Grumpy Editor

STUDY FINDS SUMMER SUN CAN WIPE OUT 90 PERCENT OF CORONAVIRUS

Although cases have grown in the past week, a new study finds the strong summer sun is capable of wiping out 90 percent or more of coronavirus living on surfaces in just 34 minutes, notes Grumpy Editor.

 

Scientists suggest “midday sunlight in most U.S. and world cities during summer” is extremely effective in inactivating the virus that causes COVID-19 when it’s been coughed or sneezed onto a surface.

 

It found the virus is most infectious during the winter months when it can live on surfaces for up to a day or more “with risk of re-aerosolization and transmission in most of cities.”

 

The study, appearing in the journal Photochemistry and Photobiology, is authored by Jose-Luis Sagripanti and David Lytle.  They are retired scientists from the U.S. Army and Food and Drug Administration, respectively.

 

IN CASE YOUR FAVORITE NEWS OUTLETS MISSED THESE...

KOREAN WAR COMMEMORATED.  North and South Korea commemorated the 70th anniversary of the start of the Korean War with ceremonies and speeches recalling a devastating conflict that left millions of soldiers and civilians dead.  The war, which started on June 25, 1950, is still open ended with a truce not a peace treaty.

RELIEF PAYMENTS SENT TO DEAD PEOPLE.  Nearly 1.1 million coronavirus relief payments totaling $1.4 billion went to dead people, reports a government watchdog.

BLACK GETS A CAPITAL B.  The Associated Press writing style guide calls for capitalizing the 'b" in using Black when referring to people in a racial, ethnic or cultural context.  A decision will be made in July on capitalizing the term white, AP adds.

SEGWAY PERSONAL TRANSPORTER PRODUCTION ENDS.  Segway, maker of a two-wheeled personal transporter, is ending production of the vehicle.

OLYMPUS QUITS CAMERA OUTPUT.  Tokyo-based Olympus Corp. is quitting the camera business after 84 years. Its main product line now is medical-imaging devices.

RHODE ISLAND NAME CHANGE IN WORKS.  Rhode Island, incorporated as The State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations in 1790, is looking to make a change with Gov. Gina Raimondo signing an executive order to drop Providence Plantations.

CHINESE NEWS OUTFITS CALLED FOREIGN MISSIONS.  The Trump administration labels four more Chinese news organizations as “foreign missions.”  They are state broadcaster China Central Television, the newspaper People’s Daily, Global Times and the semiofficial state-run China News Service.

 

GOLDEN RETRIEVER MARKS RECORD 20th BIRTHDAY.  A Tennessee dog becomes the oldest known living golden retriever in history after celebrating her 20th birthday.

 

EATERIES REDUCE MENUS.  Restaurants, including major chains,  are reducing the size of menus to streamline their operations amid the coronavirus pandemic.

 

TRUMP CITED AS WEAKER COMMANDER IN CHIEF.  A new Rasmussen Reports survey finds 56 percent of voters who are serving in the military or have served in the past now view President Donald Trump as a weaker military commander in chief compared to most recent presidents.

 

D.C. CORRESPONDENTS DINNER CANCELED.  This year's White House Correspondents' Association dinner is canceled after originally being postponed from April to Aug. 29 due to the coronavirus pandemic. 

 

RENAMING JOHN WAYNE AIRPORT SOUGHT.  California Democrats in Orange County are demanding that the county’s John Wayne Airport be renamed and all likenesses of Wayne be removed from the airport, over “racist and bigoted statements” made by Wayne in a 1971 interview with Playboy magazine.

 

 

ESKIMO PIE, AUNT JEMIMA, UNCLE BEN FACE NAME CHANGES

Black Lives Matter protests are triggering name changes in some long-used food products, notes Grumpy Editor.

Latest to retire its name is Eskimo Pie treats.  The brand, America's first chocolate-covered vanilla ice cream bar, goes back to 1920.

 

Other brands affected during the past week include Aunt Jemima, a fixture on breakfast tables for 131 years, and Uncle Ben’s rice, which goes back to 1937.

 

Eskimo Pie’s owner, Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream, says the name will be changed, with its marketing head explaining, “We are committed to being a part of the solution on racial equality, and recognize the term (Eskimo) is derogatory.”

 

Quaker Oats, a susidiary of PepsiCo, says it will retire its Aunt Jemima brand of pancake mixes, syrups and other products, pointing out it recognizes the character’s origins are “based on racial stereotype.” 

 

Mars, owner of Uncle Ben’s rice, says the brand will “evolve" in response to concerns about racial stereotyping.  The name originated from a black Texan farmer known as Uncle Ben.

 

 

IN CASE YOUR FAVORITE NEWS OUTLETS MISSED THESE...

 

2020 SET FOR WARM YEAR.  The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says 2020 is on track to be one of the warmest years on record, adding last month ties the previous record for the warmest May in recorded history.

GEORGE WASHINGTON STATUE TOPPLED.  Protesters in Portland, Oregon, wrap a bronze sculpture of first U.S. president George Washington in an American flag, set it on fire, then yank it down.  Washington owned slaves in the 1700s.

HOLLYWOOD SET FOR PRODUCTION.  Hollywood’s film and TV shows are gearing up for production with new coronavirus precautions, but extras fear they will be replaced with a green screen.  Crowd scenes are basically out.

NORTH KOREA ACTS UP --- AGAIN.  North Korea blew up an inter-Korean liaison office building just north of the heavily armed border with South Korea.  The dramatic display of anger raises tensions on the Korean Peninsula.

 

OSCARS DATE RESCHEDULED.  For only the fourth time in its history, the Oscars are being postponed. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences says the 93rd Academy Awards will now be held on April 25, 2021, eight weeks later than originally planned because of the pandemic. EIFFEL TOWER TO REOPEN.  Workers are preparing for reopening the Eiffel Tower this week after the iconic Paris landmark’s longest closure since World War II. REPTILES STOLEN.  Florida wildlife sanctuary the Everglades Wonder Gardens in Bonita Springs says a rare, albino red-tailed boa constrictor, a ball python and two Russian tortoises are stolen during a break-in. ELECTION TIME OFF FOR WORKERS.  Best Buy says it will limit store hours on Election Day so each of its roughly 125,000 employees "will have an opportunity to cast a vote in person."

 

 

CORONAVIRUS CHANGES APPEARANCE OF NEWSROOMS

 

The appearance of newsrooms is changing due to the coronavirus, notes Grumpy Editor.

 

Over the years you’ve seen movies depict active newsrooms:  from clacking of typewriters to phones ringing to busy city desks.

 

Many metropolitan newspapers now have staffers working from their residences.

 

“Newsrooms don’t look or sound like that at the moment.  And they might never again,” says Tom Jones, senior media writer at the Poynter Report.

 

“These days, because of the coronavirus, most newsrooms are dining room tables and living room couches and spare bedrooms turned into local, one-person news bureaus,” he mentions, adding “as time goes by, and journalists have become accustomed to working at home and still putting out an excellent product, a question has emerged:

 

“Are newsrooms — the actual physical offices — even needed anymore?  We will soon find out.”

 

 

IN CASE YOUR FAVORITE NEWS OUTLETS MISSED THESE…

 

 

NORTH KOREA MOVES AHEAD WITH NUCLEAR PROGRAM.  Over the weekend, North Korea says relations with the U.S. have “shifted into despair” and promises the regime would be moving ahead with its nuclear-weapons program.

 

MARINES SKIP STORMING BEACH.  While about 3,000 troops are taking part in one of the U.S. Navy’s largest maritime drills in the Baltic Sea, for the first time Marines won’t be conducting amphibious landings and storming the beach during the exercise because of coronavirus concerns.

 

GANNETT CLOSES TWO TEXAS NEWSPAPERS.  Gannett closes its Edinburg Review and Valley Town Crier newspapers at the southern tip of Texas, not far from the border with Mexico.

 

ACTION IN HOLLYWOOD GETS GREEN LIGHT.  Los Angeles health officials give Hollywood the green light to resume film and TV production...but action in front of cameras won't be starting soon.

 

HARPER'S BAZAAR GETS FIRST BLACK EDITOR-IN-CHIEF.  Samira Nasr, a former Vanity Fair fashion director, is named editor-in-chief of Harper’s Bazaar, making her the first black editor-in-chief of a Hearst-owned publication.

OLDEST LIVING GREAT DANE HONORED.  Freddy, a Great Dane crowned the world’s tallest living dog by Guinness World Records in 2017, adds a new title as the oldest living Great Dane, reaching eight years.  He is over seven feet tall when standing on his hind legs at his home in the U.K.

HOLD IT.  Not making coast-to-coast headlines is that folks who "have to go” while visiting Times Square in New York find few restrooms open to the public. Restaurants, bars and coffee shops where visitors could find relief in the past have shuttered restrooms to the public during the coronavirus. 

BANKS CONSIDER CLOSING SOME BRANCHES.  Banks are mulling closing some branches because customers are visiting them less frequently during the pandemic.

 

TRUMP FROWNS ON RENAMING MILITARY BASES.  President Donald Trump resists the push to rename 10 U.S. military bases named after Confederate officers.

 

TV'S 'COPS' DROPPED.  Following protests against police, “Cops,” after 33 seasons on television, is dropped by the Paramount Network.

MEDIA ROUGHED UP DURING NATIONWIDE PROTESTS

 

Many news media members — print and broadcast — got roughed up during the past few days as protests blossomed around the country, notes Grumpy Editor.

 

One organization tallied 230 incidents targeting journalists since the death of George Floyd in Minnesota.  They were shot at, manhandled, gassed or arrested while covering demonstrations.

 

Despite identifying himself and crew as media, NBC host Ali Velshi was hit in the leg by a rubber bullet in Minneapolis.  Also in that city, Star Tribune reporter Chris Serres twice was ordered at gunpoint to hit the ground.  Serres wrote that he was warned “if I moved an inch I’d be shot” and "waving a press badge made no difference.”

 

In St. Petersburg, Florida, two Tampa Bay Times journalists were detained by police. 

 

With the protests, there were other journalist injuries reported in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington, Philadelphia, San Diego, Pittsburgh, Denver and Detroit, among other cities.

 

A freelance photographer was shot in the face by police using rubber bullets in New York.

 

Injuries were not limited to American journalists.  An Australian reporter and cameraman were assaulted by U.S. Park police at a Washington protest. 

 

 

IN CASE YOUR FAVORITE NEWS OUTLETS MISSED THESE...

 

PANDEMIC AFFECTS D-DAY ANNIVERSARY.  Saturday’s D-Day anniversary was one of the loneliest remembrances for the June 6, 1944 D-Day landings in Normandy. The pandemic kept almost everyone away — from government leaders to frail veterans who might not get another chance for a final farewell to their fallen comrades.

 

CHURCHILL'S STATUE VANDALIZED.  Protesters in Britain — on World War II’s D-Day anniversary Saturday — vandalized a statue of the country’s most renowned leader, Winston Churchill.  Police eventually surrounded the statue in an attempt to protect it from further defacement in Parliament Square, where thousands of protesters gathered. 

 

CASINOS SPRING BACK INTO ACTION.  About half of 989 U.S. casinos --- including those on the Las Vegas Strip that were hit by the pandemic shutdown, reopened last week. 

 

WIPES BLOCK SEWERS.  Blockages in sewers and storm drains are increasing as home-bound Americans are seeking alternatives to bathroom tissue because of occasional shortages, while stepping up efforts to sanitize their dwellings and themselves with disposable wipes and masks.

 

VA CLAIMS BACKLOG SWELLS.  Backlog of Department of Veterans Affairs claims has grown by tens of thousands of cases since the department halted work because of the coronavirus pandemic, according to top VA officials. There were 119,000 backlogged claims as of Wednesday, up from 64,000 in November.

 

ADWEEK SOLD.  Los Angeles-based investment firm Shamrock Capital bought Adweek from Beringer Capital.  Adweek covers marketing and advertising. 

 

MOVIE CHAIN MAY NOT SURVIVE.  AMC, the world's largest movie theater chain closed during the pandemic, warns it may not survive because its ability to stay in business is in jeopardy if it is unable to raise funds.

 

ATMs HIT IN PHILADELPHIA.  While police coped with demonstrations in Philadelphia, thieves blew up or stole 10 ATMs, mainly at neighborhood convenience stores and gas stations in what authorities believe was a coordinated effort.

PROTESTERS HIT L.A. SYNAGOGUE.   Not widely reported was Congregation Beth Israel synagogue in the Fairfax district of Los Angeles vandalized and set on fire during protests last week.

WILL MONTHLY COLA FOR SENIORS BE LOWER NEXT YEAR?

Now that we’re into June, many seniors are looking ahead to October, wondering if the cost of living adjustment (COLA) will be lower for 2021, notes Grumpy Editor.

As pointed out by MarketWatch’s Paul Brandus:  “Here’s some bad news for the 63 million Americans — nearly one in five — who receive Social Security benefits now: It’s possible that there won’t be much of a cost of living adjustment, if any, for 2021. Why?  Because one major component of the Consumer Price Index — and thus the COLA — is fuel prices (heating oil, gasoline and so forth). These prices have plunged, thanks to the coronavirus-induced economic collapse that we’ve seen over the last few months.” 

The COLA for 2020, announced last October, was 1.6 percent.

 

Brandus points out  millions of senior citizens are heavily dependent on Social Security.

He cites Social Security Administration statistics that show Americans aged 65 and over get one third of their income from Social Security, 50 percent of married couples and 70 percent of unmarried persons rely on Social Security for half or more of their income, and 21 percent of married couples and about 45 percent of unmarried people rely on Social Security for 90 percent or more of their income.

Meanwhile, says Brandus, food costs are rising faster than the overall inflation rate, health care costs continue to soar as well, while pharmaceutical firms rang in 2020 by hiking drug prices an average 5.8 percent. 

 

IN CASE YOUR FAVORITE NEWS OUTLETS MISSED THESE…

 

G.E. QUITS BULB BUSINESS.  General Electric is quitting the lightbulb business, with roots dating back to G.E.’s founding 130 years ago when Thomas Edison invented the first incandescent lamp.

 

GRAMMYS TO SALUTE UNSUNG HEROES.  The Grammys, airing June 21 on CBS, with a “Salute to the Unsung Heroes” honoring America’s essential workers, will feature Oprah Winfrey, Brad Pitt, Herbie Hancock and Harry Connick, Jr.

 

PRINTING OF 100 AUSTRALIAN NEWSPAPERS TO CEASE.  News Corp. says it will stop printing more than 100 Australian newspapers by the end of this month.  In the move, triggered by the coronavirus pandemic, 36 will be closed outright while the others move solely to the Internet.

 

'DANGEROUS WILDCAT' SHAKES UP LONDON.  Excitement in London with sightings of a “dangerous wildcat” — with markings like that of a cheetah or leopard — on the loose in a tony neighborhood, sends police, including Scotland Yard, into overdrive.  Armed cops and helicopters are dispatched seeking the animal.  Turns out it is an oversided cat, someone’s pet.

 

LAYOFFS AT CBS.  CBS' entertainment and news divisions are going through a round of layoffs as part of restructuring following the merger with Viacom.

 

WOMAN CEO PAY TOPS AP SURVEY.  Lisa Su, with chipmaker Advanced Micro Devices, is the first woman to top the Associated Press annual survey of CEO compensation at S&P 500 companies.  Her 2019 pay package was valued at $58.5 million.

 

LARGEST OUTDOOR RODEO CANCELED.  Cheyenne (Wyoming) Frontier Days is canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic, marking the first time the event billed as the world’s largest outdoor rodeo has been called off in its 124-year history.