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Open Payment Network Offers Instant Payment
from Any Financial Member The Clearing House

The industry continues to strive toward making payments instantaneous.

Open Payment Network CEO Bradley Wilkes said, “The Clearing House recently certified our platform to interoperate with the RTP network.

“With our ability to connect to this expansive real-time payment network, we can now deliver the benefits of instant payments to more financial institutions, like North American Banking Company.”

NABC Chief Executive Officer Michael Bilski said, “We’ve been working closely with OPN to develop this instant payment solution for our customers.

 “Now that OPN is officially certified on the TCH-RTP network, we can dramatically expand the number of financial institutions that our customers can interact with via ExcheQ.”

Leveraging OPN’s interoperability with the TCH-RTP network, financial institutions can gain access to all of the other financial institutions on the RTP Network. Using OPN’s open API, financial institutions can easily create custom instant payment applications for their customers and rely on OPN to power those solutions across the RTP network.

Real-time payments are facilitated by The Clearing House RTP network and soon by the FedNow service. OPN is interoperable with RTP and is part of the FedNow pilot program.

Source: https://www.autoremarketing.com/autofinjournal 

 

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New Hires/Promotions in the Leasing Business
and Related Industries

David Anderson was hired as Vice President and Operations Manager, First Financial Equipment, Orange, California. Previously, he "...served as Senior Vice President of Operations at Mitsubishi HC Capital. While at Mitsubishi HC Capital, he was part of the initial team of employees responsible for launching a new division of the Japan-based leasing company in the United States and more than doubled the company portfolio within five years."

Binal Bulsara was hired as Account Manager, Syndication and Broker Services, Sonoma, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Previously, she was at CWB National Leasing, starting February, 2008, Sales/Business Coordinator, promoted November, 2019, Account Manager.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/binal-bulsara-0704189a/

Bill Laird was hired as Head of Risk Capital, Encina Lender Finance, Norwalk, Connecticut. He is located in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. Previously, he was Senior Vice President, Portfolio Management (2002 - August, 2022).
https://www.linkedin.com/in/bill-laird-93558815/

Brandon Marshall was hired as National Sales Director, Wallwork Financial, Fargo, North Dakota. He is located in Cuero, Texas. Previously, he was at Quality Leasing Co., Inc., starting October, 2019, Senior Leasing Consultant, promoted June, 2021, Sales Manager. Prior, he was at C.H. Brown Co. Equipment Finance, starting June, 2014, National Account Manager, promoted October, 2017, President. https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradon-marshall-ba04a3151/

Enrico Mezzo was hired as Senior Equipment Finance Representative, M&T Bank, West Chester, Pennsylvania.  Previously, he was Territory Manger, Wells Fargo (September, 2014 - April, 2022); Account Manager, De Lago Landen, November, 2003 - March, 2014); Risk Manager, GE Capital (1998 - 2003).
https://www.linkedin.com/in/enrico-mazza-a86360b/

Chloe Neu was hired as Recruiter, The Internet Group, Cambridge, Massachusetts. She is located in Orange County, California. Previously, she was at Regents Capital Corporation, starting March, 2020, as Executive Assistant, promoted October, 2021, Project Coordinator.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/chloe-neu-456148165/

Bree (Breanna) Shaut was hired as Equipment Finance Funding Coordinator, Minnetonka, Minnesota. She is located in Fullerton, California. Previously, she was Financing Project Manager, Blue Street capital (Octobers, 2020 - May, 2022); Project Coordinator, Professional Diversified Flooring, Inc. March, 2017 - September, 2020); Manager of Operations, Pinnacle Flooring (March, 2014 - March, 2017).
https://www.linkedin.com/in/bree-shaut/

Meg Young was hired as Business Development Representative, Monster Connect, Indianapolis, Indiana. She is located in the Salt Lake City Metropolitan Area. Previously, she was Sales Development Representative, Sundae (November, 2021 - July, 2022); Business Development Representative, clicklease (April, 2021 - November, 2021); National Account Manager, Air Tech Capital (March, 2012 - September, 2020); National Account Executive,  OnSet Financial (January, 2018 - March, 2019);
https://www.linkedin.com/in/megan-young-ifsc/

 

Help Wanted Ads

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Hard Work Pays Off

Sales Makes it Happen by Scott Wheeler, CLFP

The commercial equipment finance industry continues to pay off for those who work hard and want to build a career.

The following timeline is an example of an originator who has worked hard the last few years:

January 2020 - Tom was hired into the industry as a sales support person to an origination team of seven seasoned originators. Tom was green, but ambitious. In the first two months, he followed-up for outstanding documents, called on inactive vendors, and acted as an intermediary between his origination team and the credit department.

March 2020 - Coved hit, and the office went remote. Most everyone stayed remote for six months. Tom started coming in the office after a few weeks and became the conduit for many of his team to the remote credit department. Additionally, he answered many of the calls that were not transferred to other originators.

August 2020 - Tom was given his own territory when an originator suddenly left the company. Tom stepped up and assumed several key accounts. More importantly, by the end of 2020, his territory was one of the highest producing for the fourth quarter. Tom established several new vendor relationships by the end of 2020 and was positioned well for 2021.

June 2021 - Tom landed one of the largest vendor relationships in his company's history. In the next six months, that one vendor contributed 45% of Tom's total 2021 production. Tom was the number one originator for his company in 2021. All the other company originators had at least five years of industry experience.

June 2022 - Tom had exceeded his total 2021 production. He had several key vendor relationships which were producing consistent production numbers and a group of 45 smaller vendors which he had funded one to seven transactions in the first half of 2022.

July 2022 - Tom was promoted to group leader of a small group of three originators whom Tom helped hire. He is in the process of training and developing the new hires into top producing originators. Tom expects to have an income in 2022 five times greater than his initial expected income when he was hired in January 2020.

Tom's comment: "The best way to beat inflation is for your income to significantly outpace the inflation rate. The best means of ensuring that result is being a top producing originator in the commercial equipment finance industry.”

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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The Cannabis Industry Grows with the Announcement of
the First Marijuana Restaurant to Open this Month

Hold on to your seats with this news from this industry:

The state of Tennessee will soon join the growing number of states that have launched markets for cannabis-infused products: “Buds & Brews,” the first cannabis business in Tennessee, is slated to open its doors to the public this month in Georgetown.

The marijuana business first announced that it would be opening earlier this year, stating that it will provide traditional bar foods alongside cannabis-infused condiments that are manufactured and pre-sealed in a facility before being sent to the restaurant.

“Buds & Brews” President and Owner Michael Solomon commented patrons will be able to order regular food and season it with THC and CBD-infused condiments. He said that the company has infused cannabis into the 25 most common condiments ranging from steak sauce and ketchup to ranch dressing and honey mustard.

 Using dosing spoons that are in line with the state’s legal cannabis limits, patrons will be able to receive one to five milligrams of cannabis-infused condiment per serving.

Solomon says these doses are so small that you could safely try a variety of condiments in one sitting. He states this controlled “microdosing” is especially beneficial for rookies who would like to give cannabis products a chance.

On top of the condiments, “Buds & Brews” will also offer THC-infused desserts and “mocktails” on its menu.

Source: Cannabiswire.com

Financing Cannabis Funding Sources
  Many Work with Third Party Originators

Alliance Commercial Capital
Alternative Finance Network
Cannabis Equipment Leasing
International Financial Services (IFS)
NEC Financial Services
Number One Enterprise
Prime Commercial Lending
Slim Capital
Vertical Companies
XS Equipment Leasing Solutions

 

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Leasing News Android Web App
Download to You Mobile Device

Readers can access the latest edition of Leasing News on their Android mobile device by going to their browser and typing in www.leasingnews.org. A web app is available for Android smartphones that opens the news edition in Portrait style, versus a landscape (but can be read either way; however, designed for Portrait viewing).

To add the Android Web App, open www.leasingnews in your mobile device, go to this article, and click on the link below: http://leasingnews.org/items/LeasingNews.apk

You can also ask us to email you the .apk to your mobile device and then follow the directions in the paragraph above.

Your mobile device has a download section, just as your computer has a download section. Find the .apk file and open it. It will automatically be placed with your other Web Apps. Please adjust the size to fit your screen. 

Labrador Retriever
West Cornwall, Connecticut  Adopt-a-Dog

Banana

Male
2 Years Old
06/11/2020
67 lbs.
Good with dogs
Good with Kids 12 years

Banana is a big, athletic boy who loves people and dogs. Because of his size and energy level, he can be a bit of a handful and will require a confident handler. He loves a high energy romp with other dogs and would be best suited for a highly active household and an outdoor lifestyle. If you are looking to lead an adventurous dog, Banana is waiting for you!

Application
https://www.littleguild.org/dog-adoption-application

The Little Guild
285 Sharon Goshen Turnpike
West Cornwall, CT 06796
(860) 672-6346
https://www.littleguild.org/about-us

Abouat the Breed:
The Labrador Retriever or simply Labrador is a British breed of retriever gun dog. It was developed in the United Kingdom from fishing dogs imported from the colony of Newfoundland, and was named after the Labrador region of that colony.
Wikipedia

Labrador Retriever           
https://www.petfinder.com/dog-breeds/labrador-retriever/

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Most Influential Lawyers
in Equipment Finance and Leasing

Andrew Alper
Julie Babcock
Bill Carey
Richard Contino
Jonathan Fleisher
Marshall Goldberg
Kenneth Charles Greene, Esq.
Michael A. Leichtling
David G. Mayer
Allan J. Mogol
Frank Peretore
John G. Sinodis
Mark Stout
Kevin Trabaris
Allan Umans
Mark Wada
Irwin Wittlin

 

Andrew K. Alper is a recognized influential attorney representing equipment lessors, funding sources, and other financial institutions since 1979. He is a longtime contributor to the Legal Column for the Monitor magazine. He has been a director of Western Association of Equipment Lessors and United Association of Equipment Lessors, now the National Equipment Finance Association, as well as being active with the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association, including serving as instructor for its Principles of Leasing class. He has presented seminars on Equipment Leasing for the Los Angeles County Bar Association. Mr. Alper also sits on the Los Angeles County Bar Commercial Law Committee.

Julie Babcock has been practicing law in the leasing industry since 1993. Julie joined the Key Equipment Finance law group in 2002 and is currently legal counsel for the Specialty Finance, Vendor, and Syndications groups. For a brief period, Julie left Key Equipment Finance to provide legal counsel for KeyBank’s Commercial Lending Group, supporting commercial real estate, real estate construction, commercial loan servicing, healthcare, Native American lending, asset- based lending, letters of credit, SBA, multi-family, and middle market lending.

Prior to joining Key, Julie was the head of the Legal Department at Republic Financial Corporation, Assistant General Counsel at MetLife Capital Corporation, an associate with the law firm of Bogle & Gates, and an Independent Petroleum Landman. She has been a frequent speaker at the Legal Forum of the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association. She received the Award for the Article Making the Greatest Contribution to the Leasing Industry for her article, “Buyer Beware: Key Issues Related to Acquisitions,” Journal of Equipment Lease Financing, Vol. 13/No. 1, Spring, 1995.

A Colorado native and avid Colorado Buffaloes fan, she earned her Bachelor of Science degree (with distinction) and her Juris Doctor degree (Order of the Coif) from the University of Colorado in Boulder, Colorado. She lives in Windsor, Colorado with her husband and three dogs.

Bill Carey served as General Counsel and Corporate Secretary for USXL since it was founded in March 2004, and he continued in that position at Tygris Vendor Finance, now EverBank Commercial Finance. He has over 15 years of experience in the commercial finance industry, serving in leadership positions as an attorney with CIT, Newcourt Commercial Finance and AT&T Capital, and handling transactions in vendor leasing, commercial lending, fractional aircraft finance and venture leasing, M&A and other corporate finance matters. For a three-year period, Bill was the executive vice president and general counsel of a London-based technology publisher.

He also received two additional nominations:

"Bill Carey is the most effective leasing lawyer I have ever worked with—and I have worked with many! Bill is the perfect example of a legal business partner, akin to an HR business partner, or a Finance business partner. He provides timely, organized, and meaningful legal guidance to senior management regarding overall business matters, and to the sales teams regarding individual transactions and/or vendor program legal issues and opportunities."

"I worked with Bill for over 5 years while at *** and found him to be one of the best in the business for many reasons. In sales-driven organizations, in-house counsel often have to maintain a fine balance, managing risk by providing good sound legal advice while not being so conservative that they become an obstacle to the company achieving its mission. Bill always excelled at that; he understands the business. He was reasonable and creative in his approach to resolving problems, very accessible, responsive and balanced. He was always a gentleman in his dealings with customers and vendors, diplomatic and poised regardless of the situation.  In addition, Bill was a great coach to his Legal Dept. as well as to his internal “clients,” always making time for a teaching moment. Bill is well known in the industry. He has served as a past Chair of the ELFA Legal Committee and I’m certain he left his positive mark there as well."

Richard M. Contino is an internationally-recognized equipment leasing expert, with an extensive legal, business, marketing, tax, transaction structuring, financial and management background.  He is an advisor on all types of start-up and on-going equipment leasing business activities for lessors, lease lenders and syndicators, equipment vendors, lease investors and corporate lessees.  He is former General Counsel of De Lage Landen, Wayne, Pennsylvania, a subsidiary of The Rabobank Group, and the 14th largest equipment lessor in the U.S. Mr. Contino is the author of eight books on business, negotiating, and equipment leasing. He has conducted private on-site and publicly-held business success, communication, finance, and negotiation seminars throughout the United States for professional organizations (e.g., American Management Association, Equipment Leasing and Finance Association, Illinois Institute of Continuing Legal Education, National Seminars Group, Practicing Law Institute, and University of California Graduate School of Law) as well as corporations (e.g., AT&T, EXXON Corporation, NYNEX, and Texas Instruments Corporation). He is a retired JAG Captain, US Air Force.

Jonathan Fleisher is a Toronto, Canada attorney whose practice
focuses on the commercial finance industry with a particular emphasis on innovative cross-border transactions and equipment and asset finance, where he has been recognized as a leading lawyer by the Canadian Legal Expert Directory and Best Lawyers. He has particular expertise assisting public and private US commercial finance companies with both establishing operations in Canada and purchasing and selling finance and lease companies, providing both legal and practical business advice.  He is also a prolific writer on topics related to equipment finance and cross-border transactions. Jonathan is the legal editor for Fleet Digest magazine and has completed both the Equipment Finance and Subordinated Debt chapters for Canadian Forms & Precedents. He has also drafted specific guides for US lenders expanding operations to Canada. He is a Director of the Canadian Finance and Leasing Association, Member of the Legal Committee of the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association, member of the American College of Commercial Finance Lawyers.

Marshall Goldberg has been an active member and leader for many years in financial institution associations, including the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association ("ELFA"), and the National Vehicle Leasing Association ("NVLA"). For ELFA, Marshall has served on the Legal Committee, the Credit and Collections Management Committee and as a member of the Editorial Review Board of the Journal of Equipment Lease Financing. He is currently the Chairman of the Professional Development, Education and Information Sub-Committee for the ELFA Legal Committee. He is responsible for developing, organizing, managing and editing the Legal Website, which includes an online compendium of legal issues pertaining to the 50 States, "What's New in the Law," and the "Catalogue of Legal Information." He developed and now chairs and monitors the Legal Listserve, an daily online forum for attorneys to discuss pertinent legal issues. He is also the sole 2009 recipient of the annual "Excellence in Leasing Award," presented on behalf of ELFA and its Legal Committee.

Marshall is co-author and co-editor of the “Executive Guide to Remedies,” and the “Executive Guide to Lease Documentation.” He also speaks and instructs extensively within the legal and business communities. He has given numerous educational and strategic seminars throughout the United States on subjects including Loan and Lease Enforcement, and he provides annual legal update presentations for financial association lawyers, including written summaries of current case and statutory law.

Kenneth Charles Greene, Esq., was very active in the beginning years of the Western Association of Equipment Lessors (now the National Equipment Finance Association) as well as the National Association of Equipment Leasing Brokers. Well known from attending many of the early conferences of several associations. Key attorney in the early years for Leasing News: from potential lawsuits regarding Bulletin Board Complaints, lawsuits, "bully" letters, 1st amendment issues, competitive practice, Mr. Greene has protected Leasing News without a financial charge or complaint. Also, one time active in attorney speaker programs as well as author of a monthly law bulletin. In 2017, he took over as Legal Counsel on a part-time basis for the National Association of Equipment Leasing Brokers, now the American Association of Commerce Finance Brokers. An active professional musician as well as service the music industry in Los Angeles today. He is Leasing News Legal Editor.

Michael A. Leichtling, is an attorney on corporate and financial matters, including complex mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance, venture capital and private financing transaction, specializing in leasing. counseling lessors, banks, funds, investors, and other funding sources. Member of several leasing associations, including serving on the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association Executive Committee, Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Equipment Leasing and Finance Foundation. Co-author with the late Jeff Wong, now retired Barry A. Dubin, as editor of the Commercial Finance Guide, now updated and published by Matthew Bender. Member, Board of Editors, Equipment Leasing Newsletter (Law Journal Publications). Author and well-known speaker. Recipient of the 2007 ELFA Award for “Excellence in Leasing."

David G. Mayer, Perhaps best known as the author of "Business Leasing for Dummies" (September, 2001) as well as an online newsletter "Business Leasing and Finance News" (2002-2012) which had 6,000 subscribers in 33 countries. He has written other articles, primarily on business aviation, aircraft leasing and finance, for which he is known, especially involving international and cross-border transactions.  He started this specialty, rising to Senior Counsel, GATX Corp, then going as corporate counsel, primarily in transportation equipment, including aircraft, vessels, truck and trailers, including project financing and operation. He is active in the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association, as well as has been a contributing author to the Equipment Leasing and Finance Foundation surveys. He is an Eagle Scout.

Alan J. Mogol, Over the last 40+ years, created a large volume of the middle market lease documentation currently used by the majority of the larger bank and finance companies in the industry, including standard forms of lease documentation for syndication, assignment, notice of assignment, participation and motor vehicle titling trust documents. Much of what Mogol has created is considered de facto industry standard in the bank middle market space. He is a frequent lecturer and author in the equipment financing area.

Frank Peretore has written many articles on leasing for the news media as a recognized expert on commercial lenders and lessors, including two books, "Workouts and Enforcement for the Secured Creditor and Equipment Lessor" and "Secured Transactions for the Practitioner: How to Properly Perfect Your Personal Property Lien and Assure Priority." He is currently the Secretary of the National Equipment Finance Association, serving on the board since 2009, as well as serving on many legal committees. He was also on the Board of Directors, Eastern Association of Equipment Lessors, and served on legal committees for the Equipment Leasing & Finance Association. He brings his law experience to his writing and leasing association meetings and conferences. He is highly respected by his colleagues for his dedication to the finance and leasing industry as well as to law.

 

John G. Sinodis' practice emphasizes the representation of equipment lessors and funding sources in all aspects of equipment leasing including litigation, documentation, insolvency, and transactional matters. Besides representing equipment lessors and funding sources, Mr. Sinodis represents financial institutions and asset-based lenders in the areas of commercial litigation, secured transactions, asset recovery, loan restructure and business litigation. Mr. Sinodis is an active member of the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association (ELFA) and the National Equipment Finance Association (NEFA). Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Sinodis served as the president of General Leasing Co. and is presently a member of its board of directors.

 

"In just three days, Mark Stout helped me to locate, obtain and return a stolen truck to one of my lessees after the truck had been driven across the state of Texas by utilizing his expertise and relationships 6 counties away. This could have been a disaster for my lessee. I called Stout who called whoever it was he called and the truck was returned. Easy – and that’s what I like."

Mr. Stout represents in excess of thirty financial institutions and leasing companies.

Within the last four years, Mr. Stout has represented commercial lenders in excess of 150 state court proceedings. Mr. Stout handles an extensive trial docket that generally entails at least three court appearances each week in various courts in Texas. In conjunction with his state court proceedings, Mr. Stout frequently utilizes sequestration/replevin proceedings to quickly recover his client’s collateral. Mr. Stout has filed approximately 200 sequestration/replevin actions in Texas. Mr. Stout represents in excess of thirty financial institutions and leasing companies. Within the last four years, Mr. Stout has represented commercial lenders in excess of 150 state court proceedings. Mr. Stout handles an extensive trial docket that generally entails at least three court appearances each week in various courts in Texas. In conjunction with his state court proceedings, Mr. Stout frequently utilizes sequestration/replevin proceedings to quickly recover his client’s collateral. Mr. Stout has filed approximately 200 sequestration/replevin actions in Texas.

Kevin Trabaris has extensive experience representing banks, financial companies, equipment lessors, insurers, and other funding and intermediary entities and borrowers in connection with thousands of business financing matters.  He has handled everything from small ticket transactions to billion dollar syndicated loans, real estate financing to asset-based facilities. He is an active member of the Commercial Finance Association, LinkedIn Capital Equipment Leasing Group and Equipment Leasing Professionals Group. He has an excellent reputation among his colleagues.

Allan Umans is in charge of documentation and legal affairs at Pacific Rim Capital, reportedly the nation's largest independent lessor of material handling equipment. In his field, he has an excellent reputation. He previously served as General Counsel and Secretary of Relational Technology Services, Inc. and Assistant General Counsel and Assistant Secretary of El Camino Resources, Ltd., both independent technology leasing companies. Mr. Umans has a JD degree from Southwestern University Law School and a BA degree in Economics, with honors, from the University of Manitoba.

Mark Wada, founding shareholder of the Portland, Oregon law firm Farleigh Wada Witt, has been listed in Oregon Super Lawyers for the tenth consecutive year in the specialty area of banking and finance. And for the seventh consecutive year, Mark was selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America for banking and finance law. Mark has expertise in representing banks, commercial lenders, equipment lessors, private equity funds, lenders in commercial loans and leases to high tech companies, including intellectual property security agreements and warrant terms and other financial service providers; numerous commercial lenders and lessors in workouts, collateral liquidations, collection matters and sales of individual loans and portfolios. In 2010, he was appointed to serve a three-year term on the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association Legal Committee. He is past-president of the Oregon Law Foundation and Campaign for Equal Justice and has served as a member of the Executive Committee of the Oregon State Bar Debtor-Creditor Section, the Board of Directors of the Multnomah Bar Association, as well as its treasurer, representative to the American Bar Association House of Delegates, and the Board of Directors and Executive Committee of the United Cerebral Palsy Association of Oregon and Southwest Washington.

Irwin Wittlin is well-known in the leasing industry as he was past member of the Board of Directors of the United Association of Equipment Leasing (UAEL) at time of merger and formation of National Equipment Finance Association (NEFA). He is a past chairman of the legal committee and has spoken on a variety of legal issues at recent conventions, including the topics of, "Effective Lease Collections," “Working With Outside Counsel," "Fraud Prevention," "Maintaining Your Business Credit Line," and “Selected Issues in NorVergence." He is an instructor for the Certified Lease Program Foundation ("CLP") on the subjects of lease law, lease documentation, and collections. Mr. Wittlin is a frequent speaker on various legal and collection related topics for various professional organizations, with an emphasis on leasing, business litigation and collections.

News Briefs---

The job market is holding tight —
    and other happenings in the world of work
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/job-market-holding-tight-other-happenings-world

Most electric vehicles won’t qualify for federal tax credit
    battery built in North America with minerals mined/recycled
https://apnews.com/article/electric-vehicles-tax-credit-cfd3d9322230446f65d629b05c2ae551

Ford raises price of electric F-150 Lightning by up to
    $8,500 due to ‘significant material cost increases’
https://www.cnbc.com/2022/08/09/ford-increasing-price-of-electric-f-150-lightning-.html

Volkswagen Announces Pricing for 2023 ID.4
    MSRP of $37,495, estimated range of 208 miles
https://www.automotive-fleet.com/10178552/volkswagen-announces-pricing-for-2023-id-4

Groupon to lay off 500 employees as struggling Chicago
    -based online marketplace seeks financial turnaround
https://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-biz-groupon-layoffs-turnaround-20220809-hvzlv52c5fcn3fe2lnn2mew44a-story.html

Asia-to-San Francisco Travel Hasn't Rebounded
    Specifically China
https://www.sfchronicle.com/sf/article/San-Francisco-tourists-17353193.php

Domino’s leaves Italy, where — surprise
    — diners prefer local pizza
https://www.washingtonpost.com/food/2022/08/09/dominos-italy-franchise-closures/

Judge Approves Blue Cross’s $2.67 Billion
    Antitrust Settlement
https://www.wsj.com/articles/judge-approves-blue-crosss-2-67-billion-antitrust-settlement-11660075648?mod=hp_lead_pos6

Ken Griffin on Why He Spent $43 Million
to Buy the U.S. Constitution
https://www.wsj.com/articles/ken-griffin-constitution-museum-11660068328

 

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You May Have Missed---

Fauci warns of ‘trouble’ for those with BA.5 variant
if not up to date on vaccines
https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2022/08/05/fauci-trouble/

[headlines]
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Sports Briefs---

Serena Williams Says Farewell to Tennis on Her
    Own Terms—And In Her Own Words
https://www.vogue.com/article/serena-williams-retirement-in-her-own-words

It’s painfully clear that the Red Sox can’t count on much
from Chris Sale in the last two years of his contract
https://www.bostonglobe.com/2022/08/09/sports/its-painfully-clear-that-red-sox-cant-count-much-chris-sale-last-two-years-his-contract/

At what point will the Patriots' offense improve?
For now, it's getting worse.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/patriots/2022/08/09/new-england-patriots-offense-mac-jones-training-camp/10276582002/

Detroit Lions lose fourth young player
to retirement in last two months
https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/lions/2022/08/08/detroit-lions-retirement-dan-campbell-zein-obeid/10269975002/

Cowboys sign veteran kicker Brett Maher
https://www.theredzone.org/Blog-Description/EntryId/24403/Cowboys-sign-veteran-kicker

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California Nuts Briefs---

A new California law pushes back school start times.
     Here’s when class begins around Sacramento
https://www.sacbee.com/news/local/education/article264114551.html?ac_cid=DM681901

Tech company expands Dublin operations,
adds jobs with big office lease
https://www.mercurynews.com/2022/08/08/tech-expand-dublin-jobs-big-office-lease-real-estate-snowflake/

L.A. residents saving more water
but face bigger test as heat intensifies
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2022-08-09/los-angeles-residents-water-conservation-record-in-july-california-drought

Mendocino County is out to change ‘a lingering
stigma’ on cannabis tourism
https://www.northbaybusinessjournal.com/article/industrynews/mendocino

California’s cliffs are crumbling into the sea.
This map shows the spots where they’re eroding the fastest
https://www.sfchronicle.com/climate/article/California-s-cliffs-are-falling-into-the-sea-17362397.php

This Day in History

     1680 – The Pueblo Revolt began, an uprising of most of the Pueblo Indians against the Spanish Colonizers in the province of Santa Fe in what is now New Mexico.   The Pueblo Revolt killed 400 Spanish and drove the remaining 2,000 settlers out of the province. Twelve years later the Spanish returned and were able to reoccupy New Mexico with little opposition.
    1755 - Under the orders of Governor Charles Lawrence, the British Army begins to forcibly deport the Acadians from Nova Scotia to the American Colonies.  
    1776 – Word of the Declaration of Independence reached London.  
    1821 – Missouri became the 24th state.  The land that is now Missouri was acquired from France as part of the Louisiana Purchase and became known as the Missouri Territory.  The state lies at the intersection of the three greatest rivers of the US, with the confluence of the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers near St. Louis, and the confluence of the Ohio River with the Mississippi north of the Bootheel. The starting points for the Pony Express, Santa Fe Trail and Oregon Trail were all located in Missouri as well.
    1821 – Jay Cooke (d. 1905) was born in Sandusky, OH.  He was a financier who helped finance the Union war effort during the Civil War and the postwar development of railroads in the northwestern United States. He is generally acknowledged as the first major investment banker in the United States and creator of the first wire house firm.
    1844 - Brigham Young was chosen as Mormon Church head following Joseph Smith’s death.
    1846 - Congress chartered the Smithsonian Institution, named after English scientist James Smithson, whose bequest of $500,000 made it possible.
    1861 – At The Battle of Wilson’s Creek, the Civil War entered Missouri when a band of raw Missouri State Guard troops defeated Union forces in the southwestern part of the state.  it is sometimes called the "Bull Run of the West."    
    1874 – Herbert Hoover (d. 1964), 31st president of the United States, was born in West Branch, IA.  His parents were poor and he was orphaned at 9, but he amassed a fortune as a mine engineer and owner.  With the start of World War I, he directed the evacuation of 200,000 Americans from Europe. It was the first of a series of massive economic, evacuation and food relief activities that spanned half a century. He was Secretary of Commerce in the Administrations of Harding and Coolidge and was elected President on the Republican ticket in 1928.  The crash of the stock market on Oct. 29, 1929, plunged the nation into its worst economic crisis in history. His policies were attacked as insufficient to spur economic revival. He was voted out of office in 1932 under the cloud of the Great Depression, called the "Hoover Depression" by his opponents.
    1876 - Thomas Alva Edison of Menlo Park, NJ, obtained a patent for a “method of preparing autographic stencils for printing”. He went on to improve the “mimeograph,” which, until the advent of the photocopier, was the most widespread method of paper communication and duplication.
    1878 - The temperature at Denver, CO, soars to an all-time record high of 105 degrees.
    1885 - America's first commercially operated electric streetcar began operation in Baltimore.   
    1897- Actor Jack Haley (d. 1979), the Tin Man in “The Wizard of Oz,” was born in in Boston.
    1899 – Charles Darrow (d. 1967), one of the creators of Monopoly, was born in Philadelphia.   
    1899 - A.T. Marshall of Brockton, MA patented the refrigerator. It was not practical in cost for many households and “ice” refrigerators were common until perhaps World War II.
    1901 – The US Steel Recognition Strike by the Amalgamated Association of Iron and Steel Workers began.  The formation of the US Steel trust in 1901 threatened the AA with ruin. The AA was confronted with a crisis: It had to organize the plants of U.S. Steel before the corporation, with its relatively infinite resources, could stop the union drives. But the executive committee of U.S. Steel was equally aware of the threat the AA posed and the company's board of directors secretly adopted a resolution on June 17, 1901, opposing any unionization attempt. At a meeting on August 3, 1901, US Steel refused to renegotiate a wage agreement that had been agreed to by the AA leadership and considered it binding. The AA executive board ordered a strike, to begin on August 10. The strike was crushed. At several plants, workers refused to turn out at all. Union members in Illinois and Pennsylvania turned out in small numbers but the overall effect on U.S. Steel was too weak. Strikebreakers were pouring into plants by the thousands, and shuttered works were reopening. The AA appealed to Samuel Gompers, asking for AFL support and the calling of a national labor conference to make the strike the federation's main issue. Gompers refused.  The strike against U.S. Steel ended on September 14, 1901. The AA settled for terms far worse than those offered in August. Only plants which had started and ended the strike were covered, which meant that the union lost recognition at 15 plants. The company even won a pledge from the union not to organize any plant not already unionized.
    1904 – Jack Chesbro was knocked out by the White Sox after pitching 30 complete games in a row. For the year, he will win 41 games, pitching 48 complete games out of 51 starts for the New York Highlanders. All are post-1900 Major League records. His 455 innings pitched has been topped only by Ed Walsh’s 464 in 1908.  For perspective, in today’s game, pitchers are considered a workhorse if they pitch 200 innings and a complete game is a rarity.
    1905 – With President Theodore Roosevelt leading the way, peace negotiations to end the Russo-Japanese War began in Portsmouth, NH.
    1909 – Leo Fender (d. 1991) inventor and manufacturer of musical instruments, including the electric guitar, was born Clarence Leonidas Fender in Anaheim, CA.
    1911 - Membership in the U.S. House of Representatives was established at 435. At the time, every 211,877 residents of the U.S. were represented by one member of Congress.  As of Apr 30, 2016, that has increased to 744, 207.
    1913 – Noah Beery, Jr, (d. 1994) was born in NYC.  A veteran bit part actor in early films and TV, he is best known as Rocky, Jim Rockford’s dad in “The Rockford Files” that ran 1974-80.
    1918 - MESTROVITCH, JAMES I., Medal of Honor
Rank and organization: Sergeant, U.S. Army, Company C, 111th Infantry, 28th Division. Place and date: At Fismette, France, 10 August 1918. Entered service at: Pittsburgh, Pa. Birth: Montenegro. G.O. No.: 20, W.D., 1919. Citation: Seeing his company commander lying wounded 30 yards in front of the line after his company had withdrawn to a sheltered position behind a stone wall, Sgt. Mestrovitch voluntarily left cover and crawled through heavy machinegun and shell fire to where the officer lay. He took the officer upon his back and crawled to a place of safety, where he administered first-aid treatment, his exceptional heroism saving the officer's life.
    1921 - Franklin D. Roosevelt was stricken with polio at his summer home on the Canadian island of Campobello.
    1922 - Louis Armstrong, 22 years old, leaves for the Windy City. His autobiography is fascinating to read about his version of the beginnings of jazz. He perhaps is not only the best-known jazz musicians but considered even today to have been quite ahead of his time. On old records, it is easy to pick him out playing the trumpet. He had tone, melody and rhythm that still wants you to sing, dance, or tap your foot.
    1923 – Actress Rhonda Fleming was born Marilyn Louisin Hollywood.  She acted in more than forty films, mostly in the 1940s and 1950s, and was one of the most glamorous actresses of her day. She was nicknamed the "Queen of Technicolor" because her fair complexion and flaming red hair photographed exceptionally well in Technicolor.
    1923 - Benny Goodman was 14 years old as he began his professional career as a clarinet player. He took a job in a band on a Chicago-based excursion boat on Lake Michigan.
    1928 – Jimmy Dean (d. 2010), the founder of Jimmy Dean’s Sausage, was born in Plainview, TX.  He was also a country music singer, television host, and actor. Although he may be best known today as the creator of the sausage brand, he became a national television personality starting on CBS in 1957. He rose to fame for his 1961 country crossover hit "Big Bad John” (“...stood six foot six and weighed 245, kinda broad at the shoulder and narr’ at the hip, and everybody knew you didn’t give no lip to Big John…”  His 1963 ABC Television series, “The Jimmy Dean Show” gave puppeteer Jim Henson his first national media exposure. He was formally inducted posthumously into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2010.
    1928 – Eddie Fisher (d. 2010) was born in Philadelphia.  He was the most successful pop singles artist of the first half of the 1950s, “Any Time” (#2 in 1951), “Lady of Spain” (#6 in 1952), “Oh, My Papa” (#1 in 1953), “I Need You Now” (#1 in 1954) and “Dungaree Doll (#7 in 1955), selling millions of records and hosting his own TV show.  Fisher left his first wife, actress Debbie Reynolds, to marry Reynolds' best friend, actress Elizabeth Taylor, when Taylor's husband, film producer Mike Todd, died. This event garnered scandalous and unwelcome publicity for Fisher and contributed to his box office demise. He later married Connie Stevens. Fisher is the father of actresses Carrie Fisher (with Reynolds) and Joely Fisher (with Stevens).
    1929 – Grover Cleveland Alexander pitched and won his final Major League game.  His 373rd and last NL victory, at the time, tied Christy Mathewson for the most NL wins and he is tied for third-most in Major League history.  He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1938.
    1933 - Louisiana Governor O.K. Allen pardoned Huddie William Ledbetter, better known as the folksinger “Leadbelly.”  He got the name while in prison in Texas for being very strong. He was a very big man with an explosive temper and was in for murder. He was pardoned by Texas Governor Pat Neff from a thirty-year sentence, something that was unheard of in Texas and from the very conservative Neff, but it is said, he sang a song of why he should be released that so affect the warden, and then Neff, that they released him. Leadbelly was one of my father’s favorite folksingers, that he played all the time, and my first memories of my father are listening to this music in the forties. I remember sitting on his knee, perhaps the earliest recollection of my father, who I miss more and more as each year goes by.
http://www.nashvillesongwritersfoundation.com/fame/ledbet.html
http://www.blueflamecafe.com/index.html
http://members.fortunecity.com/kgerald/personel/LedbetterHuddie.htm
http://www.cycad.com/cgi-bin/Leadbelly/biog.html
http://www.mala.bc.ca/~mcneil/cit/citlcleadbelly.htm
    1934 – Babe Ruth announced that this is his final season as a regular player. He says he will seek a managerial role and will pinch-hit, but will then go back on his decision and play with the Boston Braves in 1935.
    1940 – Bobby Hatfield (d. 2003) of The Righteous Brothers was born in Beaver Dam, WI.  Hatfield and Bill Medley began singing as a duo in 1962 in the Los Angeles area as part of a five-member group called the Paramours.  They were often told they sounded like African-American gospel singers and named their singing act "The Righteous Brothers" after a fan remarked of their singing, "that's righteous, brothers."  They were part of a sliver of rock ‘n’ roll genre known as Blue-Eyed Soul, distinctive in that these were white singers who many thought sounded like black performers.  Their first charted single as the Righteous Brothers was "Little Latin Lupe Lu” and their first #1 was "You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’,” produced by Phil Spector in 1964. Follow-up hits included the #1 "(You're My) Soul and Inspiration" and "Unchained Melody," and the latter song was actually a Hatfield solo performance later re-recorded after the success of the 1990 film “Ghost,“ and Hatfield remarked to friends that he had not lost any of the high notes in his tenor range since the original recording, but had actually gained one note. The duo broke up in 1968, but returned with another hit in 1974, the #3 "Rock and Roll Heaven." The Righteous Brothers were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2003 by Billy Joel.
    1942 - Adding to the fear of the times from both the war in the Pacific and Atlantic, this event is forgotten by many today. Six Germans were electrocuted in Washington, DC. They were part of a group of eight who were tried by a military commission of seven generals. One saboteur, George John Dasch, was sentenced to 30 years in prison, and another Ernest Peter Bruger, received a life sentence. All eight were found guilty of landing in rubber boats from enemy submarines, carrying explosives, incendiaries, fuses, detonators timing devices, acids, and similar material. Four of them landed on June 13, 1942, at Amagansett, NY, on Long Island, and were discovered by Seamen Second Class John C. Cullen of the Amagansett Coast Guard Station. Four others landed on June 17, 1942, at Ponte Vedra Beach near Jacksonville, FL.
    1943 – Ronnie Spector was born Veronica Yvette Bennett in E. Harlem, NYC.  She was the lead singer of The Ronettes, a trio including her sister, Estelle and cousin Nedra Talley.  The Ronettes were a popular attraction around the greater NYC area in the early 1960s. After releasing a few singles on Colpix Records without success, they were signed by Phil Spector to Philles Records. Their relationship with Spector brought chart success with "Be My Baby," "Baby, I Love You," "The Best Part of Breakin’ Up," "Do I Love You?," and "Walking in the Rain." In 2004, “Be My Baby” was ranked 22 by Rolling Stone in its list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.  Brian Wilson has declared 'Be My Baby' the greatest pop record ever made.  In 1999, it was inducted in the Grammy Hall of Fame, and in 2006, the Library of Congress honored the Ronettes' version by adding it to the US National Recording Registry. In 2017, Billboard named the song number 1 on their list of the "100 Greatest Girl Group Songs of All Time". The group broke up in early 1967, following a European concert tour that included their appearance at the Moonlight Lounge, in Gelnhausen, Germany, where they entertained American military personnel.  Spector was a mainstay on the Oldies circuit in the late 90s and early 2000s.  In 2007, The Ronettes were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
    1944 – Red Barrett of the Boston Braves threw only 58 pitches and shut out the Reds, 2-0. This is the major-league record for fewest pitches in a nine-inning game. The game takes one hour, 15 minutes, the shortest night game ever.
    1944 - American forces overcame Japanese resistance on Guam during World War II.
    1945 – Japanese Emperor Hirohito transmitted a message to his ambassadors in Switzerland and Sweden to accept the terms of the Potsdam Conference, surrendering and bringing an end to World War II. 
    1948 – Smile!  “Candid Camera” made its TV debut after being on radio for a year as “Candid Microphone.”
    1949 – President Truman signed the National Security Act Amendment, streamlining the defense agencies and replacing the Department of War with the Department of Defense.   
    1951 - Top Hits
“Too Young” - Nat King Cole
“Mister and Mississippi” - Patti Page
“Because of You” - Tony Bennett
“I Wanna Play House with You” - Eddy Arnold
    1954 – At Massena, NY, groundbreaking for the St. Lawrence Seaway began.
    1955 - Two weeks after it cracks the R&B Top Ten, Chuck Berry's "Maybellene" enters the Pop chart at #23.
    1957 – Mickey Mantle blasted a 460’ HR over the center field hedge at Baltimore’s Memorial Stadium, still the longest HR ever it there.
    1959 - Top Hits
“Lonely Boy” - Paul Anka
“A Big Hunk o’ Love” - Elvis Presley
“My Heart is an Open Book” - Carl Dobkins, Jr.
“Waterloo” - Stonewall Jackson
    1960 - British Decca destroyed 25,000 copies of Ray Peterson's death-rock song, "Tell Laura I Love Her." The company refused to release a song which it said was "too tasteless and vulgar for the English sensibility." A rival firm, however, had no such compunction, recording a cover version by a singer named Ricky Valance, which went to number one on the British chart. In the US, Ray Peterson's recording of "Tell Laura I Love Her" reached number seven on the Billboard pop chart.
    1960 – Ted Williams hit two HRs in the Red Sox’ 6-1 win over the Indians.  The first gave him 512 for his career that tied him with Mel Ott for 4th all-time.  He also announced that he will retire after the season.
    1962 - Spider-Man made his debut in issue 15 of Marvel Comics’ "Amazing Fantasy."
    1963 - Little Stevie Wonder had the number 1 song in America this week with "Fingertips - Pt. 2." Stevie was just 13 years old when the song was recorded.
    1967 - Top Hits
“Light My Fire” - The Doors
“All You Need is Love” - The Beatles
“A Whiter Shade of Pale” - Procol Harum
“I’ll Never Find Another You” - Sonny James
    1968 - Race riot in Miami Florida.
    1968 – The Bubblegum Music craze was in full gear when a group from Linden, New Jersey, who went by the unusual name of The 1910 Fruitgum Co. cracked the Hot 100 with their second hit, "123 Red Light." The record would climb to number five in the US.
    1969 - Photographer Iain Macmillan took six pictures of the Beatles crossing the street outside their Abbey Road studio in London. A police officer held up traffic while the band walked back and forth several times. Paul McCartney chose one of the pictures for the cover of the "Abbey Road" album.
    1969 – “Helter Skelter” - Leno and Rosemary LaBianca were murdered in their Los Angeles home by members of Charles Manson's cult, one day after pregnant actress Sharon Tate and four other people were slain.
    1970 - CCR's "Looking Out My Back Door" is released.
    1970 - Janis Joplin bought a tombstone for blues singer Bessie Smith's unmarked grave in a Philadelphia cemetery. Less than two months later, Joplin herself was dead of a drug overdose. Smith had died following an auto accident in 1942 at the age of 37.
    1973 - Vice-President Spiro T Agnew brands them "damned lies" regarding reports he took kickbacks from government contracts in Maryland. He vowed not to resign; that he was innocent.    
    1975 - Top Hits
“One of These Nights” - Eagles
“Jive Talkin’” - Bee Gees
“Please Mr. Please” - Olivia Newton-John
“Just Get Up and Close the Door” - Johnny Rodriguez    
    1977 – David Berkowitz, a 24-year-old postal employee said by the police to be the "Son of Sam," the .44-caliber killer who took the lives of six young people and wounded seven others in a year-long reign of terror in New York City, was taken into custody late last night in Yonkers.
    1978 – The Ulrich family of three was killed in their Ford Pinto, the event that triggered the massive litigation of the Ford Motor Company’s negligence in the safety design of the car’s fuel tank that was vulnerable to explosion when the car was rear-ended.  Approximately 117 lawsuits were brought against Ford in connection with rear-end accidents in the Pinto.  Ford had sent the Urlichs a recall notice for the Pinto in 1979. A grand jury indicted Ford on three counts of reckless homicide. Indiana v. Ford was a landmark in product liability law as the first time a corporation faced criminal charges for a defective product and the first time a corporation was charged with murder.  If convicted, Ford faced a maximum fine of $30,000 under Indiana's 1978 reckless homicide statute.  A former head of the NHTSA, testifying on Ford's behalf, said the Pinto’s design was no more or less safe than that of any other car in its class.  In 1980 Ford was found not guilty.  In 1980 a civil suit was settled for $7500 to each plaintiff.   According to Automotive News in 2003, the indictment was a low point in Ford's reputation.  Some saw the suit as a landmark for taking a corporation to task for their actions while others saw the case as frivolous.  Time said "The Ford Pinto was a famously bad automobile, but worse still might be Ford's handling of the safety concerns."  According to the Los Angeles Times in 2010, the award "signaled to the auto industry that it would be harshly sanctioned for ignoring known defects."
    1981 - The head of John Walsh’s son Adam was found in a canal near Vero Beach, FL. This inspired the creation of the television series “America’s Most Wanted” and Walsh’s activism for child safety.
    1981 - Shiaway St. Pat, driven by Ray Remmen, won the Hambletonian, the most important race for three-year-old trotters, contested for the first time at the Meadowlands in New Jersey.
    1983 - Top Hits
“Every Breath You Take” - The Police
“Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)” - Eurythmics
“She Works Hard for the Money” - Donna Summer
“Your Love’s on the Line” - Earl Thomas Conley
    1984 - Carl Lewis won his third gold medal at the Los Angeles Olympics. He won the 200-meter sprint. At the same time, Greg Louganis received his first gold medal in diving in the springboard competition.
    2006 - British authorities announced they had thwarted a terrorist plot to simultaneously blow up 10 aircraft heading to the United States.
    2008 - American swimmer Michael Phelps won the first of a record eight gold medals at the Beijing Olympics by smashing his own world record in the 400-meter individual medley.
    2013 - President Barack Obama announced a series of NSA reforms aimed at minimizing criticism over the NSA's electronic surveillance program.
    2015 - Google, Inc. restructured, placing its search business and its various research ventures into a holding company called Alphabet; Google will begin reporting under the new company with the fourth quarter of this year.