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NewLane Finance Open for Business
and Committed to Helping Customers Impacted by COVID-19

(PHILADELPHIA)—While the COVID-19 pandemic has caused many equipment finance companies to drastically reduce their operations and service levels, NewLane Finance  https://newlanefinance.com], a subsidiary of WSFS Bank (NASDAQ: WSFS), continues to operate at full scale and remains focused on providing critical equipment financing and other support to businesses nationwide. 

George Pelose, President of NewLane, declared, “NewLane is committed to do whatever it can to help businesses during this unprecedented time.

 “By continuing to fund new equipment loans and leases and by providing personalized customer service and support, the NewLane team is working to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on customers, equipment dealers, and lease brokers.”

Daniel P. Dyer, NewLane’s CEO, said, “We understand that it’s a challenging time for many businesses. To help ease the burden, we provided immediate solutions to help customers navigate through this difficult time.”

Ready to Assist Current & New Customers, Dealers, & Brokers

NewLane established and implemented the following customer assistance efforts and sales programs for all customers, equipment dealers, and lease brokers: 

Personalized service during all hours of business operations: NewLane associates are available from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. EDT to provide customized financing solutions.

• Businesses that sell equipment or need to acquire equipment can contact the Sales Support team at 833-696-7554 or sales@newlanefinance.com.

• Current customers who have questions or need assistance can contact the Customer Solutions team at 267-768-3196 or nlsolutions@newlanefinance.com.

Accepting new equipment dealers and brokers: Backed by WSFS Bank, NewLane has committed capital to continue the funding for equipment sold by dealers and brokers.
 
Processing new equipment loans and leases: NewLane continues to approve and fund new equipment loans to help businesses conserve their cash and working capital. 
 
Same-day approval and funding on lease applications: NewLane’s virtual office technology provides fast credit decisioning and funding, which is critical in the COVID-19 environment.

Flexible repayment options: NewLane provides payment deferrals to existing customers most impacted by the crisis and offers program deferrals on new leases and loans to qualified businesses. 
 
Late fee waivers: Existing customers who do not require payment deferrals but need more time to make their payments can contact the Customer Solutions team to request late fee waivers. 
 
Small Business Quick Reference Guide: NewLane assembled a resource guide for small businesses that includes links to COVID-19 federal responses, information to COVID-19 data from leading medical institutions, and information about the CARES Act. [link:  https://info.newlanefinance.com/covid19resources]
 
Although no one knows how long the impact of COVID-19 will last, NewLane remains committed to providing customized equipment financing solutions and personalized service to the business community. Whether the priority is now or in the future, NewLane stands behind its mission to provide Business Lending Done Right. For more information, visit www.newlanefinance.com.
 
About NewLane Finance 
NewLane Finance, a subsidiary of WSFS Financial Corporation, is a commercial equipment finance company that provides flexible, competitive payment options to small and mid-size businesses nationwide. NewLane was founded in 2018 by industry veterans Dan Dyer and George Pelose with the purpose of creating a better lending experience through unmatched levels of customer service. With a tagline of Business Lending Done Right, NewLane’s lending process is designed to build strong, lasting relationships. For more information, visit www.newlanefinance.com.
 
About WSFS Financial Corporation
WSFS Financial Corporation is a multi-billion-dollar financial services company. Its primary subsidiary, WSFS Bank, is the oldest and largest locally managed bank and trust company headquartered in Delaware and the Delaware Valley. As of December 31, 2019, WSFS Financial Corporation had $12.3 billion in assets on its balance sheet and $20.7 billion in assets under management and administration. WSFS operates 118 offices, 93 of which are banking offices, located in Pennsylvania (55), Delaware (45), New Jersey (16), Virginia (1) and Nevada (1) and provides comprehensive financial services including commercial banking, retail banking, cash management and trust and wealth management. Other subsidiaries or divisions include Arrow Land Transfer, Cash Connect®, Cypress Capital Management, LLC, Christiana Trust of Delaware, NewLane Finance, Powdermill Financial Solutions, West Capital Management, WSFS Institutional Services, WSFS Mortgage, and WSFS Wealth Investments. Serving the greater Delaware Valley since 1832, WSFS Bank is one of the ten oldest banks in the United States continuously operating under the same name. For more information, please visit www.wsfsbank.com.

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New Hires/Promotions in the Leasing Business
and Related Industries

Matt Freeman was hired as Vice President of Business Development, Wintrust Specialty Finance, a division of Beverly Bank & Trust Company, Irvine, California.  He is located in Parker, Colorado. "His focus will be of expanding Wintrust’s technology leading business nationwide." Previously, he was National Business Development Executive, Ampil (July, 2018 - March, 2020);Vice President, Business Development, CIT (April, 2012 - June, 2018);  Vice President, Business Development, EverBank Commercial Finance (November, 2010 - April, 2012); Vice President, Key Equipment Finance (March, 2004 - November, 2010); Portfolio Sales Manager Compaq/HP Financial Services (1998 - 2003); Vice President, Business Development (1992 - 1997).  Education: University of Northern Colorado. B.S., Business Administration. https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-freeman21/

Christopher Johnannson was promoted to Vice President, ENGS Commercial Finance, Itasca, Illinois,  He joined the company December, 2016, Director of Sales, Eastern US, Transportation Division and Asset Management; promoted May, 2018, Director of Sales & Asset Management (May, 2019). Previously, he was Senior Manager, Revenue Management, US Foods (April, 2016 - December, 2016).   He joined Navistar in 2005 as Materials Management, Melrose Park Engine Plant; promoted 2006, Manager Purchasing; promoted 2010, Manager, Sales and Pricing; promoted, 2012, Senior Manager, Business Strategy and Planning; promoted 2014, Senior Manager, Sales Operations and Pricing. Prior, he was Systems Consultant and Project Manager, Hewitt Associates (2001 - 2005); Systems Consultant, BP Amoco (2000 - 2001). Volunteer: President, School Board, All Saints Catholic Academy, Naperville, Illinois (September, 2017 - Present); Chairman, Finance Committee, All Saints Catholic Academy, Naperville, Il. (September, 2017 - Present); Head Coach, Cross Country, All Saints Catholic Academy, Naperville, Il (August, 2017 - Present); School Board, All Saints Catholic Academy, Naperville, Il. (September, 2016 - Present). Finance Committee, All Saints Catholic Academy, Naperville, Il. (September, 2016 - Present). Youth Basketball Coach, YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago.
Volunteer: Feed My Starving Children.  Vice President, School Board, All Saints Catholic Academy, Naperville, Il. *September, 2017 - August, 2018).  Education: DePaul University, Charles H. Kellstadt Graduate School of Business. MBA, Marketing Management; Sales Leadership; Strategy Executive Valuations (2005 - 2009).  University of Iowa. B.B.A., Management Information Systems (1997 - 2000). https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopher-johanneson-1438a77/

Jeremey Julianna was promoted to Manager, Partner Performance, BPO, LendingClub, San Francisco, California. He joined the firm February, 2016, Loan Sales Representative; promoted September, 2017, Sales Team Supervisor; promoted January, 2019, Senior Supervisor, Inside Sales. Previously, he was Financial Advisor, Waddel & Reed (February, 2014 - July, 2014). Licenses: Series 2-15 Life, Health, and Variable Annuities (FL).  Education: Florida State University. Bachelor's degree, Finance, General (2010 - 2014). Activities and Societies: Alpha Kappa Psi Professional Business  Fraternity. 
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremy-juilianna-9b8b0999/

Dennis Kohan was hired as Vice President, Director of Credit, Meridian Equipment Finance, Malvern, Pennsylvania.  He previously was Commercial Portfolio Manager, F.N.B. Corporation (June, 2017 - April, 2020); Credit Manager, FirstLease, Inc. (2008 - 2016); Vice President, Director of Credit and Portfolio Management, Court Square Leasing Corporation (2002 - 2009); AVP, Assistant Credit Manager, American Equipment Leasing, Inc (1997 - 2002): Commercial Leasing and Loan Officer, US Bancorp, Inc. (1993 - 1996); AVP, Senior Credit Analyst, Sovran Leasing Corporation (1990 - 1992). Education: University of Pittsburgh, Katz Graduate School of Business. MBA, Finance (1980 - 1981). University of Pittsburgh. BA, Economics and Sociology (1975 - 1978). https://www.linkedin.com/in/dennis-kohan-29823812/

Fouad Madkour was promoted to Senior Relationship Manger, Amur Equipment Finance, Grand Island, Nebraska.  He is located at their Dover, New Hampshire Office.  He joined the firm October, 2019, as Director Vendor Account Manager. Previously, he was at Ascentium Capital, starting as Finance Manager, August, 2018; promoted August, 2019, Regional Sales Manager.  Prior, he was at Beacon Funding, beginning June, 2017, Sales Representative; promoted June, 2019, Senior Financial Consultant. Funding Manager, Direct Capital, a Division of CIT Bank, N.A. (April, 2016 - June, 2017); Operational Manger, Sheesha Lounge (November, 2013 - June, 2016); Supervisor, Suffolk University Annual Fund (January, 2010 - May, 2013); Intern at Energize Everett, Everett City Hall (February, 2012 - September, 2013); Finance Manager, Auto Gallery Group (October, 2008 - April, 2011). Languages: Arabic. English. French. Education: Suffolk University, BS, Political Science & Philosophy (2009 - 2013) Bachelor of Science (B.S), Political Science and Government, 3.5 GPA. Activities and Societies: Soccer, E-Board MSA, Annual Fund. Suffolk University Student Council. Muslim Student Association. USSF Referee Administration. https://www.linkedin.com/in/fouad-madkour-43578a29/

Dave Markel was hired as Vice President, National Sales, Meridian  OneCap Credit Corporation, Vancouver, Canada. "The company provides customized equipment financing solutions, both through vendors and brokers across the country. As a leading supplier of customized commercial equipment leasing solutions, Meridian OneCap has one of Canada's most successful sales teams." Previously, Dave Merkel was at RCAP Leasing, starting December, 2010, National Director, Vendor Services; promoted July, 2014, Vice President, Vendor Services; Senior Business Development Officer, MCAP Leasing (May, 2006 - December, 2010); Senior Account Manager, Qualica Financial Group (February, 2001 - April, 2006). https://www.linkedin.com/in/dave-markel-0606a211/

Kit West was hired as Director of Business Development, CH Brown Co, LLC., Wheatland, Wyoming. "In this role, West will be primarily responsible for business development efforts nationwide to third party originators serving the transportation, construction, and agricultural industries."  Previously, he was Rancher Acumen, RanchersEdge.com (January, 2013 - Present); Owner, Kit West Motors, LLC (November, 2015 - Present); Account Manager/Business Consultant, Wyoming Territory, The Fence Post (November, 2016 - March, 2020); Personal Automotive Consultant, Bob Ruwart Motors, Inc. (June, 2014 - October, 2015);Owner/Partner, Ranch Manager (April, 1995 - December, 2013); Varsity Mens’ Basketball Coach, Platte County School District 1 (October, 1997 - March, 2012). Volunteer: Director. Chugwater Ambulance Service (January, 1995). Education: Western State Colorado University, Bachelor's Degree, Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians 2.2 (1989 - 1993).  North Western Community College. Aeronautics/Aviation/Aerospace Science and Technology, General (1986 - 1988). https://www.linkedin.com/in/kit-west-06229670/

Lance Waller was hired as Vice President, Equipment Finance, Western Alliance Bancorporation, Nashville, Tennessee. Previously, he was Area Manager, Equipment Finance, U.S. Bank (January, 2018 - March, 2020); Vice President, Relationship Manger, BMO Transportation Finance, BMO Harris Bank (September 2016 - December, 2017); Vice President Equipment Finance Manager, Fifth Third Bank (February, 2015 - September, 2016); Regional Finance Manager, Siemens Healthcare (January, 2005 - February, 2015); Account Manager, GE Capital (2000 - 2004).  Education: Trevecca Nazarene University. BS, Accounting (1985 - 1989). https://www.linkedin.com/in/lance-waller-4431b917/

ELFA Monthly Leasing/Finance March Index Up 31%
Up 17% Year-to-Date

(Chart: Leasing News)

 

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(Chart: ELFA)

Equipment Leasing and Finance Association President and CEO Ralph Petta said, “The increase in March new business volume data is misleading. It presents a ‘tale of two cities.’ During the first half of the month, economic activity and industry performance were strong, mirroring overall strength in the U.S. economy. However, during the second half of March, as the coronavirus pandemic’s impact—both from a health and economic standpoint—entered the country’s consciousness, all that changed. One need not look any further than the delinquency and charge-off data to understand the myriad challenges confronting U.S. businesses, both large and small, in the weeks and months ahead as this insidious disease grips the nation and our people.

“For now, acquiring and financing business equipment takes a back seat to critical efforts by families vitally concerned about their health and safety. Things we know: this crisis is temporary; the equipment leasing and finance industry’s resilience and resolve are enduring.”

Nancy Pistorio, CLFP, President, Madison Capital LLC, said, “March results for the equipment finance industry illustrate how robust activity was as we headed into the final month of the first quarter. However, due to coronavirus-induced containment measures, many businesses began to close in mid-March and, not unexpectedly, delinquency is beginning to rise. As evidenced by declining approvals, new business is and will continue to be negatively impacted. This will be an extremely challenging time for our industry.

“I believe independents in the small-ticket space will be hit particularly hard as their customers—small and medium-sized businesses—struggle to survive in the wake of widespread shutdowns. With a developing global economic recession, the Equipment Leasing & Finance Foundation currently projects an 8.6% to 13.5% contraction in equipment and software investment for this year. Government officials relaxing stay-at-home orders and allowing those at low risk to return to work under a responsible plan, sooner rather than later, will be essential in mitigating further economic decline.”

Separately, the Equipment Leasing & Finance Foundation’s Monthly Confidence Index (MCI-EFI) decreased from 46.0 in March to a historic low of 22.3 in April due to the impact of COVID-19.

Receivables over 30 days were 2.60 percent, up from 2.00 percent the previous month and up from 1.90 percent the same period in 2019. Charge-offs were 0.55 percent, up from 0.51 percent the previous month, and up from 0.37 percent in the year-earlier period.

Credit approvals totaled 74.2 percent, down from 74.7 percent in February. Total headcount for equipment finance companies was down 2.9 percent year-over-year.

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(Charts: ELFA)

Full Listing of MLFI Participants

Bank of America Global Leasing
Bank of the West
BB&T Bank
BMO Harris Equipment Finance
Canon Financial Services
Caterpillar Financial Services
CIT
Citizens Asset Finance
Dell Financial Services
DLL
Fifth Third Bank
First American Equipment Finance, a City National Bank Company
Frost Equipment Leasing and Finance
GreatAmerica Financial Services
Hitachi Capital America
HP, Inc.
HPE Financial Services Company
Huntington Equipment Finance
John Deere Financial
Key Equipment Finance
LEAF Commercial Capital Inc.
M&T Bank
Marlin Capital Solutions
Merchants Bank Equipment Finance
PNC Equipment Finance
Societe Generale Equipment Finance
Siemens Financial Services
Stearns Bank
Stonebriar Commercial Finance
TCF Capital Solutions, a division of TCF National Bank
TD Equipment Finance
TIAA Commercial Finance, Inc.
US Bancorp Business Equipment Finance
Volvo Financial Services
Wells Fargo Equipment Finance

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As the coronavirus crisis unfolded, spreading from China to the rest of the world over the past few months, things went from bad to worse for the car industry. What started off as a supply crisis, which temporarily constrained access to parts and raw materials sourced from China, turned into a full-fledged demand shock that saw sales tumble in the face of global lockdowns and financial uncertainty.

As the following chart shows, March has been horrific in terms of passenger car sales around the world, with China and the EU particularly affected. While China’s 48-percent decline in passenger car sales was actually an improvement over the 81-percent drop the Chinese car industry suffered in February at the height of the Chinese outbreak, the worst may be yet to come for Europe and the United States. Both markets had started the year relatively normal before sales fell off a cliff as the crisis started to unfold in March. Considering that April is the first full month under lockdown in most countries and that millions lost their jobs due to the closures, it seems likely that April will be even worse for the automobile industry.

Looking at European sales figures in more detail reveals that things were particularly bad in countries heavily affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Italy suffered the worst decline with new passenger car registrations down 85 percent, while Spain (-69 percent) and France (-72 percent) were also heavily hit. Germany, which has managed the pandemic relatively well thus far, only suffered a 38-percent decline in automobile sales according to the ACEA.

By Felix Richter, Statista
https://www.statista.com/chart/21478/passenger-car-sales/

 

 

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Tips for Building Your Company's LinkedIn Presence

FinTech #102 by Alex Vasilakos

For B2B businesses across all industries, few marketing channels are as important or effective as social media platforms. Since LinkedIn is where many businesses and professionals go to communicate within their industries, it is an effective tool to help you reach the business customers that you are looking for. LinkedIn's networking focus and tools for thought leadership make it a great site for sharing insights within your B2B industry from your LinkedIn company page.

eMarketer has reported that 72 percent of business professionals in the United States consider LinkedIn to be the best platform for exchanging ideas. An impressive 77 percent of professionals expect to see professional content on the social network when compared to other similar sites.

Now that you understand how important a LinkedIn page can be for your company and its future success, you may be wondering what you can do to achieve organic page growth on your company LinkedIn profile. The following ten tips can help you easily boost your LinkedIn presence and improve the value of the content you share on your page, even if you only have a little time to spare each week.

    Part One

1. Post Industry-Relevant Content
When choosing the right type of B2B content to share with your audience, you want to focus on value above all else and avoid getting too promotional. LinkedIn's design allows you to reach audience members that are tailored to your industry. You do not want to risk losing their attention with content that doesn't focus on their interests and needs. Finding news articles and other important updates from within your industry or network allows you to build credibility as a thought leader that keeps readers coming back for more. Useful content also helps to convince them to work with your business, now or in the future. Avoid making your LinkedIn page a clone of your website, which is where most of your promotional content should be housed. As LinkedIn continues to evolve, you should expect even more opportunities to reach your target audience. Don't waste them with stale advertisements.

2. Take Social Signals Seriously
If you want to increase your company website's engagement, consider using LinkedIn's helpful widget. It can be embedded on your company website to allow visitors to follow your company page from the site and see who in their network is currently following your page. All you have to do is type in your company name on the widget, choose one of three display options for your site and use the code generator to install the widget. An interesting, living link to your LinkedIn such as this widget can be a great tool to help you boost website engagement for your company.

3. Give Your Brand a Boost
LinkedIn is a great platform for promoting your brand but you have to take the right approach. Your brand should be cohesive, meaning it should stay the same across all of your social media profiles and your website. LinkedIn is no exception. In fact, you need to take your LinkedIn branding more seriously than with any other social site. Optimizing your profile to consistently display your brand identity is important, as it is essentially an extension of your company website. Try to engage with a variety of followers - from customers to the media - in order to encourage return traffic on your company page. You can also use your other profiles to promote your LinkedIn page, driving engagement. If you experience rapid change in branding or other shifts at your company, make sure that your LinkedIn profile illustrates this.

4. Create a Plan for Sharing Articles
There are different programs you can use to encourage your employees to share research and articles from your company in a simple, standardized way. Google URL Shortener and ShareLinkGenerator.com are two examples of link shorteners that you can utilize to send articles to employees as they are released. Your employees can click the links that they are sent to automatically share optimized posts to their LinkedIn and Twitter networks. Google URL Shortener also includes an analytics portal where you can track your links and article shares. Screenshots of this data can help you gauge how engaged your employees are with your content. Gamifying your update shares across your company can serve to improve the process for spreading information about your business.

5. Combine LinkedIn Marketing With Email Marketing
Linking to your LinkedIn profile in your email signature is a great way to increase your profile visits that takes very little time or effort on your part. Linking to other social profiles in your signature by using Outlook or other email software can also help you gain new followers and improve other key metrics. A signature link is highly visible to individuals who are likely to be interested in what you have to say before they even go to visit your company profile.

Alex Vasilakos
Director of Marketing
The Finance Marketing Group
Alex@financemarketing.com 
Office: 518-591-4645x102 / Fax: 518-677-1071
90 State Street, Suite 1500, Albany, NY 12207

He entered advertising and marketing in 2003, right when the industry landscape shifted from traditional print to digital media. In that time, Alex has worked with numerous large accounts in both healthcare and financial services, and has helped small and medium-sized businesses grow and flourish in their respective digital markets. Alex has won countless awards for creative direction and strategy, and is certified by Google Partners in both AdWords and Analytics. Currently, Alex works exclusively with financial services companies, but his depth of knowledge and experience can help design and implement long-reaching strategies for businesses across all industries.

Previous Financial Technology Articles
http://www.leasingnews.org/Conscious-Top%20Storie

 

CLFP Q1 Circular - Message from the President
New CLFP's, Academy New Schedules. Spotlight Feature

http://leasingnews.org/PDF/clfp_April2020.pdf

 

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Malwarebytes Unveils New Privacy VPN Service
By Kevin Townsend, Security Week

(Graphic by Michel Bakni from Wikipedia)

Endpoint security firm Malwarebytes has launched a new VPN offering targeting work from home and consumer markets, featuring AES 256 encryption, WireGuard VPN protocol, no logging, and virtual servers in more than 30 different countries.

Santa Clara, CA-based Malwarebytes has introduced Malwarebytes Privacy, a VPN it promises will be the first of an emerging suite of privacy products.

Akshay Bhargava, CPO at Malwarebytes, said, "Today, you can't go online without corporations, advertisers, and hackers trying to eavesdrop on you, and it's feeling increasingly invasive for consumers.

"With a single click, Malwarebytes Privacy gives you the power to protect your online privacy by masking your IP address and online activity. As more and more people are utilizing home networks today, it's increasingly imperative that we extend security to each and every person -- no matter where they are or what network they are using -- so that they can protect themselves and exert control over who gets their data, and for what purpose."

Of course, the need for and piquancy of VPNs has received a massive spur from the current pandemic and the increase in working from home. Larger corporations will have a company VPN they can use for their home workers, but smaller companies may not. "The initial release of the product is targeted at consumers and self-employed micro-businesses," Malwarebytes told SecurityWeek. "However, it is entirely appropriate for corporate workers who do not already have a corporate VPN solution to also use Malwarebytes Privacy while working from home."

Key features of the VPN are speed, security and privacy. The speed comes from its use of the open-source VPN protocol called WireGuard which, says Malwarebytes, "is more efficient and streamlined than traditional VPNs." Malwarebytes is not alone in this assertion: an August 2018 review by Ars Technica includes, "an OpenVPN connection from my Xeon E3 workstation to Linode's cheapest VM offering takes more than eight seconds. Connecting the two via WireGuard takes barely over 100 milliseconds."

Security comes from the use of AES 256 encryption, which cannot be brute forced by current classical supercomputers. That may change at some time in the future after the introduction of powerful quantum computers. In the meantime, however, it has been estimated that it would take a supercomputer a billion, billion years to brute force even AES 128.

Malwarebytes VPN is safe from being cracked, provided that attackers cannot get hold of the relevant keys. "The private key used for encryption is stored as an RC4-encrypted hex-encoded string in the local configuration file," Malwarebytes told SecurityWeek. "RC4 encryption with a Malwarebytes secret key is used to encrypt the private key. The private key pair is rotated on a regular basis. The public key is stored in a secure cloud-based storage system."

The privacy element comes from Malwarebytes' decision not to log any VPN traffic. There is nothing for hackers to steal, nor governments to demand,  even if armed with national laws such as the PATRIOT Act. "Malwarebytes complies with all applicable laws," said the firm. "Just like any vendor of VPN services, we would comply with such a request only to the extent legally required. Where such data does not exist, we would not have anything to provide."

The VPN is offered as a stand-alone product at $59.99 covering five Windows devices, or bundled with Malwarebytes Premium currently at $89.99 per year for five Windows devices.

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California Competes Tax Credit Looks to Create
More Than 3,000 Jobs in the State

Sacramento, CA – The Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) announced that the California Competes Tax Credit (CCTC) Committee approved $74,507,665 million in tax credits for 20 companies projected to create 3,060 new, full-time jobs and more than $2,601,894,747 in new investments across California. View the complete list approved companies and award amounts.

In response to Governor Newsom’s executive order authorizing public bodies to take necessary action to protect the public from the spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19), the CCTC Committee meeting was live-streamed and open to the public on Zoom.

Chris Dombrowski, GO-Biz Acting Director, and Chair of the California Competes Tax Credit Committee, said, “While the COVID-19 induced recession has forced many Californians out of their jobs, today’s announcement demonstrates the commitment to continue investing in California and to putting Californians to work'

 . “As the state works to reopen our economy with a prioritization around public health, we remain focused on ensuring our economy works for all Californians, especially our inland communities, many of which are still recovering from the Great Recession.”

Since 2014, GO-Biz has allocated $1,117,978,117 to 1,063 companies projected to create 111,571 new jobs and make $23,559,023,966 in new investments.

Of the more than $74 million awarded in this round, over $20 million will go to businesses seeking to expand, in part, into inland California. In line with California’s Regions Rise Together initiative, this investment is projected to create hundreds of jobs across the state’s inland region, including 320 as part of DesertXpress Enterprises LLC’s High-Speed Rail Construction & Operation.

GO-Biz Acting Director and Committee Chair, Chris Dombrowski convened the committee, which includes Treasurer Fiona Ma, Director of the Department of Finance Keely Bosler, Senate Appointee Todd Walters, and Assembly appointee Madeleine Janis, in Sacramento.

The California Competes Tax Credit was created in 2013 to focus on helping businesses grow and stay in California. In 2018, the program was extended for an additional five years with at least $180 million in tax credits available for allocation to business each year through 2023.
 
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About the California Competes Tax Credit
The California Competes Tax Credit was enacted in 2013. GO-Biz evaluates the most competitive applications based on the factors required by statute, including total jobs created, total investment, average wage, economic impact, strategic importance and more.

About GO-Biz
The Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) serves as the State of California’s leader for job growth and economic development efforts. GO-Biz offers a range of services to business owners including: attraction, retention and expansion services, site selection, permit streamlining, clearing of regulatory hurdles, small business assistance, international trade development, assistance with state government, and much more. For more information visit, www.business.ca.gov.

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Watch at Home
By Fernando F. Croce

As we wait for cures and vaccines to be developed, let us offer a cinematic salute to doctors and scientists and nurses, who risk their lives for the people’s safety and the world’s progress.

Night Nurse (William Wellman, 1931): In the same year he made the gangster classic “The Public Enemy,” director William Wellman also served up this terrific slice of hard-boiled drama, with Barbara Stanwyck in one of her strongest early roles. She plays Lora Hart, a young woman who becomes a nurse and stumbles into a nefarious plot as she watches over a couple of rich children. As she begins her own investigation, she uncovers a plan to get rid of the kids for their inheritance, a scheme involving their alcoholic mother and a malevolent chauffeur (played by a pre-stardom Clark Gable). With the help of a fellow nurse (Joan Blondell) and a jaunty hood (Ben Lyon), Lora makes her move. Fast-paced and full of vivid characterizations, this is a marvelous discovery.

The Great Moment (Preston Sturges, 1944): The undisputed cinematic satirist of the 1940s, Preston Sturges (“The Lady Eve”) had one of his most eccentric projects in this based-on-a-true-story biopic, which often plays like a straight-faced spoof of Great Man of Science yarns. Joel McCrea plays William Horton, a dentist who in the 1800s pioneered the use of ether as a surgical anesthetic. Unfolding as a series of flashbacks, the film charts his life and career, including his courtship of his wife Lizzie (Betty Field) and his trip to Washington to meet the President. Though following the blueprint of stodgy historical dramas, Sturges’ film plays on a stranger and more lively register, sneaking bits of slapstick into the serious narrative. The off-kilter results make for a fascinating curio.

Red Beard (Akira Kurosawa, 1965): In between epic samurai sagas, legendary Japanese filmmaker also paid tributes to doctors in such underrated titles as “Drunken Angel,” “The Quiet Duel,” and this long and engrossing drama. Taking place in the 18th-century, it chronicles the friendship that grows over time between two very different medics. Yasumoto (Yuzo Kayama) is a young medical student who, fresh off of school, dreams of the wealth and prestige that come with the profession. He’s irritated to learn that, before all that, he will have to work as an intern in a small-town clinic run by a gruff doctor known as Red Beard (Toshiro Mifune, in his last collaboration with Kurosawa). Learning the unglamorous side of the profession, Yasumoto gradually comes to respect the older man. With subtitles.

Never Cry Wolf (Carroll Ballard, 1983): A specialist in the poetic interaction between people and nature, director Carroll Ballard followed his 1979 classic “The Black Stallion” with this visually striking drama, based on the semi-factual bestseller by environmentalist Farley Mowat. Set in the Arctic wilderness, it follows the studies of a government researcher named Tyler (Charles Martin Smith, in a rare and inspired lead turn) who was dispatched to the frigid area to investigate the effect of wolves on the local caribou. Over the course of months, Tyler goes from seeing the wolves as nothing but carnivorous predators to understanding their needs and even developing a bond with them. Shot with an eye for icy beauty and pockets of offbeat humor, Ballard’s film gives audiences a view of scientific methods in action.

The Martian (Ridley Scott, 2015): No stranger to outer space adventures, director Ridley Scott ("Alien," "Prometheus") rockets once more into the stars with this splendidly crafted science-fiction yarn. Matt Damon stars as Mark Watney, an astronaut who finds himself left behind on the surface of Mars after his mission goes disastrously awry. The spaceship's captain (Jessica Chastain) assumes the worst, though Mark quickly proves his resilience with survival methods that make use of his resourcefulness and sense of humor. But can he stay alive long enough for NASA to find and rescue him? Making ingenious use of its zero-gravity settings for 3D effects, Scott's film walks a fine line between serious exploration and crowd-pleasing blockbuster, imbuing the protagonist’s scientific journey with bravery and intelligence.

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55 lbs.

Say hello to sweet Vinny. He is a teddy bear looking for someone to be his cuddle buddy!

Vinny enjoys both people and other dogs. He is a complete goofball that enjoys games of tug of war and food puzzles, particularly when there is peanut butter. He loves going for walks and is curious about the world around him. Vinny does get overexcited around cats, so would be best walked only on leash or exercise supervised in a yard with a secure fence.

He’s a very faster learner, especially when treats are involved but nothing makes him happier than love and affection. He is currently learning sit and stay, as well as learning to only go potty outside. Sometimes he gets a little too excited but learning new commands helps him to refocus and calm down.

Mixed breed (It’s impossible to identify breed mix by sight alone, so for most dogs, their mix is only a guess. We get to know each dog as an individual and strive to make matches based on personality, not on breed label.)

Location: Foster Care

​All our dog meets are by appointment only; to get started, please complete the adoption application. To learn more about this dog, please contact us at adoptions@phillypaws.org or 215-298-9680 ext. 16.

Please note: due to the Covid-19 crisis, PAWS has postponed all spay/neuter surgeries until further notice. To adopt this unaltered pet, a $100 refundable deposit is required in addition to the adoption fee. Once spay/neuters are resumed, you can make an appointment for your adopted pet to be fixed at PAWS, and your deposit will be returned the day of surgery. 

PAWS of Philadelphia
Animal Welfare Society
100 N. 2nd Street (at Arch)
Philadelphia, PA 19106
215-238-9901
adoptions@phillypaws.org

News Briefs----

Banks made $10 billion in fees on coronavirus
   loans despite low risks
https://nypost.com/2020/04/22/banks-made-10-billion-in-fees-on-coronavirus-loans/

How a family-owned Nebraska bank
   became a leader on coronavirus loans
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/04/22/small-town-banks-scrambled-provide-federal-loans-outpacing-national-lenders/

LendingClub Cutting 460 Staff due to Reduced Loan Volume
   Cuts are across every department and include C-suite executives
https://www.lendacademy.com/lendingclub-cutting-460-staff-in-response-to-reduced-loan-volume/

The Oil Industry’s Glut Has a Bright Spot: Tanker Storage
   can command more than $200,000 a day for a vessel
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/23/business/oil-markets-tankers.html

Movie Theaters Want to Delay Showtime
   worried about coming back too early
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/23/business/media/coronavirus-movie-theaters.html

Bezos Takes Back the Wheel at Amazon
   closely involved in the company’s response to the pandemic
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/22/technology/bezos-amazon-coronavirus.html?action=click&module=Well&pgtype=Homepage&section=Technology

Industry Chatter Indicates Many Online Lenders are
   Laying Off Employees, Some Fintechs May Never Recover
https://www.crowdfundinsider.com/2020/04/160501-industry-chatter-indicates-many-online-lenders-are-laying-off-employees-some-fintechs-may-never-recover/

Not Much Downside In Ford Motor Stock,
  With Government Rescue Likely If Needed
https://seekingalpha.com/article/4338917-not-much-downside-in-ford-motor-stock-government-rescue-likely-needed

 

[headlines]
--------------------------------------------------------------

You May Have Missed---

21 American Businesses Temporarily Laying off the Most People
https://247wallst.com/special-report/2020/04/22/21-american-businesses-temporarily-laying-off-the-most-people/2/

[headlines]
--------------------------------------------------------------

S.F. 49ers

Jane Griffin

Gold helmets shine in the sunlight.
The jerseys are loose and the pants are tight.
Those were the only things shining this year.
After so many losses, there's no reason to cheer.
That's what all thought but one loyal fan
Because not matter what, I believe that they can.
I know we could have won the Superbowl
If our kicker was able to make a field goal.
Many times when we could have won the game,
Because of special teams, we left the field in shame.
We'll have to wait until next season
To be the ones doing the teasin'.
The Superbowl will be our mission.
After all it's 49ers tradition.

[headlines]
--------------------------------------------------------------

Sports Briefs---

NFL Draft First Round Grades
https://www.theringer.com/2020/4/23/21233318/nfl-draft-first-round-grades-2020-joe-burrow

Rob Gronkowski explains why he came back,
  what he weighs and his thoughts on Bill Belichick
https://sports.yahoo.com/rob-gronkowski-explains-why-he-came-back-what-he-weighs-and-his-thoughts-on-bill-belichick-202402235.html

The Saints have been the NFL's best-drafting team the last 4 years.
    These numbers show it
https://www.nola.com/sports/saints/article_e32bbcd0-84cf-11ea-814a-3315fba1b1ab.html

[headlines]
--------------------------------------------------------------

California Nuts Briefs---

Coronavirus updates: ‘Deadliest day’ as 115 die in California;
   unemployment still soaring
https://www.sacbee.com/news/coronavirus/article242225171.

Gov. Newsom: Coroners to examine deaths dating back to    
   December for COVID-19, death toll tops 1,350
https://www.mercurynews.com/2020/04/22/gov-newsom-coroners-to-examine-deaths-dating-back-to-december-for-covid-19-death-toll-tops-1350/

SF begins offering free coronavirus tests to all essential workers
https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/SF-begins-offering-free-coronavirus-tests-to-all-15218683.php

Student loan debt collection on pause in California
    due to coronavirus, Gavin Newsom says
https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article242234246.html?

California bans protests at state Capitol after opposition
  to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s coronavirus stay-at-home order
https://www.sfchronicle.com/politics/article/California-bans-protests-at-state-Capitol-after-15219432.php

[headlines]
--------------------------------------------------------------

“Gimme that Wine”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJnQoi8DSE8

How California’s appetite for Oregon’s grapes fueled a wine war
https://www.sfchronicle.com/wine/article/Oregon-s-wine-wars-show-that-California-15217029.php

While Napa cabernet grapes still in demand,
   sales stall elsewhere in California North Coast
https://www.northbaybusinessjournal.com/industrynews/wineindustry/10897995-181/andy-beckstoffer-napa-mendocino-lake-wine-grapes

Fifty-Acre Cannabis Operation Gets Green Light in Wine Country
https://www.independent.com/2020/04/22/fifty-acre-cannabis-operation-gets-green-light-in-wine-country/

Hail Strikes Bordeaux's Right Bank
https://www.winespectator.com/articles/hail-strikes-bordeaux-s-right-bank

French wineries consider how to keep the wine economy alive
https://www.wine-business-international.com/wine/news/french-wineries-consider-how-keep-wine-economy-alive

Free Wine App
https://www.nataliemaclean.com/mobileapp/

Wine Prices by vintage
http://www.winezap.com
http://www.wine-searcher.com/

US/International Wine Events
http://www.localwineevents.com/

Leasing News Wine & Spirits Page
http://two.leasingnews.org/Recommendations/wnensprts.htm

This Day in History

     1704 – The Boston News-Letter was established, becoming the first successful newspaper in the colonies.
    1766 - Robert Bailey Thomas (d. 1846), founder and editor of “The Farmer's Almanac” (first issue for 1793) was born at Grafton, MA.
http://www.almanac.com/aboutofa.html
    1800 - Congress approved an act providing "for the purchase of such books as may be necessary for the use of Congress ... and for fitting up a suitable apartment for containing them." President James Madison approved the bill that appropriated $5000 for that purpose. Thus began one of the world's greatest libraries: Library of Congress.
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/apr24.html
    1836 - Birthday of West Point Graduate, Lieutenant George N. Bascom (d. 1862) , Owingsville, KY.  He was assigned to search out Apache chief Cochise and is believed to be responsible for an 1861 raid on an Arizona ranch. He arrested Cochise at Apache Pass, but the chief escaped and declared war, launching a reign of terror known as the Apache Wars. Bascom died the year following his Apache adventure when he became a casualty of the Civil War battle at Fort Craig, Valverde, NM.
http://www.army.mil/cmh-pg/books/amh/amh-toc.htm
    1847 - At the conclusion of the Mexican War, the Mormon Battalion of the Army of the West established Fort Moore overseeing the pueblo of Los Angeles. The fort was named in honor of their captain who had perished in the Battle of San Pascual.
http://www.mormonbattalion.com/
http://www.onlineutah.com/historybattalion.shtml
   1862 - Union Captain David Farragut leads a flotilla past two Confederate forts on the Mississippi River south of New Orleans. Moving at 2:00 a.m., Farragut lost one ship but successfully ran past the strongholds. He scattered some Confederate ships and sailed to New Orleans.  On May 1, he captured the city without having to fire one shot. In July, he was promoted to Rear Admiral.
    1873 - Free lunches for the poor and sick were offered by the New York Diet Kitchen Association, who opened at 410 East 23d Street, New York City. Beef, tea, soup, milk, cooked rice, eggs and oatmeal were served. The first president was Mrs. A.H. Gibbons.
http://www.nycares.org/
    1885 – Annie Oakley was hired by Nate Salsbury to be a part of “Buffalo Bill’s Wild West.”
    1886 - The first African-American Catholic priest and who was assigned to work in the United Sates was Reverend Augustus Tolton. He was ordained at the College of Propaganda, Rome, Italy, and opened a mission in Quincy, IL, in the diocese of Springfield, IL.
    1888 – Eastman Kodak was founded in Rochester, NY.
    1895 – Joshua Slocum, the first person to sail single-handedly around the world, departed Boston aboard the sloop "Spray."
    1897 – The first White House reporter was appointed:  William Price of the Washington Star.
    1899 - Two women and one son lived to tell the story of being picked up by a tornado and carried more than a fourth of a mile, flying far above the church steeples, before being gently set down again. The young boy and one of the ladies said they had the pleasure of flying alongside a horse. The horse "kicked and struggled" as it flew high above and was set down unharmed about a mile away.
    1901 - The American League made its debut as a major league with a schedule of four games. Three were rained out, but the Chicago White Stockings beat the Cleveland Blues, 8-2, to get the season under way. 14,000 saw the game played at the Chicago Cricket Club.  There were eight charter teams in 1901 and the next year the original Milwaukee Brewers moved to St. Louis to become the Browns.  All eight original franchises remain in the American League, although only four remain in the original cities (Detroit, Chicago, Boston, and Cleveland). The eight original teams and their successors:

• Baltimore Orioles went bankrupt and became defunct after 1902 season, were sold, moved in 1903 to New York, became the New York Highlanders who became the New York Yankees in 1913.
• Boston Americans became the Red Sox in 1908.
• Chicago White Stockings became the White Sox in 1903.
• Cleveland Blues became the Indians in 1915.
• Detroit Tigers
• Milwaukee Brewers became the St. Louis Browns in 1902, the Baltimore Orioles in 1954.
• Philadelphia Athletics became the Kansas City Athletics in 1955, the Oakland Athletics in 1968.
• Washington Senators became the Minnesota Twins in 1961

Note:  the current Milwaukee Brewers were founded in 1969 as the Seattle Pilots, an expansion team in the American League. After only one season, the Pilots relocated to Milwaukee, becoming known as the Brewers and playing their home games at Milwaukee County Stadium which was the home of the Milwaukee Braves until they relocated to Atlanta in 1966.  The Braves had moved from Boston in 1954.  In 1998, the Brewers joined the National League.
    1902 - Professional baseball gets its start in Durham, North Carolina as the Tobacconists (renamed the Bulls 11 years later) played an exhibition game against Trinity College (now Duke University). The Bulls, except for 1971-80, when minor league baseball didn't exist in the city, continue to
play in Durham, now as the AAA affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays, in the International League.
    1905 - Birthday of Robert Penn Warren (d. 1989) at Guthrie, KY. American poet, novelist, essayist and critic. America's first official poet laureate, 1986-88, Warren was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for his novel “All the King's Men,” as well as for his poetry in 1958 and 1979.
http://www.robertpennwarren.com/
    1905 – The Washington Senators executed a triple play while defeating the New York Highlanders, 4-3.
    1907 - Hersheypark, founded by Milton Hershey for the exclusive use of his employees, opened. 
    1908 - Severe thunderstorms spawned eighteen tornadoes over across the Central Gulf Coast States claiming the lives of 310 persons. The state of Mississippi was hardest hit. A tornado near Hattiesburg, MS killed 143 persons and caused more than half a million dollars’ damage. Four violent tornadoes accounted for 279 of the 310 deaths. The deadliest of the four tornadoes swelled to a width of 2.5 miles as it passed near Amite, LA. The tornado also leveled most of Purvis, MS.
    1908 – Mr. & Mrs. Jacob Murdock became the first to travel across the US by car.  They left LA in a Packard and arrived in NYC in 32 days, 5 hours, 25 minutes.
    1912 - First Keystone Kops film, titled "Hoffmeyer's Legacy.”
http://www.wayoutwest.org/kennedy/filmography/1912-1914.html
    1913 - The Woolworth Building in New York City became the tallest structure in the world, with the exception of the Eiffel Tower in Paris. It formally opened at 7:30pm when President Woodrow Wilson at the White House, Washington, DC, pressed a telegraph key that rang a bell in the engine room and dining hall and lit the electric lights on the 55 floors. The architect was Cass Gilbert. It would not be until 1931 that the 1,250 Empire State Building would open and overtake the Woolworth Building as the world’s tallest.
    1917 – Congress passed the Liberty Loan Act, authorizing the Treasury to issue a public subscription for $2 billion in bonds for the war
    1919 - League of Women Voters was established by Carrie Chapman Catt during the last meeting of the National American Woman Suffrage Association, approximately six months before the Nineteenth Amendment gave women the right to vote. Catt was also the founder and at the time the President of the International Alliance of Women. The League of Women Voters began as a "mighty political experiment" aimed to help newly enfranchised women exercise their responsibilities as voters. Its official formation was symbolically timed to coincide with the 50th anniversary of women's voting rights, equal to that of men, established for the first in the world in the territory of Wyoming in 1869.
    1923 - President Warren G. Harding witnesses the first shutout ever thrown at Yankee Stadium as Babe Ruth homers in a 4-0 victory over the Senators.
    1926 - Great Chicago jazz impresario Joe Sega born Philadelphia, PA.
    1928 - Tenor saxophone player Johnny Griffin (d. 2008) born Chicago, IL.
http://members.tripod.com/~hardbop/griffin.html
    1928 - Herbert Grove Dorsey of the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey received a patent for the fathometer, which measures the depth of water. The device measured the depth by means of a series of electrical sounds and light signals.
http://www.bigelow.org/virtual/handson/fathometer.html
    1934 – Actress Shirley MacLaine was born Shirley MacLean Beaty in Richmond, VA.   A six-time nominee, she won the Academy Award for Best Actress for “Terms of Endearment” (1983).  MacLaine received the 40th AFI Life Achievement Award in 2012, and received the Kennedy Center Honors for her lifetime contributions to American culture through the performing arts in 2013.
    1936 - Benny Goodman Trio cuts “China Boy,” Chicago, IL
http://www.davidmulliss.com.au/BennyGoodman/benny.htm
http://www.pbs.org/jazz/biography/artist_id_goodman_benny.htm
http://www.davidmulliss.com.au/BennyGoodman/
http://www.davidmulliss.com.au/BennyGoodman/sounds.htm
    1936 - The first unscheduled event to be televised as it occurred was an outdoor scene of firemen answering at alarm in Camden, New Jersey. The pictures were taken by engineers from the RCA-Victor Company, Camden.
    1937 - Tenor sax player Joe Henderson (d. 2001) born Lima, OH.
http://www.grunthos.demon.co.uk/joe_henderson.htm
http://www.melmartin.com/html_pages/Interviews/henderson.html
http://members.tripod.com/~hardbop/henderson.html
    1940 - Birthday of mystery writer Sue Grafton (d. 2017), Louisville, KY.
http://www.suegrafton.com/
    1942 - Singer and actress Barbra Streisand was born in Brooklyn, New York. One of the world's most popular performers, Streisand first came to attention as the star of the 1962 Broadway musical "I Can Get It For You Wholesale." Her stage success led to a recording contract with Columbia. Then in 1964 came the role with which she is most associated - the lead in "Funny Girl." Her recording of the ballad "People" from that show was her first big hit and firmly established her as a recording artist as well as a stage star. Streisand made her movie debut in the film version of "Funny Girl" in 1968. Her subsequent films have included "The Owl and the Pussycat," "The Way We Were" and "Yentl." The theme from "The Way We Were" was a million-seller for Barbra Streisand in 1973.
http://www.barbrastreisand.com/
http://www.bjsmusic.com/
    1943 - Birthday of Richard M. Daley, former mayor of Chicago, in Chicago.  At 22 years (1989-2011), he was the longest-serving Chicago mayor, surpassing the tenure of his father, Richard J. Daley.
http://www.wheeling.com/richarddaley/bio.shtml
    1944 - United Negro College Fund was founded by Frederick D. Patterson, then president of what is now Tuskegee University, Mary McLeod Bethune, and others.  In 2005, the UNCF supported approximately 65,000 students at over 900 colleges and universities with approximately $113 million in grants and scholarships. About 60% of these students are the first in their families to attend college, and 62% have annual family incomes of less than $25,000. UNCF also administers over 450 named scholarships.  http://www.uncf.org/
    1944 - SQUIRES, JOHN C., Medal of Honor
Rank and organization: Sergeant (then Private First Class), U.S. Army, Company A, 30th Infantry, 3d Infantry Division. Place and date: Near Padiglione, Italy, 23-24 April 1944. Entered service at: Louisville, Ky. Birth: Louisville, Ky. G.O. No.: 78, 2 October 1944. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at risk of life above and beyond the call of duty. At the start of his company's attack on strongly held enemy positions in and around Spaccasassi Creek, near Padiglione, Italy, on the night of 23-24 April 1944, Pfc. Squires, platoon messenger, participating in his first offensive action, braved intense artillery, mortar, and antitank gun fire in order to investigate the effects of an antitank mine explosion on the leading platoon. Despite shells which burst close to him, Pfc. Squires made his way 50 yards forward to the advance element, noted the situation, reconnoitered a new route of advance and informed his platoon leader of the casualties sustained and the alternate route. Acting without orders, he rounded up stragglers, organized a group of lost men into a squad and led them forward. When the platoon reached Spaccasassi Creek and established an outpost, Pfc. Squires, knowing that almost all of the noncommissioned officers were casualties, placed 8 men in position of his own volition, disregarding enemy machinegun, machine-pistol, and grenade fire which covered the creek draw. When his platoon had been reduced to 14 men, he brought up reinforcements twice. On each trip he went through barbed wire and across an enemy minefield, under intense artillery and mortar fire. Three times in the early morning the outpost was counterattacked. Each time Pfc. Squires ignored withering enemy automatic fire and grenades which struck all around him, and fired hundreds of rounds of rifle, Browning automatic rifle, and captured German Spandau machinegun ammunition at the enemy, inflicting numerous casualties and materially aiding in repulsing the attacks. Following these fights, he moved 50 yards to the south end of the outpost and engaged 21 German soldiers in individual machinegun duels at point-blank range, forcing all 21 enemy to surrender and capturing 13 more Spandau guns. Learning the function of this weapon by questioning a German officer prisoner, he placed the captured guns in position and instructed other members of his platoon in their operation. The next night when the Germans attacked the outpost again he killed 3 and wounded more Germans with captured potato-masher grenades and fire from his Spandau gun. Pfc. Squires was killed in a subsequent action.
    1945 - Creedence Clearwater Revival, drummer Doug Clifford was born in Palo Alto, CA. "Proud Mary," a single from their second album, made Creedence into a superstar band in 1969. Their blending of rhythm-and-blues with Cajun and other southern music forms resulted in more than a dozen hits during the next three years. The band broke up in 1972 when leader John Fogerty left for a solo career.
    1945 – The second Commissioner of Major League Baseball was appointed by the owners.  A. B. “Happy” Chandler resigned his Senate seat from Kentucky to succeed the late Kenesaw Mountain Landis, baseball’s first commissioner who was appointed by the owners following the Black Sox Scandal in 1920.  His most significant action as commissioner was the approval of Jackie Robinson’s contract with the Brooklyn Dodgers, effectively integrating Major League Baseball. He also established the first pension fund for Major League players, earning him the title "the players' commissioner." Baseball owners were upset with Chandler's governance and did not renew his contract in 1951 as a result.
    1945 – Delegates from 45 countries gathered in San Francisco to begin the planning of the United Nations.
    1949 - Dick Powell starred in "Richard Diamond, Private Detective" on NBC radio. The show stayed on the air for four years. Later, it would have a three-year run on TV starring David Janssen in the title role.
    1950 - The first African-American basketball player in the NBA, Charles Henry Cooper, was drafted by the Boston Celtics. He played for the team on November 1, 1950, in Fort Wayne, IN.
    1951 - WILSON, HAROLD E., Medal of Honor
Rank and organization: Technical Sergeant, U.S. Marine Corps Reserve, Company G, 3d Battalion, 1st Marines, 1st Marine Division (Rein.). Place and date: Korea, 23-24 April 1951. Entered service at: Birmingham, Ala. Born: S December 1921, Birmingham, Ala. Citation: For gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as platoon sergeant of a rifle platoon attached to Company G, in action against enemy aggressor forces on the night of 23-24 April 1951. When the company outpost was overrun by the enemy while his platoon, firing from hastily constructed foxholes, was engaged in resisting the brunt of a fierce mortar, machine gun, grenade, and small-arms attack launched by hostile forces from high ground under cover of darkness, T/Sgt. Wilson braved intense fire to assist the survivors back into the line and to direct the treatment of casualties. Although twice wounded by gunfire, in the right arm and the left leg, he refused medical aid for himself and continued to move about among his men, shouting words of encouragement. After receiving further wounds in the head and shoulder as the attack increased in intensity, he again insisted upon remaining with his unit. Unable to use either arm to fire, and with mounting casualties among our forces, he resupplied his men with rifles and ammunition taken from the wounded. Personally reporting to his company commander on several occasions, he requested and received additional assistance when the enemy attack became even more fierce and, after placing the reinforcements in strategic positions in the line, directed effective fire until blown off his feet by the bursting of a hostile mortar round in his face. Dazed and suffering from concussion, he still refused medical aid and, despite weakness from loss of blood, moved from foxhole to foxhole, directing fire, resupplying ammunition, rendering first aid, and encouraging his men. By his heroic actions in the face of almost certain death, when the unit's ability to hold the disadvantageous position was doubtful, he instilled confidence in his troops, inspiring them to rally repeatedly and turn back the furious assaults. At dawn, after the final attack had been repulsed, he personally accounted for each man in his platoon before walking unassisted l/2 mile to the aid station where he submitted to treatment. His outstanding courage, initiative, and skilled leadership in the face of overwhelming odds were contributing factors in the success of his company's mission and reflect the highest credit upon T/Sgt. Wilson and the U.S. Naval Service
    1952 - Raymond Burr made his TV acting debut on the "Gruen Guild Playhouse" in an episode titled, "The Tiger." Not long after this start, Burr would be seen in the hugely popular "Perry Mason" and much later in "Ironside."
http://www.raymondburrvineyards.com/
    1953 – Sir Winston Churchill was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II.
    1954 - Keeping an eye on the new trends, an article in this week's Billboard is entitled "Teenagers Demand Music With A Beat - Spur Rhythm And Blues."  Recalling “Rate a Record” on American Bandstand, the common reply was, “I give it a 98.  It’s got a good beat and it’s easy to dance to!”
    1954 – LA Rams QB in Super Bowl XIV, Vince Ferragamo, was born in Torrance, CA.
    1957 - 16-year-old Ricky Nelson releases his first record, "Teenager's Romance" with his cover of Fats Domino's "I'm Walkin'" on the flip side. The disc sold nearly 60,000 copies within three days and eventually went over a million. The hit, though, was "I'm Walkin'."  The white fusion with black R&B was about to happen.  Later in his career just prior to his death, Nelson teamed with Fats in rock ‘n’ roll revival concerts.
    1957 - The Palo Alto superintendent of schools announced the appointment of the first African-American principal on the peninsula. The new principal, Willis A. Williams, will head Palo Alto's Addison Elementary School.
http://www.ricknelson.com/
    1958 – Dion and The Belmonts released “I Wonder Why,” becoming the group's first national pop chart hit.  It was released as Laurie Records' first single, number 3013.
    1959 - James Brown made his debut at the Apollo Theatre in New York.
http://www.funky-stuff.com/jamesbrown/
    1959 - "Your Hit Parade," the Saturday night pop music show which had been broadcast regularly on radio and then on TV since 1935, went off the air.  The final Top 5:  Elvis Presley, "I Need Your Love Tonight" (#5), Brook Benton, "It's Just A Matter Of Time" (#4), Ricky Nelson, "Never Be Anyone Else But You" (#3), Dodie Stevens, "Pink Shoe Laces" (#2), and the Fleetwoods at #1 with "Come Softly To Me."
http://www.museum.tv/archives/etv/Y/htmlY/yourhitpara/yourhitpara.htm
    1959 - Mack Charles Parker was lynched in Montgomery, Alabama. He was accused of raping a pregnant white woman in Pearl River County, MS.  Three days before he was to stand trial, he was kidnapped from his jail cell in the Courthouse by a mob, beaten and shot. His body was found in the Pearl River 10 days later. Following an investigation by the FBI, the men who killed him were released as neither the prosecutor nor the judge accepted the findings. Despite confessions, nobody was indicted for the killing. Historian Howard Smead called the killing the "last classic lynching in America."  Other than the victim’s identification of Parker as her assailant, later discredited as a possible cover-up of her infidelity, there was no evidence linking Parker to the crime.  The book "Blood Justice" covers this event in American history and lays the platform for the beginnings of the Civil Rights Movement in this area.
http://www.angelfire.com/wi/Carver/mcppms.html
http://foia.fbi.gov/foiaindex/parker.htm
http://essay.studyarea.com/essay/Book_Report/19.php
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0195054296/002-5217827-1679236?
v=glance&n=283155
    1959 – The Drifters released "There Goes My Baby."  The song reached number two on the Hot 100 and number one on the Billboard R&B chart and on Cash Box for two weeks.
    1961 - Del Shannon's "Runaway" hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, enabling him to finally quit his job as a carpet salesman.
    1961 – President Kennedy accepted responsibility for the Bay of Pigs fiasco.  The Cuban Revolution of 1952-1959 had forced President Batista, a US ally, into exile. He was replaced by the Communist movement led by Castro, which severed the country's formerly strong links with the US after expropriating the assets of US corporations and developing links with the Soviet Union, with whom, at the time, the United States was engaged in the Cold War.  President Eisenhower, concerned at the direction Castro's government was taking, in March 1960, allocated $13.1 million to the CIA to plan Castro's overthrow. The CIA proceeded to organize the operation with the aid of various Cuban counter-revolutionary forces, training them in Mexico. Following his election in 1960, President John Kennedy was informed of the invasion plan and gave his consent.  On April 16, the main invasion landed at a beach named Playa Giron in the Bay of Pigs, initially overwhelming a local revolutionary militia. Castro decided to take personal control of the Cuban Army's counter-offensive. On April 20, the invaders finally surrendered, with the majority of troops being publicly interrogated and put into Cuban prisons.  The failed invasion strengthened the position of Castro's dictatorship and strengthened ties with the USSR. This led eventually to the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962.
    1962 - Top Hits
“Good Luck Charm” - Elvis Presley
“Mashed Potato Time” - Dee Dee Sharp
“Young World” - Rick Nelson
“Charlie's Shoes” - Billy Wal
    1962 - The first coast-to-coast telecast by satellite was made by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Lincoln Laboratory field station at Camp Parks, Ca.  It transmitted airwaves to the two-year-old orbiting balloon Echo I, which bounced them back to earth. They were received at Millstone Hill, Westford, MA.  The pictures were of poor quality but were recognizable.
    1962 - Mets manager Casey Stengel is fined $500 dollars by Commissioner Ford Frick for appearing in a beer ad.
    1962 - Dodger Sandy Koufax ties a Major League record striking out 18 batters in a nine inning game as the Dodgers rout the Cubs, 10-2 at Wrigley Field.  It was the second time in his career that he fanned that many.  Since, there have been four pitchers who have struck out 20 in a nine-inning game:  Kerry Wood, Roger Clemens, Randy Johnson (twice), and Max Scherzer.
    1963 - 18-year-old Brenda Lee married Ronnie Shacklett, one year her senior, in Nashville, six months after meeting him at a Jackie Wilson concert. The two are still together.
    1963 - Guard Bob Cousy of the Boston Celtics ended a 23-year career in the NBA by scoring 18 points against the Los Angeles Lakers and leading the Celtics to a fifth consecutive championship. Cousy made a brief comeback in the 1969-70 season but played only seven games. He went on to coach Boston College to a record 117 wins and 38 losses.
    1965 - "Game of Love," by Wayne Fontana and The Mindbenders, made it to the top spot on the Billboard music chart. "Game of Love" stayed for a short visit of one week, before Peter Noone and Herman's Hermits took over the top spot with "Mrs. Brown You've Got a Lovely Daughter."  By the end of the year, Fontana would leave the band and would go on to some solo success in the UK, while the rest of the group would enjoy a #2 hit in the US the following year with "A Groovy Kind Of Love."
    1965 – Casey Stengel managed his 3000th game as a Major League manager.  His career record is 1,905–1,842, and he won 7 World Series.  He was a member of the 1922 World Series champion New York Giants as an outfielder, also hitting the first World Series homer at Yankee Stadium.
    1967 – Gen. William Westmoreland stated that the enemy had "gained support in the United States that gives him hope that he can win politically that which he cannot win militarily."
    1968 - Louis Armstrong was at #1 in the UK with the single "What A Wonderful World." At 66 years of age, it made him the oldest act ever to score a UK #1. The song stalled at #32 in the US, but Louis is also the oldest person to reach #1 on the Billboard chart, a feat he accomplished in 1964 with "Hello Dolly."
    1969 - Chicago bluesman Muddy Waters recorded a live album called "Fathers and Sons." Appearing with him was a host of white blues singers, including Paul Butterfield and Mike Bloomfield. Waters had a tremendous influence on many British rock 'n' rollers, including the Rolling Stones, whose name is taken from one of Waters' songs.
www.muddywaters.com
    1969 - The singing family, The Cowsills, received a gold record for their hit single, "Hair," from the Broadway show of the same name.
http://cowsill.com/cowsills/
    1970 - Top Hits
“Let It Be” - The Beatles
“ABC” - The Jackson 5
“Spirit in the Sky” - Norman Greenbaum
“Is Anybody Goin' to San Antone” - Charley Pride
    1970 - Having been invited to a White House dinner by Tricia Nixon, daughter of the President, the Jefferson Airplane's Grace Slick brought radical Abbie Hoffman with her with a plan to secretly dose Tricia with LSD during the meal. Hoffman is turned away at the door by Secret Service agents, causing Slick to leave as well.
    1972 – Almost certainly a Hall of Famer, the Atlanta Braves’ 3B Chipper Jones was born in Deland, FL.  His entire career was with the Braves during which he compiled a .303 batting average with 468 HRs.  He was a member of the Bobby Cox Braves that won a record 14 consecutive NL East titles and the 1995 World Series.
    1974 – The NFL granted a franchise to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.  Remember the creamsicle unis?
    1976 - Saturday Night Live producer Lorne Michaels appears on the show and offers the Beatles "a certified check for $3,000" to reunite & sing three songs. "You divide it up any way you want," he said, "If you want to give Ringo less, it's up to you."
    1976 - Wings' "At The Speed Of Sound" went to #1 on the US album chart. It was Paul McCartney's fifth #1 after he left The Beatles.
    1978 - Top Hits
“Night Fever” - Bee Gees
“If I Can't Have You” - Yvonne Elliman
“Can't Smile Without You” - Barry Manilow
“Every Time Two Fools Collide” - Kenny Rogers & Dottie West
    1979 - Governor George Busbee of Georgia issued a proclamation declaring Hoagy Carmichael's "Georgia On My Mind" the new official state song. Ray Charles sang his famous version at the ceremony.
    1980 - US military operation to save 52 hostages in Iran ends in disaster. The hostages are subsequently split up to deter another similar attempt. During the operation, three of the eight helicopters of the airborne operation failed. At the staging area inside Iran, the mission was canceled, but during the withdrawal, one of the remaining helicopters collided with one of the six C-130 transports, killing eight and injuring five.
    1981 - IBM's first personal computer was released. Although IBM was one of the pioneers in making mainframe and other large computers, this was the company's first foray into the desktop computer market. Eventually, more IBM-compatible computers were manufactured by IBM's competitors than by IBM itself. It was at this period that Bill Gates “spun off” a new operating system, he called Windows XP, the first non-Windows (DOS) based operating for “personal use.”
    1981 – Bill Shoemaker won his 8,000th race, 2000 more than any other jockey.
    1985 - There were a reported 832,602 millionaires in the United States on this day, according to researchers. The average millionaire was 57 years old. A majority (85 percent) held college degrees. 20 percent were retired and 70 percent were self-employed.  In the most recent census, the average household income with husband and wife is $51,751. Woman with no husband: $28,116. Man with no wife: $31,267. Foreign born: $38,929. Hispanic: $31,767. Black: 30,439. Asian and Pacific: $55,521
http://www.census.gov/prod/2001pubs/p60-213.pdf
This source has 4 million names of American, Canadian and UK billionaires.
http://philanthropy.link.ca/
Here is history of wealth in American:
http://www.raken.com/american_wealth/
    1986 - Top Hits
“Kiss” - Prince & The Revolution
“Manic Monday” - Bangles
“Addicted to Love” - Robert Palmer
“Cajun Moon” - Ricky Skagg
    1989 - Twenty cities in the central U.S. reported record high temperatures for the date. Russell, KS was the hot spot in the nation with a reading of 101 degrees. Evening thunderstorms produced severe weather from Colorado to Wisconsin. Hail four and a half inches in diameter was reported at Sargeant, NE.
    1990 – Michael Milken pleads guilty to 6 felonies involving securities laws violations.
    1991 - Garth Brooks dominated the Academy of Country Music awards with a record six trophies. He was voted Entertainer of the Year and Top Male Vocalist, and also won for Best Single and Best Album. Brooks' "The Dance" also gave him Best Song and Best Video awards.
www.garthbrooks.com
    1992 - The Cleveland Orchestra sued Michael Jackson for $7 million after discovering the singer used part of their recording of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony on his hit album “Dangerous.”
    1993 - Top Hits
“Informer” - Snow
“Freak Me” - Silk
“Nuthin But A "G" Thang” - Dr. Dre
“I Have Nothing” (From "The Bodyguard" - Whitney Houston
    1996 - Canadian Shania Twain won the top album trophy for "The Woman in Me" and was named Best New Female Singer at the annual Academy of Country Music Awards. "The Woman in Me" had earlier won the country album Grammy and Twain was the Best New Country Artist at the American Music Awards the previous January.
    1996 – Minnesota Twins-24, Detroit Tigers-11 in the highest scoring Major League game in 17 years.
    1998 - Dodger backstop Mike Piazza ties a Major League record, hitting his third grand slam of the month. The blast highlights a nine-run second inning which leads Los Angeles to a 12-4 victory over the visiting Cubs.
    1998 - Hitting a solo homer off the Giants' Orel Hershiser at 3Com Park, Geoff Jenkins becomes the first Brewer player ever to homer in his first Major League game. The rookie joins Chuck Tanner, who accomplished the feat in 1955 as a member of the Braves, as the only players in Milwaukee baseball history to homer in their first game.
    1998 - Top Hits
“Too Close” - Next
“All My Life” - K-Ci
“Let s Ride” - Montell Jordan Featuring Master P
“Frozen” - Madonna
“You’re Still The On” - Shania Twain
    2001 - Paul Orfalea (53), founder of Kinko's copy store chain, gave a $8.5 million donation to San Francisco City College to support child care.
    2004 – The US lifted economic sanctions imposed on Libya 18 years previously, as a reward for its cooperation in eliminating weapons of mass destruction.
    2005 - Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger was inaugurated as the 265th Pope of the Roman Catholic Church, taking the name Pope Benedict XVI.
    2007 - President George W. Bush was denied a luxury suite at the Imperial Hotel in Vienna when Mick Jagger, in town with the Stones on a tour, booked it first.
    2013 - Americans learned the FBI and CIA had previous intelligence from Russia warning U.S. intelligence agencies about Tamerlan Tsarnaev's extremist connections before the Boston Marathon bombings.
    2015 - Scientists discovered a huge magma reservoir under Yellowstone National Park that feeds the magma chamber heating the park's geothermal features.  Although no volcanic eruption is likely for thousands of years, such an event would dwarf all others to date.

NBA Champions
    1963 - Boston Celtics
    1967 - Philadelphia 76ers