Grumpy Editor

WATER SHORTAGE HITS CHINA DURING WORST HEAT WAVE

China, too, is facing a water shortage during the worst heat wave on record but it’s working on bringing rainfall to dried-up parts, notes Grumpy Editor.

 

From aircraft it is firing silver iodide rods (the size of cigarettes) into clouds to help form ice crystals, reports CNN. The crystals then help clouds produce rain. 

 

China's Ministry of Water Resources mentions drought throughout the Yangtze river basin is "adversely affecting drinking water security of rural people and livestock, and the growth of crops.”

 

Several regions on the Yangtze have launched weather modification programs.

 

 

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FLOAT PLANE ENTERS NEW YORK-D.C. SERVICE.  A new way to travel between New York City and Washington, D.C., is by float plane.  Using eight-seat Cessna Grand Caravan aircraft, Tailwind Air will start two daily flights between the Skyport Marina near East 23rd Street in Manhattan and  College Park Airport just outside D.C.  The plane will take off from water in New York and land on the runway at Suburban D.C. airport in College Park, Maryland.  Flight time will be between 80-90 minutes and cost $395 one-way.

 

PANDEMIC TRIGGERS RECKLESS DRIVING.  The pandemic has triggered an upswing in reckless behavior on the road.  Crashes in 2021 were up 10.5 percent from the prior year. An estimated 9,560 people died in crashes in the first three months this year.  That’s equivalent to a death every 13 minutes.

 

MONKEY DIALS 911.  The San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office was surprised to learn a monkey at the Zoo to You in Paso Robles called 911.   Deputies were dispatched to the zoo.  Seems that Route, a capuchin monkey, picked up the zoo’s cellphone from a golf cart and dialed 911.

AMERICAN AIRLINES ORDERS SUPERSONIC JETS.  American Airlines orders 20 supersonic jets for future faster travel.  The jets are in the drawing board phase, years away from production and flying. “Looking to the future, supersonic travel will be an important part of our ability to deliver for our customers,” says Chief Financial Officer Derek Kerr.

 

TERRIER ALERTS OWNERS ON HOUSE FIRE.  In Maryland, a Cairn terrier turns out to be a hero in alerting his owners on a house fire.  He barks until the family wakes up and escapes the blaze that destroyed the home.

 

CONDE NAST REVENUE GROWS.  While most digital publishers are forecasting slowdowns in advertising growth, Condé Nast this year expects to exceed the nearly $2 billion in total revenue it saw in 2021 thanks to continued growth in its advertising business, informs Axios. 

 

MELTING ARCTIC OCEAN ICE LEADS TO RISE IN SEA LEVEL

The Arctic has warmed nearly four times faster than the rest of the world over the past 43 years, points out a Popular Science article, notes Grumpy Editor.

"This means the Arctic is on average around 3℃ warmer than it was in 1980," it adds.  "This is alarming, because the Arctic contains sensitive and delicately balanced climate components that, if pushed too hard, will respond with global consequences.”

A large part of the explanation relates to sea ice, a thin layer of sea water that freezes in winter and partially melts in the summer.

The article mentions “the sea ice is covered in a bright layer of snow which reflects around 85 percent of incoming solar radiation back out to space.”

When covered with sea ice, it adds, the Arctic Ocean acts like a large reflective blanket, reducing the absorption of solar radiation. As the sea ice melts, absorption rates increase, resulting in a positive feedback loop where the rapid pace of ocean warming further amplifies sea ice melt, contributing to even faster ocean warming.

One result of Arctic warming:  Faster melting of the Greenland ice sheet.  That adds to a rise in sea level.

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SPIDERS TWITCH WHEN THEY SNOOZE.  Scientists focused on spiders and their snoozing.  Training cameras on sleeping spiders, scientists note their legs twitched and parts of their eyes flickered.  With humans that action is closely linked with dreaming.

SOUTH KOREA GETS HEAVIEST RAINFALL IN 75 YEARS.  South Korea experiences its heaviest rainfall since World War II with downpours flooding subway stations and submerged cars on streets.  Rainfall measured almost 16 inches from a two-day storm in some parts of the country.

ATOMIC BOMBING REMEMBERED.  The mayor in Nagasaki, Japan paid tribute to victims of the U.S. atomic bombing 77 years ago then mentioned Russia’s war on Ukraine shows the world that another nuclear attack isn't just a worry but ”a tangible and present crisis.”

WITH TEACHER SHORTAGE, PARENTS STEP IN.  Going into the school year, the U.S. has 300,000 teacher vacancies.  Parents are stepping in as substitutes in efforts to keep schools operating.

HEAVY PRICE TAGS ON RENAMING ARMY BASES.  Renaming Army bases linked to the Confederacy could cost more than $21 million.  The installations honor Confederate generals from the Civil War.  Congress is weighing the name changes.

MARILYN MONROE LOS ANGELES HOME SOLD.  A Los Angeles area home (considered modest by today’s standards) once owned by actress Marilyn Monroe lists for $6.9 million.  Despite her fame, Monroe bought her first home four months before her death. 

CAPE COD SEWER EMERGENCY DECLARED.  A popular beach town on Cape Cod, Massachusetts declared a sewer emergency, ordering restaurants and other food establishments to close immediately in Provincetown during the busy summer vacation period. 

EARTH IS SPINNING FASTER, SAY SCIENTISTS

Hang on.  Scientists say Earth is spinning faster and recently recorded its shortest day, notes Grumpy Editor.

June 29 was 1.59 millisecond less than the average day, they note.

Normal length of a day is 24 hours, or 86,400 seconds. But in recent years, the Earth's rotation has accelerated, shortening some days by milliseconds.

"Since 2016 the Earth started to accelerate," says Leonid Zotov with Lomonosov Moscow State University. “This year it rotates quicker than in 2021 and 2020.”

Zotov and his colleagues believe the fluctuation could be caused by the Earth's tides, adding not every day is shorter, but if the trend continues, atomic time --- the universal way time is measured on Earth --- may have to change.

Some scientists propose introducing a negative leap second. "Since we cannot change the clock arrows attached to the Earth rotation, we adjust the atomic clock scale," relates Zotov. 

As opposed to leap years, which have an extra day added, a negative leap second would mean clocks skip one second.

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AIR FORCE GROUNDS AIRCRAFT.  The Air Force grounds almost 300 training aircraft as potentially defective ejection seat part safety concerns spread.  That’s nearly half the combat training aircraft and a smaller portion of primary training aircraft.

GOP SELECTS MILWAUKEE.  Republicans select Milwaukee for its 2024 national convention.  Nashville took itself out of the running when the city council rejected a draft agreement for hosting the event.

UPPER THAMES RIVER DRIES UP.  Following weeks of little rainfall and a July heat wave in Britain, the starting point of England's famous River Thames has dried up and moved downstream.  Last month’s heat smashed the UK’s all-time temperature record.

“GUARD CAT” PREVENTS ROBBERY.  A pet cat in Belden, Miss. helped prevent an early morning robbery at the home of Fred Everitt.  Bandit, a 20-pound cat, alerted his owner with loud meows when two people tried to break into a home.

CHEETAH GOES FOR SPEED.  Fastest running animal?  It’s a cheetah, capable of running as fast as 70 miles an hour.  Yes, exceeding the speed limit in many cities.  The big cat’s body is quite literally built for speed, with long legs, long neck and small head.

 

FLORIDA LEADS IN APPEAL.  Florida leads the list of states where people say they’d move if they had the chance, according to a Rasmussen Reports survey.  It finds 18 percent of adults would rather live in Florida while 11 percent prefer California and 10 percent would choose New York.

HITLER'S WRISTWATCH SOLD.   A Maryland auction house sells a wristwatch that once belonged to Adolf Hitler for $1.1 million.  Alexander Historical Auctions in Chesapeake City had estimated the value between $2 and $4 million, describing the watch as a World War relic of historic proportions.

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.

 

LEVEL OF NEWS CONSUMPTION TAKES NOSEDIVE

Axios reports “the level of news consumption in 2021 took a nosedive following historic highs in 2020,” notes Grumpy Editor.

 

“Despite a slew of major stories, readers have retrenched further in 2022,” it adds.

 

"The war in Ukraine, a series of deadly mass shootings, the Jan. 6 hearings and the Supreme Court's revocation of abortion rights haven't been able to capture the same level of attention spurred by the onset of the pandemic and the 2020 election,” Axios adds.

 

It finds cable viewership on CNN, Fox News and MSNBC on average is down 19 percent in prime time for the first half of 2022, compared with the like period last year.

 

Axios also points out visits to the top five U.S. web sites dropped while engagement on social media with news articles cratered over the past six months.

 

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USPS AIMS FOR MORE ELECTRIC VEHICLES.  The U.S. Postal Service plans to "substantially increase" the number of electric-powered vehicles it is buying to replace its aging delivery trucks.  It plans 50 percent of its initial purchase of 50,00o next-generation vehicles to be electric.

 

WITH HEAT, MOVIE CHAIN OFFERS REDHEADS FREE TICKETS.  As an unusual heat wave sees temperatures in the United Kingdom topping 100 degrees Fahrenheit, Showcase Cinemas movie theater chain offers redheads free tickets to a movie of their choice when temperatures hit 104 degrees. 

 

ARMY STRUGGLES TO FIND RECRUITS.  The Army will fail to meet its goal by up to 28,000 soldiers this fiscal year, falling to a force of between 445,000 and 452,000 troops by Sept. 30.  However, it  still aims to finish the fiscal year with 455,000 soldiers despite ongoing recruitment struggles.

 

 FOX NEWS CHANNEL SKIPS JAN. 6 COMMITTEE SESSION.  Missing from last Thursday’s TV coverage of the House’s Jan. 6 committee focusing on former President Donald Trump’s actions during the Jan. 6, 2021 U.S.Capitol action was the top-rated news network, Fox News Channel.  It stuck with its own lineup of commentators in regular programming.

 

MAN’S NECK WRAPPED BY SNAKE.  Police were called to a Fogelsville home in Pennsylvania for a man in cardiac arrest with a snake wrapped around his neck.  When officers arrived at the house, the 28-year-old was lying on the floor unresponsive, with the middle portion of a large snake wrapped around his neck.  They shot the snake, saving the man it was strangling.

 

MASSIVE SEA TURTLE GOES OFF COURSE.  In Melbourne Beach, Florida, a massive green sea turtle wandered onto a beachfront patio and needed help from rescuers to find its way back to sea.  After hours stuck on the patio the turtle made its way back to the ocean after being carried in a harness away from the home and over the dunes.

 

BLUE ANGELS WELCOMES FEMALE TO TEAM.  The Blue Angels, famed Navy flight demonstration squadron, welcomes Navy Lt. Amanda Lee, its first female to the team.  She is named alongside five other officers as newest members of the squadron.

 

MONARCH BUTTERFLY ON ENDANGERED LIST.  The Monarch butterfly is close to extinction.  Scientists put the orange and black insect on the endangered list.  It is one of the world’s most recognizable butterflies.

 

HEMINGWAY LOOK-ALIKE CONTEST ATTRACTS 135.  The annual Ernest Hemingway Look-Alike Contest in Key West, Florida marks the famed author’s 123rd anniversary.  This year’s competition attracted 135 portly, bearded men.

 

WITH EVIDENCE, A S.F. COUPLE ALLOWED TO PARK IN OWN DRIVEWAY

San Francisco’s planning department recently threatened to fine a couple $1,500 for parking in their own driveway, notes Grumpy Editor.

 

It's illegal to park in front of a house unless it's accompanied by a garage or cover, the planning department maintained.

 

Putting their car in the driveway for 36 years, the couple believe the space has been used for parking since the house was built in 1910 in the Noe Valley neighborhood.

 

The planning department told the couple the city would waive the fine if they could prove that the lot has historically been used for parking.

 

With evidence showing the space has been used for parking since the 1950s, the planning department reversed itself.

 

 

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INDIA SOON TO BECOME MOST POPULOUS.  World population is expected to reach 8 billion in four months with projections that India will replace China as the world's most populous nation next year.

U.S., JAPANESE PLANES SHOW FORCE.  More than 50 U.S. and Japanese warplanes flew over waters near Japan as they put on a show of force amid rising tensions in the region with China and Russia.  Aircraft included a dozen U.S. Air Force top-of-the-line F-22 stealth fighters, four F-35 stealth jets and 13 F-15 jets.  They were joined by 20 Japanese F-15 and F-2 fighters.

SOME CITIES LOSE FLIGHTS.  Some U.S. cities by September will lose some or all air service from United, Delta or American Airlines.  That stems from pilot shortages, a rise in fuel prices, new contract with the pilots and inflation.

JILL, LONG-TIME SHELTER DOG ADOPTED.  American pit bull mix Jill, a Henrietta, Texas dog, is adopted after spending 10 years — most of her life — at Clay County Animal Shelter.

AMERICAN FALLS INTO VESUVIUS CRATER.  A 23-year-old Maryland man is rescued after falling into the crater of Italy’s Mount Vesuvius while taking a selfie.  He was visiting with two family members.  All hiked up Vesuvius from the Ottaviano to the top of the volcano through a forbidden trail.

POLICE CHASE WANDERING KANGAROO.  Police in Hungary capture an unusual animal on the loose, a kangaroo, after a chase of more than three miles. The marsupial was transported to the Budapest Zoo while police investigate where the animal came from.

FISH ENDANGERED IN MAINE WATERS.  Scientists say the Gulf of Maine is warming rapidly and is getting saltier, more acidic and increasingly stratified -- raising concerns for fish.  The region has historically produced some of the world's richest fish stocks — from cod to lobsters — leading to the building of billion-dollar industries.

 

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DO YOU LIE OR ARE YOU A TRUTH TELLER?

A recent study finds the average American tells about a dozen lies a week, notes Grumpy Editor.

 

University of Notre Dame researchers also point out “lying less actually improves our mental and physical health.”

 

Truth tellers report fewer instances of poor mental health, they add. That includes feeling tense or melancholy, along with physical symptoms such as sore throat or headaches.

 

Truth tellers also report improvements in relationships with friends and family.

 

Meanwhile, psychologists find lying can trigger an increased heart rate, high blood pressure and elevated levels of stress hormones in blood.

 

 

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FUNDS DESTINED FOR 85 AIRPORTS.  The Biden administration is sending nearly $1 billion to 85 airports to expand and upgrade terminals and other facilities.  The funds, making flying safer and more efficient, were approved in last year's infrastructure bill.

HUTCHINSON'S TESTIMONY SCORES HIGH.  Former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson’s testimony before the Jan. 6 committee scored high with television viewers.  It garnered a larger live audience than any of the four earlier daytime hearings.

DRIVER IN CHINA OUTRUNS LANDSLIDE.  A driver ended up similar to a James Bond movie when a mountainside in China's southwestern Sichuan province gave way, causing rocks to spill onto the roadway but the imperiled car outran the landslide.

MORE U.S. MILITARY ITEMS GOING TO UKRAINE.  The U.S. is sending another $400 million in military equipment to Ukraine, including four more advanced rocket systems able to strike deeper behind Russian front lines.

NO VACCINATION, NO PAY, SAYS ARMY.  The Army says about 40,000 National Guardsmen and 22,000 Reservists who have refused to get vaccinated will lose their pay and benefits.

 

FIN WHALES RETURN TO ANTARCTICA AREA.  Nearly 9,000 fin whales return to their ancestral feeding areas near Antarctica for the first time since  their hunting was banned almost half a century ago.

 

CNN REPORTER TO HEAD WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENTS' ASSOCIATION.  CNN’s chief White House reporter Kaitlan Collins is elected by her peers to serve as president of the White House Correspondents’ Association in 2024.  It marks the election of a woman as president three years in a row for the first time.

 

TEENAGER SAVES PASSENGERS FROM CAR PLUNGE INTO RIVER.  A teenager is being hailed a hero after city officials in Moss Point, Mississippi say he saved three people and a police officer after a vehicle plunged into water.  Corion Evans, 16, came to the aid of three female victims after he saw a car drive off the Interstate 10 boat launch into the Pascagoula River.

 

NEWSPAPERS VANISHING AT TWO-A-WEEK RATE

On this Fourth of July, Grumpy Editor notes newspapers in the U.S. are vanishing at the rate of two a week, reveals a new report.

Areas without reliable sources of local news tend to be poorer, older and less educated than those covered well, finds Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism, Media and Integrated Marketing Communications.

The U.S. had 6,377 newspapers at the end of May, down from 8,891 in 2005, the report tallies, adding 360 newspapers have shut down since the end of 2019, all but 24 of them weeklies serving small communities.

Northwestern says about 75,000 journalists worked on newspapers in 2006 vs. 31,000 now, while annual revenue slipped to $21 billion from $50 billion in the same period.

 

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WORLD WAR II DESTROYER FOUND.  World War II U.S. Navy destroyer USS Samuel B. Roberts is found by ocean explorers close to 23,000 feet down off the coast of Samar Island in the Phillippines.

MAJOR HURRICANE SEASON LOOMS.  The Atlantic hurricane season continues through Nov. 30 and experts warn this year’s storms could be more intense.  With 21 possible hurricanes forecast, 21 names are ready to be used for each storm.

CONDORS FLY AGAIN OVER CALIFORNIA.  Last spotted in the area in 1892, condors soar again over California coastal redwoods.  The California condor is the largest native North American bird with a wingspan of nearly 10 feet.

‘FLASHY MOTHS’ APPEAR.  Described as “very flashy,” moth species not seen since 1912 are found at Detroit airport, arriving in the luggage of a traveler arriving from the Philippines.

HUGE STINGRAY REELED IN.  A fisherman in Cambodia’s Mekong River reels in a 660-pound stingray, world's largest recorded freshwater fish.  Residents nickname the giant stingray "Boramy," or "full moon," because of its round shape.

 THOUSANDS OF BEES BUZZ OMAHA HOME.  About 6,000 bees, attracted by bee-friendly flowers outside a home in Omaha, are removed from inside the walls of an Omaha couple's 100-year-old home.  The bees likely infiltrated through a hole in the mortar of the home’s brick exterior.

VA PLAN EYED.  A Department of Veterans Affairs plan that contains nearly $2 trillion in facility closures, consolidations and upgrades in the nation could be in jeopardy after 12 senators announce they oppose the agency’s reassessment of its facilities, reports Stars & Stripes.

DOES MEDIA DO A GOOD JOB COVERING IMPORTANT STORIES?

There’s a big gap between how the public and journalists rate the work of news organizations, notes Grumpy Editor.

 

A Pew Research Center report finds 41 percent of the public believes media do a "good" job covering important stories, compared  to 67 percent of  journalists while 42 percent of journalists believe the public has "little" or "no" trust in information from news organizations, vs. 44 percent who believe the public has "some" trust. 

 

Also, 85 percent of surveyed journalists think the media organizations they work for are trusted by the public.

 

While 65 percent of 11,889 surveyed journalists feel news outlets do a "very" or "somewhat" good job at reporting news accurately, only 35 percent of 9,388 polled adults agreed.

 

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ARMY OFFERS $35,000 BONUS TO RECRUITS.  The Army is offering a $35,000 bonus to new recruits willing to sign a four-year contract and ship out to boot camp within 45 days.  As it struggles to fill open training slots, it is the first time the Army is offering an amount that large for a bonus to any career field.

HOW MANY PEOPLE ON EARTH?   How many people live on Earth?  With the population growing steadily, best estimate puts it at about 7.76 billion people.

TV NEWSROOM STAFFING FALLS.  The Radio Television Digital News Association’s annual survey of local TV full-time newsroom staffing finds a 6.3 percent drop last year to 26,250.  Better financial times did not produce newsroom expansion.

 

BLOODHOUND WINS IN DOG SHOW.  Trumpet, a 4 1/2-year-old bloodhound, wins Best in Show at the 146th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show in a competition with more than 3,000 dogs from 200 breeds and varieties.  It marks the first time a bloodhound wins the contest.

 

RAINBOW TROUT HIT BY BACTERIA.  A bacteria outbreak in two Golden State hatcheries is forcing the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to euthanize about 350,000 rainbow trout.  That could affect fishing stock in some state waterways in coming months.

 

ONE THIRD OF PEOPLE GET EIGHT HOURS SLEEP.  A Rasmussen Reports survey finds 38 percent of people report getting about eight hours sleep on most weeknights, while 53 percent get less. Another six percent say they usually get more than eight hours sleep. 

 

OKINAWA MARKS WORLD WAR II BATTLE.  Okinawa on Thursday marked the 77th anniversary of the end of one of the bloodiest battles of World War II.  The Battle of Okinawa killed about 200,000 people, nearly half of them residents of the island.

 

PAST MARIJUANA USERS CAN BE HIRED.  The Senate Intelligence Committee passes legislation that would allow U.S. intelligence agencies to hire people who used marijuana in the past.

LESS BANG FOR THE BUCK SEEN FOR FOURTH OF JULY FIREWORKS

 

Look for July 4 fireworks to cost more, notes Grumpy Editor.

 

Although there is more inventory this year, prices are up 25 percent, says an official of a main manufacturer.

 

Shipping costs, a main factor, have increased $8,000 to $10,000 per container to about $45,000 per container since 2019, tallies the American Pyrotechnics Association.

 

Outlays for fireworks will be competing with food, gasoline and other items that have jumped in price.

 

Also affected:  Some fireworks shows may be affected by the lack of pyrotechnic specialists.

 

 

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TWO BREEDS DEBUT AT DOG SHOW.  The Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show debuts two new breeds, the Mudi and the Russian Toy.  The Mudi is a herding dog breed from Hungary. The Russian Toy is a small, lively dog with long legs, fine bones and lean muscles. 

DEATH VALLEY HEAT CLAIMS VISITOR.  A California man was found dead in Death Valley National Park after running out of gas and walking in an extreme heat wave, park officials say. A heat wave brought temperatures up to 123 degrees.

CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACT SEEN.  Climate change could have a dangerous impact on about one-quarter of the world’s population by 2050, according to a study published in Nature Climate Change.  Scientists in the study claim that if the Earth’s temperature goes up 2 degrees Celsius, drought conditions will be inevitable to 25 percent of the population

SMALL-BUSINESS OWNERS PESSIMISTIC.  Small-business owners' expectations for the future are at a 48-year low, according to a survey.  Small-business owners remain pessimistic about the second half of this year over supply chain disruptions, inflation and labor shortage.

LEGO PLANS FACTORY IN VIRGINIA.  Lego Group, world’s largest toy maker, plans to invest more than $1 billion to build a factory in Virginia that will be entirely carbon-neutral.  The factory will be Lego’s seventh globally.  It also plans to open a factory in Veitnam.

 

ROUSH PUBLISHES 10TH BOOK.  Chris Roush, business journalism expert and behind Talking Business News (TBN) on the web publishes his 10th book, “The Future of Business Journalism: Why It Matters for Wall Street and Main Street.”

 

ALASKA CRUISES REQUIRE MASKS AGAIN.  Cruise lines Princess Cruises and Holland America on select Alaska trips are again requiring masks for voyages to that area amid a COVID uptick in the state. 

 

DOG SETS HOUSE AFIRE.  A dog in Missouri accidentally manages to activate a touchscreen button that operates the kitchen stove. That fills the kitchen with smoke that leads to a full-on fire in a home.

 

CHINA LAUNCHES 'SOPHISTICATED' AIRCRAFT CARRIER.  A third aircraft carrier launched by China is termed "sophisticated."  It's equipped with electromagnetic catapults for launching aircraft.