Grumpy Editor

N.Y DAILY NEWS SLICES HALF ITS NEWSROOM STAFF

For Grumpy Editor, it was sad to see The New York Daily News, once the country’s largest-circulation newspaper and winner of 11 Pulitzer prizes, eliminate half of its newsroom last week as part of a broader effort to refocus the newspaper.

 

One tally indicated the newsroom was down to only 45 journalists.  That compared with 400 in 1988. 

 

Staffers were notified of the cuts via emails from its human resources department. The notifications also detailed a new direction for the paper, with an increased focus on breaking news, particularly stories about crime, civil justice and public responsibility. 

 

At it’s peak the Daily News published three million copies a day.

 

"This is a loss for New York City, for journalism, and on a smaller scale there are a lot of really good people going to be looking for work,” said Zach Haberman, who was breaking news editor.

Local newspapers continue to operate in a difficult economic reality, with publications across the country cutting jobs. 

A recent Pew Research Center report found more than one-third of U.S. newspapers experienced layoffs between January 2017 and April this year.

Media conglomerate Chicago-based Tronc bought The Daily News last September, adding it to a stable of other newspapers and magazines that include The Chicago Tribune and The Baltimore Sun.

 

 

IN CASE YOUR FAVORITE NEWS OUTLETS MISSED THESE…

 

ECONOMY MOVES AHEAD.  Robust consumer spending and heavy business investment were among factors contributing to the U.S. economy growing at the fastest pace in nearly four years in the second quarter.  It resulted in a seasonally/inflation-adjusted annual rate of 4.1 percent. 

HOUSE MEMBERS ON VACATION.  House members have quietly gone on summer recess without tackling major issues and won’t return until after Labor Day. The Senate planned to stay in session most of August after a few days off this week.  With the House empty, there’s not much senators can accomplish. 

FOXES GRAB NEWSPAPERS.  A North Carolina man, after setting up a night vision camera, discovered the source of newspapers piling up in his backyard were from  mischievous foxes.  Footage captured by James Eubanks showed a group of foxes carrying the newspapers from his neighbors yards to his.

K9 TARGET OF DRUG CARTEL.  A six-year-old German shepherd that has aided Bogota, Colombia police detect cocaine hidden in suitcases, boats and fruit shipments, has become a target of Colombia's most powerful drug gang. The cartel has offered a $7,000 reward to the person who kills of captures the canine.

POST SEEKS ID OF TRUMP GOLF PARTNERS.  The Washington Post was seeking tips from the public to identify some of President Donald Trump's  golf partners on dozens of outings since he entered office, citing a need for transparency for those whom the president spends hours with in a private setting.

BofA SAFE DEPOSIT BOXES VANISH.  Some Orangevale, Calif. Bank of America patrons said their safe deposit boxes vanished.  One customer, Susan Nomi, said when she went to open her  safe deposit box of 16 years, the  box was gone, reported the local CBS TV station.  "I was in shock," she said, adding the bank can't explain where her valuables went. “They don’t have an answer," she added but "they thanked us for letting them know."

RUSSIAN HACKERS EYE U.S. UTILITIES.  Russian hackers gained access to the control rooms of U.S. electric utilities, according to federal officials who said the hacking campaign continues. The Department of Homeland Security said the hackers got far enough that they could have caused blackouts. 

PUTIN'S SOCCER BALL GIFT TO TRUMP QUESTIONED BY SOME

A true soccer ball or a listening device?

Grumpy Editor observed that’s the question posed by some after President Donald Trump received a colorful soccer ball from Russian President Vladimir Putin at their joint press conference last week in Helsinki, Finland.

“Quite simply, Russia has devised some of the most ingenious spy devices and methods of all time, and there's plenty of reason to think they could have had the ball bugged,” warned Business Insider. 

Business Insider goes back to 1945 when “the Soviets gave the U.S. a gift so inventive and subtle that it covertly broadcast from the U.S. ambassador’s office for seven years until being exposed by dumb luck.”

South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, declared, “If it were me, I'd check the soccer ball for listening devices and never allow it in the White House.”

Also in the eyebrow-raising crowd, TMZ.com cautioned, “Security experts tell us there's a simple way of putting a bugging device inside (the soccer ball) that is difficult to detect.”

The soccer ball indeed received a close examination.

U.S. Secret Service said a routine security screening is standard for all gifts to the president.

“Luckily, whether or not the ball is a completely ordinary gesture of sporting goodwill or a covert listening device, the best place for it, as a gift from Putin to the U.S. is still probably a museum,” concluded Business Insider.

 

IN CASE YOUR FAVORITE NEWS OUTLETS MISSED THESE…

 

CLIMATE CHANGE CONFUSION.  A New York Times story puts it this way:  “Researchers say it is unclear whether climate change will make California drier or wetter on average.  What is more certain is that the state will increasingly whipsaw between extremes, with drier dry years, wetter wet ones and a rising frequency of intense periods of precipitation.”

HIGHER PRICES ON IMPORTED CARS LOOM.  Look for higher price tags on imported cars in the U.S. if President Donald Trump’s proposed 25 percent tariff on foreign-built vehicles shipped to the U.S. is enacted --- with the added cost passed on to buyers, say experts.

ALMOST $4 BILLION SET FOR TWO AIR FORCE ONE PLANES.  Boeing won a $3.9 billion deal to provide two Air Force One aircraft to be delivered by December 2024.  That would be at the end of President Donald Trump's second term (if he should reach that point).

ROLLS-ROYCE WORKING ON FLYING TAXI.  Rolls-Royce designs a propulsion system for a flying taxi and it reckons the vehicles could be a reality in the early 2020s, reports BBC. The British engine maker joins companies such as Airbus and Uber in envisioning a future of "personal air mobility.”

NEW JERSEY CONSIDERS WATER TAX.  New Jersey lawmakers are considering a tap water tax, claiming it is not a tax but a “user fee.”  Nevertheless, it would add 10 cents per 1,000 gallons of water used in homes.

EBAY LAYOFFS TRIGGER STOCK DROP.  Fortune reports EBay's stock dipped 10 percent after the company announced almost 300 layoffs in the San Francisco Bay Area and warned of lower-than-expected revenue in the current quarter. 

CHICAGO TOPS CITIES WITH RATS.  Chicago gets the distinction as the rat capital of the U.S. via a study by the apartment search service “Rent Hop.”  It notes the city received 50,963 rat complaints last year.  New York came in a distant second place, followed by Washington, D.C. and Boston.

WELLS FARGO SHUFFLE CONTINUES.  Wells Fargo now is refunding millions of dollars for products the San Francisco-based bank added to customers’ accounts without their full knowledge or understanding.

FORTUNE ILLUSTRATES HOW TO LOSE MAGAZINE SUBSCRIBERS

A long-time subscriber to Fortune magazine is baffled on receiving a renewal form enclosed with the latest issue, offering one year (14 issues) for a steep $59.95 --- four times higher than the previous renewal rate paid, observes Grumpy Editor.

And that is offered on a “professional rate extension form.”

A few days later another “professional rate extension form” arrives, this time by mail, showing the same $59.95 “deal.”

Grumpy Editor finds Fortune’s rates and number of issues vary.

Its own site (subscription.fortune.com) lists the one-year (20 issues) cost at $19.99 for print and digital.

Page 6 of the July issue puts the one-year rate at $22.

Confusing?

Fortune, founded by Henry Luce in 1929, is a member of Time Inc. which was acquired by Meredith Corp. six months ago in a $2.8 billion deal that included Time magazine, Sports Illustrated, Money and Fortune. Four months ago Meredith indicated it planned to sell those Time Inc. titles, heavy in news, because they clashed with the company’s portfolio of lifestyle publications such as Better Homes and Gardens, Family Circle, Country Life, Food & Wine and Allrecipes.

From its launch in 1930 to 1978, Fortune was published monthly. In January 1978, it went biweekly.  Then in October 2009, with declining advertising revenue and circulation, the magazine began publishing every three weeks.

Circulation, via latest tally in 2015:  837,981.

As a business magazine, Fortune is noted for issues focusing on the Fortune 500, Fortune Global 500, 100 Best Companies to Work For, 50 World's Greatest Leaders, Most Powerful Women in Business, 100 Fastest-Growing Companies and World’s Most Admired Companies.

Meanwhile, the long-time subscriber last week received by mail a “third renewal notice” still pitching the one-year $59.95 rate.  Citing it is from Yvonne Gerald, vice president, Fortune, the notice reminds:  “We have yet to hear from you.” 

That triggered the long-time subscriber to renew immediately --- but via a discount magazine outfit --- for $14.99 a year.

What is interesting, though, is that Meredith, in a recent mailed pitch, is practically giving away two-for-one subscriptions to Better Homes & Gardens, coupled with Allrecipes, along with a free cookbook, a free gardening book and a free storage solutions book.  Total one-year cost for all this reading:  $8.

 

IN CASE YOUR FAVORITE NEWS OUTLETS MISSED THESE…

 

WALLACE INTERVIEWS PUTIN TONIGHT.  Fox News anchor Chris Wallace lands an exclusive half-hour interview with Russian President Vladimir Putin.  It airs tonight after the summit with President Donald Trump in Helsinki.

FREE ONLINE MAGAZINE FOR WRITERS.  The summer issue of Writers Tricks of the Trade, a free online magazine, debuted yesterday.  Produced by Las Vegas-based Morgan St. James, author of 16 books, the 37-page issue provides information and news of interest to freelance writers.  View it at https://joom.ag/YlUY.

U.S. NAVY ALLOWS HAIRSTYLES FOR WOMEN.  U.S. Navy says it will now allow women to sport ponytails and dreadlocks,  previously-frowned on hairstyles while in uniform. Further, women in dinner dress uniform will be authorized to let their hair down below the collar of shirts or jackets. But if hairstyles present a hazard or safety concern, female sailors will need to pull their hair back.

"DOWNTON ABBEY" TO RETURN AS MOVIE.  British-produced “Downton Abbey,” a global TV hit over six seasons, is returning, this time to the big screen.  Production that reunites the Crawley family starts this summer.  Primary cast members are set to return. 

BMW GETS MAJORITY CONTROL IN CHINA.  BMW is about to become the first foreign automaker to take advantage of changes to China's foreign ownership rules in taking majority control of its 50-50 joint venture with Brilliance China Automotive Holdings --- a demonstration of China's willingness to open up market access, reports Bloomberg.

TV NETWORK ADDS MEDIA SECTION.  NBC News launches a media section and blog called The Query, led by senior media editor Claire Atkinson.  It will include news, analysis and commentary on media, marketing and entertainment.  A weekly newsletter is in the works.

OPRAH GETS INTO RESTAURANT BUSINESS.  Oprah Winfrey, on Vogue’s U.K.’s August cover, might not be running for president, but she is getting into the restaurant business with an investment in Phoenix-based True Food Kitchen, which specializes in healthy food such as fish tacos.

PFIZER BACKTRACKS ON DRUG PRICE HIKES.  Pharmaceutical conglomerate Pfizer Inc., backtracking on plans to increase drug prices following criticism by President Donald Trump, says it will restore prices to levels before July 1 when it made the changes, and they will stay there until Trump puts into effect his plan to combat high drug prices, or until the end of the year if that plan hasn't appeared.

MORE AMERICANS AGE 85-PLUS ARE WORKING

Not widely discussed is that about 255,000 Americans, 85-years-old and up, are working, representing 4.4 percent of those in that age bracket, a gain of 2.6 percent from 2006, notes Grumpy Editor.

So what are they doing?

The Washington Post aggregated census data from 2001 to 2016 to get an idea of specific occupations.  “Crossing guards are relatively likely to be age 85 or above,” observes the Post.  “The same goes for musicians, anyone who works in a funeral home, and product demonstrators like those you might find at a warehouse club store.”

Others eye management and sales, which involve less physical activity for seniors. Also driving trucks is attracting attention.

“By sheer numbers, the top job among the 85-plus-year-olds is farmers and ranchers,” the Post adds.  “It's also the one in which the distribution of older workers is most different from the distribution of the rest of the population. That category, which is distinct from farm laborers, houses 3.5 percent of the oldest workers --- but just 0.5 percent of the rest of the population.”

Grumpy Editor points out some folks in that age bracket are inspired to write memoirs.

 

IN CASE YOUR FAVORITE NEWS OUTLETS MISSED THESE…

 

BIG BALLOON TO GREET TRUMP IN LONDON.  A high-flying greeting for President Donald Trump on Friday when he visits London will be a 19-foot “Trump baby” balloon, bearing his likeness as a baby with a diaper.  The balloon, bobbing at about 100 feet, will be tethered to the ground in Parliament Square Gardens in London.

NORTH KOREA EYES SUB FOR MISSILE LAUNCH.  North Korea is reportedly developing a submarine capable of launching nuclear ballistic missiles.  Last year the communist nation talked about firing such missiles off the California coast. 

INVADE VENEZUELA?  President Donald Trump is very interested in invading Venezuela, notes Fortune, adding “an AP report details how he has repeatedly raised the issue with aides, who have repeatedly tried to explain how such a move could easily backfire."

MOMENT OF SILENCE IN NEWSROOMS.  U.S. newsrooms observed a moment of silence on Thursday for the five staffers of Maryland’s Capital Gazette who were killed a week earlier in one of the deadliest attacks on journalists in U.S. history.

INTERNS NOW GETTING PAID.  More companies are paying interns, a result of a tight labor market.  This is a switch from employing interns, a pipeline for young talent, free.

NO MORE U.S.-MADE AVON PRODUCTS.  Avon, after a century producing beauty items in the U.S., is selling its last domestic facility (in Morton Grove, Ill.) to a French cosmetics maker.

ELON MUSK SENDS ENGINEERS TO AID THAILAND RESCUE.  Tesla Inc.’s  founder and chief executive Elon Musk dispatches engineers from two of his companies to help rescuers in Thailand free the boys’ soccer team that has been trapped in a cave.

FALSE OFFER ON FREE DISNEYLAND TICKETS.  Disneyland is not giving away free tickets to 500 families to celebrate the park’s anniversary, despite an advertisement circulating on social media. The false offer looks like a coupon and features artwork of Cinderella’s Castle with Disneyland Resorts written to appear like the theme park’s trademark.

POLL BLAMES TRUMP IN MEDIA RELATIONSHIP.   A recent Rasmussen Reports survey finds 51 percent of likely U.S. voters say President Donald Trump is more to blame for his tumultuous relationship with most traditional media outlets, while 42 percent feel it’s the media’s fault.

NORTH KOREA MOVES AHEAD WITH NUCLEAR ACTIVITY DESPITE PLEDGE

As indicated here on May 28 following heavy TV and print coverage that North Korea demolished what it claimed was “its only nuclear test site” in Punggye-ri: 

At that time, Grumpy Editor --- with a raised eyebrow --- asked, “with tricky North Korea, how do we know that no other test site exists in a country spanning 46,541 square miles topped with remote mountains and uplands that cover about 80 percent of the country's land area.“

So it comes as no surprise that on June 21 --- nine days after the Singapore summit with President Donald Trump --- released satellite images revealed a rapidly-growing major nuclear research center in Yongbyon.

That development comes despite negotiations with the U.S. and a pledge last month by North Korean leader, Kim Jong Un to denuclearize.

A statement signed by Trump and Kim after the summit said North Korea “commits to work towards complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.”

It was with much fanfare last month that North Korea brought in foreign press to observe the blowing up of the Punggye-ri nuclear test site.

At that time, caution was hinted by Britain’s Independent with:  “The North did not invite international inspectors to the ceremony, which limits its value as a serious concession.”

 

Explosions at Punggye-ri, deep in the northeast mountains, were focused on three tunnels and a number of observation towers in the surrounding area.

 

IN CASE YOUR FAVORITE NEWS OUTLETS MISSED THESE…

 

FACIAL RECOGNITION TECHNOLOGY SPOTLIGHTED.  With the suspect in the Capital Gazette shootings in custody refusing to divulge his name and with problems in getting his fingerprints, authorities turned to little-mentioned facial recognition technology to identify him.  Sixteen states allow the Federal Bureau of Investigation to use that method to compare faces to driver’s license and ID photos

SEAN SPICER EYES TV.  Former White House press secretary Sean Spicer is working on developing a television show in which he interviews guests on a variety of topics.  A pilot is in the works.

ARMY PLANS MORE TIME IN INFANTRY SCHOOL.  The Army will extend time in infantry school to 22 weeks from 14 in an effort to give recruits more weapons and combat training. 

HOT DOG PRESSES HORN.  In Somerset, Britain, a dog trapped inside a sweltering vehicle for 40 minutes outside a fast food restaurant repeatedly honked the horn to attract attention for help.  It worked and the small dog was rescued.

NO GLOBAL WARMING IN ARCTIC.  Iceagenow.info reported and illustrated, via a June 26 map, how the Arctic Ocean is almost totally ice covered.

BEAR HELPS SELF TO DOUGHNUTS.  In Hendersonville, N.C., a hungry bear wandered into a garage, found fresh doughnuts in a grocery bag, pulled them out at the door and proceeded to eat them, then wandered back into the nearby woods.