Grumpy Editor

AIRLINES, WITH PILOT SHORTAGE, EXPECT VERY BUSY SUMMER

Airlines are expecting a very busy summer travel season and despite more workers than they have had in two decades, it may not be enough to handle the action, notes Grumpy Editor.

United Airlines plans to add 15,000 workers this year.

Delta Air Lines is seeing record advance summer bookings with much activity focused on international travel.

The air-transportation industry had an estimated 534,400 employees in March, up 9.5 percent from a year earlier and the most since April 2003, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

A major thorn is an ongoing pilot shortage.

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CARS RETAINED LONGER.  Americans are retaining their cars longer.  Average age of a passenger vehicle hit a record 12.5 years this year, according to data gathered by S&P Global Mobility. The pandemic in 2020 triggered a global shortage of automotive computer chips.  The shortage drastically slowed global assembly lines. 

NATIONWIDE BRIDGES EXAMINED.  Collapse of a Pittsburgh bridge triggers a  nationwide examination of more than 10,000 bridges with similar construction.  Corrosion is the problem.

CANINE HELPS POLICE FIND DRUGS.  A dog named Joel, with a fine nose for cocaine, helps Italian police seize about three tons of the drug hidden in boxed bananas shipped from Ecuador.

WALL STREET JOURNAL ELIMINATES TITLES.  The Wall Street Journal is eliminating titles — Mr., Ms., Mrs. — in sentences because, as the editor puts it:  “It can slow down readers enjoyment of our writing.”

BEST BEACH IN FLORIDA.  State park on St. George Island just off the Florida Panhandle gets top honor as best beach for 2023, from Stephen Leatherman, professor in the Department of Earth & Environment at Florida International University. 

DOG DRIVER BLAMED FOR SPEEDING.  A man is arrested after blaming his dog for driving over the speed limit.  Police say he swapped seats with the animal when he got pulled over in Springfield, Colo.  Police say he was going 52 m.p.h. in a 30 m.p.h. zone..

HIPPO CAPSIZES CANOE.  A 1-year-old child died and 23 people were missing after a hippopotamus charged into and capsized a long wooden canoe on a river in southern Malawi.  The canoe was carrying 37 people across the Shire River on their way to neighboring Mozambique.

DOG FOOD PRICES JUMP.  Prices for popular dog food brands on Amazon.com jump 45.5 percent since 2020 --- from $27.91 per product to $39.56 per product, according to Veterinarians.org.  Cases of wet dog food that cost $19.92 in 2020 now sell for $28.65 on average while the price of a bag of dry dog food increased from $35.91 to $50.54.

GET READY TO MEET OLIVIA, LIAM, DUTTON, KAYCE, WRENLEE AND NERIAH

What happened to Charlie, John, Mary and Susie, among other names popular over the past years, asks Grumpy Editor.

Seems they have faded into history.

Olivia and Liam are the most popular baby names for the second year, according to the Social Security Administration.

Leading the fastest rising boys' names in the last year:  Dutton, Kayce, Chosen, Khaza and Eithan.

Fastest rising girls' names: Wrenlee, Neriah, Arley, Georgina and Amiri. 

Some people may have problems saying these names correctly.

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FORGOTTEN EVENT BY MEDIA.  Victory in Europe Day (May 8), marking the formal acceptance by the Allies in World War II of Germany’s surrender of its armed forces in 1945 did not get much coverage in U.S. media. 

AIRLINES EXPECT BUSY SUMMER.  Airlines have more workers than they've had in 20 years, but they still might not have enough to handle what's projected to be a sizzling summer travel season. United Airlines, for example, which  already hired more than 7,000 workers since January, says it plans to add 8,000 more this year.

FORT BENNING GETS NAME CHANGE.  Fort Benning, the Army’s training hub in Georgia since 1918, is renamed Fort Moore.  Benning was the name of a Confederate officer.

 

CHINOOK HELICOPTERS GOING TO GERMANY.  The Biden administration approves an $8.5 billion sale of 60 Chinook helicopters with engines and spare parts to NATO ally Germany.

 

N.Y. TIMES REVENUE HIT.  The New York Times missed estimates for quarterly revenue as a turbulent economy sapped digital subscriber growth and forced businesses to cut back on advertising spending, sending its shares tumbling 6 percent.

BANKS HIKE LENDING STANDARDS.  Banks raised their lending standards for businesses and consumer loans last week after three large bank failures, notes a Federal Reserve Report.

METEORITE HITS N.J. HOUSE.  A metallic rock — likely a meteorite — fell out of the sky and hit a house in Hopewell Township, N.J., about 10 miles north of Trenton, sending the Hopewell Township Police Department to the incident.  The oblong-shaped rock damaged the building.

DODGERS, PADRES PLAN SOUTH KOREA VISIT.  The Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres will open next season with two games in South Korea.  It will mark the first time major U.S. baseball teams play in that country.

 

 

HIGHER AUTO INSURANCE LOOMS

Look for higher car insurance ahead, observes Grumpy Editor.

 

Premium rate increases are being triggered by inflation, higher claims costs and more costly auto parts.

 

Another factor drivers face is a shortage of workers that is causing longer repair times.

 

All this means an added expense from extended use of car rentals.

 

 

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TRUST IN NEWS MEDIA FADES.  Nearly three-quarters of U.S. adults say news media is increasing political polarization in the U.S. and just under half say they have little to no trust in the media’s ability to report news fairly and accurately, according to a survey from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research and Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights.  

 

MILITARY SPENDING HITS RECORD.  Worldwide military spending last year hit a record level, influenced by the war in Ukraine and tensions over China and its growing military clout.

 

GOLDEN STATE TO BAN TRUCKS, BUSES THAT RUN ON DIESEL FUEL.  California’s state regulators approved a ruling that new big rigs and buses that run on diesel fuel would not be sold in the Golden State starting in 2036.

 

SHIPPING GOODS BY SEA MORE COSTLY NOW.  It’s costing more to ship goods by ocean from Asia to the U.S.  Price to ship a 40-foot container, for example, via that route jumped one third (or about $400) over the past two years.

 

ARMY EXPECTS TO MISS RECRUITING GOAL.  The Army, again this year, does not expect to reach its ambitious recruiting goal of 65,000 soldiers.  Last year the Army fell some 15,000 active-duty recruits short from its goal of 60,000 troops.

 

ON ENDANGERED LIST.  Gas leaf blowers and lawn mowers are on the endangered list.  Clean air folks say they are bad for the planet and bans are beginning to spread among states.

 

POPULAR U.S. MOVING DESTINATIONS.  Most popular moving destination in the U.S. is Houston.  Penske Truck Rental’s tally of the top 10 cities that received the most inbound one-way consumer rentals in 2022: 

 

• 1) Houston, TX
• 2) Las Vegas, NV
• 3) Orlando, FL
• 4) Phoenix, AZ
• 5) Atlanta, GA
• 6) Charlotte, NC
• 7) Dallas, TX
• 8) Jacksonville, FL
• 9) San Antonio, TX
• 10) Austin, TX

 

 

PROPERTY OWNERS SEE EASY REPLACEMENT FOR BED, BATH & BEYOND STORES

Losing anchor tenant Bed, Bath & Beyond in many U.S. shopping centers in coming months isn’t worrying most property owners, finds Grumpy Editor.

Bed, Bath & Beyond filed for bankruptcy and plans to close remaining stores in coming months.

Property owners believe there is no problem obtaining replacement tenants.

That’s because demand for big-box space in open-air shopping centers around the nation remains strong.

So other retailers, especially those expanding, are ready to jump in at well-located shopping centers.

 

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CALIFORNIA TO BAN DIESEL-RUN BIG RIGS, BUSES.  Under just-passed California rules, new big rigs and buses that run on diesel would not be sold in the Golden State starting in 2036.

MILITARY SPENDING RISES.  Worldwide military spending last year rose 3.7 percent to a record $2.24 trillion, influenced by the war in Ukraine and tensions over China’s larger military.

TRANS-PACIFIC SHIPPING COSTS RISE.  Trans-Pacific shipping costs are heading upward as container lines aim to reverse a months-long slide.  Shipping a 40-foot long container, for example, from Asia to the U.S. West Coast jumps 34 percent.

VOTERS FAVOR GUN CONTROL MEASURES.  With mass shootings in the news almost daily, an overwhelming majority of American voters favor a wide variety of gun control measures and over half worry that they could be victims of gun violence, finds a Fox News poll.

JAPAN’S POPULATION DWINDLES.  Japan will lose almost a third of its population by 2070, a study suggests.  The depopulation of Japan is continuing despite measures to encourage births.

MORE OLDER DEMOCRATS FAVOR BIDEN.  About one-fourth of people under 45 say they would definitely support President Biden in a general election, compared with 56 percent of older Democrats, according to an AP-NORC poll.

PROCESSING PASSPORT APPLICATIONS SLOW.  A major increase in travel demand is creating a backlog of passport applications.  Increased processing time now takes up to three months, warns the State Department.

HAVING A PET BOOSTS YOUR HEALTH

Having a pet can benefit your health, notes Grumpy Editor.

“Scientifically documented benefits of the human-animal bond include decreased blood pressure, reduced anxiety, and enhanced feelings of well-being,” reports the Human Animal Bond Research Institute (HABRI). “Positive human-animal interaction appears to be related to changes in physiological variables both in humans and animals, particularly dogs.”

HABRI research shows that a human-animal bond can reduce arterial pressure and cardiorespiratory rates.  It adds, the presence of a pet can increase your body’s production of the so-called love hormone, oxytocin, causing physiological changes that include lowering blood pressure, inhibiting stress hormones and creating a sense of calm and focus. 

Other research finds long-term pet ownership may help keep cognitive skills sharp as you age, slowing the decline in verbal memory.

A study by the University of Florida, the University of Michigan and Virginia Commonwealth University finds cognitive scores decline slower in pet owners, particularly those with long-term ownership.

 

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MELBOURNE NOW AUSTRALIA’S BIGGEST.   Melbourne, now with a population of 4,875,400, becomes Australia’s biggest city, overtaking Sydney with 18,700 fewer people.

INDIA TO PASS CHINA IN POPULATION.  In another overtake, India is expected to pass China in population within a few months.  Both China and India have more than 1.4 billion people.  Combined, they make up more than a third of the world's 8 billion people.

CURTAIN COMES DOWN FOR ‘PHANTOM.’  After 35 years, the final curtain came down last week on New York’s production of  “The Phantom of the Opera.”  It was Broadway’s longest-running show with thunderous standing ovations.

CRUISE LINE SUED.  A family is suing Florida cruise line Celebrity Cruises, Inc. after employees improperly stored their patriarch’s body in a beverage cooler on board the Celebrity Equinox for six days.  Passenger Robert L. Jones died on August 15 .

SUNKEN WW11 VESSEL DISCOVERED.  Ocean explorers discover the remains of a Japanese World War II vessel, the Montevideo Maru, that sank near the Philippines in 1942 with 1,080 Allied POWs on board. Four torpedoes were fired from the U.S. submarine USS Sturgeon, unaware that Allied POWs from 14 nations were aboard. 

CRITICISM ON POSTAL RATE HIKE.  The upcoming U.S. Postal Service rate increase squeezes the free press, proclaims a Seattle Times editorial.  It mentions, “It’s outrageous that the Postal Service, which was created in part to support the free press, is helping to kill it.”

YOUR FAVORITE RETAIL STORE MAY VANISH WITHIN FIVE YEARS

Your favorite retail store may vanish within the next five years, notes Grumpy Editor.

 

More than 50,000 stores will likely close — a result of rising operating costs and a higher proportion of ecommerce sales for businesses, estimates a team headed by Equity Research Analyst Michael Lasser.

The biggest decline is expected from specialty retailers, with clothing stores and consumer electronics making up nearly half of the total projected closures while home improvement and auto parts stores are expected to emerge relatively unscathed.

Closures would represent a five percent reduction from the current 940,000 stores across the U.S.

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JAPAN BUILDS FIRST CASINO.  A group including MGM Resorts International gets an okay to build Japan’s first casino.  It will be an $8.2 billion casino-resort in Osaka, slated for completion by 2029.

UKRAINE WAR AFFECTS GLOBAL TRADE.  Global trade this year will be affected by the war in Ukraine and inflation around the world, says the World Trade Organization.

 

SUICIDE RATES RISE.  Driven by more deaths in every age group, suicide rates rose in 2021 after two years in decline. About half of all suicides involve a gun, according to federal data.

 

INDIA TO SURPASS CHINA IN POPULATION.  India’s population is expected to surpass China’s sometime this year, predicts the United Nations.  Some demographers say it could happen this month.

 

NORTH KOREA TESTS BALLISTIC MISSILE.  North Korea, in what has become a weekly news release, says it flight tested a solid fuel intercontinental ballistic missile for the first time.

 

THIEVES STEAL PENNIES.  In Philadelphia, thieves broke into a trailer in a Walmart parking lot and made off with about two million dimes. That’s about $200,000 worth.  The trailer was carrying an estimated $750,000 in dimes.

POSTAGE RATES TO RISE.  Postage rates will be going up on July 9.  First class stamps rise to 66 cents from 63. The 5.4 percent increase across all first-class mail products is the agency’s fourth rate hike in two years.

ROBOT SERVERS APPEAR IN U.S. RESTAURANTS

 

Robot servers loom as restaurant fixtures in the future, notes Grumpy Editor.

 

Some envision waist-high machines greeting guests, leading them to tables, delivering food and drinks, and taking dirty dishes to kitchens.

 

Many think robot waiters are the solution to the industry’s labor shortages.  Sales of robots for restaurants have been growing rapidly in recent years, with tens of thousands now gliding through dining rooms worldwide.

 

“There’s no doubt in my mind that this is where the world is going,” says Dennis Reynolds, dean of the Hilton College of Global Hospitality Leadership at the University of Houston. 

 

The school’s restaurant began using a robot in December, and Reynolds says it has eased the workload for human staff and made service more efficient.

 

IN CASE YOUR FAVORITE NEWS OUTLETS MESSED THESE...

 

MEN WRITE MOST BIUSINESS STORIES.  Men write slightly more than half (53 percent) of all economics and business news stories, according to a Pew Research Center survey. 

 

ACTIVE IMPOSTERS.   IRS imposters are busy.  Since 2018, more than 75,000 victims have lost $28 million to IRS imposters via phone calls, email and texts. 

 

DAWN KOPECKI JOINS NEW NEWS OUTLET.  Dawn Kopecki joins soon-to-launch news outlet The Messenger as deputy business editor. Recently, she was a senior editor for politics, health and science, and investigations at CNBC. 

 

HIRING SLOWS LAST MONTH.  U.S. hiring slowed in March as the labor market began to soften in the face of high interest rates and stubborn inflation.  Employers added 236,000 jobs last month, according to the Labor Department monthly payroll report.

 

NEW TULIP NAMED AFTER FIRST LADY.  Netherlands names a new tulip variety after First Lady Jill Biden.  The event came during a special ceremony on Wednesday.

 

NORTH KOREA CLAIMS TEST OF NEW DRONE.  North Korea claims it has tested a nuclear-capable underwater drone designed to generate a gigantic “radioactive tsunami” that would destroy ports.

VINYL RECORD ALBUM SALES OVERTAKE CDS

Vinyl record albums outsold CDs last year for the first time since 1987, notes Grumpy Editor.

Vinyl records revenue rose 17 percent to about $1.2 billion last year while CD revenue fell 18 percent to $483 million.

That’s the word from the Recording Industry Association of America.

About 41 million vinyl albums were purchased last year, compared with 33 million CDs.

Fans claim vinyl has superior sound quality.

 

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MARINES FACE SHORTAGES.  Marines Commandant General David Berger tells the Senate Appropriations Committee that Marines need more amphibious ships and that his forces are at the lowest level in recent history.

BARGE BECOMES “HOTEL” FOR MIGRANTS.  The U.K. plans to move migrants seeking asylum from current hotel accommodations to a barge, at least two military bases and ships in an effort to slash surging costs.

HOME RUN KING CONTINUES.  Baseball’s Aaron Judge, American League’s most valuable player last year, smacks a home run in his first at bat for the New York Yankees this year, in a Yankees 5-0 win over the Giants. Judge last season hit 62 home runs, the most in a single season in the history of the American League.

FORMER CALIF. GOVERNOR GETS ‘HONOR.’  California researchers name a new species of beetle after former Gov. Jerry Brown:  bembidion brownorum.  The beetle is discovered on Brown’s ranch in Colusa County.

TEXAS GROWS.  Texas is home to six of the top 10 largest-growing counties in 2022, finds the Census Bureau.  But the largest gainer is Maricopa County, Arizona, home of Phoenix.

BEST BASEBALL STADIUM ANNOUNCED.  San Diego’s Petco Park is named the nation’s best major league baseball stadium.  It’s the home of the San Diego Padres.

NEWSPAPER LEFT WITHOUT REPORTERS.  The Salinas Californian   employed only  one journalist until December. That’s when the paper’s last reporter quit to take a job in TV.  The departure smacks news coverage in the city of 163,000.

TECHNICAL WORKERS SHORTAGE AFFECTING U.S.

A shortage of technical workers is hitting the U.S., notes Grumpy Editor.

A major problem is older workers in skilled trades are retiring and the available supply isn’t meeting demand.

The construction industry, for example, faces a gap of 500,000 workers, according to an industry source.

As America de-industrialized in the second half of the 20th century, education was reimagined to emphasize seeking four-year college degrees, says Anthony Carnevale, director of the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce.

Some 30 million jobs in the U.S. are paying an average of $55,000 a year and don't require a bachelor's degree, according to one report.

 

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COLLEGE DEGREE VALUE QUESTIONED.  A Wall Street Journal-NORC at the University of Chicago Poll shows growing skepticism on the value of a college degree and record-low levels of happiness.

NORTH KOREA BOASTING AGAIN.  North Korea on Friday claimed to have tested a nuclear-capable underwater drone designed to generate a gigantic “radioactive tsunami” that would destroy naval strike groups and ports.

TOM HANKS SET AS HARVARD SPEAKER.  Actor Tom Hanks will be Harvard University’s principal commencement speaker on May 25.  University presidnet Lawrence Bacow called Hanks “a true master of his craft.”

EIFFEL TOWER GETS GOLD PAINT.  The Eiffel Tower in Paris is being painted in gold for the 2024 Olympics.  The work is expected to cost $60 million.

DRY-DOCKED VESSEL TIPS OVER.  A large research vessel tipped over while dry-docked in Scotland, injuring 25 people. The 250-foot long vessel, named the Petrel, was previously bought and outfitted by the late Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen. 

U.S. READIES BATTLE TANKS FOR UKRAINE.  The Defense Department is speeding up plans to send the U.S. military’s most sophisticated battle tank to Ukraine as the country braces itself for an expected increase in Russian attacks in coming weeks.

 

STORES CONCERNED ABOUT GROWING THEFT

Retailers are concerned about growing theft at stores, notes Grumpy Editor.

“It’s an industrywide trend,” Macy’s Chief Executive told analysts this month.

 

In the industry the swiping is called shrink.

 

“Theft is growing at a faster rate than sales,” said Dean Rosenblum, senior retail analyst at Bernstein Research.  It is starting to affect margins, he added.

 

In efforts to combat the problem, Macy’s, for example, is using radio frequency identification tags in tracking inventory, adding more security personnel and securing high-end brands with locked cables and sensors.

 

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HALF THE WORLD DUE TO BE OVERWEIGHT BY 2035.  Half the world will be overweight by 2035, warns the World Obesity Federation.  That means more than four billion people will be obese unless preventitive measures are implemented.

 

MEN NAILED FOR LEAVING STORE WITH MUCH BABY FORMULA.  Two men nailed shoplifting at a Georgia grocery store had an estimated $26,000 worth of baby formula in their car.  Seems they left a store near Atlanta with backpacks filled with cans of formula. Police found 662 more cans of formula inside the car.

 

NORDSTROM LEAVING CANADA.  Nordstrom, the luxury department store chain, is liquidating operations in Canada — closing 13 stores and laying off about 2,500 workers.

 

VAST VANDERBILT ESTATE SOLD.  The Vanderbilt estate --- on 40 acres of gardens on Long Island, N.Y. --- sells for $8 million.  It’s about the same size as the White House with 55,000 square feet and 106 rooms, the largest shingled-style home in the United States.

 

NORTH KOREA COMES UP WITH UPTEEN ANNOUNCEMENT.  In another periodic announcement, North Korea claims almost 800,000 people signed up to join or volunteer for the military to fight against U.S.  

 

INDIANA SCHOOLS SHELVE HANDWRITING.  Schools in Indiana are abandoning teaching children handwriting in favor of showing them how to type.  Individual schools will no longer be required to instruct pupils in longhand from the age of eight.  So now it’s only print.

 

NEW TITLE ON DAILY NEWSPAPER.  Remember when newspaper editorial room staffers only had titles such as managing editor, city editor, sports editor, etc.?  The Los Angeles Times just announced the newly-created editorial position of senior vice president for content business strategy.

 

U.S. SENDING $171 MILLION TO VENEZUELA.  The U.S. on Friday pledged more than $171 million in humanitarian assistance and development funding at a donor conference to help Venezuelans impacted by the South American country's economic and political crisis.  Some seven million people have fled as a result of the crisis in Venezuela in recent years.

 

OLDEST FEMALE HOCKEY PLAYER.  Linda Sinrod, of Lorton, Va., was a figure skater before becoming enamored with hockey at age 35 after a friend asked her if she wanted to try the sport during a visit to a frozen pond. Now she’s the world's oldest female hockey player, according to the Guinness Book of World Records.

 

FRENCH BULLDOG GAINS NO. 1 SPOT IN U.S.  The American Kennel Club announced that after a record 31-year reign, the Labrador Retriever has been eclipsed as the most prevalent purebred dog in the U.S. by the French bulldog. The sturdy, push-faced, perky-eared, world-weary-looking and distinctively droll French bulldog became the nation’s most prevalent purebred dog last year.

 

TAX FILING TIME FACES CPA SHORTAGE

Tax filing time is approaching and there is a CPA shortage, notes Grumpy Editor.

The profession that thrives on numbers is now having a problem seeking people to tangle with numbers.

The Wall Street Journal points out 150 college credit hours are required to become a certified public accountant.

The shortage of accountants in the U.S. has firms boosting salaries  and sending work abroad, it adds.

Would-be CPAs need to attend college for five years to amass 150 hours of college credit required to get  licenses.

The Journal cites some in the field say the extra time and expense in schools “are keeping  students from entering the field.”

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FALSE NEWS IS SPEEDY.  A MIT study finds false news online reaches people about six times faster than the truth and falsehoods are 70 percent more likely to be retweeted on Twitter than the truth.

U.S. MOVIE SCREENS DECLINE.  The number of movie screens in the U.S. declines to 39,007 last year from 41,172 in 2019 while the North American count slips to 42,063 from 44,283.

GM OFFERS BUYOUTS.  General Motors is offering buyouts to most of its U.S. salaried workforce and some global executives in an effort to trim costs as it makes the transition to electric vehicles.  GM has about 58,000 salaried workers in the U.S.

WORLD’S OLDEST LIVING DOG IS 30+ YEARS.  Bobi, a farm dog in Portugal, set a Guinness World Record as the world’s oldest living dog --- 30 years and almost 300 days. He is a purebred Rafeiro do Alentejo.

WOMAN MARINE BECOMES SERGEANT MAJOR.  U.S. Marines welcome Joy Kitashima as the first woman to become sergeant major of III Marine Expeditionary Force.  She is based in the Pacific.

HAWAII VOLCANO ERUPTION ENDS.  Most recent eruption of Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano stops after 61 days, note  scientists at the U.S. Geological Survey’s Hawaiian Volcano Observatory.  Volcanic activity was confined to the crater’s floor.

CAMPBELL’S SOUP SALES RISE 12 PERCENT.  Campbell's Soup sales rise 12 percent for the quarter ended Jan. 29, topping analysts expectations.  Sales were led by popular brands Goldfish crackers and Pepperidge Farm cookies.

 

 

NEW WORD APPEARS IN WEATHER STORIES

A new word — graupel — worked into weather stories during the past week, notes Grumpy Editor.

 

It’s a German word referring to soft hail or snow pellets.

 

It forms when supercooled water droplets in the air freeze on falling snowflakes.

 

Graupel is distinct from hail and  ice pellets in both formation and appearance. However, both hail and graupel are common in thunderstorms with cumulonimbus clouds.

 

Got that?

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WOMAN SLATED TO BECOME ONE-STAR ADMIRAL.  Capt. Amy Bauernschmidt, first woman to command a U.S. aircraft carrier, is slated to become a one-star admiral.  A 1994 graduate of the Naval Academy, she earned a master’s degree from the Naval War College and was designated a pilot in 1996.

 

GM CUTTING 500 SALARIED WORKERS.  General Motors is cutting about 500 salaried employees.  The auto maker seeks to cut costs while it prepares to roll out several new models this year.

  

MAN VISITS DISNEYLAND 500 DAYS IN A ROW.  Jeff Reitz likes to visit Disneyland.  He has visited the California amusement park nearly 3,000 days in a row.  That’s every day for eight years and about four months.

 

FRAUDULENT NURSING CREDENTIALS.  Three Florida schools are accused of selling thousands of bogus diplomas. Medical licensing officials in multiple states are scrambling to stop nurses with fraudulent academic credentials from caring for patients.

 

LIZ CHENEY BECOMES PROFESSOR.  Former Rep. Liz Cheney, the Wyoming Republican noted for her criticism of former President Donald Trump, is joining the University of Virginia's Center for Politics as a "professor of practice." 

DOG SLEEPING ON BED ABOARD AIRLINER DRAWS ATTENTION.  Picture of a dog sleeping on a lie-flat bed in business class of an airliner attracts much world-wide attention.  The South American flight shows the medium-size dog with its head on a pillow and resting comfortably .

NORDSTROM LEAVING CANADA.  Not seeing "a realistic path to profitability," Nordstrom is closing operations in Canada.  It involves 13 department stores and 2,500 workers.

SOME AMERICANS FALL BEHIND ON CAR PAYMENTS

Some Americans are falling behind on their car payments, notes Grumpy Editor.

An analysis by Moody’s Analytics reveals 9.3 percent of auto loans to people with low credit scores were at least 30 days behind on payments at the end of 2022.

A shortage of vehicles resulted in a jump in car prices.

Many borrowers took out higher loans to meet the increased price tags.  Thus, it was more difficult for some to keep up with payments.

Borrowers who took out big loans at the height of the boom owe more than their vehicles are worth.

So they are falling behind in their payments.

 

IN CASE YOUR FAVORITE NEWS OUTLETS MISSED THESE…

HOUSING MARKET VALUE DROPS.  In the last half of 2022, the value of the U.S. housing market shrank by the most since the real-estate bubble popped in 2008, notes Bloomberg.  After peaking at $47.7 trillion in June, total value of U.S. homes declined by $2.3 trillion, or 4.9 percent, in the second half of 2022, tallies a real estate brokerage.

ALMOST THE SAME HEADLINE OVER THE YEARS.  For years, since after the Korean War, this headline appears, at least on a weekly basis.  From: Saturday newspapers…"North Korea test-fires missiles.”

U.S. TROOPS TO TAIWAN.  The U.S. is preparing to send 100 to 200 troops to Taiwan for training amid rising tensions with China. The Michigan National Guard also will train a contingent of the Taiwanese Army.  

WHITE HOUSE MESS REOPENS.  On March 6 the White House mess will open for in-person dining for the first time in President Biden’s White House.  The wood-paneled room with a nautical theme has been closed since the winter of 2020 under COVID restrictions.

BUT IS IT REFLECTED ON YOUR BILL?  Natural gas prices have dropped moe than 65 percent since mid-December.  That’s the lowest level since 2020’s pandemic lockdown.

ANOTHER JOURNALIST IS KILLED IN MEXICO.  A Mexican news photographer dies after being stabbed and beaten in an attack in Ensenada, a popular destination of tourists from California.

DOGS AND CAR WINDOWS TRIGGER REACTION.  Proposed Florida legislation to ban dogs sticking their heads out of car windows when vehicle is in motion gets animal lovers upset.

MILITARY SERVICE NOT ACTIVELY SOUGHT BY YOUNG PEOPLE

Seems few young people seek to go into the military these days, notes Grumpy Editor.

The Army wrapped up 2022 as the worst recruitment year in decades.

It fell about 15,000, or 25 percent, short of its 60,000 recruitment goal last year. 

In efforts to reverse the decline, the Army is promoting new programs plus advertising as it seeks 65,000 recruits this year.

One incentive gives Army recruiters bonuses up to $4,500 a quarter if they exceed their baseline enlistment requirement.

Maybe the military draft should return.

 

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ROLLING IN THE DOUGHnuts.  Krispy Kreme had a banner year in 2022. It sold a record-breaking 1.6 billion doughnuts sold in grocery stores, pharmacies and convenience stores.

AGREEMENT TO END HARPER COLLINS STRIKE.  Harper Collins Publishers’ striking union members approved a tentative agreement ending a more than three months walkout and will return to work tomorrow.

SOUTH, NORTH KOREA CONTINUE BATTLE OF WORDS. Over the years, South and North Korea have been battling each other with words.  Latest has South Korea calling North Korea “our enemy.”

U.S. GAMBLING REVENUE BREAKS RECORD.  Commercial gambling revenue in the U.S. last year — more than $60 billion — broke the previous record  of $53 billion set two years ago.  Figures do not include revenue from tribal-owned casinos.

GOLDEN STATE’S POPULATION DROPS.  California’s population dropped by more than 500,000 between April, 2020 and July, 2022.  Primary reasons for the exodus are high housing costs, long commutes, crowds, crime and pollution.

CATALYTIC CONVERTER SUSPECT DIES UNDER CAR.  A woman accidentally ran over a man suspected of trying to steal her truck's catalytic converter in Palmdale, Calif.  The suspect later died. Deputies said the woman had fallen asleep in the truck when she heard sawing underneath. She turned on the vehicle, backed out of the space and felt a bump.

CALIFORNIA EARTHQUAKE OVERDUE, WARNS L. A. TIMES

Following the major earthquake in Turkey-Syria, the Los Angeles Times warned a major shaker is overdue in California, notes Grumpy Editor.

It mentioned an earthquake the size of the one that made headlines last week would bring devastation and death to Southern California, citing "A quake as strong as magnitude 8.2 is possible on the southern San Andreas fault and would bring disaster to all of Southern California simultaneously, with the fault rupturing from near the Mexican border to Monterey County.

“Such an earthquake would cause widespread damage from Palm Springs to San Luis Obispo — and everything in between,” it added.

Among the impacts, the report mentioned:

• Death toll could be among the worst for a natural disaster in U.S. history: nearly 1,800.
• Los Angeles County could suffer the highest death toll, more than 1,000, followed by Orange County, with more than 350 dead.
• Nearly 50,000 could be injured.
• Main freeways to Las Vegas and Phoenix that cross the San Andreas fault would be destroyed.
• Some 500,000 to 1 million people could be displaced from their homes.
• Southern California could be isolated for some time, with the region surrounded by mountains and earthquake faults.
• Major utilities such as gas, power and cell service would likely be severely compromised.

California’s most famous earthquake was the epic 1906 shaker from the San Andreas fault that smacked San Francisco.

 

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BEER SALES SOAR WITH SUPER BOWL GAME. For the Super Bowl game yesterday, it is estimated that nearly half (47 percent) the viewers purchased beer for the high viewership match.

 

NORTH KOREA SHOWS OFF LONG-RANGE NUCLEAR MISSILES.  A North Korea military parade showcased many long-range nuclear missiles to illustrate the country is producing missiles than can cross the Pacific.

 

WOODPECKERS STORE 700 POUNDS OF ACORNS IN HOME.  A pair of woodpeckers in Sonoma County, California, stored a massive 700 pounds of acorns in the walls of a home.  The birds entered through a hole in the attic.

 

GOLDEN RETRIEVERS FLOOD STREETS IN GOLDEN, COLO.  Over 1,000 Golden Retrievers gathered in appropriately-named Golden, Colo., and strolled the streets for an annual event called “Goldens in Golden,” which honors National Golden Retriever Day.

 

WORLD WAR II BOMB EXPLODES IN ENGLAND.   A World War II bomb exploded in Great Yarmouth, England, on Friday as workers attempted to defuse it.  Luckily, no one was injured in the unplanned detonation.

 

AUTO RENTALS REGAIN STRONG DEMAND.   Hertz Global Holdings reported a better-than-expected quarterly profit, aided by strong demand for rental cars with improved hotel and airline bookings.

ABUNDANT RAIN IS GOOD NEWS FOR CALIFORNIA FARMERS

 

Californians are hoping that after three of the driest years in history, winter storms that brought an abundance of mountain snow will result in replenishing reservoirs with spring melting, notes Grumpy Editor.

 

Several reservoirs already are above historic averages.

 

Snowpack is more than twice the normal for this time of year, reports the California Department of Water Resources.

 

Snow water equivalent in the San Joaquin River basin is at the highest level in decades for this time of year.

 

So much rain water flowed into Folsom reservoir, near Sacramento, that it prompted release from the dam.

 

The abundant precipitation is good news for farmers and their crops.

 

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NAVY SHIPS FACE MAINTENANCE DELAYS.  U.S. Navy ships are encountering growing maintenance delays and costs.  That means fewer steaming hours, a troubling trend that comes at a time when the U.S. is struggling to keep pace with China’s growing fleet.

 

DR. PHIL TO DEPART TALK SHOW. "Dr. Phil” McGraw, TV daytime psychologist, plans to wrap up his talk show later this year after 21 years on the air.  “With this show, we have helped thousands of guests and millions of viewers through everything from addiction to marriage to mental wellness and raising children," he says.

 

FUNGAL INFECTIONS INCREASE WITH WARMER TEMPERATURES.  A January study shows warmer temperatures are being cited as the culprit behind an increase in dangerous fungal infections. Exposure to higher temperatures may prompt some disease-causing fungi to evolve faster to survive.

 

RALPH NADER STARTS NEWSPAPER. Consumer advocate and former presidential candidate Ralph Nader, 88, is starting a newspaper --- the Winsted Citizen --- in his hometown in northwest Connecticut.  He says he is determined to do something about the “news desert” crisis in local journalism.

 BOEING 747 PRODUCTION ENDS.  Boeing delivered its last commercial 747 last week --- more than 50 years after the iconic airplane helped change air travel. The 747, the world's first twin-aisle passenger jet, came to symbolize the era in which mass travel by air became commonplace.

 UK ENTRY FEE AIMED AT AMERICANS.  U.S. travelers to the United Kingdom soon will have to pay an entry fee. The "permission to travel" fee requirement is aimed at those seeking to visit the area without a visa. 

MORE TREES CITED FOR LOWER TEMPERATURES.  Planting more trees in urban areas could help lower temperatures in cities, say researchers who add they could tackle rising heat-related deaths as climate change drives thermometers up.

 DRINKING ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES ON DECLINE.  Data published by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, find Americans’ consumption of alcoholic beverages on a steady decline since 1995, with 7.9 billion gallons consumed in 2020. Gallup finds the average number of drinks Americans consume in a week has been falling over the last several years, from 4.8 in 2009 to 3.6 in 2021.

 

To contact Grumpy Editor:  [email protected]

BEING A JOURNALIST OUTSIDE THE U.S. IS RISKY

It’s dangerous being a journalist overseas, notes Grumpy Editor.

Driven largely by attacks in Ukraine, Haiti and Mexico, 67 news media workers were killed around the world last year, up 50 percent from the previous year, reports the Committee to Protect Journalists. That’s the highest number since 2018.

 

The CPJ pointed out that 35 of the 67 killings took place in Ukraine, Mexico and Haiti.

 

Ukraine is a high danger area.  Fifteen news workers were killed there last year.

 

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TIPPING GETTING ATTENTION.  An Associate Press story reveals “across the country, there’s a silent frustration brewing about an age-old practice that many say is getting out of hand: tipping.”  It pointed out that “some fed-up consumers…wonder are we going to be tipping our doctors and dentists, too?” 

 

BUTTERFLIES GET FEDERAL AID.  California’s declining monarch butterflies are getting millions of dollars in federal aid.  A grant through the Monarch and Pollinator Highway Program aims to conserve habitat for butterflies, insects and other pollinators.

 

DYING AT HOME ACCELERATES.  Something triggered by Covid?  The proportion of Californians dying at home, rather than in a hospital or nursing home, accelerated during the pandemic, a trend that has outlasted the rigid lockdowns linked to the initial shift.

 

MEXICO FROWNS ON SMOKING AT BEACH.  In Mexico, smoking on the beach and other public places now could cost puffers a $500 fine.

 

WASHINGTON POST LAYS OFF 20 STAFFERS. In a rare move, The Washington Post laid off 20 people and will not be filling 30 vacancies. The number of layoffs was smaller than many staffers had anticipated.

 

CAN JOURNALISTS BE TRUSTED?   The annual Edelman Trust Barometer report, by international PR firm Edelman, reveals journalists are among the least trusted groups — and news sources remain widely distrusted.

 

POPULAR DOG NAMES OF THE YEAR.  The American Kennel Club reveals the most popular dog names for 2022:

Female:

1. Luna
2. Bella
3. Daisy
4. Lucy
5. Willow
6. Penny
7. Sadie
8. Maggie
9. Rosie
10. Ruby

Male

1. Max
2. Milo
3. Cooper
4. Charlie
5. Teddy
6. Tucker
7. Buddy
8. Bear
9. Rocky
10. Leo

 

 

 

WITH WATER, FISH GET PREFERENCE IN CALIFORNIA

When it comes to water, fish get preference over humans in northern California — and that is causing a stir, observes Grumpy Editor.

Bipartisan lawmakers say too much of the state's stormwater, stored to protect imperiled fish in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, is flowing to the Pacific rather than being pumped to reservoirs and aqueducts.

Legislators, many from drought-starved agriculture regions of the Central Valley, in strongly-worded letters have implored state and federal officials to relax environmental pumping restrictions that are limiting the amount of water captured from the delta. 

“When Mother Nature blesses us with rain, we need to save the water, instead of dumping it into the ocean,” Assemblymember Vince Fong (R-Bakersfield) wrote in a letter to Gov. Gavin Newsom.

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NUMBER OF FIREARMS IN TRAVEL BAGS GROWS.  Lots of firearms --- most of them loaded --- show up in travel bags at airports.  The Transportation Security Administration last year discovers a record of more than 6,500 firearms in carry-on bags during security checks at 262 airports.  That's the highest number since the federal agency was founded 22 years ago.

GAS-ELECTRIC CORVETTE SPEEDY.  General Motors' first Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray, it's first gas-electric hybrid Corvette, also will be the fastest version of the sports car.  It can go to 60 miles an hour in 2.5 seconds.  Price tags start at about $104,000.

RECORD SIZE TOAD.  Australia’s Conway National Park captures a cane toad that weighs nearly six pounds, making it possibly the largest on record.  Because of its size, it is labeled Toadzilla.

OLDEST LIVING DOG.  Marking a Guinness World Record, the world's oldest living dog is Spike, a 23-year-old chihuahua mix in Camden, Ohio, that enjoys crunched up Doritos, walks and Saturday baths.

WARMING UP.  A report in Journal Nature notes temperatures on the Greenland ice sheet are the warmest in at least 1,000 years.  Scientists find between 2001 and 2011, average temperature was 1.5 degrees Celsius warmer than it was during the 20th century.

HIGH SCHOOL BRIGHT SPOT IN TOWN.  Lights in a large regional high school in Wilbraham, Mass. have been on around the clock for a year and a half.  Software that runs the 7,000 lights in the building failed in August, 2021, running up the bill for illumination.

BEAVERS RETURN AFTER 400 YEARS.  Two beavers are released in the southern English county of Hampshire. It’s labeled a “truly historic event because it marks the first time in 400 years beavers are in the area.  They were extinct for centuries in many parts of the continent after being hunted for their fur and meat. 

ALL ABOARD.   Husband and wife buy a bus for their dog walking business in Alaska.  Activity has grown so now the bus has a load of canine passengers that head for a daily adventure.  

 

LAST YEAR THIRD MOST COSTLY WITH CLIMATE, WEATHER DISASTERS

 

Climate and weather disasters last year resulted in about $165 billion in damage, notes Grumpy Editor.

 

That’s the third most costly year since 1980, tallies the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

 

NOAA says 18 disasters — from wind storms to floods — hit the U. S. in 2022. 

 

Extreme weather periods are costly when they strike developed population centers, putting more people in harm’s way.

 

 

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BACK TO THE OFFICE FOR DISNEY STAFFERS. It’s back to the office for Walt Disney Co. workers.  Employees are told they would have to work four days a week, Mondays through Thursdays, from a Disney office starting March 1. 

 

RETIREES RATE FLORIDA TOPS FOR RETIREMENT.  Florida is the most popular destination for retirees.  It is followed by North Carolina, Michigan, Arizona and Georgia.  About one in eight retirees who relocated out of state reported doing so to cut housing expenses. 

 

JUSTICE DEPARTMENT FINES CITY NATIONAL BANK.  City National Bank is accused by the Justice Department of discrimination by refusing to underwrite mortgages in predominately Black communities.  It is requiring the Los Angeles-based bank to pay $31 million — largest redlining settlement in department history.

 

DRUG PRODUCERS PRIORITIZE MEDICINES.  Drug producers are prioritizing complex biotech medicines over treatments that can be given as pills because recent U.S. legislation gives biologics a longer runway before becoming subject to government price limits, say top industry executives.

 

UKRAINIANS TRAINING AT FORT SILL.  Ukrainian troops this week at Fort Sill will start training on the Patriot missile defense system.  It's to prepare the Ukrainians to use the Patriot system, which the U.S. is giving to them.

 

BALMY WEATHER TRIGGERS CHERRY BLOSSOMS.  Warm weather is making cherry blossoms appear early this year in Tokyo.  The blossoms are attracting visitors and photographers well ahead of usual peak time in late March and early April. 

 

 

MANY ACCOUNTANTS, AUDITORS EXIT THE FIELD

 

Many accountants and auditors around the country are calling it quits, observes Grumpy Editor.

 

In the past two years more than 300,000 — a 17 percent decline — left their jobs, according to The Wall Street Journal.

 

“The exodus is driven by deeper workplace shifts than baby-boomer retirements," it points out.  “Many college students don’t want to work in accounting.  Even those who majored in it.”

 

A recruiting firm director mentions  “the field still suffers from a stigma that it is uncool, with tedious work and daunting hours.”

 

 

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HOUSE DRAMA LIFTS C-SPAN RATINGS.  Speaker drama in the House of Representatives last week boosted C-Span’s television ratings.  First day of the new Congress was watched by 379,000 households, a hefty 161 percent increase from opening day of the prior Congress, according to a viewership tracker.

 

U.S. ELECTRIC VEHICLE SALES GROW.  Electric vehicle sales in 2022 rose to 807,180 from 490,456 in 2021.  That accounts for 5.8 percent of all vehicles sold, up from 3.2 percent a year prior.

 

WORLD POPULATION UP 0.9 PERCENT IN YEAR. Entering the new year, the Census Bureau puts the world population at 7.9 billion, marking a 0.9 percent increase from the previous year.

 

HOME RUN BALL SELLS FOR $1.5 MILLION.  Baseball player Aaron Judge’s American League record-breaking 62nd home run ball, caught by a fan on Oct. 4, sells to an anonymous buyer at auction for $1.5 million.

 

PUTIN’S ANNUAL NEWS CONFERENCE SHELVED.  Russian president Vladimir Putin, in a ritual designed to polish his image, scrubs his annual year-end news conference following a series of setbacks in Ukraine. 

 

NEVER TOO OLD TO WRITE.  Joan Donovan donned a cap and gown for a private graduation ceremony outside her Florida home to celebrate earning her master's degree in creative writing from Southern New Hampshire University...at age 89.

 

D.C . MEMORIAL TO HONOR WORLD WAR II WOMEN.  A memorial, set to be built in Washington, will commemorate the millions of World War II women who took over jobs — ranging from pilots to letter carriers —  traditionally held by men.

Grumpy Editor is taking a holiday break, will return Jan. 9.

COLDER THAN EXPECTED WINTER MEANS HIGHER HOME HEATING BILLS

The “once in a generation” winter storm smacking a chunk of the U.S. will result in higher heating bills in coming days, notes Grumpy Editor.

Average home heating cost is projected to jump a hefty 17 percent from last winter,  according to a report from the National Energy Assistance Directors Association.

Those with homes relying on natural gas heating will spend an average of 25 percent more this winter, projects the U.S. Energy Information Administration while those using heating oil are projected to spend 45 percent more.  Electricity users face an 11 percent hike and propane the least, at one percent. 

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U.S. ADDS 1.2 MILLION PEOPLE IN 2022.  The U.S. population expanded by 1.2 million people this year, with growth largely driven by international migration.  The nation now has 333.2 million residents, according to estimates.

BIRD FLU OUTBREAK BOOSTS EGG PRICES. An avian-influenza outbreak is driving egg prices to new records.  The disease, hitting all states, has killed millions of egg-laying chickens and turkeys.

“MADE IN CHINA” LABEL FROWNED ON.  World Trade Organization arbitrators conclude the U.S. was out of line in requiring Hong Kong-made  products to be labeled “Made in China.”

HOME SALES SLIDE FOR 10TH STRAIGHT MONTH.  Existing home sales in November across the country slid for a 10th straight month.  Potential buyers are pushed out of the market by home prices and high mortgage rates.  

BARNES & NOBLE TO ADD 30 STORES.  With robust customer demand, Barnes & Noble plans to add 30 stores next year.  All booksellers are getting a sales boost from people turning to books while confined to homes.

D.C. METROBUS RIDES TO BE FREE.  In an effort to increase ridership and reduce road congestion, the District of Columbia plans to make its Metrobus service free for all passengers.  Not included are subway and rail services.

POSTAL SERVICE AIMS TO BUY ONLY ELECTRIC VEHICLES.  The U.S. Postal Service plans to buy only electric delivery vehicles starting in 2026.  USPS plans to spend $9.6 billion over the next five years updating its fleet.

GRUMPY EDITOR WISHES A HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL.

ACTIVISTS CONCERNED ABOUT PROPOSED MINE NEAR ENDANGERED NEVADA WILDFLOWER SPECIES

 

Endangered items cited by activists always grab attention of media, observes Grumpy Editor.

Latest is a wildflower, Tiehm’s buckwheat, found only in a section of Nevada’s Esmeralda County.

 

Activists are concerned because a proposed lithium mine is slated to be built on much of the plant’s limited habitat and wipe out the species.

 

Ioneer, an Australian mining company, proposes a 1,000-foot deep open pit lithium mine where much of the buckwheat’s habitat lies.

 

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EARTH EXPERIENCES 5TH WARMEST FALL.  National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reports Earth had its 5th warmest autumn on record.  It also mentions last month was the ninth warmest November in 143 years.

ROBBERS IMPERSONATE FBI AGENTS.  Washington D.C. police are actively investigating a case where four people in tactical gear impersonated FBI agents during an armed robbery at a home. 

MOVIE THEATER ATTENDANCE DROPS.  Movie theaters, hit with COVID around the country, see b0x office action drop 34 percent from this time in 2019.  Analysts are hopeful things will improve in 2023 and beyond. 

MILITARY HOUSING ALLOWANCE RAISED.  The Pentagon plans to raise military housing allowances in the U.S. by 12 percent on average next year. It’s the largest year-over-year jump in housing allowances in many years.  The payments to about one million service members will total an estimated $26.8 billion.  

SOME DARK CHOCOLATE CONTAINS HEAVY METALS.  Consumer Reports says some kinds of dark chocolate contain potentially dangerous amounts of heavy metals.  Measuring the amount of heavy metals in 28 popular brands of dark chocolate bars, cadmium and lead is found in all. 

PARIS TOP DESTINATION CITY.  A report by British market research company Euromonitor places Paris as the world’s top city destination this year.  Here are Euromonitor’s top 10 ---

1. Paris 
2. Dubai 
3. Amsterdam 
4. Madrid 
5. Rome 
6. London
7. Munich
8. Berlin 
9. Barcelona
10. New York

 

IT’S BEEN A DANGEROUS YEAR FOR JOURNALISTS

The International Federation of Journalists says 67 journalists and media staff have been killed around the world so far this year, up from 47 last year, notes Grumpy Editor.

An Associated Press report also mentions the Brussels-based group tallies 375 journalists are in prison for their work, with the most in China, Myanmar and Turkey. Last year’s report lists 365 journalists behind bars.

 

With the number of media workers killed on the rise, the group called on governments to take more action to protect them and free journalism.

 

“The failure to act will only embolden those who seek to suppress the free flow of information and undermine the ability of people to hold their leaders to account, including in ensuring that those with power and influence do not stand in the way of open and inclusive societies," declares IFJ General Secretary Anthony Bellanger.

 

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WORDLE POPULAR AROUND THE WORLD.  Google’s most searched term globally:  Wordle. The daily word game has found mass appeal. It stems from software engineer Josh Wardle in 2021.  

 

OPERATION CHRISTMAS DROP.  The U.S. Air Force leads the way on Operation Christmas Drop in delivering essentials to remote Pacific islanders — something it has been doing for seven decades. The U.S. Air Force this year is joined by air force crews and aircraft from Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand and India.

 

NAVY ACCEPTING LOWER ENLISTMENT SCORES.  To bolster enlistment numbers, the  U.S. Navy is accepting recruits who score in a lower qualifying range on entrance exams as service leaders grapple with a complicated U.S. job market.

 

L.A. NOT AS BRIGHT AT NIGHT.  Los Angeles has become darker at night with  7,000 street light outages.  Most outages are due to copper wire theft— and the city lacks the budget to repair the outages.

 

UROLOGIST LABELED MOST STRESSFUL JOB.  There are many stressful jobs in the workforce but the most stressful in the U.S. is urologist, a medical position focused on the genitourinary systems.  But it pays around $208K a year.

 

HALF OF CRUISE SHIP PASSENGERS HAVE COVID.  A cruise ship, The Celebrity Eclipse, is reported to have half of its 3,420 passengers Covid-positive. It docked at Sydney, Australia.

LOOKING FOR FUN?  Here's how U.S. cities rank.   

Top 20 Most Fun Cities in America 1. Las Vegas, NV 11. Cincinnati, OH 2. Orlando, FL 12. Tampa, FL 3. Miami, FL 13. Fort Lauderdale, FL 4. Atlanta, GA 14. Portland, OR 5. New Orleans, LA 15. Denver, CO 6. San Francisco, CA 16. San Diego, CA 7. Austin, TX 17. Washington, DC 8. Honolulu, HI 18. Houston, TX 9. New York, NY 19. St. Louis, MO 10. Chicago, IL 20. Los Angeles, CA

WHITE COLLAR WORKERS HIT BY RECENT LAYOFFS

 

Recent layoffs have smacked white-collar workers the hardest, notes Grumpy Editor.

 

“Demand has fallen sharply for profesionals in technology, legal, scientific and finance fields,” notes The Wall Street Journal.

 

Amazon. com, for example, is cutting roughly three percent of its staff.  That translates to about 10,000 workers in its retail, devices, human resources and other divisions.

 

Salaried and office staff also are being hit at Ford Motor Co. and Walmart.

 

 

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NEW YORK TIMES STAFFERS EYE WALKOUT.  Chairman of the guild representing New York Times staffers, advises the newspaper’s publisher that “if there is no contract by Dec. 8, we are walking out.”  That will involve more than 1,000 employees.

 

MORE WOMEN IN GOVERNOR POSITIONS.  Going into the new year, a record number of women will hold governor positions.  Four newcomers join eight already in that post.

 

‘GASLIGHTING’ IS WORD OF THE YEAR.  Merriam-Webster names “gaslighting” word of the year.  It means behavior that is grossly misleading or downright deceitful.

 

WASHINGTON POST MAGAZINE TO FADE.  On Christmas Day The Washington Post is ending the print version of The Washington Post Magazine. The magazine has 10 staffers.  Those positions will be eliminated.

 

NEW FLYING WING AIRCRAFT DEBUTS. A B-21 Raider, first new long-range bomber in more than 30 years, debuts in Palmdale, Calif.  At a $750 million price tag, the B-21 boasts a futuristic flying-wing design and can fly deep behind enemy lines evading detection --- and could eventually fly without a pilot.

 

DOG SAVES OWNER IN HOUSE FIRE.   Kansas man, asleep in his bed, credits his dog with saving his life in a house fire.  With a portion of his house engulfed in flames, his whimpering six-year-old pit bull nudged his head.  Both escaped the flames.

 

CANINES FAVOR ELECTRIC CARS.  In other canine news --- after observing 20 dogs on short journeys in electric and diesel vehicles, researchers find they were more restless in diesel.  They also note dog heart rates are reduced up to 30 percent in electric cars.

 

NOW THERE’S A SHORTAGE OF BOMB-DETECTING DOGS

 

The pandemic has complicated a shortage of dogs needed in bomb detection work, notes Grumpy Editor. 

 

The U.S. draws about 90 percent of its detection canines from overseas, particularly from European countries such as Germany and the Netherlands. Dogs receive advanced training in a number of subspecialties, including bomb and drug detection, and search and rescue.

 

“The canine nose is the best technology we have for locating explosives, so we need to have a very consistent and high-quality source of dogs,” says Sheila Goffe, vice president of government relations at the American Kennel Club.

 

In 2016 testimony, Cindy Otto, executive director of the Penn Vet Working Dog Center at the University of Pennsylvania, warned the Senate Homeland Security Committee about these risks. “By outsourcing our national security requirements, we give up control of the type of dogs, the health of the dogs, and the early training of the dogs,” she said.  “We also are at risk for supply interruption due to politics, disaster or disease.”

 

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OVERBOARD SHIP PASSENGER RESCUED.  A 28-year-old man spends hours in Gulf of Mexico waters after falling overboard from Mexico-bound Carnival Valor about 10p.m. Wednesday.  Coast Guard rescue crews pulled the man to safety six hours after receiving word of the overboard passenger.  Coast Guard Petty Officer Ryan Graves says the man did not have a flotation device and survival at sea without one is unlikely.  "It makes it more miraculous that we were able to find him conscious and treading water," he points out. 

 

WORLD'S OLDEST LIVING CAT.  Flossie, at nearly 27 years old, is named the world's oldest living cat by Guinness World Records. The female feline lives in London and is in good health but has poor eyesight and is deaf.

 

TOKYO TOPS LARGEST CITIES LIST.  Largest city in the world in population is Tokyo:  37,435,181 at last count, estimates the United Nations. In second place is New Delhi, India, followed by Shanghai, San Paulo, Mexico City, Cairo and Dhaka, Bangladesh.

 

MARILYN MONROE ITEMS TO BE AUCTIONED.  More than 175 of actress Marilyn Monroe's personal belongings will  be auctioned Dec. 17 and 18 in Hollywood.  Among the items is a note from her father, Stanley Gifford.

 

BRITISH FISHERMAN LANDS MASSIVE CARP.  U.K. fisherman Andy Hacket, after a 25-minute battle, pulls in a massive carp that weighs 67.4 pounds from a lake in the Champagne region of France. The massive carp looks like an irregular-size goldfish.

 

AIRPORT AGENT SPOTS LIVE CAT IN BAG.  A JFK New York TSA agent spots a live cat trapped inside checked luggage and rescues the orange tabby from the bag headed for a flight to Atlanta.  A TSA spokesperson says the cat did not belong to the person with the suitcase.

 

AMERICAN UNIVERSITIES DOMINATE "BEST" LIST.  U.S. universities dominate the just-published “2022 Ranking of the Best Universities in the World” with 234 institutions listed.  It notes Harvard University hosts the highest number of leading scientists in the world --- with 2113 scholars.

GLOBAL POPULATION HITS 8 BILLION, SAYS THE U.N.

The United Nations reveals global population hits eight billion and India is expected to surpass China as the most populous country in the next year, notes Grumpy Editor.

Global population has more than tripled since 1950 as mortality dropped and life expectancy increased, due in  large part to better sanitation, access to clean drinking water and the development of vaccines and antibiotics, along with improved nutrition, adds the U.N.

It points out between 1990 and 2019, human life expectancy at birth increased by almost nine years to age 72 but people in the poorest nations died about seven years earlier than the global average due to high levels of child and maternal mortality, war and the HIV epidemic.

Although humanity is larger than it has ever been, the world population is growing at its slowest rate since 1950 as families have fewer children while the population is expected to peak at 10.4 billion in the 2080s and remain at that level into the 2100s, according to U.N. projections.

Life expectancy fell by a year to 71 in 2021, due in large part of the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic --- still, people born in 2050 are expected to live until age 77 on average, the U.N. adds.

IN CASE YOUR FAVORITE NEWS OUTLETS MISSED THESE…

NORTH KOREA INTERCONTINENTAL BALLISTIC MISSILE ABLE TO STRIKE U.S. MAINLAND.  North Korea fires one of the most powerful intercontinental ballistic missiles it has ever launched with the potential trajectory to strike the U.S.  mainland.  The Communist nation has fired at least 88 ballistic and other missiles this year.

GANNETT CONTINUES TO SLASH COSTS.  Gannett’s news division, in the third move to slash costs in the last six months, on Dec. 1 and 2 is set to inform those affected by another round of layoffs.  

FIVE MOST POPULAR NAMES FOR DOGS AND CATS.  Rover finds we gravitated to similar pet names this year. Top five most popular names for canines are Max, Charlie, Cooper, Milo and Buddy.  For cats, it’s Luna, Bella, Daisy, Lucy, and Lily. 

 

U.S. PARTS FOUND IN DOWNED DRONES.  Intelligence collected from downed Iranian drones in Ukraine shows most of the parts are manufactured in the U.S., Europe and other allied nations, reveals The Wall Street Journal.

JUDY WOODRUFF TO DEPART NIGHTLY PBS NEWSHOUR.  PBS NewsHour lead anchor Judy Woodruff is leaving Dec. 30 and will embark on a two-year reporting project focusing on the nation’s divisions.  She has held her nightly job since 2013.

OWL STUCK IN PICKUP GRILLE IS RESCUED.   Wildlife rescuers in Colorado’s Colorado Springs area remove a great horned owl embedded in the front grille of a pickup truck.  The owl is recovering.

SALMON ROUTE GETS A BOOST.  A U.S. agency seeking to restore habitat for endangered fish gave final approval to decommission four dams straddling the California-Oregon border.  The removal is expected to improve the health of the Klamath River, the route Chinook salmon and endangered coho salmon take from the Pacific Ocean to their upstream spawning grounds.

AIRPOWER MISSES MARK.  All branches of the military are falling far short when it comes to keeping an array of war planes and attack helicopter fleets "mission capable," according to a government watchdog report.

GLOBAL TEMPERATURE CONTINUES TO RISE

Global average temperature continues to rise, along with the sea level and record-breaking glacier melting in Europe, notes Grumpy Editor.

 

From 2013 to 2022, the global average temperature was an estimated 1.15 degrees Celsius (34.05 degrees Farenheit) above 1850-1900 levels, according to the U.N. agency's provisional State of the Global Climate in 2022 report.

 

"We just had the eight warmest years on record," the U.N. agency revealed, and “the global average temperature in 2022 is about 1.15 °C above the pre-industrial level.”

 

In the last eight years, melting glaciers and warming water have combined to push sea levels o.4 of an inch higher, tallies the World Meteorological Organization.

 

IN CASE YOUR FAVORITE NEWS OUTLETS MISSED THESE…

 

NEW YORK’S ROCKEFELLER PLAZA TREE ARRIVES.  You know Christmas is getting closer when a crane hoists an 82-foot Norway spruce into place Saturday at Rockefeller Plaza, New York, where the 14-ton tree will be festooned with thousands of lights and topped with a star encrusted with millions of crystals --- and lit on Nov. 30.

 

POSTAL SERVICE READY FOR CHRISTMAS RUSH.  The Postal Service has stabilized its work force and is ready for the next challenge of delivering holiday cards and parcels, says Postmaster General Louis DeJoy.

 

$1.5 BILLION IN ARTWORKS SOLD.  Sixty artworks formerly owned by Paul G. Allen, co-founder of Microsoft, are sold at auction for more than $1.5 billion at Christie’s on Wednesday.

 

PINK DIAMOND GOES FOR $28.8 MILLION.  In another auction, a pear-shaped 18-carat pink diamond — largest of its kind — sells at a Geneva auction for $28.8 million, including fees and taxes.  But that is lower than the expected range.

 

PUBLISHING COMPANY MEMBERS GO ON STRIKE.  About 250 New York members of HarperCollins Publishers went on an open-ended strike Thursday in an effort to secure higher wages and improved benefits.

 

U.S. SOLDIER MISSING IN KOREAN WAR IDENTIFIED.  Remains of Tommie T. Hanks, 27, a U.S. soldier reported missing in action in 1950 during the Korean War, have been identified — 72 years later.

 

SENIOR DOGS FLY TO OREGON.  A rescue flight helps 23 senior dogs find homes.  Pet Rescue Pilots, with help from The Grey Muzzle Organization, fly the  dogs from California to Oregon, to help the older pets get adopted.

 

DOG DELIVERS RINGS AT WEDDING. In another dog story, bride and groom Paul and Annette Anthony in Pennsylvania celebrated their wedding in the company of the couple's nine dogs.  One of the canines trotted down the aisle in a custom dress to delive rings for the big moment.

 

BABE RUTH’S GLOVE SELLS FOR $1.5 MILLION.  A baseball glove worn by baseball great Babe Ruth during his time with the New York Yankees in the 1920s sold for a record-setting price of $1.5 million at auction on Saturday.

 

 

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MILLIONS OF DRIVERS HAVE HEAVY EYES ON THE ROAD

About 37 million American drivers at least once a year get behind wheels when they are so tired they can barely keep their eyes open, reads Grumpy Editor.

That’s six in 10 people, finds a survey by the National Sleep Foundation.

"Drowsy driving is impaired driving," says Joseph Dzierzewski, the foundation's vice president of research and scientific affairs. "We see that while most Americans believe drowsy driving is risky, they still drive when not fully alert. The good news is -- drowsy driving is preventable."

In a survey conducted this fall, nearly 20 percent of respondents were overly confident in their ability to drive after sleeping only two hours or less the previous night.

Respondents claiming they get the recommended amount of sleep --- about seven to nine hours per night for adults and eight to 10 for teens --- were less likely to drive drowsy, says the foundation.

 

IN CASE YOUR FAVORITE NEWS OUTLETS MISSED THESE…

DROUGHT HITS EAST AFRICA WILDLIFE.  During East Africa's worst drought in decades, the Kenya Wildlife Service and other groups count deaths of 205 elephants, 512 wildebeests, 381 common zebras, 51 buffalos, 49 Grevy's zebras and 12 giraffes in the past nine months.

GANNETT JOURNALISTS GO ON STRIKE.  More than 200 Gannett journalists around the country walked off their jobs on Friday. It was part of a one-day strike demanding better pay and benefits.

BANK ROBBERS ACTIVE IN NEW YORK.  New York City bank robberies jump 42 percent this year.  There have been 135 bank heists through Oct. 23 compared to 95 during the same period in 2021.  One mid-town bank has seen four robberies this year with the latest this month.

LENA HORNE THEATER OPENS.  Brooklyn-born singer and actress Lena Horne, who died in 2010, becomes the first Black woman in U.S. history to have a Broadway theater named in her honor.  The original Mansfield theatre, built in 1926, becomes the Lena Horne Theatre where the musical “Six” is now playing.

SHEPARD SMITH TO DEPART CNBC.  CNBC cancels “The News With Shepard Smith” which averaged about 222,000 viewers.  His final newscast airs later this month.  A newscast focusing on business will replace Smith’s show sometime next year.

SCAM ARTISTS BUSY WITH SENIORS.   Scam artists last year, focusing on consumers 60 years and older, result in 467,340 fraud reports filed on investment, business and government impersonation.  These result in losses of more than $1 billion, notes a report to Congress from the Federal Trade Commission.

COUPLE NOTED FOR RESCUING 13,000 DOGS.  Ron Danta and Danny Robertshaw, who run the non-profit Danny and Ron's Rescue out of their Camden, South Carolina home, have rescued 13,000 dogs and now care for dozens of dogs looking for a second chance.

VETERINARIANS CAUTION AGAINST DRESSING ANIMALS FOR HALLOWEEN

Veterinarians warn against dressing pets in Halloween costumes which can cause them harm and spark anxiety on a day they already find stressful, notes Grumpy Editor.

Costumes designed for dogs, cats, rabbits and other furry friends have been rising in popularity, with people often posting images online of their pets dressed as pumpkins, ghouls and ghosts at this time of year.

In Great Britain where the day also is noted, the British Veterinary Association warns costumes could put pets at risk, as the extra layers and accessories could limit their movement.

 

IN CASE YOUR FAVORITE NEWS OUTLETS MISSED THESE…

 

PANDEMIC AFFECTS FOURTH AND EIGHTH-GRADERS.   Fourth- and eighth-graders are behind in reading and are in the largest ever decline in math — an effect of the Covid-19 pandemic.  Findings are based on the National Assessment of Educational Progress reading and math exams, often called the “Nation’s Report Card” and conducted by the National Center for Educational Statistics, a branch of the Education Department.

IT’S PAYCHECK TO PAYCHECK.  As of September, 63 percent of Americans are living paycheck to paycheck, according to a Lending Club report. That’s close to the 64 percent historic high hit in March and compares with 57 percent a year ago.

 

IRS HIRES 4,000 MORE.  The Internal Revenue Service hires 4,000 additional customer service representatives.  They are being trained to answer taxpayers’ questions during the 2023 tax filing season.

 

GDP UP 2.6 PERCENT IN THIRD QUARTER.  Gross domestic product rose 2.6 percent in the third quarter versus the estimate of 2.3 percent. The number is boosted by a narrowing trade deficit and increases in consumer spending and government outlays.

 

POPULAR SEATTLE DOG RODE SOLO TO PARK.  Eclipse, a black Labrador mix that became well-known in Seattle and worldwide for her solo bus rides to the dog park, has died.

 

PINE-SOL PRODUCTS RECALLED.  About 37 million bottles of Pine-Sol products are being recalled because they could contain a potentially harmful bacteria called pseudomonas aeruginosa, says the Consumer Product Safety Commission. 

 

EMPEROR PENGUIN RECEIVES PROTECTION.  The emperor penguin will be receiving protections under the Endangered Species Act now that climate change has pushed it into "threatened" status, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Climate change has altered the penguins' sea ice habitat required for their survival.