Grumpy Editor

POLICYMAKERS SEE SLIGHT SLOWING IN U.S. GROWTH THIS YEAR

Forecasts released by the Fed show policymakers expect U.S. growth to slow only o.2 percent this year, notes Grumpy Editor.

However, they see growth picking up 1.2 percent in 2023, but predict the unemployment rate will rise to 4.4 percent.  

"Higher interest rates, slower growth and a softening labor market are all painful for the public that we serve but they're not as painful as failing to restore price stability and then having to come back and do it down the road again,” says Fed chairman Jerome H. Powell.  

Many analysts are forecasting a recession next year but remain hopeful it will be relatively mild.

 

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HOLLYWOOD SIGN GETTING PAINTED.  The Hollywood sign (originally Hollywoodland), on a hill north of Hollywood, is getting a fresh coat of paint on its 45-foot-high letters just ahead of its 100th anniversary. The sign is now an American cultural landmark and culturalicon.

BANK DEPOSITS DECLINE.  Second quarter deposits in U.S. banks declined by a record $370 billion in the second quarter.  It’s the first decline since 2018.  

HOMEBUYERS FACE PAYMENT SHOCK.  Average interest rate on a 30-year fixed mortgage edges up to 6.7 percent.  That is an increase of 3.3 percent from the start of the year.   While home prices have eased over the last couple of months, they are still up 13.1 percent from a year ago

TARGET PLANS MAJOR HIRING.  Target plans to hire up to 100,000 seasonal workers for its U.S. stores and warehouses.  This with inflation  pushing consumers to limit spending.

AUTUMN PUTS SOME IN BETTER MOOD.  Latest Rasmussen Reports survey finds 49 percent of adults say arrival of fall puts them in a better mood, 10 percent say they are in a worse mood, while 37 percent say change of seasons has no impact. 

EX-FBI DIRECTOR WRITING CRIME FICTION. Former FBI Director James Comey is into writing crime fiction.  His first novel, "Central Park West," features an assistant U.S. Attorney looking into ties between the Mafia and the murder of a local politician. The book is scheduled for release next spring.

DOG STEALER NABBED.  An Irvine, California man is facing grand theft charges after surveillance footage showed him taking a dog out of a parked car.  A small dog, named Mookie, was stolen in a parking lot.  Footage shows a man walking up to the car’s rear passenger side, seemingly talk to the dog and then take the dog through an open window within 40 seconds.

MAINTENANCE, PRODUCTION AFFECT U.S. NAVY’S SUBMARINE FLEET

An observer warns the U.S. Navy’s submarine fleet is smaller than normal, due to maintenance and production delays, notes Grumpy Editor.

Seth Cropsey, former naval officer and deputy undersecretary of the Navy, points out in a Wall Street Journal piece that the fleet “is about three-fifths the size it should be” and it “comes amid stepped-up threats to Taiwan by China.”

He says U.S. submarines “are the most effective tool to counter an assault on Taiwan.”

The U.S., he adds, “has a world leading attack submarine force of 49 nuclear-powered boats, along with four guided-missile submarines each packed with 154 cruise missiles."

 

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370 WORDS ADDED TO DICTIONARY.  Merriam-Webster adds 370 words and phrases to its dictionary this month.  Two examples plucked from the myriad slang and informal coinages:  yeet --- to throw something with force and without regard for the thing being thrown; the other --- janky, meaning of very poor quality.

TOW TRUCK CALLED TO LIFT ALLIGATOR.  A tow truck had to be called to lift a massive alligator out of a neighborhood outside Houston, Texas.  The alligator, trapped four hours later with assistance from licensed trappers with Texas Parks and Wildlife, is relocated to a sanctuary in El Campo.

MASKED MEN STEAL DOGS.  In Northrige, Calif., a person left puppies with a friend when two masked men entered the residence and stole the dogs.  Police say bulldogs, especially French bulldogs, have soared in popularity in recent years. The high demand for the dogs has made them more prone to theft --- and sale at a steep price on the black market.

PET KANGAROO KILLS OWNER.  An Australian man dies after being attacked by his pet kangaroo.  Police say they were forced to shoot the marsupial dead so paramedics could reach the 77-year-old man who later died at the scene.  This is the first fatal attack by a kangaroo in Australia since 1936.

COAST GUARD BOOSTS ARCTIC OPERATIONS.  The U.S. Coast Guard will step up operations in the increasingly contested Arctic region, crack down on illegal fishing and forced labor, and improve oil spill response under legislation approved by a Senate committee wary of competition from Russia and China.

MICHAEL JORDAN’S JERSEY SELLS FOR RECORD.  Michael Jordan’s basketball jersey, worn during the 1998 NBA finals, sells for a record $10.1 million.  It ranks as the most expensive piece of game-worn sports memorabilia ever sold.

“PHANTOM” TO CLOSE AFTER RECORD RUN.  Broadway’s longest-running show --- The Phantom of the Opera --- is slated to close next Feb. 18.   The musical, on Broadway since 1988, will conclude with 13,925 performances.

MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL PLAYERS FORM UNION.  More than 5,500 minor league baseball players form a union in an effort to boost annual salaries as low as $10,400.  That compares with major league players getting millions a season. 

 

ANOTHER HOTEL FEE LOOMS FOR TRAVELERS

Will there be another hotel fee soon to greet travelers, asks Grumpy Editor.

It could be in the works.

The hotel industry is poised to start charging additional fees, according to an industry observer who points out, "We are in the middle of two major events:  COVID and the inflationary environment.”

"Hoteliers had to cut average daily rates by up to 60 percent during the pandemic,” he adds.

In trying to make up for lost revenue, the focus will be on hotel guests…and their wallets.

One area that may see a fee increase:  Daily housekeeping. 

Hotels cut back on daily housekeeping during the pandemic and that’s an area being eyed for new charges.

 

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REGAL CINEMAS OWNER FILES FOR BANKRUPTCY.  Movie chain Cineworld Group LLOC, owner of Regal Cinemas, files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the U.S. as it deals with several billions of dollars in debt and lower attendance in theaters.

BURGER KING PLANS MAJOR INVESTMENT.  Over the next two years Burger King plans to invest $400 million in its 7,058 U.S. restaurants.  That includes $250 million for updates  nd $120 million in advertising. 

UPS PLANS TO ADD 100,000+ WORKERS.  United Parcel Service plans to hire more than 100,000 workers to help handle the holiday season rush.  UPS’s job openings are for package handlers, drivers and driver helpers.

WOMAN FIGHTS OFF TIGER.  In India a woman is hospitalized with serious injuries after fighting off a tiger that was trying to grab her 15-month-old son.  The attack occurs on the outskirts of the Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve in the northeast part of the country.

F-35 FIGHTER JETS DELIVERIES PAUSE.  The Pentagon temporarily halts delivery of F-35 fighter jets to the military branches and international customers after Lockheed Martin discovers a metal component used in the jet’s engine is produced in China. 

STOLEN ART RETURNS TO ITALY.  New York’s district attorney returns $19 million worth of stolen art to Italy. The 58 pieces include a marble head of the goddess Athena dated 200 BC, worth an estimated $3 million. The stolen items were sold to museums and private dealers by convicted looters.

RUSSIA SEEKS NORTH KOREA ROCKETS, ARTILLERY SHELLS.  Affected by its six-month-old invasion of Ukraine, Russia approaches North Korea for rockets and artillery shells for its military forces, according to U.S. intelligence officials. 

FASCINATION WITH BRITAIN'S PRINCESS DIANA CONTINUES

Media continue the fascination with Britain’s Princess Diana on the 25th anniversary of her death in a Paris car accident, notes Grumpy Editor.

Diana, 37, died on Aug. 31, 1997, stunning people who felt they knew the princess after following her struggles and successes in media coverage over 17 years.

Anniversary stories focused on Diana's fans placing flowers, photos and messages outside the gates at Kensington Palace.

Kensington Palace is a royal residence set in Kensington Gardens, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in London.  It has been a residence of the British royal family since the 17th century.

 

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KIDS' MATH, READING SCORES DROP.  In a setback for the nation’s children, a federal study shows math and reading scores for nine-year-olds in the U.S. fell dramatically during the first two years of the pandemic. 

200-YEAR-OLD SAGUARO CACTUS TOPPLES.  Heavy rains in Tucson, Arizona, topples a 200-year-old saguaro cactus.  It had more than 30 arms and was more than 40 feet high.

DOLLY PARTON DEBUTS DOG APPAREL.  Singer Dolly Parton starts an apparel brand aimed for dogs.   Named Doggy Parton, it offers gingham check bandanas, feather-brimmed cowboy hats, Dolly Parton shirts and more 

POLAND SEEKS WWII REPARATIONS.  Poland is seeking the equivalent of $1.3 trillion in reparations from Germany for the Nazis' World War II invasion and occupation.  It stems from a long-awaited report on the cost to the country of years of Nazi German occupation as it marks 83 years since the start of World War II.

YOUNGER AMERICANS DO SEEK DAILY NEWS.  A study shows 79 percent of Americans, ages 16 to 40, say they get news daily.  The report is contrary to the thinking that young people aren’t interested in daily news happenings. 

GOATS MUNCH ON PAPER WORK IN PATROL CAR.  A pair of curious goats broke into a Madison County, Alabama, sheriff's deputy's patrol car and ate his paperwork.  A video shows the hungry animals busy inside (in the passenger seat) and on top of the vehicle munching paper work.

SHORTAGE IN TOMATO PRODUCTS LOOMS.  California farmers warn ketchup, salsa, pasta sauce and other tomato products could soon be in short supply. The Golden State grows nearly all of America's processing tomatoes, but this year is shaping up to be another poor harvest season.

LEADERS PROVE SHADY IN MORE THAN 70 COUNTRIES

Leaders who left office in at least 72 countries since year 2000 have been jailed or prosecuted, notes an Axios item spotted by Grumpy Editor.

 

Axios notes since 1980, about half the world’s countries have had at least one such case — and not counting impeachments or coups.  Included are democracies France, Israel and South Korea.

 

Most cases against the former leaders relate to corruption, adds Axios.

 

 

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17-YEAR-OLD FLIES SOLO AROUND WORLD.  Mack Rutherford, a 17-year-old Belgian-British dual national, becomes the youngest person to fly solo around the world in a small aircraft.  He landed in Bulgaria, where he started his around the world flight. Rutherford says he hopes his achievement will inspire young people to pursue their dreams.

 

WASHINGTON STATE AIMS TO NIX GAS-POWERED VEHICLES.  Washington state plans to follow California in prohibiting the sale of gas-powered vehicles by 2035.  California, largest auto market in the U.S., plans to phase out sale of gas cars over the next 13 years. 

AMBASSADOR FOR THE ARCTIC PLANNED.   Triggered by increased Russian military activity in the region, the U.S. plans to name an Ambassador for the Arctic. The Ambassador-at-Large will be put in place to advance U.S. policy in the northern polar region. 

U.N. CEMETERY IN SOUTH KOREA.  The Busan, South Korea veterans cemetery remains the only U.N. cemetery in the world.  Established in 1955 after the South Korean government offered the land for the U.N.'s permanent use to honor troops and medical personnel sent from 22 countries under the U.N. flag during the Korean War.  More than 2,300 people from 11 nations are interred there. 

 

SMUGGLER PUTS REPTILES IN PANTS.  Prosecutors in California say Jose Manuel Perez, 30, smuggled more than 1,700 wild animals, including 60 reptiles, worth $739,000 into the U.S.  Officials found reptiles hidden in his clothing in small bags.  When he was caught crossing into the U.S., federal agents said he had about 60 reptiles on him, including some in his pants.

INACCURATE WEATHER FORECASTS LEAD TO FIRING TWO.  The head and deputy head of Hungary’s National Meteorological Service were fired following an inaccurate rain forecast.  The forecast prompted postponement of a fireworks display set for St. Stephen’s Day, the country’s most important national holiday.

TWIN GIANT PANDAS BORN.  Twin giant pandas --- a male and a female --- are born at a breeding center in southwestern China.  The cubs are the second pair of twins born to their mother.

DROUGHT SENDS DANUBE RIVER TO LOW LEVEL.  Europe's worst drought in years has pushed the Danube River to one of its lowest levels in almost a century, exposing the hulks of dozens of explosives-laden German warships sunk during World War II near Serbia's river port town of Prahovo.

WATER SHORTAGE HITS CHINA DURING WORST HEAT WAVE

China, too, is facing a water shortage during the worst heat wave on record but it’s working on bringing rainfall to dried-up parts, notes Grumpy Editor.

 

From aircraft it is firing silver iodide rods (the size of cigarettes) into clouds to help form ice crystals, reports CNN. The crystals then help clouds produce rain. 

 

China's Ministry of Water Resources mentions drought throughout the Yangtze river basin is "adversely affecting drinking water security of rural people and livestock, and the growth of crops.”

 

Several regions on the Yangtze have launched weather modification programs.

 

 

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FLOAT PLANE ENTERS NEW YORK-D.C. SERVICE.  A new way to travel between New York City and Washington, D.C., is by float plane.  Using eight-seat Cessna Grand Caravan aircraft, Tailwind Air will start two daily flights between the Skyport Marina near East 23rd Street in Manhattan and  College Park Airport just outside D.C.  The plane will take off from water in New York and land on the runway at Suburban D.C. airport in College Park, Maryland.  Flight time will be between 80-90 minutes and cost $395 one-way.

 

PANDEMIC TRIGGERS RECKLESS DRIVING.  The pandemic has triggered an upswing in reckless behavior on the road.  Crashes in 2021 were up 10.5 percent from the prior year. An estimated 9,560 people died in crashes in the first three months this year.  That’s equivalent to a death every 13 minutes.

 

MONKEY DIALS 911.  The San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office was surprised to learn a monkey at the Zoo to You in Paso Robles called 911.   Deputies were dispatched to the zoo.  Seems that Route, a capuchin monkey, picked up the zoo’s cellphone from a golf cart and dialed 911.

AMERICAN AIRLINES ORDERS SUPERSONIC JETS.  American Airlines orders 20 supersonic jets for future faster travel.  The jets are in the drawing board phase, years away from production and flying. “Looking to the future, supersonic travel will be an important part of our ability to deliver for our customers,” says Chief Financial Officer Derek Kerr.

 

TERRIER ALERTS OWNERS ON HOUSE FIRE.  In Maryland, a Cairn terrier turns out to be a hero in alerting his owners on a house fire.  He barks until the family wakes up and escapes the blaze that destroyed the home.

 

CONDE NAST REVENUE GROWS.  While most digital publishers are forecasting slowdowns in advertising growth, Condé Nast this year expects to exceed the nearly $2 billion in total revenue it saw in 2021 thanks to continued growth in its advertising business, informs Axios. 

 

MELTING ARCTIC OCEAN ICE LEADS TO RISE IN SEA LEVEL

The Arctic has warmed nearly four times faster than the rest of the world over the past 43 years, points out a Popular Science article, notes Grumpy Editor.

"This means the Arctic is on average around 3℃ warmer than it was in 1980," it adds.  "This is alarming, because the Arctic contains sensitive and delicately balanced climate components that, if pushed too hard, will respond with global consequences.”

A large part of the explanation relates to sea ice, a thin layer of sea water that freezes in winter and partially melts in the summer.

The article mentions “the sea ice is covered in a bright layer of snow which reflects around 85 percent of incoming solar radiation back out to space.”

When covered with sea ice, it adds, the Arctic Ocean acts like a large reflective blanket, reducing the absorption of solar radiation. As the sea ice melts, absorption rates increase, resulting in a positive feedback loop where the rapid pace of ocean warming further amplifies sea ice melt, contributing to even faster ocean warming.

One result of Arctic warming:  Faster melting of the Greenland ice sheet.  That adds to a rise in sea level.

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SPIDERS TWITCH WHEN THEY SNOOZE.  Scientists focused on spiders and their snoozing.  Training cameras on sleeping spiders, scientists note their legs twitched and parts of their eyes flickered.  With humans that action is closely linked with dreaming.

SOUTH KOREA GETS HEAVIEST RAINFALL IN 75 YEARS.  South Korea experiences its heaviest rainfall since World War II with downpours flooding subway stations and submerged cars on streets.  Rainfall measured almost 16 inches from a two-day storm in some parts of the country.

ATOMIC BOMBING REMEMBERED.  The mayor in Nagasaki, Japan paid tribute to victims of the U.S. atomic bombing 77 years ago then mentioned Russia’s war on Ukraine shows the world that another nuclear attack isn't just a worry but ”a tangible and present crisis.”

WITH TEACHER SHORTAGE, PARENTS STEP IN.  Going into the school year, the U.S. has 300,000 teacher vacancies.  Parents are stepping in as substitutes in efforts to keep schools operating.

HEAVY PRICE TAGS ON RENAMING ARMY BASES.  Renaming Army bases linked to the Confederacy could cost more than $21 million.  The installations honor Confederate generals from the Civil War.  Congress is weighing the name changes.

MARILYN MONROE LOS ANGELES HOME SOLD.  A Los Angeles area home (considered modest by today’s standards) once owned by actress Marilyn Monroe lists for $6.9 million.  Despite her fame, Monroe bought her first home four months before her death. 

CAPE COD SEWER EMERGENCY DECLARED.  A popular beach town on Cape Cod, Massachusetts declared a sewer emergency, ordering restaurants and other food establishments to close immediately in Provincetown during the busy summer vacation period. 

EARTH IS SPINNING FASTER, SAY SCIENTISTS

Hang on.  Scientists say Earth is spinning faster and recently recorded its shortest day, notes Grumpy Editor.

June 29 was 1.59 millisecond less than the average day, they note.

Normal length of a day is 24 hours, or 86,400 seconds. But in recent years, the Earth's rotation has accelerated, shortening some days by milliseconds.

"Since 2016 the Earth started to accelerate," says Leonid Zotov with Lomonosov Moscow State University. “This year it rotates quicker than in 2021 and 2020.”

Zotov and his colleagues believe the fluctuation could be caused by the Earth's tides, adding not every day is shorter, but if the trend continues, atomic time --- the universal way time is measured on Earth --- may have to change.

Some scientists propose introducing a negative leap second. "Since we cannot change the clock arrows attached to the Earth rotation, we adjust the atomic clock scale," relates Zotov. 

As opposed to leap years, which have an extra day added, a negative leap second would mean clocks skip one second.

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AIR FORCE GROUNDS AIRCRAFT.  The Air Force grounds almost 300 training aircraft as potentially defective ejection seat part safety concerns spread.  That’s nearly half the combat training aircraft and a smaller portion of primary training aircraft.

GOP SELECTS MILWAUKEE.  Republicans select Milwaukee for its 2024 national convention.  Nashville took itself out of the running when the city council rejected a draft agreement for hosting the event.

UPPER THAMES RIVER DRIES UP.  Following weeks of little rainfall and a July heat wave in Britain, the starting point of England's famous River Thames has dried up and moved downstream.  Last month’s heat smashed the UK’s all-time temperature record.

“GUARD CAT” PREVENTS ROBBERY.  A pet cat in Belden, Miss. helped prevent an early morning robbery at the home of Fred Everitt.  Bandit, a 20-pound cat, alerted his owner with loud meows when two people tried to break into a home.

CHEETAH GOES FOR SPEED.  Fastest running animal?  It’s a cheetah, capable of running as fast as 70 miles an hour.  Yes, exceeding the speed limit in many cities.  The big cat’s body is quite literally built for speed, with long legs, long neck and small head.

 

FLORIDA LEADS IN APPEAL.  Florida leads the list of states where people say they’d move if they had the chance, according to a Rasmussen Reports survey.  It finds 18 percent of adults would rather live in Florida while 11 percent prefer California and 10 percent would choose New York.

HITLER'S WRISTWATCH SOLD.   A Maryland auction house sells a wristwatch that once belonged to Adolf Hitler for $1.1 million.  Alexander Historical Auctions in Chesapeake City had estimated the value between $2 and $4 million, describing the watch as a World War relic of historic proportions.

NORTH KOREA LEADER (AGAIN) SAYS HE'S READY TO USE NUCLEAR WEAPONS

A big yawner in the news is word that North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un warns he’s ready to use nuclear weapons in potential military conflicts with the U.S. and South Korea, notes Grumpy Editor.

This has been going on periodically since the Korean War truce in 1953.

 

In his latest outburst, the North Korean leader unleashed fiery rhetoric against the rivals he says are pushing the Communist nation to the brink of war.

 

The most recent of many U.S.-South Korea military drills apparently inspired Kim’s latest outburst.

 

Observers say while Kim increasingly threatens rivals with nuclear weapons, it’s unlikely that he would use them against superior militaries.

 

 

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HUGE GEMSTONE DISCOVERED.  A huge pink 170 carat diamond is discovered in Angola.  It is hailed as the largest gemstone found in three centuries.

 

PARTS SHORTAGE AFFECTS AIRLINES.  With air travel, in addition to labor shortages --- from pilots to air traffic controllers --- airlines are struggling with finding spare parts and engines to keep their aircraft flying.

 

BUZZ ALDRIN'S JACKET AUCTIONED.  Astronaut Buzz Aldrin’s jacket worn on his 1969 moon mission is auctioned off for nearly $2.8 million.  Auction house Sotheby’s says that amount is the highest paid for any American space-flown artifact.

 

ELEPHANTS AFFECTED BY CLIMATE CHANGE.  Climate change is affecting elephants in Kenya.  As Kenya battles its worst drought in four decades, officials say the crisis is killing 20 times more elephants than poaching. 

 

2024 REOPENING SEEN FOR NOTRE DAME CATHEDRAL.  Notre Dame Cathedral, the 13th century Paris monument that caught fire in April, 2019, is on track to reopen in 2024, says France's culture minister.  It is being restored to its previous design.

 

NORTHERN NEVADA ADDS CASINO.  Northern Nevada’s first new casino in more than 20 years is set to open Aug. 30.  The casino and dining at Legends Bay Casino in Reno-Sparks, covers 80,000 square feet.

 

REMOTE WORKERS CITE DOGS.  Nearly half (48 percent) of remote workers who own dogs say they would work in a remote position so they can continue to be home with their dogs. Of those, 48 percent are women and 50 percent are men.

 

LEVEL OF NEWS CONSUMPTION TAKES NOSEDIVE

Axios reports “the level of news consumption in 2021 took a nosedive following historic highs in 2020,” notes Grumpy Editor.

 

“Despite a slew of major stories, readers have retrenched further in 2022,” it adds.

 

"The war in Ukraine, a series of deadly mass shootings, the Jan. 6 hearings and the Supreme Court's revocation of abortion rights haven't been able to capture the same level of attention spurred by the onset of the pandemic and the 2020 election,” Axios adds.

 

It finds cable viewership on CNN, Fox News and MSNBC on average is down 19 percent in prime time for the first half of 2022, compared with the like period last year.

 

Axios also points out visits to the top five U.S. web sites dropped while engagement on social media with news articles cratered over the past six months.

 

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USPS AIMS FOR MORE ELECTRIC VEHICLES.  The U.S. Postal Service plans to "substantially increase" the number of electric-powered vehicles it is buying to replace its aging delivery trucks.  It plans 50 percent of its initial purchase of 50,00o next-generation vehicles to be electric.

 

WITH HEAT, MOVIE CHAIN OFFERS REDHEADS FREE TICKETS.  As an unusual heat wave sees temperatures in the United Kingdom topping 100 degrees Fahrenheit, Showcase Cinemas movie theater chain offers redheads free tickets to a movie of their choice when temperatures hit 104 degrees. 

 

ARMY STRUGGLES TO FIND RECRUITS.  The Army will fail to meet its goal by up to 28,000 soldiers this fiscal year, falling to a force of between 445,000 and 452,000 troops by Sept. 30.  However, it  still aims to finish the fiscal year with 455,000 soldiers despite ongoing recruitment struggles.

 

 FOX NEWS CHANNEL SKIPS JAN. 6 COMMITTEE SESSION.  Missing from last Thursday’s TV coverage of the House’s Jan. 6 committee focusing on former President Donald Trump’s actions during the Jan. 6, 2021 U.S.Capitol action was the top-rated news network, Fox News Channel.  It stuck with its own lineup of commentators in regular programming.

 

MAN’S NECK WRAPPED BY SNAKE.  Police were called to a Fogelsville home in Pennsylvania for a man in cardiac arrest with a snake wrapped around his neck.  When officers arrived at the house, the 28-year-old was lying on the floor unresponsive, with the middle portion of a large snake wrapped around his neck.  They shot the snake, saving the man it was strangling.

 

MASSIVE SEA TURTLE GOES OFF COURSE.  In Melbourne Beach, Florida, a massive green sea turtle wandered onto a beachfront patio and needed help from rescuers to find its way back to sea.  After hours stuck on the patio the turtle made its way back to the ocean after being carried in a harness away from the home and over the dunes.

 

BLUE ANGELS WELCOMES FEMALE TO TEAM.  The Blue Angels, famed Navy flight demonstration squadron, welcomes Navy Lt. Amanda Lee, its first female to the team.  She is named alongside five other officers as newest members of the squadron.

 

MONARCH BUTTERFLY ON ENDANGERED LIST.  The Monarch butterfly is close to extinction.  Scientists put the orange and black insect on the endangered list.  It is one of the world’s most recognizable butterflies.

 

HEMINGWAY LOOK-ALIKE CONTEST ATTRACTS 135.  The annual Ernest Hemingway Look-Alike Contest in Key West, Florida marks the famed author’s 123rd anniversary.  This year’s competition attracted 135 portly, bearded men.

 

WITH EVIDENCE, A S.F. COUPLE ALLOWED TO PARK IN OWN DRIVEWAY

San Francisco’s planning department recently threatened to fine a couple $1,500 for parking in their own driveway, notes Grumpy Editor.

 

It's illegal to park in front of a house unless it's accompanied by a garage or cover, the planning department maintained.

 

Putting their car in the driveway for 36 years, the couple believe the space has been used for parking since the house was built in 1910 in the Noe Valley neighborhood.

 

The planning department told the couple the city would waive the fine if they could prove that the lot has historically been used for parking.

 

With evidence showing the space has been used for parking since the 1950s, the planning department reversed itself.

 

 

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INDIA SOON TO BECOME MOST POPULOUS.  World population is expected to reach 8 billion in four months with projections that India will replace China as the world's most populous nation next year.

U.S., JAPANESE PLANES SHOW FORCE.  More than 50 U.S. and Japanese warplanes flew over waters near Japan as they put on a show of force amid rising tensions in the region with China and Russia.  Aircraft included a dozen U.S. Air Force top-of-the-line F-22 stealth fighters, four F-35 stealth jets and 13 F-15 jets.  They were joined by 20 Japanese F-15 and F-2 fighters.

SOME CITIES LOSE FLIGHTS.  Some U.S. cities by September will lose some or all air service from United, Delta or American Airlines.  That stems from pilot shortages, a rise in fuel prices, new contract with the pilots and inflation.

JILL, LONG-TIME SHELTER DOG ADOPTED.  American pit bull mix Jill, a Henrietta, Texas dog, is adopted after spending 10 years — most of her life — at Clay County Animal Shelter.

AMERICAN FALLS INTO VESUVIUS CRATER.  A 23-year-old Maryland man is rescued after falling into the crater of Italy’s Mount Vesuvius while taking a selfie.  He was visiting with two family members.  All hiked up Vesuvius from the Ottaviano to the top of the volcano through a forbidden trail.

POLICE CHASE WANDERING KANGAROO.  Police in Hungary capture an unusual animal on the loose, a kangaroo, after a chase of more than three miles. The marsupial was transported to the Budapest Zoo while police investigate where the animal came from.

FISH ENDANGERED IN MAINE WATERS.  Scientists say the Gulf of Maine is warming rapidly and is getting saltier, more acidic and increasingly stratified -- raising concerns for fish.  The region has historically produced some of the world's richest fish stocks — from cod to lobsters — leading to the building of billion-dollar industries.

 

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DO YOU LIE OR ARE YOU A TRUTH TELLER?

A recent study finds the average American tells about a dozen lies a week, notes Grumpy Editor.

 

University of Notre Dame researchers also point out “lying less actually improves our mental and physical health.”

 

Truth tellers report fewer instances of poor mental health, they add. That includes feeling tense or melancholy, along with physical symptoms such as sore throat or headaches.

 

Truth tellers also report improvements in relationships with friends and family.

 

Meanwhile, psychologists find lying can trigger an increased heart rate, high blood pressure and elevated levels of stress hormones in blood.

 

 

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FUNDS DESTINED FOR 85 AIRPORTS.  The Biden administration is sending nearly $1 billion to 85 airports to expand and upgrade terminals and other facilities.  The funds, making flying safer and more efficient, were approved in last year's infrastructure bill.

HUTCHINSON'S TESTIMONY SCORES HIGH.  Former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson’s testimony before the Jan. 6 committee scored high with television viewers.  It garnered a larger live audience than any of the four earlier daytime hearings.

DRIVER IN CHINA OUTRUNS LANDSLIDE.  A driver ended up similar to a James Bond movie when a mountainside in China's southwestern Sichuan province gave way, causing rocks to spill onto the roadway but the imperiled car outran the landslide.

MORE U.S. MILITARY ITEMS GOING TO UKRAINE.  The U.S. is sending another $400 million in military equipment to Ukraine, including four more advanced rocket systems able to strike deeper behind Russian front lines.

NO VACCINATION, NO PAY, SAYS ARMY.  The Army says about 40,000 National Guardsmen and 22,000 Reservists who have refused to get vaccinated will lose their pay and benefits.

 

FIN WHALES RETURN TO ANTARCTICA AREA.  Nearly 9,000 fin whales return to their ancestral feeding areas near Antarctica for the first time since  their hunting was banned almost half a century ago.

 

CNN REPORTER TO HEAD WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENTS' ASSOCIATION.  CNN’s chief White House reporter Kaitlan Collins is elected by her peers to serve as president of the White House Correspondents’ Association in 2024.  It marks the election of a woman as president three years in a row for the first time.

 

TEENAGER SAVES PASSENGERS FROM CAR PLUNGE INTO RIVER.  A teenager is being hailed a hero after city officials in Moss Point, Mississippi say he saved three people and a police officer after a vehicle plunged into water.  Corion Evans, 16, came to the aid of three female victims after he saw a car drive off the Interstate 10 boat launch into the Pascagoula River.

 

NEWSPAPERS VANISHING AT TWO-A-WEEK RATE

On this Fourth of July, Grumpy Editor notes newspapers in the U.S. are vanishing at the rate of two a week, reveals a new report.

Areas without reliable sources of local news tend to be poorer, older and less educated than those covered well, finds Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism, Media and Integrated Marketing Communications.

The U.S. had 6,377 newspapers at the end of May, down from 8,891 in 2005, the report tallies, adding 360 newspapers have shut down since the end of 2019, all but 24 of them weeklies serving small communities.

Northwestern says about 75,000 journalists worked on newspapers in 2006 vs. 31,000 now, while annual revenue slipped to $21 billion from $50 billion in the same period.

 

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WORLD WAR II DESTROYER FOUND.  World War II U.S. Navy destroyer USS Samuel B. Roberts is found by ocean explorers close to 23,000 feet down off the coast of Samar Island in the Phillippines.

MAJOR HURRICANE SEASON LOOMS.  The Atlantic hurricane season continues through Nov. 30 and experts warn this year’s storms could be more intense.  With 21 possible hurricanes forecast, 21 names are ready to be used for each storm.

CONDORS FLY AGAIN OVER CALIFORNIA.  Last spotted in the area in 1892, condors soar again over California coastal redwoods.  The California condor is the largest native North American bird with a wingspan of nearly 10 feet.

‘FLASHY MOTHS’ APPEAR.  Described as “very flashy,” moth species not seen since 1912 are found at Detroit airport, arriving in the luggage of a traveler arriving from the Philippines.

HUGE STINGRAY REELED IN.  A fisherman in Cambodia’s Mekong River reels in a 660-pound stingray, world's largest recorded freshwater fish.  Residents nickname the giant stingray "Boramy," or "full moon," because of its round shape.

 THOUSANDS OF BEES BUZZ OMAHA HOME.  About 6,000 bees, attracted by bee-friendly flowers outside a home in Omaha, are removed from inside the walls of an Omaha couple's 100-year-old home.  The bees likely infiltrated through a hole in the mortar of the home’s brick exterior.

VA PLAN EYED.  A Department of Veterans Affairs plan that contains nearly $2 trillion in facility closures, consolidations and upgrades in the nation could be in jeopardy after 12 senators announce they oppose the agency’s reassessment of its facilities, reports Stars & Stripes.

DOES MEDIA DO A GOOD JOB COVERING IMPORTANT STORIES?

There’s a big gap between how the public and journalists rate the work of news organizations, notes Grumpy Editor.

 

A Pew Research Center report finds 41 percent of the public believes media do a "good" job covering important stories, compared  to 67 percent of  journalists while 42 percent of journalists believe the public has "little" or "no" trust in information from news organizations, vs. 44 percent who believe the public has "some" trust. 

 

Also, 85 percent of surveyed journalists think the media organizations they work for are trusted by the public.

 

While 65 percent of 11,889 surveyed journalists feel news outlets do a "very" or "somewhat" good job at reporting news accurately, only 35 percent of 9,388 polled adults agreed.

 

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ARMY OFFERS $35,000 BONUS TO RECRUITS.  The Army is offering a $35,000 bonus to new recruits willing to sign a four-year contract and ship out to boot camp within 45 days.  As it struggles to fill open training slots, it is the first time the Army is offering an amount that large for a bonus to any career field.

HOW MANY PEOPLE ON EARTH?   How many people live on Earth?  With the population growing steadily, best estimate puts it at about 7.76 billion people.

TV NEWSROOM STAFFING FALLS.  The Radio Television Digital News Association’s annual survey of local TV full-time newsroom staffing finds a 6.3 percent drop last year to 26,250.  Better financial times did not produce newsroom expansion.

 

BLOODHOUND WINS IN DOG SHOW.  Trumpet, a 4 1/2-year-old bloodhound, wins Best in Show at the 146th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show in a competition with more than 3,000 dogs from 200 breeds and varieties.  It marks the first time a bloodhound wins the contest.

 

RAINBOW TROUT HIT BY BACTERIA.  A bacteria outbreak in two Golden State hatcheries is forcing the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to euthanize about 350,000 rainbow trout.  That could affect fishing stock in some state waterways in coming months.

 

ONE THIRD OF PEOPLE GET EIGHT HOURS SLEEP.  A Rasmussen Reports survey finds 38 percent of people report getting about eight hours sleep on most weeknights, while 53 percent get less. Another six percent say they usually get more than eight hours sleep. 

 

OKINAWA MARKS WORLD WAR II BATTLE.  Okinawa on Thursday marked the 77th anniversary of the end of one of the bloodiest battles of World War II.  The Battle of Okinawa killed about 200,000 people, nearly half of them residents of the island.

 

PAST MARIJUANA USERS CAN BE HIRED.  The Senate Intelligence Committee passes legislation that would allow U.S. intelligence agencies to hire people who used marijuana in the past.

LESS BANG FOR THE BUCK SEEN FOR FOURTH OF JULY FIREWORKS

 

Look for July 4 fireworks to cost more, notes Grumpy Editor.

 

Although there is more inventory this year, prices are up 25 percent, says an official of a main manufacturer.

 

Shipping costs, a main factor, have increased $8,000 to $10,000 per container to about $45,000 per container since 2019, tallies the American Pyrotechnics Association.

 

Outlays for fireworks will be competing with food, gasoline and other items that have jumped in price.

 

Also affected:  Some fireworks shows may be affected by the lack of pyrotechnic specialists.

 

 

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TWO BREEDS DEBUT AT DOG SHOW.  The Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show debuts two new breeds, the Mudi and the Russian Toy.  The Mudi is a herding dog breed from Hungary. The Russian Toy is a small, lively dog with long legs, fine bones and lean muscles. 

DEATH VALLEY HEAT CLAIMS VISITOR.  A California man was found dead in Death Valley National Park after running out of gas and walking in an extreme heat wave, park officials say. A heat wave brought temperatures up to 123 degrees.

CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACT SEEN.  Climate change could have a dangerous impact on about one-quarter of the world’s population by 2050, according to a study published in Nature Climate Change.  Scientists in the study claim that if the Earth’s temperature goes up 2 degrees Celsius, drought conditions will be inevitable to 25 percent of the population

SMALL-BUSINESS OWNERS PESSIMISTIC.  Small-business owners' expectations for the future are at a 48-year low, according to a survey.  Small-business owners remain pessimistic about the second half of this year over supply chain disruptions, inflation and labor shortage.

LEGO PLANS FACTORY IN VIRGINIA.  Lego Group, world’s largest toy maker, plans to invest more than $1 billion to build a factory in Virginia that will be entirely carbon-neutral.  The factory will be Lego’s seventh globally.  It also plans to open a factory in Veitnam.

 

ROUSH PUBLISHES 10TH BOOK.  Chris Roush, business journalism expert and behind Talking Business News (TBN) on the web publishes his 10th book, “The Future of Business Journalism: Why It Matters for Wall Street and Main Street.”

 

ALASKA CRUISES REQUIRE MASKS AGAIN.  Cruise lines Princess Cruises and Holland America on select Alaska trips are again requiring masks for voyages to that area amid a COVID uptick in the state. 

 

DOG SETS HOUSE AFIRE.  A dog in Missouri accidentally manages to activate a touchscreen button that operates the kitchen stove. That fills the kitchen with smoke that leads to a full-on fire in a home.

 

CHINA LAUNCHES 'SOPHISTICATED' AIRCRAFT CARRIER.  A third aircraft carrier launched by China is termed "sophisticated."  It's equipped with electromagnetic catapults for launching aircraft. 

NATIONAL REGULAR GASOLINE PRICE HITS $5 A GALLON

Grumpy Editor notes national average retail price for regular gasoline hit $5 per gallon on Saturday for the first time in more than two decades, based on data from AAA.

 

The situation is likely to get worse as oil demand continues to outpace global oil supply, driving barrel prices even higher.

 

Prices at the pump Saturday were 63 cents higher than they were a month earlier and nearly $2 more than a year ago, according to the AAA tally.

 

Factors causing more pain at the pump for drivers include sanctions placed on Russia for its invasion of Ukraine, higher fuel demand as drivers are "reclaiming their travel time" after being restricted over the past two years and the official start of the hurricane season --- which could further threaten supply.

 

Probably the highest in the nation --- a gas station in Mendocino in Northern California posts regular gas for $9.60 a gallon.

 

 

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ABC ATTRACTS MOST VIEWERS ON TV SPECIAL.  The prime time telecast of the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol was watched by 20 million TV viewers.  ABC attracted the most, followed by MSNBC, NBC, CBS and CNN.

 

HOUSEHOLD NET WORTH FALLS.  Total U.S. household net worth fell $5.4 billion to $149.2 trillion in the January-March quarter, says the Federal Reserve.  It is the first net worth decline after seven quarters of expansion.

 

REVLON EYES CHAPTER 11.  Debt, competition, inflation and supply chain problems are factors in Revlon’s plans to file for Chapter 11 protection, perhaps this week.

 

PANDEMIC SMACKS SAN FRANCISCO.  Remote work boosted by the pandemic hits San Francisco harder than any other major U.S. city, according to new census data.  The city lost 6.3 percent (54,813 people) of its population from July 2020 to July 2021.

 

NEW ALCOHOL RULE FOR BARS AND RESTAURANTS.  By the end of summer, every California bar and restaurant employee who serves alcohol --- including those at wineries, breweries, distilleries, brewpubs, event centers and stadiums --- must obtain a new certification.

 

CHICAGO RESCUER AWARDED CAR.   A Chicago man who jumped onto train tracks to rescue a person who had fallen onto an electrified rail during a fight at an L station earned praise --- and was awarded a car plus a $25 gasoline card.

SOUGHT: RETAIN FIVE NAVY SHIPS.  The House Armed Services Committee seeks to save from retirement five Navy ships, including the cruiser USS Vicksburg and four landing dock vessels. 

37 MILLION BIRDS HIT BY FLU.  Bird flu in Arizona leads to the death of 37 million birds in the central and eastern U.S., say wildlife officials.  First detections then highly contagious avian flu was four months ago in Indiana. 

 

TODAY MARK'S WORLD WAR II D-DAY EVENT IN 1944

A major event during World War II occurred 78 years ago today: D-Day, notes Grumpy Editor.

Is your newspaper running a story on that today?

 

The D-Day operation of June 6, 1944 brought together land, air and sea forces of the allied armies in what became known as the largest invasion force in history. The operation delivered five naval assault divisions to the beaches of Normandy, France.

The invasion force included 7,000 ships and landing craft manned by over 195,000 navy personnel from eight allied countries.

About 133,000 troops from England, Canada and the United States landed on D-Day.  Casualties from the three countries during the landing numbered 10,300.

By June 30th, more than 850,000 men, 148,000 vehicles, and 570,000 tons of supplies landed on the Normandy shores. Fighting by soldiers, sailors and airmen of the allied forces western front led to the defeat of German Nazi forces. 

 

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WORLD’S FASTEST SUPERCOMPUTER.  Hewlett Packard Enterprise Co. says it has developed the world's fastest supercomputer, Frontier, in partnership with Advanced Micro Devices Inc. and the U.S. Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory.  At 1.1 exaflops, Frontier makes over 1,000,000,000,000,000,000 (or one billion-billion) calculations per second.

 

ADVERTISING, PR JOBS FALL.  Employment in advertising, public relations and related services fell by 2,400 jobs last month, a  turnabout for a sector that until recently had been scoring solid gains, according to a U.S.Bureau of Labor Statistics report.

 

MOST AMERICANS EXERCISE.  Latest Rasmussen Reports survey finds 85 percent of American adults exercise at least once a week, including 23 percent who exercise four or five times weekly and 21 percent who exercise daily or almost every day.

 

CNN’S "BREAKING NEWS" TO FADE.  Chris Licht, CNN's new boss, says the network overuses "Breaking News" and he has added a “Breaking News” guideline to its stylebook, addressing overuse of the phrase.

 

GOLDEN STATE THINKS BEES CAN SWIM.  To get bumble bees protections from agricultural practices, California court judges determined that bees could actually be considered fish.

 

MESSAGE IN BOTTLE MAKES IT TO SHORE.  A message in a bottle launched from a North Carolina island in early April turns up nearly two months later after floating more than 700 miles to a Massachusetts island.

 

WOMAN HEADS COAST GUARD.  Admiral Linda Fagan becomes the first female officer in charge of a U.S. armed service branch — the Coast Guard. The 1985 Coast Guard Academy graduate previously served as commander of the Coast Guard Pacific Area.

 

FOX TERRIER CROWNED OLDEST.  A 22-year-old toy fox terrier is crowned the oldest living dog.  She enjoys listening to country music and sleeping until five p.m., say her owners in Taylors, South Carolina.

 

 

 

GUNS ARE LEADING CAUSE OF CHILDRENS' DEATHS

 

Current leading cause of death among American children is guns, reports Axios, notes Grumpy Editor.

More kids are involved in gun-related homicides, including last week’s mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas, it adds.

Nearly two-thirds of the 4,368 youths to age 19 who were killed by guns in 2021 were homicide victims, tallies the CDC.

Axios says that number passes motor vehicles as the top killer of kids in 2020.

 

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SUPPORT DOGS ARRIVE IN UVALDE.  Eight golden retrievers, emotional support dogs, arrive in Uvalde, Texas, to provide support in the wake of the tragic shooting that killed 19 children and two teachers. The canines are provided by Lutheran Church Charities K-9 Ministries.

 

NORTH KOREA FIRES THREE BALLISTIC MISSILES.  North Korea launches three ballistic missiles, including one that travels an unusual trajectory, according to officials. The missile’s flight path is described as a "double arc,"  ascending and then descending twice.

PENTAGON SPOKESMAN GETS NEW POST.  John Kirby, a retired rear admiral, is stepping down as chief Pentagon spokesman and soon will advise the National Security Council in strategic communications.

BIRTHS INCREASE IN 2021.  U.S. births rise in 2021 but fall short of pre-pandemic levels.  It is a one percent increase from 2020 that set the largest one-year drop in U.S. births in nearly 50 years.

AMAZON OPENS STORE IN LOS ANGELES.  In Los Angeles, Amazon.com Inc opens its first brick-and-mortar clothing retail store, as people start to venture out to shop following easing COVID-19 curbs. 

 

CONGRESS CITES WORLD WAR II DARING UNIT.  Lawmakers finally get around to awarding Merrill's Marauders the Congressional Gold Medal for the unit's daring World War II mission in Burma.  It’s the  highest civilian honor to the Army unit.

 

HOTEL RATES JUMP.  A surge in travel demand, worker shortages and a dearth of guest rooms trigger a steep increase in hotel prices. To attract workers, some hotels introduce sign-on bonuses as high as $2,000.

MAKING IT HARDER FOR SUPERMAN TO CHANGE.  New York City removes the last open-air pay phone in midtown Manhattan.  Now only four open air booths remain in outlying areas.

 

LIFEGUARD SHORTAGE HITS U.S.  The American Lifeguard Association says a nationwide lifeguard shortage could prevent about a third of the 309,000 pools across the country from opening and fewer manned lifeguard towers at recreational beaches.

2020 CENSUS FIGURES UNDERCOUNTED IN SIX STATES

Census Bureau officials say population figures in the 2020 census of six states were undercounted while with eight states they were overcounted, notes Grumpy Editor.

Totals for other states and the District of Columbia fell within estimated ranges reports The Wall Street Journal.

The pandemic resulted in some difficulties and miscounts with the tally.

 

Population estimates provide distribution of some federal and state aid.

 

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PENTAGON GETS ABOUT 400 UFO REPORTS.  Pentagon officials tell a House panel there are now close to 400 reports from military personnel of possible encounters with UFOs.  A Navy official points out investigators are "reasonably confident" the floating pyramid-shaped objects captured on video are likely drones.

 

UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS RECIPIENTS EBB.  People receiving unemployment benefits fell to to 1.3 million for the week ended May 7. That’s the lowest point in 50 years.

 

PROBLEMS SEEN WITH POWER GRID.  A power grid regulator warns extreme temperatures and ongoing drought this summer could cause the power grid to buckle across vast areas of the country, potentially leading to electricity shortages and blackouts.

MAJOR UNDERGROUND TUNNEL DISCOVERED.  Authorities discover an underground smuggling tunnel at the U.S.-Mexico border that runs the length of six football fields. It features reinforced walls, electricity, ventilation and a rail system.  From Tijuana, it’s about 1,744 feet long, 61 feet deep, with a diameter of about 4 feet at its widest point.

ARMY SUICIDE CRISIS GRIPS ALASKA.  The Army is dispatching about 40 mental health counselors and chaplains to Alaska in coming weeks to address a suicide crisis among soldiers.  Seventeen soldiers last year died by confirmed or suspected suicide.

RINGLING BROS. CIRCUS TO RETURN.  Ringling Bros., the historic circus known for acts featuring lions, tigers and elephants shut down in 2017 in response to pressure from animal rights groups and changing audience tastes is returning, but without animals.  Rather, it will use human talent from around the world when it starts a 50-plus city tour September next year.

GUN PRODUCTION SOARS.  Domestic gun makers produced 11.3 million firearms in 2020 (the latest year for which data are available), roughly triple the 3.9 million that were made in 2000, while the U.S. population increased 18 percent.

BASEBALL PITCHER TOSSES FIVE HOME RUNS IN INNING.  Baseball’s Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Nathan Eovaldi becomes the third pitcher in major league history to allow five home runs in one inning.  In his Fenway Park start against the Houston Astros, Eovaldi lasts 1⅔ innings, allowing eight hits and six earned runs while striking out none.

CITY SEEKS TO CURB NOISES ANIMALS MAKE OUTDOORS

Aurora, Illinois adopts a law limiting the number of pets kept by residents, notes Grumpy Editor.  What’s more, Aurora seeks to curb noises animals make outdoors.

With the new law, Aurorians can own no more than four “companion” or farm animals per home and up to two of the same species.  (A “companion animal” is defined as a dog, cat, ferret, rabbit, guinea pig or hamster.)

Dog owners also will be fined if their canines make “excessive noise” during certain times of the day, according to a revised animal control ordinance.

Owners with more than four pets before the ordinance would be exempt.

 

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HOMICIDES BY FIREARMS JUMP.  The firearm-homicide rate in 2020 reaches the highest level in 26 years. That makes it 6.1 homicides per 100,000 people in the first year of the pandemic.

 

MARILYN MONROE PAINTING BRINGS HIGH PRICE.  An iconic painting of Marilyn Monroe by Andy Warhol is auctioned for $195 million, making it the most expensive 20th century art sold. It was painted in 1964 using a famous photograph as inspiration. 

 

ATTACKS BY UKRAINIANS TAKE TOLL ON RUSSIA.  Since March 21, Ukrainian missiles and drone attacks have damaged or sunk four Russian landing ships, three patrol boats and the cruiser Moskva (the Black Sea Fleet flagship), which sank in April.

 

OOPS!  WRONG NUMBER.  The Mega Millions website says its host announced Tuesday's drawing incorrectly, calling the Mega Ball, the sixth and final ball, a 6 instead of a 9.  The first five numbers were correct. 

 

NORTH KOREA LAUNCHES MORE BALLISTIC MISSILES.  Fired from near Pyongyang, North Korea launches three ballistic missiles off its east coast.  They reach an altitute of about 56 miles and travel about 224 miles, bfore dropping into the sea.

 

NBC'S FOOTBALL NIGHT GETS NEW HOST.  NBC Sports names Maria Taylor new host of Football Night in America.  Taylor made her debut on the show as a co-host last season.  She joined NBC Sports in July 2021 after eight years as a reporter, studio show host and anchor at ESPN.

COUPLE IN INDIA SUE SON.  A couple in the north Indian state of Uttarakhand are suing their only son and his wife for not giving them a grandchild after six years of marriage. They are demanding compensation worth nearly $650,000 if no grandchild is born within a year.

BIDEN CALLS ONE MILLION COVID-19 DEATHS 'TRAGIC MILESTONE.'  President Joe Biden marks the "tragic milestone" of  one million America lives lost to COVID-19.  He calls each death an "irreplaceable loss” and “one million empty chairs around the dinner table.

NORTH KOREA PLANS TO SPEED UP NUCLEAR WEAPONS DEVELOPMENT

A few days after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un vows to speed up development of nuclear weapons, the Communist nation launches a ballistic missile, notes Grumpy Editor.

 

The launch is North Korea’s 14th round of weapons firing in four months.

 

South Korea calls the repeated ballistic missile launches “a grave threat” that would undermine international peace and security.  It’s also a violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions banning such missile launches by North Korea.

 

Japan also condemns the launch, saying North Korea’s missile actions that “threatens the peace, safety and stability of the international community are impermissible.”

 

 

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ON THE MOVE.  Boeing Co. plans to move its headquarters from Chicago to the Washington, D.C., area.  Behind the move:  its executives will be closer to key federal government officials.  Boeing moved its corporate offices to Chicago from Seattle in 2001.

 

DARING AFTERNOON JEWELRY ROBBERY IN PARIS.  Armed men in mid-afternoon rob a Chanel jewelry boutique in Paris then escape on two motorcycles.

 

MORE BEER FLOWS IN FIRST QUARTER.  The company that owns Budweiser says it sold more beer at higher prices in this year’s first quarter — for better-than-expected earnings.

 

LONGEST CAREER WITH SAME COMPANY SET.  A man who works at a Brazilian textile company sets a record (84 years) for having the longest career with the same company.  He turned 100 last month and made it to Guinness World Records.

 

AIRBUS PLANS EXPANSION AT ALABAMA FACTORY.  In an effort to boost production of its best-selling A320 single-aisle airliner, London-based Airbus SE plans to build a second assembly line at its Alabama jet factory.

 

KNEE PAIN FORCES POPE INTO WHEELCHAIR.  Knee pain forces Pope Francis to meet audiences in a wheelchair.  The 85-year-old pope is suffereing from strained ligaments in his right knee.

 

GOLDEN STATE'S FOUR-DAY WORK WEEK SHELVED.  California’s much touted plan to institute a four-day work week for hourly employees is shelved after it failed to advance in the state assembly.

 

ANOTHER JOURNALIST KILLED IN MEXICO.  Ramírez Ramos, 59, was the ninth reporter or photographer killed this year in Mexico, making the country the most dangerous place in the world for the press outside war zones.

 

 

 

STOLEN GUNS LEAD TO MORE HOMICIDES

More stolen guns are fueling the rising homicide rate, notes Grumpy Editor.

The number of stolen guns reported to police in 10 major cities rose 29 percent in recent months, via data compiled by The Wall Street Journal.

Guns often are stolen from vehicles.

A record number of Americans purchased guns over the past two years, driven by protests and rising crime, adds the Journal.

Murders rose nearly 20 percent in 2020 from 2019 and remained at elevated levels last year, the Journal points out.

 

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U.S. LEAVES $7 BILLION IN MILITARY EQUIPMENT.  About $7 billion in U.S. military equipment that was transferred to the Afghan government over 16 years is left behind in Afghanistan after the U.S. completed withdrawal from the country in August, according to a congressionally mandated report from the U.S.Department of Defense. 

NEW VIRUSES SEEN HITTING ANIMALS.  Climate change will result in thousands of new viruses spreading among animal species by 2070. That's likely to increase the risk of emerging infectious diseases jumping from animals to humans, according to researchers’ findings published in the journal Nature.

L.A. COUNTY CORONAVIRUS CASES JUMP.  Los Angeles County coronavirus cases jumped 40 percent in one week while hospitalizations are creeping up, causing officials to contend with “reinvigorated coronavirus transmission.”

WORLD’S OLDEST PERSON DIES AT 119.  Kane Tanaka, the world’s oldest person, dies at 119 in Fukuoka, Japan.  Japanese media say Ms. Tanaka, who relished chocolate and carbonated drinks, had a motto: "Don’t give up and say there’s no point."

JUDY GARLAND’S ‘OZ’ DRESS TO BE AUCTIONED.  The blue and white checkered gingham dress Judy Garland wore in the 1939 classic movie, “The Wizard of Oz,” is set for auction May 24 in Los Angeles where it is expected to bring $800,000 to $1.2 million.

DEGENERES WRAPS UP TV SHOW.  The final Ellen DeGeneres TV show is taped for release on May 26.  The talk show host says the program brought her "incredible joy" since it first aired in 2003.

PANDEMIC TRIGGERS DOG THEFTS.  Higher demand for dogs during the Covid pandemic results in canine thefts reaching a seven-year high.  More than 2,700 are snatched in 2021.

BLUE DIAMOND SELLS FOR HEFTY SUM.  A 15.1 carat, vivid blue diamond from the Cullinan mine in South Africa, is sold at Sotheby’s in Hong Kong for the equivalent of 57.5 million U.S. dollars to an unnamed buyer.

WATER SHORTAGE LIMITS OUTDOOR WATERING.  A water shortage emergency is declared in Southern California, leading to restricted outdoor watering to one day a week in parts of Los Angeles, Ventura and San Bernardino counties.  The action affects about 6 million people. 

WORKER GRILLS ONE MILLION STEAKS.  Gayle Dudley, who works at the LongHorn Steakhouse in Columbus, Georgia, is surprised at work by executives from the nationwide chain (and a $5,000 check) after grilling one million steaks during her two decades there.

 

 

MEDIA OVERLOOKS 80TH ANNIVERSARY OF WORLD WAR II DOOLITTLE RAID

 

 

Media usually like to recycle anniversaries but somehow overlooked the 80th anniversary of the famous Doolittle raid during World War II, observes Grumpy Editor.

 

Planned and led by Lt. Col. James Doolittle (who later became a general) on April 18, 1942, 16 B-25B Mitchell medium bombers, each with a crew of five, took off without fighter escort  from the U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS Hornet off Japan to hit Tokyo and other places on Honshu.

 

It demostrated that the Japanese mainland was vulnerable to U.S. air attacks and boosted morale of Americans.

 

After bombing military and industrial targets in Japan, the plan was to continue westward and land in China.  But some aircraft ran out of fuel and crash landed on the way.

 

The action was portrayed in the well-received 1943 movie, “Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo” starring Spencer Tracy as Doolittle.

 

 

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FEW JOURNALISTS WORE MILITARY UNIFORMS.  Few U.S. journalists are military veterans.  Only two percent of media workers are veterans, according to a Census data analysis from Military Vets in Journalism. 

 

BIDEN TO ATTEND D.C. WRITERS ANNUAL DINNER.  President Joe Biden plans to attend the White House Correspondents Association's annual dinner on Saturday, the first time a sitting president will be at the event since Barack Obama in 2016.

 

WORLD'S OLDEST CANINE SETS RECORD.  The world's oldest living dog, a chihuahua named TobyKeith, breaks a Guinness World record --- passing 21 years and 66 days.  He was adopted from a shelter in Florida.

 

ALL FEMALE NEWS STAFF --- IN SOMALIA.  Led by one of the few female senior news producers in Somalia, a team of six women will produce content for TV, radio and online media on issues such as gender-based violence, women in politics and female entrepreneurs.

 

BURGLARS HIT HIGH-END L.A. HOMES.  A number of homes in upscale Los Angeles areas are being burglarized.  A Hollywood Hills home is hit while the homeowner is hiding in the bathroom.  Police are investigating since the action is captured on security cameras.

 

DENTAL PATIENT INHALES DRILL BIT.  While at his dentist, an Illinois man inhaled a one-inch drill bit, sending it deep into his lung.  He had to go to a hospital to have it removed.

CAR HITS MOUNTAIN LION ON FREEWAY.  A mountain lion was struck and killed on the 405 Freeway near Brentwood in the Los Angeles area.  The animal died just one day before the groundbreaking of a wildlife bridge designed to provide safe passage for animals hemmed in by urban sprawl.

SHOPLIFTING, THEFT HIT RETAILERS, CHAIN STORES, PHARMACIES

Shoplifting and theft continue to hurt big retailers, chain stores, including pharmacies but it’s even harder for small businesses still trying to recover from the pandemic, notes Grumpy Editor.

CVS, the drug store chain, reports a 300 percent increase in retail theft incidents since the pandemic started.

Some small-business owners say they’re losing thousands of dollars each month and won’t submit every claim to insurance, fearing being dropped.

In combating shoplifting incidents, Target, for example, turns to surveillance systems, security guards, facial recognition, among multiple deterrents to reduce the number of shoplifting incidents that occur.

 

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BANK HEADQUARTERS UTILIZES HYDROELECTRIC POWER.  Banking operation JPMorgan Chase will rely on hydroelectric power for its new 1,388-foot skyscraper in Manhattan.  That means net-zero emissions.

INFLATION SOARS TO 8.5 PERCENT.  Driven by skyrocketing energy costs, higher food prices and strong consumer demand, inflation in the U.S. soared to 8.5 percent in March, a four-decade high.

CRUISE MISSILE SINKS RUSSIAN WARSHIP.  Russia’s Moskva warship that sank on Thursday, from what Ukrainian military says was a cruise missile strike, was Russia’s flagship in the Black Sea.

SURVEY FINDS MOST AMERICANS SAY ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION GETS WORSE.  The latest Rasmussen Reports survey finds 55 percent of likely voters believe the problem of illegal immigration is getting worse, while 14 percent think the illegal immigration problem is getting better and 27 percent think the problem is about the same.

LAPD COPING WITH 17 GANGS WORKING AREA.  The Los Angeles Police Department says 17 gangs are sending out crews to prey on the mega-rich, targeting people leaving luxury boutiques, restaurants and nightclubs. 

LIZARDS BUSY IN GEORGIA.  Georgia residents are being warned about invasive lizards that "eat almost anything.”  South American tegus can grow up to four feet long, eat turtle eggs, alligators and ground-nesting birds, among other things.

CALIFORNIA CONSIDERING SHORTER WORK WEEK.  California is considering going to a 32-hour workweek.  A bill at the state’s legislature would make the Golden State the first in the nation to adopt a four-day week for some employees. 

LONG-TIME ALGERIAN NEWSPAPER FOLDS.  Prominent Algerian newspaper Liberte printed its last issue on Thursday, three decades after the French language publication was established and a week after its owner, the country's richest man, decided to liquidate it.

CAR CHASE SHOOTINGS GRAB ATTENTION ON TV

 

Car chase shootings often lead off local TV news programs.  Somehow they grab attention of news editors who feel they’ll grab attention of viewers, notes Grumpy Editor.

 

Thus, it’s not unexpected seeing a report of road-rage shootings killing or injuring an average of 44 people a month (yes, a month) last year, double the average of like incidents in 2019, before the pandemic.

 

“Driving gets heated in plenty of other countries, but only in the U.S. is someone shot and injured or killed every 17 hours in a road-rage incident, says Sarah Burd-Sharps, director of research at Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund.

 

From 2016 to 2019, the study found one-third of road-rage incidents involving a gun resulted in injury or death.

 

Grumpy Editor feels inspiring some of that road rage are car chases depicted in movies and television.

 

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SURPRISE.  A study suggests people who live with handgun owners are shot to death at a higher rate than those without such weapons on premises.

 

NORTH KOREA THREATENS…AGAIN.  Two times in three days the sister of North Korea’s leader warns her country’s nuclear forces would annihilate South Korea’s conventional forces if provoked.

 

SIX DAYS A WEEK MAIL CONTINUES.  Six days a week of mail delivery is assured after President Joe Biden signs into law a sweeping overhaul of the U.S. Postal Service.  The bill signing occurs on the same day the Postal Service announces it plans to raise rates effective July 10.

 

D.C. FOX BITES PEOPLE.  A fox roaming near the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. that tested positive bites California congressman Ami Bera near a Senate office building and at least eight other people.

 

DODGERS PRODUCE NAME PRONOUNCIATION GUIDE.  With many tough-to-pronounce baseball players’ names on the Los Angeles Dodgers roster, a guide is produced on how the players would like those names pronounced.

 

CLEARING THE AIR.  Barcelona beachgoers no longer will have to contend with cigarette butts or passive smoke starting in July when Spain's second largest city bans smoking on all its beaches.

 

NEW YORK CITY ADDS SKYSCRAPER.  Steinway Tower, the world's “most slender skyscraper" — at 1,428 feet — is completed, adding a new landmark to Manhattan's skyline.  It compares to the Empire State Building that stands 1,250 feet or 1,454 feet to the top of its antenna.

 

HELIUM SUPPLY CURBED.   The National Weather Service is reducing the frequency of weather balloon launches due to a "global supply chain disruption of helium" and a "temporary issue with the contract" of a hydrogen supplier. However, most NWS weather balloons now use hydrogen rather than helium.

U.S. MILITARY FAILS TO GET FUNDS FOR A NEEDED BOOST

Grumpy Editor notes a Wall Street Journal piece focusing on “America’s Declining Military.”

In citing the Pentagon is seeking $773 billion for fiscal 2023, the Journal points out, "the 298-ship Navy would buy only nine ships next year while retiring 24.  The fleet would shrink to 280 ships in 2027, even as the Navy says it needs a fleet of 500 to defeat China in a conflict.”

As for the Army, the Journal mentions it is seeking $177.5 billion, "barely up from $174.7 billion last year and a cut after inflation,” adding “end strength would fall to 473,000 from the 485,000 authorized last year. The Army shrugs because it hasn’t been able to fill all its spots in a hot labor market.  This may relieve a recruiting headache for some general, but it won’t reduce the threats the Army may have to address in multiple theaters."

Turning to the Air Force, the Journal says it "is now the smallest, oldest and least ready it has ever been in its 75-year history...but the Pentagon plans to cut its buy of F-35 fighter jets this year." 

 

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NUMBER OF MEDIA WORKERS DECLINES.  There were 39,080 news analysts, reporters and journalists employed in the U.S. in May, 2021. This is down from 41,580 in the prior May and 44,100 in May, 2019, with average annual wage of $63,230 in May 2021, down from $66,000 the year prior.    

 

MORTGAGE LOAN RATE RISES.  Mortgage giant Freddie Mac says average rate for a 30-year fixed rate mortgage loan rises to 4.67 percent, highest since December, 2018.

 

SANCTIONS ON RUSSIA HIT SEAFOOD.  New rounds of economic sanctions on Russia make key seafood species such  as cod and crab harder to come by, along with alcohol and diamonds.  

 

NIELSEN BEING ACQUIRED.  Nielsen, the New York-based media measurement company with annual global revenue of about $3.5 million, is being acquired for $16 billion, including debt.  Data collected by Nielsen is a major factor in determining where billions in advertising dollars are spent each year.

 

L.A. BANS NEW OIL WELLS.  The Los Angeles City Council votes unanimously to ban new oil wells and phase out existing ones, a move leaders in the nation's second-most populous city call essential for health reasons.  A city commission will study how to phase out more than 5,200 existing oil and gas wells.

 

BLACK NEWS CHANNEL CLOSES.  The Black News Channel, first all-day news network aimed at African Americans, closes a little more than two years after it went live.

 

COIN MYSTERY.  Quarters, nickels, dimes and pennies are in short supply again.  While some will call it the great coin shortage of 2022, America is facing a coin circulation problem.

 

NORTH KOREA’S LATEST MISSILE TEST SHOWS ITS ICBM COULD THREATEN U.S. MAINLAND

 

Experts say the latest missile to be test-launched by North Korea has the capability to strike the U.S. mainland, notes Grumpy Editor.

 

The Communist country’s 12th test this year saw the latest ICBM soar higher and longer than a previous ICBM test in November, 2017.

 

Launched from North Korea’s Sunan area, it reached an altitute of more than 3,700 miles and treveled more than 680 miles. 

 

Sources said the missile flew for about 71 minutes.

 

North Korea’s state media reported that it met all the test parameters and that its use “can be guaranteed scientifically, technically and practically under wartime.”

 

 

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CAPITOL RESUMES GUIDED TOURS TODAY.  The U.S. Capitol today will restart guided tours to the public for limited groups that have registered in advance.  The Covid-19 pandemic prompted the cessation of the tours two years ago.

 

CAR, TRUCK LEASING EBBS.  The Covid-19 pandemic is affecting the percentage of new cars and trucks leased with activity dropping to 19 percent of overall retail sales through March 13, lowest since 2009.

 

LONGEST NON-STOP FLIGHT.  Air New Zealand plans its longest-ever non-stop passenger flight with an 8,828-mile New York to New Zealand flight.  It will take 16 hours, 15 minutes.

DOG NIGHTLY  VIEWS SUNSET.  Newsweek featured a photo of a golden retriever that nightly sits at the same spot on a bluff overlooking the ocean to observe the sun settling toward the horizon. 

 

DRIVING INTO ALLIGATOR PROVES FATAL.  A 59-year-old man dies after his car crashes into an 11-foot alligator on Florida road.  The impact causes John Hopkins’ car to veer off the road and flip into a ditch.  He is pronounced dead at the scene.

 

UNIVERSITY DEBUTS HAPPINESS COURSE.  Centenary University in Hackettstown, New Jersey, introduces the world’s first Master of Arts in Happiness Studies.  It will cost students $17,700.

 

NEW COLA INTRODUCED.  PepsiCo and IHOP team to produce a limited-edition cola --- incorporating flavors of maple syrup and soda --- available only to the first 2,000 fans online who respond with photos of their pancakes.

MAURY POVICH RETIRING.  Veteran daytime talk show host Maury Povich, 83, is retiring, with the last original episodes of “Maury” set for broadcast in September after 31 years on the air.  NBC Universal says “the show has thousands of lively, entertaining and dramatic episodes that will continue to be successful in daytime for years to come.”

LION WANTS HAIR DONE?  Police and animal control officers capture a mountain lion trying to enter a beauty salon in a busy shopping center in in Irvine, Calif.  It was tranquilized by animal control and transported to a local veterinarian.

SEN. RUBIO PUSHES FOR PERMANENT DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME

 

A movement in Washington aims to keep daylight saving time permanent, notes Grumpy Editor.

 

Behind the push that would end the yearly tradition since World War I of setting clocks ahead an hour in the spring and setting them back in the fall is Sen. Marco Rubio (R., Fla).

 

On the Senate floor, Rubio argues, "We went through the biannual ritual of changing the cl;ock, and one has to ask themselves, why are we doing this?"  Ending the clock time change, he points out, could send more children outside to play instead of forcing them to play videogames indoors.

 

Under the Senate proposal, that would take effect in fall next year, states would have to select remaining with standard time or daylight saving time year round.

 

The idea of aligning waking hours to daylight hours to conserve candles was first proposed in 1784 by Benjamin Franklin.

 

 

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MORE COSTLY OIL MEANS HIGHER AIR FARES.  Higher oil prices will lead to a 10 percent hike in air fares, Ed Bastian, head of Delta Air Lines, tells British Broadcasting Corp.  The final impact, he adds, "really depends where fuel prices settle.”  Oil prices reached 14-year highs after Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

IS RUSSIA TARGETING JOURNALISTS?  U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken says the U.S. is “looking very hard” at whether Russia is intentionally targeting journalists in Ukraine.

AIRCRAFT CARRIER SELLS FOR $1.  The U.S. Kitty Hawk, the last oil-powered aircraft carrier, once the biggest symbol of American military power in the Indo-Pacific, battle tested from Vietnam to the Persian Gulf and a survivor of a collision with a Soviet submarine, is sold for less than $1.

LABRADOR RETRIEVER TOP DOG. Labrador retrievers remain the American Kennel Club’s most popular dog out of 197 recognized breeds.  Coming up fast in popularity among the top five breeds:  poodles.

NEWSNATION ADDING HOURS.  NewsNation, Nexstar Media Inc.’s wholly-owned news and entertainment cable network reaching 75 million U.S. television households, will be adding 12 hours of live news programming weekly by early June.

EUROPEAN NATIONS SEEK U.S. ARMS.  In boosting defense budgets, European countries approach the U.S. government and defense contractors with a shopping list of arms including drones, missiles and missile defenses, reports Reuters.

FIRST MARVEL COMIC BOOK CARRIES BIG PRICE TAG.  The first Marvel comic book, published in 1939, sells for more than $2.4 million in an online auction.  The book launched what became the Marvel universe of comics, movies, TFV shows and video games.

EIFFEL TOWER GETS TALLER.  The Eiffel Tower in Paris adds nearly 20 feet after engineers hoist a communications antenna at the top of France’s most iconic landmark.  It’s now 1,083 feet high.

WEEKLY NEWSPAPERS CLOSING.  Gannett is closing at least 19 weekly newspapers that serve more than two dozen communities in Eastern Massachusetts while nine weeklies are being merged into four.

NORTH KOREA IN NEW ROUND OF NUCLEAR TESTING

While the news focus is on Russia and Ukraine these days, North Korea is on the road to new nuclear testing, notes Grumpy Editor.

 

Construction activity at the country’s nuclear testing ground appears to be resuming, based on satellite images.

 

The action comes four years after leader Kim Jong Un declared the site’s closure and invited foreign journalists to observe destruction of tunnels.

 

Punggye-ri in the northeast part of North Korea is the site used for the last nuclear test five years ago.

 

The country has made nine rounds of missile launches so far this year.

 

 

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FLORIDA MANATEES GOBBLE LETTUCE.  More than 55 tons of lettuce are fed to starving manatees in Florida.  It’s part of an experimental program to help the slow-moving marine mammals since their natural food is being destroyed by water pollution.

 

CONGRESS PUTS STAMP ON USPS BILL.  After more than a decade in the making, Congress passes legislation designed to place the U.S. Postal Service on stronger financial footing.  It keeps six-days-a-week deliveries. The bill awaits President Joe Biden signing it into law.

 

NO PERMIT TO CARRY WEAPON IN ALABAMA. Alabama residents will not be required to obtain a permit or undergo a background check to carry a concealed weapon starting next year, following legislation signed into law.  It makes Alabama the 22nd state to adopt that policy. 

EARTH SAFE FROM ASTEROID.  Word that a 230-foot-wide asteroid is expected to hit Earth next year turns out to be a false alarm.  When discovered, astronomers thought it would hit Earth and "do real damage" to a city.

MAN'S CLOTHING CONTAINS LIZARDS, SNAKES.   A man at the San Ysidro border crossing with Mexico is caught trying to smuggle 52 lizards and snakes hidden in his clothing.  Agents find they were tied up in small bags and say "they were concealed in the man’s jacket, pants pockets and groin area.”

  

RUSSIA IN NAME AFFECTS BUSINESS.  Russia in its name is affecting business at New York City’s 100-year-old Russian Tea Room.  Despite its name, the Russian Tea room isn’t Russian at all.  It’s owned by a financial group incorporated in New York state.  But that hasn’t stopped protesters looking to boycott all things Russian. 

RUSSIA INVASION TRIGGERS HIGHER U.S. INFLATION

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is boosting U.S. inflation, notes Grumpy Editor.

Simply put:  The economy is being affected by higher oil prices.

 

Economic consequences of Russia’s invasion are leading upward movements in commodity prices, especially energy.  “That’s going to work its way through the U.S. economy," says Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell.

 

“We’re going to see upward pressure on inflation, at least for a while,” he adds.

 

Consumer prices already are rising at the fastest pace in four decades,  jumping 7.5 percent in January from a year prior.

 

 

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NAVY RECOVERS SUBMERGED FIGHTER JET.  Concerned that China might get to it, the U.S. Navy recovers the advanced F-35C Lightning II stealth fighter jet from the bottom (12,400 feet) of the South China Sea that it lost after a crash aboard aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson a month ago. 

 

CLAM CONTAINS $100,000 PEARL.  Michael Spressler thought he'd cracked a molar after biting into a raw clam at his favorite South Jersey restaurant.  Then he finds that “it was a perfectly round pearl.”  At 8.83 millimeters, it could be worth as much as $100,000. 

 

NEW WEATHER SATELLITE IN ORBIT.  The U.S.'s latest weather satellite takes flight, designed to improve wildfire and flood forecasting across the western half of the country.  It replaces a satellite that was launched four years ago.

 

AMELIA EARHART'S HELMET AUCTIONED. The  leather helmet that Amelia Earhart wore on a flight across the Atlantic Ocean in 1928 sells at auction for $825,000.  It goes to an anonymous on-line bidder. 

 

PRESERVED SHIP'S WRECKAGE FOUND.  The 130-year-old wreckage of the ship Atlanta is discovered at the bottom of Lake Superior, 35 miles off Deer Park, Michigan.  The Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society says the ship is a "wonderfully preserved shipwreck” 650 feet below the lake's surface.

 

NORTH KOREA FIRES ANOTHER MISSILE.  North Korea fires another suspected ballistic missile into the sea, extending its streak of weapons tests this year amid a prolonged freeze in nuclear negotiations with the United States.

 

YELLOWSTONE PARK MARKS DEBUT.  Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, this month marks its establishment by an act of Congress in March, 1872, the first area in the world to be designated a national park.  It covers nearly 3,500 square miles mostly in Wyoming and into parts of Montana and Idaho. 

 

WATERLOGGED COW TAKES RIVER RIDE.  A cow carried away by floodwaters in Australia is found wandering on a beach after floating down a river in New South Wales.  The confused cow drifted about three miles down Tweed River from a farm in the Terranora area.