, possibly insecticide or fungicide, that could damage crops.

 

Multiple U.S. agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, are investigating the seeds, many arriving in packages labeled jewelry.

 

So far, the Department of Agriculture identifies 14 different kinds of seeds in the mysterious packages.

 

All 50 states issue warnings about the packages.

 

IN CASE YOUR FAVORITE NEWS OUTLETS MISSED THESE...

 

Mountain rescue team carries Daisy, a Saint Bernard, down mountain in England. 

121-POUND SAINT BERNARD RESCUED.  Sixteen volunteers from a mountain rescue team carried Daisy, a 121-pound Saint Bernard, from England's highest mountain, Scafell Pike. The rescue team spends nearly five hours rescuing Daisy.  The dog collapsed while descending the mountain with her owners.  Daisy’s problem was with pain in her rear legs, causing her not to move.

RANSOMWARE THREAT.  Federal authorities say one of the gravest threats to the November election is a ransomware attack that could paralyze voting operations and kill confidence in tabulations, reports Associated Press.

CORONAVIRUS VACCINE ACTIVITY.  Work on a coronavirus vaccine is moving at an unprecedented pace: There are nearly 200 candidates in development, with 27 of them being tested in humans.  A handful already are in an advanced phase of clinical trials.

AIR CARGO FINDS CABIN SPACE.  Passenger airlines are making up some lost revenue by strapping cargo into passenger seats and placing in overhead bins in cabins that would otherwise be empty.

 

DR. FAUCI'S BASEBALL CARD BRINGS ACTION.  Dr. Anthony Fauci's limited edition baseball card, showing him throwing a wild pitch at the Major League Baseball game between the Washington Nationals and the New York Yankees, set an all-time high print run record with 51,512 cards selling for $9.99 each.

 

BLUE LOBSTER SAVED.  A rare blue lobster is saved from the dinner table by Red Lobster employees after it is delivered to their restaurant.  Employees at a Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, Red Lobster restaurant spot the rare crustacean and decide to contact conservationists at the Monterey Bay Aquarium in California to inform them of their discovery. The blue lobster winds up in a special tank at the Akron Zoo.

 

ACTORS HANKS AND WILSON BECOME GREEK CITIZENS.  Actors Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson have become Greek citizens.  The couple and their children last year became honorary Greek citizens after officials highlighted Hanks' role in helping raise awareness about the 2018 fires that hit areas near Athens claiming lives of more than 100 people. Wilson, who is part Greek and Hanks,  a Greek Orthodox convert, often spend vacations in Greece where they own property on Antiparos island.

 NAVY GREETS FIRST BLACK FEMALE TACTICAL PILOT.  Lt. j.g. Madeline G. Swegle becomes the U.S. Navy’s first Black female tactical aircraft pilot, receiving her  "Wings of Gold" during a ceremony at Naval Air Station Kingsville in Texas.  The recognition marks an aviator's official completion of basic helicopter training in naval flight school.

 

OPRAH'S MAGAZINE ENDING PRINT EDITION.  O, The Oprah Magazine, launched in 2000 by Oprah Winfrey with Hearst, is ending its monthly print edition with the December 2020 issue.