Grumpy Editor

COLDER THAN EXPECTED WINTER MEANS HIGHER HOME HEATING BILLS

The “once in a generation” winter storm smacking a chunk of the U.S. will result in higher heating bills in coming days, notes Grumpy Editor.

Average home heating cost is projected to jump a hefty 17 percent from last winter,  according to a report from the National Energy Assistance Directors Association.

Those with homes relying on natural gas heating will spend an average of 25 percent more this winter, projects the U.S. Energy Information Administration while those using heating oil are projected to spend 45 percent more.  Electricity users face an 11 percent hike and propane the least, at one percent. 

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U.S. ADDS 1.2 MILLION PEOPLE IN 2022.  The U.S. population expanded by 1.2 million people this year, with growth largely driven by international migration.  The nation now has 333.2 million residents, according to estimates.

BIRD FLU OUTBREAK BOOSTS EGG PRICES. An avian-influenza outbreak is driving egg prices to new records.  The disease, hitting all states, has killed millions of egg-laying chickens and turkeys.

“MADE IN CHINA” LABEL FROWNED ON.  World Trade Organization arbitrators conclude the U.S. was out of line in requiring Hong Kong-made  products to be labeled “Made in China.”

HOME SALES SLIDE FOR 10TH STRAIGHT MONTH.  Existing home sales in November across the country slid for a 10th straight month.  Potential buyers are pushed out of the market by home prices and high mortgage rates.  

BARNES & NOBLE TO ADD 30 STORES.  With robust customer demand, Barnes & Noble plans to add 30 stores next year.  All booksellers are getting a sales boost from people turning to books while confined to homes.

D.C. METROBUS RIDES TO BE FREE.  In an effort to increase ridership and reduce road congestion, the District of Columbia plans to make its Metrobus service free for all passengers.  Not included are subway and rail services.

POSTAL SERVICE AIMS TO BUY ONLY ELECTRIC VEHICLES.  The U.S. Postal Service plans to buy only electric delivery vehicles starting in 2026.  USPS plans to spend $9.6 billion over the next five years updating its fleet.

GRUMPY EDITOR WISHES A HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL.

ACTIVISTS CONCERNED ABOUT PROPOSED MINE NEAR ENDANGERED NEVADA WILDFLOWER SPECIES

 

Endangered items cited by activists always grab attention of media, observes Grumpy Editor.

Latest is a wildflower, Tiehm’s buckwheat, found only in a section of Nevada’s Esmeralda County.

 

Activists are concerned because a proposed lithium mine is slated to be built on much of the plant’s limited habitat and wipe out the species.

 

Ioneer, an Australian mining company, proposes a 1,000-foot deep open pit lithium mine where much of the buckwheat’s habitat lies.

 

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EARTH EXPERIENCES 5TH WARMEST FALL.  National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reports Earth had its 5th warmest autumn on record.  It also mentions last month was the ninth warmest November in 143 years.

ROBBERS IMPERSONATE FBI AGENTS.  Washington D.C. police are actively investigating a case where four people in tactical gear impersonated FBI agents during an armed robbery at a home. 

MOVIE THEATER ATTENDANCE DROPS.  Movie theaters, hit with COVID around the country, see b0x office action drop 34 percent from this time in 2019.  Analysts are hopeful things will improve in 2023 and beyond. 

MILITARY HOUSING ALLOWANCE RAISED.  The Pentagon plans to raise military housing allowances in the U.S. by 12 percent on average next year. It’s the largest year-over-year jump in housing allowances in many years.  The payments to about one million service members will total an estimated $26.8 billion.  

SOME DARK CHOCOLATE CONTAINS HEAVY METALS.  Consumer Reports says some kinds of dark chocolate contain potentially dangerous amounts of heavy metals.  Measuring the amount of heavy metals in 28 popular brands of dark chocolate bars, cadmium and lead is found in all. 

PARIS TOP DESTINATION CITY.  A report by British market research company Euromonitor places Paris as the world’s top city destination this year.  Here are Euromonitor’s top 10 ---

1. Paris 
2. Dubai 
3. Amsterdam 
4. Madrid 
5. Rome 
6. London
7. Munich
8. Berlin 
9. Barcelona
10. New York

 

IT’S BEEN A DANGEROUS YEAR FOR JOURNALISTS

The International Federation of Journalists says 67 journalists and media staff have been killed around the world so far this year, up from 47 last year, notes Grumpy Editor.

An Associated Press report also mentions the Brussels-based group tallies 375 journalists are in prison for their work, with the most in China, Myanmar and Turkey. Last year’s report lists 365 journalists behind bars.

 

With the number of media workers killed on the rise, the group called on governments to take more action to protect them and free journalism.

 

“The failure to act will only embolden those who seek to suppress the free flow of information and undermine the ability of people to hold their leaders to account, including in ensuring that those with power and influence do not stand in the way of open and inclusive societies," declares IFJ General Secretary Anthony Bellanger.

 

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WORDLE POPULAR AROUND THE WORLD.  Google’s most searched term globally:  Wordle. The daily word game has found mass appeal. It stems from software engineer Josh Wardle in 2021.  

 

OPERATION CHRISTMAS DROP.  The U.S. Air Force leads the way on Operation Christmas Drop in delivering essentials to remote Pacific islanders — something it has been doing for seven decades. The U.S. Air Force this year is joined by air force crews and aircraft from Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand and India.

 

NAVY ACCEPTING LOWER ENLISTMENT SCORES.  To bolster enlistment numbers, the  U.S. Navy is accepting recruits who score in a lower qualifying range on entrance exams as service leaders grapple with a complicated U.S. job market.

 

L.A. NOT AS BRIGHT AT NIGHT.  Los Angeles has become darker at night with  7,000 street light outages.  Most outages are due to copper wire theft— and the city lacks the budget to repair the outages.

 

UROLOGIST LABELED MOST STRESSFUL JOB.  There are many stressful jobs in the workforce but the most stressful in the U.S. is urologist, a medical position focused on the genitourinary systems.  But it pays around $208K a year.

 

HALF OF CRUISE SHIP PASSENGERS HAVE COVID.  A cruise ship, The Celebrity Eclipse, is reported to have half of its 3,420 passengers Covid-positive. It docked at Sydney, Australia.

LOOKING FOR FUN?  Here's how U.S. cities rank.   

Top 20 Most Fun Cities in America 1. Las Vegas, NV 11. Cincinnati, OH 2. Orlando, FL 12. Tampa, FL 3. Miami, FL 13. Fort Lauderdale, FL 4. Atlanta, GA 14. Portland, OR 5. New Orleans, LA 15. Denver, CO 6. San Francisco, CA 16. San Diego, CA 7. Austin, TX 17. Washington, DC 8. Honolulu, HI 18. Houston, TX 9. New York, NY 19. St. Louis, MO 10. Chicago, IL 20. Los Angeles, CA

WHITE COLLAR WORKERS HIT BY RECENT LAYOFFS

 

Recent layoffs have smacked white-collar workers the hardest, notes Grumpy Editor.

 

“Demand has fallen sharply for profesionals in technology, legal, scientific and finance fields,” notes The Wall Street Journal.

 

Amazon. com, for example, is cutting roughly three percent of its staff.  That translates to about 10,000 workers in its retail, devices, human resources and other divisions.

 

Salaried and office staff also are being hit at Ford Motor Co. and Walmart.

 

 

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NEW YORK TIMES STAFFERS EYE WALKOUT.  Chairman of the guild representing New York Times staffers, advises the newspaper’s publisher that “if there is no contract by Dec. 8, we are walking out.”  That will involve more than 1,000 employees.

 

MORE WOMEN IN GOVERNOR POSITIONS.  Going into the new year, a record number of women will hold governor positions.  Four newcomers join eight already in that post.

 

‘GASLIGHTING’ IS WORD OF THE YEAR.  Merriam-Webster names “gaslighting” word of the year.  It means behavior that is grossly misleading or downright deceitful.

 

WASHINGTON POST MAGAZINE TO FADE.  On Christmas Day The Washington Post is ending the print version of The Washington Post Magazine. The magazine has 10 staffers.  Those positions will be eliminated.

 

NEW FLYING WING AIRCRAFT DEBUTS. A B-21 Raider, first new long-range bomber in more than 30 years, debuts in Palmdale, Calif.  At a $750 million price tag, the B-21 boasts a futuristic flying-wing design and can fly deep behind enemy lines evading detection --- and could eventually fly without a pilot.

 

DOG SAVES OWNER IN HOUSE FIRE.   Kansas man, asleep in his bed, credits his dog with saving his life in a house fire.  With a portion of his house engulfed in flames, his whimpering six-year-old pit bull nudged his head.  Both escaped the flames.

 

CANINES FAVOR ELECTRIC CARS.  In other canine news --- after observing 20 dogs on short journeys in electric and diesel vehicles, researchers find they were more restless in diesel.  They also note dog heart rates are reduced up to 30 percent in electric cars.