President Barack Obama, now at Martha’s Vineyard for his 40th vacation since taking office, on Aug. 24 will make his 14th visit to Las Vegas during his presidency, a destination he twice knocked, resulting in scaring off tourist and convention activity, notes Grumpy Editor.
In his upcoming trip, he will be the keynote speaker at the National Clean Energy Summit --- and attend a fundraiser.
Obama’s poking at Sin City started in February, 2009 when he declared, “You can’t take a trip to Las Vegas or down to the Super Bowl on the taxpayers dime.” Soon after that statement, Wells Fargo Bank and Goldman Sachs, among others, shifted major meetings from Las Vegas to other cities. Tourists also shunned the famous Las Vegas Strip.
A year later, he warned, “You don’t blow a bunch of cash in Vegas when you’re trying to save for college.” Las Vegas’ economy then soured, with thousands of casino workers losing jobs, placing the area’s unemployment among the highest in the nation, while the city soon rose to first place in U.S. home foreclosures --- which remain a major problem.
IN CASE YOUR FAVORITE NEWS OUTLETS MISSED THESE…
A major story --- involving cocaine and an unusual seagoing vessel --- received limited print coverage late last week: The U.S. Coast Guard in the eastern Pacific seized a 40-foot semi-submersible vessel carrying more than 16,000 pounds of cocaine worth $181 million after the craft was spotted by a U.S. Navy patrol aircraft. Four smugglers were arrested and the vessel, which took on water, sank…On the other hand, some newspaper editors were excited (devoting almost a half page, in some cases) over a Reuters story on identification of the remains of two Japanese hikers who disappeared on the Matterhorn mountain in the Swiss Alps during a snowstorm --- 45 years ago…How’d she get in? Following Thursday night’s GOP presidential debate in Cleveland on Fox News, a surprise guest on the scene for The Kelly File, hosted by Megyn Kelly --- one of the three Fox News quizzers at the debate --- was Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Democratic National Committee chairwoman and representative from Florida's 23rd congressional district. Kelly sought Schultz’s opinion of the debate. Want to guess what Schultz had to say about the GOP session?…On-the-hour radio news on Friday proclaimed “rosy” job growth, citing nonfarm payrolls increased a seasonally adjusted 215,000 last month, but failed to mention 93.8 million Americans were not in the labor force. Along with that, some economists said such job growth should further bolster the Federal Reserve's confidence in the economy, leading to a possible interest rate increase next month...Most editors missed a short Associated Press story on where Washington sends taxpayers' money: NASA will have to pay $490 million to send U.S. astronauts on Russian rockets to the International Space Station through 2017…Where some jobs are: A councilman in Huntington Park, near Los Angeles, said he planned to appoint two illegal immigrants to city commissions…A heart-warming story missed by many, mostly print, editors: A service dog in Philadelphia saved her blind owner’s life by alerting authorities to a house fire. When the dog’s owner shouted “danger,” it was the code word for action. So the golden Labrador dialed 911 on a specialized phone. Firefighters responded and controlled the blaze. The dog also was a hero last year when she dialed 911 after her owner fell at home and lost consciousness…Publicly-traded U.S. companies now will be required to disclose to investors how much CEOs earn compared to average workers at their firms, said the Securities and Exchange Commission…More white vs. black news: A study by University of Southern California’s Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism found 73 percent of characters in top-100 grossing movies of 2014 were white.
Aiming to be a newsmaker:
KMOV-TV, St. Louis, reporter/anchor Robin Smith, retired after 40 years in broadcasting, and plans to run for Missouri secretary of state in 2016.
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