Grumpy Editor

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.

IS IT TIME TO BRING BACK THE MILITARY DRAFT?

With happenings around the world, is it time for the U.S. to beef up its armed forces — via reinstating the draft? asks Grumpy Editor.

 

Since draft induction authority expired in 1973, it would take an act of Congress to reinstate it.  The president then would be authorized to induct civilians through the Selective Service Administration.

 

Mission of Selective Service, separate from the Defense Department, is to "register men and maintain a system that, when authorized by the President and Congress, rapidly provides personnel in a fair and equitable manner.”

 

Male U.S. citizens and immigrants ages 18 to 25 are required to register with Selective Service.  About 17 million draft-eligible men are in Selective Service files.

 

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32 CATS ACQUIRED.  The Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals-Angell Animal Medical Center took in 32 cats at its Nevins Farm location after they are surrendered by an overwhelmed owner who  no longer could care for the felines.

 

GUN OWNERS SEEK SAFETY.  In a dangerous world, most gun owners say being armed gives them a greater sense of safety.  A Rasmussen Reports national survey finds 36 percent of American adults say they or someone in their household owns a gun.  

 

SEAN PENN BUSY IN UKRAINE.  Actor Sean Penn is in the Ukraine to film a documentary on the Russian invasion of that country.  Penn, in Kyiv, is seen attending a press briefing at the presidential office.

 

GUNS LIFT TRAUMA ACTION.  Guns have overtaken vehicle crashes as the leading cause of death from trauma in the United States, a new study finds. “Suicide is responsible for the most [years of potential life lost] due to firearm deaths, and continues to increase in the U.S. at an alarming rate,” writes lead researcher Dr. Joshua Klein, Westchester Medical Center, Valhalla, N.Y.

 

PET OWNERS MUNCH ON PETS' CHOW.  An astonishing 39 percent of pet owners admit they have sampled their pets ’chow, according to a survey by ElleVet.  Of those, 53 percent admit they did so purely out of curiosity — and 29 percent claim the pet  product tastes good.

 

KANGAROO ON THE LOOSE.  Police in southeastern Denmark appeal for public help to track down what appeared to be a kangaroo hopping across a field.  No one has claimed it so far.

 

ASSAULTS  AT MILITARY ACADEMIES RISE.  The Pentagon reports sexual assaults at U.S. military academies increase during the 2020-21 school year.  The report comes despite institution of many sexual assault prevention and treatment programs. 

 

NOAA PREDICTS RISING SEA LEVELS WITHIN TWO DECADES

Sea levels on coastlines in the U.S. are forecast to rise about a foot on average within two decades, notes Grumpy Editor.

The prediction comes in a report from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

The report also notes sea levels around the globe are up about 0.55 feet in the past 100 years.

In the same time period, water along the East Coast will rise a few inches more compared with West Coast and Hawaii shorelines, adds the report.

Gulf coasts are predicted to be hit the most — with seas up about 1.5 feet.

 

IN CASE YOUR FAVORITE NEWS OUTLETS MISSED THESE…

WHERE WERE CALIFORNIA AVOCADOS?  Widely circulated news reports last week mention scarce avocados in U.S. grocery stores because they are imported from Mexico with delivery suspended after an American inspector working in Mexico's state of Michoacan receives threats.  Not mentioned, however, is that avocados also are produced in the U.S. making them not as scare as reported. But all is well now after the U.S. on Friday lifted its temporary ban on imports of Mexican avocados.

CONDE NAST TURNS PROFIT. Condé Nast, publisher of Vogue, Bon Appetit and the New Yorker, says its publications turned a profit last year for the first time in years.  It attributes that to strong digital-revenue growth and cost savings from reorganizing global operations.  The publisher says it recorded nearly $2 billion in revenue last year, a double-digit-percentage increase from 2020.

 

CARGO SHIP ADRIFT IN ATLANTIC.  A massive cargo ship, transporting thousands of luxury cars, including 1,000 Porsches among 4,000 from the Volkswagen Group, is left floating in the Atlantic Ocean after it caught fire near Terceira Island in the Azores.  The ship was enroute from Emden, Germany to Davisville, Rhode Island.  The 22 crew members are safe after being lifted from the burning ship by helicopter.

TOP PAY FOR CITIGROUP CEO. Banking’s Citigroup, based in New York, is paying Chief Executive Jane Fraser $22.5 million for her first year in that position. The figure includes salary, cash bonus and restricted stock tied to performance metrics.

BLACK BEAR ENTERS 28 HOMES.  A 500-pound black bear has been roaming the streets in the Tahoe Keys area of South Lake Tahoe, about 100 miles east of Sacramento, for seven months. In that period it causes extensive damage at 33 properties and forcefully enters 28 homes, according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.

 WOMEN SOUGHT FOR SAUDIA ARABIA POSITIONS.  A Saudi Arabia rail company, seeking to recruit 30 female candidates to drive high-speed trains between the holy cities of Mecca and Medina, receives 28,000 applications.  It marks the first time such roles have been advertised for women in the conservative Muslim kingdom.  

 SUPER BOWL GAMBLING SOARS. Gambling on the Super Bowl this year soars to records after legalized sports betting surges across the country with a report noting betting transactions are more than double last year’s total.

 

U.S. ARMY SEEKS A NEW LIGHT-ARMORED COMBAT VEHICLE

With the focus on Ukraine and Russia, a Washington Times story reports the Army "wants a new combat vehicle and is willing to pay more than $7 billion to the defense contractor that can provide it,” notes Grumpy Editor.

 

The service released a bid for the next generation Joint Light Tactical Vehicle, designed to allow troops to carry out a range of missions “while providing protected, sustained and networked mobility for personnel and payloads across the full spectrum of military operations," it adds.

 

The JLTV is a joint Army-Marine Corps project with the Army acting as the contracting agent, the Washingtonn Times points out. 

 

The light-armored vehicles designed to carry troops and cargo will replace part of the two services’ fleet of High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles, better known as Humvees.

 

IN CASE YOUR FAVORITE NEWS OUTLETS MISSED THESE…

 

 

KOALAS BECOME ENDANGERED.  Koalas, arboreal herbivorous marsupial natives to South Wales, Queensland, and the Australian Capital Territory, affected by the area's 2019-2020 bush fire, now are considered endangered.

 

CONSUMER PRICES JUMP IN JANUARY.  U.S. consumer prices jump last month --- going to a 7.5 percent annual rate --- leading to the biggest annual increase in inflation in 40 years and fueling financial markets speculation for a hefty 50 basis points interest rate hike from the Federal Reserve next month.

 

ONE-THIRD FEEL U.S. HEADING IN RIGHT DIRECTION.  Thirty percent of likely U.S. voters think the U.S. is heading in the right direction, according to a Rasmussen Reports national survey for the week ended Feb. 3.  The finding is up one point from the prior week.

 

MORNING JOE ON MSNBC GOING TO FOUR HOURS.  MSNBC’s Morning Joe program expands to four early-morning hours starting April 4.  Co-hosts Joe Scarborough, Mika Brzezinski and Willie Geist will lead the show during all those hours.

 

FEW BLACK WOMEN ARE FEDERAL JUDGES.  Black women account for a small fraction of federal judges.  Only 70 of the 3,843 people who have ever served as federal judges as of Feb. 1, 2022, have been Black women.

 

U.N. TO FOCUS ON PLASTIC POLLUTION AT SEA.  A United Nations meeting later this month will focus on plastic pollution at sea reaching high levels and what actions can be taken to stop such waste in oceans around the world.

 

NORTH KOREA AGAIN TOUTS MILITARY CAPABILITIES.  North Korea again boasts its military capabilities, including a missile it claims could strike the U.S.  With that bragging comes a North Korea Foreign Ministry statement proclaiming, "In today's world where many countries waste time dealing with the United States with submission and blind obedience, there’s only our country on this planet that can shake the world by firing a missile with the U.S. mainland in its range." 

EARLY PANDEMIC LOCKDOWNS HAD LITTLE EFFECT IN REDUCING DEATHS, SAY RESEARCHERS

Early lockdowns in the U.S. and Europe had little impact in reducing COVID-19 deaths, finds Johns Hopkins University researchers, notes Grumpy Editor.

That event during the early phase of the pandemic two years ago reduced mortality by about 0.2 percent, note researchers.

 “We find no evidence that lockdowns, school closures, border closures and limiting gatherings have had a noticeable effect on COVID-19 mortality," they add.

In addition, the researchers say the lockdowns did have “devastating effects” on the economy and “contributed to reducing economic activity.”

 

IN CASE YOUR FAVORITE NEWS SOURCES MISSED THESE…

Pentagon trespasser

CHICKEN ENTERS PENTAGON SECURITY AREA.  A wandering chicken — a brave hen — walks around a security area near the Pentagon.  Apparently the answer to “why did the chicken cross the road” is to get to the Pentagon, posts the Animal Welfare League of Arlington, Virginia.  Security people grab her.

DESIGNERS DISCONTINUE FUR ITEMS.  Some major designer brands are discontinuing fur in their products.  However, famous fashion label Gucci stopped using fur in 2018 and switched to faux furs in fashions, using a blend of modacryl, acrylic and polyester.

LASER BEAMS HIT AIR FLIGHTS NEAR SEATTLE-TACOMA.  Four air flights near Seattle-Tacoma International Airport are hit recently by a laser as a record 9,723 laser incidents are reported by pilots last year — a 41 percent jump from 2020.

ARMY EXPELS THOSE WHO NIX VACCINE.  The U.S. Army begins to expel service members who decide against receiving a COVID-19 vaccine. Secretary of the Army Christine Wormuth orders commanders to begin "involuntary administrative separation proceedings" against those who refuse to get vaccinated or don't have an approved or pending exemption.

MORE PEOPLE HIT BY OMICRON IN RECENT WEEKS.  Omicron likely has gotten more people sick in the past six weeks than in any similar period since the 1917-18 flu pandemic, reports The Wall Street Journal.  Although Omicron has peaked in many places, this month likely will bring similar caseloads “as the variant continues to spread before it flames out,” adds The Journal.

CALIFORNIA AIMS TO PROP MEDIA.  Three California state senators propose a measure aimed at propping up media organizations that cover local news after decades of consolidation and closings in the journalism field.  "A vibrant local press that informs the public and acts as a government watchdog has been vital to the survival of American democracy,” says Sen. Steve Glazer. 

GROUNDHOG PHIL SLATED TO PREDICT WEATHER

 

Grumpy Editor says look for Punxsutawney (Pa.) Phil to grab front page space on Wednesday.

 

And who is "Phil?"

 

He's a groundhog.

 

According to lore, if he leaves his borrow and fails to see his shadow, it means winter will end soon.  But if the woodchuck casts a shadow, winter will continue for six more weeks.

 

He is considered the town's ace "public relations person."

 

 

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KITTY HAWK ON LAST VOYAGE.  Aircraft carrier Kitty Hawk is on its last voyage, making its way from the West Coast to a scrap yard in Brownsville, Texas.  Sailors who served on board over the years are sad to see it go that way, preferring it to become a museum.  At 280 feet wide and more than 1,000 feet long, it's keel was laid on Dec. 27, 1958, at New York Shipbuilding, Camden, N.J.  Cost then was $178 million.

U.S. TROOPS ON ALERT.  Soldiers from the 82nd and 101st airborne divisions along with troops from other units are among the roughly 8,500 service members who have been placed on heightened alert for possible deployment to Eastern Europe should NATO request help deterring Russia from invading Ukraine.

VIETNAM WAR ANNIVERSARY.  Forty-nine years ago, U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War effectively came to an end. North Vietnam began freeing American prisoners of war, and by the end of March 1973, the last U.S. combat troops left South Vietnam.

INFLATION HIGHEST IN 40 YEARS.  U.S. inflation was 5.8 percent for 2021 as measured by the personal consumption expenditures index. The annual number is the highest since 1981.

MINNIE MOUSE GETS NEW OUTFIT.  Minnie Mouse will soon be changing into a smart blue pantsuit.  It replaces her long-seen traditional red polka dot dress while keeping her iconic bow.

OLDEST GORILLA DIES IN ATLANTA.  Ozzie, 61, a western lowland silverback and the world's oldest male gorilla, dies at Zoo Atlanta.   Cause of death is not known.

 

TV REPORTING FROM FIELD CAN BE RISKY

TV reporting in the field can be perilous sometimes, notes Grumpy Editor.

 

A reporter often faces hazards such as standing in the rain, wading through a flooded street, coping with a windy snowstorm and such.

 

Latest outside live standup event has WSAZ, Dunbar, West Virginia reporter Tori Yorgey getting knocked down after getting clipped by a car. While obviously shaken, she showed what a pro she is by getting up and continuing to report…on the weather.

 

Yorgey, working solo (as many others in TV), picked up her camera and said, “I am so glad I’m okay”  while comforting the woman driver who hit her.

 

IN CASE YOUR FAVORITE NEWS OUTLETS MISSED THESE…

 

HIGH RATE OF BANK OFFICE CLOSURES.  U.S. banks closed 2,927 branches last year, according to S&P Global Market Intelligence data. It comes after 2020 set the previous high as the Covid pandemic accelerated digital adoption.

 

BABY PACIFIERS RECALLED.  Nearly 334,000 baby pacifiers are being recalled because they could pose a choking risk. A posting by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission notes “the base of the silicone nipple has a fine slit that can cause the nipple to detach from the plastic shield, posing a choking hazard."

 

WOMAN TO HEAD L.A. FIRE DEPARTMENT.  The Los Angeles Fire Department selects a 22-year veteran --- deputy chief Kristin Crowley --- to become the first woman to lead one of the nation’s largest fire departments.

 

PET SNAKES LIVE IN HOME.  At least 124 snakes and a 49-year-old dead man are found inside his home in Charles County, Maryland.  The snakes, some identified as venomous, were in cages.

OUTER SPACE GEM SET FOR AUCTION.  A rare gem from outer space is set for a Sotheby’s auction next month.  The auction house expects the large 555.55-carat black diamond to sell for at least $6.8 million in Dubai.

 

TWO TATTOOS POPULAR.  Rasmussen Reports, in a national survey, finds 67 percent of American adults do not have tattoos, while 21 percent have two or more tattoos. 

 

 RARE OCTOPUS SEEN IN AUSTRALIA. Known for cape-like webs enclosing its tentacles, a rare blanket octopus is spotted in a “once in a lifetime” encounter off the Australian coast. 

 

 

 

Yes, it was a hot year — temperaturewise — last year, notes Grumpy Editor.

Average global surface temperature in 2021 reached the sixth highest level since record keeping began 142 years ago. 

Average temperature across land and sea surfaces last year was 1.51 degrees above average over the past century, calculates the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

That makes 2021 the 45th consecutive year in which global readings were above average.

Last year saw the hottest summer since 1936.

 

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ARMY OFFERS BIG BONUS FOR RECRUITS.  The U.S. Army, seeking to attract highly skilled recruits, is offering a maximum enlistment bonus of $50,000 to those who join for six years.

FEWER DOCK WORKERS POSE PROBLEMS.  The pandemic continues to affect unloading of about 100 container ships at the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles.  A big problem is with unavailable dock workers — about one in 10 of the daily work force, due to Covid-related reasons.

VETERINARIANS GROWTH SEEN.  A veterinarians.org study focusing on the census of veterinarians in the nation finds there is a projected growth of 17 percent in veterinary practice by 2030, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

POPE VISITS RECORD SHOP.  In Rome, Pope Francis came out of a record shop with a CD in hand.  He didn’t buy anything but shop owners gave him classical music.

CREDIT CARD SPENDING ON RISE.  Latest consumer data show credit card spending and debt levels are once again on the rise.  Federal Reserve data show revolving credit levels in November at $1.02 trillion, highest since March, 2020. 

BACK TO OFFICE STILL FROWNED ON.  The share of remote workers who would consider leaving jobs if they were asked back to the office before they felt safe rose to 55 percent as of Jan. 6, up from 45 percent a week prior, according to pollster Morning Consult.

MISUSED, OVERUSED AND USELESS WORDS FOR 2022

Some fresh four-letter words are being frowned on, notes Grumpy Editor.

“Wait, what” tops Michigan’s Lake Superior State University’s annual list of words/phrases deemed misused, overused and useless for 2022.

"Wait, what?" should "not go together under any circumstances,” the university stresses.

Other phrases include "new normal," "you're on mute," "asking for a friend," "supply chain," "at the end of the day," "that being said," "circle back" and "deep dive.”

The university adds, “avoid error in and exploitation of everyday language.  In short, do the opposite of what the public and the media did in the past year.”

The university has published the list since 1976, citing the need to "uphold, protect and support excellence in language.”

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PAYING ATTENTION TO NEWS DECLINES IN 2021.  Engagement with news content plummeted last year compared to 2020, and given the ongoing decline in interest in news about COVID-19 and politics, it doesn't look like 2022 will be much better, finds Axios.

NORTH KOREA SAYS NEW MISSILE HITS TARGET.  North Korea says its first weapons test of the new year, involving a hypersonic missile, “precisely” hits a target about 435 miles away. 

 

MANSION FOR SALE CARRIES HIGHEST PRICE TAG.  A 105,000-square-foot hillside mansion in Bel Air, California dubbed "The One," could become the most expensive property to sell in the United States when it hits the auction block next month. It spans 3.8 acres, listed at $295 million.  The home boasts 360-degree views from ocean to downtown Los Angeles.

 

COMPANY MAKES 4-DAY WORK WEEK PERMANENT.  San Francisco-based e-commerce developer Bolt makes a four-day workweek permanent.  Testing the program last fall, the results were "overwhelmingly positive,” says CEO Ryan Breslow. “I couldn’t imagine running a company any other way,” he says, adding, productivity has increased, work has been streamlined and employees are happy.

 

LIGHTNING STRIKES JAB U.S.  Experts at lightning research firm Vaisala, based in Finland, tally 194 million cloud-to-ground and in-cloud lightning events in the continental U.S. last year.

 

AIRCRAFT CARRIER SAILS WITH FEMALE SKIPPER.  Nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln is steaming toward the western Pacific on a routine deployment with a female officer in charge --- Capt. Amy Bauernschmidt.

 

WORLD'S OLDEST PERSON MARKS BIRTHDAY.  In Japan, Kane Tanaka, the world's oldest living person, turned 119 years old. Born in 1903, Tanaka married a rice shop owner at the age of 19, and worked in the family store until she was 103. She lived through a multitude of historical events, surviving two world wars and the 1918 Spanish flu.

 

TOP DOG BREEDS IN MOVIES.  Top 10 most famous dog breeds that appeared in films, compiled by Country Living magazine.

1. German Shepherd (562 films and TV credits)
2. Bulldog (284)
3. Poodle (209)
4. Doberman Pinscher (176)
5. Chihuahua (167)
6. Rottweiler (153)
7. Great Dane (149)
8. Golden Retriever (146)
9. Dachshund (126)
10. Saint Bernard (108)

CONSUMER PRICES IN FASTEST JUMP SINCE 1982

Yes, your wallet is getting thinner --- fast, observes Grumpy Editor.

In the latest reporting period, November’s 5.7 percent increase in consumer prices over the past year is the fastest pace since July, 1982.

That increase, reported by the Commerce Department, follows a 5.1 percent rise for the 12 months ended in October, continuing a string of annual price gains that have run well above the 2 percent inflation target set by the Federal Reserve.

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ASTEROID NEARS EARTH.  A “potentially hazardous” asteroid more than twice the height of New York’s Empire State Building will make a close encounter with Earth on Jan. 18.  It won’t occur again for another 200 years.

CEOs WORRY ABOUT JOBS.  A  survey finds 72 percent of chief executive officers are worried about losing their jobs in 2022 because of business disruptions. “That’s eye-poppingly high,” says Simon Freakley, CEO of management consulting firm AlixPartners, source of the survey.

FRANCE PUSHES MORE DAYS WORKING FROM HOME.   France will make working from home compulsory three days a week to contain the spread of the omicron variant. This is the second time during the pandemic that France has set such a rule, first doing so between March and May of last year. 

COFFEE SHOPS IN ICELAND.  In case you are planning a trip to Iceland, Forbes runs an article detailing the top seven coffee shops in Reykjavik, Iceland selected “for their comfy ambiance, top-notch coffee, and easy access for exploring other attractions and sites around the city.”

ALASKA ISLAND GETS WARM.  Kodiak Island in southern Alaska hit 67 degrees last week, warmer than it was in Southern California on that day.  It was the warmest December day in Alaska, according to the National Weather Service in Anchorage.  Statewide temperature records in Alaska date back to 1953.

 

BANK MAKES SURPRISE DEPOSITS.  Two thousand business accounts receive a surprise gift totaling the equivalent of $176 million from Santander bank in the U.K.  Seems the accounts were processed twice in a “scheduling issue” that the bank says has been corrected.

 

COVID-19 IMPERILS TV SPORTS.  High Covid-19 cases imperils as much as $400 million in college playoff commercials for ESPN sports network because of the growing risk of games being cancelled.

U.S. POPULATION SHOWS SMALLER INCREASE FOR 2021

 

U.S. population increased by only 393,000 people in the year ended July 1, notes Grumpy Editor.

 

That brings the total population to 331.9 million.  That includes 148,000 more births than deaths.

 

Covid-19 became the nation’s third leading cause of death during that period.

 

Birth rates have fallen steadily since the 2007-2009 recession.  But death rates have edged up, especially in states smacked by the epidemic.

 

 

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PASSPORT COST RISES TODAY.  Cost to renew a U.S. passport goes up by $20 today, reaching $130, announces the State Department.  That’s an 18.2 percent increase.

 

SAMARITAN AIDS WOMAN IN STORE.  Deshawn Pressley, an Ohio good samaritan, receives an award after he answers an 87-year-old woman’s calls for help at a grocery store when a man snatches her purse in the checkout line.  He chased the purse-snatcher out of the store in Lemon Township and into the parking lot where he takes down the suspect and makes a citizen’s arrest.

 

AUSSIE PARROTS GETTING 'DRUNK.' Parrots in Western Australia’s Kimberley region are getting “drunk”  on fermented fruit and, in some cases, dying as a result of  eating the fallen produce.

PERSON STEALS FIRE TRUCK.  Orange County, Calif, police arrest  a person suspected of stealing a fire truck from outside UCI Medical Center then driving through several cities before being detained in Anaheim.

 

MANNY AMERICANS FEEL STRESSFUL IN HOLIDAY SEASON.  Nearly half of Americans consider the holiday season more stressful than joyful and report they’re having trouble getting into the holiday spirit this year, finds a Rasmussen Reports survey.

UNUSUAL TORNADO TIME.  There is a high likelihood that December 2021 will end up as being the most prolific tornado-producing December on record once final damage surveys are completed, says AccuWeather Forecaster Randy Adkins. While tornadoes aren't uncommon during December, the likelihood of a tornado occurring on a December day in the United States is 12 to 15 percent, he points out.

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO THE MANY READERS!

DOGS HAVE FAVORITE CHRISTMAS TUNES, TOO

 

A survey in Britain finds dogs also have their favorite Christmas tunes, notes Grumpy Editor.

Research shows 90 per cent of dogs like music, although what they get from music can vary.  In line with their music taste they're most likely to be energetic — wagging their tail (23 per cent) or generally being excitable (15 per cent).

Dog owners note upbeat songs are their pets' preferred choice.

A survey of 1,000 UK dog owners finds the most popular song for pooches is Wham! Last Christmas, edging ahead of Jingle Bells and All I Want for Christmas.

 

 IN CASE YOUR FAVORITE NEWS OUTLETS MISSED THESE…

INTEREST RATE HIKES IN 2022.  Federal Reserve officials signal they are prepared to raise interest rates at least three times in 2022 in response to increased inflation, a faster timeline than expected earlier.

PANDEMIC SLICES BALI VISITORS.  The coronavirus pandemic cuts travel to tourist destinations around the world.  One normally popular attraction severely cut by global travelers is Bali.  The Indonesian island, normally receiving millions of international travelers a year, welcomes only 45 in 2021.

 

NYPD GOING FOR TESLAS.  The New York City Police Department is aiming to purchase up to 250 fully electric Tesla Model 3 sedans (at $51,940 each), a move that would put the high-performance vehicles into the hands of the nation’s largest police force.

NAVY TESTS LASER WEAPON.  A U.S. Navy ship successfully fired a new, high-energy laser weapon, destroying a training target in the Gulf of Eden which separates East Africa and the Arabian Peninsula.

FOX NEWS CHANNEL MOST VIEWED.  Fox News Channel closes 2021 --- its 25th anniversary year --- as the most-watched network on cable for the sixth straight year.

 

NEW YORK TO ALLOW NON-CITIZEN VOTES.  New York City officials give a green light to a bill that will allow more than 800,000 non-citizen residents to vote in municipal elections starting with 2023 city council races.

 

NBC FILM CREW ROBBED IN S.F.  An NBC TV sports crew in Oakland, California, is robbed at gunpoint in the entertainment and business waterfront area of Jack London Square.  Three people with firearms confront the crew, stealing a camera from their vehicle.

BEST PLACES FOR CHRISTMAS.  The personal-finance website WalletHub lists Best Places for Christmas Celebrations this year amid the stresses of the COVID-19 pandemic. WalletHub compares the 100 biggest cities based on 32 key indicators of a safe and affordable Christmas with such factors as availability of Christmas traditions, percentage of residents fully vaccinated and city’s overall generosity.

 

1. Atlanta, GA	11. Miami, FL
2. Orlando, FL	12. Chicago, IL
3. Las Vegas, NV	13. St. Louis, MO
4. Pittsburgh, PA	14. Raleigh, NC
5. San Francisco, CA	15. Denver, CO
6. Seattle, WA	16. Honolulu, HI
7. Los Angeles, CA	17. Austin, TX
8. Cincinnati, OH	18. Cleveland, OH
9. New York, NY	19. Minneapolis, MN
10. Portland, OR	20. San Diego, CA

 

BETTER DAYS COMING IN 2022, PREDICTS JP MORGAN

U.S. investment bank JP Morgan predicts 2022 will mark the end of the coronavirus pandemic and see a full global economic recovery, observes Grumpy Editor.

New vaccines and therapeutics will result in a "strong cyclical recovery, a return of global mobility and a release of pent-up demand from consumers," adds the New York-based bank.

"Our view is that 2022 will be the year of a full global recovery, an end of the pandemic, and a return to normal economic and market conditions we had prior to the COVID-19 outbreak," says Marko Kolanovic its Chief Global Markets Strategist and Co-Head of Global Research.

 

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NON-CITIZENS IN N.Y. WILL VOTE. New York City lawmakers approve a bill that lets more than 800,000 non-citizen residents vote in municipal elections, thus becoming the largest city in the country to allow non-citizens to the polls.

MEDIA FREEDOM UNDER ATTACK.  The International Federation of Journalists says media freedom continues to be under attack in much of the world this year.  It cites nine working journalists killed in Afghanistan and 102 imprisoned in China.

INFLATION JUMPS.  Consumer prices last month jumped 6.8 percent, boosting inflation to the highest level in 39 years, reports the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

 

ARMY AWARDS 39 PURPLE HEARTS.  The Army will award the Purple Heart to 39 soldiers injured when Iran struck their air base in Iraq with ballistic missiles in January, 2020.  The action follows a CBS News investigation that finds the soldiers had not been recognized with the award and denied medical benefits that come with it.

 

MARIN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA, WATER USE CUT.  Extreme drought in California is affecting 200,000 residents in Marin County.  They face curtailment of water into swimming pools, in washing cars and with outdoor irrigation, among other things, as water usage is being cut to only 55 gallons a day.

 

LOWER GASOLINE PRICES SHEAD.  Retail gasoline prices will average $3.13 per gallon this month before falling to $3.01 per gallon in January, projects the U.S. Energy and Information Administration.  The EIA expects prices to continue to drop, forecasting the annual, national average at $2.88 per gallon next year.

SOME MOVIEGOERS AVOID THEATERS.  Some 49 percent of pre-pandemic moviegoers no longer are going to theaters, according to a study from the film research company The Quorum.  As closed movie theaters reopen, many patrons are still concerned about the risk of gathering indoors with strangers.

GIANT ASTEROID HEADS TOWARD EARTH

Many people will be looking skyward on Saturday, predicts Grumpy Editor.

That’s when a giant asteroid --- a 1,082-foot space rock --- breaks into Earth’s orbit. That will lead to heavy coverage in media.

 

NASA labels it Asteroid 4660 Nereus because it’s well over 492 feet wide and will come within 4.6 million miles of Earth.

It’s expected to pass Earth at 14,700 miles per hour --- at 2.4 million miles distance.

That is considered to be a close pass for an asteroid.

 

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80TH ANNIVERSARY OF PEARL HARBOR TOMORROW.  Tomorrow marks the 80^th anniversary of the Japanese attack on the U.S. Navy base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.  The 1941 event sent the U.S. into World War II.

WORLD WAR II BOMB EXPLODES.  World War II “lingers” in Germany.  Five days ago a 550-pound bomb, dropped from an Allied aircraft during World War II, exploded at a construction site near the main train station in Munich, injuring four people.

VACCINE IS WORD OF THE YEAR.  According to Merriam Webster, word of the year is vaccine.  Just think how many times you heard it on saw it in print.

TEL AVIV MOST EXPENSIVE CITY.  Tel Aviv has leapfrogged Hong Kong and Singapore to become the world’s most expensive city to live in, according to the Economist Intelligence Unit.

 OVERDUE BOOK FROM 1911 RETURNS TO LIBRARY.  A book checked out  in 1911 from Boise, Idaho’s Carnegie Public Library is finally returned. Overdue books there used to carry a late fee of two cents a day.  But the Boise library eliminated late fees in 2019.

 

OOPS!  WRONG LEG GONE.  A 43-year-old surgeon, working in a clinic in Freistadt, Austria, is fined 2,700 euros ($3,050) for “committing grossly negligent bodily harm," in mistakingly amputating the wrong leg of a patient.

 

CLAM FESTIVAL RETURNS.  California’s Pismo Beach Clam Festival returns after a coronavirus-induced hiatus with reports that no one has seen so many clams on the beach for years.  Cal Poly San Luis Obispo researchers counted 35,000 clams in three days of surveying.

 

 SMALL NEWSROOMS SHUTTERING.  Small newsrooms around the country, some more than 100 years old and often the only news source in their areas, are closing under the weight of the coronavirus. Some are merging with nearby publications. But that means loss of local jobs.

'POT' SMOKING GAINING ACCEPTANCE AROUND U.S.

 

 

“Smoking pot” is gaining acceptance around the country, notes Grumpy Editor, who recalls when actor Robert Mitchum --- caught smoking a marijuana cigarette in 1948 --- landed in jail with a 60-day sentence.

 

“Yes, boys, I was smoking the marijuana cigarette when you came in,” he told police.

 

Now, Nevada is the latest state to allow cannabis consumption lounges as the drug gains mainstream acceptance.

 

As regulators grapple with how to oversee the businesses, dispensaries are already making plans to open the first state-sanctioned lounges by mid-2022.

 

A planned Planet 13’s cannabis superstore on the Las Vegas Strip will span 30,000 square feet of retail space alongside a cafe, a bar and a marijuana processing center.

 

 

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WALL STREET GOES INTO PANIC.   Wall Street investors sometimes get carried away.  A good example:  with announcement Friday of a new coronavirus variant detected in far-off South Africa, the Dow-Jones average made its biggest drop of the year --- 905 points.  An editorial in The Wall Street Journal notes “The panic may be driven more by the fear of new government lockdowns and social distancing than by the variant itself.”

 

EARLY U.S. COIN SELLS AT AUCTION.  One of the first coins minted in colonial New England --- a one shilling silver coin, made in Boston in 1652, sells at auction for more than $350,000.

 

SPEEDY BIRD HITCHES RIDE.  A roadrunner accidentally travels four days from Las Vegas to Westbrook, Maine, inside a moving van.  When found, a bird rehabilitation facility gets it back in shape and arranges for the bird (in a cage) to return to Las Vegas.

 

 

DOG GRABS 'BEST' TWO YEARS IN ROW.  At the annual National Dog Show in Philadelphia, history is made when a Scottish Deerhound named Claire, whIch won last year, is named “best in show.”

 

U.S. DESTROYERS GET CHAPLAINS.   The Navy is assigning chaplains to every destroyer in a bid to build and sustain resiliency among sailors.  The U.S. 6^th Fleet says placing a chaplain with a ship fosters deeper connections with the crew and command. 

DEER JOINS CLASSROOM SESSION.  Wildlife officials in Springfield, Tennessee, respond to an elementary school where a deer forces its way into a classroom through an emergency exit.  It was led to a door and trotted back into the wild.

WEST VIRGINIA CITY HAS MOST SMOKERS.  The U.S. city with the most smokers is Beckley, West Virginia, based on data from County Health Rankings & Roadmaps, a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute joint program.

THANKSGIVING THIS YEAR COMES WITH HIGHEST PRICE TAG IN YEARS

Inflation and supply chain problems are making an expensive Thanksgiving this year, notes Grumpy Editor.

Thanksgiving dinner's average cost for 10 people is $53, estimates the American Farm Bureau.

It cites a 16-pound turkey costs about $24 --- almost $5 more than the average cost a year ago.

Also contributing to a higher outlay for Thanksgiving, adds the Farm Bureau, is high global demand for food, particularly meat. 

It's the priciest meal in the survey's 36 years and up 14 percent from about $47 last year.

 

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COVID-19 DEATHS SWELL. Total reported deaths linked to COVID-19 tops 770,800 on Saturday, Johns Hopkins data show. This puts the pandemic total at more than twice the 385,343 COVID-19 deaths last year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

COMPANIES STRUGGLED TO FILL JOBS.  Although employers added 531,000 jobs last month, companies are still struggling to fill positions after about 4.4 million people quit their jobs in September.  Companies are dangling higher pay and flexible work schedules in efforts to hire and keep people.

UNIVERSITY LECTURERS STRIKE AVERTED.  A massive two-day strike by University of California lecturers that threatened widespread class cancellations is averted after the union and university reached a tentative agreement on a new contract.

POLICE LASSO STRAY PIG IN NEIGHBORHOOD.  Cincinnati, Ohio police use a pet leash to "lasso" a pig found running loose through the Bond Hill neighborhood.

 

10-POINT BUCK GOES TO CHURCH.  In other animal news, a 10-point buck seeks sanctuary inside a Sturgis, Michigan church auditorium on opening day of the state’s firearm deer hunting season. The animal later leaps through a window and back into the wild.

 

$43 MILLION PAID FOR U.S. CONSTITUTION COPY.  A rare first edition copy of the U.S. Constitution sells to an anonymous buyer at auction for about $43 million --- more than double what was expected, says Sotheby’s.

"HEADING IN RIGHT DIRECTION" UP A FRACTION.  One third of voters think the country is heading in the right direction, according to a Rasmussen Reports survey for the week ending November 11. The findings are up three points from a week earlier.  

NAVY SLOW IN PAYING SOME SAILORS.  Some Navy sailors are being forced to take out loans over months-long delays in pay to those who earned increases in their housing allowances this year stemming from marriages or moving somewhere with a higher cost of living. 

WITH WINTER, SURGE LOOMS IN COVID-19 CASES

 

A winter surge is looming in COVID-19 cases, notes Grumpy Editor.

 

Triggering increased cases are the cold months when people are spending more time indoors (often with family gatherings), closing their windows and breathing stagnant air.

 

The contagious delta variant is driving up COVID-19 hospitalizations in some areas.

 

“We’re going to see a lot of outbreaks in unvaccinated people that will result in serious illness, and it will be tragic,” Dr. Donald Milton, University of Maryland School of Public Health, tells Associate Press.

 

Grumpy Editor observes many photos of people watching crowded events without masks --- not exactly the way to reduce the virus.

 

 

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AMERICANS SET RECORD IN QUITTING JOBS.   September breaks August's record for the most Americans quitting their jobs in a month.  About 8.7 million people--- about six percent of the work force --- bid farewell to their jobs in August and September.  The Labor Department says almost four and a half million workers left jobs in September, a record for a single month.

 

NAVY LAUNCHES ANOTHER USS NEW JERSEY.  The Navy on Saturday christened the USS New Jersey, a fast-attack submarine, at Newport News, Virginia.  It's the third naval vessel to carry the name of the Garden State.

 

ENGINEER SUES RAILWAY COMPANY IN JAPAN.  A train engineer in Japan is suing his employer, West Japan Railway Co., after it clipped his wages following a one-minute delay that he claims wasn't his fault.

 

KANGAROO MAKES IT TO ROOF OF HOME.  Australia's Queensland Fire and Emergency Services firefighters say a kangaroo that appeared to be trapped on the roof of a home ended up rescuing itself.  How it got onto the house remains a mystery.

CAT ROAMS 200 MILES.  New York's Montgomery County SPCA animal shelter says a cat brought in as a stray was scanned for a microchip and found to have been missing three months earlier from a Pennsylvania home 200 miles away.  A Fort Plain resident spotted the feline wandering through the neighborhood for multiple days.

VAN GOGH WATERCOLOR PAINTING BRINGS ALMOST $36 MILLION.  Seized by Nazis, a watercolor painting by Dutch artist Vincent van Gogh sells at auction for $35.86 million, setting a new record, reports Christie's auction house. The painting, Meules de blé (Wheat Stacks), was completed in Arles, France, in 1888, two years before the famed post-impressionist painter's death.

GENERAL MILLS PONDERS SELLING NAME BRANDS.  Food giant General Mills Inc. is considering selling a portfolio of brands including Progresso soup and Helper, according to people with knowledge of the matter. The company is aiming to raise around $3 billion from the sale, they say.

COLD AIR REPLACES MONTHS OF ABOVE-NORMAL TEMPERATURES

After months of widely-covered above-normal temperatures, parts of the U.S. get a heavy dose of below-normal cold air affecting 100 million people as we head deeper into November, notes Grumpy Editor.

 

In the past few days temperatures east of the Rockies plummet as low as 25 degrees below usual readings.

 

Parts of Texas are hit with lows not seen since last February.

 

Snow showers greet residents of Michigan and parts of the Northeast.

 

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YEAR-ROUND DST PUSHED.  With daylight saving time this year ending yesterday, discussions in the U.S. and elsewhere continue in efforts to keep things brighter later throughout the year.  Daylight saving has been used on and off in the U.S. since the 1920s. In the last four years, 19 states have enacted legislation or passed resolutions to provide for year-round daylight saving time.  About 70 countries practice DST.

 

NEW TV CHANNEL GOES TO THE DOGS.  Following three years of research, Great Britain today introduces Dog TV.  It’s designed to alleviate stress, anxiety and loneliness in dogs throughout the day with programs scientifically made to provide the right company for furry friends.

 

TINY HALF-CENTURY-OLD HOME SELLS.  A 250-square-foot home, built in 1970 in Newton ,Mass, just outside Boston, sells for $315,000, after about a month on the market, although for far less than the original asking price of almost $450,000.

BEAR BREAKS INTO CAR, MESSES THINGS.  Aspen, Colorado police file an unusual report:  a bear breaks into an unlocked car, shreds seats, tears doors apart from the inside, then leaves "an extra special surprise in the back seat."

CHINA BOOSTS NUCLEAR WEAPONS WORK.  The Pentagon reports “China has accelerated the pace of its nuclear weapons development and could have up to 1,000 deliverable warheads by 2030, far exceeding projections from just one year ago.”

LOTS OF FRENCH-FRIES WITH THIS POTATO.  A potato found on a farm in Hamilton, New Zealand, weighs 17.4 pounds, possibility the largest spud on record.  Current Guinness World Records entry for the heaviest potato is a 2011 monster from Britain that weighed in at just under 11 pounds. 

 

NBC UNIVERSAL EXPANDING.  With movie and television production surging, NBCUniversal plans to build eight stages as part of a major development to boost production at its famed Universal Studios lot in Los Angeles.  Growing production stems from higher activity from Netflix, HBO Max and Amazon Prime Video, among others.

DOG CHASES MOUNTAIN LION FROM HOME.  A pit bull, named Rocky, is being called a hero by his family after chasing a mountain lion away from the back yard of a home in La Verne, California, near Angeles National Forest, and up the hill behind the property.

MEDIA/COMMUNICATIONS JOBS GRAB MOST ATTENTION

Jobs in media/communications and information technology are grabbing the most attention these days, notes Grumpy Editor.

  

Postings in those areas are getting more clicks on the web now than in February, 2020, finds a survey by Indeed, an employment website. 

 

There is less interest in lower-wage, in-person sectors like loading/stocking and personal care than before the pandemic. Thus, that triggers labor shortages in those sectors.

 

Interest in loading/stocking jobs at warehouses drops 40 percent.  Interest in food service jobs is down 18 percent while the focus on personal care jobs, home health/child care is down 33 percent and 15 percent, respectively.

 

Meanwhile, only about 37 percent of jobs can be done from home, finds an analysis by University of Chicago economists.

 

 

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CHINESE MISSILE LAUNCH "VERY CONCERNING."  A Chinese missile launch “was a very significant event of a test of a hypersonic weapon system. And it is very concerning," Gen Mark Milley tells Bloomberg.  "I don't know if it's quite a Sputnik moment, but I think it's very close to that.  It has all of our attention."

 

STREET DOG TRAVELS WIDELY.  Boji, an Istanbul street dog, is grabbing attention in Turkey by exploring the area by subway trains, buses, ferries and trams.  He has become an internet sensation by traveling solo. Most days he passes through at least 29 metro stations and takes at least two ferry rides, and gets off trains and ferries by himself.

 

MORE POLICE SPENDING VOICED.  The share of adults who say spending on policing in their area should be increased now stands at 47 percent, up from 31 percent in June last year.   Of those, 21 percent say funding for local police should be increased a lot, up from 11 percent last summer.

 

PETA SEEKS "ARM BARN" IN BASEBALL PARKS.  People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) says Major League Baseball should rename “bullpen,” where pitchers warm up, to more friendly “arm barn.”

 

TWO PERCENT CALL THEMSELVES WEALTHY.  A Rasmussen Reports national survey finds 60 percent of adults consider themselves middle class, little changed from earlier surveys.  While 20 percent consider themselves upper middle class, only two percent think they are wealthy, while 20 percent say they’re poor, up from 13 percent three years ago.

 

FEWER STUDENTS GOING TO COLLEGE.  Recent college enrollment plummets during the pandemic. This fall, it’s worse. The pandemic sees far fewer students going to college, according to preliminary data from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center.

 

WARM ATMOSPHERIC GASES GROW.  The build-up of warming gases in the atmosphere increases to record levels last year, according to the World Meteorological Organization.  It says amounts of CO2, methane and nitrous oxide jump by more than the annual average in the past 10 years. 

 

THREE STATES GRAB MOST DEFENSE DOLLARS.  California, Virginia and Texas grab the most defense dollars in the U.S.  In fiscal year 2020, Texas is awarded $83 billion in defense spending, Virginia grabs $64.3 billion while California receives $61 billion. 

FEW MASKS SEEN IN PACKED SPORTS STADIUMS

With end-of-season baseball action filling stadiums — and the virus still a concern around the country —  why are very few masks seen? wonders Grumpy Editor.

At packed, close-seating 50,000-seat Dodgers Stadium in Los Angeles, for example, only two people with masks were observed in behind-home-plate TV shots.

 

On the other hand, on many TV channels, lone news presenters in the studios — or reporting alone standing streetside outside — are wearing masks.

 

Yet to gain entrance to a doctor’s office, even when empty or with few people waiting — wearing a mask is mandatory.

 

Confusing?

 

 

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NORTH KOREA TERMS MISSILE TEST NORMAL.  Communist North Korea says its test of a “new type” of submarine-launched ballistic missile last week should be considered “normal activities” for the country and that it poses no threat to the United States.

 

FENTANYL LEADS IN OVERDOSE DEATHS.  Fentanyl – 80 to 100 times stronger than morphine – now is the leading cause of overdose deaths in the U.S. along with other synthetic opioids, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.  Overdose deaths hit a new record in the U.S. at 96,779 from March 2020 to March 2021, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

 

 

GOVERNMENT URGED TO RESTRICT FALSE INFORMATION.  Roughly half of U.S. adults (48 percent) say the government should take steps to restrict false information, even if it means losing some freedom to access and publish content, according to a Pew Research Center survey of 11,178 adults.  That is up from 39 perent in 2018. At the same time, the share of adults who say freedom of information should be protected – even if it means some misinformation is published online – has decreased to 50 percent from 58 percent.

 

COAL REMAINS KEY POWER SOURCE.  Coal, accounting for about 20 percent of U.S electricity last year, is on track to generate roughly 24 percent of the nation's power this year largely because natural gas, coal's main competitor, is pricier, says the Energy Information Administration. 

 

WAITING CARGO SHIPS SET RECORD.  The backlog of  more than 100 cargo ships anchored outside Los Angeles and Long Beach ports reaches an all-time high as a supply chain crisis continues to overwhelm America’s busiest port complex.  The bottleneck is expected to continue into next year. 

 

WOMEN DEPART WORK FORCE.  More than 300,000 women age 20 and over departed the work force last month, says an analysis from the National Women's Law Center.  It is the largest drop in this age group no longer working or looking for work since the same month last year.

 

GREYHOUND GETS GERMAN OWNER.  Dallas-based Greyhound Lines, largest intercity bus operatior in the U.S. serving large and small cities and dating back to 1914, has a new owner — from Germany.  The bus line has been hurt by the pandemic, low-cost airlines and ride-sharing services.

 

SURGE IN PET ADOPTIONS CREATES  BUSY VETS.  Many veterinarians point out that a surge in pet adoptions during the COVID-19 pandemic has led to an increase in business at vet hospitals, leading to long wait times, vet burnout and frustrated pet owners.