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California Economy Is on Edge After
Tech Layoffs and Studio Cutbacks

######## surrounding the article denotes it is a “press release,” it was not written by Leasing News nor has the information been verified. The source noted. When an article is signed by the writer, it is considered a “byline.” It reflects the opinion and research of the writer.

Documentation Perspective Improves Sales Ability

Sales Makes it Happen by Scott Wheeler, CLFP

I recently had the pleasure of speaking with a documentation specialist who has worked for a commercial equipment finance and leasing participant for the past few years. I asked Amy (not her actual name) what qualities are required in 2023 to be a top producing originator. She and her department support over two dozen originators and Amy claimed that the attributes of individual originators differ greatly. Her response is well worth sharing. Amy stated that there are four main qualities that are required for an originator to be successful:

Knowledgeable: Amy is a first-hand observer of originators that understand their products, the process, credit requirements, and documentation. It is obvious that top originators use their industry expertise to win stronger transactions, more profitable transactions, and transactions that align with the company's objectives.

Organized: According to Amy, top originators submit documentation worksheets that are complete and correct the first time. When there are exceptions, top originators not only point out the documentation exceptions but include reasoning behind the exceptions and confirmation that the exceptions have been fully explained to an end-user. Top originators are detail oriented, thorough, and totally organized.

Respected: Top originators are respected by their vendors and end-users. But more importantly, top originators are respectful of others. They treat their support staff as partners and go out of their way to help their support staff to learn and grow.

Hard-working: Amy suggested that top originators are hard workers; they put in the time needed to be successful. Top originators are often the first to arrive in the morning and last to leave at night/. Top originators are not 40 hour a week professionals. Top originators are always pursuing new opportunities.

Your support staff can provide you with a different perspective.

It is very well worth your time to listen to their suggestions and observations.

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

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SBA to Remove Franchise Directory May 11, 2023
To Lend to More Responsibilities for Lenders

The directory is also used for gathering leads for those seeking not only SBA loans, but other business including commercial leasing and loans.

Coleman Report wrote, "As a result, the SBA will no longer be publishing the Franchise Directory beginning on that day. The SBA reportedly received 54 comments about this proposed revision."

Commenting on the reason for removing the Franchise Directory, the rule states: “These revisions remove the principle of control of one entity over another from consideration of affiliation; therefore, the mere fact that an applicant may be a franchisee is not in itself a reason that would render the applicant ineligible for an SBA loan, and thus there is no longer a compelling reason to maintain the SBA Franchise Directory.”

Anthony Byrd, Director of Business Development at Benetrends Financial, told Franchise Times, “If you’re an individual trying to get an SBA on your own and you go to a local bank that doesn’t have experience in franchising, I could see that being a detriment to a project, but not if you’re working with a national lender,” Byrd said. “But if you’re working with a person who understands franchising and works on it every day, I don’t think it will be that difficult for the person applying."

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Companies with Three or More CLFP Members
Total Membership today: 1,246 CLFP’s

Company	CLFP Count
First American Equipment Finance	143
DLL	53
U.S. Bank Equipment Finance	52
Ascentium Capital LLC	51
Key Equipment Finance	44
The Huntington National Bank	37
Amur Equipment Finance	33
Oakmont Capital Holdings, LLC	30
Channel	29
Arvest Equipment Finance	29
Financial Pacific Leasing, Inc.	28
AP Equipment Financing	24
Stearns Bank NA-Equipment Finance Division	21
North Mill Equipment Finance	21
Odessa	17
KLC Financial, Inc.	16
First Citizens Bank Equipment Finance	16
ECS Financial Services, Inc.	16
Stryker	14
Orion First Financial LLC	14
Northland Capital Financial Services, LLC	13
Navitas Credit Corp.	13
Ivory Consulting Corporation	12
Fleet Advantage, LLC	11
Beacon Funding Corporation	11
1st Source Bank	11
Cadence Bank	10
Alliance Funding Group	10
Solifi	9
Lease Corporation of America	9
Great American Insurance	9
Canon Financial Services, Inc.	9
Wintrust Specialty Finance	8
Quality Leasing Co., Inc.	8
Truist	7
LTi Technology Solutions	7
GreatAmerica Financial Services	7
Crossroads Equipment Lease & Finance LLC	7
Commercial Equipment Finance, Inc.	7
BMO Harris Equipment Finance Company	7
Taycor Financial	6
Retired	6
CoreTech Leasing, Inc.	6
Univest Capital, Inc.	5
Tamarack Technology, Inc.	5
Cisco Systems Capital Corporation	5
Western Equipment Finance	4
Vision Financial Group, Inc.	4
UniFi Equipment Finance, Inc.	4
Tokyo Century (USA) Inc.	4
Nexseer Capital	4
LEAF Commercial Capital Inc.	4
Hanmi Bank	4
FIS	4
First Foundation Bank	4
First Commonwealth Bank	4
Falcon Equipment Finance	4
Transport Enterprise Leasing LLC	3
TD Equipment Finance, Inc.	3
Siemens Financial Services, Inc.	3
QuickFi by Innovation Finance	3
Northteq, Inc.	3
NCMIC Finance Corporation	3
Mitsubishi HC Capital America, Inc.	3
MAZO Capital Solutions	3
FinWise Bank	3
Dext Capital	3
Commercial Capital Company, LLC	3
Commerce Bank	3
Balboa Capital Corporation	3
Auxilior Capital Partners, Inc.	3
APEX Commercial Capital Corp.	3

Walmart Is Preparing to Build Its Own
Coast-to-Coast EV Charging Network
By Matthew W. Daus, Esq.

Image: the Verge via Walmart

Walmart is planning to build out a nationwide electric vehicle charging network at thousands of its stores, including Sam’s Club locations. The company says it plans to have the network built by 2030 and will help make EV ownership “more accessible, reliable, convenient and affordable.”

“Currently, Walmart has nearly 1,300 third-party chargers across 280 stores in partnership with third-party suppliers,” Walmart’s director of global communications – sustainability, Aman Singh, writes in an email with The Verge. This newly announced expansion has the company building a nationwide EV fast charging network on its own instead.

Walmart believes it is “uniquely positioned” to build out a convenient charging solution for EV owners. The company says its stores and wholesale warehouses are located “within 10 miles of approximately 90% of Americans.” Walmart is aiming to offer shoppers “Every Day Low Cost charging” at its many stores, Supercenters, Neighborhood Markets, and Sam’s Clubs. The company says its charging locations will be “clean, bright, and safe” for EV owners.

Matthew W. Daus, Esq.
Partner and Chairman, Windels Marx Transportation Practice Group
President, International Association of Transportation Regulators,
Transportation Technology Chair, University Transportation Research Center
Contact: mdaus@windelsmarx.com
156 West 56th Street | New York, NY 10019
T. 212.237.1106 | F. 212.262.1215

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CoreLogic Estimates $83 Billion-Plus
in Tornado Damage Across Central U.S.

A band of severe thunderstorms and hail that crossed the central U.S. on Friday, March 31 caused property damage to an estimated 358,000 homes, resulting in approximately $83.2 billion in overall damage.

This is not counting wind, storm, thunder, and more tornado damage that occurred early April, not loss of business or employment losses, , housing, clothing, food, and transportation during the processing time for insurance or help from the government.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Storm Prediction Center (SPC) Filtered Storm Report for March 31, the severe thunderstorm system was responsible for more than 500 reports of tornadoes, large hail, and high winds from Texas to Ohio. The severe thunderstorms were responsible for extensive property damage across the impacted states, most notably tornado damage in Little Rock, Arkansas.

CoreLogic’s Weather Verification Services (WVS) and Reactor Platform captured tornado paths and hail swaths across the U.S. on March 31. More than 358,000 single- (SFR) and multi-family (MFR) homes may have sustained damage due to the combined effects of tornadoes and hail.

CoreLogic estimates that approximately 75,000 SFR and MFR properties with a combined reconstruction value (RCV) of $22 billion were potentially within the tornado paths across the country. CoreLogic notes that probability values do not indicate the severity of the damage. Instead, they reflect the likelihood that a property was within the tornado’s path.

In terms of the March 31 hail damage, CoreLogic estimates that approximately 280,000 SRFs and MRFs with a combined RCV of $61.2 billion were potentially impacted by hailstones with diameters greater than one inch.

CoreLogic notes that not all properties within the tornado footprints or hail swaths sustained damage and the degree of the damage to structures may vary. A damaged structure may not have incurred a total loss equal to the full RCV. The number of damaged properties will be a subset of the total homes within tornado paths and hail swaths

Source: DS News

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Equifax, Experian & TransUnion Remove Medical
Collections Debt under $500 on Credit Reports

In a move that could influence auto finance underwriting as well as other industries, Equifax, Experian and TransUnion jointly announced on Tuesday that medical collection debt with an initial reported balance of less than $500 has been removed from U.S. consumer credit reports.

With this change, the companies said now nearly 70% of the total medical collection debt tradelines reported to the Nationwide Credit Reporting Agencies (NCRAs) are removed from consumer credit files.

This change reflects a commitment made by the NCRAs last year, according to a news release that included a joint statement from Equifax CEO Mark Begor, Experian CEO Brian Cassin and TransUnion CEO Chris Cartwright.

“Our industry plays an important role in the financial lives of consumers. We understand that medical debt is generally not taken on voluntarily and we are committed to continuously evolving credit reporting to support greater and responsible access to credit and mainstream financial services,” they said.

“We believe that the removal of medical collection debt with an initial reported balance of under $500 from U.S. consumer credit reports will have a positive impact on people’s personal and financial well-being,” they continued.

The NCRAs previously announced that as of July 1, 2022, all medical collection debt that has been paid by the consumer in full is no longer included on U.S. consumer credit reports.

The company noted that the time period before unpaid medical collection debt appears on a consumer’s credit report was also increased from six months to one year, giving consumers more time to address their debt before it is reported on their credit file.

To further help U.S. consumers manage financial health during continued economic uncertainty, Equifax, Experian and TransUnion are also providing free weekly credit reports through the end of 2023 via Annual Credit Report.com
https://www.annualcreditreport.com/index.action

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This Day in American History

    1621 - Myles Standish, one of the Mayflower Pilgrims, was unanimously chosen military captain of the colony.
http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/users/deetz/Plymouth/standishwill.html
    1631 - The first militia was formed by the Court of Assistants of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, Boston, MA, which ordered “that there shall be a watch of 4 kept (every) night at Dorchester and another of 4 at Watertown, the watches to begin at sunset.”
    1724 - Birthday of Lyman Hall (d. 1790) at Wallingford, CT. Signer of the Declaration of Independence. When the war reached Savannah, Hall's property was burned and he stood accused of high treason. He fled to Charleston, which was also overtaken by the British. http://www.ushistory.org/declaration/signers/hall.http://www.lyman-hall.com/ htm
    1770 - The British government moved to mollify outraged colonists by repealing almost all of the Townshend Acts. Initially passed in the summer of 1767, the Townshend Acts were the British government's fiscal and political play to maintain its power over the American colonies. The bills, named after their sponsor, Charles Townshend, not only suspended America's uppity body of representatives, but also levied a controversial package of revenue taxes, including duties on paint, paper and tea. While English leaders viewed colonial control as a historically justified stance, Americans were of a far different mind: they believed the acts smacked of undue meddling. This sent the colonies into a heated, and sometimes violent, frenzy of protest. America's outrage eventually prompted the British to roll back all of the acts and revenue duties, save for the now infamous tea tax.
    1776 - Halifax resolution for independence was adopted by North Carolina. The first Declaration to form an independent Union started with a resolution adopted by the Provincial Congress of North Carolina at Halifax, NC, authorizing the delegates from North Carolina to the Continental Congress to vote for a Declaration of Independence.
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/apr12.html
    1777 - Birthday of Henry Clay (d. 1852), statesman, born at Hanover County, VA. Was the Speaker of the House of Representatives and later became the leader of the new Whig party. He was defeated for the presidency three times.
http://www.henryclay.org/
    1811 - The first settlers to reach the Pacific coast left New York City on September 6, 1810, on the S.S. Tonquin, a 290-ton vessel captained by Jonathan Thorn. They rounded Cape Horn on December 25, 1810, landing on April 12, 1811, at Cape Disappointment, WA, a promontory at the mouth of the Columbia River. The enterprise was sponsored by John Jacob Astor.
    1858 - Salt Lake City offers an uneasy welcome to Alfred Cummings, its first non-Mormon governor, which signals the end of the so-called "Utah War." The Mormon acceptance of a gentile governor came after more than a year of tensions and military threats between the U.S. government and Brigham Young's Utah theocracy. Sometimes referred to as the Utah War, this little-known conflict arose out of fundamental questions about the autonomy of the Mormon-controlled territory of Utah. Was Utah an American state or an independent nation? Could the Mormon Church maintain its tight controls over the political and economic fate of the territory while still abiding by the laws and dictates of the United States? Mormon citizens began manufacturing arms and ammunition in preparation for war. Much to the embarrassment of the Buchanan administration, severe weather and the Nauvoo Legion's scorched earth tactics initially stymied the federal troops. After a hard winter spent at the burnt out shell of Fort Bridger, the American force prepared to make another attempt to push through the Wasatch Mountains and down into Salt Lake. By this time, Young was ready for peace, but he remained so distrustful that he ordered some 30,000 people to abandon Salt Lake and other northern settlements and make an unnecessary retreat southward. When Cummings finally arrived in Salt Lake on this day in 1858, the city was nearly deserted. Young peacefully relinquished the governorship and all of his other governmental roles, agreeing to become solely the spiritual leader of Utah Mormons. In exchange, Buchanan gave all Utah residents a blanket pardon for any involvement in the conflict. Several months later, two brigades of American soldiers established Camp Floyd south of Salt Lake City, the largest garrison in the nation until the Civil War. With the threat of a bloody conflict diminished, Mormon refugees began returning to their homes. Though tensions between the Mormons and the federal government continued for decades, the Utah War ended the dream of a Mormon state geographically and politically separated from nonbelievers. Henceforth, Utah Territory was clearly a part of the American union, and it was granted full statehood in 1896.
    1859 - The first billiard match to attain international fame was played in Detroit between Michael Phelan of New York City and John Seereiter of Detroit for the championship of the world and a $415,000 purse. Phelan, known as the “father of billiards,” won the championship by a score of 2,000 against his competitor's 1,904. The best run made by Phelan was 129 points. The game was played on a 6-by-12 four-pocket table with four balls. Pushing and crouching were allowed.
    1861 - After months of escalating tension, Major Robert Anderson refused to evacuate Fort Sumter at Charleston, SC. Confederate troops under the command of General P.T. Beauregard opened fire on the harbor fort at 4:30 AM (the first gun was fired by Edmund Ruffin, a 67-year-old Virginian) and continued until Major Anderson surrendered on Apr 13. No lives were lost despite the firing of some 40,000 shells in the first major engagement of the American Civil War.
    1861 - The same morning, off Charleston, SC, the side-wheeler Harriet Lane fired a shot across the bow of the merchantman steamer Nashville to force it show its colors. The Nashville hoisted a U.S. ensign and was allowed to proceed, even though it was a Confederate ship. The Harriet Lane, 270 feet long with a 22-foot beam, had been built by William Henry Webb in 1857 as a Treasury Department revenue cutter and was transferred to the Navy in 1858. It was named after a niece of President James Buchanan and was the first federal steamer named for a woman. On January 1, 1863, the Harriet Lane was captured by Confederate forces in Galveston Bay, after desperately resisting boarding parties from four rebel ships.
    1864 - Major General Nathan Bedford Forrest's Confederate raiders attack the isolated Union garrison at Fort Pillow, Tennessee, overlooking the Mississippi River. The fort, an important part of the Confederate river defense system, was captured by federal forces in 1862. Of the 500-strong Union garrison defending the fort, more than half the soldiers were African-Americans. After an initial bombardment, General Forrest asked for the garrison's surrender. The Union commander refused, and Forrest's 1,500 cavalry troopers easily stormed and captured the fort, suffering only moderate casualties. However, the extremely high proportion of Union casualties--231 killed and more than 100 seriously wounded--raised questions about the Confederates' conduct after the battle. Union survivors' accounts, later supported by a federal investigation, concluded that African-American troops were massacred by Forrest's men after surrendering. Southern accounts disputed these findings, and controversy over the battle continues today. The enlistment of African-Americans into the Union army began after the enactment of the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, and by the war's end 180,000 African Americans had fought in the Union army and 10,000 in the navy.
    1867 - Birthday of Johnny Watson (d. 1963), also known as “Daddy Stovepipe,” Mobile, AL
    1877 - The catcher's mask is used in a baseball game for the first time.
    1883 - Birthday of Imogen Cunningham (d. 1976), pioneer photographer of plants and portraits, at Portland, OR.
    1892 - George C. Blickensderfer of Stanford, CT received a patent for a portable typewriter.
    1892 - Jazz clarinetist Johnny Dodds (d. 1940) birthday, Waveland, MS.
http://www.redhotjazz.com/jdodds.html
    1900 - Joseph Bohomiel “Joe” Lapchick (d. 1970), Basketball Hall of Fame player and coach, was born at Yonkers, NY. Lapchick played basketball for pay from an early age. In 1923, he joined the original Celtics, one of the greatest pro teams of any era. The Celtics revolutionized the game with Lapchick as the great center. He began coaching at St. John's University in 1937, left for the New York Knicks in 1947, and returned to St. John's in 1957. The Celtics were inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1959, and Lapchick followed as an individual in 1966.
    1906 – Johnny Bates of the Boston Beaneaters became the first modern player to hit a homer in his first Major League at-bat, when he connected in the 2nd inning against Brooklyn Superbas pitcher Harry McIntire.
    1908 - A fire that began in a dump in the Chelsea section of Boston, Massachusetts spread through the community and ignited oil tanks on the Chelsea Creek, eventually rendering 17,000 people homeless.
    1913 - Jazz vibraharpist and bandleader Lionel Hampton (d. 2002) was born in Louisville, Kentucky. He is best known for his association with Benny Goodman, and for leading his own big band. Hampton was with the Goodman quartet for the legendary 1938 Carnegie Hall Jazz Concert, where his performance on such tunes as "Stompin' at the Savoy" and "Avalon" established him as a major jazz soloist. Hampton put together his own band after leaving Goodman in 1940, leading an orchestra on and off for more than 30 years. The Lionel Hampton band's theme song was "Flying Home."
    1915 - Birthday of guitarist “Hound Dog” Taylor (d. 1975), Natchez, MS.
http://www.zicline.com/semaine16/houndog.htm
    1917 - Singer Helen Forrest (d. 1999) was born in Atlantic City, NJ. http://www.davidmulliss.com.au/HelenForrest/helenforrest.htm
    1924 - Birthday of Canadian dance band vocalist Lorraine McAllister (d. 1984), in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. She was long associated with her husband Dal Richards's Vancouver orchestra.
    1926 - Birthday of Andrew “Blueblood” McMahon (d. 1984), Delhi, LA. McMahon played blues and hillbilly music in Mississippi and worked with Bukka White in Memphis, Tennessee
    1926 - Smith Wildman Brookhart, Republican of Iowa, was ousted by the US Senate of a vote of 45-41. A recount of the votes in the election had proved the winner to be Daniel Frederic Steck, the Democrat candidate, who served from April 12, 1926 to March 3, 1931.
    1927 - An F5 tornado wiped Rock Springs, Texas "off the map." 235 of the town's 247 buildings were completely destroyed. The tornado was over 1 mile wide when it passed through the town. 74 people were killed.
    1930 - Birthday of vocalist Bob Lee, Tuscaloosa, AL
    1930 - Herbert Khaury (d. 1996), better known as Tiny Tim, was born in New York City. With his ukulele and his squeaky falsetto voice, he became the most successful novelty act of the 1960's. "Tip Toe Through the Tulips," a Top-20 hit in 1966, is the Tiny Tim record most people remember. He died of a heart attack on November 29th, 1996, after performing his signature song at a benefit in Minneapolis.
    1933 - Ruth Bryan Owen, is appointed U.S. envoy to Denmark, the first woman to represent the US as a foreign minister.
    1934 - The highest-velocity natural wind ever recorded occurred in the morning at the Mount Washington, NH, Observatory. Three weather observers, Wendell Stephenson, Alexander McKenzie and Salvatore Pagliuca, observed and recorded the phenomenon in which gusts reached 231 miles per hour--"the strongest natural wind ever recorded on the earth's surface." The 50th anniversary was observed at the site in 1984, with the three original observers participating in the ceremony
    1934 - F. Scott Fitzgerald's “Tender Is the Night” is published, but the novel about rich expatriates is unenthusiastically received during the Great Depression.
http://www.sc.edu/fitzgerald/biography.html
    1939 - Woody Herman cuts “Woodchopper's Ball.”
    1940 - Pianist/composer Herbie Hancock born Chicago, IL
http://www.herbie-hancock.com/
    1944 - John Kay, leader of Steppenwolf, was born Joachim Krauledat in Germany. Steppenwolf began as a Toronto-based band called the Sparrow in 1964. The group moved to the US in 1966 before splitting up in 1967. Kay then formed Steppenwolf, using some of the members of the Sparrow. The name Steppenwolf is taken from the Herman Hesse novel. Steppenwolf had a dozen hits in the late '60s and early '70s, the biggest of which were "Born to Be Wild" and "Magic Carpet Ride." The original band broke up in 1972. After bogus groups began performing under the Steppenwolf name, John Kay reformed the band in the 1980s.
    1945 - ERWIN, HENRY E., (Air Mission) Medal of Honor
Rank and organization: Staff Sergeant, U.S. Army Air Corps, 52d Bombardment Squadron, 29th Bombardment Group, 20th Air Force. Place and date: Koriyama, Japan, 12 April 1945. Entered service at: Bessemer, Ala. Born: 8 May 1921, Adamsville, Ala. G.O. No.: 44, 6 June 1945. Citation: He was the radio operator of a B-29 airplane leading a group formation to attack Koriyama, Japan. He was charged with the additional duty of dropping phosphoresce smoke bombs to aid in assembling the group when the launching point was reached. Upon entering the assembly area, aircraft fire and enemy fighter opposition was encountered. Among the phosphoresce bombs launched by S/Sgt. Erwin, 1 proved faulty, exploding in the launching chute, and shot back into the interior of the aircraft, striking him in the face. The burning phosphoresce obliterated his nose and completely blinded him. Smoke filled the plane, obscuring the vision of the pilot. S/Sgt. Erwin realized that the aircraft and crew would be lost if the burning bomb remained in the plane. Without regard for his own safety, he picked it up and feeling his way, instinctively, crawled around the gun turret and headed for the copilot's window. He found the navigator's table obstructing his passage. Grasping the burning bomb between his forearm and body, he unleashed the spring lock and raised the table. Struggling through the narrow passage he stumbled forward into the smoke-filled pilot's compartment. Groping with his burning hands, he located the window and threw the bomb out. Completely aflame, he fell back upon the floor. The smoke cleared, the pilot, at 300 feet, pulled the plane out of its dive. S/Sgt. Erwin's gallantry and heroism above and beyond the call of duty saved the lives of his comrades.
    1945 - *HASTINGS, JOE R., Medal of Honor
Rank and organization: Private First Class, U.S. Army, Company C, 386th Infantry, 97th Infantry Division. Place and date: Drabenderhohe, Germany, 12 April 1945. Entered service at: Magnolia, Ohio. Birth: Malvern, Ohio. G.O. No.: 101, 8 November 1945. Citation: He fought gallantly during an attack against strong enemy forces defending Drabenderhohe, Germany, from the dug-in positions on commanding ground. As squad leader of a light machinegun section supporting the advance of the 1st and 3d Platoons, he braved direct rifle, machinegun, 20mm., and mortar fire, some of which repeatedly missed him only by inches, and rushed forward over 350 yards of open, rolling fields to reach a position from which he could fire on the enemy troops. From this vantage point he killed the crews of a 20mm. gun and a machinegun, drove several enemy riflemen from their positions, and so successfully shielded the 1st Platoon, that it had time to reorganize and remove its wounded to safety. Observing that the 3d Platoon to his right was being met by very heavy 40mm. and machinegun fire, he ran 150 yards with his gun to the leading elements of that unit, where he killed the crew of the 40mm. gun. As spearhead of the 3d Platoon's attack, he advanced, firing his gun held at hip height, disregarding the bullets that whipped past him, until the assault had carried 175 yards to the objective. In this charge he and the riflemen he led killed or wounded many of the fanatical enemy and put 2 machineguns out of action. Pfc. Hastings, by his intrepidity, outstanding leadership, and unrelenting determination to wipe out the formidable German opposition, cleared the path for his company's advance into Drabenderhohe. He was killed 4 days later while again supporting the 3d Platoon.
    1945 – President Franklin D. Roosevelt, 63, on the 83rd day of his fourth term, dies of a cerebral hemorrhage in Warm Springs, Georgia, with the love of his life with him (no, it wasn't Eleanor). Vice-President Harry S. Truman was sworn in as President the next day. Roosevelt, 32nd president of the US, was the only president to serve more than two terms--- he was elected to four consecutive terms.

    1945 - Antlers, Oklahoma was leveled by an F5 tornado. 600 buildings were destroyed and 700 were damaged. 69 people were killed and 353 were injured. This disaster would have commanded national and local attention if it was not overshadowed by the death of President Roosevelt. Even nearby local newspapers had more information on the president than the tornado.
    1947 - David Letterman Birthday, born Indianapolis, Ind.
http://www.intac.com/~fredman/letterman/bio.html http://www.cbs.com/latenight/lateshow//
    1950 - Top Hits
“If I Knew You Were Comin' I'd've Baked a Cake” - Eileen Barton
“Music, Music, Music” - Teresa Brewer
“Peter Cottontail” - Gene Autry
“Long Gone Lonesome Blues” - Hank Williams
    1952 - Buddy Morrow records “Night Train.”
http://www.buddymorrowproductions.com/
    1955 - The Kansas City Athletics, transplanted from Philadelphia, opened their first season in their new home by defeating the Detroit Tigers, 6-2, at Municipal Stadium. The A's finished the year in sixth place with a record of 63-91. They never won a pennant in Kansas City and moved to Oakland after the 1967 season.
    1954 - Bill Haley and His Comets recorded "Rock Around the Clock" for Decca Records. The song was recorded at the Pythian Temple, “a big, barn like building with great echo,” in New York City. "Rock Around the Clock" was formally released a month later. Most rock historians feel the tune, featured in the 1955 film "Blackboard Jungle", ushered in the era of rock 'n' roll. It hit number one on June 29, 1955 and stayed there for eight weeks, remaining on the charts for a total of 24 weeks. The record has now sold over 25,000,000 copies and it is believed to be the second-best selling recording after “White Christmas.” Haley's recording became an anthem for rebellious 1950s youth and is widely considered to be the song that, more than any other, brought rock and roll into mainstream culture around the world. The song is ranked No. 158 on the Rolling Stone magazine's list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. In 2018, it was selected for preservation in the National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or artistically significant." "Rock Around the Clock" is often cited as the biggest-selling vinyl rock and roll single of all time.
    1955 - The polio vaccine developed by American physician Dr. Jonas E. Salk was "safe, potent and effective." Incidence of the dreaded infantile paralysis, or poliomyelitis, declined by 95 percent following introduction of preventive vaccines. The announcement of the discovery of a vaccine against polio, was made on the ten year anniversary of the death of Franklin Delano Roosevelt from complication of the disease, his deteriorating illness kept from the public for perhaps up to two years as others ran the government. With the end of the World War II only months away, the nation and the world were stunned by the "sudden" death of the President shortly into his fourth term of office.
    1957 - Alan Freed's “Rock 'n' Roll Easter Jubilee” opens for a ten-day run at Brooklyn Paramount. Buddy Knox, Charlie Gracie and Bo Diddley are also included on the show.
    1958 - Top Hits
“Tequila” - The Champs
“He's Got the Whole World (In His Hands)” - Laurie London
“Book of Love” - The Monotones
“Oh Lonesome Me” - Don Gibson
    1961 - At the third annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, Ray Charles wins three trophies, including Best Pop Single for "Georgia On My Mind." Marty Robbins took home a statue for Best Country and Western Performance for "El Paso."
    1963 - Police use dogs and cattle prods on peaceful civil rights demonstrators in Birmingham, Alabama.
    1963 - Bob Dylan performs a spectacular concert at Town Hall in New York, which is recorded for a never-released live album on Columbia
    1964 - Arnold Palmer won his fourth Masters title and became the first golfer to make career earnings of $506,496
    1966 - The Atlanta Braves brought Major League baseball to the South but lost their regular season opener, 3-2, to the Pittsburgh Pirates in 12 innings. The Braves finished the season in fifth place with a record of 85-77. They won the first division pennant in 1969.
    1966 - Top Hits
“The Ballad of the Green Berets” - SSgt Barry Sadler
(“You're My”) “Soul and Inspiration” - The Righteous Brothers
“Daydream” - The Lovin' Spoonful
“I Want to Go with You” - Eddy Arnold
    1966 - Jan Berry, a classmate of mine at University High School in Los Angeles and half of the hit making surf-rock vocal duo, Jan & Dean, runs his Corvette into a parked truck on L.A.'s Whittier Boulevard, just a short distance from Dead Man’s Curve in Beverly Hills, two years after the song had become a hit. Berry suffers total physical paralysis for over a year as well as extensive brain damage which makes it nearly impossible to return to performing. They do give it a try in 1973 but are not well received. He was never the same as before the accident. The pair started their hit streak in 1958 with "Jennie Lee" and followed with "Baby Talk," "Surf City," "Sidewalk Surfin'," "Drag City," "Dead Man's Curve," "The Little Old Lady From Pasadena" and "Popsicle." Jan's accident ended their career as hit makers, although they attempted a comeback in 1978 after the TV biographical movie, “Dead Man's Curve.” Berry died in 2004.
   1967 - Ray Piecuch, a cowboy poet from New Hampshire, completed his yearlong 3,500 mile ride across country on his horse, Bo, with a champagne celebration at Baker Beach, San Francisco.
    1967 - "Busted," a benefit for the SF Mime Troupe, included
Jefferson Airplane, Grateful Dead, Quicksilver Messenger Service, Moby Grape Andrew Staples, The Loading Zone, at Fillmore Auditorium, San Francisco
    1969 - After scoring a series of instrumental hits in the early 1960s including "Walk Don't Run" and "Slaughter on Tenth Avenue," The Ventures were back on Billboard's Hot 100 for the last time with the theme from the TV show, “Hawaii Five-0.”
    1969 - The Fifth Dimension score their first #1 and their eighth Billboard Top 40 hit with "Aquarius / Let The Sunshine In."
    1974 - Top Hits
“Sunshine on My Shoulders” - John Denver
“Hooked on a Feeling”- Blue Swede
“Bennie & The Jets” - Elton John
“A Very Special Love Song” - Charlie Rich
    1981 - First flight of shuttle Columbia. Two astronauts (John Young and Robert Crippen), on first manned US space mission since Apollo-Soyuz in July 1976, spent 54 hours in space (36 orbits of Earth) before landing at Edwards Air Force Base, CA, Apr 14.
   1982 - Top Hits
“I Love Rock 'N Roll” - Joan Jett & The Blackhearts
“We Got the Beat” - Go-Go's
“Make a Move on Me” - Olivia Newton-John
“Big City” - Merle Haggard
    1983 - Harold Washington is elected the first black mayor of Chicago.
    1985 - The first US Senator to fly in space was Jake Garn, Republican Senator for Utah, who joined the crew of Space Shuttle Discovery as a “congressional observer” when the shuttle lifted off from Cape Canaveral, FL, on April 12, 1985. A former Navy pilot, Garn had taken several months of astronaut training. Another senator, John Herschel Glenn, Jr., of Ohio, was an astronaut in the 1960's, before he entered politics.
    1985 - Key West, Florida set a new record for April rainfall in a 24-hour period as 6.06 inches of rain were recorded, eclipsing the previous record of 6.04 inches which fell on April 29, 1941. In addition, the heavy rainfall shattered the old record for this date set back in 1931 when 1.49 inches of rain fell.
    1987 - “21 Jump Street” premiers on TV. Youthful big city cops busted crime in the local schools and colleges in this Fox police drama. Starred Johnny Depp as Tom Hanson, Holly Robinson Peete as Judy Hoffs, Dustin Nguyen as H.T. Ioki, Peter DeLuise as Doug Penhall, Frederic Forrest as Captain Jenko, Steven Williams as Captain Adam Fuller and Richard Grieco as Dennis Booker. It was one of the Fox network's early hits.
    1987 - Larry Mize, 28, hit a miracle shot -- a 140-foot chip -- to win the Masters golf title in Augusta, GA. Mize defeated Greg Norman and Seve Ballesteros in a playoff.
    1988 - Sonny Bono succeeds in his bid to become mayor of his hometown, Palm Springs, CA.
    1989 - Twenty-two cities in the south central and eastern U.S. reported record low temperatures for the date, including Elkins, WV with a low of 15 degrees, and Baton Rouge, LA with a reading of 37 degrees.
    1990 - Top Hits
“Love Will Lead You Back” - Taylor Dayne
“I'll Be Your Everything” - Tommy Page
“All Around the World” - Lisa Stansfield
“Hard Rock Bottom of Your Heart” - Randy Travis
    1993 - The Grateful Dead sang the national anthem before the San Francisco Giants' home opener at Candlestick Park.
    1996 - The Detroit Red Wings set a National Hockey League record by winning their 61st regular season game, 5-3, over the Chicago Blackhawks. The previous record was held by the 1976-77 Montreal Canadiens. Detroit finished the season with 62 wins, 13 losses and 7 ties.
    1996 - Duluth, Minnesota recorded 1.7 inches of snow on this day to raise its seasonal snowfall total to 132.8 inches -- its snowiest winter on record. The old record was 131.6 inches set back in 1949-50.
    2000 - In San Francisco, the North Beach Playground and Pool was renamed the Joe DiMaggio North Beach Playground and Pool. The Recreation and Park Commission voted 20 years earlier to rename the park after DiMaggio.
    2008 - With her latest single, "4 Minutes," Madonna beats Elvis as the artist with the most al-time Top Ten Hits on the Billboard charts (37).
    2010 - One-inch diameter hail falls in Fresno, CA. Two condominiums are destroyed by thunderstorms in California's San Joaquin Valley. Up to three funnel clouds were also seen in the region.
    2013 - Macy's lost its dispute with JC Penney over the exclusive right to sell unbranded housewares designed by Martha Stewart in its stores.
    2014 - Larry Ellison of Oracle Corp. was ranked the highest-paid U.S. executive for the second year in a row; Ellison's 2013 compensation of $78.4 million is more than twice that of runner-up Robert Iger of Walt Disney Corp, with $34.3 million.
    2014 - Researchers announced a new orally-administered drug that may cure Hepatitis C; 90 percent of patients in trials were declared free of the virus after 12 weeks.
    2015 - Jordan Spieth, age 21, wins the Masters golf tournament, tying Tiger Woods' record-setting 72-hole score of 18 under par at the course in 1997.

NBA Champions:
1954 - Minneapolis Lakers
1958 - St. Louis Hawks

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