Grumpy Editor

While seniors’ COLA flat in 2016, illegal teens get $17,613

Social Security recipients, who saw no increase in benefits for 2016, will be interested to learn that President Obama has budgeted $17,613 for each of the estimated 75,000 Central American teens expected to cross illegally into the U.S. this year, Grumpy Editor learned from a Washington Examiner story.

That’s $2,841 more than the average annual Social Security retirement benefit of $14,772.

The Examiner pointed out the total bill to taxpayers is $1.3 billion in benefits to "unaccompanied children," more than double what the federal government spent in 2010, according to an analysis of the administration's programs for illegal minors from the Center for Immigration Studies. 

What’s more, added The Examiner, “the administration is also spending heavily on a program with the United Nations to help the illegal minors avoid the dangerous trip by declaring them refugees and handing them a plane ticket to the U.S. where, once here, they get special legal status.”

Meanwhile, U.S. seniors have been coping with rising costs in rent, medical care, prescription drugs and other items.

 

IN CASE YOUR FAVORITE NEWS OUTLETS MISSED THESE...

Overshadowed by extensive political coverage:  U.S. employers added just 160,000 jobs last month, well below the average gain of 243,000 in the prior six months.  Also missing among top headlines:  The economy expanded at an annual pace of only one percent in the past six months...TV newscasts gave ample coverage to President Obama holding a glass of Flint, Mich., city water, subject of contamination reports for weeks.  Motioning the glass, as in a toast, toward news folks, he then took what looked like a quick sip of the contents --- or did he really take a swig?  Associated Press noted the president "coughing several times during his remarks"...The Chinese surpassed the U.S. in spending on business travel last year with $291.2 billion compared with $290.2 billion spent by their American counterparts, according to a report from the Global Business Travel Association and reported in USA Today...In an international push, look for the Los Angeles Times to build overseas bureaus in Hong Kong, Lagos, Mexico City, Moscow, Mumbai, Rio de Janeiro and Seoul...The Justice Department said it no longer will call people “felons” or “convicts” after they are released from prison because it is too hard on them emotionally...The Tampa Tribune was acquired by longtime rival Tampa Bay Times (formerly the St. Petersburg Times).  Tribune subscribers will now get the Times, making it the country's fifth largest Sunday circulation newspaper...The U.S. lost about 191,000 jobs in the coal mining industry since September 2014 including about 7,000 that were lost in April, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.  That followed a 10 percent drop in coal production last year and the Energy Department predicted a 16 percent decline this year, biggest one-year drop since 1958...NPR reported eight in 10 Americans haven’t figured out what they’re having for dinner by 4 p.m...Officials voted to change the name of Bob Hope Airport (named after the famous comedian since 2003) to Hollywood Burbank Airport in an effort to increase recognition with passengers outside of Southern California...NewsBusters pointed out that in a nearly 20-minute live interview with Hillary Clinton, "MSNBC host Andrea Mitchell spent a mere 17 seconds asking the Democratic frontrunner about the ongoing e-mail scandal."

 

Grumpy Editor noticed CNN has a bad habit of indicating what is on the screen is "live" when it is not.

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S.F. shooting underscores Trump’s ‘illegals’ remarks

 

Major media are hesitant to admit it but the random killing of a 32-year-old woman in San Francisco last week underscores Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump’s remarks of crimes committed by illegal immigrants who enter the U.S. via the porous southern border, noted Grumpy Editor.

Francisco Sanchez, 45, was arrested Wednesday night after police said he shot and killed Kathryn Steinle as she walked with her father at Pier 14 along the crowded Embarcadero, a destination popular with tourists and families.

Sanchez, who was deported five times, has a rap sheet with seven felonies, and in March was released from jail in San Francisco --- despite immigration authorities asking that he be kept in custody.  In the Wednesday incident, Sanchez told police he was shooting at sea lions.

In commenting on the shooting, Trump on Friday said, “This senseless and totally preventable act of violence committed by an illegal immigrant is yet another example of why we must secure our border immediately. “This is an absolutely disgraceful situation and I am the only one that can fix it. Nobody else has the guts to even talk about it. That won’t happen if I become president.”

Liz Sullivan, mother of the shooting victim, on Friday said Sanchez “should have never been out, and now our daughter is gone forever,” adding “it’s a terrible travesty, and we lost our daughter. Everybody is trying to put the political spin on it, but it happened, and there’s no taking it back.”

In the presidential race, a CNN poll out last Thursday showed Trump in second place with 12 percent of Republican voters and GOP-leaning independents, up from 3 percent before he announced his candidacy on June 16.  Jeb Bush held top spot with 19 percent, up from 13 percent in May.

 

FYI, IN CASE YOUR FAVORITE NEWS OUTLETS MISSED THESE…

The press must be able to see, hear, witness and question the President and his or her aides on a routine basis, in addition to the daily White House briefing.  That’s one of the White House Correspondents Association’s primary goals, unveiled in detail Saturday, in search of “meaningful and consistent access to the President and his or her aides whenever and wherever they conduct the public’s business”…Delayed findings:  Hillary Clinton, Democrat presidential candidate, on Saturday accused China of stealing commercial secrets and “huge amounts of government information” and its “military is growing very quickly”…California’s Bay Area continued to be risky for TV news crews in the field.  San Francisco’s KNTV and KTVU staffers, covering a homicide, were robbed at gunpoint by two men, a cameraman was pistol whipped and $100,000 in camera equipment was stolen --- with some of the action captured live…Sneaker-maker New Balance continued to press the Pentagon to buy American-made footwear (through the company’s Boston facility) for U.S. military instead of Chinese-made footwear from rival Nike.  The Department of Defense in April announced military recruits would start using athletic shoes 100 percent manufactured in America…Chris for Hillary?  A photo snapped at a July 4 parade in suburban Washington, D.C. showed MSNBC’s Chris Mathews marching next to a woman holding a Hillary for America banner…Press passes come at a price, a lofty $500, at Wednesday’s FreedomFest in Las Vegas.  Organizers said the high figure was designed to distinguish real journalists from, say, bloggers in covering appearances by GOP presidential candidate Sen. Marco Rubio, radio-TV personality Glenn Beck, Fox Business host John Stossel and Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform. However, organizers will give a free press pass to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Nevada’s dominant newspaper.

 

In California’s first statewide rate overhaul since the 2000-01 energy crisis, electric bills for most household customers will rise over the next few years, following approval --- on quiet semi-holiday Friday --- by the state Public Utilities Commission.

The rate hikes will show up on bills starting next year.

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Trump stirs up GOP field with Washington-action talk

 

Donald Trump certainly kicked up some dust among many media members when he tossed his hat into the crowded ring of Republicans seeking the presidential nomination with his tough, straight talk that resonated with many voters who seek action from Washington and are tired of the wussies there, observed Grumpy Editor.

Grabbing much attention the day after Trump’s announcement --- 45 minutes without a teleprompter --- at his New York skyscraper Trump Tower, was the New York Daily News which illustrated the real estate magnate with a bulbous red nose on its cover.”

In a departure describing the scene of such a serious announcement, the Daily News came up with:  “The real estate magnate made a less-than-imperial entrance, emerging on the main floor of the building and then descending an escalator with his wife, Melania, who wore a strapless white dress.”

The newspaper’s story went on to say Trump “insulted Mexican immigrants, derided foreign countries and lambasted President Obama and other American leaders as ‘losers.’”

(Later, when asked about the Daily News’ “clown” cover, Trump said the Daily News is “going out of business” and needs such outlandish cover stories to hypo sales.) 

In mentioning immigrants, Trump was referring to illegals, a word that the Daily News, and other news outlets, failed to use. 

Trump also cited “it’s people from countries other than Mexico also. We have drug dealers coming across, we have rapists, we have killers, we have murderers. I mean it’s common sense, what do you think they’re going to send us their best people, their finest people? The answer is no.” 

He also declared his ability to fortify the U.S. southern border, pointing out "nobody builds walls better than me, believe me." 

“Our country is in serious trouble,” he emphasized.  “We don’t have victories anymore,” then added, “we are going to make our country great again.” 

Media didn’t hear it, of course.  But Trump’s gung-ho talk brought cheers from many Americans, coast-to-coast, who agreed. 

In holding up a financial statement, the never-shy real estate developer declared, “I’m really rich.”  He cited $9.2 billion in assets and a net worth of $8.7 billion.  

That brought a key financial news outlet to mention "rich" figures that "couldn’t be independently confirmed.”  (A task fact-checkers would be hard pressed to establish within minutes --- or hours.)

Trump later told Associated Press writer Jonathan Lemire, "I know the speech went well.  I meant everything I said and I think a lot of it resonated with different groups of people."

Lemire said, “Trump is currently polling well enough to land a spot in one of the early Republican debates, potentially pushing a more politically established candidate off the stage. His well-honed TV skills could lead to a buzzworthy performance that keeps him in the media spotlight.” 

FYI, IN CASE YOUR FAVORITE NEWS OUTLETS MISSED THESE…  

While search for two killer convicts on the loose from an upper New York state prison continued to grab print/air time, not much has been reported by key media on 121 convicted criminals (illegal immigrants) --- remaining in the U.S. despite receiving deportation orders between 2010 and 2014 --- who face murder charges.  The Daily Signal carried the report…Disclosure that hedge fund Jana Partners acquired a 7.2 percent stake in ConAgra Foods sent stock of the packaged foods giant (Slim Jim jerky, Hunt’s tomato sauce and Chef Boyardee) up 10.86 percent or $4.25 a share to $43.37 on Friday…United Airlines faced a major PR problem with 176 passengers on a flight from Chicago to London.  It took two days.  A maintenance issue diverted the Boeing 767-300 to Goose Bay, Canada.  Rather than promptly dispatching another aircraft as a replacement, United Continental Holdings placed the passengers, without access to their luggage, overnight in an unheated military barracks.  The following night, a replacement 767-300 flew the grumbling passengers to Newark then on to London, arriving the following afternoon…While basketball, hockey, soccer and football grab chunks of print space, somewhat ignored was the Baltimore Orioles, in a game with the Philadelphia Phillies, smashing a team record eight home runs, in a 19 to 3 win last Tuesday…In other baseball news, a nifty headline in The Wall Street Journal in connection with the FBI probing charges that the St. Louis Cardinals illegally accessed Houston Astros’ player information database:  FBI Is Looking Into Foul Play…Embattled TV news anchor Brian Williams was assigned by NBC News to cable as MSNBC daytime breaking news anchor starting in mid-August…In the “this just in” category:  Media just love anniversaries with scant interest.  This time, CBS News came up with commemorating the 800^th anniversary of the Magna Carta --- a charter agreed by King John of England on June 15, 1215…Meteorological buddies.  Pope Francis and President Barack Obama both agree on climate change.  The Argentine-born pontiff, 78, on Thursday demanded swift action “to save the planet from environmental ruin”…In connection with Apple, Inc.’s news app announcement earlier this month, the company said its “Apple News team is looking for passionate, knowledgeable editors to help identify and deliver the best in breaking national, global, and local news”…Another 2015 newspaper position has veteran news folks scratching heads:  The director of audience engagement title at the Los Angeles Times went last week to Alexandra Manzano, formerly with the Portland Oregonian. 

 

Now, which car was that?

Within eight minutes during yesterday’s Oakland Athletics/Los Angeles Angels game on Fox Sports were commercials or on-screen plugs for Hyundai, Lexus, Audi, Jeep and CarMax.

Feds place barriers in illegals coverage by media

Restricting media from fully covering newsworthy, front-page happenings --- especially with the government involved --- always has been a strong no-no, reminds Grumpy Editor.

Thus, it was interesting to see media back off when Health and Human Services (HHS) officials threw up a barrier to on-scene coverage of border-crossing illegal minors being housed at Fort Sill, Okla.  It is the same federal facility that on July 1 thwarted entrance by Jim Bridenstine (R-Okla.), the congressman who represents the area.

HHS later invited the media, but issued seven rules that would make any grizzly, grumpy editor pound on his desk, utter some nasty words and call for immediate action from Washington…or else.

The unusual restrictions to visiting media as spelled out by HHS “in order to protect the safety and privacy of the children” call for:

   “■ No recording devices will be allowed.

    ■ No questions will be allowed during the tour.

    ■ No interacting with staff and children at the shelter.

    ■ We ask that your questions be provided via email or phone after the tour to Kenneth Wolfe.

    ■ HHS ACF (Administration for Children and Families) public affairs will provide answers to your follow up questions as quickly as possible.

    ■ We will provide photos of the facility after the tour.

    ■ There will be no on-site interviews by HHS staff before or after the tour, all inquiries go to Kenneth Wolfe.”

“This is not transparent,” declared Bridenstine.  “HHS is trying to muzzle the media and hide the human tragedy that has resulted directly from the administration’s failure to enforce the law.”

Meanwhile, along with other restrictions imposed by the Obama administration on coverage of the young illegals making their way around the country, Media Research Center president Brent Bozell said in a Fox News interview:

"This is an administration that is becoming unglued...reacting with panic the way the Chicago machine reacts where they're just trying to ram down the throats of the public the rules as they see fit," adding "they are breaking the Constitution at every level. This seems to be the First Amendment that's threatened by these people."

Bozell added the press is taking it lying down rather than telling "the Obama administration to go fly a kite."

But grumbling among journalists is nearing a crescendo. 

Last week, 38 journalism groups, led by the Society of Professional Journalists and including the American Society of Journalists and Authors, American Society of News Editors, National Federation of Press Women and National Press Photographers Association, sent a letter to the White House assailing the president’s team for censoring media coverage, limiting access to top officials and overall “politically-driven suppression of the news” despite the president’s 2008 campaign pledge to provide transparency.

 

IN CASE YOUR FAVORITE NEWS OUTLETS MISSED THESE...

One phrase for sure you will not hear or read today through mid-week:  global warming.  That’s because a cool jet stream will be sending Midwest temperatures as much as 20 degrees below normal…Fortune magazine last week launched (without blushing over the title) a daily online newsletter highlighting news on the world’s most powerful women.  Its name?  The Broadsheet…Steve Roberts, who lives in The Oaks apartments, Santee, Calif., and whose father served for more than 25 years in the military, was told he could not display the American flag inside his apartment window --- and management will not tell him why…Nineteen veteran journalists, with 586 years of combined experience, are departing the Star Tribune, Minneapolis, on Friday, leaving the newsroom with about 230 staffers…Observed on the CNBC website before the stock market opening bell last Monday:  “U.S. stocks begin lower in pullback from record” previous day…University of Georgia researchers tally total enrollment in the nation’s journalism schools has dropped, noting the biggest decline --- 33 percent in five years --- at Columbia College Chicago which specializes in arts and media disciplines, with nearly 12,000 students pursuing degrees…The New York Times goes to great lengths to report from the West Coast on “Saving Water in California,” pointing out “the state needs much stronger conservation measures if it wants to battle its worst drought in decades and not to face severe water shortages.”

Declared President Barack Obama --- one day after he was photographed shooting pool in Texas --- in connection with the (nixed) suggestion of viewing first hand the massive influx of illegals at the Texas-Mexico border:  “I am not interested in photo ops.”

Border agents 'babysit,' miss patroling Mexican boundary

U.S. Border Patrol agents changing diapers and heating baby formula are among the unusual situations being revealed (but not widely reported) with the mounting influx of thousands of “children” --- mainly from Central American countries --- illegally crossing into the U.S., observes Grumpy Editor.

Since last Monday’s report here on shelters being sought for "unaccompanied children” (the term coined by the Obama administration to describe the foreign minors who enter the U.S. illegally), some are in their teens, old enough to be in military service --- or older.

The Los Angeles Times reports “the Rio Grande Valley (in the southernmost tip of  Texas) has become ground zero for an unprecedented surge in families and unaccompanied children flooding across the Southwest border.”

The flow from Central America is arriving at a rate of more than 35,000 a month, adds the L.A. Times.

Others slipping into the country illegally are known Mexican gang members.

Meanwhile, many of the young people who cross the border into the U.S. have never seen a doctor before, reveals Gil Kerlikowske, commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, in a Washington Times report by Stephen Dinan.

The commissioner says Border Patrol agents are being asked to do things, such as diaper changing and warming up baby formula, which are far beyond their usual activities.

Shelters for the migrant minors are reaching capacity at Lackland Air Force Base, San Antonio, Texas; Fort Sill, Lawton, Okla., Fort Bliss, El Paso, Texas, and Naval Base Ventura County, Oxnard, Calif.

So another facility being eyed this week is a vacant Social Security building in Baltimore, far from the Texas border where the illegals enter the U.S.

The Department of Homeland Security calls the assistance being given as “humanitarian aid to immigrant children.”

But not widely trumpeted is that such aid is costing U.S. taxpayers $252 a day for each minor.

 

In case you missed these…

FORGET IRAQ, LOOK AT GLOBAL WARMING.  With militants advancing on Baghdad, President Barack Obama --- far from the White House --- reminds University of California, Irvine, graduates Saturday at Angel Stadium in Anaheim about global warming.  Obama warns that rising temperatures and sea levels plus intensifying storms define “one of the most significant long-term challenges that our country and planet face.”  Then he was off to play golf Saturday and yesterday in Rancho Mirage, near Palm Springs, under warm, clear skies. Although back in Washington today, the president tomorrow heads for New York City and two fundraisers.

 

WEATHER PERSONNEL BLASTED IN NORTH KOREA.  North Korean leader Kim Jong Un isn’t concerned about global warming but in touring meteorological centers around the Communist country he voices extreme displeasure to personnel about “too many incorrect” weather forecasts.  He is irked about the weather as it relates to potential impact on the economy, and, in part, blames outdated equipment contributing to faulty forecasts.

 

TRUE BREAKING NEWS ON CNN.  A car smashed through a lobby at CNN Center, the news network’s headquarters in Atlanta.  The vehicle came to rest in the middle of the lobby around 4 a.m. on Friday.  The driver was taken into custody.  On the bright side, CNN beat other news outlets in reporting the incident.

 

MSNBC RANKS LOWEST IN TRUST FOR TV NEWS.  A poll conducted by the Brookings and Public Religion Research Institute finds just 5 percent of respondents say cable network MSNBC is the “most trusted” for television news.  Fox News Channel, at the other end, grabs 25 percent of those surveyed.

 

BAD DAY FOR NEWSPAPER EDITORS IN LOUISVILLE.  Kentucky’s Courier-Journal in one swoop last week eliminates seven editor positions, calling the action “a realignment of newsroom resources.”  Among those laid off:  Jean Porter, managing editor, and Mike Trautmann, metro editor.

 

GRETA VAN SUSTEREN MAKES FORBES LIST.   Forbes magazine in its annual world’s 100 most powerful women tally of “extraordinary icons, game changers and ceiling crashers who are asserting themselves on the world stage” places the Fox News Channel’s anchor at the 100^th spot.  No. 1 is German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Most media mum as young illegals flock into U.S

Overlooked among current major stories:  mounting problems being caused by thousands of children from El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Mexico illegally crossing --- without parents --- the border from Mexico, finds Grumpy Editor.

Administration officials say 47,000 have entered the U.S. in the past eight months.  Many of the unaccompanied minors are teenagers.  Most cross the border into Texas.

Among missing elements in most news reports:

■  The growing influx of young illegal border crossers is expected to swell to about 130,000 in the coming year.

■  Shelters for the migrant youngsters are filling rapidly.  The minors are being sent to key facilities in San Antonio, Texas; Fort Sill, Okla. and, as the influx mounts, recently-added Naval Base Ventura County in Oxnard, Calif.

■ Many are being dumped in Arizona, angering Gov. Jan Brewer who a week ago dispatched a letter (unanswered through Friday) to President Barack Obama demanding that dropping off the children at Phoenix bus stations stop immediately. She calls the program dangerous and unconscionable and demanded to know why state authorities weren't consulted or advised.

■ Highly upset Gov. Brewer adds, “I reiterate my call on President Obama to secure our southern border and terminate this operation immediately."

■  Daily cost to U.S. taxpayers in maintaining each illegal minor: $252.

■  President Barack Obama terms the growing numbers of unaccompanied children migrating to the U.S. as an "urgent humanitarian situation.”

■  Main government agencies entering the situation are Department of Homeland Security and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the latter usually involved when hurricanes, tornadoes and other disasters hit the U.S., as the unauthorized arrivals require housing, food, medical and mental health services.

■  Via London, BBC reports the White House asks Congress for $1.4 billion to cope with the growing number of young illegals.

 

In case you missed these…

ANOTHER JUMP FOR WORLD WAR II PARACHUTIST.  As part of D-Day’s 70^th anniversary activities, Jim (Pee Wee) Martin, 93, who 70 years ago with the 101^st Airborne Division parachuted over Utah Beach in Normandy, did it again last Thursday in the same sector.  Martin, from near Dayton, Ohio, says his latest jump was “wonderful, absolutely wonderful” but was easier than his 1944 jump “because there wasn’t anybody shooting at me today.”

 

CRIME COVERAGE INSPIRES COPYCATS.  In the aftermath of the Santa Barbara, Calif., shooting of college students last month, a Rasmussen Reports survey finds 44 percent of Americans tend to believe media pay too much attention to mass murders with the coverage prompting others to commit violent crimes.  One in three say media coverage is about right while 13 percent say media do not cover such events enough.

 

BBC PLANS STAFF REDUCTIONS.  British Broadcasting Corp. plans to cut about 500 news division jobs.  Another 75 to 85 positions are slated to be sliced at BBC’s United Kingdom radio operation.

 

SAN QUENTIN NEWSPAPER GETS MORE COVERAGE.  Three months after the Los Angeles Times ran an illustrated feature on San Quentin News, the monthly newspaper produced by inmates at the California prison got another boost via an illustrated New York Times feature.  Founded in 1940, the newspaper’s editor-in-chief is serving 65 years to life for crimes including burglary, robbery and skipping bail to flee to Mexico.

 

SOMETHING AMERICAN TELEVISION MISSED IN FRANCE.  During solemn ceremonies in Normandy marking the 70^th anniversary of D-Day, an alert photographer caught President Barack Obama busy chewing gum.  View the baseball-dugout-style action here.