Bankruptcy Filings at Lowest Level Since 1986
By Christina Hughes Babb, DS News

It has not been since 1986 that so few Americans have filed for bankruptcy.

Legal services firm Epiq recently released both its December 2020 and annual bankruptcy filing statistics from its bankruptcy information services business, AACER. It showed 2020 had the lowest number of bankruptcy filings since 1986 with a total of 529,068 filings across all chapters.

For December, the total new U.S. bankruptcy filings across all chapters totaled 34,304 for the month, the lowest monthly total since January 2006. The category that continues to grow year-over-year is commercial Chapter 11 filings, which were up 29% with 7,128 new filings in 2020 compared to 5,518 in 2019.

Deirdre O’Connor, Managing Director of Corporate Restructuring at Epiq, said, "The peak in Chapter 11 filings for Q2 and Q3 is due to preexisting distressed companies coupled with the onset of a zero-revenue environment. The federal backstop proved a vital lifeline for the stabilization of corporations to protect the US economy.

“This federal intervention created record-breaking capital deployment fueled by investors chasing yield as companies attempt to ride out this storm.”

Chris Kruse, SVP of Epiq AACER, commented,  “New bankruptcy filings continue to slide into record territory as the global pandemic spurs regulatory intervention to keep U.S. consumers and businesses afloat.

“The second stimulus package totaling over $900 billion is getting capital into the market and delaying bankruptcy filings across the country.”

Non-commercial chapter 13 filings in December decreased 46% in 2020, at 147,144 filings, down from 272,420 filings for all of 2019.

Chapter 7 non-commercial filings were down 22% in 2020 with 348,428 new filings, down from 444,931 for the entire 2019.

Kruse added, "These two categories are a bellwether for the U.S. consumer market as they are a trailing economic indicator of the overall strength of a market where unemployment continues to ravage the country. We expect this category to grow substantially in the second half of 2021.”

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New Hires/Promotions in the Leasing Business
and Related Industries

Jonathan Carrizzo was hired as Vice President, Director of Equipment Financing, Cogent Bank, Orange City, Florida. Previously, he was South-East Regional Manager, Patriot Capital, Equipment Financing Specialist (May, 2016 - November, 2020); South East Territory Sales Manager, Dervie Systems (March, 2014 - May, 2015); Account Executive, Enterprise Fleet Management (May, 2010 - March, 2014). He joined Canon Financial Services as Account Executive, March, 2008; promoted August, 2009, Senior Account Executive.  Relationship Manager, (Outside and Inside Sales), Commercial/Industrial Platform, US Express Leasing (Now TIAA) (May, 2004 - October, 2007); Program Team Lead: Sales Support Representative, GE Capital (Vendor Financial Services Division) (May, 2000 - May, 2004). Client Services Consultant, Cendant Mobility Services (now Cartus Corporate Relocation Services), (April, 1996 - May, 2000). Education: Rollins College, Crummer Graduate School of Business. Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.).  The University of Connecticut. BA, Political Science (1991 - 1995). Activities and Societies: UNCONN. Resident Assistant, McMahon Hall. https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-carrizzo-mba-41a460b/

Cathy (Jennings) Clair was promoted to Partner Finance Analyst, Marlin Capital Solutions, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She joined the firm December, 2011, Sales Support Representative; promoted March, 2013, Manager, Contract Management (April, 2017); promoted June, 2019, Senior Account Expert. Previously, she was at Canon Financial Services, starting August, 1992; promoted March, 1994, Finance Assistant; promoted September, 1995, Dealer Service Representative; promoted January, 1997, Dealer Service Representative Supervisor; promoted January, 1998, Senior Dealer Service Representative; promoted April, 2006, West/Central Dealer Service Manager; promoted July, 2008, Contract Management Manager. Volunteer: Fundraiser Chair (Hoagie Sales), St. Stephens Episcopal Church.  Education: Goldey-Beacom College, Bachelors, Business Administration (1988 - 1992). Activities and Societies: Theta Phi Alpha.  Lenape High School. https://www.linkedin.com/in/cathy-clair-30b37911/

Joseph Flavin was hired as Business Development Officer, Summit
Funding, Inc., Greater Philadelphia Area. Previously, he was Financial Solutions Consultant, Technology Finance Corporation (April, 2019 - December, 2020); Sr. Account Executive, Presidio Technology Capital, LLC (June, 2000 - March, 2019); Client Manager, CIT Technology Finance (April, 2007 - June, 2008); Client Sales Manager, CitiCapital Vendor Finance (September, 2003 - April, 2007); Account Executive, De Lage Landen Financial Services (1985 - 1988); Leasing Support, Master Lease (1985 - 1988). Education: Saint Joseph University. Business. (1983 - 1985).
https://www.linkedin.com/in/joseph-flavin-4688a9b/

Ray Freitas was promoted to Vice President of Acquisition Sales, National Funding, San Diego, California. He joined the firm January, 2012, as Sales Representative; promoted October, 2012, National Sales Manager; promoted January, 2016, Director of Sales. Previously, he was Account Manager, an Diego Torrey Hills Capital, Inc. (March, 2011 - January, 2012); Account Manager, MD7, Inc. (June, 2010 - March, 2011); Founder/President, DebtzEnd, Inc. (June, 2009 - 2010); Account Manager, Five Point Capital (June, 2002 - June, 2009); Account Specialist, Fastenal Company (June, 2000 - March, 2002). Education: San Diego State University. BA, Communicative Discorders  (1999 - 2002). San Joaquin Delta College, AA (1996 - 1999). Activities and Societies: 2-year starter on Baseball Team.  Most Inspiration Award (Baseball Team) 1998.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-freitas-88561432/

Ryan Hartley was promoted to Short Term Leasing Specialist, National Leasing, Greater Toronto Area, Canada. He joined the firm January, 2015, Operations Specialist; promoted August, 2016, Client Service Representative; promoted September, 2017, Account Executive; promoted October, 2019, Short Term Leasing Specialist/Account Executive. Previously, he was at LeasePlan Canada, starting January 2015, Operations Specialist; promoted August, 2016, Client Service Representative; promoted September, 2017, Account Executive. Ski Instructor, Alpine Ski Club (December, 2005 - March, 2019); Ticketing Agent, MLSE (Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment) October, 2014 - March, 2015); Creative Service Intern, MLSE (Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment Partnership) (January, 2014 - April, 2014); Creative Service Intern, MLSE (Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Partnership) (January, 2014 - April, 2014); Fleet Coordinator, Roy Foss (May, 2012 - August, 2013).  Education: Durham College, Graduate Certificate, Sports Business Management (2013 - 2014).  Brock University, Bachelor of Arts (BA), Labour Studies (2008 - 2013). https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-hartley-6a433b7b/

Brylee Horning was promoted to Vice President, HR and Compliance, Orion First Financial, Gig Harbor, Washington. She is located in the Greater Phoenix Area. She joined the firm September, 2020, as Vice President, Booking and Customers Service. Previously, she was Vice President, Credit and Syndication, Summit Commercial Finance Company (January, 2004 - September, 2020). Education: University of Arizona.  The University of British Columbia. Bachelor of Arts. BA.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/brylee-horning-b2900b1a2/

Sasha de Matteus was announced as Vice President of Sales, Strategic Vendor Solutions, at Alliance Funding Group, Portsmouth, New Hampshire.  He joined the firm September, 2020.  Previously, he was Vice President of Sales, TimePayment (May, 2015 - September, 2020).  He joined the firm August, 2008, Sales Manager; promoted May, 2010, Director of Sales. Regional Sales Manager, Summitt Funding Group (2004 - 2008); Regional Sales Manager, American Express Business Finance (May, 2003 - September, 2004); Regional Sales Manager, Deutsche Bank Financial Services (June, 2001 - May, 2003).  Education: New England College. BS, Education (1990 - 1994).  High School. https://www.linkedin.com/in/sacha-de-matteis-811a4014/

Chris Lerma, CLFP, was promoted to President of AP Equipment Funding, Bend, Oregon. He joined the firm October, 2004, as Credit Analyst; promoted August, 2007, Senior Credit Analyst; promoted October, 2009, Portfolio Analyst; promoted Senior Manager, Commercial Credit, May, 2011; promoted Vice President of Credit Syndications, October, 2013; promoted Chief Credit Officer, October, 2015; promoted January, 2018, Chief Risk Officer. Certifications: Certified Lease and Finance Professional, 2013.  Volunteer:  One Brick January, 2007 to Present.  Social Services.  Education: University of California, Riverside. BA, Business Administration with emphasis on Finance. Activities and Societies: Kappa Alpha Order.   Universita degli Studi di Siena (2004). https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrislerma21/

Lynn Eric Smith was hired as Vice President, Broker Relations, 360 Equipment Finance, Austin, Texas.  Previously, he was Vice President, West Coast Business Development, Centra Funding (March, 2019 - December, 2020); Senior Broker Development, Manager & Sales, Team Funding Solutions (October, 2007 - August, 2018); Direct Analyst/Leasing Representative, Dell Financial Services (September, 1997 - July, 2001); Leasing Representative, IKON Office Solutions (April, 1994 - February, 1997); Consumer Lending Division, American Bank, Corpus Christi (October, 1992 - November, 1995).  Education: Sam Houston State University, Finance (1993 - 1995).  AHIT Real Estate Home Inspection. Certified, Home Inspection Broker (2008 - 2009). Activities and Societies: Currently hold my real state home inspection license in the State of Texas. Southwester University. Finance, Finance and Criminal Justice (1990 - 1993). https://www.linkedin.com/in/lynnericsmith/

Christopher Szopa was hired as In-House Counsel, Director of Capital Markets, 36th Street Capital Partners, Morristown, New Jersey. He is located in Katy, Texas.  Previously, he was President,
Equipment Finance, Independent Bank Group, Inc. (October, 2017 - August, 2020); Vice President, Houston Territory Director, Frost Bank (October, 2014 - October, 2017); Director, Capital Markets, Equify Financial, LLC (October, 2013 - September, 2014); Senior Syndications Manager/Corporate Counsel, First National Capital Corporation (July, 2009 - October, 2013): COO/General Counsel, Capital Advance Leasing and Financial (April, 2005 - April, 2009); Vice President, California First Leasing Corporation (April, 2004 - April, 2005); Regional Vice President, First American Equipment Finance (March, 2001 - September, 2003); Counsel/Content Development Manager, WiredCapital, Inc. (January, 2000 - January, 2001); Regional Manager/Davison Counsel, First Sierra Financial (April, 1998 - February, 2000).  Education: University of Houston Law Center, JD, Law (1988 - 1991). Trinity University, BS, Geology (1981 - 1985). https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopher-szopa-41612019/

Bob Tishelman was promoted to AVP, Operations, North Mill Equipment Finance, LLC, Norwalk, Connecticut. He joined the firm September, 2009, Asset Recovery Specialist; promoted January, 2017, Operations Analyst; promoted December, 2018, Manager of Operations. Education: Manhattanville College. B.A., History and World Religions.  Irvington High School.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-t-a2692a28/

Ashley (Kalp) Whyman was promoted to President, NFS Leasing, Beverley, Massachusetts.  She joined the firm November, 2015, as Vice President and General Counsel.  Previously, he was Associate, Murtha Cullina, LLP (February, 2013 - October, 2016); Adjunct Professor, New England Law/Boston (August, 2012 - May, 2013); Associate, The Gordon Law Firm, LLP (March, 2008 - February, 2013).  Education: Suffolk University Law School, J.D. (2004 - 2007); The George Washington University. B.S., English and Latin American Literature (majors); Philosophy (minor). (2000 - 2004). https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashley-whyman-b80876a/

Fred Williams was promoted to Chief Sales Office of AP Equipment Finance, Bend, Oregon. He joined the firm August, 2014, as National Account Manager; promoted May, 2018, Sales Manager; promoted February, 2018, Senior Vice President of Sales. Previously he was a Sales Consultant, Bend Honda (April, 2014 - August, 2014). Education: Full Sail University. Internet Marketing (2011 - 2013). https://www.linkedin.com/in/fred-williams-5032a636/

Evan Woorley was promoted to Credit Manager, North Mill Equipment Finance, LLC, Norwalk, Connecticut.  He is based in Greater Boston Area. He joined the firm January, 2020, Senior Credit Analyst.  Previously, he was at Direct Capital starting July, 2013, as Customer Service Representative/Senior CSR; promoted October, 2014 as the company was acquired by CIT, as Credit Analyst; promoted September, 2014, Junior Underwriter; promoted June, 2017, Underwriter I/II, promoted March,, 2019, AVP and Team Lead, Risk Management.  Service Advisor, Prime Motor Group (April, 2012 - June, 2013); Service Advisor, Starkey Ford (October, 2009 - April, 2012).  Education: Wyo Tech, Blairsville.  Associate's, Automotive Technology and Business Management (2008 - 2009).
https://www.linkedin.com/in/evan-worley-7765a8191/

Leasing Industry Help Wanted

 

 

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2021 Predictions for the Commercial Finance
and Leasing Industry by Scott Wheeler, CLFP

I am always a bit reluctant to make predictions at the beginning of a year, especially after a year like 2020. However, I am feeling good about the commercial equipment leasing and finance industry. There is plenty of optimism and energy throughout the industry. Below are just a few comments heard in the last 30 days:

• The last quarter of 2020 was stronger than expected; new business activity is strong and portfolios are performing well (better than anyone could have expected just 6 to 9 months ago).
• The lessons learned in 2020 were significant and many originators and companies are well positioned going into 2021.
• There are expectations that companies are better prepared to face new challenges, if they develop, in 2021. Professionals are confident, not hesitant, as we enter the New Year.
• There is an anticipation of pent-up demand for capital equipment being released in the next 12 to 18 months and steady growth being realized by well-positioned companies.
• Several industry veterans recently expressed confidence that 2021 will be a growth year for the industry. More importantly, they are confident that the next three to five years will bring significant positive changes to the industry along with significant growth. It is a good time to be in the industry.

As I have mentioned many times, success in the commercial equipment leasing and finance industry is based upon efficiencies and data. 2020 required companies to become more efficient and for organizations to gather and react to real data. I am confident that many participants will continue, in 2021, to improve their efficiencies and use internal and external data for their decision-making processes. Predictive analytics ae being used to forecast future opportunities and challenges. These capabilities are allowing the best companies to provide superior services to end-users, vendors, and other business partners. The commercial equipment leasing and finance industry is moving forward and professionals are excited about the opportunities in 2021.

Wheeler Business Consulting works with banks, independents, captives, origination companies, and investors in the equipment leasing and finance arena. We provide training, strategic planning, and acquisition services. Scott Wheeler is available to discuss your long-term strategy, to assist your staff to maximize outcomes, and to better position your organization in the market.

Scott A. Wheeler, CLFP
Wheeler Business Consulting
1314 Marquis Ct.
Fallston, Maryland 21047
Phone: 410 877 0428
Fax: 410 877 8161
Email: scott@wheelerbusinessconsulting.com
Web: www.wheelerbusinessconsulting.com 

Sales Makes it Happen articles:
http://www.leasingnews.org/Legacy/index.htm

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Update on SB 1235
California Disclosure Law for Commercial Transactions

Proposed Rulemaking for Commercial Financing Disclosures – Senate Bill 1235 (Glazer) requires the Department to draft regulations for commercial financing disclosures. The regulations were filed with the Office of Administrative Law (OAL) on Sept. 11. The 45-day comment period ended Oct. 28 and, as requested by several members of the public, a public hearing was held via Zoom on Nov. 9.

The name of the California Department of Oversight was changed to the Department of Financial Protection and Innovation (DPFI). They were requested for an update. The following was received:

"The Department is now in the process of reviewing all comments received during the comment period and hearing. Based on comments received, the Department anticipates making changes to the text of the proposed regulations, so a new 15 day comment period will be required for public review and commentary. If additional changes to the text are necessary after the 15 day comment period, a second 15 day comment period may be required. After the text is finalized, the Department will begin preparation of the Final Statement of Reasons."

Former News Article:
Fourth & Reportedly Last Call for Comments on SB 1235
  California Commercial Financing Disclosures
     Today, October 28, 2020
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Oct2020/10_28.htm#fourth

 

Sales Data Shows Americans Spent 67%
More on Cannabis in 2020

Revenue and tax data acquired from different states shows that sales of adult-use and medical cannabis in the United States has grown by 67% in 2020, owing to the coronavirus pandemic and the subsequent lockdown that was implemented. The data shows that this year, Americans bought $17.9 billion worth of marijuana product, a significant increase from cannabis product sales last year, which totaled approximately $10.7 billion. Washington, DC and 15 other states have legalized marijuana for use by adults while medical cannabis is legal in 37 states in the United States.

On the onset of the pandemic, many in the U.S. marijuana industry were worried that the industry would be shut down. Instead, most governors in various states in the country declared marijuana to be an essential product, which prompted retail stores and dispensaries to start offering online services, an alternative option that was considered to be COVID safe. These services included ordering online, doorstep deliveries and curbside pickups.

In turn, consumers responded by buying additional inventory after March, with the average monthly spend of established customers growing to 40% from 25%. A majority of the stores recorded increases in revenue in the month of April. In states such as Massachusetts, marijuana stores recorded a 75% gain in annual sales, despite the governor ordering a statewide shutdown in the month of April. In comparison with 2019 sales that reach an estimated $400 million, cannabis retailers are likely to sell about $700 million in marijuana products by the year’s end.

In addition to the essential product declaration, the legalization of marijuana in other states and new patients and consumers also helped with the marijuana boom this year.

Earlier in October, Verilife, an operator of dispensaries in multiple states, surveyed more than 2,000 Americans and discovered that 72% of survey participants reported that the coronavirus pandemic was the main cause of the burnout and stress in their lives this year. Roughly 40% of respondents admitted to having used marijuana to cope with burnout while another 37% stated that they had used CBD. Another 29% admitted that they had considered using cannabis to help lower their stress levels.

In total, nine states increased their cannabis sales totals this year, including Pennsylvania, Arkansas, Ohio, Connecticut, North Dakota, Florida, New Jersey, Maine and Illinois. This year, the medical cannabis state of Florida became the fourth largest marijuana market in the country. The state raked in more than $1.2 billion in sales, following states that allowed adult-use marijuana: Washington, California and Colorado.

Source cannabisnewswire.com

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##### Press Release ############################

AP Equipment Financing 2020 Volume Up 17%
and Announces 2021 Promotions

(Chris Enbom, CLFP, was CEO but is now Director, Tokyo Century (USA), as company is a subsidiary.  LinkedIn shows him as CEO Work Truck Director and CEO, Allegiant Partners Incorporated).
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-carrizzo-mba-41a460b/
- Editor

Bend, Oregon - AP Equipment Financing funded $197.3 million worth of equipment in 2020, representing a 17% growth over 2019. AP is proud of this growth during this challenging year and looks forward to 2021 to continue their momentum.

Additionally, AP Equipment Financing is thrilled to announce new promotions heading into 2021. Chris Lerma, CLFP has been promoted to President of AP and Fred Williams has been promoted to Chief Sales Officer of AP.

Chris Lerma started with AP Equipment Financing in 2006 as a credit analyst and has been instrumental in AP's growth and success. With Mr. Lerma's promotion to President, he will be responsible for current day-to-day operations, managing the current leadership team and continuing AP's growth. Reporting to Chris Enbom, CEO, Mr. Lerma will take charge in directing the success of AP for the years to come.

"I have been with AP and seen the company grow for the past 14 years. AP has always been supportive of me continually learning new areas of the business and expanding my reach. Serving in different capacities over the years has given me incredible perspective on the ins and outs of this business and our industry." Says Lerma, "I am extremely excited to take on the responsibilities of AP's President and can't wait to see what the next few years and beyond holds. I couldn't be prouder of the team we have assembled and the company we have built and look forward to continuing our momentum." (See New Hires and Promotions in today’s news edition).

In addition, Fred Williams has been promoted to the position of Chief Sales Officer. Mr. Williams began his career at AP as a salesperson in 2013, and now oversees the entire sales team. He will be working closely with the business development team and the Chief Marketing Officer to explore new target markets and grow current industry sectors.

"I am excited for the opportunity to lead this incredible sales organization into a future of growth, strength, and innovation", states Fred Williams. "AP Equipment Financing is a company that does not rest in stagnant waters, and I am thrilled to help keep our amazing company flowing forward into fresh new waters with the support of our talented employees and unique culture." (See New Hires
and Promotions in today’s news edition).

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### Press Release ############################

North Star Leasing achieves record funding in 2020
Company sets record for year, quarter, and month

BURLINGTON, VT – ­North Star Leasing announces that 2020 was a record-setting year in the 41-year history of the equipment leasing company, with all-time highs set in annual, quarterly, and monthly funding.

Buoyed by a $10 million December – the company's top funding month ever – North Star Leasing closed the year on a remarkable run, exceeding 2019 funding levels, it’s prior annual high-funding level.  Additionally, total funding in Q4 ‘20 set a record, while North Star Leasing processed over 6,600 applications totaling $236m during the year.

Dan Feeney, North Star Leasing CEO, commented, “In the midst of the most volatile and unpredictable years in our history, North Star Leasing’s team achieved significant corporate milestones in 2020 and I could not be prouder of how our team worked together to help our customers, vendors, partners, and each other through a very difficult period while delivering unprecedented results.” 
 

On March 31, 2020, People's United Bank upsized the Revolving Credit Facility to $80 million. In October, North Star Leasing captured No. 119 on the Monitor Daily 100+ ranking, its first placement on the prestigious list compiled of the equipment leasing and finance industry. During the year, North Star Leasing added several new employees who saw the opportunity that North Star Leasing presents in the equipment financing industry to reach their career goals while other funding sources were contracting.
 

North Star Leasing saw significant growth throughout its diverse portfolio including the brewing and distilling industry, manufacturing and production, landscaping, vocational equipment, and heavy equipment sectors. Long a direct funder to the foodservice and hospitality industries, North Star Leasing redoubled its commitment to its customers in that space, launching a customized COVID-19 Deferred Payment Plan in March that allowed businesses to modify their leases, no questions asked.
 

"As we analyze our record-breaking year, we see strong indication that businesses are poised to explosively rebound from the challenges encountered in 2020 caused by COVID-19 19," said Feeney. "We are highly motivated to continue to provide our customers and vendors with the necessary tools and products to jumpstart this great nation as we rebound together from a most tumultuous 2020.

“One of our better decisions was to offer modification plans to our customers in early March as we all tried to figure out the impact of the pandemic.  Our customer and vendor base were very thankful for the help at such a critical time of unknowns."     

About North Star Leasing Company
Founded in 1979, North Star Leasing is a provider of equipment financing solutions for businesses in a variety of industries. For the past 41 years, North Star Leasing has focused exclusively on helping businesses grow and expand by providing lease financing for mission-critical equipment. North Star Leasing is a direct funder and takes a personalized approach to each application. www.northstarleasing.com

About Copley Equity Partners
Copley Equity Partners is a private investment firm that partners with established lower middle-market businesses. Copley invests in companies across a broad range of sectors and is comfortable in both majority and minority ownership positions. Copley invests out of an evergreen, single-family office, capital base making the firm agnostic to the standard private equity fundraising cycle. Copley’s patient and flexible capital base allows the firm to focus on providing each portfolio company significant support post-investment. www.copleyequity.com

#### Press Release #############################

Fernando Croce Reviews
Watch at Home

As the new year starts, let’s catch up with worthy films that may have been overlooked by top-10 lists. For these majestic documentaries, electric dramas and atmospheric thrillers, check your streaming options.

The Cordillera of Dreams (Pyramide Distribution): Veteran Chilean documentarian Patricio Guzman continues to examine the crossroads of history and geography with this poetic, visually majestic portrait of the Andes, which completes a great elemental trilogy that also includes “Nostalgia for the Light” and “The Pearl Button.” Though it hardly starves for breathtaking footage of the towering glaciers which comprise the mountainous terrain, this is no mere travelogue. Instead, Guzman uses the setting as a multi-layered backdrop in an intelligent and vital essay on the trauma of the past and the continuous struggles of the present. Employing archival footage from political upheavals of the 1970s and 1980s and interviews with activists young and old, the film is both eye-filling and conscience-stirring. With subtitles.

Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (Netflix): The late Chadwick Boseman delivers an electrifying performance in this sturdy adaptation of August Wilson’s play, which unfolds over the course of an afternoon in a Chicago recording studio in 1927. Boseman plays Levee, a simultaneously smooth and intense young trumpeter with plenty of ambition as he steps into the studio to record with the legendary blues singer Ma Rainey (Viola Davis, matching Boseman in electric presence). Levee has plans of starting his own band (not to mention scooping up Ma Rainey’s girlfriend), which leads to a ferocious clash with the more experienced chanteuse and stories from the other band members. Directed by theater veteran George C. Wolfe, the film overcomes its stagy limitations as an invaluable showcase for formidable performances.

Never Rarely Sometimes Always (Focus Films): An empathetic and provocative film, this drama showcases a very promising debut by newcomer Sidney Flanigan. She plays Autumn, a teenager who realizes that she must leave her oppressive home in rural Pennsylvania to deal with her unwanted pregnancy. With the help of her cousin Skylar (Talia Ryder, equally impressive), she heads to New York, where abortion is legal, on a bus ride that illuminates the grimsituation of the young women. Over the course of this journey, the characters’ companionship emerges as their sole weapon against an unforgiving world. Alternating between theharrowing and the tender, filmmakerEliza Hittman offers view at oncehumanistic and political, focusing on the quiet resilience of the protagonist without ignoring the systemic deficiencies entrapping her.

Promising Young Woman (Focus Films): Harrowing suspense and dark humor are deftly blended in this provocative tale, which marks the promising directorial debut of actress Emerald Fennell. Carrie Mulligan is riveting as Cassie, a former medical student whose trauma at the hands of predatory men has made her a self-styled avenger. Playing at being helpless in order to attract and then terrorize sleazy men, she’s more than willing to push her anger into nasty places for what she sees as justified retribution. When a former classmate (Bo Burnham) enters her life, however, her mission takes a sudden turn. Boldly expanding the problem from people into the culture around them, Fennell’s film takes a ferocious look at the root and effect of rape, immensely helped by Mulligan’s complex turn.

The Wild Goose Lake (Film Movement): A specialist in stylish, fatalisticunderworld tales, talented Chinese director Diao Yinan (“Black Coal, Thin Ice”)brings a strong noir edge to this absorbing gangster film. The main character is Zhou (Hu Ge), a brooding hood first seen with bloody knuckles in the middle of a nocturnal downpour. Gradually we learn of his situation, on the run from both the police and criminals in an ever-widening maelstrom of violence. The only help in this nocturnal nightmare comes from Liu (Kawi Lun-Mei), an enigmaticprostitute who follows Zhou into the neon-lit labyrinth of modern-dayChina. With an inventive visual sense at times bordering on the abstract, Diao guides his characters with a combination of dark cinematic exhilaration and subversive social critique. With subtitles.

Saint Bernard/Great Pyrenees
Redmond, Oregon

Moose

46286667
Male
Neutered
8 months
Weight: 112 lbs.

Meet Moose! Moose was surrendered to BrightSide because he did not do well in a home with young children. Moose has displayed some resource guarding/possessive behavior. He is looking for an experienced owner that can work with him on this and provide him with a structured home. He also protested a bit during his veterinary exam at the shelter. He is a social, friendly, and puppy-like dog otherwise. He may do best with an owner familiar with these large breeds and is ready for a big puppy.

Moose is reportedly potty trained and knows a couple of his basic commands. He previously lived with a male dog and was friendly with him. He has been friendly toward dogs at the shelter so far. A meet & greet is required with any other dogs in the home. He did not live with cats but he hasn't been extremely interested in them at the shelter.

He would love a bit of property to stretch his legs on. He does pretty good on leash but he is a big dog.

If you'd like to meet Moose, come to BrightSide!

Brightside
1355 NE Hemlock Avenue
Redmond, Oregon
Phone: (541) 923-0882
info@brightsideanimals.org

HOURS
Tuesday-Saturday, 10 am – 4 pm

Application:
https://brightsideanimals.org/online-puppy-dog-adoption-application/

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Spamarrest Stops Having to Open Spam
Recommended by Kit Menkin

The best line of defense is to identify the spam by using a program that identifies it. Sender emails can be faked, often looking like from someone you know or service provided. Use a program like "spamarrest," as it requires the sending party to verify themselves.

As important, once the sender email is cleared, they are not questioned again; labeled a "safe sender." You can also "block" senders, as well as put on vacation or respond emails with messages as you would do on a telephone answering device.

You can try a month for free and cancel if you don't like it at any time. You can also pay monthly, a $7.95 a month, $39.95 for 6 months, $69.95 for one year, 109.95 for two years. Leasing News has used this program since 2002 and has been very satisfied with it, including service when there is a problem.

Visit www.spamarrest.com
    

News Briefs---

Stimulus check problems: IRS says some won't
   get $600 directly, need to claim funds on 2020 tax return
https://abc11.com/stimulus-check-payment-status-not-available-irs-get-my-working-recovery-rebate-credit/9403280/

Seven states sue regulator over 'true lender' rule
    on interest rates
https://thehill.com/policy/finance/532759-seven-states-sue-regulator-over-true-lender-rule-on-interest-rates

Amazon to spend $2 billion
    on affordable housing in three regions
https://nypost.com/2021/01/06/amazon-to-spend-2b-on-affordable-housing-in-3-regions/   

ADP National Employment Report: Private Sector
     Employment Decreased by 123,000 Jobs in December
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/adp-national-employment-report-private-sector-employment-decreased-by-123-000-jobs-in-december-301201960.html

Safeway to replace delivery workers with DoorDash drivers
     - but says it's not tied to Prop. 22
https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Safeway-will-replace-delivery-workers-with-15847851.php

 

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You May Have Missed---

Amazon's at-home COVID test
     now available online
https://abc7ny.com/amazon-covid-test-dxterity-coronavirus/9402645/

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Sports Briefs---

Kansas City Chiefs enter playoffs as Super Bowl favorite;
    Tampa Bay Buccaneers biggest liability for some sportsbooks
https://www.espn.com/chalk/story/_/id/30662463/kansas-city-chiefs-enter-playoffs-super-bowl-favorite-tampa-bay-buccaneers-biggest-liability-some-sportsbooks

What we’ve learned about Warriors’ rotation through 7 games
https://www.sfchronicle.com/warriors/article/What-we-ve-learned-about-Warriors-rotation-15851305.php

NFL QBs' second acts have often failed.
    As usual, Tom Brady is ready to defy the odds
https://www.thetelegraph.com/news/article/NFL-QBs-second-acts-have-often-failed-As-usual-15850003.php

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

California Nuts Briefs---

California Gov. Newsom proposes new $600 stimulus checks
https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/06/politics/california-stimulus-check-proposal/index.html

Gov. Newsom proposes $4.5 billion in aid
    for businesses, jobs affected by COVID-19
https://www.northbaybusinessjournal.com/article/news/gov-newsom-proposes-4-5-billion-in-aid-for-businesses-jobs-affected-by-c/

'Slammed': Many California Casinos Are Still Open,
    and Some Workers Are Worried
https://www.kqed.org/news/11853491/slammed-many-california-casinos-are-still-open-and-some-workers-are-worried

Price tag nearly doubles to $2.5 billion
    for huge new dam project in Santa Clara County
www.mercurynews.com/2021/01/06/price-tag-nearly-doubles-for-huge-new-dam-project-in-santa-clara-county-to-2-5-billion/

[headlines]
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“Gimme that Wine”

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

Hoffmann to Invest $100 Million On Augusta Winery Development
https://www.emissourian.com/local_news/hoffmann-to-invest-100-million-on-augusta-winery-development/article_f018755e-4fb9-11eb-94e2-73516225dcf6.html

Sales of Champagne plummet by 25%
https://www.vitisphere.com/news-93105-Sales-of-Champagne-plummet-by-25.htm

This stunning Riesling proves that a little sugar
     can be a good thing in a wine
https://www.sfchronicle.com/wineoftheweek/article/This-stunning-Riesling-proves-that-a-little-sugar-15848619.php

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

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

This Day in History

     1698 – The first English settlement in America, Jamestown, VA, burned to the ground.
    1782 - The first commercial bank in the US, the Bank of North America, was opened at Philadelphia, PA. The bank was the brainchild of Robert Morris. Despite the bank's success, Philadelphia's run as America's leading home of private financial institutions was short-lived. Soon after the Bank of North America opened, the Pennsylvania legislature moved to outlaw private banks in the state, a decision that led scores of prospective bankers to set up shop in the nation's eventual financial center, New York City.
    1784 - David Landreth established the first organized seed business in Philadelphia, PA. Previously, seeds had been imported from Europe or saved from each crop by individual farmers. The firm incorporated in 1904 as the D. Landreth Seed Company, later became a subsidiary of the Robert Buist Company, founded in Philadelphia, in 1828.
    1789 - The first national presidential election in the United States was held.
George Washington Virginia, No Party, Electoral votes-69 (85.2%)
John Adams Massachusetts, No Party, Electoral votes-34 (42.0%)
John Jay New York, No Party, Electoral votes-9 (11.1%)
Robert Harrison Maryland, No Party, Electoral votes- 6 (7.4%)
John Rutledge South Carolina, No Party, Electoral votes-6 (7.4%)
Other - - Electoral votes-14 (17.3%)
Electoral votes not cast - 24 (29.6%)
Note that prior to the ratification of the 12th Amendment to the Constitution in 1804, each Elector cast two votes for President (instead of one vote for President and one vote for Vice President). The candidate receiving the most votes became President and the candidate receiving the second most votes became Vice President. George Washington received one vote from each elector (that cast a ballot). The New York legislature failed to appoint its allotted 8 Electors in time. Two Electors from Maryland did not vote. One Elector from Virginia did not vote and one Elector was not chosen because an election district failed to submit returns.
    1800 - 13th president of the US, Millard Fillmore’s (d. 1874) birthday at Summerhill, NY. Fillmore succeeded to the presidency upon the death of Zachary Taylor, but he did not get the hoped-for nomination from his party in 1852. He served as president from July 10, 1850 to Mar 3, 1853. He ran for president in 1856 as candidate of the “Know-Nothing Party,” whose platform demanded, among other things, that every government employee (federal, state and local) should be a native-born citizen. Fillmore died at Buffalo, NY, Mar 8, 1874. Now his birthday is often used as an occasion for parties for which there is no other reason. 

    1822 - Liberia was first colonized by Americans.
    1824 - The first boxing arena in America had its first fight between Tom Springs and Jack Langan, the Irish champion. The arena was specifically built for this site and had about 4,000 seats, plus room for 22,000 people to stand. Admission was 10 shillings ($2.50), half of which went to the fighters. This was a lot of money in its day as average monthly earnings were $8 to $10 a month.
    1830 – The first U.S. railroad station opened in Baltimore by the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Company.  The first passengers boarded the first commercial transportation of passengers and freight.  Tickets were 9 cents each, or three for 25 cents, for a ride from Pratt Street in Baltimore to the Carrolton Viaduct. At first, passengers rode primarily for the novel experience.
   1836 - The Cherokee nation ceded 7,000 square miles of land in Tennessee and Alabama.  They are believed to have numbered some 22,500 individuals in 1650, and they controlled approximately 40,000 square miles of the Appalachians in parts of present-day Georgia, Tennessee, and the western parts of what are now the Carolinas.  When gold was discovered on Cherokee land in Georgia, agitation for the removal of the tribe increased. In December 1835, the Treaty of New Echota, signed by a small minority of the Cherokee, ceded to the United States all Cherokee land east of the Mississippi River for $5 million. The overwhelming majority of tribal members repudiated the treaty and took their case to the US Supreme Court. The court rendered a decision favorable to the tribe, declaring that Georgia had no jurisdiction over the Cherokee and no claim to their land.  Georgia officials ignored the court’s decision, President Jackson refused to enforce it, and Congress finally passed the Indian Removal Act of 1830 to facilitate the eviction of tribal members from their homes and territory. Removal was implemented by 7,000 troops commanded by General Winfield Scott. Scott’s men moved through Cherokee territory, forcing many people from their homes at gunpoint. As many as 16,000 Cherokee were thus gathered into camps while their homes were plundered and burned by local Euro-American residents. Subsequently those refugees were sent west in 13 overland detachments, the majority on foot. The eviction and forced march, which came to be known as the Trail of Tears, took place during the fall and winter of 1838–39.
    1861 - Florida troops takeover Fort Marion at St Augustine. The Confederates take over many forts, until Union Troops invade Florida, taking back some of the forts, securing ports, to cut off trade with European. http://www.nps.gov/casa/
    1862 - An advance guard of Confederates was defeated by about 2,000 Federals under Col. Dunning at Blue's Gap in Romney, West Virginia.  Further east, the Battle of Manassas, VA was fought.
http://www.historichampshire.org/rom-cw.htm
http://members.aol.com/DWMellott/7wv.htm
http://www.romneywv.com/
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/096282187X/
inktomi-bkasin-20/104-3547695-1517507
    1864 - Mary Kenney O'Sullivan (1864-1943), first American Federation of Labor (AFL) woman organizer, was born in Hannibal, Missouri. A skilled bookbinder, she organized the Woman's Bookbinder Union in 1880 and was a founder of the National Women's Trade Union League (WTUL) in 1903.
http://womenshistory.about.com/library/bio/
blbio_osullivan_mary_kenney.htm
http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/USAWkenney.htm
    1865 - Near present-day San Angelo, 370 Texas militiamen attacked what was assumed to be an encampment of 1400 Comanches (they were actually peaceful Kickapoo). This engagement, called the Battle of Dove Creek, was one of the last battles in Texas between Anglos and Native Americans. The militia lost 36 men, with 60 wounded; the Kickapoos lost 11, with 61 wounded.
http://www.tsha.utexas.edu/handbook/online/articles/view/DD/btd1.html
    1868 – A Mississippi constitutional convention met in Jackson while  an Arkansas constitutional convention met in Little Rock.
    1873 - A blizzard raged across the Great Plains. Many pioneers, unprepared for the cold and snow, perished in southwest Minnesota and northwestern Iowa.
    1873 – The founder of Paramount Pictures, Adolph Zukor (d. 1976), was born in Hungary.  He became involved in the motion picture industry when, in 1903, his cousin, Max Goldstein approached him for a loan, needing investors to expand his chain of theaters that had begun in Buffalo. The Automatic Vaudeville Co on 14th Street in New York City was to feature Edison’s marvels: phonographs, electric lights and moving pictures. Zukor not only gave Goldstein the money but insisted on forming a partnership to open another one. Another partner in the venture was Marcus Loew, he of later theatre fame.  In 1912, he established Famous Players Film Company as the American distribution company for a French film.  The studio evolved into Paramount Pictures, of which he served as President until 1936 when he was elevated to Chairman. He revolutionized the film industry by organizing production, distribution, and exhibition within a single company.  He retired from Paramount Pictures in 1959 and thereafter assumed Chairman Emeritus status, a position he held up until his death at the age of 103 in LA in 1976.
    1882 - The National League will continue the practice of using different color patterns on uniforms for the different positions. Third basemen will wear gray and white uniforms, as the blue and white uniforms originally sought were "impossible to obtain."
    1886 - A severe cold wave in the southern section of the country brought the worst freeze since 1835 in Florida.
    1887 - Thomas Stevens and his bike traveled 13,500 miles, to arrive back in San Francisco, California nearly three years after starting, in April 1884, what would be the first completed worldwide bicycle trip.
    1890 - Birthday of African-American W. B. Purvis (d. 1914) in Pennsylvania.  Inventor, patent holder of the fountain pen.
http://www.blackinventor.com/pages/wbpurvis.html
    1891 - Novelist, folklorist, dramatist, and anthropologist Zora Neale Hurston (d. 1960) was born in Notasulga, AL.   When she was three, her family moved to Eatonville, FL, which in 1887, was one of the first all-black towns to be incorporated in the United States. Hurston said she always felt that Eatonville was "home" to her as she grew up there, and sometimes she claimed it as her birthplace. The dialects, customs, and folklore of the people of Eatonville and of rural Florida would continue to inform Hurston's work for the rest of her career.   Although at the time of her death in 1960, Hurston had published more books than any other black woman in America, she was unable to capture a mainstream audience in her lifetime, and she died poor and alone in a welfare hotel. Today, she is seen as one of the most important black writers in American history. Unfortunately, near the end of her life, she worked as a maid and died in poverty. In the 1970s, her work, almost forgotten, was revived by feminist and black-studies scholars.  An anthology, “I Love Myself When I Am Laughing...And Then Again When I Am Looking Mean and Impressive,” was published in 1979.  After Hurston died on January 28, 1960 in a Fort Pierce, Florida, hospital, her papers were ordered to be burned. A law officer and friend, Patrick DuVal, passing by the house where she had lived, stopped and put out the fire, thus saving an invaluable collection of literary documents for posterity. The nucleus of this collection was given to the University of Florida libraries in 1961 by Mrs. Marjorie Silver, friend and neighbor of Hurston. Other materials were donated in 1970 and 1971 by Frances Grover, daughter of E. O. Grover, a Rollins College professor and long-time friend of Hurston's. In 1979, Stetson Kennedy of Jacksonville, who knew Hurston through his work with the Federal Writers Project, added additional papers. (Zora Neal Hurston Papers, University of Florida Smathers Libraries, August 2008)
http://www-hsc.usc.edu/~gallaher/hurston/hurston.html
http://i.am/zora
http://www.nku.edu/~diesmanj/hurston.html
http://www.csustan.edu/english/reuben/pal/chap9/hurston.html
http://www.hurston-wright.org/
http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/D?amtoday:1:./temp/~ammem_dZif ::
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/jan07.html    
    1892 – At a mine explosion in Krebs, OK, blacks trying to help rescue white survivors, were driven away with guns.  Over 100 miners died.
    1894 - W.K. L. Dickson was given a patent for motion picture film. The 2 second demonstration was a 47-frame film showing a man sneezing.
http://www.biographcompany.com/dickson/
    1896 - Fannie Farmer publishes her first cookbook
http://womenshistory.about.com/library/bio/blbiofarmerf.htm
    1899 - Walter Camp published his first All-American football team in Collier's magazine.
    1903 – Actor Alan Napier (d. 1988), who played butler Albert for Batman on TV, was born in England.
    1904 – Guglielmo Marconi established "CQD" as the first international radio distress signal.  Two years later, it was replaced by “SOS.”   
    1908 - Birthday of trumpet player Henry “Red” Allen (d. 1967), New Orleans.
http://www.libertyhall.com/red.html
http://www.redhotjazz.com/red.html
http://www.duke.edu/~ab2/index.html
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0826447449/
inktomi-bkasin-20/107-1403707-5271711
    1910 – Former Gov. Orval Faubus (d. 1994) was born in Combs, AR.   He was the 36th Governor of Arkansas, serving from 1955 to 1967. He is best known for his 1957 stand against the desegregation of the Little Rock School District, in which he defied a unanimous decision of the US Supreme Court by ordering the Arkansas National Guard to stop black students from attending Little Rock Central HS.  In October 1957, Eisenhower federalized the Arkansas National Guard and ordered them to return to their armories which effectively removed them from Faubus' control. Eisenhower then sent elements of the 101st Airborne Division to Arkansas to protect the black students and enforce the Federal court order. Arkansas National Guard later took over protection duties from the 101st Airborne Division. In retaliation, Faubus shut down Little Rock high schools for the 1958-59 school year. This is often referred to as "The Lost Year" in Little Rock.         
    1911 – Actress Thelma “Butterfly” McQueen (d. 1995) was born in Tampa, FL.  McQueen's first role would become her most identifiable, as Prissy, the young maid in “Gone with the Wind.” Her distinctive, high-pitched voice was noted by a critic who described it as, "The itsy-little voice fading over the far horizon of comprehension." While the role is well known to audiences, McQueen did not enjoy playing the part and felt it was demeaning to African Americans. 
    1912 – The creator of “The Addams Family,” Charles Addams (d. 1988), was born in NYC.
    1913 - Tucson, AZ set its all-time record low temperature with a frigid 0 degrees.
    1913 - William M. Burton of Chicago, IL received a patent for the “manufacture of gasoline.” He developed the thermal-cracking technique for refining oil. His method of treating the residue of the paraffin group of petroleum by distillation and condensation of the vapors was used by the Standard Oil Company of Indiana, to whom the patent was assigned. Died in 1958.
http://www.invent.org/hall_of_fame/24.html
    1913 – Slugger Johnny Mize (d. 1993) was born in Demorest, GA.  Nicknamed Big Jawn and The Big Cat, he played in the Majors for 15 seasons between 1936 and 1953, losing three seasons to military service during World War II, and was a ten-time All-Star.  He was a first baseman for the St. Louis Cardinals, New York Giants, and New York Yankees.   Late in his career, he played with the Yankees when they won five consecutive World Series.  Mize retired in 1953 with 359 career home runs and a .312 batting average. He served as a radio commentator, scout and coach in the Majors after he retired as a player. He was finally selected to the Baseball Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee in 1981. In 2014, he was inducted into the St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame. 
    1914 – The first steamboat passed through Panama Canal.
    1920 - The State Assembly of New York refused to seat five duly-elected Socialist assemblymen.  Now they run the state!
    1921 - Birthday of Charles Loloma (d. 1991), Hotevilla on the Hopi Indian Reservation.  He was a major influence on modern Native American art and was famous for changing the look of American Indian Jewelry. A painter, sculptor and potter, he was best known for his jewelry, which broke tradition with previous Indian styles using materials such as coral, fossilized ivory, pearls and diamonds.
http://www.faustgallery.com/loloma.htm
http://www.nativepubs.com/nativepubs/Apps/bios/
0430LolomaCharles.asp?pic=none
    1924 - George Gershwin completed the score for his classic “Rhapsody in Blue.” He was only 26 years old. Gershwin did not have an interest in music until his family bought him a piano when he was twelve. Nine years later he had his first hit, at age 21,"Swanee," with lyrics written by Irving Caesar
    1925 - Drummer Sam Woodyard (d. 1988) born, Elizabeth, NJ.
http://www.drummerworld.com/drummers2/Sam_Woodyard.html
    1925 – Al Jolson’s musical, “Big Boy” opened in NYC.
    1926 - George Burns and Gracie Allen were married by a Justice of the Peace in Cleveland, Ohio. They had been a comedy team for 4 years prior to getting married and worked successfully for decades together in radio, film, and television until Allen's fatal heart attack in 1964.  They are widely regarded historically among the best, if not the best, the husband-and-wife comedy team in entertainment history.  George died at age 100 in 1996.
    1927 - The inauguration of the transatlantic commercial telephone service began when Walter Sherman Gifford, president of the American Telephone and Telegraph Company, who was in New York, talked to Sir George Evelyn Pemberton Murray, secretary of the British Post Office, who was in London. Thirty-one commercial calls were made the first day. The charge was $75 for a three-minute conversation. The first private conversation was made by Adolph Simon Ochs, publisher of the New York Times, to Geoffrey Dawson, editor of the Times of London. The messages were transmitted from Rocky Point, NY.
    1927 - Harlem Globetrotters made their debut in Hinckley, IL as the New York Globetrotters although most of the team was from Chicago. The African American players, barred from playing in white leagues, barnstormed the nations as promoter Abe Saperstein booked them across the country. They have played more than 26,000 exhibition games in 124 countries and territories. The team's signature song is Brother Jones’ whistled version of “Sweet Georgia Brown.”   The team plays over 450 live events worldwide each year.  http://www.africana.com/Articles/tt_059.htm
http://www.harlemglobetrotters.com/
    1928 – William Peter Blatty (d. 2017) was born in NYC.  American writer and filmmaker best known for his 1971 novel, “The Exorcist,” and for the Academy Award-winning screenplay of its film adaptation. He also wrote and directed the sequel, “The Exorcist III.”
    1929 – The launch of two famous cartoon strips:  “Buck Rogers” and “Tarzan.”   
    1930 – 5’7” Eddie LeBaron (d. 2017) was born in San Rafael, CA.  LeBaron was selected by the Washington Redskins in the tenth round (123rd overall) of the 1950 NFL Draft but had to leave training camp to perform military service during the Korean War. He was one of the shortest quarterbacks in the history of the NFL.  He returned to the NFL in 1952 after a two-year commitment to the Marines as a lieutenant, when he was discharged after being wounded in combat. He replaced future Hall of Famer Sammy Baugh in the starting lineup after the fourth game and received All-Rookie honors at the end of the season.    He retired at the end of 1963, after playing 12 seasons, throwing for 13,399 yards and 104 touchdowns and being selected for the Pro Bowl four times. 
    1931 - The nation was mired in the depths of the Great Depression. On January 7, the Committee for Unemployment Relief, formed at President Hoover's command in October 1930, released a report that detailed the depths of the nation's woes. According to the committee, some 4 to 5 million Americans were unemployed.   However, the Depression only continued to grow worse, which further swelled the unemployment rolls; by 1932, some 13 million Americans were without jobs.
    1933 – MLB Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis announced that he is cutting his salary by 40 percent. Landis's action is a sign of the times during the Great Depression; most players will have their salaries reduced for the coming season.
    1934 - Converted Major League baseball player Billy Sunday, at age 72, began a two-week revival at Calvary Baptist Church in NY City. Sunday was an evangelist from 1893 until his death in 1935.
    1934 – “Flash Gordon,” a comic strip by Alex Raymond, was first published.
    1935 - Birthday of clarinet player Kenny Davern (d. 2006), Huntington, NY
http://www.riverwalk.org/profiles/davern.htm
http://indigo.ie/~jazzirl/archives/davern.htm
http://users.bestweb.net/~msnyder/clarinet/davern.htm
    1938 - Birthday of singer, pianist Paul Revere, born Paul Revere Dick (d. 2014), at Harvard, NE.  Lead singer of Paul Revere and The Raiders.
http://www.paulrevereraiders.com/history.html
http://www.history-of-rock.com/paul_revere_and_the_raiders.htm    
    1939 - The United States Trotting Association, the governing body for the sport of harness horse racing, was founded in Indianapolis, IN, at a meeting called by horseman Roland Harriman. The founding was actually a joining of several regional organizations resulting in uniform rules and regulations.  This unification spurred the growth of harness racing, now followed by nearly 25 million fans in North America each year.
    1939 - Tom Mooney, a labor activist wrongly convicted of murder in the San Francisco Preparedness Day bombing in July 1916, is freed after 22 1/2 years in jail.  After the conviction was found to be based on false charges, he was granted an unconditional pardon by Governor Culbert Olson.
See: “Frame-up” by Curt Gentry, © 1967, WW Norton, New York; “Life of an Anarchist: The Alexander Berkman Reader,” ed. Gene Fellner, “Four Walls Eight Windows,” New York: 1992.
http://www.dartmouth.edu/~library/Library_Bulletin/
Nov1989/LB-N89-VClose2.html
    1940 - Gene Autry's musical variety show premieres on CBS radio, where it will run for the next 16 years. Autry was born in Tioga, Texas, in 1907, the son of a livestock and horse trader who was also a Baptist minister. The family later moved to Oklahoma. In high school, Autry worked as a railway telegrapher at the local railroad depot, where he spent slow moments strumming his $8 guitar and singing. Passing through the depot one day, a stranger, Will Rogers, suggested that Autry try singing on the radio. Inspired, Autry traveled to New York City to look for a singing job but had no luck. Back home, he began working for a local radio station and found success as "Oklahoma's Yodeling Cowboy.” Eventually, Autry and railroad dispatcher Jim Long wrote several country songs, including the world's first gold record, "That Silver-Haired Daddy of Mine." Autry became a regular on Sears Roebuck's National Barn Dance, the forerunner of the Grand Ole Opry. In 1934, producer Nat Levine was looking for a guy who could sing, ride a horse, and act in western movies. Autry wasn't an actor but had already established a loyal radio audience, so Levine put him in numerous B-grade westerns. Playing the lead role in a long-running series of Saturday matinee films, Autry became "America's favorite cowboy." In 1940, his musical variety radio show, “Gene Autry's Melody Ranch,” debuted and took only one hiatus, when Autry joined the Army Air Corps after taking his oath on the air in 1942.  Roy Rogers took his place on the television show while he was gone. He became America's favorite TV cowboy in 1950 when he debuted “The Gene Autry Show,” which ran through 1956. In each episode, he and his sidekick, Pat Buttram, rode from town to town, maintaining law and order. From "Back in the Saddle Again" to yuletide mainstays such as "Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer" and "Frosty the Snowman," Autry's music has etched itself into Americana. The Cowboy was also an entrepreneur; he owned hotels, gas stations, television and radio stations, and the California Angels baseball team, among other ventures. He also owned a television production company and was proud of discovering "Annie Oakley" star Gail Davis, whom he had featured in dozens of his movies and television program episodes and who had performed in his traveling rodeo. Her appearances spun off into her own series, which Autry's company produced. Autry was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1969.  One of the most beloved entertainers of all-time, The Cowboy passed on in 1998.
    1942 – The bloody siege at Bataan began. The Battle of Bataan was one of the last stands of American and Filipino soldiers before they were overwhelmed by the Japanese in World War II.  It was the most intense phase of the Japanese invasion of the Philippines. In January 1942, forces of the Japanese Army and Navy invaded Luzon along with several islands in the Philippines after bombing Pearl Harbor, coveting the Philippines as part of their strategy to control the Pacific and its resources.  The commander-in-chief of all U.S. and Filipino forces in the islands, General Douglas MacArthur, consolidated his Luzon-based units on Bataan to fight against the Japanese army. By this time, the Japanese controlled nearly all of Southeast Asia. Bataan and Corregidor were the only remaining Allied strongholds in the region.  The American surrender at Bataan to the Japanese, with 76,000 soldiers surrendering in the Philippines altogether, was the largest in American history, and was the largest United States surrender since the Civil War Battle of Harper’s Ferry.   Soon afterwards, U.S. and Filipino prisoners of war were forced into the Bataan Death March, a nearly 70-mile trek that took as many as 18,000, mostly among Filipinos.
    1944 - SPECKER, JOE C., Medal of Honor.
Rank and organization: Sergeant, U.S. Army, 48th Engineer Combat Battalion. Place and date: At Mount Porchia, Italy, 7 January 1944. Entered service at: Odessa, Mo. Birth: Odessa, Mo. G.O. No. 56, 12 July 1944. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at risk of life, above and beyond the call of duty, in action involving actual conflict. On the night of 7 January 1944, Sgt. Specker, with his company, was advancing up the slope of Mount Porchia, Italy. He was sent forward on reconnaissance and on his return he reported to his company commander the fact that there was an enemy machinegun nest and several well-placed snipers directly in the path and awaiting the company. Sgt. Specker requested and was granted permission to place 1 of his machineguns in a position near the enemy machinegun. Voluntarily and alone he made his way up the mountain with a machinegun and a box of ammunition. He was observed by the enemy as he walked along and was severely wounded by the deadly fire directed at him. Though so seriously wounded that he was unable to walk, he continued to drag himself over the jagged edges of rock and rough terrain until he reached the position at which he desired to set up his machinegun. He set up the gun so well and fired so accurately that the enemy machine-gun nest was silenced and the remainder of the snipers forced to retire, enabling his platoon to obtain their objective. Sgt. Specker was found dead at his gun. His personal bravery, self-sacrifice, and determination were an inspiration to his officers and fellow soldiers.
    1944 – The US Air Force announced production of the first jet fighter, the Bell P-59.   
    1945 - Anthony Richard (Tony) Conigliaro (d. 1990), baseball player, born at Revere, MA.   Also known as Tony C, Conigliaro led the American League in home runs in 1965 and was one of the most beloved Boston Red Sox players of his generation.   He was selected for the All-Star Game in 1967. In that season, at age 22, he became the youngest American leaguer to reach a career total of 100 home runs.  He was beaned by Jack Hamilton on August 18, 1967, causing a linear fracture of the left cheekbone and a dislocated jaw with severe damage to his left retina. The batting helmet he was wearing did not have the protective ear-flap that has since become standard.  A year and a half later, Conigliaro made a remarkable return, hitting 20 homers with 82 RBI in 141 games. In 1970, he reached career-high numbers in HRs (36) and RBI (116). After a stint with the Angels in 1971, he returned to the Red Sox briefly but was forced to retire because his eyesight had been permanently damaged. In retirement, he served as sports announcer for TV stations in Providence, RI and San Francisco. On January 3, 1982, in Boston to interview for a broadcasting position, he suffered a heart attack, then a stroke and lapsed into a coma. Conigliaro remained in basically a vegetative state until his death more than eight years later. 
    1945 - SHOUP, CURTIS F., Medal of Honor.
Rank and organization: Staff Sergeant, U.S. Army, Company I, 346th Infantry, 87th Infantry Division. Place and date: Near Tillet, Belgium, 7 January 1945. Entered service at: Buffalo, N.Y. Birth: Napenoch, N.Y. G.0. No.: 60, 25 July 1945. Citation: On 7 January 1945, near Tillet, Belgium, his company attacked German troops on rising ground. Intense hostile machinegun fire pinned down and threatened to annihilate the American unit in an exposed position where frozen ground made it impossible to dig in for protection. Heavy mortar and artillery fire from enemy batteries was added to the storm of destruction falling on the Americans. Realizing that the machinegun must be silenced at all costs, S/Sgt. Shoup, armed with an automatic rifle, crawled to within 75 yards of the enemy emplacement. He found that his fire was ineffective from this position, and completely disregarding his own safety, stood up and grimly strode ahead into the murderous stream of bullets, firing his low-held weapon as he went. He was hit several times and finally was knocked to the ground. But he struggled to his feet and staggered forward until close enough to hurl a grenade, wiping out the enemy machinegun nest with his dying action. By his heroism, fearless determination, and supreme sacrifice, S/Sgt. Shoup eliminated a hostile weapon which threatened to destroy his company and turned a desperate situation into victory.
    1946 - Rolling Stone publisher Jann Wenner’s birthday in NYC.
http://207.171.166.140/name/nm0921048/bio
http://207.171.166.140/name/nm0921048/
    1948 - Birthday of singer Kenny Loggins in Everett, Washington. He wrote the "House at Pooh Corner," a hit for the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, before teaming with Jim Messina for several albums and the top-10 single "Your Mama Don't Dance" in the 1970's. The duo split in 1976, and Loggins did well on his own with such hit singles as "Footloose," the theme from the 1984 movie, and "Danger Zone" in 1986.
    1948 – President Truman raised taxes to finance the Marshall Plan.
    1949 – The first photo of genes was taken at the University of Southern California by Pease and Baker
    1950 - Nova Scotia native Hank Snow made his debut on the Grand Ole Opry. Later that year, his recording of "I'm Movin' On" stayed on the Billboard country chart for 44 weeks, selling more than a million copies.
    1950 - In Nashville, Tennessee, Ernest Tubb made his first appearance at "The Grand Ole Opry." Ernest also did a daily 15-minute radio program that was very popular in West Texas. In fact, the show was so popular, Tubb bought the radio station that aired the program for years, KGKL in San Angelo, Texas.
    1951 - Top Hits
“Tennessee Waltz” - Patti Page
“The Thing” - Phil Harris
“Nevertheless” - Jack Denny
“I Love You a Thousand Ways” - Lefty Frizzell
    1952 - Actor Phillip Loeb, blacklisted in 1950 as a possible Communist sympathizer, is fired from highly successful TV comedy "The Goldbergs" because no one would sponsor it otherwise.
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/entertainment/july-dec97/
blacklist_10-24.html
http://www.tvparty.com/vaultgold.html
http://www.woolmancentral.com/famcou.html
http://www.sag.com/blacklist.html
    1953 – President Truman announced, in the State of the Union address, the development of the hydrogen bomb.
    1954 - The Duoscopic television receiver debuted, allowing the viewer to watch two different shows at the same time. It was a very early, very primitive, picture-in-picture, split-screen, tested in New York City and Chicago, Illinois. DuMont Laboratories, owner of the DuMont Television Network produced the set.
    1954 - Muddy Waters records "Hoochie Coochie Man"
    1954 - The first public demonstration of a machine translation system was held in New York at the head office of IBM.
    1955 – At the Metropolitan Opera House, New York City, Marian Anderson, contralto, became the first African-American opera singer when she sang the role of the fortune teller Ulrica in Giuseepe Verdi's “Un Ballo in Maschera.”
(lower half of: http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/jan07.html )
    1956 - Dean Martin's "Memories Are Made of This" hits #1
    1957 - Birthday of Katie Couric, in Arlington, Virginia. She was co-anchor of "The Today Show" starting in 1991 and, in 2007, became CBS News Anchor to 2011, then ABC News from 2011 to 2014. From 2013 to 2017, she was Yahoo’s Global News Anchor. 
http://members.aol.com/flopez1542/page5.html
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0183698/
    1958 - The Gibson Guitar Company patented the Flying V guitar, favorite instrument of many rock musicians
    1959 - Top Hits
“The Chipmunk Song” - The Chipmunks
“Smoke Gets in Your Eyes” - The Platters
“Problems” - The Everly Brothers
“City Lights” - Ray Price
    1959 - "GE College Bowl" quiz show premieres on NBC TV
http://www.jumptheshark.com/c/collegebowl.htm http://www.classicthemes.com/50sTVThemes/themePages/collegeBowl2.html
    1959 – The US recognized Castro’s government in Cuba.
    1962 - The Western Division defeats the Eastern Division 47-27 in the first AFL All-Star Game, played before 20,973 in San Diego.
http://images.nfl.com/history/images/0107.jpg
    1962 - Chubby Checker's "The Twist" hits #1 -- again
    1963 – Rand Paul was born in Pittsburgh.  The junior Republican Senator for Kentucky, in office since 2011, he is the son of former U.S. Representative and presidential candidate, Ron Paul of Texas.
    1964 – Actor, producer, Coppola nephew Nicholas Cage was born Nicolas Kim Coppola in Long Beach, CA
    1966 – The Dance Theater of Harlem was established.
    1966 – Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy (d. 1999) was born in White Plains, NY.  She was the wife of John F. Kennedy, Jr, with whom she perished in 1999 in a private plane crash piloted by her husband.
    1967 - Top Hits
“I'm a Believer” - The Monkees
“Snoopy Vs. the Red Baron” - The Royal Guardsmen
“Tell It Like It Is” - Aaron Neville
“There Goes My Everything” - Jack Greene
    1967 – “The Newlywed Game” premiered on ABC.
    1968 - Postage rates in the United States went up by a penny; making the cost to send an ounce of mail six cents.
    1969 – Congress doubled the salary of the President.
    1970 – Neighboring farmers sued Max Yasgur for $35,000 in damages caused by "Woodstock"
    1971 - The temperature at Hawley Lake, AZ dipped to 40 degrees below zero, setting a new record low temperature for the state.
    1972 - The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Atlanta Hawks, 134-90, to win their 33rd game in a row, an NBA record.
    1972 - The NCAA announced that freshmen would be eligible to play varsity football and basketball starting in the fall of 1973.
    1975 - Top Hits
“Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” - Elton John
“You're the First, the Last, My Everything” - Barry White
“Kung Fu Fighting” - Carl Douglas
“The Door” - George Jones
    1975 – Led Zeppelin fans in Boston rioted before a concert, causing $30,000 damage
    1978 - The soundtrack album of the hit disco movie "Saturday Night Fever," featuring the Bee Gees, the Trammps, Tavares, K.C. & the Sunshine Band, Kool & the Gang, MFSB and others enter the soul album chart. It will peak at Number One for six weeks starting February 18 in its 39 weeks on the chart.  It is the second-biggest selling soundtrack of all time, after “The Bodyguard,” selling 40 million copies worldwide (double disc album).
    1978 - The Bar-Kays' "Let's Have Some Fun" enters the soul charts
    1979 - Vietnamese forces, aided by Cambodian insurgents, captured Phnom Penh after a two-week invasion and overthrew the Khmer Rouge regime of Pol Pot.
    1979 - In the AFC title game, the Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Houston Oilers 34-5 for a Super Bowl trip and their third AFC championship title. They played in a steady rain at Three Rivers Stadium. In the NFC championship game, the Dallas Cowboys shut out the Los Angeles Rams 28-0. (The Steelers beat the Cowboys 35-31 in Super Bowl XIII Jan 21.)
    1980 - Led Zeppelin's "In Through the Out Door" is awarded a platinum disc. It's the last album issued before the September 25th death of drummer John Bonham.
    1980 – President Carter authorized legislation giving $1.5 billion in loans to bail out Chrysler.
    1981 - The "Eagles Live" album goes platinum. The two-record set will turn out to be the final Eagles album until 1994's comeback LP, "Hell Freezes Over."  Although the Eagles were already in the process of breaking up, the band owed Elektra/Asylum Records one more album and fulfilled that contractual obligation with a release of performances from the “Hotel California” and “The Long Run” tours.  The album reached 7x platinum status as of November, 2020.
    1982 - The Islanders' Bryan Trottier had his 10th career hat trick.
    1982 - "Hooked on Classics," using the extended medley format made popular by "Stars on 45," sets popular classical music to a disco beat. The result: It goes platinum on this date.
    1983 - Top Hits
“Maneater” - Daryl Hall & John Oates
“The Girl is Mine” - Michael Jackson /Paul McCartney
“Dirty Laundry” - Don Henley
“Wild and Blue” - John Anderson
    1984 - The Seattle Seahawks reached the AFC Title game for the first time in their history but were defeated by the Los Angeles Raiders, 30-14.
    1984 – Left-hander Jon Lester was born in Tacoma, WA.  In December, 2014, he signed with the Chicago Cubs for a whopping six year, $155 million deal.  Lester has played for the Boston Red Sox (2006-14) and the Oakland A’s in 2014. Less than two years after being diagnosed with lymphoma, Lester started and won the final game of the 2007 World Series for the Red Sox, and in May 2008, pitched a no-hitter against the Kansas City Royals.  As he was not offered another contract by the Cubs following the 2020 season, he is a free agent.
    1986 – President Reagan announced economic sanctions against Libya.
    1989 - A tornado in southern Illinois obliterated half the community of Allendale, injuring fifty persons and causing more than five million dollars damage, while thunderstorm winds gusting higher than 100 mph caused ten million dollars damage at Franklin, KY. Twenty-five cities, from the Gulf coast to Michigan, reported record high temperatures for the date.
    1990 - A rapidly intensifying low pressure system and a vigorous cold front brought heavy rain and high winds to the Pacific Northwest. Two to five inches rains soaked western Washington and western Oregon, and winds gusting above 70 mph caused extensive damage. Wind gusts on Rattlesnake Ridge in Washington State reached 130 mph
    1991 – Former Major Leaguer Pete Rose was released from federal prison after serving five months for tax evasion.
    1991 - Top Hits
“Justify My Love” - Madonna
“High Enough” - Damn Yankees
“Love Will Never Do (Without You)” - Janet Jackson
“I've Come to Expect It From You” - George Strait
    1992 - A rare January thunderstorm rumbled over Sioux Falls, SD. This was the first January thunderstorm recorded in the city since 1939. Meanwhile, thunderstorms produced 6 tornadoes (one F2 and five F1) near Grand Island, NE -- the first tornadoes ever recorded in Nebraska during January.
    1992 – AT&T announced the first video phone at a price of $1499.
    1993 - Michael Jordan scored 35 points to lead the Chicago Bulls to a 130-95 win over the Milwaukee Bucks. The points gave Jordan exactly 20,000 in the 620th game of his career and made him the second fastest NBA player to reach the mark behind Wilt Chamberlain, who did it in 499 games.
    1995 - A severe thunderstorm produced a downburst wind gust to 146 mph at Seymour-Johnson AFB in Goldsboro, NC.
    1996 - A blizzard paralyzed the Eastern U.S. The storm moved slowly, taking five days to reach New England from the Gulf of Mexico. The National Weather Service called it a storm of “historic proportions” with more than two feet of snow in the Baltimore and Washington, DC area. The mountains of Virginia and West Virginia got up to three feet. More than 100 deaths were blamed on the storm -- the majority from heart attacks. This event was the second in an unrelenting, paralyzing "siege of snowstorms" along the east coast during a ten-day period.
    1997 – Speaker Newt Gingrich became the first Republican Speaker of the house to be re-elected in 86 years.
    1997 - In Los Angeles, California, Heidi Fleiss, known as the "Hollywood Madam," was sentenced to 37 months in prison for cheating on her taxes, laundering call-girl profits, and conspiring to hide her wrongdoing. According to news sources, Fleiss choked back tears, saying, "I'm sorry. I'm a different person now."
    1999 – The Senate impeachment trial of President Bill Clinton began.  The charges were on lying under oath and obstruction of justice in the Lewinsky case. The Senate later acquitted Clinton on both charges.  The Senate refused to meet to hold an impeachment trial before the end of the old term, so the trial was held over until the next Congress.  The Senate finished a twenty-one-day trial on February 12, 1999, with the vote of 55 Not Guilty/45 Guilty on the perjury charge and 50 Not Guilty/50 Guilty on the obstruction of justice charge.  Both votes fell short of the Constitutional two-thirds majority requirement to convict and remove an officeholder. The final vote was generally along party lines, with no Democrats voting guilty, and only a handful of Republicans voting not guilty.
    2005 – Actors Brad Pitt and Jennifer Anniston announced they were separating after four years of marriage.
    2006 - American journalist Jill Carroll was abducted in Iraq and a translator was killed. Carroll was released unharmed after 82 days.
    2006 - Rep. Tom DeLay, R-Texas, facing corruption charges, stepped down as House majority leader.
    2013 - U.S. Republican Chuck Hagel is nominated to be the country's next Secretary of Defense by President Barack Obama; John O. Brennan is nominated to be the next CIA Director.
    2013 - The Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics estimated at least 17 billion planets exist that are comparable to the size of the Earth and the Milky Way.
    2019 – Amazon overtook Microsoft as the world’s most valuable listed company for the first time, worth $797 billion. 
    2020 - The 2019-20 earthquakes killed four and injured nine in southern Puerto Rico.  An earthquake swarm, including 11 that were of magnitude 5 or greater.  The largest and most damaging of this sequence was a magnitude 6.4.  A 5.8 earthquake the previous day caused the destruction of a natural arch, a tourist attraction at Punta Ventana in Guayanilla.   A 5.9 aftershock on Saturday, January 11, damaged many structures, including several historical buildings as well as modern high-rises in Ponce.