Grumpy Editor

MORTGAGE RATES HIT 22-YEAR HIGH

 

Mortgage rates soared to a 22-year high last week, making it difficult for the housing market, notes Grumpy Editor.

 

Interest rate on the average 30-year fixed mortgage reached 7.23 percent, based on Freddie Mac data.  That compared with 7.09 percent a week earlier.

 

The Wall Street Journal noted that “some borrowers are paying even higher rates.”

 

With the higher rates, applications for mortgages dropped to their lowest levels since 1995, reported the Mortgage Bankers Association.

 

Existing home home sales in July fell for the fourth time in five months.

 

 

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FISH BLAMED FOR POWER OUTAGE.  A fish, apparently dropped by a bird, landed on a power transformer, causing a power outage in Sayreville,  New Jersey.

 

ANOTHER NORTH KOREA LAUNCH FIZZLES.  North Korea’s second attempt to launch a spy satellite failed when the final stage of the rocket failed due to an error in the emergency blasting system.

 

AUG. 24 CITED AS SICK DAY.  An analytics firm finds Aug. 24 is the most common day for employees to call in sick.  Reason?  Pehaps it’s linked to the upcoming Labor Day.

 

SWANK HOTEL OFFERS PLUSH TREATMENT FOR DOGS.  The Waldorf Astoria hotel in Washington, D.C., debuted its Pawsidential Suite package on Saturday.  It offers visiting dogs and owners a signature suite and enjoy a variety of plush extras during a two-night stay. 

 

MICHICAN MAN SAYS HE FOUND RAT’S FOOT IN SOUP.  A Michigan man is suing Olive Garden, alleging that he found a rat’s foot in a bite of minestrone soup at he chain’s Warren, Mich. location.  The suit alleges that an Olive Garden employee denied that a rat’s foot could have been in the soup and commented, “That’s funny. We don’t even put meat in minestrone.”

 

NAP CAN BOOST MEMORY.  Napping isn’t just for babies, notes WebMD, citing studies that show an afternoon nap is great for adults and pointing out a short nap in the mid-afternoon can boost memory, improve job performance, lift your mood, make you more alert and ease stress.

 

U.S. TO TRAIN UKRAINIAN PILOTS.  The U.S. will start training Ukrainian pilots to fly U.S.-made F-16 fighter jets.  It will start at an Air National Guard base in October, says the Pentagon.

 

LOSS OF ANTARCTICA ICE AFFECTS PENGUIN CHICKS.  Researchers say loss of ice in one region of the Antarctica last year affected emperor penguin chicks.  They did not survive in four colonies. 

GLOBAL WEALTH DECLINES, SAY ECONOMISTS

For the first time since 2008, economists say global wealth declined, falling 2.4 percent, notes Grumpy Editor.

 

Americans were hit hardest as stocks and bonds declined in value.  However, that was partly offset by rising house prices and other assets.

 

This resulted in about 1.7 million American adults are no longer millionaires.

 

Another 17,260 people drop out of the ultra-high-net-worth category, meaning they are no longer worth $100 million or more.

 

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MORE WEAPONS FOR NORTH KOREA.  Never quiet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un calls for an increase in weapons production as the U.S. and South Korea strengthen military cooperation. Last week he toured munitions factories and ordered a major increase in production of missiles and other weapons.

 

CLASSIC CAR HAS HIGH ASKING PRICE FOR AUCTION.  Sotheby’s this fall in New York will auction a red 1964 Ferrari 250 GTO with an asking price of $60 million.

 

OPERA NEWS TO CEASE PUBLICATION.  Opera News, an 87-year-old publication focused on the Metropolitan Opera and spotlighting the art form, prints its final issue in November.

 

GRAY WOLVES APPEAR.  A new pack of gray wolves is spotted in California’s Sierra Nevada, several hundred miles away from any other known population of the endangered species, say wildlife officials.

 

COCOA COSTS SOAR.  Hershey and Mondelez and other chocolate makers face tougher trading conditions over the next year as they seek to pass on soaring cocoa costs to consumers who are cutting back.

 

AUTHORS DISLIKE AI.  For a vast number of book writers, artificial intelligence is a threat to their livelihood.  More than 10,000 writers endorsed an open letter from the Authors Guild, urging AI companies not to use copyrighted work without permission or compensation.

 

AMERICANS SLEEP ATOP EIFFEL TOWER.  Two American tourists are found sleeping off a heavy night in the upper part of Paris' Eiffel Tower.  Security guards found them in the early morning before the 9 a.m. opening.

 

HARRISON FORD TRIBUTE.  A new snake species — tachmenoides harrisonford — in containing the name of actor Harrison Ford, is intended to be a fun play on Indiana Jones’ hatred for scaly creatures. 

NOAA SEES ABOVE NORMAL HURRICANE SEASON

While the disaster focus in media has been on Maui, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration warns that this year’s Atlantic hurricane season will be above normal, notes Grumpy Editor.

 

Elevated ocean temperature this year can fuel more hurricanes.

 

NOAA expects 14 to 21 named storms this year, of which six to 11 will expand into hurricanes — with winds 74 miles per hour or more.

 

Two to five storms this year are expected to become major hurricanes.

 

NOAA says there is a 60 percent chance of an above-normal season.

 

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FED MULLS INTEREST RATES.  The Federal Reserve on Wednesday will release minutes from its July meeting when policymakers raised interest rates to the highest l;evel in 22 years.  Those minutes will likely provide some insight into whether the central bank will hike rates again next month. The Fed has raised rates 11 times since it began its inflation fight in March, 2022. 

 

BEAR ESCAPES FROM PLANE.  A bear being transported on an Iraqi Airways flight from Baghdad to Dubai causes an unexpected delay after it escapes from a crate in the cargo hold.

 

SHARKS ACTIVE IN LONG ISLAND.  Three possible shark sightings are observed in Long Island, N.Y. a day after a 65-year old woman is hospitalized after a shark bite on her left thigh at Rockaway Beach in Queens, the first shark attack at that location in 70 years.

 

NORTH KOREA BUSY AGAIN.  As the U.S. and South Korea prepare for a large-scale military exercise, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un orders his military to sharpen its war plans.

 

MAJOR PUBLISHER SOLD.  Publisher Simon & Schuster is sold to private equity firm KKR, months after a federal judge blocked its purchase by publisher Penquin Random House.

 

NOAA SEES MORE WEATHER DISASTERS.  While it’s only August, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says the U.S. reached a record 15 different weather disasters this year.  Those disasters caused at least $1 billion in damage, adds NOAA.

 

WORLD'S OCEANS REACH WARMEST TEMPERATURES ON RECORD

Climate change experts say the world’s oceans have reached the warmest temperatures ever recorded, notes Grumpy Editor.

Average daily global sea surface temperature beat a 2016 record last week, say climate change observers.

Oceans are a vital climate regulator as they soak up heat, driving weather patterns and producing half of Earth's oxygen.  Higher water temperatures disturb marine species like fish and whales as they move in search of cooler waters.

Some predatory animals including sharks can become aggressive as they get confused in hotter temperatures, note the experts.

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CONFIDENCE IN MILITARY EBBS.  Confidence in the military reaches its lowest point in 26 years, prolonging a steady decline in public opinion dating to 2018, finds a Gallup poll conducted in June.  The drop is part of a greater trend of decreasing trust Americans have for nearly all of the country’s institutions.

 

ADDITIONAL JOBS FORECAST EBBS.  U.S. employers added 187,000 jobs last month, less than the 200,000 economists were expecting and below the 209,000 created in June.  The unemployment rate dipped to 3.5 percent and average hourly earnings rose 4.4 percent. 

STORES LOCKING UP ITEMS.  Stores like Target, Walmart, Dollar General and Home Depot are locking up products to curb shoplifters. Missing inventory was talked about more during this previous quarter’s earnings call than any quarter on record, according to Bloomberg.

 

WORLD'S OLDEST MAN DIES.  The world's oldest man dies at 127 in Brazil.  Jose Paulino Gomes leaves seven children, 25 grandchildren, 42 great-grandchildren and 11 great-great-grandchildren.

BANK ROBBERY SUSPECT FALLS FROM CEILING.  In Huron, Ohio, a bank robbery suspect’s escape around 2 a.m. is thwarted when he falls from the ceiling of a drive-thru into a recycling bin where police were waiting for him and took him into custody.

MOUNTAIN CLIMBER'S REMAINS FOUND.  The remains of a German mountain climber who disappeared while crossing a glacier near the Matterhorn mountain nearly 40 years ago is discovered in melting ice by two climbers hiking along the Theodul Glacier in Zermatt, Valais, southern Switzerland.

BLACK BEAR SPLASHES IN SWIMMING POOL.  Burbank, California police department is called to find a black bear splashing around and escaping the heat in a backyard swimming pool before it scales over a nearby wall and climbs up a tree.

JULY SETS RECORD AS HOTTEST MONTH ON PLANET

July will be the hottest month ever recorded on the planet, notes Grumpy Editor.

That finding comes from the United Nations’ World Meteorological Organization, gathered in partnership with the European Copernicus Climate Change Service.

 

"Climate change is here. It is terrifying, and it is just the beginning,” says U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

 

Human-caused greenhouse gas emissions are ultimately the main driver of these rising temperatures, poimts out Carlo Buontempo, director of the Copernicus service. "Extreme weather which has affected many millions of people in July is unfortunately the harsh reality of climate change and a foretaste of the future.”

 

"We are now seeing clearly around the world why it is so urgent to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, adds Professor Petteri Taalas, head of the WMO, the U.N.'s weather service. He called climate action "not a luxury, but a must.”

 

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ECONOMY STRONG IN SECOND QUARTER.  The economy was stronger than expected in the second quarter.  Gross domestic product, broadest measure of economic output, grew by an annualized, seasonally adjusted 2.4 percent rate in the April-through-June period. That was a faster pace than in the first three months of the year and was also above economists’ expectations for a 1.8 percent rate, 

 

BEER MAKER LAYING OFF HUNDREDS.  Anheuser-Busch, maker of the beer Bud Light, is laying off hundreds of corporate positions across the U.S.   The company says it will impact less than two percent of its work force nationwide.

 

NORTH KOREA PARADE MARKS KOREAN WAR.  Marking the truce that halted the Korean War 70 years ago, North Korea held an evening military parade in downtown Pyongyang.  The three-year war technically has not ended since there has been no peace treaty.  About 90 percent of foreign troops that participated in the Korean War were from the U.S.

 

WASHINGTON POST SEES RED INK.  Ten years after The Washington Post was purchased by Amazon founder and billionaire Jeff Bezos, the publication is "on a pace to lose about $100 million in 2023," according to a New York Times report.

 

GORILLAS FOOL ZOO KEEPERS.  Zookeepers at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium were surprised with the birth of a baby gorilla.  A gorilla was thought to be male until the gorilla care team discovered it (the mother) holding the baby gorilla.

 

M*A*S*H  ITEMS SOLD.  Combat boots and dog tags actor Alan Alda wore in the TV series M*A*S*H sold at auction for $125,000.  Alda held on to the items for more than 40 years after the show ended.

 

MARINES EXPECT TO MEET RECRUITING GOAL.  While the Army, Navy and Air Force say they expect to fall short of recruiting goals this year, the Marines expect to meet theirs.  While the Marines have a smaller recruiting goal than the Army –-- 33,000 vs. 65,000 –--  they have high standards, refusing to take potential recruits who get low scores on the Armed Services Voluntary Aptitude Battery test. 

CAR THEFTS RISE IN MANY U.S. CITIES

Keep an eye on your unattended car, suggests Grumpy Editor.

Motor vehicle thefts rose 33.5 percent in many large U.S. cities in this year's first half from the same period last year.

 

Kia and Hyundai brands are at the top of the stolen list.

 

On the “brighter" side, homicides dropped 9.4 percent in this year's first half  in 30 top cities.

 

Killings were down 22 percent in Los Angeles, 11 percent in New York and 7 percent in Chicago so far this year, reports The Wall Street Journal.

 

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MORE ON TONY BENNETT.  Two little-known things in the background of singer Tony Bennett, who died last  week:  In early days he was a copy boy for the Associated Press and at 18 years old was drafted into the Army and saw combat in Germany.

 

AMC ENDS HIGHER CHARGE FOR BETTER SEATS.  After five months, movie theater operator AMC dumps a program that charged more for seats with better sightlines after rival chains did not follow the plan.

 

N.Y. SUBWAY FARES SOON TO RISE.  New York subway fares are set to rise on Aug. 20 to $2.90 a ride, up from $2.75.  MTA says the price increase will “allow us to maintain current service levels and even increase service frequency.”

 

HERO DOG EARNS $2,000 REWARD.  A hero dog receives a $2,000 reward for locating an escaped prison inmate.  Tucker, a chocolate Labrador mix, alerted his owners that the fugitive was hiding in the woods behind their Pennsylvania home.

 

NORTH KOREA FIRES MORE MISSILES.  North Korea continues to be busy with missiles, firing two into the sea Saturday in what appears to be a statement of defiance as the U.S. deployed a nuclear-armed submarine to South Korea fopr the first time in decades.

 

RETAIL SALES RISE AS INFLATION COOLS.  With inflation cooling — to its slowest pace in more than two years — Americans spent more in June for the third straight month.  Retail sales rose a seasonally adjusted o.2 percent last month from the prior month.

 

 

RATE OF INFLATION COOLS

Inflation has cooled to the slowest pace since 2021, notes Grumpy Editor.

Consumer prices rose three percent in the 12 months through June, the smallest increase since March, 2021, according to Consumer Price Index data.

That reflects milder price gains for many goods, including meat, fish and dairy.

Meanwhile, airline fares fell eight percent, used car price tags ticked down 0.5 percent while new car stickers were flat.

 

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HOTTEST JUNE FOR EARTH.  Earth experienced its hottest June, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Adminsitration.  June’s 61.79 degrees global average was 1.89 degrees above the 20th century average.  Behind the increase, say scientists, are greenhouse gas emissions and El Nino.

LESS CONFIDENCE IN HIGHER EDUCATION.  All major demographic groups are less confident in higher education than they were just a few years ago, according to a Gallup poll.  Experts say it’s a new sign of cratering trust in institutions, and of the culture wars' impact beyond politics.

BELL CANADA DUMPS 1,300 JOBS.  Bell Canada, parent company of CTV News, terminates 1,300 jobs which impact management, production, editorial, operations, sales and marketing, administrative and clerical jobs. 

NORTH KOREA FIRES ANOTHER MISSILE.  North Korea is busy again with missiles, firing its first intercontinental missile in three months after threatening “shocking” consequences to protest what it calls provocative U.S. reconnaissance activity near its territory.

N.Y. TIMES ENDS SPORTS DESK.  The New York Times is dismantling its sports desk and will rely on the Athletic for its daily sports coverage.  The Times acquired The Atlantic website last year for $550 million. Current sports staff is offered other roles in The Times newsroom.

U.S. NAVY SHORT ON SUBMARINES.  Delays at naval shipyards caused by supply-chain issues and not enough workers have put nearly 40 percent of U.S. Navy attack submarines out of commission, according to Congressional Research Service.  The Navy prefers only about 20 percent of submarines be in depot maintenance at any time.

WORLD’S LARGEST CRUISE SHIP SOON TO SAIL.  Ready to sail early next year, Icon of the Seas measures 1,198 feet long with 250,800 gross tonnage and is capable of carrying 7,600 passengers and 2,350 crew members.  It contains 20 decks, seven pools and six waterslides.

BACHELORS INTO 40S SNUB MARRIAGE

There are a lot of bachelors into their 40s, notes Grumpy Editor.

U.S. Census Bureau for 2021 finds one fourth of 40 year olds have never been married.

The findings show a “significant increase” from the 20 percent of unmarried 40-year-olds in 2010, according to the study.

Also from the study:  People of that age with at least a bachelor’s degree are less likely to have never walked down the aisle than 40-year-olds who reach fewer educational milestones.

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WARMEST DAY ON RECORD.  Last Thursday was the planet's warmest day on record.  The planet's temperature soared to a level that scientists say is likely the warmest "going back at least 100,000 years."

EVEN HIGHER TEMPERATURES EXPECTED.  While Earth reached the hottest temperature ever recorded on the 4th of July, even higher temperatures are expected for this full month and August as El Niño strengthens.

MASS SHOOTINGS OVERSHADOW FOURTH EVENTS.  Fourth of July events were overshadowed by 16 mass shootings in the country.  Fifteen people were killed and 94 injured across 13 states as well as Washington, D.C.

GENERAL CALLS FOR FASTER PACE OF MODERNIZING FORCES.  Army Gen.Mark Milley, chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff, says the U.S. military should pick up the pace on modernizing its forces so it will be able to withstand the changing conditions of future battles.  “The battlefield of the future will require rapid and constant movement and the ability to remain small and relatively invisible just to survive,” points out Milley.

FLYING CAR CLEARED FOR TAKEOFF.  Alef Aeronautics, a California startup, says its prototype flying car has been cleared for takeoff by the Federal Aviation Administration.  The firm says its "Model A" is the first flying vehicle that can drive on public roads and park like an average car to receive clearance for flight by the FAA.

ELECTRIC VEHICLE SALES PACE OF GROWTH SLOWS.  While electric vehicle sales jumped 50 percent in this year’s first half, the pace of growth slowed while there was a buildup in inventory at dealerships.

 

 

 

 

GRUMPY EDITOR TAKING A BREAK

Grumpy Editor is taking a Fourth of July break, will return July 10.

EXISTING HOME PRICES POST BIGGEST DROP IN MORE THAN DECADE

 

Existing home prices in the U.S. p0sted the biggest year-over-year decline in more than 11 years in May as rising interest rates continued to weigh on the housing market, Grumpy Editor noted in The Wall Street Journal.

 

National median existing home prices fell 3.1 percent to $396,100 in May vs. the same month last year. It was the largest drop since December 2011, according to the National Association of Realtors.

 

Mortgage rates have fluctuated since hitting 20-year-highs above 7 percent in October and November.

 

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NATIONAL GUARD STRUGGLES TO YIELD RECRUITS.  National Guard continues to  find it difficult to attract recruits.  However, it hopes to get closer to recruiting goals this year while battling private companies such as FedEx, Micosoft and Wendy’s.

 

CHARITY DONATIONS DECLINE.  Americans gave the lowest percentage of disposable income to charity last year since 1995, per a new Giving USA report, adding total amount of charitable giving fell 3.4 percent last year to $499.3 billion — a 10.5 percent decrease when adjusted for inflation.

 

SEARCH ON FOR ‘HERO’ DOG.  Colombia is searching for a dog named Wilson that aided in finding missing children in the Amazon.  The Belgian Shepherd became a national hero in that country when he helped the military find four children who survived a plane crash and were lost in the jungle for 40 days. Wilson went missing during the search and is the target of a rescue operation.

 

MORE BARRIERS PLANNED FOR COCKPITS.  A new FAA rule will make it more difficult to break into airplane cockpits.  Planes built after mid-2025 will have seconday barriers when the main cockpit door is open.

 

SHALLOWER WATER AFFECTS PANAMA CANAL.  Because of the drought and shallower water, container ships in the Panama Canal will be limited to a depth of 43.5 feet. Largest ships that go through the canal are Panamax container ships that require at least 43 feet to pass through.

 

BEAR TRIES TO ENTER SECOND STORY WINDOW.  In Colorado, a bear tried to climb through a second story window, then got stuck dangling from it. Colorado Fish and Wildlife was called to rescue it.

 

NEW ASSAULT VEHICLE SET FOR ARMY.  The Army unveils a new assault vehicle with firepower of giant tanks but is a fraction of the size. It is seen as rewriting the battlefield understanding of how tanks are used in combat.

 

 

MEDIA JOB CUTS GROW THIS YEAR

Going into June, at least 17,436 media jobs have been cut, notes Grumpy Editor.

 

It marks the highest year-to-date level of cuts on record, according to a Challenger, Gray & Christmas report.

 

Previous high was at the outset of the pandemic in 2020, when 16,750 job cuts were announced through May.

 

The cuts stem from the news industry facing huge constraints due to a slowdown in the ad market, debt from consolidation and subscription fatigue.

 

Elimination of jobs is triggering more union conflicts, which are putting pressure on media bosses.

 

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MOST SOUGHT WORKERS.  Who are the most sought-after workers this summer?  Topping the list are swim instructors, camp counselors and ice cream scoopers.

 

HOMICIDES BELOW LAST YEAR.  Homicides are down in major U.S. cities.  Killings are 12 percent below last year in nine of the 10 most populous cities compared with the same time in 2022.

 

NORTH KOREA CONTINUES FIRING MISSILES.  North Korea continues to be busy firing missiles.  Last week the Communist nation launched two ballistic missiles toward the sea in protest of U.S.-South Korea military drills.

 

BOOK RETURNED 65 YEARS LATE.  An 86-year-old returns George Orwell's "1984" to a Portland, Oregon library 65 years late. He says it needs to be read now "more than ever." 

EXPENSIVE PAINTING SOLD.  A masterpiece by Austrian artist Gustav Klimt could become the most expensive painting ever sold in Europe at a June 27 auction in London.  “Dame mit Fächer” — Lady with a Fan — will go up for sale with an estimated price of $80 million.

 

DEAD FISH ON TEXAS BEACHES.  Thousands of dead fish washed up on beaches along the Gulf Coast in Texas.  Experts in the region say it is due to a depletion of oxygen caused by high water temperatures.

 

BIG POISON IVY PLANT DRAWS ATTENTION.  An Ontario, Canada man says a 68-foot-tall poison ivy plant growing on his property left him itching for Guinness World Records recognition.  Robert Fedrock says he was walking in a wooded area on his property when he spotted the large vine growing up a tree.

 

DOGS JUMP INTO SWIMMING POOL. Drawing attention on the Web:  39 dogs happily jumping into a swimming pool to cool off on a hot summer day at Lucky Puppy doggy day care in Maybee, Michigan near Detroit.

HOMICIDES FALL IN SOME U.S. CITIES

Homicides are down in some U.S. cities, notes Grumpy Editor.

A major Wall Street Journal story points out homicides are falling after rising during the first two years of the pandemic.

Citing government data, the Journal reports “so far this year killings are down 12 percent overall in nine of the 10 most populous cities compared with the same time frame last year.”

Major cities with a drop in homicides, notes the Journal, include New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, Phoenix and Philadelphia.

However, Texas cities San Antonio, Dallas and Austin show an increase.

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VETERANS BRAVE WEATHER TO MARK D-DAY.  More than 50 veterans from World War II braved the chilly, windy air along the northern French coastline to salute their fallen comrades last Tuesday, the 79th anniversary of the D-Day invasion.

CONSUMER CONFIDENCE JUMPS.  Consumer confidence is soaring this month to a fresh pandemic high as Americans become more upbeat about the economy and job market. The Conference Board’s index increased to 127.3 from an upwardly revised 120 reading in May. 

CHINA GETS OUTPOST ON CUBA.  China makes a secret agreement with Cuba, roughly 100 miles from Florida, to establish an electronic eavesdropping facility on the island. It will allow Chinese intelligence services to monitor electronic communications throughout the southeastern U.S. where many military bases are located.

L.A. TIMES CUTS NEWSROOM JOBS.   Citing “economic challenges,” the Los Angeles Times plans to cut 74 jobs.  The cuts will eliminate about 13 percent of newsroom positions.

“CHEERS'’ BAR SELLS AT AUCTION.  Remember that famous bar on the TV show “Cheers” where people got their drinks?  It sells for $675,000 at an auction.  It was among items at an Dallas auction of items from classic shows.

U.K.’S DAILY TELEGRAPH UP FOR SALE.  The Daily Telegraph, the 150-year-old British newspaper, is up for sale after its parent company entered a form of insolvency proceedings.

HOW DOGS CAN LIVE LONGER.  A survey and data collection effort involving more than 21,000 dog owners finds dogs live longer and happier lives when they get to socialize often with other dogs.

‘GHOST PAPERS’ POPPING UP AROUND COUNTRY

A new term in journalism is “ghost papers,” points out Grumpy Editor.

More "ghost papers" are appearing around the country.  That’s where there is no publisher or editor and a newsroom with only one reporter remaining.

In some cases, entire “beats” have disappeared — where no one is covering the news.

What happens to these journalists and to the communities they serve? 

In some cases a news desert remains.  In others, competing media companies are stepping in to fill the void.

 

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GANNETT JOURNALISTS IN WORK STOPPAGES TODAY.  Hundreds of Gannett journalists are staging a series of work stoppages starting today in protest of lengthy contract negotiations and leadership.  Most walkouts will be lasting a day.

NEAR NORMAL HURRICANE SEASON.  A “near normal” Atlantic hurricane season is predicted over the next six months by NOAA forecasters with 12 to 17 large storms expected to become hurricanes.

3.66 MILLION BABIES ADDED IN U.S. LAST YEAR.  About 3.66 million babies were born in the U.S. last year, about unchanged from 2021 but 15 percent below the peak reached in 2007.

U.S. GROWS OLDER FASTER.  Share of U.S. residents 65 or older grows by more than a third from 2010 to 2020 — and at the fastest rate of any decade in 130 years.

14-YEAR OLD BECOMES SPELLING CHAMPION.  Dev Shah, a 14-year-old from Largo in Florida’s Tampa Bay area, becomes the National Spelling Bee champion with the word psammophile.

MARINE GENERAL’S REMAINS RETURN TO U.S.  Remains of Major Gen. Harry Kleinbeck Pickett who fought in World War I and World War II during his 33 years in the Marine Corps are returned to the U.S. nearly 60 years after he died in India.  Pickett was a recipient of the Legion of Merit award for his actions during the attack on Pearl Harbor.

PAYROLLS RISE IN MAY.  Payrolls rose 339,000 in May, better than expected in resilient labor market.  Nonfarm payrolls were expected to increase by 190,000 in May.

 

 

WANT TO BUY A U.S. LIGHTHOUSE?

 

Ten lighthouses around the U.S., most a century old, are available for acquisition, notes Grumpy Editor.

 

The protectors of America’s shorelines are being given away at no cost or sold at auction by the federal government.

 

Development of modern technology, including GPS, means lighthouses are no longer essential for navigation, says John Kelly of the General Services Administration’s office of real property disposition.

 

While the U.S. Coast Guard often maintains aids to navigation at or near lighthouses, the structures themselves often are no longer mission critical.

 

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THIRD BUSIEST MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND TRAVEL.  AAA predicts 42 million Americans are expected to travel over this Memorial Day weekend, making it  the third busiest Memorial Day Weekend since AAA began tracking holiday travel.

 

NUMBER OF OLDER RESIDENTS GROWS.  The share of U.S. residents 65 and older grows by more than a third from 2010 to 2020.  That's the fastest rate of any decade in 130 years.

 

FORD BRINGS BACK AM RADIO.  Ford Motor is bringing back AM radio in its 2024 electric vehicles bcause of concerns over public safety.

 

HURRICANE SEASON TO BE “NEAR NORMAL."  NOAA forecasters predict a “near normal” Atlantic hurricane season over the next six months — with 12 to 17 large storms.

 

NEW YOKERS FEAR SINKING INTO OCEAN.  New York’s massive syscrapers are weighing it down and leaving it more vulnerable to sinking into the ocean, relays USA Today, citing new research, adding the city has more than a million buildings, weighing around 1.7 trillion pounds. 

 

EVERLEIGH TOPS BABY NAMES.  Most popular baby name last year was Everleigh with nearly 25 times the number of infants getting that name in 2022 than in the prior year, reports Axios.

 

BLACK BEAR STEALS 60 CUPCAKES.  A hungry black bear in Avon, Conn. barges into a bakery and grabs 60 cupcakes before departing. There are 1,000 to 1,200 black bears living in Connecticut, the state environmental agency says, with sightings last year in 158 of the state’s 169 towns and cities.

 

CROCODILES KILL FARMER.  Forty crocodiles killed a Cambodian farmer while he was attempting to wrangle one of his reptiles.  The victim had entered the enclosure so he could remove one of the crocs from a cage where it had laid eggs.

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.

IN CASE YOUR FAVORITE NEWS OUTLETS MISSED THESE…

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.

IN CASE YOUR FAVORITE NEWS OUTLETS MISSED THESE…

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.

 

 

IN CASE YOUR FAVORITE NEWS OUTLETS MISSED THESE…

 

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.

 

IN CASE YOUR FAVORITE NEWS OUTLETS MISSED THESE…

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.

 

IN CASE YOUR FAVORITE NEWS OUTLETS MISSED THESE…

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.

IN CASE YOUR FAVORITE NEWS OUTLETS MISSED THESE…

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.

 

IN CASE YOUR FAVORITE NEWS OUTLETS MISSED THESE…

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.

 

IN CASE YOUR FAVORITE NEWS OUTLETS MISSED THESE…

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.

 

IN CASE YOUR FAVORITE  NEWS OUTLETS MISSED THESE…

 

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.”

IN CASE YOUR FAVORITE NEWS OUTLETS MISSED THESE...

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?

IN CASE YOUR FAVORITE NEWS OUTLETS MISSED THESE…

 

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.

 

IN CASE YOUR FAVORITE NEWS OUTLETS MISSED THESE…

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.

 

IN CASE YOUR FAVORITE NEWS OUTLETS MISSED THESE…

 

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.

 

IN CASE YOUR FAVORITE NEWS OUTLETS MISSED THESE…

 

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]