Grumpy Editor

TODAY MARK'S WORLD WAR II D-DAY EVENT IN 1944

A major event during World War II occurred 78 years ago today: D-Day, notes Grumpy Editor.

Is your newspaper running a story on that today?

 

The D-Day operation of June 6, 1944 brought together land, air and sea forces of the allied armies in what became known as the largest invasion force in history. The operation delivered five naval assault divisions to the beaches of Normandy, France.

The invasion force included 7,000 ships and landing craft manned by over 195,000 navy personnel from eight allied countries.

About 133,000 troops from England, Canada and the United States landed on D-Day.  Casualties from the three countries during the landing numbered 10,300.

By June 30th, more than 850,000 men, 148,000 vehicles, and 570,000 tons of supplies landed on the Normandy shores. Fighting by soldiers, sailors and airmen of the allied forces western front led to the defeat of German Nazi forces. 

 

IN CASE YOUR FAVORITE NEWS OUTLETS MISSED THESE…

 

WORLD’S FASTEST SUPERCOMPUTER.  Hewlett Packard Enterprise Co. says it has developed the world's fastest supercomputer, Frontier, in partnership with Advanced Micro Devices Inc. and the U.S. Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory.  At 1.1 exaflops, Frontier makes over 1,000,000,000,000,000,000 (or one billion-billion) calculations per second.

 

ADVERTISING, PR JOBS FALL.  Employment in advertising, public relations and related services fell by 2,400 jobs last month, a  turnabout for a sector that until recently had been scoring solid gains, according to a U.S.Bureau of Labor Statistics report.

 

MOST AMERICANS EXERCISE.  Latest Rasmussen Reports survey finds 85 percent of American adults exercise at least once a week, including 23 percent who exercise four or five times weekly and 21 percent who exercise daily or almost every day.

 

CNN’S "BREAKING NEWS" TO FADE.  Chris Licht, CNN's new boss, says the network overuses "Breaking News" and he has added a “Breaking News” guideline to its stylebook, addressing overuse of the phrase.

 

GOLDEN STATE THINKS BEES CAN SWIM.  To get bumble bees protections from agricultural practices, California court judges determined that bees could actually be considered fish.

 

MESSAGE IN BOTTLE MAKES IT TO SHORE.  A message in a bottle launched from a North Carolina island in early April turns up nearly two months later after floating more than 700 miles to a Massachusetts island.

 

WOMAN HEADS COAST GUARD.  Admiral Linda Fagan becomes the first female officer in charge of a U.S. armed service branch — the Coast Guard. The 1985 Coast Guard Academy graduate previously served as commander of the Coast Guard Pacific Area.

 

FOX TERRIER CROWNED OLDEST.  A 22-year-old toy fox terrier is crowned the oldest living dog.  She enjoys listening to country music and sleeping until five p.m., say her owners in Taylors, South Carolina.

 

 

 

MEDIA OVERLOOKS 80TH ANNIVERSARY OF WORLD WAR II DOOLITTLE RAID

 

 

Media usually like to recycle anniversaries but somehow overlooked the 80th anniversary of the famous Doolittle raid during World War II, observes Grumpy Editor.

 

Planned and led by Lt. Col. James Doolittle (who later became a general) on April 18, 1942, 16 B-25B Mitchell medium bombers, each with a crew of five, took off without fighter escort  from the U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS Hornet off Japan to hit Tokyo and other places on Honshu.

 

It demostrated that the Japanese mainland was vulnerable to U.S. air attacks and boosted morale of Americans.

 

After bombing military and industrial targets in Japan, the plan was to continue westward and land in China.  But some aircraft ran out of fuel and crash landed on the way.

 

The action was portrayed in the well-received 1943 movie, “Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo” starring Spencer Tracy as Doolittle.

 

 

IN CASE YOUR FAVORITE NEWS OUTLETS MISSED THESE…

 

 

FEW JOURNALISTS WORE MILITARY UNIFORMS.  Few U.S. journalists are military veterans.  Only two percent of media workers are veterans, according to a Census data analysis from Military Vets in Journalism. 

 

BIDEN TO ATTEND D.C. WRITERS ANNUAL DINNER.  President Joe Biden plans to attend the White House Correspondents Association's annual dinner on Saturday, the first time a sitting president will be at the event since Barack Obama in 2016.

 

WORLD'S OLDEST CANINE SETS RECORD.  The world's oldest living dog, a chihuahua named TobyKeith, breaks a Guinness World record --- passing 21 years and 66 days.  He was adopted from a shelter in Florida.

 

ALL FEMALE NEWS STAFF --- IN SOMALIA.  Led by one of the few female senior news producers in Somalia, a team of six women will produce content for TV, radio and online media on issues such as gender-based violence, women in politics and female entrepreneurs.

 

BURGLARS HIT HIGH-END L.A. HOMES.  A number of homes in upscale Los Angeles areas are being burglarized.  A Hollywood Hills home is hit while the homeowner is hiding in the bathroom.  Police are investigating since the action is captured on security cameras.

 

DENTAL PATIENT INHALES DRILL BIT.  While at his dentist, an Illinois man inhaled a one-inch drill bit, sending it deep into his lung.  He had to go to a hospital to have it removed.

CAR HITS MOUNTAIN LION ON FREEWAY.  A mountain lion was struck and killed on the 405 Freeway near Brentwood in the Los Angeles area.  The animal died just one day before the groundbreaking of a wildlife bridge designed to provide safe passage for animals hemmed in by urban sprawl.

HAWAII FLYOVER MARKS 75TH ANNIVERSARY SINCE END OF WWII

While coronavirus reports fill newspaper pages, overlooked by most is the 75^th anniversary marking the end of World War II, notes Grumpy Editor.

An interesting celebration will be in Hawaii where 14 vintage airplanes from that era are slated for flyovers Aug. 29 and 30.  They made the journey to Hawaii from San Diego aboard the USS Essex.

      Will your favorite newspaper run photos of this event?

Victory over Japan day or VJ Day, when Japan surrendered on Aug. 15, 1945, three months after Nazi Germany surrendered in Europe, generally receives less attention than Victory in Europe or VE Day on May 8.

More than 30 million soldiers and civilians were killed in the Pacific theater during the war, compared with 15 million to 20 million who died in Europe.

IN CASE YOUR FAVORITE NEWS OUTLETS MISSED THESE...

 

Tucson the dog is "car consultant" at auto dealership.

CANINE IS CAR CONSULTANT.  A stray dog is given a job as "car consultant" at a Hyundai dealership in Brazil.  It all started when the manager of Prime Hyundai first began seeing the stray canine several months ago.  The manager starts leaving food and water for the dog, which is around a year old.  The pooch kept coming back, winning over the hearts of the dealership's staff in the process.  The manager finally gives in and decides to adopt him.

POSTAL SERVICE FACES PROBLEMS.  The United States Postal Service is dealing with crippling backlogs of letters and packages.  Despite a surge in package delivery during the pandemic, postal workers are no longer able to work overtime and fewer mail trucks are on the road.  The self-funded Postal Service has been seeking billions in aid from Congress, an effort stymied by President Donald Trump, who has long had a contentious relationship with the USPS and has pushed to privatize it.

PEORIA POLICE HELP LEMONADE PROVIDERS WHO WERE ROBBED.  Folks, including police, in Peoria, Illinois, rally behind two 13-year-old boys after their lemonade stand was robbed of $30 at gunpoint by two men.  Fifteen Peoria police vehicles arrive at the lemonade stand when it reopens after the robbery. The officers and police chief get out of their cars and talk to the boys and say how much they support them. They give them a donation and take turns buying lemonade. As news of the incident spreads through Peoria, neighbors, friends, and strangers begin donating money to the boys to encourage them not to give up.  So far, more than $3,500 has been raised.

BABY BORN ON AIRLINER IS NAMED SKY.  The mother of a baby born on an airplane that was taking her to a hospital in Anchorage names her son Sky --- stemming from where he is born less than an hour into the flight.  At an Anchorage hospital, mother and baby are expected to be discharged later this week.

STEIN MART SHUTTERS STORES.  Off-price retailer Stein Mart, offering designer and name brand apparel, home decor, accessories and shoes for both men and women, is hit by the pandemic and plans to close most of its nearly 300 stores in 30 states.  Stein Mart began in 1908 as a small department store in Mississippi.  

FLORIDA SHERIFF NIXES MASKS.  Florida’s Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods, despite being in a state struggling with record-breaking coronavirus numbers, insists there's no conclusive evidence wearing masks curbs the spread of the virus.  So he bars his deputies from wearing facial coverings in most work settings.

SEAL ENJOYS RIDE ON PADDLE BOARD.  Most seals are elusive. But in Weymouth, England, an unusual seal named Sammy approaches people on the beach and is seen catching rides on a paddle board.

FAMOUS WORLD WAR II BOMBER BEING PREPPED FOR SMITHSONIAN DISPLAY

An historical event that few media covered:  the Smithsonian’s Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. soon will display one of the U.S. military's most durable combat aircraft from World War II — the Martin B-26B-25-MA Marauder "Flak-Bait,” notes Grumpy Editor.

A Stars and Stripes story points out the twin-engine medium bomber survived more than 200 missions over Europe, despite being riddled with more than 1,000 flak and shrapnel holes. 

Instead of being scrapped after the war, the historic aircraft was donated to the Smithsonian.

While the nose section went on display, the rest of plane went into storage at a Maryland facility.

The aircraft is being pieced together at the Mary Baker Engen Restoration Hangar at the Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Va. 

When the work is completed, the bomber will be placed among the museum's other famous aircraft, including the space shuttle Discovery, an SR-71 Blackbird and the B-29 Enola Gay.

 

IN CASE YOUR FAVORITE NEWS OUTLETS MISSED THESE…

 

MARKET WATCHERS EYE DEADLY VIRUS NEWS.  Will the deadly coronavirus outbreak, stemming from Asia, continue to affect the stock market this week, after triggering a drop of 170.36 points to 28989.73 on Friday?  Market observers will be watching closely. 

CREDIT SCORES CALCULATIONS CHANGE.  FICO, the data analytics company, makes significant changes to the way most widely used credit scores are calculated.  The new system more strictly penalizes borrowers with large amounts of debt or those who have fallen behind on loan payments.

MOTHER DOG PULLS PUPS IN CART.  In Darien, Georgia, a mother dog is discovered on the side of a dirt road pulling a crate containing four puppies.  A man and his son spot the mama dog struggling to pull the crate and rescue them, bringing them to a shelter.

EX-BANK CEO BANNED FROM BANKING.  Former Wells Fargo CEO John Stumpf agrees to a lifetime ban from the banking industry and a $17.5 million fine for his role in leading the bank through its massive fake accounts scandal and other sales practice misconduct.

HARWOOD JOINS CNN.  John Harwood leaves his post as editor at large at CNBC to join CNN as a White House correspondent. At CNBC, Harwood covered Washington and served as host of the CNBC Digital original video series, “Speakeasy with John Harwood.”

SUPER BOWL TICKETS ZOOM.  Ticket prices to Super Bowl 54 in Miami next Sunday to see the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers, could be the most expensive ever. Least expensive ticket on SeatGeek is about $4,400. Most expensive ticket is over $24,000.

EMOTIONAL SUPPORT ANIMALS ON AIRCRAFT EYED.  Proposed rules could halt passengers from bringing emotional-support animals aboard airplanes.  Department of Transportation proposes only specially-trained dogs qualify as service animals in cabins.

KIDS BAG $10 A WEEK.   Children between 4 and 14 years old receive an average of $499 a year (about $10 a week), up 6 percent from a year earlier, according to a study from RoosterMoney. 

NEW MEXICO LEADS IN PECANS.  New Mexico leads the nation in pecan production with $170 million worth last year.  That’s from 96 million pounds, up 6 percent from the prior year.

WEATHER FORECAST WAS KEY ELEMENT IN PINPOINTING D-DAY

 

 

 

D-Day events in the past week reminded Grumpy Editor of the excellent, well documented writing by David Eisenhower, the grandson and namesake of Gen. Dwight Eisenhower with “Eisenhower at War 1943-1945,” originally published December, 1986.

 

Its 977 pages, a masterful work that reshapes thinking about World War II in Europe, was nominated for Pulitzer Prize for History. 

 

Along with media keeping mum --- something that would never happen these days --- on the planned landings on the beaches of France, the other major element was the weather, most important on an English Channel crossing, and how word from the Allies' meteorologists made the June 6 invasion a “go.”

 

The book pointed out that “on the strength of a weather forecast (Gen. Eisenhower) decided to launch the invasion on the sixth (of June) instead of postponing it until the nineteenth without having to clear that decision with higher authority,” adding “it was “one of the truly great decisions in military history.”

 

Adverse weather would have curtailed close support of gunships and aircraft.

 

The Germans, who expected bad weather conditions for an invasion, were victims of faulty intelligence.

 

The Luftwaffe was in charge of predicting weather patterns and did not detect the break in the weather charted by the Allies.  The Germans predicted unsettled weather would force at least a two-week delay on any Allied activity toward France.

 

Allies' daily weather analysis, as pointed out in the book, was prepared by a group headed by meteorologist Group Captain Dr. John Stagg, on loan to the Royal Air Force, along with American-British experts drawn from various U.S. and British military sections.

 

 

 

IN CASE YOUR FAVORITE NEWS OUTLETS MISSED THESE...

 

 

BETTER THAN A HAMBURGER?  Justin Sun, 28-year-old founder of cryptocurrency platform Tron and CEO of BitTorrent, provided a record winning bid --- $4,567,888 --- for a three-hour lunch date at a New York steak house with Warren Buffet, Berkshire Hathaway chairman.  Every year, Buffett auctions off the expensive lunch that benefits Glide, a San Francisco charity that fights homelessness and addiction.  Last year's lunch with Buffet went for about $3.3 million.  The winner can invite up to seven friends for the lunch.

MAGAZINES CHANGE ISSUES.  Entertainment Weekly will no longer be a weekly magazine starting in August, when it starts publishing monthly as part of a larger "reimagining" of the brand.  The July 5 issue will be the last weekly.  Meanwhile, Newsweek — which started 80 years ago — will see its last print edition with the Dec. 31 issue.  Then it goes all digital.

MONSTER EYES SPIRITS.  California-based Monster Beverage Corp., leader in energy drinks, is considering branching into selling spirits, malt beverages and hard seltzers.  Coca-Cola owns 18.5% of Monster and distributes the brand through its beverage network. 

CONSUMER REPORTS GETS $6 MILLION DONATION. Consumer Reports received $6 million from Craig Newmark Philanthropies, allowing it to keep a closer watch over digital products and platforms, reported Chris Roush, Talking Biz News.

 

PLENTY OF DOUGHNUTS IN L.A.  National Geographic noted almost 1,500 independent doughnut shops dot the Los Angeles area.

 

TROUBLED NURSING HOMES LIST DUE. The U.S. government soon will start posting a list of about 400 troubled nursing homes and it'll be updated on a regular basis.

 

MARKETING CHIEFS TIME ON JOBS EBBS.  Average time chief marketing officers spent at their jobs at the 100 largest advertisers dipped to 43 months last year from 44 months the year prior, according to research firm Spencer Stuart.

WOULD TODAY’S MEDIA KEEP D-DAY PLANS A SECRET?

 

 

D-Day landing, 1944

 

 

With the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landing in France being observed on June 6, press action — or more precisely inaction at that time — on activity leading up to the event that led to liberation of Europe would never happen today, declares Grumpy Editor.

 

Those representing print and radio at that time were patriotically mum on the most heavily guarded secret on the planet:  Invasion of Normandy across the English Channel.  It was the major turning point in the war.

 

Nowadays most members of the media can't keep a secret, or even a rumor, without firing it off.

 

On that noteworthy day in 1944 surprise was crucial, especially with Germany’s 55 divisions in France.

 

Six parachute regiments, with more than 13,000 troops, flew from nine British airfields in more than 800 aircraft, part of a massive flight of more than 11,000 planes.

 

More than 300 aircraft dropped 13,000 bombs over coastal Normandy in advance of the invasion when more than 160,000 troops stormed the beaches.

 

The main Allied invasion force of almost 7,000 naval vessels carried troops, weapons and heavy equipment, including tanks.  The armada included 1,200 warships that transported the troops and nearly 30,000 vehicles.

 

Ships of various sizes dotted the 100 miles across the channel, stretching as far as the eye could see.

 

True journalists at that time kept the secret that resulted in a surprise landing in Normandy.

 

Most of today’s media, with many members holding political science rather than journalism degrees, simply wouldn’t abide by a top-secret label on a major event.

 

IN CASE YOUR FAVORITE NEWS OUTLETS MISSED THESE…

 

NAVY UNIFORM PATCH UNDER REVIEW.  The federal government was reviewing Defense Department policy regulations on dress code after some service members wore a uniform patch with the words “Make Aircrew Great Again” along with a likeness of Donald Trump during the president’s visit to the USS Wasp in Japan.

WETTEST 12 MONTHS SETS RECORD.  The National Weather Service said there's never been a wetter 12 month period in the past 124 years. The continental U.S. averaged six inches of precipitation above average during the period.

 

PATRIOTIC PARADE GETS SLIM COVERAGE.  Outside of the nation’s capital, there wasn’t much coverage of the thousands of spectators who lined Constitution Avenue to pay tribute to the past and present U.S. military in the National Memorial Day Parade.  Parade participants wore uniforms dating back to the Revolutionary War.  Along with floats, vehicles carried the parade's grand marshals — World War II veterans — as well as Medal of Honor recipients and celebrities.

 

MAN SHOOTS PROWLERS, GETS ARRESTED.  A 64-year-old man was arrested for possession of an illegal handgun after he fatally shot a pair of prowlers burglarizing his home in Deerfield, N.Y.  He told the district attorney the weapon he used in self-defense was his late father’s.   He was charged with felony possession of an illegal handgun.

SINGLE PURCHASE BOOSTS STORE SALES.  Costco performed a price check after noting a nearly $400,000 purchase at one of its stores during its most recent quarter. The lofty price tag was linked to one item — a diamond ring.

 

CANINE RULES TOWN.  Maximus Mighty-Dog Mueller II (Max for short), has been Idyllwild, Calif.’s mayor since 2014. The non-incorporated community in the San Jacinto mountains has has been electing canines for its highest office since 2012.  

 

BANK ROBBER NABBED IN CASINO.  A suspect in at least four armed bank robberies in Massachusetts and Rhode Island was captured as he gambled at the Plainridge Park Casino in Plainville, Mass.

 

CHINESE COUNTERFEIT GOODS CITED.  Military Times reported military and government agencies plus others purchased more than $20 million worth of Chinese-made counterfeit goods designed to look like domestically produced gear from a company that defrauded the government and helped to orchestrate the counterfeiting process between January, 2013 and October, 2018. 

 

51ST STATE LOOMING?  A House committee will hold a hearing July 24 on a bill that proposes Washington , D.C. be recognized as the nation’s 51st state.  The bill calls for two senators and one representative for D.C.

RESTORED WORLD WAR II HISTORIC C-47 READIES FOR D-DAY CEREMONIES

 

WORLD WAR II C-47

 

A great sight few newspaper readers/TV viewers saw:  A vintage World War II aircraft flying over New York's Statue of Liberty the other day on the way to D-Day ceremonies next month, observes Grumpy Editor.

The restored C-47 troop carrier was discovered parked in a Wisconsin boneyard, in poor shape, but the Commemorative Air Force in Texas raised $250,000 to purchase and restore the plane, identified as That's All, Brother.

The twin-engine aircraft was identified as the one that led the main D-Day invasion in the air.

The aircraft returned to Europe following the same route it flew to reach Normandy, France in 1944 --- via Canada, Greenland and Iceland.

To commemorate D-Day, the C-47 will take off from England and fly over Normandy to commemorate D-Day 75th anniversary ceremonies on June 6.

On that day in 1944, more than 160,000 Allied troops landed along a 50-mile stretch of heavily-fortified French coastline, to fight Nazi Germany on the beaches of Normandy.  More than 5,000 ships and 13,000 aircraft supported the D-Day Allied invasion.

That's All, Brother dropped off paratroopers.

Some of those military veterans, now in their 90s, will be on the ground observing the distinguished warplane's flyover.

 

IN CASE YOUR FAVORITE NEWS OUTLETS MISSED THESE...

 

CITY FROWNS ON LARGE U.S. FLAG.  Flags are out in force today, Memorial Day.  But in Statesville, N.C. there’s a controversy over a large American flag flying over Camping World.  The city has filed a lawsuit seeking removal of the flag, fining the company $50 a day going back to Oct. 15, 2018.  Many in the city are backing Camping World.

CHINESE REPORTERS RAISE EYEBROWS.  Germany’s military is investigating what information three Chinese reporters collected while Chancellor Angela Merkel visits a NATO unit.  The Xinhua reporters trigger suspicion by filming military equipment and interviewing soldiers about daily routines.

LAYOFFS IN MULTIPLE NEWSROOMS.   Newspaper giant GateHouse Media is making additional cuts in its U.S. newsrooms, following layoffs in January and February.  The action affects 45 local newsrooms in Florida, Pennsylvania, Texas, Ohio, California and Massachusetts. 

ONE DOG ENTERS CAR, EIGHT LEAVE.  A pregnant dog with a broken leg, left at a kill shelter in Georgia, is rescued by Rebecca Lynch, president of Poodle and Pooch Rescue of Florida.  She and her husband pick up the dog, noting the canine “very pregnant, afraid and confused.”  On route home, the rescued dog gives birth to seven pups in the back seat.  All is well.

 

BURGER KING PLANS AGGRESSIVE EXPANSION IN CHINA.  Despite trade tensions betwen the U.S. and China, Burger King plans to open 1,000 franchised outlets there over the next three years.  It follows 1,000 openings in China 13 years after it entered the country.

 

DOGS WATCH MOVIES, TOO.  Attracting attention is K9 Cinemas in Plano, Texas  allowing theatergoers to bring their dogs to watch movies, too.  Their masters get tickets that come with all the wine they can drink.

 

POLICE CHIEF RESIGNATION SOUGHT.  The San Francisco Police Officers’ Association calls for San Francisco’s police chief to resign after the chief apologized Friday for raiding the home of journalist Bryan Carmody, seeking to identify a confidential source.

ABC News devotes 8 seconds to WWII anniversary flyover

 

While other news outlets covered in some detail the Washington, D.C. flyover involving a rare sight of 56 vintage aircraft marking the 70^th anniversary of Victory in Europe (V-E Day), ABC World News Tonight with David Muir on Friday devoted a scant eight seconds (in a negative way) to the event, observed Grumpy Editor.

Since TV emphasizes visual events, the anniversary was tailor made as World War II aircraft flew at about 1,000 feet on a route that took them above the Potomac River, to the Lincoln Memorial and Independence Ave. and on to the House office buildings. 

Among aircraft in the flyover was a Boeing B-29 Superfortress, the only known model still flying, similar to the one that dropped atomic bombs on Japan, spurring the end of World War II. 

Thousands of spectators cheered along the National Mall, from rooftops and balconies.

Other aircraft in the sky parade included P-47 Thunderbolts, P-38 Lightnings, P-40 Warhawks, P-39 Aircobras and bombers: B-24 Liberators, B-25 Mitchell and B-17 Flying Fortress.

So what did ABC News focus on for its mighty eight seconds of coverage?

Footage solely of a single engine Grumman Avenger with a sputtering engine that was forced to break away from the formation.  (It made an emergency landing without incident at Reagan National Airport.)

Considering the great national interest and the rarity of getting almost five dozen vintage aircraft from World War II days in the sky at the same time, it was a solid example of bad news judgment by ABC news editors.  

Earlier in the day at the World War II Memorial on the Mall, dozens of veterans placed wreaths in memory of 400,000 Americans and 60 million people worldwide killed during the war.

With a dwindling number of WW II fliers on hand, news media that recognized the significance of the rare event interviewed some of the veterans.

 

FYI, IN CASE YOUR FAVORITE EDITORS MISSED THESE…

Investors on Friday cheered word from the Labor Department that the U.S. economy created 223,000 jobs in April after a sluggish first quarter this year.  That sent the Dow Jones Industrial Average up 267.05 points to 18191.11 --- with some calling that move a Goldilocks market…With indications of an improved job market leading to more money in pockets, the American Automobile Association predicted more than 37 million Americans will travel for Memorial Day, the most since 2005.  AAA expected those taking a trip of 50 miles or more will rise 4.7 percent to 37.2 million…Media Research Center president Brent Bozell, on Friday’s Fox News’ Neil Cavuto program, said news media, in losing the trust of the American public, have become more "marginalized" and "radicalized" during the Obama years, deliberately ignoring news "if it harms the narrative of the left”…The Wall Street Journal continues as the nation’s most influential financial news organization, according to a survey of more than 400 financial journalists by two DePaul University professors.  Bloomberg News came in second, followed by The New York Times, The Financial Times, CNBC and Reuters…Tribune Publishing Co., parent of the Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times, Hartford Courant, The Baltimore Sun, among others, entered into an agreement to purchase the almost 147-year-old U-T San Diego (better known over the years as Union-Tribune) as well as nine community weeklies and related digital properties in San Diego County for $85 million…In a fresh show of force to the U.S. and others, North Korea on Saturday claimed it successfully test-fired a newly developed ballistic missile from a submarine.  Later, came a report that North Korea fired three anti-ship cruise missiles into the sea off its east coast…Keeping Air Force One busy:  Landing in South Dakota on Friday marked President Barack Obama’s visits to all 50 states.

Now about global warming --- with snowballs followed by baseballs on Mother’s Day:  Up to five inches of wet, heavy snow fell in Denver early yesterday.  But Coors Field was cleared in time for the baseball game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Colorado Rockies.

'Loose lips' in Washington tip off battle plan for Iraq

 

With last Thursday’s Washington tip-off-to-the-bad-guys release of an upcoming U.S. battle plan to regain control of Mosul, Iraq’s second largest city, Grumpy Editor recalls the heavily-guarded secret leading up to the massive invasion of Normandy --- D-Day --- on June 6, 1944 without one word leaking out, even via media.

“Loose lips sink ships,” was a top wartime phrase at the time.

Led by Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower, the giant military undertaking --- on the road to victory in Europe in World War II --- involved transporting 150,000 soldiers plus weapons, tanks and other equipment on more than 6,900 naval vessels, including 1,200 warships 100 miles across the English Channel to French beaches.  Hundreds of aircraft were involved transporting parachute regiments and dropping bombs.

So today’s military veterans and others were surprised to learn “a senior military official” outline a broad plan at a Washington news briefing that up to 25,000 U.S.-trained Iraq and Kurdish forces were preparing to launch an assault to retake Mosul in April or May.

Five Iraqi brigades as the main attack force also was mentioned along with a reserve force of three Iraqi brigades plus three brigades of Kurdish Peshmerga fighters on the north and west.

Retired Air Force Lt. Gen. Tom McInerney, appearing on Fox News, said revealing potential plans to regain control of Mosul is “absolutely bewildering. We are aiding and abetting the enemy."   

Washington’s thinking on this:  Telegraphing details of the upcoming battle serves to weaken the resolve of Islamic fighters by indicating the military force they will face.

The Islamic fighters now have two or three months to gear up for the battle.

 

FYI, IN CASE YOUR FAVORITE EDITORS MISSED THESE…

Snow in Las Vegas?  Residents on the west side of Sin City woke up today to about three inches of snow on the ground.  Unlike Washington, no government offices were shuttered.  That compared with a storm, leaving 4.7 inches of snow, that closed government offices in Washington on Tuesday, giving federal workers four straight days off including President’s Day.  But Tuesday turned out to be clear under a bright blue sky…Meanwhile, frigid weather in the East resulted in most of Niagara Falls being frozen over --- and a temporary halt to mention of global warming/climate change…Some newspapers over the weekend tired of running photos of U.S. cities under snow.  So they jumped on a Reuters photo of a man sketching a large heart in the snow --- in far-off Amman, Jordan.  It was from a storm that hit the Middle East, bringing 10 inches of snow in Jerusalem…A half-day story?  The New York Daily News was one of a few news outlets (along with Britain’s BBC) to report ISIS burned 45 people to death in the western Iraqi town of al-Baghdadi, according to the police chief .  Silence after that…Gotta watch those Tea Party folks.  The Washington Times reported a new Department of Homeland Security intelligence assessment circulated this month focuses on the threat of right-wing sovereign citizen extremist groups in the U.S., adding that “some law enforcement groups say the threat is equal to, and occasionally greater than, the threat from Islamic extremist groups"…With more journalists looking for jobs, as newsroom staffs dwindle, the Los Angeles Times hired an illegal immigrant writer to create a section of its web site devoted to race, immigration and multiculturalism…State Department spokesperson Jen Psaki, who has raised some Washington reporters’ eyebrows, was named White House communications director…In another Gannett Co. newsroom reshuffling, The Courier-Journal, Louisville, said the newspaper's reporters must apply for new positions to “revamp” coverage and ultimately put fewer resources into production…Smart move?  As their plan to “counterbalance” a drop in viewership, cable TV executives --- in seeking more advertising dollars --- came up with compression technology (speeding up fare such as movies) that allows squeezing in additional commercials --- which should send more viewers elsewhere.

Gearing up for a media tour is bouncy Miss P, from Vancouver, British Columbia.  A sexy newly-discovered Hollywood babe?  Nope.  Miss P is a beagle that won the Best in Show award at the 139^th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show in New York.

Related articles

Obama cites climate change as biggest threat facing U.S.

Official unemployment rate misleading, says Gallup CEO

‘Loose lips sink ships’ fades from Washington minds

Emphasized with great effect during World War II, the "loose lips sink ships" slogan apparently was nowhere to be remembered last week when the White House announced what used to be considered hush-hush details ahead of planned military action in Syria, observes Grumpy Editor. 

Looks like the Pentagon also had a fuzzy memory of that slogan created by the War Advertising Council and promoted by the U.S. Office of War Information during WWII years.

“Loose lips sink ships” was designed to prevent inadvertent disclosure of important information to the enemy.  That included plans on a pending attack, when, targets and duration.

Among items aimed at citizens and military personnel: 

Don't mention plans and forecasts or orders for future operations, whether known or just your guess. 

Don't disclose movements of ships, naval or merchant, troops, or aircraft. 

Now, more than seven decades later, the White House in a mid-week announcement remarkably revealed a U.S. military attack on Syria could begin as early as last Thursday and consist of two or three days of missile strikes. 

The planned action was to “protect our national security interests,” explained the White House, adding the push for military action was to punish Syria for what the U.S. said was a chemical weapons attack.

The U.S. also alerted Syria that five cruise missile-carrying Navy destroyers (plus identifying the ships by name) were positioned in the eastern Mediterranean Sea ready to go.  Likely military targets were named --- giving additional advance word so that Syrian military assets could be moved or hidden. 

Later in the week the U.S. destroyers were joined by a U.S. amphibious assault ship, also named, carrying about 300 Marines, although word out of Washington was that there would be no boots on the ground. 

Military action then was shelved Saturday when President Barack Obama said he would seek congressional authorization before ordering any strikes in Syria.  But House and Senate members won’t return from their traditional summer recess until next Monday. 

For those, including some in Washington, who missed World War II history, D-Day --- the invasion of Normandy on June 6, 1944 --- was carried out without advance word leaking out from Washington, the military or civilians, including members of the press.  That would be unheard of today. 

Location of the landing and military assets involved were a heavily guarded secret --- because loose lips sink ships. 

How big was that 1944 invasion?

About 5,000 vessels transported 150,000 men and 30,000 vehicles across the English Channel from Britain to French beaches.  It also involved six parachute regiments --- 13,000 troops flown from nine British airfields in about 800 aircraft, while 300 other aircraft dropped bombs on coastal Normandy. 

     And not a word leaked out in advance.

 

In case you missed these…

PETA has bad news for female chicken eaters.  Philadelphia’s KYW-TV, also known as CBS 3, uncovered this aimed at women:  "Eating chicken parts --- or, more specifically, chicken wings --- could shrink your baby’s man parts."  It cited a letter from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) that claimed, “The latest scientific evidence shows that the sons of pregnant women who consume chicken are more likely to have smaller penises because of a chemical found in the birds’ flesh.” 

In editing news:  Grammarly, an automated proofreader and grammar checker, zeroed in on spelling, grammar and punctuation errors in articles among top women's and men's magazines.  It found most accurate publications for women were Ladies’ Home Journal in top spot, followed by Glamour, O: The Oprah Magazine and Family Circle.  For men, GQ ranked No. 1, followed by Popular Mechanics, Maxim and Playboy…Quieter assignment in newsroom:  David Colker switched from an assistant business editor at the Los Angeles Times to the obituary staff where he will write and edit obits. 

Movies' negative impact on viewers:  A new Rasmussen Reports survey found 50 percent of adults figured the movie industry has a negative impact on American society, while 21 percent said the industry has a positive impact, 15 percent maintained it has no impact, and 13 percent were undecided…Boston radio station WBZ reported a South Boston condo owner was fined $25 a day for violating association rules by flying the U.S. flag in his window.  Condo association rules allowed only white curtains to hang from windows.  Fellow residents (obviously not patriotic) complained.