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Monday, December 12, 2022


Today's Leasing News Headlines

If it's a train or plane, sooner or later
     it will be moved by a truck
California Commercial Finance Disclosure Law
  Not Enjoined and Now Operative
    plus Northteq/Salesforce
      Rapid Finance Disclosure Direct Forms
2018 Leasing News Exclusive:
  California State Senator Steven Glazer and
    the genesis of his bill SB 1235
      By Tom McCurnin (now retired)
Leasing and Finance Industry Help Wanted
     Holiday Remote Sales Job Wish List
CLFP Foundation 17 New CLFPs with Photographs
    Hosted by CIT - Total Membership Now 1246
Academy for Certified Lease & Finance Professionals
    December 2022 and January 2023 - Updated
Top Ten Leasing News Read by Reader
    December 2 to December 8
Labrador Retriever Mix
  San Martin, California Adopt-a-dog
deBanked Connect: Miami 2023
  January 19th, Miami Beach Convention Center
    This Will Sell Out, Advice: Register Now
News Briefs ----
Final Boeing 747 rollout for ‘Queen of the Skies’
    747 Jumbo Jet First build late 1960's
In Georgia Rivian opponents withdraw $5 Billion
    lawsuit after failing to stop grading work
The busiest port in America is no longer on the West Coast
    New York, New Jersey Busiest Last three Months
The Future of Fintech, According To AI
    Role in Financial Decisions
Santa Clara County, CA, District Attorney deactivates Twitter  
   account; others officials may follow
Ina Garten loves the Trader Joe’s
     frozen apple tart dessert

You May Have Missed ---
Confidential Records Show a Saudi Golf Tour Built
    on Far-Fetched Assumptions

Broker/Funder/Industry Lists | Features (wrilter's columns)
Top Ten Stories Chosen by Readers | Top Stories last six months
Sales Make It Happen

Sports Brief----
 California Nuts Brief---
   "Gimme that wine"
    This Day in History
     SuDoku
      Daily Puzzle
       GasBuddy
        Weather, USA or specific area
         Traffic Live----
          Wordle

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


[headlines]
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If it's a train or plane, sooner or later
 it will be moved by a truck.

Linkin Transportation Professionals, LinkedIn Group

[headlines]
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 California Commercial Finance Disclosure Law
Not Enjoined and Now Operative
plus Northteq/Salesforce
 Rapid Finance Disclosure Direct Forms


Ken Greene, Leasing News Legal Editor, noted when the Financial Disclosure injunction was requested, "Anyone awaiting the outcome of the lawsuit and not complying with the new law would be foolish."

Mark Leyes, Media Relations Director for the Department of Financial Protection and Innovation, late Friday was able to follow up at our request sent in a late Friday email he received from the DFPI legal team: "The regulations are not enjoined and become operative today (Dec. 9) as scheduled."

Small Business Finance Association had filed an injunction request on December 2, 2022, against the California Commissioner to halt the new California Business Finance Disclosure Laws to go into effect on December 9, 2022. The Los Angeles, California firm of Manatt, Phelps and Phillips, request is a 33 page "Complaint for Declaration and Injunction Relief." (1)

Ken said, “As for the SBFA lawsuit, I find it interesting that the association waited after four years of formal and informal discussion regarding California Senator Steven Glazer’s  SB 1235 until one week before the regulations became affective,  to file their complaint.

“Additionally, although they are suing for injunctive relief, they have not made a formal application to the court for a preliminary injunction, so there will be no injunction until the SFBA requests one and then it's not at all clear to me that their claims are well stated.

"The complaint seems to be focused on the purported inequities visited upon the MCA industry, which admittedly will have a difficult time complying with the disclosure laws as written, so I don't see the court enjoining the entire law and regulations. Perhaps they will carve out the MCA section but I'm not certain that is legally tenable."

Ken also had comments on the Northteq program "Disclosure Direct for Salesforce” and Rapid Finance SMB Disclosure Service:

"In the Northteq company press release:  Disclosure Direct was designed for lenders doing business in states that recently enacted laws surrounding the content and delivery of commercial lending disclosures. (2)

“Utilizing lenders’ existing Salesforce workflows as the backbone of the entire process, Disclosure Direct allows for effortless, automated disclosure document generation and empowers teams with the tools to easily adopt the process in their day-to-day tasks.”

Ken stated, "As for the Northteq product, I have not seen it, but the prospect of a third party providing an ‘effortless, automated disclosure document’ is indeed enticing, particularly in light of what I have been seeing these last few days as companies try to get their disclosures done correctly at the last minute.’

Rapid Finance, Bethesda, Maryland, also sent out a press release announcing the "availability of its new standalone Software as a Service (SaaS) Regtech module, SMB Disclosure Service, to enable business lenders and financing companies to quickly and easily produce compliant disclosure statements at a state-by-state level." (3)

Ken concludes, “One of the problems I'm seeing is that the downstream process such as the funder to broker to supplier chain seems to have slightly different perspectives to the disclosures than the upstream process of lender to assignee.

“Reconciling the two, especially given the myriad opinions of attorneys, compliance officers, and others, is not easy, as I've seen at least five different versions of the EFA disclosures and another five of the working capital/closed end loan disclosures, all with validity, most with some flaws. If Northteq and Rapid Finance, among others, can eliminate this confusion, more power to them."

(1) Manatt, Phelps and Phillips, LLP filing

(2) Northteq Company Press Release

(3) Rapid Advance Press Release

Kenneth Charles Greene
Law Office of Kenneth Charles Greene
Suite 208
5743 Corsa Avenue
Westlake Village, CA 91362
Tel: 818.575.9095
Fax: 805.435.7464
Email: ken@kengreenelaw.com

[headlines]
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2018 Leasing News Exclusive:
California State Senator Steven Glazer and
the genesis of his bill SB 1235

By Tom McCurnin (now retired)
Former Leasing News Legal Editor

Part 1
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Sep2018/09_17.htm#state

Part 2
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Sep2018/09_19.htm#opposition

Part 3
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Sep2018/09_21.htm#disclosure


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



[headlines]
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CLFP Foundation 17 New CLFPs with Photographs
Hosted by CIT - Total Membership Now 1246

The CLFP designation identifies an individual as a knowledgeable professional to employers, clients, customers, and peers in the commercial equipment finance industry. There are Certified Lease & Finance Professionals and Associates located throughout the United States (including Puerto Rico), Canada, India, Africa, and Australia.

The Certified Lease & Finance Professional (CLFP) Foundation is pleased to announce that 17 individuals, who recently sat through the 8-hour online proctored CLFP exam, have passed. They are:



Eric Angleró, CLFP

Operations Manager
Commercial Equipment Finance, Inc.


Alec Bercher, CLFP

Credit Analyst
Navitas Credit Corp.


Stacey Brewster, CLFP

Director of Operations
CIT a division of First Citizens Bank


Justin Collum, CLFP

Lease and Finance Representative
Wallwork Financial Corp.


Whitley Delaney, CLFP

Senior Funding Analyst
Navitas Credit Corp.


Nicholas Demers, CLFP

Vice President Sales
First Citizens Bank


Steven Easler, CLFP

AVP Quality Control
CIT a division of First Citizens Bank


Heather Ellison, CLFP

Senior Vice President
Equipment Financing, First Citizens Bank


Mitchell Hartmann, CLFP

Sr. Lending Solutions Manager
CIT a division of First Citizens Bank


Emily Krause, CLFP

Vice President, Frontline Risk Manager
FCB Business Capital, First Citizens Bank


Alexander Lindsey, CLFP

AVP, Strategy and Analytics
CIT a division of First Citizens Bank


Jessica Meyer, CLFP

Supervisor
ECS Financial Services, Inc.


Rebecca Persin, CLFP

Vice President, Vendor Onboarding
First Citizens Bank


Wilmely Garcia Ramos, CLFP

Accounting Manager
Commercial Equipment Finance, Inc.


Rachel Rouillard, CLFP

Solutions Architect, Vice President of Business Capital Technology First Citizens Bank


Benjamin Wendt, CLFP

Vice President, Sales Management
CIT a division of First Citizens Bank


Nicole White, CLFP

Director, Sales Operations
First Citizens Bank

Benjamin Wendt, CLFP – Vice President, Sales Management, CIT, attended the private ALFP hosted by his company, CIT, in November and stated, “The CLFP designation is becoming the preeminent credential within the equipment finance space, designating professionals who exemplify expertise and integrity in this field.

“Being in the equipment finance industry for 15 years, I believe this was a necessary credential to set myself apart, and demonstrate actively pursuing the highest levels of proficiency, benefiting those I serve. These are the reasons why I pursued and obtained the CLFP designation.”

Wilmely Garcia Ramos, CLFP, Accounting Manager
Commercial Equipment Finance, Inc.  became the sixth CLFP located in Puerto Rico and reflected on her journey to gain the designation, “I learned about the CLFP designation thanks to the COO of our company (Commercial Equipment Finance, Inc.), and I decided to pursue it since I’ve been working for the finance industry for the last four years.

“I’ve always wanted to have more knowledge and a greater understanding of the industry. Now, given the fact that I’m currently on a new position, I’m feeling more confident thanks to all the additional insight that I got through the materials and the virtual
lessons provided by the ALFP. “

Academy for Lease & Finance Professionals
https://clfpfoundation.org/academy-for-lease-and-finance-professionals/
New CLFP "Frequently Asked Question" Guide:
https://clfpfoundation.org/faqs/

For further information, please contact Reid Raykovich, CLFP, Chief Executive Officer, reid@clfpfoundation.org or or visit: http://www.CLFPFoundation.org.


[headlines]
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Academy for Certified Lease & Finance Professionals
December, 2022, January, 2023 - Updated

The Academy for Lease and Finance Professionals (ALFP) is a three-day event designed to fully prepare an individual to sit for the CLFP exam assuming the attendee has already self-studied. A trend has begun in having virtual online sessions.

During the first two days, all of the required sections of the CLFP exam are covered in-depth. On the third day, the exam is offered but is not mandatory and may be taken on another day.

Students are strongly advised to have read and studied The Certified Lease & Finance Professionals' Handbook prior to attending the class in order to ensure success.

2022 Private Virtual ALFP Hosted by DLL
December 13 – 14. 2022

Ascentium Capital Private Online ALFP
January 4- 6, 2023 

Professional Handbook for Taking the Test in 2022
Eighth Edition:
https://clfpfoundation.org/
(Note: for taking test in 2023 Ninth Edition, available.)

About Academy
https://clfpfoundation.org/academy-for-lease-and-finance-professionals




[headlines
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Top Ten Leasing News Read by Reader
December 2 to December 8
(Due to PG&E Power Outage Schedule Changed)

(1) Injunction Request Filed to Halt the California
New Commercial Finance Disclosure Law
https://leasingnews.org/archives/Dec2022/12_08.htm#injuction

(2) Funders Taking "New" Broker Business List
Four Do Not Require that Brokers Be Licensed
https://leasingnews.org/archives/Dec2022/12_05.htm#looking

(3) New Hires/Promotions in the Leasing Business
    and Related Industries
https://leasingnews.org/archives/Dec2022/12_05.htm#hires

(4) New Hires/Promotions in the Leasing Business
and Related Industries
https://leasingnews.org/archives/Dec2022/12_08.htm#hires

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

(6) Landline Phones Are a Dying Breed
% Adult Households with/without landline phone
https://leasingnews.org/archives/Dec2022/12_05.htm#landline

(7) Cash Flow is King
Sales Makes it Happen by Scott Wheeler, CLFP
https://leasingnews.org/archives/Dec2022/12_08.htm#cash

(8) Crypto Stocks Teeter Near Abyss
as Fink’s Warning Adds to Angst
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/crypto-stocks-teeter-near-abyss-150000942.html

(9) Female Leasing/Finance Association Presidents
Year of Office
https://leasingnews.org/archives/Oct2021/10_29.htm#female

(10) Amazon to Expand the List of Places
Where Customers Can Return Products
https://leasingnews.org/archives/Dec2022/12_08.htm#amazon


[headlines]
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Labrador Retriever Mix
San Martin, Santa Clara County, California

Daisy

ID #2105425
Female
Spayed
Black and White

She has been at the shelter since September 09, 2022

Shelter Staff made the following comments about this animal: Daisy is a shy girl that is acclimating to the shelter. She is a bit scared in her kennel but can seems to respond to someone that is calm and patient with her.

Interested in meeting me? Please visit our adoption center located at 12425 Monterey Rd in San Martin anytime during open hours (12-6pm weekdays, 12-5 pm weekends). No appointment is necessary and there is no pre-application process.
https://animalservices.sccgov.org/adopt-pet-its-easy

Website states: Fee $110 Dogs, includes Microchip ID implantation and registration age-appropriate vaccinations, de-fleaing and deworming

“We need your help fostering and adopting dogs! The County of Santa Clara Animal Services Center is experiencing an unprecedented surge in the number of dogs that are available for adoptions. The shelter is well over capacity and needs to find homes for dozens of lovable dogs. Call 408-686-3900 or go to the shelter’s website to learn more – or just come down to the shelter! The Animal Services Center is open noon to 6 p.m. on weekdays and noon to 5 p.m. on weekends. It is located at 12425 Monterey Road in San Martin.”
https://news.sccgov.org/county-animal-services-center-needs-communitys-help-fostering-and-adopting-dogs

[headlines]
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deBanked Connect: Miami 2023
January 19th, Miami Beach Convention Center
This Will Sell Out, Advice: Register Now

Connect all over again at the Miami Beach Convention Center for one of the best experiences in the alternative finance industry.

This is the industry's go-to South Florida event. In addition to being a major alternative finance hub, companies from all across the nation descend on Miami each January to learn, grow their business, and CONNECT

The Broker Fair is the largest gathering of MCA and business loan brokers in the country. Focused on commercial finance and small business lending alike, this exclusive one-day event offers brokers, lenders, funders, and service providers education, inspiration, and opportunities to connect and grow their business.

Register:
https://www.debankedmiami.com/page/2322141/register


[headlines]
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News Briefs---

Final Boeing 747 rollout for ‘Queen of the Skies’
    747 Jumbo Jet First build late 1960's
https://www.seattletimes.com/business/final-747-rollout-for-queen-of-the-skies/#:~:text=The%20final%20747%20jumbo%20jet,jet%20in%20the%20late%201960s
 
In Georgia Rivian opponents withdraw $5 Billion
    lawsuit after failing to stop grading work
https://www.ajc.com/news/rivian-opponents-withdraw-lawsuit-after-failing-to-stop-grading-work/SF3DMMVLMVGJVKONJXMKIO75WA/

The busiest port in America is no longer on the West Coast
    New York, New Jersey Busiest Last three Months
https://www.mercurynews.com/2022/12/09/the-busiest-port-in-america-is-no-longer-on-the-west-coast/

The Future of Fintech, According To AI
    Role in Financial Decisions  
https://www.forbes.com/sites/alexlazarow/2022/12/10/the-future-of-fintech-according-to-ai/?sh=3ffdb1d83336

Santa Clara County, CA, District Attorney deactivates Twitter   
    account; others officials may follow
https://www.kalw.org/kalw-news/2022-12-08/santa-clara-da-deactivates-twitter-account-others-officials-may-follow

Ina Garten loves the Trader Joe’s
    frozen apple tart dessert
https://www.sfgate.com/food/article/ina-garten-loves-trader-joes-17643251.php?IPID=SFGate-HP-Editors-Picks

[headlines]
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https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/11/sports/golf/liv-saudi-pga.html


[headlines]

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Sports Briefs---

Purdy outshines Brady in 1st start as 49ers beat Bucs 35-7
https://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/sports/purdy-outshines-brady-in-1st-start-as-49ers-beat-bucs-35-7/

Photos: San Francisco 49ers’ Brock Purdy first quarterback
to beat Tom Brady in first career start
https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2022/12/11/photos-san-francisco-49ers-brock-purdy-first-quarterback-to-beat-tom-brady-in-first-career-start/

How Brock Purdy climbed from high school phenom
to college star to 49ers’ starting quarterback
https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2022/12/09/how-brock-purdy-climbed-from-high-school-phenom-to-college-star-to-49ers-starting-quarterback/

Pouring Through a Crisis: How Budweiser Salvaged Its World Cup
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/11/sports/world-cup/budweiser-world-cup.html

Tyler Huntley hurt as Ravens again lose a starting QB
https://www.theredzone.org/Blog-Description/EntryId/26775/Tyler-Huntley-hurt-as-Ravens-again-lose-a-starting-QB

Kenny Pickett leaves Steelers game in concussion protocol
https://www.theredzone.org/Blog-Description/EntryId/26774/Kenny-Pickett-leaves-Steelers-game-in-concussion-protocol

NFL playoff picture after Week 14: Eagles clinch
first postseason berth, Chiefs near AFC West title
https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/2022/12/11/nfl-playoff-picture-standings-afc-nfc-after-week-14/10879264002/

Kurtenbach: The Warriors’ win over the Celtics sent a message
— Golden State is still the league’s top team (when it wants to be)
https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2022/12/10/kurtenbach-the-warriors-win-over-the-celtics-sent-a-message-golden-state-is-still-the-leagues-top-team-when-it-wants-to-be/



[headlines]
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California Nuts Briefs---

High gas costs hurt California drivers as refiners
    rake in huge profits. These charts explain
https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2022-12-11/four-charts-explain-why-californian-gas-prices-are-so-high

Karen Bass’s First Act as L.A.’s Mayor:
Declaring Homelessness an Emergency
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/11/us/politics/karen-bass-la-mayor.html

California company hit with $128 million fine
over cannabis gummies
https://www.sfgate.com/cannabis/article/california-company-fined-for-edibles-17640616.php

One of the San Francisco Bay Area’s largest private coastal properties
to become a park
https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/private-coastal-property-park-17644089.php

Napa, Marin, Sonoma counties retain pandemic-era
‘parklets’ as permanent fixtures
https://www.northbaybusinessjournal.com/article/article/napa-marin-sonoma-counties-retain-pandemic-era-parklets-as-permanent-fi/

Guaranteed income program launches
in Santa Clara County, California
https://cupertinotoday.com/2022/12/08/guaranteed-income-pilot-launches-in-santa-clara-county/


[headlines]

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"Gimme that wine"

The Most Memorable Wines of 2022
   By Eric Asimov
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/08/dining/drinks/best-wines-of-2022.html

Napa vineyard sales are usually secret.
So why was this $34 million deal so public?
https://www.sfchronicle.com/food/wine/article/Seven-Stones-Meteor-Vineyards-Napa-17638280.php

Duckhorn Portfolio ‘continues to outpace’
wine industry slowdowns
https://finance.yahoo.com/video/duckhorn-portfolio-continues-outpace-wine-221033259.html


“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/

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

This Day in History

     1712 - The South Carolina colony passed a "Sunday Law" requiring "all...persons whatsoever" to attend church each Sunday, to refrain from skilled labor, and to do no traveling by horse or wagon beyond the necessary. Infractions of this law were met with a “10_shilling fine and/or a two_hour lock_up in the village stocks.”
    1745 - Birthday of John Jay (d. 1829), New York, NY. American statesman, diplomat and first Chief Justice of the US Supreme Court (1789-95).  Co-author, with Alexander Hamilton and James Madison, of the influential “Federalist Papers,” a series of 85 articles that promoted the ratification of the new US Constitution. 
http://www.constitution.org/img/judge009.htm
http://www.pojonews.com/enjoy/stories/09239610.htm
(lower part of:  http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/dec12.html)
    1770 - The British soldiers responsible for the “Boston Massacre” were acquitted on murder charges.
    1787 - Pennsylvania became the second state to ratify the US Constitution, by a vote of 46 to 23. One of the original 13 colonies, Pennsylvania is geographically located in the keystone position in relation to the other 12 colonies, earning the nickname, the Keystone State. The state capital is Harrisburg, a city almost midway between Pennsylvania’s two most well-known cites, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. Philadelphia is also where the First Continental Congress met and where the Declaration of Independence was signed. Not so famous is the state bird, the ruffed grouse and the state flower, the mountain laurel.
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/dec12.html
    1790 - The first Catholic Bible printed in English was a 900-page quarto printed by Carey, Stewart and Company, Philadelphia. It was issued in 49-page sections every Saturday. It was based on the New Testament published in 1582 in Reims, France, and the Old Testament published in Douai, Flanders, in 1609.
    1791 – The Bank of the United States opened.
    1799 - Two days before his death, George Washington composed his last letter, to Alexander Hamilton, his aide-de-camp during the Revolution and later his Secretary of the Treasury. In the letter, he urged Hamilton to work for the establishment of a national military academy. Washington wrote that letter at the end of a long, cold day of snow, sleet and rain that he had spent out-of-doors. He remained outside for more than five hours, according to his secretary, Tobias Lear, and he did not change out of his wet clothes or dry his hair when he returned home. When he became ill, the doctors bled him five times while his condition became worse, as that was the best cure, they thought, in colonial days.
    1800 – Washington, DC was named as the capital of the United States. 
    1805 - Birthday of William Lloyd Garrison (d. 1879), American anti-slavery leader, poet, and journalist, at Newburyport, MA.
http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/USASgarrison.htm
    1805 - Birthday of Henry Wells (d. 1878), one of the fathers of speed-conscious delivery and banking services. Born in Thetford, Vermont, Wells cut his teeth working as an agent for Harden’s Express in upstate New York. Clearly taken with the express transport business, Wells set up his own shop, Livingston Wells and Pomeroy’s Express, which ferried "goods, valuables, and specie" between Buffalo and Albany. By 1844, Wells sensed that it was time to push his business west of Buffalo, and he joined forces with William Fargo and Daniel Dunning to start Wells and Company, which would service terrain beyond the upper reaches of New York. While this was all fairly ambitious maneuvering, the 1850s saw Wells make an even stronger move to conquer the express market. First, in 1850, ever ambitious, he merged his two concerns into the American Express Company, which initially covered California and the Eastern seaboard (it later stretched to serve Latin America). Then, in 1852, he linked up with Fargo again to form Wells, Fargo and Company, a joint-stock venture that served as a holding company for the Wells Fargo Bank. Along with bankrolling business ventures, Wells used his ever-swelling fortune to aid the plight of chronic stutterers, as well as to establish Wells Seminary (now Wells College) for women.
    1806 - Birthday of Stand Watie (d. 1871) at Oothcaloga, Cherokee Nation (now Calhoun), Georgia.  Cherokee chief who, by signing the treaty of New Echota, surrendered his people’s land in Georgia, forcing their relocation to Oklahoma. Though three other signers were murdered, Watie escaped and went onto initiate the first volunteer Cherokee regiment for the Confederates in the Civil War. Promoted to brigadier general, he was active in destroying property of other Native Americans who supported the Union. He never gave up. 
    1822 – The United States officially recognized Mexico as an independent nation.
    1835 - Sarah Brown Ingersoll Cooper (d. 1896) was born in Cazenovia, NY.  She was director and superintendent of the Gold Gate Kindergarten Association, which incorporated nearly 4,000 pupils in the pioneer learning experience.   Her daughter, Harriett, had quit her teaching job to assist Sarah, but suffered from bouts of depression, especially following the death of her father. Harriet asphyxiated her mother and herself on December 11, 1896, the day after her mother’s 61st birthday.
    1862 - Naval Engagement at Yazoo River MS (USS CAIRO torpedoed)
http://www.nps.gov/vick/cairo/cairo.htm
    1862 - Battle of Fredericksburg, Virginia (Marye's Heights) was fought December 11–15, 1862, in and around Fredericksburg, between General Robert E. Lee’s Confederate Army of Northern Virginia and the Union Army of the Potomac, commanded by Maj. Gen. Ambrose Burnside. The Union Army's futile frontal attacks on December 13 against entrenched Confederate defenders on the heights behind the city is remembered as one of the most one-sided battles of the Civil War, with Union casualties more than twice as heavy as those suffered by the Confederates.
http://search.eb.com/blackhistory/micro/492/61.html
    1870 - Rachel Crothers (d. 1958) birthday in Bloomington, IL.   She was an American playwright, director, and producer. She triumphed on Broadway with 34 of the 38 plays she wrote in her lifetime, usually doing everything from writing to casting to directing to producing on her way to becoming a legend.   She opened doors for women in the theater before World War II and was also known as a philanthropist and activist. http://dizzy.library.arizona.edu/users/btravers/sabbatical/crothers.htm
http://us.imdb.com/name/nm0189405/
    1870 - Joseph Hayne Rainey of Georgetown, SC, was sworn in as the first African-American to serve in the US House of Representatives. Rainey filled the seat of Benjamin Franklin Whittemore, which had been declared vacant by the House. He also was the first African American to preside over the House, and the longest–serving African American during the tumultuous Reconstruction period. While Rainey’s representation—like that of the other 21 black Representatives of the era—was symbolic, he also demonstrated the political nuance of a seasoned, substantive Representative, balancing his defense of southern blacks’ civil rights by extending amnesty to the defeated Confederates. “I tell you that the Negro will never rest until he gets his rights,” he said on the House Floor. “We ask [for civil rights] because we know it is proper,” Rainey added, “not because we want to deprive any other class of the rights and immunities they enjoy, but because they are granted to us by the law of the land.” He served until March 3, 1879.
http://search.eb.com/blackhistory/micro/492/61.html
http://history.house.gov/People/Listing/R/RAINEY,-Joseph-Hayne-%28R000016%29/
    1878 – Joseph Pulitzer began publishing the St. Louis Dispatch.
    1882 - Portland, OR, was drenched with 7.66 inches of rain, a record 24-hour total for that location. (12th-13th)
    1897 - Rudolph Dirks' first “Katzenjammer Kids” cartoon strip appears in the New York Journal.
    1899 - African-American George F. Grant of Boston, Massachusetts obtained a patent for his invention, the golf tee. It was a wooden tee with a tapering base portion and a flexible tubular concave shoulder to hold the golf ball. As a side note, Grant was the first African-American to graduate from Harvard University.
    1899 – Oahu reported its first case of the plague.
    1900 – Sammy Davis, Sr. (d. 1988) was born in Wilmington, NC.
    1900 - The National League considered going back to 12 teams to counter American League moves into some cities. Club owners invited Ban Johnson to come to the NL meeting, but changed their minds about compromise and left the AL head outside the meeting room…something Johnson never forgot.  The NL awarded the AL's Minnesota and Kansas City territories to the new Western League, even before the AL officially abandoned them.
    1901 – Marconi received the first transatlantic radio signal.  Using a 500-foot kite-supported antenna for reception, the message was received at St. John’s, Newfoundland as signals transmitted by the company's new high-power station at Poldhu, Cornwall. The distance between the two points was about 2,200 miles (3,500 km).
    1906 - Oscar Straus, the first Jewish cabinet member, was appointed Secretary of Commerce by Theodore Roosevelt. Straus was born in Rhenish, Bavaria in 1850, and graduated from Columbia (B.A., 1871; LL.B., 1873). He practiced law in New York City until 1881 and then went into business with his brothers. He was minister to Turkey (1887–89) under President Grover Cleveland and again (1898–1900) under William McKinley and was ambassador to Turkey (1909–10) under William H. Taft. He was appointed (1902) to the Permanent Court of Arbitration (the Hague Tribunal) and was (1906–9) Secretary of Commerce and Labor under Theodore Roosevelt. This position placed him in charge of the United States Bureau of Immigration. During his tenure, Straus ordered immigration inspectors to work closely with local police and the US Secret Service to locate, arrest and deport immigrants with Anarchist political beliefs under the terms of the Anarchist Exclusion Act…imagine that…enforcing existing immigration laws! He was candidate for governor of New York on the Progressive party ticket in 1912. He wrote several books, including “Roger Williams” (1894), “The American Spirit” (1913), and “Under Four Administrations” (1922).  He died in New York in 1926.
    1912 - Birthday of Henry Armstrong (d. 1988), boxing champion, born Henry Jackson, Jr., at Columbus, Mississippi. Armstrong was the first boxer to hold three world titles simultaneously. He won the featherweight title on October 29, 1937, the welterweight title on May 31, 1938, and the lightweight title three months later.
    1913 – The Mona Lisa was recovered, having been stolen from The Louvre in 1911.
    1915 - Frank Sinatra (d. 1998) born at Hoboken, NJ. While the websites give more history, briefly Frank Sinatra matured from a teen idol to the premiere singer of American popular music and the entertainment icon of the 20th century. He successfully transitioned from big band singer to radio, to movies, to concerts, then to television.  Known as the “Chairman of the Board” to his fans, he made more than 200 albums. His signature songs included “All the Way,” “New York, New York,” and “My Way,” written expressly for him by Paul Anka.  His film career included musicals, “On the Town” and “Pal Joey,” and two gritty films for which he won Oscar nominations:  “From Here to Eternity” and “The Man with the Golden Arm.” One of his many movies is making a revival with stars of the day instead of his “Rat Pack”:  ”Oceans' Eleven” has been followed by “Oceans' Twelve” and Oceans Thirteen.” “Put Your Dreams Away for Another Day.”  It is told that he drank a bottle of Jack Daniel’s every day.
    1917 - Father Edward Flanagan opened Boys Town west of Omaha, Nebraska, as a farm village for wayward boys, and since 1979, for girls too. In 1938, Spencer Tracy played Father Flanagan in "Boys Town," winning an Oscar.
http://www.girlsandboystown.org/aboutus/history/index.asp
    1918 - Birthday of jazz great Joe Williams (d. 1999) at Cordele, GA. The album that turned me onto jazz in the early 1950’s when it came out, “Count Basie Swings, Joe Williams Sings,” is still wonderful today.
http://worksology.com/jazz/blues/williams.htm
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00000476B/
inktomi-musicasin-20/002-6663560-5946468
    1922 – Yankees owner Jacob Ruppert bought out his partner to take full control of the team.  Until his death in 1939, the team went to the World Series ten times, winning 7.  Surprisingly, he was not elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame until 2013, despite laying the foundation for the most successful sports franchise in history.
    1923 – Television game show host Bob Barker was born in Darrington, WA.  He is known for hosting “The Price is Right” from 1972 to 2007, making it the longest-running daytime game show in North American television history, and for hosting “Truth or Consequences” from 1956 to 1974.
    1924 – The late former Mayor of New York City, Ed Koch (d. 2013), was born in The Bronx.  “How’m I doin’?”
    1925 - The first motel opened, called the Motel Inn, San Luis Obispo, California. Arthur S. Heineman was the architect. The building featured a sign with flashing lights that alternated the letters H and M preceding the letters “otel” to spell out “Hotel” and “Motel.”  It had accommodations for 160 guests, individual chalets with garage, bathroom, and telephone. It was designed for motorists to be a “drive-up” hotel.
    1927 – Robert Noyce (d. 1990), co-inventor of the microchip and co-founder of Intel, was born in Burlington, IA.  A wonderful book, “The Idea Factory” chronicles his and the scientific careers of his famous colleagues including William Shockley, at AT&T’s Bell Labs.
    1929 - Jazz pianist Toshiko Akiyoshi born Darien, Manchuria.  She has received fourteen Grammy Award nominations and was the first woman to win Best Arranger and Composer awards in Down Beat magazine's annual Readers' Poll. In 2007, she was named an NEA Jazz Master by the U.S. National Endowment for the Arts.
    1930 – In one of the first ‘game-changing rules,’ Major League Baseball voted that a ball that bounces over the fence is no longer a home run, but a grounds-rule double.
    1937 – Prelude to war?  Japanese aircraft sank a U.S. gunboat Panay on the Yangtze River in China. Japan apologized and eventually paid U.S. $2.2M in reparations. 
    1937 – The Washington Redskins, led by rookie QB-Safety-Punter Sammy Baugh, won the NFL championship, 28-21 over the Chicago Bears.  It was the Redskins’ first season in the nation’s capital after moving from Boston. 
    1937 – NBC and RCA sent the first mobile-TV vans onto the streets of NY
    1938 - Connie Francis birthday, born Concetta Rosa Maria Franconero at Newark, NJ.  Francis remains the top-charting female vocalist of the late 1950s and early 1960s and perhaps, rock ‘n’ roll’s first female solo star.  Her first big single in the 50s was "Who's Sorry Now."  On January 1, 1958, the song debuted on American Bandstand. By mid-year, over a million copies had been sold, and Francis was suddenly launched into worldwide stardom. In April 1958, "Who's Sorry Now" reached # 1 on the UK Charts and # 4 in the US. For the next four years, Francis was voted the "Best Female Vocalist" by American Bandstand viewers.  She continued with a dozen hit singles and albums including "Where the Boys Are" into the 1960s up to the British invasion. 
http://www.12mb.com/connie/intro.htm
http://www.swinginchicks.com/connie_francis.htm
    1940 – Singer Dionne Warwick was born Marie Dionne Warwick in East Orange, NJ.  Warwick ranks among the 40 biggest hit makers of the entire rock era, based on the Billboard Hot 100 Pop Singles Charts. Dionne Warwick is second only to Aretha as the most-charted female vocalist of all time with 69 of Dionne's singles making the Billboard Hot 100 between 1962 and 1998.  Her collaboration with producers Hal David and Bert Bacharach produced her first hit, “Don’t Make Me Over,” followed quickly by “Anyone Who Had a Heart,” “Walk on By,” and “Do You Know The Way To San Jose?,” weathering the British invasion better than most American artists.
    1941 - *ELROD, HENRY TALMAGE, Medal of Honor.
Rank and organization: Captain, U.S. Marine Corps. Born: 27 September 1905, Rebecca, Ga. Entered service at: Ashburn, Ga. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while attached to Marine Fighting Squadron 211, during action against enemy Japanese land, surface and aerial units at Wake Island, 8 to 23 December 1941. Engaging vastly superior forces of enemy bombers and warships on 9 and 12 December, Capt. Elrod shot down 2 of a flight of 22 hostile planes and, executing repeated bombing and strafing runs at extremely low altitude and close range, succeeded in inflicting deadly damage upon a large Japanese vessel, thereby sinking the first major warship to be destroyed by small caliber bombs delivered from a fighter-type aircraft. When his plane was disabled by hostile fire and no other ships were operative, Capt. Elrod assumed command of 1 flank of the line set up in defiance of the enemy landing and, conducting a brilliant defense, enabled his men to hold their positions and repulse intense hostile fusillades to provide covering fire for unarmed ammunition carriers. Capturing an automatic weapon during 1 enemy rush in force, he gave his own firearm to 1 of his men and fought on vigorously against the Japanese. Responsible in a large measure for the strength of his sector's gallant resistance, on 23 December, Capt. Elrod led his men with bold aggressiveness until he fell, mortally wounded. His superb skill as a pilot, daring leadership and unswerving devotion to duty distinguished him among the defenders of Wake Island, and his valiant conduct reflects the highest credit upon himself and the U.S. Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country.
    1941 - The UK declared war on Bulgaria. Hungary and Romania declared war on the US.   India declares war on Japan.
    1946 – The United Nations accepts 6 blocks in midtown Manhattan as a gift from John D Rockefeller, Jr.
http://www.angelfire.com/dc/undersiege/therockefellers.html
    1946 – Tide detergent was introduced.
    1949 - Top Hits
“Mule Train” - Frankie Laine
“I Can Dream, Can’t I?” - The Tommy Dorsey Orchestra (vocal: Jack Leonard)
“Don’t Cry, Joe” - The Gordon Jenkins Orchestra (vocal: Betty Brewer)
“Mule Train” - Tennessee Ernie Ford
    1950 - The first woman appointed to perform rabbinical functions in the US, Paula Ackerman, leads the congregation in her first services.
1952 - Peter J. McGovern becomes the president of the Little League replacing Charles Durban who resigned due to ill health. The league, a non-profit organization based in South Williamsport, PA, started in 1939 with two leagues.  It has now grown to 1,800 leagues in 50 states, several US territories and protectorates, and international sites, organizing local youth baseball and softball leagues throughout the U.S. and the world.
    1955 - The largest philanthropic act in the world was announced by the Ford Foundation which gave $500,000,000 to private hospitals, colleges and medical schools.
    1955 - Bill Haley and His Comets record "See You Later Alligator"
    1957 - Top Hits
“Jailhouse Rock” - Elvis Presley
“Raunchy” - Bill Justis
“Peggy Sue” - Buddy Holly
“My Special Angel” - Bobby Helms
    1957 - Willem J Kolff and his team at the Cleveland Clinic removed the heart from a dog and replaced it with a pneumatic pump which kept the dog alive for 90 minutes, proving the viability of the artificial heart.
    1959 - At 22 years and 104 days of age, Bruce McLaren became the youngest driver to win a Grand Prix race as he earned first place at Sebring, Florida.
    1959 - After being overtaken as the best-selling record in the US for a couple of weeks, Bobby Darin's "Mack The Knife" returned to the top spot on the Cashbox chart. It is a feat that is seldom duplicated.
    1961 - Former big band singer with Kay Kyser, Mike Douglas began a variety TV show from Cleveland. The show became most successful when he moved to KYW-TV in Philadelphia from Cleveland. Then, when the Douglas show left Philly for Hollywood, it folded. All things considered, it was a successful syndication effort, nationally, for Westinghouse Productions.
    1962 - Birthday of Tracey Ann Austin at Palos Verdes, CA.  US tennis player, who, at 16, became the youngest person to win the U.S. Open.   Won her second Open in 1981 just before an injury cut short her career.
    1962 – Former NFL defensive lineman, longtime co-host of ESPN’s “Mike and Mike,” and now host of “Golic and Wingo,” Mike Golic was born in Willowick, OH.
    1963 - "John Fitzgerald Kennedy - A Memorial Album" became the fastest-selling record of all time when 4 million copies of the disk, each selling for 99 cents, were sold in six days -- between December 7-12. The memorial tribute was recorded November 22, the day President Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas.
    1963 - Frank Sinatra Jr returned after being kidnapped
http://www.geocities.com/surfinagain/arch08-1.html
http://www.thejukejoint.com/franksinatrajr.html
    1964 - Bobby Vinton scores his fourth Billboard chart topper with "Mr. Lonely." It was a song that Bobby co-wrote and had added to his Greatest Hits album as filler, but the track was quickly released as a single when it started to get airplay.
    1964 - The Righteous Brothers song "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling" is released.
    1965 - Top Hits
“Turn! Turn! Turn!” - The Byrds
“Let’s Hang On!” - The 4 Seasons
“I Got You (I Feel Good)” - James Brown
“Make the World Go Away” - Eddy Arnold
    1965 - Gale Sayers of the Chicago Bears tied an NFL record by scoring six touchdowns in the Bears’ 61-20 win over the San Francisco 49ers. Sayers rushed for four scores, caught an 80-yard touchdown pass and returned a punt 85 yards.  One of the Niners’ defenders was said to have remarked after the game, “It was like trying to tackle fog.”
    1965 – The Beatles’ final concert in the UK was held at the Capitol Theatre in Cardiff, Wales.
    1965 - US Supreme Court votes 4-3 allowing Braves to move to Atlanta. Earlier, the Braves' move to Atlanta was halted by a court order, forcing a lame duck season in Milwaukee. The Braves led the league with 196 homers. In 1966, The Braves and Pirates debuted Major League Baseball's first season in Atlanta on April 12, with Pittsburgh winning, 3-2, in 13 innings. Atlanta was fifth in its initial season, but Henry Aaron hit 44 homers and had 127 RBI to lead the league.
    1968 – Arthur Ashe became the first African-American to be ranked #1 in tennis.
    1969 - The worst tornado of record for western Washington State tracked south of Seattle, traveling five miles, from Des Moines to Kent. The tornado, 50 to 200 yards in width, began as a waterspout over Puget Sound. One person was injured and the tornado caused half a million dollars’ damage.
    1970 - Smokey Robinson and the Miracles' "Tears of a Clown" hits #1
    1970 - Stephen Stills releases "Love The One You're With"
    1971 - Left wing Bobby Hull of the Chicago Blackhawks got the 1,000th point of his NHL career, an assist in the first period of a 5-3 victory over the Minnesota North Stars. Hull finished his career with 1,170 points and entered the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1983.
    1973 - Top Hits
“Top of the World” - Carpenters
“Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” - Elton John
“The Love I Lost” - Harold Melvin & The Bluenotes
“The Most Beautiful Girl” - Charlie Rich
    1975 – Sara Jane Moore pled guilty to trying to kill President Gerald Ford.
    1976 – “Broadway” Joe Namath played his final game as QB of the Jets and was traded to the LA Rams.
    1980 - Oil tycoon Armand Hammer bought a notebook of writings by Leonardo da Vinci for $5.28 million at auction in London. It was the highest price ever paid for a manuscript. It was 36 pages long and dated back to 1508.
    1980 - The U.S. Congress amended the Copyright Act in 1980 to explicitly recognize that computer programs were protected as literary works.
    1980 - Marie Osmond's solo variety series, “Marie,” premieres on NBC.
    1981 - Top Hits
“Physical” - Olivia Newton-John
“Waiting for a Girl like You” - Foreigner
“Every Little Thing She Does is Magic” - The Police
“Still Doin’ Time” - George Jones
    1982 - Known as the “Great Snowplow Play,” the New England Patriots defeated the Miami Dolphins, 3-0, in a driving snowstorm at Foxboro Stadium. The winning points came on a late field goal by John Smith, kicked after a snowplow came onto the field and cleared a spot for Smith and his holder. According to Kimberlee R. Coleman’s husband, the person who cleared the field was a state prisoner out on a work furlough. The Miami Dolphins believe they are robbed in the snowplow game by a 24-year-old man who is serving a 15-year sentence for robbing a house and is now on a work release program from the prison. Late in the fourth quarter, the New England Patriots are preparing to break a scoreless tie with a field goal when coach Ron Meyer waves Mark Henderson onto the field at Foxboro Stadium. Henderson fires up his yellow John Deere (Model 314) and heads for the Miami 23-yard line. Despite screams of protest from the Dolphins, Henderson runs a terrific sweep with his tractor-driven snowplow and clears the area for kicker John Smith. Smith kicks a 33-yard field goal with 4:40 left. After the Patriots' 3-0 victory, livid Dolphins coach Don Shula says, "The officials shouldn't have let it happen." Henderson says, "I figured, 'What's the most they could do? Put me in jail?' "
    1983 - Football’s Jim Brown showed up in "Sports Illustrated" again. This time, he was not on the cover as in September, 1960, but inside the magazine -- a record span of more than 23 years between spreads, as they say in the publishing biz.
    1983 – A truck bomb exploded at the US Embassy in Kuwait.
    1984 - The group known as Band Aid -- 38 of Britain’s top rock musicians -- recorded "Do They Know This is Christmas?" for Ethiopian famine victims. Despite the best of intentions, much of the food raised never got to the starving Ethiopians. In fact, much of it was found rotting on docks, not fit for human consumption. More than a Band-Aid was needed to fix that political mess.
    1985 - On her 45th birthday, Dionne Warwick is awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
    1985 – A McDonnell Douglas DC-8 crashed after takeoff in Gander, Newfoundland, killing all 256 people on board, including 236 members of the US Army’s 101st Airborne Division.
    1986 - James ‘Bonecrusher’ Smith became the first college graduate to win the world heavyweight boxing crown. “If I only had a bwain...,” he said, as he beat the brains out of Tim Witherspoon so badly, poor Tim couldn’t count to ten. “One, duh. Eight. Six. Duh. I’m out.”
    1986 - The LA Lakers beat the Boston Celtics, 117-110, to become the first visiting team to win at the old Boston Garden since December, 1985, a streak of 48 straight wins for the Celtics.
    1988 - Cold arctic air spread from the Great Lakes Region to the Appalachian Region. Twenty-five cities, mostly in the northeastern U.S., reported record low temperatures for the date. The low of 12 degrees below zero at Albany, NY was their coldest reading of record for so early in the season. Saranac Lake, NY was the cold spot in the nation with a low of 28 degrees below zero.
    1989 - Top Hits
“We Didn’t Start the Fire” - Billy Joel
“Another Day in Paradise” - Phil Collins
“Don’t Know Much” - Linda Ronstadt (featuring Aaron Neville)
“If Tomorrow Never Comes” - Garth Brooks
   1989 - A winter storm produced snow from northern Mississippi to the Middle Atlantic Coast, with 10.5 inches reported at Powhatan, VA. Heavy snow whitened the Black Hills of South Dakota, with 36 inches reported at Deer Mountain. Thirteen cities in the north central U.S., from Minnesota to Texas, reported record low temperatures for the date, including Duluth, MN and Yankton, SD with morning lows of 22 degrees below zero.
    1992 - The soundtrack from the movie "The Bodyguard" was the #1 album in the U.S. A smash, as they say, it was number one for twenty weeks. The track listing: "I Will Always Love You", "I Have Nothing", "I’m Every Woman", "Run to You", "Queen of the Night", "Jesus Loves Me", all by Whitney Houston; "Even If My Heart Would Break", by Kenny G & Aaron Neville; "Someday (I’m Coming Back)", by Lisa Stansfield; "It’s Gonna Be a Lovely Day", by The S.O.U.L S.Y.S.T.E.M.; "Peace, Love And Understanding (What's So Funny ’Bout)", by Curtis Stigers; "Theme from The Bodyguard", by Alan Silvestri; and "Trust in Me", by Joe Cocker featuring Sass Jordan.
    1994 - IBM said it would halt shipments of Pentium computers because of a flaw in the Pentium chip. The November 7 issue of Electrical Engineering Times announced the "floating point" bug in the Pentium chip, which could produce mathematical errors. Intel officials admitted they had known about the flaw for some time but thought it so unlikely to cause problems that they did not disclose the problem, creating an uproar among computer users. Intel said it would replace flawed chips only if users showed they engaged in computer work that might be affected by the error. Consumers attacked Intel for its position, and later, the company agreed to replace any chips that were returned. Ironically, six months later, only about three percent of customers had requested a replacement chip.
    1995 - The International Olympic Committee announced that NBC had successfully bid a record $2.3 billion for the exclusive U.S. TV (broadcast and cable) rights to the 2004 and 2008 Summer Games and the 2006 Winter Games. $894 million is for the 2008 games alone. And the deal calls for a 50-50 revenue sharing program with the IOC.
    1995 - A severe coastal storm is blamed for five deaths and loss of power to over one million people in Oregon and Washington. Winds at Sea Lion Caves near Florence topped out at 119 mph before problems developed with the anemometer. In Newport, a gust of 107 mph occurred downtown, while Astoria and Cape Blanco also had gusts of over 100 mph. Astoria's air pressure dropped as low as 28.53 inches, an all-time record (and comparable to the central pressure of a Category 2 hurricane!). Gusts in the Willamette Valley exceeded 60 mph.
    1995 – An amendment declaring the burning of the American flag to be illegal failed the 2/3 majority vote in the Senate, 63-36.
    1997 – Boston Red Sox sign Pedro Martinez to record 6-year, $69 million contract.  The contract had been considered a huge risk in the 1997 offseason, but Martínez had rewarded the team's hopes with two Cy Young Awards, and six Top-4 finishes. Martínez finished his Red Sox career with a 117–37 record, the highest winning percentage any pitcher has had with any team in baseball history. During that time, he won two Cy Young Awards and the Red Sox won the 2004 World Series, their first since 1918.  Martínez reached the 3,000 strikeout mark in fewer innings than any pitcher except Randy Johnson, and is the only pitcher to compile over 3,000 strikeouts with fewer than 3,000 innings pitched; his career strikeout rate of 10.04 per 9 innings trails only Johnson (10.61) among pitchers with over 1,500 innings.  He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2015, his first year of eligibility; his number (45) was retired by the Red Sox in a ceremony two days after his Hall induction. 
    1997 – A Federal judge sentenced Autumn Jackson, who claimed to be Bill Cosby's daughter, to 26 months for trying to extort $40 million from him.
    1998 - The House Judiciary Committee approved a fourth article of impeachment against President Bill Clinton and submitted the case to the full House.
    2000 – The US Supreme Court made it official:  Bush defeated Gore.
    2001 - The state of Nevada declares today Frank Sinatra Day
    2003 - Mick Jagger was knighted by Prince Charles at Buckingham Palace. Jagger's 92-year-old father was in attendance to see his son receive the award.
    2008 - A significant ice storm wreaked havoc across New York and New England on December 12, disrupting electricity and leaving over 1 million homes and businesses without power. New Hampshire alone had as many as 320,000 residents without power, which according to reports it was described as the worst outages in 30 years (Reuters). Four fatalities were reported and parts of Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, and Maine declared a state of emergency.
    2011 - President Barack Obama asks Iran to return the RQ-170 Sentinel drone that was captured near Kashmar December 4, 2011.  On December 13, 2011, the Defense Minister of Iran dismissed the request and said, "Instead of apologizing to the Iranian nation, it is brazenly asking for the drone back." And the ministry spokesman stated that "it seems he [Obama] has forgotten that Iran’s airspace was violated, spying operations were undertaken, international laws were violated and that Iran’s internal affairs were interfered with. ... Instead of an official apology and admitting to this violation, they are making this request."  Former U.S. Vice President Cheney criticized Obama's decisions on the drone, saying that, after the aircraft went down, the president should have ordered an air strike within Iran: "The right response to that would have been to go in immediately after it had gone down and destroy it. You can do that from the air ... and, in effect, make it impossible for them to benefit from having captured that drone." Instead, "he asked nicely for them to return it, and they aren't going to."  On January 17, 2012, an Iranian company said it would send miniature, pink, toy versions of the captured drone to President Obama as a response to the request for sending the drone back.  
    2013 - The International Space Station suspends some of its non-critical systems after an ammonia cooling pump fails; the station and six crew members aboard were not in danger.
    2013 - Over two dozen companies will have U.S. sanctions imposed upon them as a result of their involvement in aiding Iran with its nuclear program.
    2013 - A spokeswoman for Apple records confirmed the release of 59 rare and unheard Beatles recordings in a bid to stop their copyright protection expiring. EU law protects recordings for 70 years, but only if they get an official release. Otherwise, the copyright period lasts 50 years. In the case of The Beatles, that means the master tape for their 1963 debut album, "Please Please Me," is protected until 2033, but the unreleased session tapes for that album are not.

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