Grumpy Editor

LEADERS PROVE SHADY IN MORE THAN 70 COUNTRIES

Leaders who left office in at least 72 countries since year 2000 have been jailed or prosecuted, notes an Axios item spotted by Grumpy Editor.

 

Axios notes since 1980, about half the world’s countries have had at least one such case — and not counting impeachments or coups.  Included are democracies France, Israel and South Korea.

 

Most cases against the former leaders relate to corruption, adds Axios.

 

 

IN CASE YOUR FAVORITE NEWS OUTLETS MISSED THESE…

 

 

17-YEAR-OLD FLIES SOLO AROUND WORLD.  Mack Rutherford, a 17-year-old Belgian-British dual national, becomes the youngest person to fly solo around the world in a small aircraft.  He landed in Bulgaria, where he started his around the world flight. Rutherford says he hopes his achievement will inspire young people to pursue their dreams.

 

WASHINGTON STATE AIMS TO NIX GAS-POWERED VEHICLES.  Washington state plans to follow California in prohibiting the sale of gas-powered vehicles by 2035.  California, largest auto market in the U.S., plans to phase out sale of gas cars over the next 13 years. 

AMBASSADOR FOR THE ARCTIC PLANNED.   Triggered by increased Russian military activity in the region, the U.S. plans to name an Ambassador for the Arctic. The Ambassador-at-Large will be put in place to advance U.S. policy in the northern polar region. 

U.N. CEMETERY IN SOUTH KOREA.  The Busan, South Korea veterans cemetery remains the only U.N. cemetery in the world.  Established in 1955 after the South Korean government offered the land for the U.N.'s permanent use to honor troops and medical personnel sent from 22 countries under the U.N. flag during the Korean War.  More than 2,300 people from 11 nations are interred there. 

 

SMUGGLER PUTS REPTILES IN PANTS.  Prosecutors in California say Jose Manuel Perez, 30, smuggled more than 1,700 wild animals, including 60 reptiles, worth $739,000 into the U.S.  Officials found reptiles hidden in his clothing in small bags.  When he was caught crossing into the U.S., federal agents said he had about 60 reptiles on him, including some in his pants.

INACCURATE WEATHER FORECASTS LEAD TO FIRING TWO.  The head and deputy head of Hungary’s National Meteorological Service were fired following an inaccurate rain forecast.  The forecast prompted postponement of a fireworks display set for St. Stephen’s Day, the country’s most important national holiday.

TWIN GIANT PANDAS BORN.  Twin giant pandas --- a male and a female --- are born at a breeding center in southwestern China.  The cubs are the second pair of twins born to their mother.

DROUGHT SENDS DANUBE RIVER TO LOW LEVEL.  Europe's worst drought in years has pushed the Danube River to one of its lowest levels in almost a century, exposing the hulks of dozens of explosives-laden German warships sunk during World War II near Serbia's river port town of Prahovo.

MOST NEWSPAPERS BACK JOE BIDEN FOR PRESIDENT

Joe Biden gets the nod from newspaper editorial boards around the country, notes Grumpy Editor.

The Hill finds they favor the former vice president over President Donald Trump by a huge margin this year with their endorsements, with some of the most conservative papers in the country breaking precedent to back the Democrat.

 

At least 119 daily and weekly newspaper editorial boards have written formal endorsements of Biden so far, tallies The Hill.   Among them are conservative outlets Chicago Tribune and New Hampshire Union Leader, which has not endorsed a Democrat candidate in a century.

 

“America faces many challenges and needs a president to build this country up. This appears to be outside of Mr. Trump’s skill set,” the Union Leader proclaims.  “Building this country up sits squarely within the skill set of Joseph Biden. We have found Mr. Biden to be a caring, compassionate and professional public servant.”

Trump wins endorsements from only six daily or weekly periodicals, including the Las Vegas Review-Journal, owned by billionaire casino magnate Sheldon Adelson.  Adelson and his wife have spent millions promoting Trump’s reelection bid.

IN CASE YOUR FAVORITE NEWS OUTLETS MISSED THESE…

 

 

C-130 flies adoptable cats, dogs

ADOPTABLE CATS AND DOGS AIRLIFTED TO MAINLAND.  More than 600 adoptable cats and dogs are airlifted from Hawaii to the U.S. mainland in the largest animal rescue flight in history.  Dubbed "Paws Across the Pacific," a chartered Hercules C-130 aircraft flies across the Hawaiian Islands  picking up dogs and cats from overcrowded shelters on Kauai, Oahu and Maui. 

ON-AIR PERSONALITIES EXPOSED TO VIRUS.  Several Fox News Channel on-air personalities are exposed to someone with the virus on a private plane flight from Nashville to New York.  That person later tests positive for COVID-19, leading the network to take extra precautions.

SALT LAKE TRIBUNE GOING WEEKLY.  The Salt Lake Tribune will stop printing a daily newspaper at the end of December after nearly 150 years and move to weekly print editions that will be delivered by mail.  Reporters and editors will continue to file breaking news online.

 

FOX NEWS MOST WATCHED ON CABLE.   Fox News was the most-watched cable network in October in both total day and primetime total viewers. Tucker Carlson's show sets the record for the highest-rated monthly viewership of any program in the history of cable news with more than 5.3 million viewers.

ARMY UNIFORMS GOING GREEN.  Two hundred Army privates, nearing the end of basic training at Fort Sill, Okla., receive the Army’s new, throwback style dress green uniforms, becoming the first recruits to be issued the World War II-inspired threads.

RARE CHAMELEON SPOTTED.  Scientists find an elusive chameleon species that was last spotted in Madagascar 100 years ago.  Researchers from Madagascar and Germany discover several living specimens of Voeltzkow's chameleon during an expedition to the African island nation.

FEWER ISSUES FOR GLOSSY FASHION/LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE.  The Wall Street Journal is cutting its glossy fashion and lifestyle print magazine to eight issues a year from 12.  It’s an insert in the Journal’s weekend edition. 

 

 

NEW CALIFORNIA LAW LIMITS FREELANCE WRITERS ANNUAL CONTRIBUTIONS

 

Freelance writers are grumbling after California recently enacted a law that restricts their annual output, observes Grumpy Editor.

 

A controversial 6,700-word bill signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom limits Golden State publishers from assigning more than 35 stories a year to a freelance writer.

 

If publishers do not follow the new law, it would be considered a crime leading to legal headaches.

 

An active writer calls the new law “overreaching and harmful to people who prefer the flexibility that comes with being a freelancer,” adding "media outlets will look out of state, assign work to other California residents who haven’t hit the 35-project cap or slash their entire freelance budgets to avoid the hassle of record-keeping.”

 

Author of the law is a former labor organizer who originally capped freelancers to 25 submissions a year, before lifting it to 35 after protests.

 

 

IN CASE YOUR FAVORITE NEWS OUTLETS MISSED THESE…

 

 

DOW ON A TEAR.  Investors today are watching the Dow Jones Industrial Average to see if it continues higher into new territory after closing Friday at 28004.89, up 222.93 points.  Behind the move are fading recession fears, brighter trade developments and a rosier economic outlook.  

 

ON-POST STORES EXPAND FOR VETERANS.  The Pentagon will expand access to discounted, on-post stores for 4.1 million veterans and some of their caregivers at the beginning of next year, says the Defense Department.

 

McCLATCHY TO CUT SATURDAY PRINT ISSUES.  California-based publisher McClatchy says it plans to eliminate Saturday print issues at all its daily newspapers Around the country by the end of the year.  The newspaper chain has over 30 publications in 14 states, including the Sacramento Bee, Miami Herald, Fort Worth Star-Telegram and Charlotte Observer.

 

CHILD PRODIGY, 9, GETS BA DEGREE, AIMS FOR PhD.  A child prodigy from Belgium is set to gain a bachelor's degree next month at the tender age of 9.  Described by staff as "simply extraordinary," Laurent Simons is studying electrical engineering at the Eindhoven University of Technology, then plans to embark on a PhD program in electrical engineering while also studying for a medicial degree (his parents are doctors).

 

ANOTHER 9-YEAR-OLD CATCHES BIG FISH.  On a fishing trip with his father at Elephant Butte Reservoir in New Mexico, Alex Flores, a 9-year-old boy, catches a 42-pound blue catfish after it put up a fight for several minutes.

DESPITE STRIKEOUTS.  Baseball's major league minimum salary will rise to $563,500 next season, a hike of $8,500.

OBITUARY COVERS LIVE PERSON.  The Northern Echo, an English newspaper, apologizes for publishing an obituary on a person still alive after checking with three independent sources to confirm his passing. "We removed the story from our website and social media channels as soon as we were made aware that it was incorrect," notes the paper.

DOG READY FOR ADOPTION.  Lucas, a dog found barely alive in July after plunging off a Santa Barbara, California cliff, is ready for adoption. The canine was rescued after falling more than 70 feet to the beach, breaking two of his legs and damaging his hip.  He was lying motionless in the sand for six hours before being discovered by Good Samaritans who called first responders to transport the dog to an emergency animal hospital.

POLITICAL DEBATES, ADVERTISING GET LOW MARKS, FINDS SURVEY

A Rasmussen Reports national survey finds 68 percent of likely U.S. voters get most of their information about a political candidate from news reports, 13 percent get most of their information from debates, while seven percent rely most on political advertising or family and friends, notes Grumpy Editor.

Rasmussen also finds 46 percent of likely voters have watched candidate debates this midterm campaign season, while 49 percent have not watched any, adding "they’re split on whether those debates carry any value for them.” 

 

For the survey, Rasmusen contacted 1,000 likely voters Oct. 15-16.

 

Grumpy Editor adds that even with unlisted telephone numbers, the campaign season triggers an upswing in unwelcomed political calls morning, afternoon and night left on answering machines.

 

Since the calls are not requested, the candidates plugged mostly get a negative reaction, defeating the purpose of reaching into homes and businesses

 

Another way political candidates attempt to get the word out is via literature that fills up mail boxes --- and usually gets tossed into trash bins.

 

 

IN CASE YOUR FAVORITE NEWS OUTLETS MISSED THESE…

 

DETAILS UPCOMING ON MISSING JOURNALIST.  Look for Turkey's president to provide details tomorrow on the investigation into missing journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS UP IN STATES WITH POT.  A study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety finds traffic accidents are rising in states that have legalized recreational marijuana.

WHERE'S THE NATIONAL GUARD?  In Florida, armed looters are targeting homes and businesses that remain without electricity after being ravaged by Hurricane Michael earlier this month.

 

ALMOST HALF BILLION DOLLARS FOR PET COSTUMES.  More than 30 million people will spend about $480 million treating their pets to costumes on Halloween.  That's more than double the $220 million spent on pet Halloween costumes in 2010 when the National Retail Federation began tracking pet costumes.

 

UNWELCOMED BANK DROP-IN.  A slithering 6 1/2-foot python finds its way into the ceiling of a bank in China and spooks staffers during a meeting when it falls from the ceiling.

CHERRY BLOSSOMS BLOOM OFF-SEASON. In Tokyo, some of Japan's famed cherry blossoms bloom unexpectedly this month, raising eyebrows.   The pink and white flowers usually bloom two weeks in the spring.  Experts say a series of typhoons could have contributed to the phenomenon. 

PETA SUPPORTERS GO NAKED.  Animal rights activists, supporters of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals and covered in "bloody body paint," demonstrate topless on Thursday in New York City to protest outfitter Canada Goose over the treatment of coyotes and geese.

MARINE RECEIVES MEDAL OF HONOR.  Retired Marine Corps Sgt. Maj. John Canley, from Oxnard, Calif., gets applause in the White House when he is awarded the Medal of Honor by President Donald Trump.  Now 80 years old, he "fought with unmatched bravery" at the start of one of the Vietnam War's longest and bloodiest battles.

A HOME RUN THAT WASN'T.  Houston Astros are convinced that Major League Baseball robbed the team of a two-run home run by Jose Altuve when a fan reached out in an attempt to grab the ball. 

 

 

"First 100 days' comments directed at the President

Grumpy Editor brings the following --- from a prime news source --- to your attention after a daily barrage of reading or hearing about the president’s “first 100 days” via print/broadcast outlets.

“In his first 100 days in office, the president has demonstrated a clear departure from his predecessor.

“The new administration has moved rapidly to revoke and alter policies that marked the legacy of the (previous administration).

“The swift-moving president says he is trying to fulfill his campaign promises and supporters applaud his efforts.

"Critics say he could be putting too much on his already-full plate."

What media outlet carried that report?

Hold on now.

That was a portion of an ABC News report, April 29, 2009, referring to Barack Obama.

Indeed, every incoming president gets a wild ride in his first 100 days in office.  With President Donald Trump, it has been noisy wall-to-wall coverage.

Now, look for continued cacophony on Trump’s “first 200 days.”

Meanwhile, not widely spotlighted are these “Trump bumps” so far this year.

• In January, the Dow Jones Industrial average rose above 20,000 for the first time and closed Friday almost 1,000 points higher at 20,940.51.

• Standard & Poor’s 500 index rose 5.5 percent to more than 2,232 points in the first quarter.

• Consumer confidence in March (latest reporting month), reached a 16-year high.

IN CASE YOUR FAVORITE NEWS OUTLETS MISSED THESE…

Today being May Day, look for heavy coverage of rallies, marches and protests in the U.S. --- and around the world. Nothing new here. Such coverage has been going on for decades. New element, however, is immigrant groups and their allies will be active…Without President Donald Trump in attendance, speakers at Saturday night’s annual White House Correspondents' dinner promote press freedom and responsibility while challenging Trump’s accusations of dishonest reporting. At the same time, hosting a campaign rally in Harrisburg, Pa., Trump tells the crowd, “A large group of Hollywood actors and Washington media are consoling each other in a hotel ballroom in our nation's capital right now --- and I could not possibly be more thrilled than to be more than 100 miles away from Washington's swamp, spending my evening with all of you and with a much, much larger crowd and much better people”…A Morning Consult poll finds roughly half (51 percent) of Americans say the national political media “is out of touch with everyday Americans,” compared with 28 percent who say it “understands the issues everyday Americans are facing”…Fortune magazine reports Facebook released a report “effectively admitting that its network had been used in orchestrated attempts to manipulate public opinion about political issues, including the U.S. election”…United Airlines issues a 10-point plan to improve customer relations after the recent fiasco involving forcible removal of a passenger from an overbooked flight. The one that grabbed most attention was an increase in maximum compensation to $10,000 for voluntary denied boarding. It also pledges only to call on law enforcement for safety and security issues. This follows the latest customer complaint about a giant showcase rabbit that died after being shipped from London across the Atlantic…Forbes, the business magazine, plans to launch an Italian-language version monthly in partnership with an Italian digital and media company…Albertsons, third-biggest food retailer in the U.S. after Wal-Mart and Kroger, is considering a bid for Whole Foods, reports Financial Times.

 

Gotta watch those “buts” leading to editorializing in a headline, example:

“Trump stumbled on healthcare and immigration, but he's been 'a wrecking ball' on the environment --- Los Angeles Times.

Pollsters, key media and stock mart analysts get it wrong

The "surprise" election of Republican Donald J. Trump illustrates the blushingly wrong-way predictions via political polls, mainstream media and stock market analysts, notes Grumpy Editor.

The question now:  will folks believe them next time?

Polls were way off base. A prime example is Reuters.  In late August, a Reuters/Ipsos poll proclaims Democrat Hillary Clinton, in winning key swing states, would have "a 95 percent chance of beating" Trump.  Then in newspapers on election day, a Reuters/Ipsos story trumpets "Clinton has about a 90 percent chance of defeating" Trump in the race for the White House.

Pollsters, in attempting to recover their blunders, claim their jobs are more difficult now because people are changing how they communicate, with cell phones taking the lead over land lines and the internet.  

Meanwhile, key media, including most TV news outlets, simply got it wrong along with their political pundits, losing touch with many Americans.  Right through election day they had Clinton riding a comfortable victory over Trump.

Pre-election predictions by most stock market analysts warned that with a Trump victory there would be a collapse in share prices.  Instead, the Dow industrials jumped 257 points the day after the elections and wound up the week in new high territory, with the Dow at 18847.65 points.

Believability will be a difficult effort for pollsters, key media and stock market analysts the next time around.

Associated Press got into the act, too, in updating its Stylebook's political terms, mentioning not to refer to the husband of Hillary Clinton as “first gentleman” in the White House but simply “former President Clinton.”

 

IN CASE YOUR FAVORITE NEWS OUTLETS MISSED THESE...

Washington is slow in revealing that the four people killed Saturday inside Bagram Airfield north of Kabul, Afghanistan were Americans --- two service members and two contractors. Sixteen other U.S. service members were injured when a man wearing a suicide vest detonated himself. The event didn’t get major headlines in the U.S…Arthur O. Sulzberger Jr., the New York Times’ publisher, appeals to readers for their continued support, promising the paper would “reflect” on its coverage of this year’s election while rededicating itself to reporting on “America and the world” honestly…Got to double check those CNNMoney headlines on the web. On Thursday, one read:  People Magazine has come under fire by readers after publishing a cover featuring President-elect, Donald Trump. Then down in the seventh paragraph the “coming under fire” is attributed to “several of People's readers took to social media to claim they would be boycotting the magazine”…A Rasmussen Reports survey finds that, when asked to choose from a list of factors, 27 percent of likely voters say the character of the candidates was most important to their vote this year. Nearly as many --- 23 percent --- say the economy/jobs was most important, followed by national security and the war on terror at 15 percent while 13 percent say fiscal issues such as taxes, government spending and business regulation as most important…As what happened with the Chicago Tribune in 1948 when its headline incorrectly read: DEWEY DEFEATS TRUMAN, a Turkish newspaper mistakenly called the election result for Hillary Clinton early Wednesday. Tabloid Posta’s front page headline read "CLINTON PRESIDENT"…Police in Brisbane, Australian in searching the zippered canvas bag of a 50-year-old woman who was being arrested, find a three-pound baby koala. She tells police she had been caring for the animal since she found it the prior day. Police named him Alfred...General Motors plans to lay off 2,000 employees at two U.S. auto plants early next year. 

 

Remember this when ordering a hamburger:

Today is National Pickle Day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gallup poll finds most voters say media favor Clinton

A national poll finds most registered voters agree with what Donald Trump has been declaring in this presidential election:  media are biased, favoring Hillary Clinton, notes Grumpy Editor.

A Gallup poll tallies 52 percent of media are biased in favor of Clinton while eight percent are biased in favor of Trump. 

Meanwhile, the poll also counts 38 percent saying media show no bias toward either candidate, while two percent have no opinion.

The poll echoes what Trump has been working into his speeches for weeks --- simply that journalists are dishonest.



He cites an "important issue for Americans is integrity in journalism."

Trump hastens to add, "These people are among the most dishonest people I’ve ever met, spoken to, done business with. These are the most dishonest people. There has never been dishonesty like we’ve seen in this election."

A common denominator for many of today's journalists is simply that they have not received full journalism basic training.  That includes being fair and balanced or showing neutrality in reporting.

That's because many of those covering politics today are college graduates with political science degrees.

 

IN CASE YOUR FAVORITE NEWS OUTLETS MISSED THESE...

The 2016 World Series may be over but Las Vegas oddsmakers already are zeroing in on next year's World Series, giving last week's winning National League Chicago Cubs 3-1 odds, followed by 10-1 odds to the Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers and Washington Nationals.  And how does last week's losing American League Cleveland Indians fare?  The team is 12-1...And with this year's World Series, how did the TV viewing audience rate since there was no New York or Los Angeles team involved?  Game 7 in the series reached 40 million viewers, making it the most watched game since 1991.  The World Series as a whole averaged 23.4 million viewers, most since the Red Sox beat the St. Louis Cardinals in 2004.

Down days in print advertising revenue hit key newspapers.  The New York Times Co. reports third quarter earnings falls sharply as print advertising sinks 19 percent while print ad revenue in the latest quarter for Gannett Co. slips 15 percent and Tronc Inc., owner of Chicago Tribune and Los Angeles Times, among others, reports a 13 percent decline in print ad revenue...The Wall Street Journal next Monday will unveil a new format in its print edition that combines several sections while reducing the size of some coverage areas as the paper copes with an accelerating industrywide decline in print ads.

President Barack Obama last week grants clemency to 72 additional federal inmates. That follows 98 the previous week and ups his clemency to 944 people, including 324 serving life sentences…Thomson Reuters plans to cut 2,000 jobs and take a charge of up to $250 million as the news and financial information company seeks to streamline its business...With media overly occupied with election news, being overlooked is North Korea's plans to launch additional intermediate-range ballistic missiles...People's Viennaline, an Austrian airline, claims it has initiated the world's shortest regular international connection --- an eight-minute hop across Lake Constance, connecting St. Gallen-Altenrhein in Switzerland with Friedrichshafen in southern Germany…Next Monday Tucker Carlson, 47, takes over the hour slot on Fox News formerly held by Greta van Susteren, who left the network in September.

 

Who's afraid? 

A Chapman University Survey of American Fears Wave 3 (2016) provides an unprecedented look into the fears of average Americans. Here are the top 10 fears:

Fear	Fear Domain	% Afraid or Very Afraid
Corrupt government officials	Government	60.6
Terrorist attack	Manmade Disasters	41
Not having enough money for the future	Economic	39.9
Terrorism	Crime	38.5
Government restrictions on firearms and ammunition	Government	38.5
People I love dying	Illness and Death	38.1
Economic/financial collapse	Economic	37.5
Identity theft	Crime	37.1
People I love becoming seriously ill	Illness and Death	35.9
The Affordable Health Care Act/ObamaCare	Government	35.5

See the full list of 79 fears at:

blogs.chapman.edu/wilkinson/2016/10/11/americas-top-fears-2016

 

Sad story out of Waco, Texas.

A couple, married for 74 years, died only 10 hours apart last week.

High school sweethearts, Leonard Cherry, 95, had been in hospice care only days before his death while Hazel Cherry, 93, moved into a nursing home next door.

Media focus heavily on disruptions at Trump events

Grumpy Editor asks if you've had enough of the same video footage --- focusing on noisy, disruptive protesters at Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump's Chicago rally --- that has been repeated over and over since Friday night.  Clips are still running today. 

Enough already.

That's why TV news watchers are switching to the Animal Planet channel.

Newspapers joined in with a parade of action photos of protesters at the University of Illinois-Chicago. Many of the protesters, including students, jumped up and down with their arms in the air.  TV news directors relish such animation coupled with some physical confrontations. 

A typical protester, facing a Fox News Channel camera Friday night, was asked why she was among protesters.  She replied that she had no idea why she was shouting against Trump, who cancelled the rally.

MSNBC, Fox News and CNN mostly went wall to wall with the yelling and fist-waving action while NBC, CBS and ABC used the Chicago (and later other protests over the weekend) to lead off network news programs.

Associated Press on Saturday fed a lengthy report --- Analysis: Chicago chaos tests Trump promises of unity.  It contained the line: "The Chicago chaos presents the biggest leadership test yet for the Republican outsider, the deeply divided Republican Party and an even more sharply splintered nation that he seeks to lead."

(What do trouble-seeking protesters have to do with Trump's "biggest leadership test"?  And note how "deeply divided Republican Party" was worked in, while "more sharply splintered nation" is pinned on a GOP presidential candidate rather than the current White House occupant. )

Another AP story ended with:  "But many of the protesters in Chicago said they were there specifically to stop Trump from speaking." 

Just think how some political writers would treat a baseball game with some fans shrieking at an umpire's call in a crucial matchup leading to a brawl by the home team at second base. They probably would blame the team’s owner.

Many observers agreed with Trump that the Chicago ruckus was "a planned attack."

 

IN CASE YOUR FAVORITE NEWS OUTLETS MISSED THESE...

Defense Secretary Ashton Carter approved plans from the military services and Special Operations Command to open up all combat jobs to women, and authorized the military to begin integrating female combat soldiers immediately…A CardHub.com study found Americans in last year’s fourth quarter added more than $52 billion in credit card debt, making it the largest pace of credit card debt increase since the Great Recession…While going on for decades, the Washington Post brought it up again last week with: Pay doesn’t look the same for men and women at top newspapers…Sleepy state? Centers for Disease Control found residents of the Great Plains states have the highest prevalence of “healthy sleep duration” --- especially in South Dakota, where 71.6 percent of residents sleep more than seven hours a day…Not so bright earnings picture? Bloomberg View noted corporate profits have dropped three out of the last four quarters, adding that usually means a recession for the U.S. economy…Lawmakers introduced a bill that would limit airline fees for checked bags, ticket changes and cancellations, claiming the practice is similar to price gouging.

Surveys galore:

Americans are getting fed up with surveys (asking “how are we doing”?) that come via telephone (quizzers say “it will only take three to five minutes”), e-mail and snail mail.  Newspapers and magazines are among the survey-takers.

CNBC quizzers of GOP candidates stir anti-media storm

 

Grumpy Editor quickly knew the Republican debate from Boulder, Colo., would experience a rough session when the first question from a CNBC trio directed to the 10 candidates was:

“What is your biggest weakness?”

Keep in mind that Carl Quintanilla, Becky Quick and John Harwood on their day jobs at CNBC, part of the NBC family, usually focus on key concerns of viewers --- the economy, China’s effect on the U.S. stock market, trade, corporate developments and Federal Reserve policy, among other solid business/finance matters.

The CNBC performance did not play well with the Boulder audience.  Criticism also came from some linked to media.

A Washington Post story labeled CNBC’s handling of the two-hour event “clumsy.”  Media Research Center President Brent Bozell castigated the “smarmy, condescending, arrogant” moderators for their liberal questions designed to promote fights with the candidates.  Howard Kurtz, Media Buzz host on Fox News, called it “a train wreck for CNBC.”

Despite frequent howls directed at CNBC’s moderators (all non-journalism graduates from college), the three questioners were unfazed by the reactions.

On Friday morning Harwood saw it another way when he appeared on CNBC and declared the candidates “went after the media, which is a popular thing to do in a Republican primary.”  Meanwhile, Chuck Todd, NBC’s political director and Meet the Press moderator, summed up the previous night’s anti-main stream media action: “Look, in many ways this was a premeditated attack.”

A CNBC spokesman issued a post-debate statement declaring: “People who want to be president of the United States should be able to answer tough questions.”

Later, the Republican National Committee, citing a biased performance by CNBC in the third GOP presidential debate, announced the party is suspending an agreement with NBC to stage a February debate.

 

IN CASE YOU MISSED THESE…

With a zero cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for Social Security recipients announced for 2016, one senior --- reflecting the view of millions of Americans --- summed it up in a letter to the editor:  “Those of us who have worked for decades, paid into Social Security, fought in wars, paid taxes and been the backbone of America are now being treated with less regard and support than undocumented immigrants.”

Repeating a warning heard during the year:  The Federal Reserve is keeping its key short-term interest rate at a record low, citing a weak global economy, slower hiring and practically no inflation.  But it signaled the possibility of a rate hike next month…While Fed policy makers last week said the U.S. economy continued to expand at a “moderate” pace, consumer confidence in October slipped to 97.6 from September’s nine-month high of 102.6. 

The Energy Department, obviously not in the spirit of Halloween and Thanksgiving, added pumpkins to the list of things causing greenhouse gases.  The federal agency claimed most of the 1.3 billion (yes, that’s with a “b”) pounds of U.S.-produced pumpkins end up in municipal dumps and decompose into methane, “a harmful greenhouse gas that plays a part in climate change, with more than 20 times the warming effect of carbon dioxide.”  Meanwhile, getting into the fray, Roman Catholic leaders from around the world appealed to an upcoming U.N. conference on climate change to produce “a truly transformational” agreement to curb global warming.

And baloney is included.  Operators of steak houses and other eateries shook heads after a World Health Organization report linked red and processed meats to causing cancer in humans…Of the top 10 TV prime time programs in the Oct. 19 to 25 period, five involved football.  Yes, “Dancing With the Stars” was hanging in there at No. 10.

 

Observed in a David Brooks New York Times column:

“Imagine if we had a sensible Trump in the (presidential) race.  Suppose there was some former general or business leader with impeccable outsider status but also a steady temperament, deep knowledge and good sense.”

Did Brooks have a photo of Hillary Clinton on his desk when he wrote that?

Media ignore ID of 'Muslim quizzer' at N.H. Trump event

 

Media chatter continued over the weekend on the “Obama Muslim question” stemming from a first question at a Donald Trump town hall meeting Thursday in Rochester, N.H.

With many media members at that gathering, plus heavy broadcast and print discussion for four days now, Grumpy Editor is amazed that no journalist sought to contact the questioner (who, surprisingly, remains unidentified, along with political affiliation) and is labeled by some media (without confirmation) as a Trump supporter.

The voice of the questioner projected well, sounding like he had a broadcasting background.

While some media, and a number of politicians, wrongly link the Muslim identification to Trump, he had nothing to do with it.  Muslin simply was not uttered by the front runner for the Republican nomination.

Here’s what the questioner said and Trump’s response:

MYSTERY MAN: “We have a problem in this country.  It’s called Muslims. We know our current president is one. We know he’s not even an American.  We have training camps growing where they want to kill us. That’s my question.  When can we get rid of them?”

TRUMP:  “We’re going to be looking at a lot of different things.  A lot of people are saying that and a lot of people are saying that bad things are happening out there. We’re going to be looking at that and plenty of other things.”

That exchange kicked off a barrage of anti-Trump coverage as most media cried that Trump did not correct the audience member.

Among heavy print and broadcast coverage examples:

A lingering on-screen headline on Friday night’s “Kelly File” with Megyn Kelly on the Fox News Channel read: Firestorm over exchange at Trump event

Headline on a U.S. News &World Report story on the web:  Trump Supporter Calls Obama a Muslim

The headline at CNN’s website proclaimed:  Trump doesn't challenge anti-Muslim questioner at event

Sunday's This Week with George Stephanopoulos on ABC:  Trump Faces New Problem

On Saturday, Trump defended himself for not correcting the audience member, declaring: “Am I morally obligated to defend the president every time somebody says something bad or controversial about him?  I don't think so.  If someone made a nasty or controversial statement about me to the president, do you really think he would come to my rescue? No chance.”

Also interesting:  Two days before the New Hampshire town hall, Bloomberg’s Mark Halperin wrote  Trump “has proven to be unlike any other candidate in modern American politics. Top strategists for Trump’s rivals and some corporate and conservative interests are working with opposition researchers, messaging experts and focus-group gurus to find some plausible scheme to end what has already become an enduring nightmare for much of the Republican establishment: Donald Trump, Front-Runner.” 

In case you missed these…

A report from Washington said President Barack Obama planned to talk tough to China’s president in their meeting this week regarding hackers in the communist country stealing U.S. government and corporate data…Feeling pinched --- or richer?  The Census Bureau said U.S. median household income of $53,657 last year was 6.5 percent below the 2007 median of $57,357 --- before the most recent recession.  In contrast, a Federal Reserve report said wealth of American households reached a new peak in the second quarter, boosted by real estate values…Getting minimum coverage in U.S. media:  Taliban insurgents blasted their way into a maximum-security prison in eastern Afghanistan last week, allowing 355 prisoners to escape.  The question:  Could some of these escaped hard-core, anti-U.S. tough guys blend in with refugees or mix in with others crossing the southern U.S. border?...While Washington was focusing on Iran and its nuclear development, North Korea declared its main nuclear complex was operating, its  nuclear weapons arsenal has improved in “quality and quantity” ---  and threatened to use those weapons “any time” against the U.S…More trimming at a daily newspaper.  Restructuring at the Times-Picayune, New Orleans, will result in an overall reduction of 28 full-time and nine part-time newsroom staffers.

 

Among some of the goofy questions during last week’s GOP presidential debate on CNN, moderator Jake Tapper asked the candidates what code name they'd like the Secret Service to use in identifying them.

 

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