California Disclosure Law Survey: Part Two
By Ken Greene, Esq. Leasing News Advisor Emeritus

This article is Part 2 and continues a discussion of the survey about the California Commercial Financing Disclosure Law.

    For ease of reference, here were the survey questions:

A, Are you familiar with the new California disclosure laws?
B. Do you adhere to them?
C. Are they reasonable?
D. What problems have you had with them?
E. If you could make any changes, what would you change?
F. Are you a broker, a lender, or both?
G. Any other comments?

Questions A through D were discussed in Part One. Here are the responses to E through G.

If you could make any changes, what would you change?

• “Total elimination of disclosures for EFA’s, secured loans and capital leases.”
  
  
• “If I could, I would not have this apply to our industry. It makes sense to apply to MCA financing. Get the legislature out of our business. I think the whole rate disclosure and lender licenses are a result from the 2008 mortgage crisis. Seems like the government has decided once again to stick their nose in where they do [not] have an understanding of our business. Even being licensed, the site [NMLS] is all tailored to the mortgage industry. I realize there are brokers that may charge exorbitant fees but that is not the norm.”
  
  
• “Simple, more efficient and quicker process that is not overwhelming to lenders.  It should not cost anything to be certified, registered or permitted to be a lender to California borrowers or be in California as a lender.”
• 
  
  “Either get rid of all the exemptions, or TRASH the bloody thing.”
  
  
• “Eliminate disclosure or at least the disclosure of APR.”
  
  
• “The burden seems to fall more on the lender than the broker; seems some lenders do not want to deal with it and refuse to work with California clients.”
  
  
• “Be more business friendly. I do not have any specifics, but the overreaching letter of the law makes it hard to work with.”
  
  
• “Eliminate it.”
  
  
• “Remove the requirement to have a CA lender's license and the continuous filings each year, etc.  It is not possible for a small company to keep up with this especially when other states are joining in on the disclosures.  I'm following rules and making sure what we sell to the customer is competitive and good for the customer. It would be easier to have a federal disclosure rule where finance companies do not have to sign up in each state to do business. [Authors Note: I wholly agree with this]. These disclosure laws, if they continue to grow, will put many small businesses out of business and only large banks will be left.  Large banks do not finance to small business well, especially newer and start-up businesses.  We are doing a dis-service to this group of businesses.”
  
  
• Make it go away but that won't happen.  I guess hope they don't wake up and go after leasing.

Are you a broker, a lender, or both?

About 3/4th of the responses were from brokers. The remainder came from lenders and/or banks.

Any other comments?

A few:

• “I feel that the industry needs to be regulated, then tailored to the equipment finance industry, not the mortgage industry. I have had conversations with a few finding sources that have a workaround but we are not willing to test that and have focused on finding banks that fund and are exempt.”
  
  
• “Glaser, should have targeted the ABUSERS that this was meant to address, but he doesn’t listen, “If the problem is people driving too fast of roads, pass a law to stop speeding, don’t outlaw SPEED at racetracks and for airplanes too.”
  
  
• “More and more bureaucratic BS from a state that needs additional revenue and refuses to curtail spending.  I can't wait to see the new rules if they actually approve reparations.  Wouldn't buy a used car from Newsom.”
  
  
• “If a disclosure law remains a requirement, we believe the threshold should be for transactions under $100k, not required on everything over.”

So there you have it. Clearly there is much dissatisfaction with the new law from brokers, primarily. There will be lobbyists and lawsuits attempting to change or eliminate it. How they will fare is anyone’s guess. For now, we have to play by the rules. 

California Disclosure Law Survey: Part One
By Ken Greene, Esq. Leasing News Advisor Emeritus
https://leasingnews.org/archives/Jun2023/06_20.htm#ca

 

APR Programs Are Widely Available on the Internet
Search Annual Percentage Rate Programs
https://leasingnews.org/archives/Jun2023/06_20.htm#apr

Usury
Various Laws Subject to Disclosure
https://leasingnews.org/archives/Jun2023/06_20.htm#us

Ken Greene
Law Office of Kenneth Charles Greene
Tel: 818.575.9095
ken@kengreenelaw.com
www.kengreenelaw.com

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Story Credit Financing Business Loans, SBA Loans, Working Capital
Balboa Capital Corp. Bankers Capital Black Rock Capital Investment, LLC BSB Leasing, Inc Calfund, LLC Dakota Financial	Financial Pacific Leasing Forum Financial Services, Inc. Gonor Funding Maxim Commercial Capital, LLC North Mill Equipment Finance	Pawnee Leasing Corporation P&L Capital Corporation Providence Equipment Finance Quality Leasing Co. Inc. SLIM Capital, LLC TEAM Funding Solutions

Alphabetical list - click on company name to view more details

Here are funders who take "A" and "B" rated applicants. They are also more interested not in "application only."  They become more comfortable learning more, beyond reviewing financial statements and tax returns, additional collateral, learning more about the story behind the business as qualifiers.

To qualify for this list, the company must be a funder (as qualified by Leasing News) and are on the “Funder List” and not a "Broker” or “Super Broker.” 

Leasing News reserves the right to not list a company who does not meet these qualifications.

Funder List “A”
http://www.leasingnews.org/Funders_Only/Funders.htm

We encourage companies who are listed to contact us for any change or addition they would like to make. Adding further information as an "attachment" or clarification of what they have to offer would be helpful to readers is also very much encouraged."

Why I Subscribe to Leasing News By Don Myerson "I read every edition of Leasing News. It is my go to source for the most up-to-date news and information not only in the “small ticket” commercial finance space that I am in but in all sectors. Where else would I get new hire, legal updates, political updates and wine suggestions in one well written source ? "  Don Myerson President BSB Leasing, Inc dmyerson@bsbleasing.com

 

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New Hires/Promotions in the Leasing Business
and Related Industries

Conor McGowan was hired as Executive Recruiter, Equipment Leasing and Financing and Working Capital MCA, East Bay Talent, Katonah, New York. He is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Previously, he was Corporate Recruiter, Balboa Capital (September, 2021 - June, 2023); Business Development Account Manager, NewLane Finance Company (October, 2018 - October, 2021).
https://www.linkedin.com/in/conor-mcgowan-0a8842134/

Shawn Peterson was hired as Vice President, Credit, Summit Funding Group, Mason, Ohio. He is located in Urbandale, Iowa. Previously, he was Lending Officer, Wells Fargo (May, 2002 - June, 2023).
https://www.linkedin.com/in/shawn-peterson-40a1b02/

Mark Polis was hired as Senior Vice President and Portfolio Management, Auxilor Capital Partners, Inc. Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania. He is located in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. Previously, he was Senior Director of Asset Management, Capital One Equipment Finance (May, 2015 - June, 2023); Director of Asset Management, TD Equipment Finance (August, 2001 - May, 2015); Vice President, American Equipment Leasing/Citi Capital (May, 1999 - August, 2001); AVP Asset Manager Copelco Capital/Citi Capital (October, 1992 - March, 1999).
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-polis-2a963a13/

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Leasing and Finance Industry Help Wanted
Highly Trained Operation Staff/Work from Home
Excellent Compensation/Marketing Support

 Breaking Down Barriers

Sales Makes it Happen by Scott Wheeler, CLFP

The commercial equipment finance and leasing industry is a risk versus reward proposition. Originators must understand their position in the current market. Originators need an accurate understanding of their funding capabilities and why there have been recent changes within the credit underwriting processes. Impactful positive and negative data related to portfolio management and portfolio performance must be disseminated throughout every organization.

Based upon changing economic conditions, the industry is experiencing a risk versus reward transition. Now is the time to break down barriers between sales and operations. All professionals are on the same team - the sharing of vital information is essential for success.

• Strong companies are breaking down information barriers by providing more transparency to all their employees. All employees (originators, credit analysts, collectors, documentation, and funding administrators) have access to real-time data about portfolio performance, equipment valuations, credit preferences, marketing efforts, and the newest trends.
• Strong portfolio professionals are sharing their thoughts and expertise with front-line originators to help identify future challenges and opportunities. Originators are sharing information that they are discovering throughout their network to help portfolio professionals to better collect and manage assets within the company's portfolios.
• Funders and TPOs are sharing real-time data to focus on transactions that can be won and funded in the current market.
• Originators are becoming more credit savvy and credit professionals are taking the time to better understand the sales process.

The current economic transition will be won by team players who are willing to work across departments, across disciplines, and with all stakeholders. The most successful teams never build walls between sales and credit. The most successful companies share data throughout the entire organization to ensure that their risk versus reward matrices are properly aligned with their stated objectives.

Wheeler Business Consulting is working with individual originators and sales teams throughout the industry to ensure that they are well positioned in the market, capturing their fair share of business, and outperforming the competition. To schedule a one-on-one meeting contact Scott Wheeler at: scott@wheelerbusinessconsulting.com

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

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

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The Ignorance Plea
By Terry Winders

Once in a while we forget that the signer of lease or loan documents must be given the lease documents with sufficient time for them to read, and hopefully understand, the transaction. This applies to all size leases, as even middle market leases are often "quick sign here." It also applies when documents are sent over the internet.

In the small ticket marketplace, many times we place the documents in front of the Lessee and say sign here, here, and here. We may even put an “x” where they are to sign. The lessee is busy. They want to sign quickly and get you out of there so they can go back to work.

This may have changed with documents being sent over the internet, including signature signed on line by such companies as DocuSign. I don't believe in a synopsis of the lease contract with the contract itself. Supposedly, a proposal is sent earlier and should sufficient. Of course, answering any questions the signer might have is important, but trying to make a synopsis of a legal agreement may be misleading, as the document should stand by itself.

The internet has sped this up, as contracts are now sent by the World Wide Web and the lessee told where to sign. Even when sent overnight, there is the rush to order the equipment, sign the documents, and send back right away.

Then later on, when everything goes sour, the Lessee stands in front of a judge and pleads ignorance. The usual statement is: they were not given time to read the documents. It was sent by the internet or overnight, and I was told to sign it and get back right away. Even if they did receive by internet or overnight, I did not understand its content.

If you are dealing with a small company, be prepared for this argument.

Also, attorneys tell me they also hear this from larger companies, especially that it was explained by the salesman as a $1.00 out, even though it said, "fair market value," as that was for "tax reasons." Or, they did not understand "interim rent."  Yes, sometimes companies abuse these conditions, but the question is whether the lessee had time to read and understand the contract?

You should always give the Lessee a completed copy of the documents with all signatures and dates completed. This may not happen until the deal is funded so a good check list of facts should be explained to the Lessee at the time of closing.

This may seem a bit much for small ticket loans or leases, but it is important that the signer understand the content of the agreement. The court system takes a dim view of Lessors that “prey” on the ignorance of the lessee and get them to agree to transactions that they expect to function just like a loan because the Lessor’s salesperson said so.

Terry is now retired. The above is updated from a prior column.

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Learning from a Leader: Career Development Advice
Interview with Reid Raykovich, CEO of CLFP Foundation

Interview conducted by Austin Law, Senior Business Analyst, AP Equipment Financing and edited by Steven Holben, Director of Digital Strategy, Mitsubishi HC Capital America. Both are members of the ELFA Emerging Talent Advisory Council. Learn more about this interview series.

When did you first join the equipment finance industry and what has been the trajectory of your career?

In April 2003, I started with what was then Premier Lease & Loan Services (now Great American Insurance Group) and that’s where I learned about the CLP designation (we added the ‘F’ in 2015).  After obtaining the designation, I never really had to look for a job again; first I was recruited by my mentor to work for his brokerage company, then I was contacted by a former colleague to work at a bank, and then I moved on to an independent lessor before taking some time off to have my daughter. When she was two years old, I was contacted by the CLFP Foundation and asked if I would be interested in taking over and the rest is history.

When did you first get involved with ELFA and how have you been engaged as a member thus far? How has being in ELFA helped your career?

I was only 25 at my first ELF conference and it was extremely intimidating. There were very few people my age and even fewer women. However, over the years, I’ve seen the effort that the association has put into place to encourage a much more diverse population.

I have a different perspective than most when it comes to how ELFA has helped my career and that’s because when ELFA officially endorsed us in 2015 after a survey of its membership regarding the value of certification and whether to create their own or not, our growth trajectory changed immensely. We went from 290 members to over 1,250 today.

This endorsement included the ability to attend and exhibit at conferences, which would have been cost prohibitive for us, and I can truly say that without the support of ELFA, I wouldn’t be where I am today, and the CLFP Foundation wouldn’t be where it is.

I’ve also benefited greatly by attending events, especially Capitol Connections. It’s an incredible experience working with elected officials and discussing what it is we do, and why it’s so important for the economy.

How do ELFA and CLFP fit together and support initiatives?

We are both committed to diversifying the industry in multiple ways. Both ELFA and the Equipment Leasing & Finance Foundation have done so much to reach out to the younger generation and getting them involved in our industry. As we know, the majority of us never chose this industry on purpose, but when we entered it, we don’t leave!

Can you give some perspective on what your organization is doing to promote diversity and inclusion?

Recently, the CLFP Foundation and Cisco partnered together to provide the Academy for Lease & Finance Professionals (ALFP) and the exam to Clark Atlanta University, an HBCU (Historically Black College or University). We are going to continue this program for the foreseeable future.

Why would you recommend someone obtain their CLFP in our industry?

I always say that the designation is not for everyone, and each person needs to find their own purpose. For me, I wanted to know everything about the industry. Being a service provider, I didn’t have the knowledge of what my clients did day-to-day and going through the program made me a better relationship manager.

Usually, my question for people is why wouldn’t you want to get it? If there’s a valid answer, then I don’t push it but typically it’s in regard to the fear of the test and one that close to 2,000 people have gotten over.

What I’m probably most proud of is the welcoming environment that the CLFP Foundation has.  We’re out to help each other and create a better commercial equipment finance industry.

How do you lead a non-profit organization and what can others do to offer support?

We have a total of three employees, so our volunteer system is crucial. I It is because of the hard work of our board, committees, mentors and volunteers that we are able to accomplish so much.

We have many people who want to give back and join a committee or the board, but not enough spots, but we are always looking for mentors!

Finally, we can always use donations as we would like to create a scholarship to help those who are financially unable to pay for the class and/or exam.

What are the challenges of growing a global organization and where would you like to see CLFP in five years?

I don’t know if we would’ve pursued going global, but the Australian Association (CAFBA) approached us and made it a viable option by driving the project over the past several years. COVID-19 certainly slowed things down, but we anticipate that 2023 will be the first year of multiple Australian CLFPs. Canada is also in the works, and we are hoping for a 2024 final launch, but other countries are also now approaching us.

What is so difficult is that we have very limited resources, and we need to ensure that quality and service are not at risk by venturing out with other countries. With that being said, in five years, I would anticipate that we will be working with the UK as well as Mexico.

What is the most rewarding risk of your career?

This is the easiest question for me as it was taking this job. The CLFP Foundation was in dire straits, and I had no idea if I would be successful in turning it around, but I had the passion and determination to give it my best shot.

I had left the industry in 2010 to have my daughter and hadn’t planned on re-entering until she was in kindergarten. However, in 2012, I was approached by the Board about the opportunity and after multiple interviews, I was offered the position under the assumption that I wouldn’t travel as much and would only work quarter-time.

Unfortunately, I later learned there wasn’t much in the bank, so it was a less than minimum wage job, and I had to get creative for any travel that I did and, most importantly, quarter-time wouldn’t cut it.

Fast forward 11 years and now I have traveled over 100,000 miles but I truly love what I do, and it was a huge risk that paid off immensely.

If you had to pick one, which is more important when considering a hire: a soft or technical background? You can’t pick both, and please include which soft or technical skill is most beneficial to success.

I will ALWAYS say soft, as technical can be taught. Having a very small organization means it is imperative that we have personalities that work well together and respect each other. It’s also beneficial to find skills that complement each other, and I feel that the CLFP Foundation is very successful at that.

What are the top 3 pieces of advice you would give to someone just entering the industry?

If the company you are working for doesn’t value you or doesn’t recognize your work or ambition, look for a new job. There are so many opportunities out there!

NEVER burn bridges; this industry is extremely small, and your reputation is everything.

Look for a mentor; there are many industry veterans who are very happy to share their knowledge and offer support.

Is there anything else you’d like to touch on or say?

This industry is truly one-of-a-kind and can be so rewarding; I never thought I’d be in the same industry for almost my entire career, but I can’t ever picture leaving!

Interview conducted by Austin Law, Senior Business Analyst, AP Equipment Financing and edited by Steven Holben, Director of Digital Strategy, Mitsubishi HC Capital America. Both are members of the ELFA Emerging Talent Advisory Council. Learn more about this interview series.
SOURCE: ELFA

Internship Resources
Equipment Leasing & Finance Foundation | Academic Programs

The Foundation Internship Resource Page provides a platform for students to search some of the top companies providing internship opportunities in the field of equipment finance.

Want your company featured on this list? Let us know at Foundation@LeaseFoundation.org 

Are you a recent grad interested in a career in the equipment leasing and finance industry? Check out the ELFA Career Center.

Financial Institutions Offering Internships

• Bank of America Global Leasing
• Huntington Bank
• Key Equipment Finance
• LEAF Commercial Capital 
• PNC Equipment Finance, LLC
• U.S. Bank 
• Wintrust

Internships Offered by Leasing Companies

• Channel
• Beacon Funding Corporation

Equipment Manufacturers Offering Internships

• Caterpillar Financial Services Corporation
• Cisco Systems Capital Corporation
• Daimler Truck Financial
• John Deere Financial
• Dell Financial Services
• Stryker Flex Financial

Internships Offered by Service Providers

• ECS Financial Services
• LTi Technology Solutions
• Great American Insurance Group
• Liventus

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Watch at Home
by Fernando Croce, Leasing News Movie Reviewer

New releases from Criterion run the gamut from art-house to blockbuster, serving up gonzo thrills (“Branded to Kill”), disturbing cinephilia (“Targets”), exhilarating adventure (“Thelma & Louise”), giddy fantasy (“Time Bandits”) and transcendental romance (“Wings of Desire”).

Branded to Kill (1967): A one-of-a-kind purveyor of cinematic mayhem, Japanese director Seijun Suzuki pushes the envelope in this delirious crime thriller, a film so bold in experiments that it famously got its maker fired from the studio for “incoherence.” Suzuki’s favorite offbeat leading man, Joe Shishido, stars as Goro Hanada, a professional assassin making his way through a labyrinthine Tokyo underworld. Dubbed “the Number Three Killer,” hebecomes a target himself after a botched hit, diving into a whirlpool of paranoia as he faces a gallery of bizarre characters. Among them is his two-timing boss (Isao Tamagawa), his nemesis the Number One Killer (Koji Nambara), and an enigmatic woman (Annu Mari) with a fascination for butterflies. Forget the corkscrew plot and just marvel at Suzuki’s nonstop visual invention. With subtitles.

Targets (1968): Peter Bogdanovich made a striking feature debut with this remarkable thriller, which features parallel narrative strands braided in an ingenious (and still disturbing) manner. In one, veteran horror-movie icon Byron Orlok (touchingly played by veteran horror-movie icon Boris Karloff) prepares to make a promotional appearance while wondering if he’s become a relic in modern cinema. In the other, a disturbed young war vet named Bobby (Tim O’Kelly) snaps and kills his family, before heading off on a murderous spree. The two halves meet at a drive-in theater that’s playing one of Orlok’s films. Juxtaposing the illusionism of classical screen monsters with a new brand of psychosis, Bogdanovich (who also plays a supporting role) creates a punchy mix of suspense and cinematic commentary that remains sadly relevant to this day.

Thelma &Louise (1991): The buddy-movie formula gets an injection of feminist energy in this exhilaratingblockbuster, which launched a thousand battle-of-the-sexes essays. Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon give Oscar-nominated performances as Thelma and Louise, friends who plan a weekend fishing trip as a getaway from their boringlives. Their plans take a sudden turn, however, when Louise kills the man who tried to rape Thelma and the two find themselves wanted by the authorities. Heading to Mexico with a tenacious but sympathetic police detective (Harvey Keitel) on their trail, the women see the strength of their bond tested. Directed with stylish vigor by Ridley Scott from Callie Khouri’s Oscar-winning script, this is still quite apotent ride. Check out Brad Pitt in a small but star-making turn as a sexy hitchhiker.

Time Bandits (1981): An astonishing fantasist since his “Monty Python” days, director Terry Gilliam brings his distinctive touch to this captivating journey from the suburban present into the different historical eras. Kevin (Craig Warnock) is an eleven-year-old who’s fascinated with history, and gets his chance to see the past first-hand when six time-traveling dwarfs land in his wardrobe one night. With the magic map they’ve filched from their boss, the Supreme Being (Sir Ralph Richardson), they search for ancient treasures in placesranging from AncientGreece to Europe during the Napoleonic Wars. Along the way they come across severalreal-life figures, including Napoleon (Ian Holm), Robin Hood (John Cleese), and Agamemnon (Sean Connery). Spiking the Spielbergian plot with his own barbed wit, Gilliam serves up a giddy burst of imagination.

Wings of Desire (1987): The usually cerebralGerman filmmaker Wim Wenders (“Paris, Texas”) goes full-on romantic with this poetic fantasy, which envisions West Berlin as azone suspended betweenearthly and spiritual realms. Unseen by the mortals he walks amongst, Damiel (Bruno Ganz) is an angel who listens to their thoughts and fears while yearning to experience the emotions and pleasures of the living. When he falls in love with an etherealtrapeze artist (Solveig Dommartin), he becomes determined to cross from one world into the other. Can true love trump immortality? Making striking use of Berlin Wall locations, Wenders offers memorable visions of longing and transcendence, of beauty epic and intimate. Keep an eye out for a Peter Falk’s engaging cameo, and a performance by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. With subtitles

Fernando Croce is a nationally recognized film reviewer and has been contributing to Leasing News since the summer of 2008. His reviews appear each Friday.

Mixed Breed
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania   Adopt-a-Dog

Coffee Cake
ID#53278
Female
60 lbs.
Five Years
$150 Adoption Fee

Coffee Cake is an adorable, portly brindle beauty who is ready to steal your heart! This 60-pound beauty is full of fun and loves nothing more than to run around the yard and play a game of fetch. Her zoomies are a sight to behold and she'll make you laugh with her silly antics! But when it's time to wind down, Coffee Cake is also a huge snuggle bug, despite her size.

Coffee Cake loves people more than anything, and wants to be with them as much as possible; Due to some limitations with her sight, Coffee Cake does best when meeting new friends slowly. However, it doesn't take her long to end up curled up next to you on the couch.

Coffee Cake is a strong lady and can get overwhelmed in a busy neighborhood, so she's looking for a dog experienced adopter who is ready to work on her leash skills, or who has a yard. Coffee Cake is a very bright girl who just needs the right person (and treats) to help her learn!

She's definitely happiest being the center of attention, and would love a pet free home. When on a consistent schedule, Coffee Cake is potty trained, and is well behaved when left free roaming in the house; She prefers not to be crated when home alone. She would thrive with someone who loves a routine as much as she does! Coffee Cake is a loyal companion who will quickly become your best friend. She loves attention and affection and is always eager to please!

Location: Foster Care

​All of our dog meets are by appointment only; to get started, please complete the adoption application. To learn more about this dog, please contact us at adoptions@phillypaws.org or 215-298-9680 ext. 16.

Grays Ferry Clinic
https://www.phillypaws.org

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Don't Miss Out of the Early-Bird Rates
2023 AACFB Commercial Financing Expo
Orlando, Florida September 20-21

News Briefs---

Senate panel advances bill to seize pay
of failed banks’ execs
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2023/06/21/banking-crisis-pay-senate/

American Companies Held Hostage by the Whims of TikTok
    ‘a billion-person focus group,’ disrupting business cycles
https://www.wsj.com/articles/tiktok-trends-pink-sauce-product-development-661c4178?st=k2d804i42fb24sl&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink

Vacant Offices Are Piling Up in Silicon Valley
    Layoffs, hybrid-work patterns reducing corporate footprints
https://www.wsj.com/articles/vacant-offices-are-piling-up-in-silicon-valley-68e19f7?st=b9fgyew77slhfg4&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink

FTC Sues Amazon Over ‘Manipulative’ Tactics
    Used to Enroll Millions in Prime
https://www.wsj.com/articles/ftc-sues-amazon-over-manipulative-tactics-to-enroll-users-in-premium-service-85400564?st=glkvxlza9smj79j&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink

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5 tips on financially helping your parents
     in your 20s and 30s
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2023/06/21/young-adults-financially-help-parents/

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Sports Briefs---

The Long, Sad Story of the Stealing of the Oakland A’s
https://www.theringer.com/mlb/2023/6/21/23767113/oakland-as-leaving-for-vegas-john-fisher-reverse-boycott

 

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California News Briefs---

These were the best-paying Silicon Valley
    Big Tech companies in 2022
https://www.sfgate.com/tech/article/highest-paying-silicon-valley-companies-2022-18161771.php

Reports Show Only Around 40% of Workers
    in San Jose and SF Are Back to the Office
https://hoodline.com/2023/06/reports-show-only-around-40-of-workers-in-san-jose-and-sf-are-back-to-the-office-based-on-key-swipes/

Millennium Tower: Engineer says $100 million fix
    has improved S.F. building’s famous lean
https://www.sfchronicle.com/sf/article/millennium-tower-lean-repair-18162030.php

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Gimme that Wine

 

Fred Cline being honored with a lifetime achievement
    award from Rhone Rangers
https://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/lifestyle/fred-cline-being-honored-with-a-lifetime-achievement-award

This Day in History

    1610 - In their search for a marketable product, some settlers in the Colonies had begun growing tobacco.  Europeans had acquired a taste for tobacco in the late sixteenth century when the Spanish brought samples from the West Indies and Florida. Initially expensive, it became popular among wealthy consumers. The high price appealed to Virginians, but they found that native Virginia leaf was of poor quality. John Rolfe began experimenting with seeds from Trinidad, which did much better. The first cargo of Virginia-grown tobacco arrived in England in 1617 and sold at a highly profitable 3 shillings per pound. Following Rolfe's success, settlers immediately planted tobacco everywhere- -even in the streets of Jamestown. Company officials, unwilling to base the colony's economy on a single crop, especially one that many people (including King James) considered to be an unhealthy indulgence, tried to restrict annual production to 100 pounds per colonist. Colonists, busy "rooting in the ground about Tobacco like Swine" as one observer reported, ignored these restrictions. But it was only after company rule ended that tobacco planting really surged. Between 1627 and 1669, tobacco exports climbed from 250,000 pounds to more than 15 million pounds. As the supply grew, the price plunged from 13 pence in 1624 to a mere penny in the late 1660s, where it remained for the next half century. What had once been a luxury product thus became affordable for Europeans of average means. Now thoroughly dependent on tobacco for their livelihood, the only way colonists could compensate for falling prices was to grow even more, pushing exports to England to more than 20 million pounds by the late 1670s.
    1611 - After spending a winter trapped by ice in present-day Hudson Bay, the starving crew of the Discovery mutinies against its captain, English navigator Henry Hudson, and sets him, his teenage son, and seven supporters adrift in a small, open boat. Hudson and the eight others were never seen again. Two years earlier, in 1609, Hudson sailed to the Americas to find a northwest passage to Asia after repeatedly failing in his efforts to find a northeast ocean passage. The Discovery later returned to England, and its crew was arrested for the mutiny. Although Henry Hudson was never seen again, his discoveries gave England its claim to the rich Hudson Bay region.
    1633 - Galileo Galilei was forced by the Pope to recant his research that the Earth orbits the Sun.  On Oct 31, 1992, the Vatican admitted it was wrong.
    1774 - The Quebec Act was passed by Parliament. It established a permanent government in Quebec and extended its boundaries south to the Ohio River, to include land contested by several American colonies. For this, it was considered by the colonists to be one of the Intolerable Acts that lead to the Revolutionary War.
http://www.wpi.edu/Academics/Depts/MilSci/BTSI/abs_coer.html
    1775 - Continental currency was issued for the first time, totaling $3,000,000.
    1807 - The crew of the British man-of-war, "Leopold," fired upon and boarded the United States frigate "Chesapeake." The commander of the "Chesapeake," James Barron, was court martialed and convicted for not being prepared for action. Along with some others, this incident led to the War of 1812. Eight years after the war, Stephen Decatur, a judge in the court martial, was killed in a duel. The victor of the duel was James Barron.
    1808 – Zebulon Pike (d. 1813) reached the mountain summit that would be named for him.  As a US Army captain in 1806–1807, he led the Pike Expedition, sent out by President Thomas Jefferson to explore and document the southern portion of the Louisiana territory and to find the headwaters of the Red River, during which he recorded the discovery of what later was called Pikes Peak.
    1832 - John Ireland Howe of Derby, CT, obtained a patent for manufacturing pins. He exhibited it at the American Institute Fair in New York City, receiving a silver medal for his contribution to Manufacturing. He later founded the Howe Manufacturing Company and made improvements on his design. It was a great boon to the clothing industry, among others.
    1839 - Cherokee leaders Major Ridge, John Ridge, and Elias Boudinot were assassinated for signing the Treaty of New Echota, which had resulted in the Trail of Tears.  The treaty established terms under which the entire Cherokee Nation ceded its territory in the southeast and agreed to move west to the Indian Territory. Although the treaty was not approved by the Cherokee National Council nor signed by Principal Chief John Ross, it was amended and ratified by the US Senate in March, 1836.  The supporters of Ross, in teams ranging up to twenty-five in number, converged on the houses of John Ridge, Major Ridge, and Elias Boudinot and murdered them.
    1845 – Birthday of Tom Dula (d. 1868) in Wilkes County, NC.  A former Confederate soldier, he was convicted of murdering Laura Foster. National publicity from newspapers such as The New York Times turned Dula's story into a folk legend. Dula was tried, convicted, and hung. Considerable controversy surrounded the case and in subsequent years, a folk song was written (entitled “Tom Dooley,” based on the pronunciation in the local dialect), and The Kingston Trio recorded a hit version of the ballad in 1958.
    1846 – Adolphe Sax (1846-94) patented his invention – the saxophone. He had invented the instrument early in the decade, and by the time the patent was granted there were 14 different saxophones – seven designed for orchestras and seven for bands. The saxophones designed for bands are the ones in common use today.
    1847 – The doughnut with a hole was first invented in 1847 by American sea captain Hanson Crocket Gregory.  He claimed to have invented the ring-shaped doughnut in 1847 aboard a ship. Gregory was dissatisfied with the greasiness of doughnuts twisted into various shapes and with the raw center of regular doughnuts. He claimed to have punched a hole in the center of dough with the ship's tin pepper box, and later taught the technique to his mother.  Smithsonian magazine states that his mother, Elizabeth Gregory, "made a wicked deep-fried dough that cleverly used her son's spice cargo of nutmeg and cinnamon, along with lemon rind," and "put hazelnuts or walnuts in the center, where the dough might not cook through", and called the food doughnuts.
http://www.etni.org.il/challenge/challenge5.htm
    1850 - In San Francisco, a 500-pound grizzly bear was caught near the Mission Dolores.
    1868 – Arkansas was re-admitted to the Union.
    1870 – Congress created the Department of Justice.
    1870 – America’s first boardwalk was built, in Atlantic City.  In the mid-1800s, oceanside resorts and the railroads that provided transportation to them were enjoying a booming success, but they were also gritting their teeth against the problem of sand — it was everywhere! Finally, a solution was found to keep the sand at bay: a walkway made of boards that would lead from town to the beach, helping keep sand out of the tourists' shoes.
    1896 - Dr. Mary Stone (Shih Mai-Yu) graduated from the Medical School of the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, becoming the first Chinese woman physician. She founded the Women’s Hospital at Kiukiang, China, under the auspices of the Methodist Foreign Mission and served as its head for 25 years.
    1894 - Legendary magician and escape artist Harry Houdini married Wilhelmina Beatrice Rahne.  (Lower part of:  http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/jun22.html )
    1898 – Adm. Sampson begins amphibious landing near Santiago, Cuba. Lt. Col. Theodore Roosevelt and Col. Leonard Wood led the Rough Riders, a volunteer cavalry regiment, onto the beach at Daiquiri in the Spanish American War.
    1899 - Richard Gurley Drew (d.  1980) was born in St. Paul, MN.  He was an inventor who worked for Johnson and Johnson, Permacel Co., and 3M, where he invented masking tape and cellophane tape.
    1903 – Birthday of Ben Pollack (d. 1971) in Chicago.  Dixieland drummer, who owned a “pizza/beer/jazz” joint on Sunset Blvd in Hollywood, California, with a cover charge. When I was growing up, this was one of best hang outs as those under 18 could get in, and often, we had beer, although we were also not 21. Pollack was a “boom-chick-a-boom” drummer but played with some of the best and is mentioned in many Chicago jazz era books. Warren Luening, Jr. would sometimes sit in and play trumpet with the band. Pollack really liked his playing and it may have been one of the reasons we were always able to drink beer here.
    1903 – New York Giants Hall of Fame pitcher Carl Hubbell (d. 1988) was born in Carthage, MO.  Twice voted the NL’s MVP, a rarity for pitchers, Hubbell was inducted into the Hall in 1947. During 1936 and 1937, Hubbell set the Major League record for consecutive wins by a pitcher with 24. He is perhaps best remembered for his performance in the 1934 All-Star Game, when he struck out five of the game's great hitters and future Hall of Famers in succession: Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Jimmie Foxx, Al Simmons, and Joe Cronin.
    1903 – John Dillinger (d. 1934) was born in Indianapolis.  His gang robbed twenty-four banks and four police stations.  In the heyday of the Depression-era outlaw (1933–1934), Dillinger was the most notorious of all. The government demanded federal action, and J. Edgar Hoover developed a more sophisticated FBI as a weapon against organized crime, using Dillinger and his gang as his campaign platform to launch the FBI.  Dillinger was gunned down by an FBI team outside a movie theater in Chicago.
    1910 – Dancer, anthropologist, humanitarian, philanthropist
Katherine Dunham (d. 2006) was born in Chicago, IL.
http://www.eslarp.uiuc.edu/kdunham/bio.htm
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/freetodance/biographies/dunham.html
    1912 - The Republican Party under President Theodore Roosevelt got into a bitter feud among the various factions of the party, starting out in the open with Roosevelt asking a faction to leave the convention, resulting in a split party.  This basically gave the election to Democratic candidate Woodrow Wilson, who was not that popular but won because of the Republican split.
http://www.canoe.ca/MusicHistoryAugust/home.html
    1912 – Ty Cobb was pinch hit for in an unusual scenario. With two outs in the 9th, and the Tigers down 11-3, Cobb was nowhere to be found and George Mullin substituted and flied out to end the game. It turns out Cobb was in the clubhouse showering.
    1915 – Subway service was launched in Brooklyn, the BMT for Brooklyn Motor Transit.
    1918 - A Michigan Central Railroad troop train, after several days shuttling soldiers to New York from Chicago, was deadheading back to the Midwest when it struck the rear of the Hagenback-Wallace Circus train. The circus trained has stopped to have its brake box overhauled in Ivanhoe, Indiana. Fifty-three circus performers were killed. Of the circus animals not killed outright, many that were crippled and maimed had to be destroyed by police officers. The performers, of who only three could be identified, were buried in a mass grave. The engineer, A.K. Sargent, who was accused of falling asleep at the throttle, was tried and acquitted.
    1919 - An F5 tornado struck the town of Fergus Falls, Minnesota. 59 people were killed and 400 buildings were destroyed. Lumber was carried for 10 miles and other debris were found 60 miles away.
    1930 – Babe Ruth tied a Major League record by hitting five homers in two games and six homers in three games. The Yankee outfielder hit three homers in the second game of the doubleheader yesterday, two homers in today's opener and one more in the nightcap.
    1932 - The National League club presidents finally approved players wearing numbers. The AL had started the practice in 1929.
    1933 - Birthday of Dianne Feinstein, born Dianne Emiel Goldman in San Francisco.   She is the U.S. Senator from California since 1992 and the former Mayor of San Francisco. In 1969, she became the first woman to be elected president of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors and then succeeded the murdered mayor George Moscone, serving 1978-88. She was defeated in a try for Governor of California and then was elected U.S. Senator in 1992.
    1936 - Singer, songwriter and actor Kris Kristofferson was born in Brownsville, Texas.   Kristofferson earned a Rhodes Scholarship to Oxford University, where he studied at Merton College. While at Oxford, he was awarded his Blue for boxing and began writing songs. With the help of his manager, Larry Parnes, he recorded for Top Rank Records under the name Kris Carson. His first success as a songwriter came when Roger Miller recorded "Me and Bobby McGee." That song was turned into a million-seller by Janis Joplin in 1971. And Sammi Smith sold a million with "Help Me Make It Through the Night," another Kristofferson song. By this time, Kristofferson had begun his career as a singer, and in 1972, his single, "The Silver-Tongued Devil and I," was certified gold. His other successes have included the single, "Why Me," and the albums "The Silver-Tongued Devil and I" and "Jesus Was a Capricorn." In 1985, Kristofferson, along with Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson, recorded the hugely successful "Highwayman" single and album. There was a "Highwaymen Two" album in 1990 with the same cast.
    1937 - At Chicago’s Comiskey Park, Joe Louis won the World Heavyweight Championship title by knocking out James J. Braddock in the eighth round. Louis retained the title until his retirement in 1949.
    1938 - Exactly one year after the Braddock fight, Louis met Germany’s Max Schmeling, at New York City’s Yankee Stadium. Louis knocked out Schmeling in the first round.
http://www.ibhof.com/jlouis.htm
    1940 - During World War II, Adolf Hitler gained a stunning victory as France was forced to sign an armistice eight days after German forces overran Paris.
    1941 - Over 3 million German troops invaded Russia in three parallel offensives, in what is the most powerful invasion force in history.
    1942 - A Japanese submarine shelled Fort Stevens, Oregon, at the mouth of the Columbia River. In a plan, balloons were launched with bombs that landed in Oregon, but the military along with the news media never mentioned the fires or damaged that occurred.
    1944 - The GI Bill of Rights was signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. One of the most important governmental measures of the post-World War II era, the bill was designed to provide greater opportunities for returning war veterans. An important result of the bill was the training of almost 8 million veterans.
    1942 – The Pledge of Allegiance was formally adopted by Congress
    1945 - Howard Kaylan, one of the two lead singers of the Turtles, was born in New York City. The Turtles had hit singles with "It Ain't Me Babe" in 1965 and "Happy Together" and "She'd Rather Be With Me," both in 1967. Some members of the Turtles wanted the group to be more than a band that made hit singles. The resulting dissension led to the Turtles' breakup in 1968. Lead singers Howard Kaylan and Mark Volman joined the Mothers of Invention, and then embarked on a duo career as Flo and Eddie.
    1947 - 12 inches of rain fell in 42 minutes at Holt, Missouri, setting a new rainfall intensity world record. That record was tied on January 24-25, 1956, at the Kilauea Sugar Plantation in Hawaii, as their state record was established with 38 inches of rain in 24 hours.
    1947 – Ewell Blackwell just missed pitching back-to-back no-hitters when Eddie Stanky of the Brooklyn Dodgers singled with one out in the 9th inning. Blackwell won, 4-0, his ninth straight win, to improve to 11-2. Stanky's hit ended Blackwell's hitless-inning streak at 19. He had no-hit the Boston Braves on June 18th and won 16 consecutive games in 1947.  Cincinnati’s Johnny Vander Meer is the only Major League pitcher to throw consecutive no-hitters.
    1947 – One of the great basketball players, Pistol Pete Maravich (d. 1988), was born in Aliquippa, PA.  Maravich starred in college at LSU while playing for his father, head coach Press Maravich. He is the all-time NCAA Division I scorer with 3,667 points and an average of 44.2 points per game.   All of his accomplishments were achieved before the adoption of the three-point line and shot clock, and despite being unable to play varsity as a freshman under then-NCAA rules.  He played for three NBA teams until injuries forced his retirement in 1980 following a ten-year professional career.  One of the youngest players ever inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, Maravich was cited by the Hall as "perhaps the greatest creative offensive talent in history." In an April 2010 interview, Hall of Famer John Havlicek said that "the best ball-handler of all time was Pete Maravich." Maravich died suddenly at age 40 during a pick-up game due to a previously undetected heart defect. 
    1949 - Top Hits
“Again” - Gordon Jenkins
“Some Enchanted Evening” - Perry Como
“Bali Ha’I” - Perry Como
“One Kiss Too Many” - Eddy Arnold
    1950 - Prominent figures in the music industry, including Leonard Bernstein, Aaron Copland, Lena Horne, Pete Seeger and Artie Shaw, were named publicly as suspected Communist sympathizers in the infamous publication, “Red Channels: The Report of Communist Influence in Radio and Television.”
    1957 - Top Hits
“Love Letters in the Sand” - Pat Boone
“Teddy Bear” - Elvis Presley
“I Like Your Kind of Love” - Andy Williams
“Four Walls” - Jim Reeves
    1959 - Eddie Lubanski bowled 24 consecutive strikes, that is two perfect games, back-to-back, in a bowling tournament in Miami, Florida.
    1959 - Chuck Berry's "Memphis" is released.
    1959 - Starting its fourth week at the top of the Tunedex was "The Battle of New Orleans" by Johnny Horton. The song spent six weeks at number one. It was Horton’s only number one record and million copy seller. He had other big hits with movie music like "Sink the Bismarck" and "North to Alaska" from the film by the same title, starring John Wayne. Horton, from Tyler, Texas, married Hank Williams' widow Billie Jean Jones. On November 5, 1960, Johnny Horton was killed in a car crash.
    1959 – The Dodgers’ Sandy Koufax fanned 16 Phillies to set a new record for a night game, winning, 6-2.
    1962 - St. Louis Cardinal Hall of Famer Stan Musial broke the late Ty Cobb's Major League record of 5,863 career total bases.
    1963 - "Fingertips - Pt 2," by Stevie Wonder, was released and became his first number one single on August 10th. From 1963 to 1987, Wonder had 46 hits on the pop and R&B music charts, eight of which made it to number one.
    1963 - The Sufaris' "Wipe Out" is released.  It spent four months on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the autumn of 1963, reaching #2 to Stevie Wonder’s “Fingertips.”  The song returned to the Hot 100 in 1966, reaching #16 (and #63 for the year), and peaked at #9 on the Cash Box chart. 
    1963 – Phillies’ CF Tony Gonzalez played his 200th straight errorless game to help rookie Ray Culp beat Roger Craig and the Mets, 2-0.
    1964 - The United States Supreme Court voted that "Tropic of Cancer," Henry Miller’s controversial book, could not be banned.
    1965 - Top Hits
“I Can’t Help Myself” - The Four Tops
“Mr. Tambourine Man” - The Byrds
“For Your Love” - The Yardbirds
“Ribbon of Darkness” - Marty Robbins
    1968 - Mason Williams' "Classical Gas" is released.
    1968 - The Jeff Beck Group, with Rod Stewart and Ron Wood, made its US debut at the Fillmore East in New York City. Stewart was said to have had such a severe case of stage fright that he hid behind the speakers for the first couple of songs. The band, which had a major influence on the heavy metal groups that followed, broke up after two LPs and several North American tours.
    1969 - The Cuyahoga River caught fire in Cleveland, drawing national attention to water pollution, and spurring the passing of the Clean Water Act and the creation of the EPA.
    1969 – Singer/actor Judy Garland died at age 47.
    1970 - President Nixon signed the 26th amendment, lowering the voting age to 18
    1972 - Hurricane Agnes, a category 1 storm, made landfall near Apalachicola, Florida on the 19th, moved northeast, joined up with an upper level disturbance, and unloaded anywhere from 10 to 20 inches of rain across Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania, and New York during the period from the 20th to the 25th. Extreme flooding was the result -- the worst in U.S. history. A dike was breached at Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania and the resultant wall of water destroyed much of the city. Total damage was $3.5 billion and 122 lives were lost.
    1973 - Top Hits
“My Love” - Paul McCartney & Wings
“Playground in My Mind” - Clint Holmes
“I’m Gonna Love You Just a Little More Baby” - Barry White
“Kids Say the Darndest Things” - Tammy Wynette
    1976 – Randy Jones pitched the Padres to a 4-2 win over the Giants, and tied Christy Mathewson’s 63-year-old NL record by going 68 innings without issuing a base on balls. He received a standing ovation from the home crowd to end the 7th. His streak ended when he walked C Marc Hill leading off the 8th.
    1977 – Convicted Watergate conspirator and former Attorney General John Mitchell started a 19-month term in an Alabama Federal prison.
    1981 - John Lennon's murderer, Mark David Chapman, pleads guilty to his crime and is sentenced to 20 Years to Life in New York's Attica State prison. He has since been up for parole ten times and has been denied every time.
    1981 - A young woman from Lubbock, TX, was struck by lightning. The bolt of lightning struck just above her right shoulder near her neck and passed right to left through her body, tearing her warm-ups, causing her tennis shoes to explode, and lifting her two feet into the air.
    1981 - Top Hits
“Stars on 45 medley” - Stars on 45
“Sukiyaki” - A Taste of Honey
“A Woman Needs Love (Just like You Do)” - Ray Parker Jr. & Raydio
“But You Know I Love You” - Dolly Parton
    1984 - In a teary home plate ceremony before the Twins-White Sox game at the Metrodome, Calvin Griffith and his sister, Thelma Haynes, signed a letter of intent to sell their 52 percent ownership of the Twins to Minneapolis banker Carl Pohlad for $32 million. Griffith and his sister had been involved with the franchise since 1922, when they were adopted by Clark Griffith, then owner of the Washington Senators. Griffith had moved the Senators, a charter American League franchise, to Minneapolis in 1960
    1985 - "People" magazine took count of the deaths in Sylvester Stallone’s "Rambo" movie, finding that 44 people directly killed. Those at "People" figured out this was an average of one person dying every 2.1 minutes. There were also 70 explosions that killed an uncountable number of people.
    1987 - Thunderstorms in southern Texas produced wind gusts to 116 mph near Quemado. Thunderstorms in New York State produced 5.01 inches of rain in 24 hours at Buffalo, an all-time record for that location, and produced an inch of rain at Bath, PA. The temperature at Fairbanks, AK soared to 92 degrees, establishing a record for the date.
    1988 - Sixty-five cities in twenty-four states reported record high temperatures for the date. Tucson, AZ reported an all-time record high of 114 degrees, surpassing the previous record of 112 degrees established a day earlier. Highs of 98 degrees at Pittsburgh, PA, and 100 degrees at Baltimore, MD, tied records for the month of June.
    1989 - White Sox C Carlton Fisk surpasses Yogi Berra as the American League leader for career home runs by a catcher as his 307th home run helps to beat the Yanks, 7-3.  But Yogi has 10 rings, Fisk has none.  Subsequently, Mike Piazza passed Fisk and holds the MLB record for HRs by a catcher with 427.
    1989 - Top Hits
“I’ll Be Loving You (Forever)” - New Kids on the Block
“Satisfied” - Richard Marx
“Buffalo Stance” - Neneh Cherry
“Love Out Loud” - Earl Thomas Conley
    1990 - The last-place Atlanta Braves fired manager Russ Nixon and replaced him with GM Bobby Cox, who last managed Toronto in 1985. Good move. Cox led the Braves to a dramatic worst-to-first turnaround, the first of its kind in the National League. In the World Series, his team lost to the (also) resurgent Minnesota Twins. Cox was name AP Manager of the Year (the first manager to be so named in both leagues) and repeated in 2004 and 2005. He led the Braves to a division title every season from 1991 to 2005, excluding the strike-shortened 1994 season. Those division titles also let to NL pennants, except for 1993 and 1997, and the Braves won their only World Series under Cox in 1995.  Cox has the fourth highest win total of any manager in MLB history and he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2014 with contemporaries Joe Torre and Tony LaRussa.
    1993 – White Sox C Carlton Fisk passed Bob Boone catching his 2,226th game to become the all-time leader.
    1993 - New York Met Anthony Young tied the record with his 23rd straight loss.
    1998 - CompUSA announced that it was buying Computer City from Tandy for $275 million. Tandy was selling the sickly chain as part of a turnaround it had started the previous year. Tandy president Leonard Roberts said, “Computer City was a losing operation for the company. The sale will allow us to completely focus on Radio Shack at a time when profits are at an all-time high.”  Radio Shack filed under Chapter XI in 2014 and is being liquidated.
    1990 - Billy Joel became the first rock artist to perform at Yankee Stadium.  Attendance was in excess of 60,000.
    1994 - Ken Griffey, Jr. broke Babe Ruth's record for most home runs by end of June (31).
    2001 - Returning to the Major Leagues after a stint with Newark Bears of the independent Atlantic League, Jose Canseco starts as the designated hitter for the White Sox. The former All Star, who has 446 career home runs (23rd all time), didn't get any offers after being released by the Angels in the spring.
    2002 – Darryl Kile (1968-2002) died.  A pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals who won 20 games in 2000, Kile died of undetected coronary disease in Chicago, where he and the Cardinals were staying for a weekend series against the Cubs.
    2003 - In the 13th inning at Veterans' Stadium, pinch-hitter Todd Pratt hits a two-run homer giving the Phillies a walk-off 6-5 victory over the Red Sox. Boston's shortstop Nomar Garciaparra's club tying record 6-for-6 (all singles) performance could not prevent the bullpen from blowing three late leads; 2-1 in the 8th (Thome's HR ties it), 3-2 in 12th (Thome's second HR ties it).
    2006 - California and the rest of the West Coast got hit by a big heat wave. For three days it has been over 100 degrees in the shade.  It was 104 degrees at Los Gatos, California. The air conditioning could not keep up and when the office hit 83 degrees at 3pm, Leasing News closed up and all went home for a cool one.
    2009 – Eastman Kodak announced that it will discontinue sales of the Kodachrome Color Film, concluding its 74-year run as a photography icon.
    2009 - A DC Metro train, traveling southbound at the Fort Totten Station in suburban Maryland, collided into another train sitting in the station. Nine people were killed in the collision (eight passengers and the train operator) and at least 80 others were injured.
    2009 – Donald Fehr announced his retirement as head of the MLB Players Association after 25 years. He was in charge during the 1994 strike that cancelled the World Series, the rampant use of PEDs that he protected under the cover of player privacy, and the relative labor peace that followed. His resignation was effective in March, 2010.
    2011 – After 16 years in hiding, Boston mobster Whitey Bulger was arrested outside an apartment in Santa Monica, CA.  Federal prosecutors indicted Bulger for nineteen murders. On December 23, 1994, Bulger fled the Boston area and went into hiding after his former FBI handler, John Connolly, tipped him off about a pending RICO indictment against him. Although adamantly denied by Bulger, the FBI admitted that he served as an informant for several years starting in 1975.   Bulger provided information about the inner workings of the Patriarca crime family, his Mafia rivals based in Rhode Island. In return, Connolly, as Bulger's FBI handler, ensured that the Winter Hill Gang effectively went ignored.  Beginning in 1997, the news media exposed various criminal misconduct by officials tied to Bulger from federal, state, and local law enforcement. This caused great embarrassment to each of these agencies, but none more so than the FBI.  Bulger was added to the FBI's Ten Most Wanted list in 1999 and was considered the most wanted person on the list behind Osama bin Laden.   He was finally apprehended along with his longtime girlfriend Catherine Greig outside an apartment complex in Santa Monica. By then he was 81 years old.  Bulger and Greig were then promptly extradited to Boston and taken under heavy guard to the US Courthouse, which had to be partially closed for their arrival. In June 2012, Greig pleaded guilty to conspiracy to harbor a fugitive, identity fraud, and conspiracy to commit identity fraud, receiving a sentence of eight years in prison. Bulger declined to seek bail and remained in custody.  Bulger's trial began on June 12, 2013. He was tried on 32 counts including complicity in nineteen murders.  On August 12, Bulger was found guilty on 31 counts and was found to have been involved in eleven murders.  On November 14, he received two consecutive life sentences plus five years for his crimes and he was incarcerated in federal prison in Florida. 
    2015 – South Carolina governor Nikki Haley calls for the removal of the Confederate flag from statehouse grounds in wake of killings in a Charleston church. 

NBA Champions:
1994 - Houston Rockets