Grumpy Editor

L.A. OFFICIALS PLAN TO CHARGE MOTORISTS BY THE MILE

Los Angeles officials, always with grabbing more taxes on their minds, have come up with a nifty (they think) idea: charge motorists more to drive, noted Grumpy Editor.

 

L.A. County politicians claimed they have no choice but to contemplate charging motorists more to drive in efforts to relieve congestion.

 

Terming it “congestion pricing,” among moves being considered are converting carpool lanes to toll lanes, taxing drivers based on the number of miles traveled and charging a fee to enter certain neighborhoods and business districts.

 

The Metropolitan Traffic Authority (MTA) figured getting more drivers off the road would allow freeing up space for better bus service, while incoming billions of dollars in revenue could fund a major expansion of the transit network.

 

But how does charging to drive, with daily commuters motoring to work and others with necessary tasks that require them to get behind the wheel, result in getting more vehicles off the roadways?  For example: How will driving a pregnant woman to a hospital be treated, especially with using a popular road?

 

How will merchants in targeted business districts feel about curbing potential customers?     

 

To avoid road fees, will there be more use of recently-developed flying cars?  That would lead to more flight control personnel.

 

MTA’s board of directors next month will be asked to approve a study and assemble a panel of experts to examine how congestion pricing would work.

 

 

IN CASE YOUR FAVORITE NEWS OUTLETS MISSED THESE…

 

 

GANNETT SLASHES JOBS.  Poynter reported Gannett Co., Inc. began slashing jobs across the country Wednesday in a cost-cutting move that was anticipated even before recent news that a hedge-fund company was planning to buy the chain that includes USA Today, Indianapolis Star, Cincinnati Enquirer, Des Moines Register, Arizona Republic and many others.

 

DAILY WHITE HOUSE PRESS BRIEFINGS SHELVED  President Donald Trump directed White House press secretary Sarah Sanders not to hold traditional daily briefings because "most (reporters) will never cover us fairly and hence, the term, Fake News!"  Last press briefing was on Dec. 18.  But there is no lack of media accessibility.  Sanders reminded that "I take questions from reporters every single day." 

 

MOST ADULTS DON'T BUY NEWSPAPERS.  A Rasmussen Reports survey tallied 63 percent of adults rarely or never buy a print version of their local newspaper, up from 57 percent last May and 30 percent 10 years ago.

 

FINE PRINT DISTRACTS WITH APPEALING AD.  A Wells Fargo half-page ad under the headline “Give your money a raise,” with an appealing savings account interest figure, also has 23 page-wide lines in hard-to-read tiny type on “to qualify for this offer...”

 

BRITISH PAPER APOLOGIZES TO FIRST LADY.  The Telegraph newspaper in Britain apologized and paid undisclosed damages to First Lady Melania Trump after publishing a Jan. 19 cover story it said contained many false statements.

DOG RETURNS HOME WITH TWO PALS.  A Concordia, Kansas, family thought their dog was lost when it did not return home from the back yard.  But the dog did return much later accompanied by another dog --- and a goat.

BERKELEY TO CHARGE FOR DISPOSABLE CUPS.  Patrons of Berkeley, California restaurants and coffee shops who don't bring reusable beverage cups, will need to pay a 25-cent fee for a disposable cup starting next January. The Disposable-Free Dining ordinance also will require eateries to provide takeout containers that are compostable by mid-2020 and to use only reusable plates and utensils for those eating in.

RUNAWAY EMUS CAPTURED IN GALVESTON.  Police in Galveston, Texas captured a pair of runaway emus ---not permitted in the city --- that had been loose after escaping from their owner's backyard.  Its owner said the large, flightless birds were brought in after the death of his mother who owned them at her Houston home.

 

DRUNK ON RUSSIAN PLANE MAKES HEADLINES IN U.S.  Must have been a dull news day when U.S. newspapers carried a story on an intoxicated passenger  threatening the crew of a Russian passenger plane flying from a Siberian city to Moscow, forcing  it to land shortly after takeoff.

WILL ARMY GIVE CURRENT FOOTWEAR THE BOOT?

With military editors mostly gone from major newspapers, there’s an absence of news on everyday developments focusing on men and women in uniform, observed Grumpy Editor.

An example:  The U.S. Army is testing new combat boots that are lighter and more comfortable.

Stars and Stripes writer John Vandiver revealed the Army Research, Development and Engineering Command Soldier Center in Natick, Mass., has developed prototypes that soldiers will wear at three basic training and active duty sites during the next four months.

The general-purpose prototypes being tested are the first significant change to basic Army combat boots in 30 years.

Vandiver quoted an overseer of the new footwear saying, “Soldiers live in their boots and many will tell you that there is no piece of equipment more important to their lethality and readiness.  A bad pair of boots will ruin a soldier’s day and possibly result in injuries, so we really believe that each of these prototype boots have the potential to improve the lives of soldiers.”

The prototypes --- up to 1.5 pounds lighter per pair than those issued today --- utilize more flexible types of leather and lighter outsoles and will be field tested on 800 recruits at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo. and Fort Jackson, S.C.

Another 900 pairs will go to soldiers at Fort Bliss, Texas, said Vandiver, adding the Army’s soldier center team will custom-fit each pair and collect solider surveys on boot performance in the spring.

 

IN CASE YOUR FAVORITE NEWS OUTLETS MISSED THESE…

 

BANKS CONTINUE TO SNUB HIGHER RATES FOR DEPOSITORS.  While growing higher interest rates have boosted income for banks, allowing them to make more money on their loans, not widely reported is that customers are starting to demand higher interest rates on deposits.

GANNETT TARGET OF TAKEOVER.  MNG Enterprises Inc. — better known as Digital First Media — made a takeover bid for Gannett Co., publisher of USA Today, Detroit Free Press, Cincinnati Enquirer, Des Moines Register, Arizona Republic and many others as the nation's largest newspaper publisher measured by total daily circulation.

VINYL SEES RESURGENCE.  Music industry consumption figures show that CDs, as expected, are declining in popularity but vinyl is experiencing a resurgence, particularly for classic albums, noted Fortune, which added cassettes also are experiencing sales growth. 

FREE ONLINE MAGAZINE FOR WRITERS.  The winter 2019 issue of Writers Tricks of the Trade, a free magazine is now online.  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/aNTa 

SEARS STILL HANGING IN.  Sears Holding Corp. received another reprieve, a bankruptcy auction win for the company’s chairman Eddie Lampert.  However, experts pointed out problems that got the retailer into trouble in the first place continue with little hope for change. 

SURVEY FINDS TRUMP APPROVAL RISES WITH LATINOS.  President Donald Trump’s approval rating among Latinos jumped almost 20 points from December to January in a NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist Poll.

FIRST FEMALE EDITOR OF CRAIN’S CHICAGO BUSINESS.  Veteran Chicago journalist Ann Dwyer, 54, will become the first female editor of Crain’s Chicago Business in its 41-year history.  She joined Crain’s from the Chicago Tribune in 1995 as a copy editor, reported Chris Roush, of Talking Biz News.

RUNAWAY DOG SHAKES UP LAX.  A runaway German Shepherd, named Cashmere, created a headache on the tarmac at Los Angeles International Airport Thursday afternoon when she escaped while being loaded onto a plane for an international flight.  Nine officers responded and after a half hour Cashmere was secured and loaded back onto the aircraft.

 

POSSIBLE MATE FOUND FOR LONELY FROG.   A Sehuencas frog, named Romeo, thought to be the last of its kind, and alone in a tank at an aquarium in Bolivia for a decade while scientists tried to find him a mate, finally may have a friend.  Scientists from a museum in Cochabamba City have found five more, first to be seen in the wild for 10 years.

GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN CURTAILS U.S. FOOD INSPECTIONS

The current partial government shutdown has dramatically curtailed routine food inspections by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, observed Grumpy Editor.

 

The FDA oversees the nation's food supply and regularly investigates foodborne illness outbreaks. 

 

The shutdown concerns many because not getting a close look are risky foods such as produce, cheese and infant formula.

 

However, according to the FDA, efforts were being made to bring back about 150 FDA workers this week to focus on riskier food items.

 

The agency usually conducts about 160 domestic food inspections a week.

 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said each year 48 million people get sick from a foodborne illness, 128,000 are hospitalized and 3,000 die.

 

CDC researchers have identified more than 250 foodborne diseases. Most of them are infections, caused by a variety of bacteria, viruses, and parasites.

 

A Wall Street Journal report said the FDA, during the shutdown “has continued to conduct inspections at foreign food facilities, and it is still inspecting imported goods coming into U.S. ports.”

 

IN CASE YOUR FAVORITE NEWS OUTLETS MISSED THESE...

 

 

GOLDEN STATE EYES BANNING PAPER RECEIPTS.  The California State Assembly proposed a bill that would ban paper receipts by Jan. 1, 2022, replacing them with digital receipts.

 

MILDER FLU SEASON AHEAD?  While earlier reports saw a big flu season ahead, the latest from U.S. health officials predicted a "gentler" flu period, based on a milder flu strain, compared to last winter's "unusually brutal one."   

 

SURVEY FINDS CONSERVATIVES OUTNUMBER LIBERALS.  A Gallup survey revealed conservatives outnumber liberals in the U.S.  Thirty-five percent of adults said they were "very conservative/conservative." Twenty-six percent said they were "liberal/very liberal." Thirty-five percent said they were "moderate."

 

TESLA  MODEL 3 BEST SELLER.  CNBC reported Tesla's Model 3 was the best-selling luxury car of 2018.  It pointed out Tesla sold more cars in the U.S. last year than it did in every previous year of the electric automaker's existence combined.

 

SUBSCRIPTION RATES VARY.  Fortune magazine still continued with different subscription renewal rates, baffling subscribers.  With the mailed magazine, an “Act Now  and Save!” message offered a one year renewal for $59.95.  Then via mail to the same subscriber, a “Last Issue!” offer for one-year print and digital showed just $10.

 

51 STAFFERS USED ON FORTUNE REPORT.  On the positive side, the latest Fortune issue’s special report on the shrinking middle class, according to editor-in-chief Clifton Leaf, “brought together the talents of 19 writers, five editors, three copy editors, 12 photographers (in 12 different cities), three photo editors, four video producers, two illustrators, two designers and one data visualization artist --- 51 people in all.”

 

NEWSPAPER LAYOFFS CONTINUE.  As the newspaper industry struggles to stem a decline in revenue, The Dallas Morning News laid off 43 employees in its newsroom and other parts of the company.

 

HUNGRY MOOSE ENTERS HOSPITAL.  Staff and patients at Alaska Regional Hospital in Anchorage were surprised to see a large moose wander inside for a quick snack on some greenery near an entrance.

TV ANCHORS ANNOUNCE BREAKING NEWS.  Two popular Cincinnati on-air TV personalities on WLWT announced they are joining forces beyond the anchor desk.  Co-anchors Sheree Paolello and Mike Dardis said they are engaged and expect to marry in late spring or early summer.

STOCK MARKET GOES ON ROLLER COASTER RIDE HEADING INTO 2019

Seems no one in Washington, which thrives on investigations, has raised an eyebrow on the stock market’s big up-and-down gyrations in the past three months, noted Grumpy Editor.

 

Heading into the new year, many investors said they reined in their optimism as investment experts warned 2019 will be another volatile year.

 

The Dow on Friday closed at 23,433.16. up a whopping 747 points from Thursday when the Dow plunged 660 points.

 

Reason for the Thursday drop was attributed to technology companies suffering their worst loss in seven years and health of the global economy.

 

The plunge, peppered with warnings of recession on the horizon, threatened to shake up confidence and spending plans of U.S.  businesses and consumers.

 

Then the next day’s rebound came with hopes for progress in the U.S.-China dispute, a strong report on the jobs market (with 312,000 positions added last month) and encouraging comments on interest rate policy from the head of the U.S. central bank.

 

“We expect a bear market rally to develop over the coming weeks, and we expect a new bull market to develop over the coming months to quarters,” said Ari Wald, a technical analyst at Oppenheimer & Co.

 

Meanwhile, the latest Rasmussen Reports national survey finds 54 percent of adults think 2019 will be at least a good year. That includes 15 percent who expect it to be one of the best years ever, 18 percent who feel it will be an excellent year and 21 percent who say it will be a good year. Only 19 percent expect 2019 to be a poor year.

 

 

IN CASE YOUR FAVORITE NEWS OUTLETS MISSED THESE…

 

MOST MANUFACTURING JOBS ADDED SINCE 1997.   Bureau of Labor Statistics said the economy added 284,000 manufacturing jobs last year, the largest increase since 1997 which saw a 304,000 gain in that category.

 

U.S. MILITARY PERSONNEL SENT TO AFRICA.  The U.S. has deployed military personnel to Central Africa to protect U.S. assets from possible “violent demonstrations” in Congo.

 

QANTAS AIRLINES NAMED SAFEST IN 2018.  Qantas was nominated as the world’s safest airline for 2019 by AirlineRatings.com, a product rating website. Others in the top 20: Air New Zealand, Alaska Airlines, All Nippon Airways, American Airlines, Austrian Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific Airways, Emirates, EVA Air, Finnair, Hawaiian Airlines, KLM, Lufthansa, Qatar, Scandinavian Airline System, Singapore Airlines, Swiss, United Airlines and the Virgin group of airlines (Atlantic and Australia).

 

INMATES EAT WELL IN FRONT OF DISGRUNTLED NON-PAID STAFFERS.  The partial government shutdown created “a delicious irony at federal prisons — inmates dining on lavish holiday meals in front of disgruntled staffers forced to work without pay,” pointed out NBC News.  The news network added that "inmates at FCI Pekin in Illinois enjoyed a fancy meal of steak and shrimp on Jan. 1. Cornish hen and Boston Creme pie were on the menu at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn. And the prisoners at a federal institution in Minnesota munched on heaping plates of chicken wings."

NEW JERSEY BIDS FAREWELL, VERMONT WELCOMES. A United Van Lines study found more people moved out of New Jersey than any other state in 2018 while more people moved to Vermont.   The moving company found 66.8 percent of moves in New Jersey were outbound while more people moved to Vermont than any other state, with a rate of 72.6 percent for inbound migration.

 

BIG TUNA SELLS FOR BIG BUCKS IN JAPAN.  A 612-pound bluefin tuna sold for a record $3 million at auction at Tokyo’s Tsukiji market.