Grumpy Editor

NORTH KOREA LEADER (AGAIN) SAYS HE'S READY TO USE NUCLEAR WEAPONS

A big yawner in the news is word that North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un warns he’s ready to use nuclear weapons in potential military conflicts with the U.S. and South Korea, notes Grumpy Editor.

This has been going on periodically since the Korean War truce in 1953.

 

In his latest outburst, the North Korean leader unleashed fiery rhetoric against the rivals he says are pushing the Communist nation to the brink of war.

 

The most recent of many U.S.-South Korea military drills apparently inspired Kim’s latest outburst.

 

Observers say while Kim increasingly threatens rivals with nuclear weapons, it’s unlikely that he would use them against superior militaries.

 

 

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HUGE GEMSTONE DISCOVERED.  A huge pink 170 carat diamond is discovered in Angola.  It is hailed as the largest gemstone found in three centuries.

 

PARTS SHORTAGE AFFECTS AIRLINES.  With air travel, in addition to labor shortages --- from pilots to air traffic controllers --- airlines are struggling with finding spare parts and engines to keep their aircraft flying.

 

BUZZ ALDRIN'S JACKET AUCTIONED.  Astronaut Buzz Aldrin’s jacket worn on his 1969 moon mission is auctioned off for nearly $2.8 million.  Auction house Sotheby’s says that amount is the highest paid for any American space-flown artifact.

 

ELEPHANTS AFFECTED BY CLIMATE CHANGE.  Climate change is affecting elephants in Kenya.  As Kenya battles its worst drought in four decades, officials say the crisis is killing 20 times more elephants than poaching. 

 

2024 REOPENING SEEN FOR NOTRE DAME CATHEDRAL.  Notre Dame Cathedral, the 13th century Paris monument that caught fire in April, 2019, is on track to reopen in 2024, says France's culture minister.  It is being restored to its previous design.

 

NORTHERN NEVADA ADDS CASINO.  Northern Nevada’s first new casino in more than 20 years is set to open Aug. 30.  The casino and dining at Legends Bay Casino in Reno-Sparks, covers 80,000 square feet.

 

REMOTE WORKERS CITE DOGS.  Nearly half (48 percent) of remote workers who own dogs say they would work in a remote position so they can continue to be home with their dogs. Of those, 48 percent are women and 50 percent are men.

 

NORTH KOREA PLANS TO SPEED UP NUCLEAR WEAPONS DEVELOPMENT

A few days after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un vows to speed up development of nuclear weapons, the Communist nation launches a ballistic missile, notes Grumpy Editor.

 

The launch is North Korea’s 14th round of weapons firing in four months.

 

South Korea calls the repeated ballistic missile launches “a grave threat” that would undermine international peace and security.  It’s also a violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions banning such missile launches by North Korea.

 

Japan also condemns the launch, saying North Korea’s missile actions that “threatens the peace, safety and stability of the international community are impermissible.”

 

 

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ON THE MOVE.  Boeing Co. plans to move its headquarters from Chicago to the Washington, D.C., area.  Behind the move:  its executives will be closer to key federal government officials.  Boeing moved its corporate offices to Chicago from Seattle in 2001.

 

DARING AFTERNOON JEWELRY ROBBERY IN PARIS.  Armed men in mid-afternoon rob a Chanel jewelry boutique in Paris then escape on two motorcycles.

 

MORE BEER FLOWS IN FIRST QUARTER.  The company that owns Budweiser says it sold more beer at higher prices in this year’s first quarter — for better-than-expected earnings.

 

LONGEST CAREER WITH SAME COMPANY SET.  A man who works at a Brazilian textile company sets a record (84 years) for having the longest career with the same company.  He turned 100 last month and made it to Guinness World Records.

 

AIRBUS PLANS EXPANSION AT ALABAMA FACTORY.  In an effort to boost production of its best-selling A320 single-aisle airliner, London-based Airbus SE plans to build a second assembly line at its Alabama jet factory.

 

KNEE PAIN FORCES POPE INTO WHEELCHAIR.  Knee pain forces Pope Francis to meet audiences in a wheelchair.  The 85-year-old pope is suffereing from strained ligaments in his right knee.

 

GOLDEN STATE'S FOUR-DAY WORK WEEK SHELVED.  California’s much touted plan to institute a four-day work week for hourly employees is shelved after it failed to advance in the state assembly.

 

ANOTHER JOURNALIST KILLED IN MEXICO.  Ramírez Ramos, 59, was the ninth reporter or photographer killed this year in Mexico, making the country the most dangerous place in the world for the press outside war zones.

 

 

 

NORTH KOREA’S LATEST MISSILE TEST SHOWS ITS ICBM COULD THREATEN U.S. MAINLAND

 

Experts say the latest missile to be test-launched by North Korea has the capability to strike the U.S. mainland, notes Grumpy Editor.

 

The Communist country’s 12th test this year saw the latest ICBM soar higher and longer than a previous ICBM test in November, 2017.

 

Launched from North Korea’s Sunan area, it reached an altitute of more than 3,700 miles and treveled more than 680 miles. 

 

Sources said the missile flew for about 71 minutes.

 

North Korea’s state media reported that it met all the test parameters and that its use “can be guaranteed scientifically, technically and practically under wartime.”

 

 

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CAPITOL RESUMES GUIDED TOURS TODAY.  The U.S. Capitol today will restart guided tours to the public for limited groups that have registered in advance.  The Covid-19 pandemic prompted the cessation of the tours two years ago.

 

CAR, TRUCK LEASING EBBS.  The Covid-19 pandemic is affecting the percentage of new cars and trucks leased with activity dropping to 19 percent of overall retail sales through March 13, lowest since 2009.

 

LONGEST NON-STOP FLIGHT.  Air New Zealand plans its longest-ever non-stop passenger flight with an 8,828-mile New York to New Zealand flight.  It will take 16 hours, 15 minutes.

DOG NIGHTLY  VIEWS SUNSET.  Newsweek featured a photo of a golden retriever that nightly sits at the same spot on a bluff overlooking the ocean to observe the sun settling toward the horizon. 

 

DRIVING INTO ALLIGATOR PROVES FATAL.  A 59-year-old man dies after his car crashes into an 11-foot alligator on Florida road.  The impact causes John Hopkins’ car to veer off the road and flip into a ditch.  He is pronounced dead at the scene.

 

UNIVERSITY DEBUTS HAPPINESS COURSE.  Centenary University in Hackettstown, New Jersey, introduces the world’s first Master of Arts in Happiness Studies.  It will cost students $17,700.

 

NEW COLA INTRODUCED.  PepsiCo and IHOP team to produce a limited-edition cola --- incorporating flavors of maple syrup and soda --- available only to the first 2,000 fans online who respond with photos of their pancakes.

MAURY POVICH RETIRING.  Veteran daytime talk show host Maury Povich, 83, is retiring, with the last original episodes of “Maury” set for broadcast in September after 31 years on the air.  NBC Universal says “the show has thousands of lively, entertaining and dramatic episodes that will continue to be successful in daytime for years to come.”

LION WANTS HAIR DONE?  Police and animal control officers capture a mountain lion trying to enter a beauty salon in a busy shopping center in in Irvine, Calif.  It was tranquilized by animal control and transported to a local veterinarian.

NORTH KOREA IN NEW ROUND OF NUCLEAR TESTING

While the news focus is on Russia and Ukraine these days, North Korea is on the road to new nuclear testing, notes Grumpy Editor.

 

Construction activity at the country’s nuclear testing ground appears to be resuming, based on satellite images.

 

The action comes four years after leader Kim Jong Un declared the site’s closure and invited foreign journalists to observe destruction of tunnels.

 

Punggye-ri in the northeast part of North Korea is the site used for the last nuclear test five years ago.

 

The country has made nine rounds of missile launches so far this year.

 

 

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FLORIDA MANATEES GOBBLE LETTUCE.  More than 55 tons of lettuce are fed to starving manatees in Florida.  It’s part of an experimental program to help the slow-moving marine mammals since their natural food is being destroyed by water pollution.

 

CONGRESS PUTS STAMP ON USPS BILL.  After more than a decade in the making, Congress passes legislation designed to place the U.S. Postal Service on stronger financial footing.  It keeps six-days-a-week deliveries. The bill awaits President Joe Biden signing it into law.

 

NO PERMIT TO CARRY WEAPON IN ALABAMA. Alabama residents will not be required to obtain a permit or undergo a background check to carry a concealed weapon starting next year, following legislation signed into law.  It makes Alabama the 22nd state to adopt that policy. 

EARTH SAFE FROM ASTEROID.  Word that a 230-foot-wide asteroid is expected to hit Earth next year turns out to be a false alarm.  When discovered, astronomers thought it would hit Earth and "do real damage" to a city.

MAN'S CLOTHING CONTAINS LIZARDS, SNAKES.   A man at the San Ysidro border crossing with Mexico is caught trying to smuggle 52 lizards and snakes hidden in his clothing.  Agents find they were tied up in small bags and say "they were concealed in the man’s jacket, pants pockets and groin area.”

  

RUSSIA IN NAME AFFECTS BUSINESS.  Russia in its name is affecting business at New York City’s 100-year-old Russian Tea Room.  Despite its name, the Russian Tea room isn’t Russian at all.  It’s owned by a financial group incorporated in New York state.  But that hasn’t stopped protesters looking to boycott all things Russian. 

U.S.-NORTH KOREA TALKS PROVIDE LITTLE ACTION --- AGAIN

Grumpy Editor observed "there wasn’t much action coming out of the latest U.S. talks with North Korea focusing on nuclear disarmament."

Was that line from last week's two-day summit in Hanoi?

No, it was from Grumpy Editor's posting on Feb. 27, 2012 under the headline:  LATEST U.S.-NORTH KOREA TALKS PROVIDE LITTLE ACTION.

So, exactly seven years later, there has been no change in North Korea stringing the U.S. along in talks such as the meeting last week between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

Also, North Korea continues the threat that it is ready for war.  

Mentioned as one of the upcoming highlights during the two-day summit was a joint signing ceremony that would officially end the Korean War.  But that was cancelled.

Few in media seem to be aware that the Korean War, which started 69 years ago --- before most people in media were born --- remains open-ended.  A peace treaty was never concluded.

Also labeled "The Forgotten War,” the Korean War erupted when 135,000 communist North Korean troops crossed the 38th parallel into South Korea in pre-dawn hours of June 25, 1950. Battles, many involving Chinese soldiers, ended with a cease fire on July 27, 1953. 

For the U.S., that war resulted in 33,739 military lives lost and 103,284 wounded in action.  More than 7,500 U.S. troops  remain unaccounted.

So we'll see what happens at the next two-day summit.

 

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L.A. RECORDS COLD FEBRUARY.  Last month turned out to be the coldest February in downtown Los Angeles since 1962, with the average high temperature at 60.6 degrees, eight degrees below normal, tallied the National Weather Service.  Snow fell in some parts of the city.

 

VETS WITH PURPLE HEARTS GET FASTER ACTION.  In efforts to provide faster claims decisions, the Department of Veterans Affairs starting next month will give priority consideration to combat veterans with Purple Hearts when processing claims.

 

ACCUWEATHER'S ABRAMS RETIRES.  AccuWeather’s popular meteorologist Elliot Abrams retired, marking the end of a 51-year broadcasting career for one of America’s most highly regarded weather forecasters. He said he knew he wanted to be a weatherman when he was five years old.

 

CONDUCTOR ANDRE PREVIN DIES.  Pianist, composer and conductor Andre Previn died, age 89, in his Manhattan home. Once married to actress Mia Farrow, Previn went overseas during the Korean War as a member of  the 40^th Infantry Division, which contained many California National Guard members. 

 

G.E. TRIMS 30,000 FROM PAYROLL.  General Electric disclosed that last year in let go 30,000 workers as the conglomerate sold some of its operations.   About 283,000 workers remain.

 

BRYCE HARPER IN RECORD BASEBALL DEAL.  Baseball player Bryce Harper, a star outfielder, signed a record $330 million, 13-year contract with the Philadelphia Phillies, marking the largest such financial deal in baseball history. 

 

MERRILL LYNCH NAME FADING.  Bank of America said it would phase out the Merrill Lynch name from its family of operations. However, it will rename most of its wealth management operations Merrill.  BofA acquired the investment bank, founded in 1914, 11 years ago.

 

BLOOMBERG EXPANDS IN BEIJING, SHANGHAI.  Bloomberg Television is opening a studio in its Beijing bureau while constructing another studio at its Shanghai bureau that will be operational soon.

 

VINYL DISCS COMEBACK CONTINUES.  Recorded music retail revenues in the U.S. last year increased about 12 percent, to $9.85 billion.  Sales of the old favorite, vinyl, continued a comeback, up 7.9 percent, at $419.2 million. 

WARNING ISSUED ON BAHAMAS.  U.S. State Department issued a level 2 travel advisory warning for the Bahamas, triggered by crime, including burglaries, robberies, sexual assault and risks associated with using unregulated recreational watercraft.

EX-BUSH SERVICE DOG JOINS NAVY.  Sully H.W. Bush, the former service dog to late President George H.W. Bush, started a new job with the Navy at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center outside Washington. The yellow Labrador was appointed to the rank of hospital corpsman second class.

USS PUEBLO VETERANS WOULD LIKE U.S. TO GET SHIP BACK

A gathering last week in Pueblo, Colo. reminded some people --- but most media missed it --- of the capture by North Korea of the USS Pueblo a half century ago, noted Grumpy Editor.

North Korean MiG fighter jets and patrol boats opened fire on the American spy ship, leading to the first capture of a U.S. Navy ship since the War of 1812.

 

In the Jan. 23, 1968 incident, one crew member was killed and 82 others were taken captive and held for 11 months in North Korean prisons where they were tortured.

“The crew of the USS Pueblo would like to get our ship returned,” Ron Berens, lead helmsman onboard at the time of capture, told Fox News at last week’s reunion that attracted 40 surviving crew members.

Berens revealed, “There’s nothing in the current history books about the Pueblo.”

Tim Harris, a supply officer onboard the ship, recalled North Korean patrol boats quickly surrounded the American spy ship and opened fire with machine guns and 40mm cannon.

“We never surrendered.  We stopped the ship.  There was never an order to surrender,” Harris said. “We had taken so much fire.”

Today, the Pueblo remains a commissioned U.S. Navy ship on display in the Potong River inside North Korea’s capital Pyongyang.

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JOBLESS CLAIMS FALL.  Unemployment benefit applications fell to 201,000, a 49-year low in the week ended Sept. 15, reported the Labor Department.

LAWMAKERS EYE GROWING RESERVATION FEES.  Washington lawmakers are considering a provision in a bill that would limit growing fees airline passengers pay to change flight reservations. The Wall Street Journal reported U.S. airlines received $2.9 billion in such fees last year.

READY FOR A 19-HOUR FLIGHT?  Singapore Airlines, with delivery of an ultra long-range Airbus, will start non-stop service --- with about 19 hours in the air --- between Newark and Singapore on Oct. 11.  The journey will mark the world's longest in the air.

ARMY MISSES RECRUITING GOAL.  The U.S. Army missed its recruiting goal this fiscal year (ending Sept. 30), falling short by about 6,500 soldiers, despite pumping an extra $200 million into bonuses and other inducements, reported Associated Press.  However, the Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps met their goals.

FLORENCE SMACKS PIGS AND POULTRY.  Hurricane Florence hit North Carolina's poultry and hog industries.  State officials said 5,000 pigs and hogs were killed by the hurricane while 3.4 million chickens and turkeys were destroyed.

VERSATILE CATCHER PITCHES, HITS HOME RUN.  Unusual in a major league baseball game is seeing a catcher pitch the last two innings and homer in the ninth inning.  That's what Los Angeles Angels' Francisco Arcia did last Thursday in a game with the Oakland Athletics.  That triple action in the same game last happened in 1900.  

BANK PLANS MORE JOB CUTS.  Wells Fargo & Co. plans to shed up to 26,500 jobs over the next three years as it adjusts business operations and works to recover from a series of scandals over the past two years.

 

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.

 

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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.

NORTH KOREA DISMANTLES NUCLEAR TEST SITE, BUT IS THERE ANOTHER HIDDEN IN MOUNTAINS?

Grabbing major television and print coverage by worldwide media was North Korea’s demolition of what it claimed “its only nuclear test site” in Punggye-ri.

But 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.   

Much fanfare along with transporting foreign journalists to the scene of last week’s demolition set the stage for heavy coverage.

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 deep in the northeast mountains were focused on three tunnels and a number of observation towers in the surrounding area.

Many foreign journalists, including eight from South Korea, took a long, rugged trip to get to the site where they spent nine hours.

Getting to the scene involved a dozen hours on a train, followed by several hours on a bus over bumpy dirt roads and then an hour hike to the site.

Meanwhile, a White House team over the weekend headed to Singapore for a possible summit between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un who said he’s still ready to sit down with Trump regarding “complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula."

 

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SCENTED STAMPS COMING.  The U.S. Postal Service, starting June 20, will issue scratch-and-sniff stamps, saying they “would add the sweet scent of summer” to letters.

OBAMAS TURN TV PRODUCERS.  Former White House occupants Barrack Obama and Michelle Obama have been signed by Netflix to a multiyear deal to produce television shows and documentaries.  That development put Netflix under fire over its content deal with the Obamas.  Some Netflix customers say they will cancel subscriptions over what they see as a political move by the streaming service, reports Fortune. 

WOMAN LEADS NYSE.  For the first time in its 226-year history, the New York Stock Exchange is led by a woman.  Stacey Cunningham, who started as a NYSE trading floor clerk, on Friday became the 67th president of the Big Board.

AIR FORCE HOPES TO LURE UP TO 1,000 PILOTS. With a pilot shortage, the Air Force is seeking the return of up to 1,000 pilots, combat system officers and air battle managers for up to 48 months active duty.

NETFLIX EDGES COMCAST.  Netflix Inc., the best-performing stock in the S&P 500 this year, beats Comcast Corp. in market value, highlighting the rise of video streaming over traditional television.

TESLA’S MUSK TAKES ON CRITICAL JOURNALISTS.  Tesla Inc. Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk says journalists are critical of the electric car maker because oil and traditional auto companies are some of the biggest print and TV advertisers, reports Bloomberg Businessweek. Meanwhile, Musk doesn't like how media reports on his cars' accidents.  So he plans to create a Yelp-style site where people can rate the credibility of news organizations and their journalists

CONSUMER REPORTS READIES INITIAL AD CAMPAIGN.  Consumer Reports magazine is launching its first advertising campaign, using the tag line “Keep it Honest,” reveals Chris Roush, Talking Biz News.

MANY HOUSEHOLDS STILL FACE TOUGH TIMES.  A Federal Reserve survey finds many U.S. households remain in a precarious financial position despite unemployment falling to the lowest level in years.

L.A. TIMES SLATED TO MOVE TO SEASIDE EL SEGUNDO

The Los Angeles Times soon will move its long-time headquarters from downtown Los Angeles --- one block from City Hall and other city-county operations that are key sources for news --- to outside the city limits at El Segundo, notes Grumpy Editor.

With the move, tiny El Segundo (population about 17,000) with be home to two newspapers:  The Times and the long-established weekly El Segundo Herald.

Behind the action is Patrick Soon-Shiong, a biotech billionaire who is buying the L.A. Times from Chicago-based Tronc for $500 million.

The Times’ current home, a 1935 art deco building in the Los Angeles Civic Center, is about 19 miles from El Segundo, close to Los Angeles International Airport and home to Los Angeles’ giant Hyperion sewage treatment plant.

With the news, Times staffers grumble about the longer commute they will have through the City of Angels’ growing traffic to the new newsroom.

A question that remains:  How will events, originating from the Los Angeles Civic Center, be covered.  Currently, Civic Center is within easy walking distance from The Times building at First and Spring Streets.

 

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TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE.  With the upcoming new round of negotiations with the U.S. and South Korea, North Korea on Saturday says it has suspended nuclear and long-range missile tests and plans to shutter its nuclear test site.

WILL IT BE SWEDEN OR SWITZERLAND?  In a surprise visit to North Korea, CIA Director Mike Pompeo meets with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and expresses optimism over a planned summit with Sweden and Switzerland among locations being considered for the meeting. 

ALMOST $3 MILLION FOR A BASEBALL CARD.  A 1952 Mickey Mantle Topps baseball card, when Mantle was a rookie, sold for $2.88 million, reports Sports Illustrated. Seller is former NFL offensive lineman Evan Mathis.

MARINES REPLACING AGING AMPHIBIOUS VEHICLES.  Cost of a Marine Corps push to replace its aging fleet of Assault Amphibious Vehicles (AAV) remains $60 million below original projections of $810.5 million.  The Marines seek 208 amphibious vehicles, described as a better protected and faster way to carry troops from ship to shore, by 2022. 

CAUTION URGED IN STARTING TRADE WAR.  Biggest risk to global growth comes from the U.S., say Bloomberg View editors.  “If Trump really does start a trade war at a time when U.S. financial conditions and macroeconomic policy pose risks of their own, watch out," they warn. "The road back to economic sanity could be bumpy.”

ARMY RECRUITMENT GOAL FIZZLES.  The U.S. Army will not meet its goal to recruit 80,000 soldiers this year and has lowered it to 76,500.  Army leaders claim the service has been able to encourage more experienced members to stay on the job to satisfy a growing demand for troops.  Six months into the recruiting year, the service has brought in just 28,000 soldiers.

MUNITIONS DROP HIGHEST IN FOUR YEARS.  The U.S. drops more bombs and other munitions in Afghanistan last month than it did on Islamic State fighters in Iraq and Syria for the first time since the anti-ISIS campaign began in 2014, reports Stars and Stripes.

 

One singer in 360-member choir gets media attention

Getting an unusual play in print and broadcast media over several days at year end and into the new year was the focus on a single singer who quit the 360-member Mormon Tabernacle Choir because she does not want to participate at President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration, notes Grumpy Editor.

Jan Chamberlin posted her resignation letter to choir leaders on her Facebook page, writing that by performing at the Jan. 20 inaugural, the choir will appear to be "endorsing tyranny and fascism."

Yet no comments were sought from any of the other 359 members going to Washington to sing.

Coverage was extended when retiring Sen. Harry Reid (D., Nev.) jumped into the fray, issuing a statement to The Salt Lake Tribune that he admires people like Chamberlin who "reject tyranny and fascism and do what they can to stand up for what is right."

As one of the oldest and largest choirs in the world, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir has performed before presidents over the years.

The choir has sold millions of records, won scores of awards and enthralled audiences in more than two dozen countries.

Based in Salt Lake City, the choir --- which practices and performs weekly --- is composed of volunteers, age 25 to 60, all members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

In zeroing in on the one choir member, much of U.S. media missed North Korea leader Kim Jong Un trumpeting his country was in the “last stage” of preparations to test fire an inter-continental ballistic missile.

Kim, in a New Year address, hinted at progress in developing the ICBM while outlining his regime’s military achievements over the past year.

Bloomberg reported Cheong Seong-chang, a North Korea analyst at the Sejong Institute near Seoul, said the regime may test a missile before Kim’s birthday on Sunday or Trump’s inauguration.

 

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Also missing some editors’ eyes was a report that China's lone aircraft carrier Liaoning planned to prowl the Pacific as the communist nation seeks to assert its military might and build up its naval warfare capabilities. In an editorial, China's state-run Global Times said the carrier’s area of operation could soon include the Eastern Pacific --- and the U.S. West Coast…The Washington Examiner reported, "President Obama's lame duck administration poured on thousands more new regulations in 2016 at a rate of 18 for every new law passed,” adding, “while Congress passed just 211 laws, Obama's team issued an accompanying 3,852 new federal regulations”…Among endangered professions tracked by CareerCast.com, newspaper reporters (No. 9 on the top 10 list) are being hit by a shift from print to online medium and the loss of associated revenue. Topping the list: mail carriers…CNN’s Don Lemon was happier than usual on camera during New Year’s Eve coverage. In New Orleans, he spent the night downing tequila shots.

 

Austin Raishbrook, a freelance photojournalist in Los Angeles, rescued a man from a burning car on Interstate Freeway 110 while other freelance photojournalists arrived to film the action.