Injunction Request Filed to Halt the California
New Commercial Finance Disclosure Law

Small Business Finance Association is seeking an injunction against the California Commissioner to halt the new California Business Finance Disclosure Laws to go into effect on December 9th. The Los Angeles, California firm of Manatt, Phelps and Phillips, LLP., has filed a 33 page "Complaint for Declaration and Injunction Relief."

The firm was hired under the direction of Steve Denis, Small Business Finance Association Director. LinkedIn notes the association has two employees. The Association was on the Leasing News Alternate Finance Association. It was removed as it did not appear to be active: no posts and no records found at the time.

The website today does not appear to be very active. Note the dates on the posts:
https://sbfassociation.org

Here is the former listing: https://leasingnews.org/archives/May2018/05_15.htm#alt

Here is the full article in deBanked:
Funding Companies Sue California Regulator
Over Looming Disclosure Law (plus copy of filing)
https://debanked.com/2022/12/funding-companies-sue-california-regulator-over-looming-disclosure-law/

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New Hires/Promotions in the Leasing Business
and Related Industries

James Bagnell was promoted to Account Executive, LEAF Commercial Capital, Inc., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He is located in Denton, Texas. He joined LEAF as Intern, June 2021 - August, 2021;
promoted to Documentation Specialist, September, 2021, promoted June, 2022, Account Associate.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-bagnell-bb6694210/

Sean Delande was hired as Vice President of Sales, Partners Capital Group, Santa Ana, California. He is located in Woburn, Massachusetts. Previously, he was Sales Account Executive, Universal Finance Corporation (September, 2022 - November, 2022); Account Manager, Franchise and Vendor Services, Balboa Capital (November, 2020 - September, 2022). He joined TimePayment February, 2018, Acquisition Specialist, promoted August, 2019, Franchise Finance Specialist.  Full Bio:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-delande-27532848/details/experience/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-delande-27532848/

Scott DeMaris was hired as Account Manager Retail," essentially I'm an outside sales rep for financing of industrial equipment," for DLL.  He is located in West Des Moines, Iowa. He began his career at Wells Fargo, starting July, 2009, as Operations Clerk, promoted April, 2012, Office Automation Sales Support Representative, promoted August, 2015, Vendor Ag Sales Representative promoted June, 2019, Senior Business Lending Relationship Management Representative.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/scott-demaris-9083537b/details/experience/

Sara Hammann was hired as Business Development Executive, Frandsen Bank & Trust, Minnesota. She is located in Hibbing, Minnesota. Previously, she was Business Development Representative, KLC Financial, Inc. (February, 2022 - December, 2022); Vice President, Lender First National Bank of Chisholm (April, 2021 - February, 2022). Full Bio:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sara-hammann-521bb646/details/experience/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sara-hammann-521bb646/

Ed Hetherington is now President, Hetherington Advisors, LLC. , Alpharetta, Georgia. He retired from Doosan Infracore Financial Solutions. Previously, he was President, Ingersoll Rand Financial Services (June, 2002 - October, 2007); COO of Atlanta Division, CIT (1997 - 2001); Vice President, Chase Manhattan Leasing (1989 - 1993).
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ed-hetherington-4521085/

Brian Keller was hired as Senior Specialist, Vendor Finance, Canon Financial Services, Inc. Mount Laurel, New Jersey.  He is located in Marlton, New Jersey. Previously, he was Partner Success Manager, Structure Team Lead, PEAC Solutions (March, 2016 - December, 2022); Vice President/Relationship Manager, Citizens Bank (July, 2015 - March, 2016). He joined TD Bank May, 1995, as AVP/Store Manager, promoted May, 1995, Vice President, Small Business Relationship Manager.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/bskeller/

Andrew Kindsvater was hired as Credit and Risk Management, Greenwood Equipment Finance, Waukesha, Wisconsin. He is located in the Greater Chicago area. Previously, he was Product Manager, Layer One Media (June 2021 - October, 2022). Full Bio:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-kindsvater-3896452/details/experience
https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-kindsvater-3896452/

Janeen Waddell, CLFP, was hired as Vice President of Sales, Workspace and Energy Division, Navitas Credit Corporation, Ponte Vedra, Florida.  She is located in Marlton, New Jersey. Previously,, she was Vice President, Horizon Keystone Financial, a division of Marlin Capital Solutions (January, 2017 - May, 2021); Partner, Executive Vice President Horizon Keystone Financial (1988 - December, 2016).
https://www.linkedin.com/in/janeen-waddell-certified-lease-finance-prof-clfp-1ab2ba2

Leasing and Finance Industry Help Wanted
Excellent Compensation/Marketing Support/Work

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Sales Makes it Happen by Scott Wheeler, CLFP

Several years ago, I presented the benefits offered by the commercial equipment leasing and finance industry to a group of business owners. I explained the flexibility of different structures, how the products complement traditional bank relationships and often provide additional cash resources for both small and large businesses

 A gentleman in the room commented, "The commercial equipment leasing and finance industry exists because it provides cash flow savings. The industry exists because most owners know that 'Cash is King.' Any tool which helps to conserve cash and bank lines of credit is a powerful tool for every business owner."

BINGO! Business owners know the power of our products and originators need to continuously remind their clients of the cash flow benefits of using their product to conserve cash.

Cash Flow is always King, especially in uncertain times. Businesses need a reserve of cash for unexpected challenges and opportunities. Cash allows companies to move forward with confidence.

My grandfather ran a small city grocery store. He measured success by how much cash was left over in the "cigar box" at the end of the day, week, and month. He measured success by how much cash was able to be withdrawn from the business and transferred to his personal savings, without disturbing the cash flow of his business.

Every business works under the same simple principles that my grandfather used over 70 years ago. The commercial equipment leasing and finance industry allows business owners to acquire needed equipment to grow their business. The industry allows the "cigar box" from being depleted too quickly and aligns the cost of needed equipment with future revenues. Every originator in the commercial equipment finance industry has this powerful tool to offer his clients.

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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Time for Some Beneficial, Good News
Inflation Cools to Lowest Level
Since January Chart

This is the lowest reading since January when prices had climbed 7.5 percent year-over-year. A deceleration in food prices as well as decreases in prices for used cars, apparel and medical services helped keep inflation below expectations despite a rebound in energy prices after three months of declines.

When inflation started spiking in the spring/early summer of 2021, it was largely due to the so-called base effect, reversing the pandemic’s cooling effect on consumer prices a year earlier. At the onset of the pandemic, prices had taken a dive due to a sudden drop in consumer spending and fuel demand before slowly climbing back to their pre-pandemic trajectory over the summer and fall.

By Felix Richter, Statista

Amazon to Expand the List of Places
Where Customers Can Return Products

Amazon is teaming up with another competitor to expand the list of places where customers can return products.

The Seattle tech giant confirmed to GeekWire that it recently started allowing returns at select Staples locations.

Amazon did something similar back in 2017 when it began accepting returns at Kohl’s stores. The strategy lets the company grow its physical retail footprint for returns, without adding real estate.

We just tested the process at a Seattle-area Staples store, and it works much like other Amazon returns made at Kohl’s, Whole Foods or UPS Stores.

Customers bring their item(s) to the store and an employee scans a QR code provided by Amazon, then packages the product. Our experience was seamless and took 30 seconds.

“We are always innovating on behalf of our customers and identifying convenient solutions to shop and make returns,” an Amazon spokesperson said in a statement. “We have begun testing select Staples locations as drop-off points for Amazon returns.”

Consumers returned more than 20% of online purchases last year, or about $218 billion worth of merchandise, according to a survey from the National Retail Federation.

Amazon said that most items fulfilled by the company qualify for a free return option. Earlier this year, it said most returns can be made without a box.

Amazon helped set the standard for free online returns but some retailers are now charging for returns with rising shipping and labor costs, Business Insider reported last month.

For Staples, the partnership may help increase foot traffic in its stores. Kohl’s said it added 2 million new customers in 2020 thanks to its Amazon partnership.

Earlier this year Kohl’s offered a $5 promotional gift for Amazon returns made at its stores.

Staples also offers UPS shipping services at its store. The company partnered with returns technology provider Optoro in 2020 to enable e-commerce returns from other various retailers.

Staples, a longtime office supply giant based in Massachusetts, was acquired for $6.9 billion in 2017 by Sycamore Partners. It listed Amazon as a competitor in a 2017 annual report.

Source: Greekwire.com

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A Huge Shift! Job-Hunting Attorneys Turn to
Stable Companies, Cash Over Stock Options
---  Also applies to other occupations

Sean Burke, Founding Partner of the legal recruiting firm Whistler Partners, noted, “Those fly-by-night, Series A companies people would quit their law firm jobs for—no one is quitting for them now," said.

Top in-house lawyers in the job market are ratcheting down their appetite for risk, favoring stable, less flashy companies as economic headwinds buffet the tech industry and venture-backed startups.

Recruiters say candidates also are seeking more of their compensation in cash instead of stock options. Options can soar if a company hits it big. But many recent grants have slid underwater, amid falling tech stock prices and declining valuations at startups.

“There’s definitely right now a huge shift toward prioritizing security and maybe going with a resume builder that has a higher base salary or stock at an actual public company, and not options,” he said.

The tech industry has long made equity a significant part of compensation packages, an approach that often makes attorneys, many of them risk-averse by nature, uneasy even in brighter economic environments.

That anxiety is even higher these days, recruiters say.

Mike Evers, President of Evers Legal Search, said job candidates continue to find tech jobs alluring. But the last year has been sobering, amid a deluge of job cuts. Layoffs.fyi tallies that 898 tech companies have laid off 142,942 employees this year.

“Nothing has changed with the startup culture, but they are risky and your equity might end up being worthless and you might end up out of a job. The last 12 months have told us that risk is real, and a lot of lawyers have hunkered down into the mindset of risk aversion,” he said.

Evers said he recently received a call from an attorney at the e-scooter startup Bird, famous for achieving unicorn status when its valuation hit $1 billion in 2018. But its meteoric rise preceded a swift decent. After going public last year through a special purpose acquisition company merger, its stock has fallen from $8.40 to 23 cents.

Evers said positions at startups such as Bird that offered employees a chunk of equity have lost much of their luster.

“One of the attorneys who left a major law firm to take one of those sexy, highly competitive jobs just made a change to go work in the legal department at United Airlines. You can’t get more opposite than that,” he said.

“We’re now seeing that not every startup situation is a golden job,” he added. “The desire to take those sexy jobs hasn’t changed, but we’re in a period where there are less of them, and there are some lawyers who are proactively looking for exit strategies from startups.”

“Law firms are steady money, it’s guaranteed, there’s more of a safety net,” he said.

Source: Law.com

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

Equipment Leasing & Finance Foundation Elects Officers
Welcomes New Trustees, and Presents Research Award

Full Press Release

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

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Watch at Home
by Fernando Croce, Leasing News Movie Reviewer

Bitter suspense (“Le Corbeau”), powerhouse action (“The Infernal Affairs Trilogy”), a passionate biopic (“Malcolm X”), an Oscar-winning Western (“The Power of the Dog”) and beguiling animation (“WALL-E”) make the latest batch of Criterion releases a must-see.

Le Corbeau (1943): Known as “the French Hitchcock” for his knack for suspense and misanthropic worldview, Henri-Georges Clouzot (“The Wages of Fear”) scored an early triumph in this dark drama, which rips the pastoral veneer off a rural French town for the sordidness underneath. Pierre Fresnay stars as Dr. Germain, who becomes our guide in a community shaken by a string of accusatory poison-pen letters. Amid the suspects are Laura (Micheline Francey), the young wife of a cynical psychiatrist (Pierre Larquey), and Denise (Ginette Leclerc), the doctor’s provocative lover. When suspicion leads to death, it’s only a matter of time before the seemingly respectable townspeople seek vigilante justice. Dripping with hard-edged polish and free-floating bitterness, the film doubles as a withering portrait of France during the Occupation. With subtitles.

The Infernal Affairs Trilogy (2002-2003): Hong Kong cinema has long been associated with kinetic action and moral dilemma, a combination thrillingly illustrated in this highly charged film series, which inspired Martin Scorsese’s Oscar-winning gangland saga, “The Departed.” At its center is a pair of undercover agents on opposite sides of the law—police officer Chan Wing-yan (Tony Leung Chiu-wai) poses as a hood to infiltrate a dangerous triad gang, while triad gangster Lau Kin-ming (Andy Lau Tak-wah) poses as a police officer. The first of the three pictures chronicles their web of danger and betrayal, which expands in the sequels into a piercing portrait of the nation itself in the new millennium. Brimming with intense sequences, and held together by its charismatic stars, this is powerhouse cinema. With subtitles.

Malcolm X (1992): Denzel Washington gives the performance of a lifetime in this epic biography of the controversial Black firebrand, director Spike Lee’s most ambitious undertaking. Spanning several decades, the story begins with Malcolm Little’s origins in rural Michigan and continues to his life of crime as a young man in Harlem, leading to his arrest and interest in radical activism. Rechristening himself as Malcolm X, he becomes an incendiary speaker during the turbulent Sixties, earning admiration and wrath in equal portions. Along the way, we witness his early apprenticeship with a suave gangster (Delroy Lindo), his pilgrimage to Mecca, and his marriage to Betty Shabazz (Angela Bassett). Lavish, engrossing, and brilliantly anchored by Washington’s commitment, Lee’s passion project galvanizes from beginning to end.

The Power of the Dog (2021): After a lengthy absence from movie screens, director Jane Campion (“The Piano”) scored a remarkable comeback (and a Best Director Oscar) with this resonant take on the Western genre. Set in Montana during the 1920s, it scrutinizes masculinity in the open spaces as represented by two siblings, the gentle George (Jesse Plemons) and the rigid Phil (Benedict Cumberbatch). Life changes when George marries the widowed Rose (Kirsten Dunst), and Phil grows close to her son, Peter (Kodi Smit-McPhee). Campion expresses the dynamics between the characters less through dialogue than through layered, sensuous compositions, and through the precise performances of her cast. The result is a work of tender, harrowing poetry that patiently lays bare the inner life of its conflicted characters.

WALL-E (2008): Considered by many to be the crowning achievement in Pixar’s run of exceptional animated features, this beguiling science-fiction fable offers a spectacular view of the future. Set in an age when the planet has become a deserted, cluttered garbage dump, the film follows WALL-E, a tiny waste-collecting robot with huge, melancholy eyes and dreams of finding a soul mate. Things take a sharp turn when another robot, Eve, takes WALL-E back to its spaceship, leading to the discovery that Earthlings have grown blobby after many centuries of laziness. Can an intergalactic mission save humanity, and bring happiness to the metallic couple? Directed by Andrew Stanton (“Finding Nemo”), the movie daringly blends gentle humor with dystopian grandeur into a visually gorgeous, imaginative, and ultimately hopeful vision.

Labrador Retriever
Danville, California Adopt-a-Dog

Cruise

Male
20 Months Old
65 lbs.
Black
Not Yet Neutered

Background: After being pulled from the Merced shelter, Cruise was trying to become a narcotics detection dog at a Modesto training facility, but it seemed he didn’t have that intense drive and was too happy-go-lucky and his “I-just-want-to-have-fun” attitude resulting in him flunking out of the training. Geesh! I guess there are worse things that could happen. A dog boarding/grooming facility (that just happened to be next door to the narcotic detection training place) learned of Cruise’s drug-snuffing shortfalls and took him in so that drug-sniffing training people wouldn’t return Cruise to the Merced shelter. A central valley dog rescue network guru connected us with the owner of the boarding/grooming facility… and we collaborated to bring Cruise into the Lab Rescue program.

What Cruise's Foster Says:Cruise has spurts of energy, but is also found of cuddling. Been taking him on multiple long walks each day – and he loves it. Very good on leash. Fine with all other dogs. He will jump up on people at first in excitement; we are working on that. He knows: “sit”, “come”, “leave it”; working on “stay”. We are having him “sit” and “wait” before being released to eat his kibble. Sleeps through the night in his crate. Has been great around kids.

What Cruise's Rescue Rep Says: One awesome dog. Will require lots of exercise and outlet for his high energy. No idea how he is with cats.

Medical: In fabulous health. Cruise is current on distemper and Rabies vaccinations. Not yet chipped or neutered. He will be examined by our vet in the near future.

Located in: Danville.

If you want to adopt Cruise, please contact Rescue Rep Dave at david.c.ely@sbcglobal.net

Lab Rescue - Golden Gate Labrador Retriever Rescue
https://www.labrescue.org

Also Who to Contact:
415 Area Code
Candace 415-860-5456 (text only)
candacemora@hotmail.com
Michelle 415-265-3652 (text only)
shell316@comcast.net

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Commercial finance industry veterans Carrie Radloff, CLFP and Vickie Rocco will share their findings on the traits that make for the best brokers and funding sources in the business.

American Association Commercial Finance Brokers Presenters:

Carrie Radloff, CLFP

Carrie Radloff is a Business Development Manager for American Financial Partners (AFP). She has been in the business for over 24 years, spending her first 10 years in credit and sales for U.S. Bank Manifest and the last 14+ years with American Financial Partners

Carrie attained her Certified Lease and Finance Professional (CLFP) designation in 2016. She became involved with the AACFB in 2013 when she joined the Marketing Committee serving as co-chair from 2014-2017. Carrie joined the board of directors in 2017 and is currently serving as past president of the AACFB board as well as serving as the board liaison for the Meetings Committee and Sponsorship Committee. Carrie is a member of various local non-profit boards and resides in Minnesota with her husband Scott and two daughters Madison and Samantha.

Vickie Rocco

Vickie Rocco is Director of Marketing and Business Development at Entegra Capital. In this role she uses her innate balance of creativity and logic to develop and execute Entegra Capital’s growth strategies. She has been a key player in both tech integration and product development that meet the needs of all constituencies. Prior to joining Entegra Capital, Vickie held leadership positions with various publishing outlets in sales, marketing and operational management.

Her experience also includes several years in the equipment finance industry, first at SunBridge Capital and then at Broker Resource Solutions, a business she owned (and later sold) that catered to serving the back-office needs of both third-party originators and private funding sources.

Register for Free
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_KN9DpEliRpuLcVJfXjp04A

News Briefs---

Missouri Reintroduces its Commercial
  Finance Disclosure Bill
https://debanked.com/2022/12/missouri-reintroduces-its-commercial-financing-disclosure-bill/

Remote workers reclaimed 60 million hours of commuting
time and are prioritizing their wellbeing—not work
https://www.cnbc.com/2022/11/29/remote-workers-reclaimed-60-million-hours-of-commuting-time.html

The Job Economy
     Jolt Report
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/from-overhiring-layoffs-evan-sohn

A congressional report says financial technology
companies fueled rampant PPP fraud
https://www.npr.org/2022/12/06/1140823783/a-congressional-report-says-financial-technology-companies-fueled-rampant-ppp-fr

Two women who allege they were stalked
and harassed using AirTags are suing Apple
https://www.npr.org/2022/12/07/1141176120/apple-airtag-harassment-stalker-lawsuit

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Best Fiber Internet Providers of 2022
  Available Shopping for Faster Internet Speed
https://www.cnet.com/home/internet/best-fiber-internet/

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Sports Briefs---

Aaron Judge signs record-breaking deal to stay with the Yankees
    —how his salary stacks up against other top players
https://www.cnbc.com/2022/12/07/aaron-judge-signs-record-breaking-deal-to-stay-with-yankees.html

No, Trey Lance is not an option
in the 49ers' quarterback crisis
https://www.sfgate.com/49ers/article/trey-lance-49ers-return-17633273.php

Bills pass rusher Von Miller out
for the season after ACL surgery
https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/2022/12/07/von-miller-injury-torn-acl-bills-linebacker/10852133002/

The Raiders return to L.A. on Thursday night.
In many ways it’s as if they never left
https://www.latimes.com/sports/rams/story/2022-12-07/raiders-rams-return-los-angeles-raider-image-fans-universal-citywalk

Rams likely to activate quarterback Baker Mayfield
for Thursday’s game against Raiders
https://www.bostonglobe.com/2022/12/07/sports/rams-likely-activate-quarterback-baker-mayfield-thursdays-game-against-raiders/

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California Nuts Briefs---

Dangerous weeks ahead in L.A. County as
    coronavirus suddenly surges. Here is why
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2022-12-07/why-is-covid-surge-signals-danger

Five companies win California offshore wind energy leases
https://www.mercurynews.com/2022/12/07/five-companies-win-california-offshore-wind-energy-leases/

San Jose council, not voters, will choose
two new councilmembers
https://www.mercurynews.com/2022/12/05/san-jose-vacated-seats-d8-d10/

Santa Clara County DA announces exit from Twitter
https://www.mercurynews.com/2022/12/05/santa-clara-da-announces-exit-from-twitter/

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"Gimme that wine"

On-Premise Wine Sales Near $15 Billion
https://www.winebusiness.com/news/article/265115

CAWG Announces 2023 Grower and Leader of the Year
https://www.winebusiness.com/news/article/265124

Black-Owned Uncle Nearest Whiskey
Crosses $100 Million Sales Mark
https://shoppeblack.us/uncle-nearest-whiskey-100-million-sales/

“Gimme that Wine”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJnQoi8DSE8

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

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

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

This Day in History

      1765 – Eli Whitney (d. 1825) was born in Westborough, Massachusetts Bay Colony.  American inventor best known for inventing the cotton gin. This was one of the key inventions of the Industrial Revolution and shaped the economy of the Antebellum South.  Whitney's invention made upland short cotton into a profitable crop, which strengthened the economic foundation of slavery in the US. Reportedly one of his slaves invented the device, but Blacks could not file for a patent.  Despite the social and economic impact of his invention, Whitney lost many profits in legal battles over patent infringement for the cotton gin. Thereafter, he turned his attention into securing contracts with the government in the manufacture of muskets for the newly formed United States Army. He continued making arms and inventing until his death in 1825. 
    1776 - George Washington's retreating Continental Army crossed the Delaware River from New Jersey to Pennsylvania.
    1850 - The first female African-American college graduate was Lucy Ann Stanton of Cleveland, OH, who graduated from Oberlin College, Oberlin OH, receiving the Bachelor of Literature degree. 
http://www.oberlin.edu/archive/holdings/finding/RG5/SG4/S3/graduates.html
    1861 - William “Billy” Durant (d. 1947) birthday, Boston, MA.  Almost forgotten by US history. He was a leading producer of carriages at Flint, Michigan; promoter of the Buick car; co-founder of Chevrolet and founder, in 1908, of General Motors. He lost, regained and again lost control of GM, after which he founded Durant Motors, went bankrupt in the Great Depression, and operated a Flint bowling alley in his last working years. He died a penniless man.
http://www.classiccar.com/articles/william_durant.asp
    1863 - President Abraham Lincoln issued a" proclamation of amnesty and reconstruction," offering full pardon to all southerners who voluntarily took a "prescribed oath." When the Civil War was over, there was great political strife toward forgiving the South and various plans that Abraham Lincoln had in place were ignored, except for this proclamation, which also halted the hanging of Jefferson Davis as hatred was more popular at the time than coming together as one nation. Historians believe that if Abraham Lincoln were not assassinated, he would have changed the history of Southern reconstruction and would have united the nation with this action. President Lincoln issued another proclamation on March 26,1864. President Andrew Johnson issued supplemental proclamations on May 29, 1865, September 7, 1867, July 4, 1868 and December 25, 1868.
    1879 - Louisiana ratifies a new state constitution, also moving the state capital from New Orleans to Baton Rouge
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/dec08.html
1880 - At the annual National League meeting, the league rejected the Washington Nationals’ bid for admission, in favor of Detroit, chosen for geographic reasons, to replace Cincinnati.
1881 – The National League adopted new playing rules: the three-foot corridor along the first base line is adopted for the first time; runners can no longer be put out returning to their bases after a foul ball not caught; the fine for pitchers hitting batters with pitches is repealed; the "block ball" rule allowing runners to take as many bases as possible on balls going into the crowd, the fielding team being able to put them out only after returning the ball to the pitcher in his box, is also repealed.
1886 - Birthday of Diego Rivera (d. 1957), at Guanajuato, Mexico. Mexican painter whose murals became center of political controversy.
http://www.diegorivera.com/
http://www.artcyclopedia.com/artists/rivera_diego.html
    1894 - James Grover Thurber (d. 1961) was born at Columbus, OH.  American humorist and artist, long-time contributor to the New Yorker.
http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/thurber.htm
http://home.earthlink.net/~ritter/thurber/index.html
    1894 - Popeye creator Elzie Crisler Segar (d. 1938) was born at Chester, IL. Originally called Thimble Theater, the comic strip that came to be known as Popeye had the unusual format of a one-act play in cartoon form. Centered on the Oyl family, especially daughter Olive, the strip introduced a new central character in 1929. A one-eyed sailor with bulging muscles, Popeye became the strip's star attraction almost immediately. Popeye made it to the silver screen in animated form and, in 1980, became a movie with Robin Williams playing the lead.
http://home.earthlink.net/~thimbletheatre/ecsegar.html
    1912 - Clarinetist Irving Fazola was born Irving H. Prestopnik (d. 1949), New Orleans, La. 
http://www.vh1.com/artists/az/fazola_irving/bio.jhtml
http://www.centrohd.com/biogra/f2/irving_fazola_b.htm
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/stores/artist/glance/-/
195844/104-3191958-8595946
    1913 - Trumpeter-violinist Ray Nance (d. 1976) born Chicago, Ill, with Duke Ellington from 1940 to 1963.
http://www.artistdirect.com/music/artist/bio/0,,472065,00.html?artist=Ray+Nance
http://trumpetjazz.netfirms.com/Artists/Ray_Nance.html
http://www.theiceberg.com/artist/24957/ray_nance.html
    1917 - A severe winter storm struck the Ohio Valley and Great Lakes. Buffalo, NY was buried under 25 inches of snow with wind gusts to 78 mph. 26 inches fell at Vevay, IN with drifts to 14 feet
    1923 - Norman Rockwell’s “Christmas,” one of his earliest covers for the Saturday Evening Post when they were still in black and red, depicted a trio performing Christmas carols. In Rockwell's biography, he reveals that not one of his three models had an iota of musical talent.
http://posters.barnesandnoble.com/search/Product.asp?userid=
4Z1KKRMDX1&WRK=3346590
http://www.satevepost.org/
http://www.nrm.org/norman/
    1925 - Birthday of Sammy Davis, Jr. (d. 1990), born at New York, NY. The son of vaudevillians, he first appeared on the stage at the age of four. He made his first film appearance in “Rufus Jones for President” in 1931. He then joined the Will Mastin Trio. The popular song-and-dance team was popular on the night club circuit and, as Davis matured, his singing, dancing and impersonations became the center of the act. Davis began performing on his own in the 1950s, headlining club engagements, appearing on television variety shows and making numerous records. His Broadway debut came in 1956 in the hit musical “Mr. Wonderful,” and in the late '50s and early '60s he starred in a number of films, including a series with Frank Sinatra and the Rat Pack.
http://www.sammydavisjunior.com/ http://www.celebritystorm.com/bluesandjazzandfolk/pics/SammyDavisJr/
    1933 – Comedian Flip Wilson (d. 1998) was born in Jersey City.  Best known for his television appearances during the late 1960s and 1970s. In the early 1970s, Wilson hosted his own weekly variety series, “The Flip Wilson Show.”  The series earned Wilson a Golden Globe and two Emmys, and at one point was the second highest rated show on network television.  At this time, there was no one hotter in TV than Wilson.  Wilson also won a Grammy Award in 1970 for his comedy album “The Devil Made Me Buy This Dress.”
    1937 - Birthday of James MacArthur (d. 2010), Los Angeles, California.  Played Danny "Danno" Williams, the reliable second-in-command of the fictional Hawaiian State Police squad in the long-running television series “Hawaii Five-O”... “Book ‘em Danno, murder one.”  Son of actress Helen Hayes.
http://www.jamesmacarthurfanclub.com/biography.shtml
http://www.jmdigitalscrapbook.com/javaindex.html
    1938 - The temperature at La Mesa, CA, soared to 108 degrees to set a U.S. record for the month of December.
    1938 – The birthday of The Iceman, Jerry Butler, Sunflower, MS.  The original lead singer of the Impressions and a 1991 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, Butler co-wrote “For Your Precious Love” (which is ranked No. 327 on the Rolling Stone magazine's list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All-Time).  The Impressions auditioned for Chess and Vee-Jay, eventually signing with the latter where they released "For Your Precious Love" in 1958. It became The Impressions' first hit and gold record.  He co-wrote, with Otis Redding, “I’ve Been Loving You Too Long” in 1965. Butler's solo career had a string of hits, including the Top 10 successes "He Will Break Your Heart," "Find Another Girl," "I'm A-Telling You" (all written by fellow Impression Curtis Mayfield and featuring Mayfield as harmony vocal), the million selling "Only the Strong Survive," "Moon River," "Need To Belong" (recorded with the Impressions after he went solo), "Make It Easy on Yourself," "Let It Be Me" (with Betty Everett), He serves as a Commissioner for Cook County, IL, having first been elected in 1985. As a member of this 17-member county board, he chairs the Health and Hospitals Committee, and serves as Vice Chair of the Construction Committee.
    1940 - Birthday of David Carradine, born John Arthur Carradine (d. 2009), Hollywood, California. He was known for his leading role as a Shaolin monk in the 1970s television series “King Fu.”  The oldest child of actor John Carradine and his wife, Ardanelle Abigail (McCool).  He was a half-brother of Bruce, Keith, Christopher, and Robert, and an uncle of Ever Carradine and Martha Plimpton.  http://www.ieway.com/~ckbales/david.html
http://www.davidcarradine.org/
    1940 - The Chicago Bears won the NFL championship by defeating the Washington Redskins, 73-0, the most one-sided victory in the league’s title game. Played at Griffith Stadium, Washington, DC, the Bears won the Ed Thorp Memorial Trophy. This game was also the first professional football championship game broadcast on radio. The Mutual Broadcasting System paid $25,000 for the rights to the game, which was broadcast by Red Barber. 
    1941 - Jimmy Dorsey band records, “Tangerine,” Decca 4123
    1941 - Trumpet/flugelhorn player Franco Ambrosetti born Lugano Switzerland
http://www.weinmanntours.ch/current/artists/franco_ambrosetti/franco_ambrosetti.html
http://www.enjarecords.com/FRANCO_AMBROSETTI.htm
http://www.inderbinen.com/franco.htm
http://www.vh1.com/artists/az/ambrosetti_franco/bio.jhtml
    1941 - America's Pacific fleet lay in ruins at Pearl 
Harbor following the dawn sneak attack by Japanese forces on December 7.  President Franklin Roosevelt requests, and receives, a declaration of war against Japan. Leaning heavily on the arm of his son James, a Marine captain, FDR walked haltingly into the House of Representatives at noon to request the declaration from the House and address the nation via radio. "Yesterday," the president proclaimed, "December 7, 1941-a date which will live in infamy-the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan. No matter how long it may take us to overcome this premeditated invasion, the American people in their righteous might will win through to absolute victory." Roosevelt's 10-minute speech, ending with an oath-"So help us God"-was greeted in the House by thunderous applause and stamping of feet. Within one hour, the president had his declaration of war, with only one dissenting vote, from a pacifist in the House. FDR signed the declaration at 4:10 p.m., wearing a black armband to symbolize mourning for those lost at Pearl Harbor. On both coasts, civilian defense groups were mobilized. In New York, Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia ordered the rounding up of Japanese nationals, who were transported to Ellis Island and held in custody indefinitely. In California, antiaircraft batteries were set up on Long Beach and the Hollywood Hills. Reports on supposed spy activity on the part of Japanese Americans began pouring into Washington, even as Japanese Americans paid for space in newspapers to declare unreservedly their loyalty to the United States. War is also declared upon Japan by British, Australia, New Zealand, the Netherlands, the Free French, several South American countries. China declares war upon Germany, Italy and Japan. The latter is a formal declaration only as a de facto state of war has existed between China and Japan for 7 years. Montanan Jeanette Rankin, the first woman elected to Congress and a dedicated lifelong pacifist, casts the sole Congressional vote against the U.S. declaration of war on Japan.
    1941 - Japanese troops occupy the city of Shanghai and capture a small US garrison in the foreign section.
    1941 - A US tanker was shelled by a Japanese submarine off Cape Mendocino.
    1941 - USS Wake (PR-3), a river gunboat moored at Shanghai, is only U.S. vessel to surrender during World War II.
    1941 - The Japanese attack begins with the capture of Bataan Island and the creation of an airstrip for plane refueling. Japanese invasion troops leave Paulau for the Philippines. The main attack begins with massive air bombardment which reduces the American defenses to 17 B-17's and less than 40 fighters. Most of the planes are destroyed on the ground. American General Douglas MacArthur has under his command 130,000 troops (20,000 Americans). His plan to defend the island becomes nonviable after the destruction of the main portion of his air force and the losses at Pearl Harbor.
    1941- Fears of offending American public opinion by violating Thailand's neutrality have prevented the British from preparing defenses in Thailand and difficulties with Thai border guards prevent a quick response to the Japanese landings further north.
    1941 - Japanese aircraft attacked Wake Island within hours of the fateful attack on Pearl Harbor. Marines of the 1st Defense Battalion and Marine Fighting Squadron 211 resisted Japanese invasion attempts for over two weeks before finally succumbing to an overwhelming force. A small Japanese landing force leaves Kwajalein escorted by a cruiser and two destroyers.
    1941 - Japanese General Yamashita began his attack against the British army at Singapore. General Tomoyuki Yamashita earned the name “Tiger of Malaya” for his masterful capture of Singapore and the whole Malay Peninsula from the British, who had a superior number of troops. Yamashita’s forces landed on the northern Malay Peninsula and southern Thailand on December 8, 1941, and moved rapidly southward toward Singapore, which surrendered on February 15, 1942. The peninsula and Singapore remained under Japanese control throughout the war. Later in the war, while defending the Philippines from Gen. MacArthur‘s return, Yamashita's troops wantonly slaughtered more than 100,000 Filipinos in Manila. He was later tried and executed for war crimes.
    1942 - Eight PT boats (PT 36, PT 37, PT 40, PT 43, PT 44, PT 48, PT 59, and PT 109) turn back 8 Japanese destroyers attempting to reinforce Japanese forces on Guadalcanal.
    1943 - U.S. carriers sank two cruisers and down 72 planes in the Marshall Islands.
    1943 - Birthday of James Morrison (d. 1973), Melbourne, FL.  Singer, songwriter, known as "The Lizard King," lead singer of The Doors, Jim Morrison is considered to be one of the fathers of contemporary rock. 
http://www.americanlegends.com/morrison/
http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/morrison.htm
http://www.thedoors.com/band/jim/?fa=home
    1944 - An American naval force, commanded by Admiral Smith and consisting of 3 heavy cruisers and a destroyer escort, bombarded Iwo Jima.
    1944 - On Leyte, the US 77th Division advances from its beachhead to within 1 mile of Ormoc. Attacks by the Japanese 26th Division, near Buri, are repulsed by other US forces.
    1944 - FRYAR, ELMER E., Medal of Honor
Rank and organization: Private, U.S. Army, Company E, 511th Parachute Infantry, 11th Airborne Division. Place and date: Leyte, Philippine Islands, 8 December 1944. Entered service at: Denver, Colo. Birth: Denver, Colo. G.O. No.: 35, 9 May 1945. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Pvt. Fryar's battalion encountered the enemy strongly entrenched in a position supported by mortars and automatic weapons. The battalion attacked, but in spite of repeated efforts was unable to take the position. Pvt. Fryar's company was ordered to cover the battalion's withdrawal to a more suitable point from which to attack, but the enemy launched a strong counterattack which threatened to cut off the company. Seeing an enemy platoon moving to outflank his company, he moved to higher ground and opened heavy and accurate fire. He was hit, and wounded, but continuing his attack he drove the enemy back with a loss of 27 killed. While withdrawing to overtake his squad, he found a seriously wounded comrade, helped him to the rear, and soon overtook his platoon leader, who was assisting another wounded. While these 4 were moving to rejoin their platoon, an enemy sniper appeared and aimed his weapon at the platoon leader. Pvt. Fryar instantly sprang forward, received the full burst of automatic fire in his own body and fell mortally wounded. With his remaining strength, he threw a hand grenade and killed the sniper. Pvt. Fryar's indomitable fighting spirit and extraordinary gallantry above and beyond the call of duty contributed outstandingly to the success of the battalion's withdrawal and its subsequent attack and defeat of the enemy. His heroic action in unhesitatingly giving his own life for his comrade in arms exemplifies the highest tradition of the U.S. Armed Forces.
    1945 - The Toyota Motor Company received permission from the occupation government to start production of buses and trucks--vehicles necessary to keep Japan running. After World War II ended with Japan's surrender on September 3, 1945, Japan remained under Allied occupation ruled by an occupation government. Its war industries were shut down completely. This was the first rumble of the postwar auto industry in Japan.
    1945 - Top Hits
“It’s Been a Long, Long Time” - The Harry James Orchestra (vocal: Kitty Kallen)
“That’s for Me” - Dick Haymes
“It Might as Well Be Spring” - The Sammy Kaye Orchestra (vocal: Billy Williams)
“It’s Been So Long Darling” - Ernest Tubb
    1946 - The first snow-melting apparatus using pipes embedded in the sidewalk was tested by Best and Company, a department store in New York City, which installed a system of 15 coils comprising 4,530 feet of pipe. A solution of about 67 percent water and 33 percent antifreeze by volume was circulated as protection against freezing temperatures as low as five degrees below zero. The system was put into full operation during a blizzard on December 26.
    1949 - As they steadily lose ground to the communist forces of Mao Zedong, Chinese Nationalist leaders depart for the island of Taiwan, where they establish their new capital. Nationalist leader Chiang Kai-shek left for the island the following day. This action marked the beginning of the "two Chinas" scenario that left mainland China under communist control and vexed U.S. diplomacy since.
    1950 - Ralph J Bunche becomes the first Black person awarded a Nobel Peace Prize.
http://www.michmarkers.com/startup.asp?startpage=S0363.htm
http://www.nobelprizes.com/nobel/peace/1950a.html
http://www.ralphbunche.com/
http://www.pbs.org/ralphbunche/
    1953 - President Eisenhower delivers his "Atoms for Peace" speech, which leads to an American program to supply equipment and information on nuclear power to schools, hospitals, and research institutions around the world.
    1953 - Top Hits
“Rags to Riches” - Tony Bennett
“Many Times” - Eddie Fisher
“Vaya Con Dios” - Les Paul & Mary Ford
“There Stands the Glass” - Webb Pierce
    1953 - Los Angeles, California became the third largest city in the United States, edging out Philadelphia, Pennsylvania for the distinction in a special census. Today, Los Angeles is the second largest United States city and the 16th most populated city in the world.
    1953 – Actress Kim Basinger was born in Athens, GA.  She won the Academy Award, Golden Globe and SAG Award, all for Best Supporting Actress, for her performance as Lynn Bracken in the 1997 film “L.A. Confidential.”  Basinger came to prominence playing Bond girl Domino in the 1983 film, “Never Say Never Again,” and went on to receive a Golden Globe nomination for her role as Memo Paris in “The Natural” (1984). She also starred in the controversial erotic romantic drama “91/2 Weeks” (1986) and as Vicki Vale in “Batman” (1989), which remains the highest-grossing film of her career.
    1956 - "Singing the Blues" by Guy Mitchell tops the Billboard chart for the first of an eleven week stay. Marty Robbins' version of the same song was released simultaneously and peaked at number 17.
    1958 - "The Chipmunk Song" by David Seville and the Chipmunks entered the Billboard Top 40 chart on its way to a four-week stint at #1.
    1959 - The first movie with scent was “Behind the Great Wall,” a travelogue of modern China, presented at the De Mille Theatre, New York City. The film depicted a tiger hunt, fishing with cormorants, a May Day parade in Beijing and other scenes. The scent was forced through ceiling vents by the Aromarama process. 
http://www.tvguide.com/movies/database/showmovie.asp?MI=19386
    1959 - No. 1 Billboard Pop Hit: "Heartaches by the Number," Guy Mitchell.
    1961 - The Supremes begin recording their third single, the Smokey Robinson penned "Your Heart Belongs To Me," which will become the group's first Billboard charting record, peaking at #95.
    1961 - The Beach Boys first recording, "Surfin'," is released on Candis Records, a small LA-based company, becoming a local hit in Los Angeles, California, but only making it to #75 nationally. The song was written by Brian Wilson and his cousin Mike Love and recorded with Brian's brothers, Carl and Dennis and their friend Alan Jardine. Carl played acoustic guitar, Al played double bass and Brian kept time on a garbage can.  The surfing music craze wouldn't sweep across America for another year. By the time "Surfin’ Safari" hit Top 40, in September 1962, the Beach Boys were riding a wave of popularity. 
    1961 - Top Hits
“Please Mr. Postman” - The Marvelettes
“Goodbye Cruel World” - James Darren
“The Twist” - Chubby Checker
“Big Bad John” - Jimmy Dean
    1962 - International Typographical Union's striking workers closed nine New York City newspapers. The strike lasted 114 days, before it ended on April 1, 1963, affecting a total of 5,700,000 readers. The loss of coverage made people turn on radio and television. The San Francisco Chronicle basically just closed this department as they announced all typeset is now digital, not with film or negatives that made print. Hot lead typesetting, linotype, went out in the early 1960’s.
    1963 – 19-year-old Frank Sinatra, Jr. was abducted at gunpoint from his hotel room at Harrah's Casino in Lake Tahoe, California. Two days later, he was released unharmed after his father paid the kidnappers' $240,000 ransom demand. Three amateur criminals were rounded up within a week and later tried, convicted and sent to prison.
    1963 - Lightning caused the crash of a jet airliner, killing 81 persons at Elkton, MD
    1964 - Nobel Peace Prize awarded to Dr Martin Luther King, Jr.
http://www.almaz.com/nobel/peace/MLK-nobel.html 
    1965 - On Broadway, Humphrey Bogart’s wife, Lauren Bacall, opened in "Cactus Flower," also starring Barry Nelson. The production ran for 1,234 performances and was awarded Best Play honors.
    1967 - Traffic's "Mr. Fantasty" LP is released.
    1968 - TAYLOR, KARL G., SR., Medal of Honor
Rank and organization: Staff Sergeant, U.S. Marine Corps, Company 1, 3d Battalion, 26th Marine Regiment, 3d Marine Division (Rein), FMF. Place and date: Republic of Vietnam, 8 December 1968. Entered service at: Baltimore, Md. Born: 14 July 1939, Laurel, Md. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving at night as a company gunnery sergeant during Operation MEADE RIVER. Informed that the commander of the lead platoon had been mortally wounded when his unit was pinned down by a heavy volume of enemy fire, S/Sgt. Taylor along with another marine, crawled forward to the beleaguered unit through a hail of hostile fire, shouted encouragement and instructions to the men, and deployed them to covered positions. With his companion, he then repeatedly maneuvered across an open area to rescue those marines who were too seriously wounded to move by themselves. Upon learning that there were still other seriously wounded men Lying in another open area, in proximity to an enemy machinegun position, S/Sgt. Taylor, accompanied by 4 comrades, led his men forward across the fire-swept terrain in an attempt to rescue the marines. When his group was halted by devastating fire, he directed his companions to return to the company command post; whereupon he took his grenade launcher and in full view of the enemy, charged across the open rice paddy toward the machinegun position, firing his weapon as he ran. Although wounded several times, he succeeded in reaching the machinegun bunker and silencing the fire from that sector, moments before he was mortally wounded. Directly instrumental in saving the lives of several of his fellow marines, S/Sgt. Taylor, by his indomitable courage, inspiring leadership, and selfless dedication, upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and of the U.S. Naval Service.
    1969 - Top Hits
“Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye” - Steam
“Leaving on a Jet Plane” - Peter, Paul & Mary
“Down on the Corner/Fortunate Son” - Creedence Clearwater Revival
“Okie from Muskogee” - Merle Haggard
    1972 – The first crash of a Boeing 737 occurred after aborting its landing attempt at Chicago Midway Airport, killing 45.
    1977 - Top Hits
“You Light Up My Life” - Debby Boone
“Don’t It Make My Brown Eyes Blue” - Crystal Gayle
“How Deep is Your Love” - Bee Gees
“Here You Come Again” - Dolly Parton
    1980 - Former Beatle John Lennon and his wife, Yoko Ono, arrived at New York's Dakota, the apartment house in which they lived, after an early-evening recording session. As they walked through the apartment gates, a lone gunman stopped and fired five bullets into Lennon, killing him almost instantly. The gunman, a crazed fan named Mark David Chapman, did not attempt to escape and was immediately apprehended. Lennon's untimely death set off a week of worldwide mourning, and the murder was considered to be the most shocking in the history of rock music.
    1980 - Pat Benatar receives a platinum record for her debut album, "In the Heat of the Night." The former waitress and bank teller was discovered late one night at the Catch a Rising Star club in New York. Her album made it to the Top Ten and the follow up, "Crimes of Passion," will go to #2.
    1984 - "Out Of Touch" becomes Hall and Oates' sixth US number one single, confirming their status as the most successful duo in Rock history
    1985 - Top Hits
“Broken Wings” - Mr. Mister
“Never” - Heart
“Say You, Say Me” - Lionel Richie
“I Don’t Mind the Thorns (If You’re the Rose)” - Lee Greenwood
    1987 - Ron Hextall of the Philadelphia Flyers became the first goalie in NHL history to shoot the puck into the opposing team’s net in a 5-2 victory over the Boston Bruins.
    1987 - A cold front crossing the northwestern U.S. continued to produce high winds along the coast, and heavy snow blanketed parts of the western U.S. Snowfall totals in the mountains of western Nevada ranged up to 18 inches at Heavenly Valley, and near the Boreal Ski Resort, and winds at Reno gusted to 56 mph. Thunderstorms over southern Florida deluged the Florida Keys with up to five inches of rain. Strong winds, gusting to 48 mph at Gage, OK, ushered wintry weather into the Central High Plains. Goodland KS, which one day earlier was 63 degrees, was blanketed with two inches of snow.
    1988 - Santa Ana winds buffeted southern California, with gusts to 92 mph reported at Laguna Peak. The high winds unroofed buildings, and downed trees and power lines, igniting five major fires, and numerous smaller ones. Damage was estimated at 15 to 20 million dollars
    1990 - Stevie B's "Because I Love You (The Postman Song)" reaches No. 1 on Billboard's Hot 100, a position it holds for four weeks. Billboard ranks it the top song of 1990.
    1991 - The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics ceased to exist, as the republics of Russia, Byelorussia and Ukraine signed an agreement at Minsk, Byelorussia, creating the Commonwealth of Independent States. The remaining republics, with the exception of Georgia, joined in the new Commonwealth as it began the slow and arduous process of removing the yoke of Communism and dealing with strong separatist and nationalistic movements within the various republics. Khrushchev was long buried as were many communist leaders who had threatened to “bury the U.S.”
    1991 - Kimberly Bergalis, the first patient believed to have contracted the AIDS virus from a health care professional, died at Fort Pierce, FL. It is theorized she was infected from her dentist while receiving dental care. Her case sparked controversy over how the disease is transmitted and incited calls to ban infected health care professionals form the workplace.
http://www.aegis.com/news/mh/1991/MH911212.html
    1992 - Barry Bonds signs the richest contract in Major League history. Bobby's son will make $43 million over the next six years with the Giants.
    1993 - President Clinton signed the North American Free Trade Agreement which cut tariffs and eliminated other trade barriers among the US, Canada and Mexico. The Agreement went into effect Jan 1, 1994.
    1994 - Top Hits
“On Bended Knee” - Boyz II Men
“Here Comes The Hotstepper” (From "Ready To Wear") - Ini Kamoze
“Another Night” - Real McCoy 
“Always” - Bon Jovi 
    1995 - The Grateful Dead announced they were breaking up, four months after the death of lead guitarist Jerry Garcia.
    1999 - Top Hits
“Smooth” - Santana Featuring Rob Thomas 
“Back At One” - Brian McKnight
“I Wanna Love You Forever” - Jessica Simpson 
“My Love Is Your Love” - Whitney Houston
    2008 - Khalid Sheikh Mohammed told the Guantanamo war crimes tribunal he would confess to masterminding the Sept. 11 attacks; four other men also abandoned their defenses. He was a member of bin Laden’s organization, leading al-Qaeda's propaganda operations from around 1999 until late 2001. Mohammed was captured on March 1, 2003, in Pakistan by a combined operation of the CIA and Pakistan's intelligence. Immediately after his capture, Mohammad was sent to secret CIA prison sites in Afghanistan, then Poland, where he was interrogated by U.S. operatives.  By December 2006, he had been transferred to Guantanamo. In March 2007, after significant interrogations, Mohammed confessed to masterminding the September 11 attacks; the Richard Reid shoe bombing attempt to blow up an airliner; the Bali nightclub bombing in Indonesia; the 1993 World Trade Center bombing; the murder of Daniel Pearl; and various foiled attacks as well as numerous other crimes.  He was charged in February 2008 with war crimes and murder by a US military commission at Guantanamo Bay detention camp, which could carry the death penalty if convicted. In 2012, a former military prosecutor criticized the proceedings as insupportable due to confessions gained under torture. The Supreme Court had also drawn into question the legality of the methods used to gain such admissions and the admissibility of such admissions as evidence in a criminal proceeding. On August 30, 2019, a military judge set a trial date of January 11, 2021, for Mohammed's death penalty trial. His trial was further postponed on December 18, 2020, due to the pandemic. Mohammed's trial restarted on September 7, 2021.  Mohammed, in a letter submitted to the court on July 26, 2019, communicated the willingness to help the 9/11 attack victims and their families in their lawsuit against Saudi Arabia. The mastermind is said to have demanded the elimination of his death sentence in the exchange for his cooperation.  Experts say at the rate the case is proceeding, there could be another decade of procedural hearings.
    2010 - With the second launch of the Falcon 9 and the first launch of the SpaceX Dragon, Space X becomes the first private company to successfully launch, orbit and recover a spacecraft.
    2011 – Jon Corzine, former governor of New Jersey and former CEO of MG Global and Goldman Sachs, testifies before a committee of the U.S. House of Representatives, stating he doesn't know where $1.2 billion of his customers' money has gone.  On January 5, 2017, Corzine and the CFTC agreed to a settlement order requiring Corzine to pay a $5 million penalty for his role in MF Global's collapse. Corzine also agreed to be permanently barred from working for a futures commission merchant or registering with the CFTC in any capacity.