Florida Governor Ron DeSantis Signs Florida Disclosure
 and Broker Law which goes into effect on July 1, 2023
By Sloan Schickler, Esq.

The Florida law bears some similarities to both California and New York’s commercial disclosure laws. It exempts banks and leases, and certain transactions with vehicle dealers and rental car companies. If enacted, it will cover commercial financing transactions consummated on or after January 1, 2024.

Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody has exclusive authority to enforce the law which does not contain a private right of action for failure to comply with the law. Violations will incur fines of $1000 with a maximum of $20,000 in the aggregate for all violations however, after receipt of notice from the Attorney General Moody concerning violations, the aggregate penalty is bumped up to $50,000.

Commercial financing transactions under the proposed law are:
1. Commercial loans
2. Accounts receivable purchase transactions
3. Commercial open-end credit plans provided they are for business purposes and not for personal, family or household purposes.

The following transactions and entities are exempt from the disclosure requirements:
1. FDIC insured depository institutions and their affiliates, holding companies and their subsidiaries
2. Lenders regulated under the federal Farm Credit Act
3. Commercial financing transactions that are:
    a. secured by real property
    b. a lease
    c. a purchase money obligation that is incurred as all or part of the price of the collateral to allow the business to acquire rights in or to use the collateral.
4. Commercial financing transactions where the recipient is a vehicle dealer or vehicle rental company or affiliate, the loan or credit plan is for at least $50,000 or a similar transaction offered by a manufacturer or its related entity (captive finance company)
5. A licensed money transmitter
6. A lender that provides no more than five commercial financing transaction in the State of Florida during a 12-month period; and
7. Transactions over $500,000.

Written disclosures for covered transactions must be provided at or before consummation of the transaction. Information to be disclosed includes: the total amount of funds to be provided; the disbursement amount after any deductions or withholding which must be itemized; the total amount owed to the lender; the total cost of the financing; the manner, frequency and amount of the payments and if there are variable payments, the method used to calculate the payments. Brokers may not obtain advance fees from a business to provide brokering services.

Sloan Schickler, Esq.
Schickler & Schickler PLLC
One Rockefeller Plaza, FL11
New York, NY 10020
Direct Dial: 212-262-5297
sloan.schickler@schicklerlaw.com
https://schicklerlaw.com

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California Bill Proposes to Require all
Brokers have Commercial Financing License
By Marshall Goldberg, Esq., Leasing News Legal Editor

Coming as no surprise, the requirement that ALL commercial brokers doing business in the state of California be licensed is about to arrive. For the past few years, California law (Fin. C. §§22602-22604) encouraged but did not require brokers to secure California Finance licenses.

The state law allowed state-licensed commercial lenders to pay referral fees for commercial loans to unlicensed brokers as long as the brokers:

1. Did not participate in loan negotiations,
2. Counsel or advise the borrower about a loan,
3. participate in the preparation of any loan documents,
4. Contact the lender on behalf of the borrower beyond the initial referral,
5. Obtain loan documentation from the borrower or deliver that documentation to the lender,
6. Communicate lending decisions or inquiries to the Borrower,
7. Participate in creating sales literature or marketing materials or obtain the borrowers signature on loan documents.

Many funding sources refused to do business with unlicensed brokers because they could be held responsible for materially false or misleading statements or representations made by their brokers to a prospective borrower about the terms or conditions of a prospective loan.

Some lenders continued to do business with unlicensed brokers because of long standing relationships with trustworthy brokers, who had small businesses or could not keep up with the heavy licensure requirements, including the preparation and submission of a comprehensive annual report each March 15, 2023.  Those days are about to come to an end.

California Senate Bill 869 was introduced on February 17, 2023 (amended on April 27, 2023) for the purpose of adding a Section 22605 to the Financial Code, relating to commercial loans.

The new law would require a person who provides commercial brokerage services to a borrower in a commercial loan transaction by soliciting lenders or otherwise negotiating a commercial loan, to be licensed by the Commissioner of the Department of Financial Protection and Innovation (DFPI).

The statute would impose a fiduciary responsibility upon the broker to the borrower. The bill specifies that this responsibility includes the duty to exercise the (1) utmost honesty, (2) absolute candor, (3) integrity, and (4_unselfishness toward the borrower, and (5-that the commercial broker places the economic interest of the borrower ahead of their own economic interest.

Marshall Goldberg
Glass & Goldberg, A Law Corporation
22917 Burbank Blvd.
Woodland Hills, CA 91367-4203
(818) 474-1532 Direct
(818) 888-2220 Main
(818) 888-2229 Facsimile
mgoldberg@glassgoldberg.com
www.glassgoldberg.com

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New Hires/Promotions in the Leasing Business
and Related Industries

Joshua Parrish was hired as Business Development Officer, TrueCore Capital, Greater Charlottesville Area. Previously, he was Business Development Manager, MAZO Capital Solutions (March, 2022 - June, 2023_; Business Development, SLIM Capital (April, 2019 - March, 2022); Manager, Strategic Partnerships, Currency (October, 2015 - January, 2019); Sales Manager, Balboa Capital (April, 2018 - October, 2015). Full Bio:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshua-parrish-7825a987/details/experience/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshua-parrish-7825a987/

Ralph Tomei promoted to Senior Vice President, Commercial Vendor Group, Key Equipment Finance, Denver, Colorado. He joined Key February, 2006, Program Manager, promoted Vice President Sales March, 2009.  Previously, he was Financial Manager, Hewlett Packard Financial Services (2004 - 2006); Regional Leasing Manager, GE Commercial Finance (1999 - 2004); Regional Manager, Textron Financial Companies (1997 - 1999).
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ralph-tomei/

Bruce Volk was hired as Business Development Executive, KLC Financial, LLC., Minnetonka, Minnesota. He is located in Wickensburg, Arizona. Previously, he was Senior Vice President, M2 Lease Equipment Finance (September, 2016 - June, 2023); Owner and President, CapitalWest Finance and Leasing Corp. (April, 1999 - April, 2015).
https://www.linkedin.com/in/bruce-volk-1bab1133/

Todd Witmer was hired as Senior Business Development Leader, Mitsubishi HC Capital America, Chicago, Illinois. He is located in Benton Harbor, Michigan. (He) will be responsible for scaling the company’s growth plans by connecting with business owners and referral partners to assist clients with their working capital needs. Previously, he was SVP, Mercantile Bank of Michigan (September, 2018 - October, 2022) Full Bio:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/todd-witmer/details/experience/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/todd-witmer/

Pati Woeller was hired as Strategic Client Representative III, Canon Financial Services, Inc., Mt. Laurel, New Jersey. She is located in Somerdale, New Jersey. Previously, she was at Marlin Business Service Corp., starting September, 2018, Account Manager, promoted August, 2021, Customer Service Representative; Customer Care Specialist, PEAC Solutions (September, 2018 - June, 2023).
Full Bio:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/pati-woeller-b330899/details/experience/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/pati-woeller-b330899/

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

Time Management

Sales Makes it Happen by Scott Wheeler, CLFP

In 2023, my coaching and group training sessions for seasoned originators have revolved around time management. Originators are busy professionals and they are challenged with how to best use their time to maximize their production and personal incomes. Transactions are taking longer to close, additional tasks are being completed by originators rather than operational staff, vendors and end-users are requiring more attention, and top originators are having to provide greater value to attract, win, and fund their fair share of new business. Top producers are taking the following steps:

1. Top producers are ranking their relationships and focusing on those relationships that have the most potential. Not all vendors or end-users are equal - and top producers are focusing on relationships that are both efficient and fully aligned with their current capabilities. (Full utilization of a CRM system is essential to have a meaningful ranking system.)
2. Top producers are pre-qualifying transactions and relationships quickly. They understand that stating the facts up-front and spending time at the beginning of the process to qualify an opportunity saves significant time for the client, the originator, and his operational staff.
3. Top producers are highly organized. They set realistic daily and weekly goals. Top producers are controlling their workflow rather than having random occurrences controlling their daily activities. Time is money.
4. Top producers maximize the time that they engage with their "key" relationships. Top producers are aware of those relationships with the greatest potential.
5. Top producers work closely with their support staff to create efficiencies and improve processes. They are team players who understand that the team works best when it is spending time and energy on activities which will produce the greatest returns for all stakeholders.

Strong time management skills determine the difference between being average and being a top producer. How are you spending your TIME?

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

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

SF Net Reports Overall Lender Confidence Still Positive
in First Quarter, But Down from the End of 2022

Non-banks more bullish, banks more bearish about new business demand, hiring and client utilization for asset-based lending

NEW YORK,—Combined (bank and non-bank) business lenders’ confidence stayed slightly positive during the first quarter of 2023, at 50.3 points, yet that was a 5.8-point decline from the last quarter of 2022, according to the Asset-Based Lending Index released today by the Secured Finance Network.

But when lender sentiment was divided into bank and non-bank segments, expectations diverged. Banks’ combined lender confidence dipped to 42.6 points in the first quarter, falling below the 50-point level -- which distinguishes improving from declining confidence -- for the first time in three full years; that may have reflected the bank failures that occurred earlier this year and the resulting imperative for banks to emphasize credit value instead of growth opportunities. Non-banks, however, made a small gain and stayed above the 50-point threshold. The bank and non-bank expectations for new business demand and client utilization paralleled the overall confidence findings, as non-banks were bullish while banks were bearish.

SFNet CEO Richard Gumbrecht, said, “We’re seeing the first evidence of a shift from bank to non-bank lending in the secured finance space related to the business cycle.” 

 “This is normal and underscores the resilience of our industry as an essential provider of capital in both a growing and receding economy.” 

While the combined lender expectations for overall business conditions and portfolio performance were lower (more so for banks than non-banks), compared to the previous quarter, lenders also expressed the most confidence for gains in new business, hiring, and client utilization. Even though lenders had slightly lower first-quarter expectations for those three categories than for the previous quarter (though non-banks were more hopeful about hiring than banks), they nevertheless anticipated improvements in all three areas. 

The report contained modestly positive news about committed credit lines in all categories during the first quarter of 2023. Total committed credit lines were up 2.1% for lenders who responded in all four quarters of 2022 and this year’s first quarter, and up 10.5% among these lenders, year-over-year, compared to the first quarter of 2022. New credit commitments for lenders reporting across all five quarters were up 3.6% in the first quarter of this year vs. the last quarter of 2022, while new commitments among these lenders shot up 34.4%, year-over-year, compared to the first quarter of 2022.

Banks themselves showed little movement in total commitments and outstanding loans between the fourth quarter 2022 and the first quarter 2023, growing just 1.8% and 1.4%, respectively. New commitments, though, were up 3.2% and commitment runoff was off by 27.7% -- performances that gave a big boost to net commitments. Non-banks didn’t show much movement in total commitments and outstandings, either, with the former up by 2.5% and the later inching up by 0.5%. (Hence, it may take another quarter or longer to see new business demand perk up.) While new commitments plummeted by 37.2% in the first quarter, they’re still high; meanwhile, commitments runoff skyrocketed, by 55.9%, in the quarter. The upshot is that net commitments are still positive, but down sharply from the last quarter.

The data for the first quarter of 2023 was mixed on combined credit line utilizations. Among lenders reporting across all five quarters, credit line utilization stayed largely flat after dropping for two consecutive quarters, which kept it slightly under its pre-pandemic levels. Nevertheless, credit line utilization grew by 2 basis points from the last quarter of 2022, and by 17 basis points, year-over-year, compared to the first quarter of 2022.

The minimal overall movement largely reflected how the banks and non-banks performed. The bank respondents’ credit line utilization rate crept up to just 40.1% -- below its most recent peak of 42.9% from the second quarter of last year -- while the rate for non-banks was down 1% in the quarter, from 53.8% to 52.8%.

Where combined portfolio performance was concerned, a smaller percentage of lenders reported taking on more non-accruing loans as a percentage of total loans outstanding in the first quarter of 2023 than was the case in the final quarter of last year. Conversely, a greater percentage of lenders reported that they had fewer such loans in the first quarter than the percentage reporting fewer loans in the fourth quarter of 2023. Specifically, 13.3% of lenders reported an increase in such loans in the first quarter, vs. 28.6% of lenders who reported having more of these loans in the last quarter of 2022. And, 43.3% of lenders reported a decrease in non-accruing loans in the first quarter of 2023, while just 28.6% of lenders had fewer such loans in the previous quarter. 

However, non-accruing loans as a percentage of total loans outstanding were up by 18 basis points from the fourth quarter of last year to the first quarter of 2023, and up 28 basis points compared to the first quarter of last year.

The banks themselves saw a slight deterioration in portfolio performance, as criticized and classified loans and non-accruals increased both in absolute terms and as a share of outstandings. Non-banks’ performance stayed strong, as most of them reported declining or flat write-offs.

Finally, the percentage of lenders reporting a quarter-on-quarter decrease in gross write-offs remained the same in the fourth quarter of 2022 and the first quarter of 2023, at 16.7%. But a lesser percentage of respondents (4.2%) reported an increase in gross write-offs in the first quarter than in the fourth quarter of 2022 (16.7%). Meanwhile, 79.2% of reporting lenders had no change in gross write-offs in the first quarter, vs. 66.7% in the last quarter of 2022 that reported no change. 

For the banks themselves, gross write-offs as a share of outstandings went down in the first quarter. All the non-banks reported declining or flat write-offs, too.

About the Secured Finance Network
Founded in 1944, the Secured Finance Network, Inc. (SFNet) is the international trade organization representing the asset-based lending, factoring, trade and supply chain finance industries, with over 1,000 member organizations throughout the US, Canada and around the world. SFNet provides education, networking opportunities and industry advocacy to the global secured finance community. For more information, please visit  https://www.sfnet.com/

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

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

"The Farming. The Future. The Financing. Whitepaper:
“Unlocking the Potential of Agricultural Technology”

In an era where the agricultural industry is undergoing a profound transformation, driven by the need for sustainability and enhanced productivity to feed a growing global population, the adoption of innovative technologies has become paramount. DLL, as a trusted partner to agricultural equipment manufacturers and dealers worldwide, closely monitors this evolving landscape and aims to share valuable industry insights.

"The Farming. The Future. The Financing." whitepaper delves into the fascinating realm of Agricultural Technology (AgTech), highlighting the latest advancements and their potential impact on the future of farming. Backed by extensive market research and our deep expertise, this comprehensive report provides a wealth of knowledge, including:

ndustry trends and effects on the ways we produce food 
AgTech market dynamics, assets, and application 
Sustainable and flexible financing solutions 

To delve deeper into the future of agriculture and the myriad possibilities enabled by AgTech, I invite you to download the whitepaper by visiting this link
https://info.go.dllgroup.com/int_en_fa_dll_whitepaper?utm

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

Mixed Breed
Mohawk, New York  Adopt-a-Dog

Franny

"This poor over bred girl was going for a walk today when she noticed an open car door and she pulled to jump in. She is DESPERATE to get out of the shelter from the loud overwhelming shelter environment. It’s breaking her. 💔 Eggnog/Ember came in as a stray and unfortunately nobody claimed her. She’s around 2 years old, housebroken, gets along with other dogs with a proper introduction, and loves to smell the green grass. Ember is just one of many great dogs at the shelter just sitting in a cage waiting to enjoy summer with a family."

Herkimer County Humane Society
514 State Route 5S
Mohawk, New York 13407
PHONE: (315) 866-3255
Contact Us:
https://www.herkimerhumanesociety.org/contact/

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Roscoe, a Rescue Dog
Adopted by John Kenny and his Family

John Kenny, Receivables Management, former President of Lease Police, still reads Leasing News. He wanted us to know he reads “Adopt-a-Dog, which led him to a rescue dog that he and his family adopted.

Here is Roscoe, a 4 month old mixed breed who was scheduled to be euthanized. We brought him home the day before Father's Day.

He's very sweet, smart and adorable. We're all doing our best to settle in.

He already walks on the leash and sits on command. He's sweet and well behaved. Still working on housetraining and are well on our way. We're all settling in well.

Your reminders of dogs are need of homes are an inspiration. I was thinking that printing success stories from time-to-time might also be a good idea.

John Kenny
Receivables Management LLC
PO Box 331
Mohawk, NY 13407
315-866-1167
ReceivablesManagement@protonmail.com
www.ReceivablesManagementLLC.com
Member - Commercial Law League of America
Founding Member - Associated Credit Managers, Inc.

Why I Recommend Reading Leasing News Editions By Ken Greene, Esq. "There are a few things that make Leasing News a unique standout in the world of journalism, particularly as it relates to the equipment finance. industry. Among the winning feature is the variety, the weltanschauung, if you will, from dogs, to wine, to the humous placards. Last and least, I’m big fan of the legal columns." Kenneth Charles Greene Law Office of Kenneth Charles Greene www.kengreenelaw.com

 

News Briefs---

Tesla May Have Already Won the Charging Wars
    Deals with Ford and G.M
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/27/business/energy-environment/tesla-gm-ford-charging-electric-vehicles.html

CLFP Rolls Out in Australia
    By: Anaya Vance
https://debanked.com/2023/06/clfp-rolls-out-in-australia/

Tackling truck fraud requires industrywide
    collaborative effort
https://www.freightwaves.com/news/tackling-fraud-requires-industry-wide-collaborative-effort

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Americans are feeling far more confident
    about the economy
https://www.cnn.com/2023/06/27/economy/us-consumer-confidence-june/index.html

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Sports Briefs---

Baseball Scouts Call In Artificial Intelligence Help From the Bullpen
https://www.wsj.com/sports/baseball/mlb-draft-artificial-intelligence-97522ebf?st=2sen7r7lzaqfic1&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink

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California News Briefs---

Newsom, lawmakers reach $310.8 billion budget deal
    nearly $32 billion shortfall
https://www.courthousenews.com/newsom-lawmakers-reach-310-8-billion-budget-deal/

MLB turns down San Jose mayors’ letter seeking
expansion team, citing focus on A’s relocation
https://www.mercurynews.com/2023/06/27/mlb-turns-down-san-jose-mayors-letter-seeking-expansion-team-citing-focus-on-as-relocation/

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Gimme that Wine

 

The best Napa Valley wineries where
you don’t need a reservation
https://www.sfchronicle.com/food/wine/article/napa-no-reservations-18136254.php

This Day in History

     1451 - An eclipse occurred that allegedly prevented the outbreak of war between the Mohawk and the Seneca Indians. 
    1687 - The first Knighthood conferred on a person born in America was awarded at Windsor Castle, England, by King James II to William Phips (Phipps), for his fair distribution of 34 tons of silver, gold, and jewels valued at $1,350,000 that he salvaged from a sunken Spanish ship that had lain in the sea near the Bahamas Islands for 44 years. Phips was born on February 2, 1651, at Pemaquid (now Bristol), ME.
    1745 – A New England colonial army, aided by a British fleet, captured the French fortifications at Louisbourg, the capital of the French province of Ile-Royale (present-day Cape Breton Island) during the War of Austrian Succession, known as King George’s War in the British colonies.
    1770 - Quakers open school for Blacks in Philadelphia.
    1776 - Jefferson's document was placed before the Congress after some minor changes by Adams and Franklin. This event was immortalized in the painting by John Trumball.
    1776 - Colonists repulsed a British sea attack on Charleston, South Carolina.
    1776 - Thomas Hickey, Continental Army private and bodyguard to General Washington, was hanged for mutiny and sedition.   
    1778 - "Molly Pitcher," Mary Ludwig Hays McCauley, wife of an American artilleryman, carried water to the soldiers during the Revolutionary War Battle of Monmouth, N.J. and, supposedly, took her husband's place at his gun after he is overcome with heat.    
    1778 - History records the first Revolutionary War conflict in which American and British troops met on equal terms was the Battle of Monmouth Courthouse, Freehold, NJ. The Americans under General George Washington lost 69 killed and 160 wounded. The British under Sir Henry Clinton lost 300 killed and 100 wounded or captured. The Battle of Monmouth in central New Jersey was fought in sweltering heat. The temperature was 96 degrees in the shade and there were more casualties from the heat than from bullets.
http://users.rcn.com/gvalis/ggv/battles/Monmouth.html
    1812 - After much debate in Congress between “hawks” such as Henry Clay and John Calhoun, and “doves” such as John Randolph, Congress issued a declaration of war on Great Britain. The action was prompted by Britain's violation of America's rights on the high seas and British incitement of Indian warfare on the frontier. War was seen by some as a way to acquire Florida and Canada. The hostilities ended with the signing of Treaty of Ghent on December 24, 1814, at Ghent, Belgium.
    1846 – Adolph Saxe of Belgium patented the saxophone.   
    1855 – Sigma Chi fraternity was founded at Miami University of Ohio, by members who split from the Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity.
    1862 - The siege of the Confederate city of Vicksburg, MS, began in earnest when Admiral David Farragut succeeded in taking a fleet past the Mississippi River stronghold. 
http://battlefieldvacations.com/miss/vicksb.asp
http://www.nps.gov/vick/vcmpgn/siege.htm 
http://www.proseandphotos.com/vicksburg,_ms.htm 
http://www.henry.k12.ga.us/pges/kid-pages/cw/farragut.html 
http://bulldog2.berwick-academy.so-berwick.pvt.k12.me.us/projects/
history/David_Farragut.html
http://www.us-civilwar.com/farragut.htm
(He is best remembered as being the Union's only Admiral and for saying “Damn the torpedoes. Full speed ahead.” In those days, by the way, a torpedo was a mine in the water. To halt ships’ entrance in the water, especially around harbors, floating mines or tied to a chain were very commonly deployed).
    1865 – Following the Confederacy surrender to Gen, Grant, the Union Army of the Potomac disbanded.  After Gettysburg, corps were added and subtracted from the Army, reassigned on a need basis to other divisions.  The last corps were two divisions of the Cavalry Corps that transferred in August 1864 to Maj. Gen. Sheridan’s Army of the Shenandoah, and the Army of the Potomac’s 2nd Division alone remained under Gen. Meade's command. On March 26, 1865, that division was also assigned to Sheridan for the closing campaigns of the war. 
    1888 - Robert Louis Stevenson leaves San Francisco on his first voyage to the South Seas. 
    1894 – Labor Day became an official holiday.
    1902 - Birthday of songwriter Richard Rodgers (d. 1979), New York City, NY.  An American composer of music with over 900 songs and 43 Broadway musicals, he left a legacy as one of the most significant composers of 20th-century American music. He is best known for his songwriting partnerships with the lyricists Lorenz hart and Ocsar Hammerstein II. His compositions have had a significant impact on popular music.  Rodgers was the first person to win what are considered the top American entertainment awards in television, recording, movies and Broadway – an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony — now known collectively as an EGOT. In addition, he was awarded a Pulitzer Prize, making him one of only two people to receive all five awards (Marvin Hamlisch is the other).

http://home.istar.ca/~townsend/_private/composer/rodgers.htm
http://www.nodanw.com/biographies/rodgers_hart.htm
http://www.kennedy-center.org/programs/specialevents/honors/
history/honoree/rodgers.html
    1902 - The Isthmian Canal Act was passed by Congress. It authorized financing and building of a canal across the Isthmus of Panama and authorized an alternative route across Nicaragua in the event the president could not obtain a concession from the Panama Canal Company of France (which he eventually did for $40,000,000) and negotiate a proper treaty with Colombia. Treaty difficulties were obviated by the successful rebellion and separation of Panama from Colombia in November, 1903.  The new republic immediately granted a ten-mile-wide strip of land for the canal.
    1907 - Birthday of composer-arranger Jimmy Mundy (d. 1983), Cincinnati, Ohio.
http://www.centrohd.com/biogra/m2/jimmy_mundy_b.htm
http://www.loc.gov/rr/perform/basiestocks.html
(he boasted a book of 70 Basie arrangements)
    1909 - Eric Ambler (d. 1998) was born in London, England.  Author, widely regarded, with Somerset Maugham & Graham Greene, as a pioneer of espionage and crime fiction. Used the pseudonym Eliot Reed on four novels written with Charles Rodda. 1964 Edgar winner, later named a Grand Master by the Mystery Writers of America.  Wrote a series of great spy novels. One of my favorites, so he gets listed here.
http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/eamber.htm
    1914 - Archduke Ferdinand of Austria and his wife Sofia were assassinated in Sarajevo by a Bosnian Serb, setting off a chain of events that lead to World War I.
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/jun28.html
    1914 - Birthday of bluegrass musician and singer Lester Flatt (d. 1979), born in Overton County, Tennessee. Flatt, his partner Earl Scruggs and their band, the Foggy Mountain Boys, did more than any other group to bring bluegrass music to the attention of the mass audience in the 1960's. Flatt and Scruggs' "The Ballad of Jed Clampett" from "The Beverly Hillbillies" TV show was a hit in 1962. Their recording of "Foggy Mountain Breakdown," which they had originally waxed in 1949, reached the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1968 after it was used in the film "Bonnie and Clyde." When Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs' musical partnership ended in 1969, they had been together for more than 20 years. 
    1922 - Birthday of Dean Benedetti (d. 1957), Ogden, Utah.  Saxophone player best known for amateur live recordings he made of fellow saxophonist Charlie Parker. 
http://www.mosaicrecords.com/DisplaySelectionDetail.asp?SelectionID=1 
http://jazzinstituteofchicago.org/index.asp?target=/jazzgram/people/benedetti.asp 
http://www.grafik-tips.org/weblog/texte/bird.html 
http://www.kyushu-ns.ac.jp/~allan/Documents/CP_S_48-50.html
    1923 - Birthday of trumpet player Pete Condoli, born Walter Joseph Candoli (d. 2008), Mishawaka, IN.
http://www.srirecords.com/condoli.html
    1924 - A massive F4 tornado hit Sandusky, Ohio, moved across Lake Erie, and then tore through Lorain, Ohio. 85 people killed and total damage was $12.5 million.
    1925 - Birthday of George Morgan (d. 1975), one of country music's earliest crooners, born in Waverly, Tennessee. He was the writer and singer of "Candy Kisses," the biggest country song of 1949. Morgan's recording went to number one and sold a million copies, while a cover version by Elton Britt was number three on the country chart. Morgan's smooth, easy style was featured on such early '50s country hits as "Room Full of Roses," "Cry Baby Heart" and "I'm in Love Again." He died of a heart attack in July 1975 just as his career was beginning to rebound.
    1928 - Louis Armstrong records the classic, “West End Blues,” (Okey 87597)
http://www.libertyhall.com/stamp/westend.html
http://www.pbs.org/jazz/biography/artist_id_armstrong_louis.htm
    1940 - Congress approved the Alien Registration Act. During the period from August 27, 1940 to December 26, 1940, the number of non-citizens who registered was 4,741,971.
    1944 - "The Alan Young Show" debuted on NBC radio. It was a summer replacement for the popular Eddie Cantor. The show became a regular in the fall NBC lineup. Young, incidentally, made the switch to TV in 1961. He became a CBS star with a talking horse, of course, of course, named "Mister Ed."
http://www.mister-ed.tv/Alan%20Young's%20Bio.htm 
http://www.colemanzone.com/Time_Machine_Project/filby.htm
    1949 - All 12 of the women who were the first to be admitted to Harvard Medical School in 1945 (YES, 1945 and then only because there weren't enough young men around because of World War II enlistments), graduated, two as cum laude. None flunked out as predicted and the walls did not tumble in, nor was the future of the medical profession irreparably harmed. 
    1948 - No. 1 Billboard Pop Hit: "Woody Wood-Pecker," Kay Kyser Orchestra. The song tops the Billboard singles chart for six weeks and sells more than 1 million copies.
    1951 - “Amos and Andy” premiered on TV; based on the popular radio show about black characters played by white dialecticians Freeman Gosden and Charles Correll. It became the first dramatic series with an all-black cast to appear on television. The cast included Tim Moore, Spencer Williams, Alvin Childress, Ernestine Wade, Amanda Randolph, Johnny Lee, Nick O'Demus and Jester Hairston. The series was widely syndicated until pressure from civil rights groups, who claimed the show was stereotypical and prejudicial, caused CBS to withdraw it from syndication. Today, it is considered derogatory and re-runs are rare. It was one of the most popular radio and television shows of all time.
    1955 - Top Hits
“Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White” - Perez Prado
“Rock Around the Clock” - Bill Haley & His Comets
“Unchained Melody” - Al Hibler
“Live Fast, Love Hard, Die Young” - Faron Young
    1960 - Birthday of Denver Bronco quarterback John Albert Elway, Port Angeles, WA.
    1963 - Top Hits
“Sukiyaki” - Kyu Sakamoto
“Blue on Blue” - Bobby Vinton
“Those Lazy-Hazy-Crazy Days of Summer” - Nat King Cole
“Act Naturally” - Buck Owens
    1964 - No. 1 Billboard Pop Hit: "I Get Around," The Beach Boys.
    1965 - Dick Clark's Rock and Roll TV show, “Where the Action Is,” premieres on ABC-TV. Guests include Jan and Dean, Dee Dee Sharp and newcomers Paul Revere and The Raiders, who steal the show with their stage antics and Revolutionary War costumes. 
    1968 - President Lyndon B. Johnson approved Public Law 90-363, which amended section 6103(a) of title 5, United States Code, establishing Monday observance of Washington's Birthday, Memorial Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day and Veterans Day. The new holiday law took effect Jan 1,1971. Veterans Day observance subsequently reverted to its former observance date, Nov 11.
    1968 - The Rascals claim gold record number three for their hit, "A Beautiful Morning."
    1968 - SANTIAGO-COLON, HECTOR, Medal of Honor
Rank and organization: Specialist Fourth Class, U.S. Army, Company B, 5th Battalion, 7th Cavalry, 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile). Place and date: Quang Tri Province, Republic of Vietnam, 28 June 1968. Entered service at: New York, N.Y. Born: 20 December 1942, Salinas, Puerto Rico. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Sp4c. Santiago-Colon distinguished himself at the cost of his life while serving as a gunner in the mortar platoon of Company B. While serving as a perimeter sentry, Sp4c. Santiago-Colon heard distinct movement in the heavily wooded area to his front and flanks. Immediately he alerted his fellow sentries in the area to move to their foxholes and remain alert for any enemy probing forces. From the wooded area around his position heavy enemy automatic weapons and small-arms fire suddenly broke out, but extreme darkness rendered difficult the precise location and identification of the hostile force. Only the muzzle flashes from enemy weapons indicated their position. Sp4c. Santiago-Colon and the other members of his position immediately began to repel the attackers, utilizing hand grenades, antipersonnel mines and small-arms fire. Due to the heavy volume of enemy fire and exploding grenades around them, a North Vietnamese soldier was able to crawl, undetected, to their position. Suddenly, the enemy soldier lobbed a hand grenade into Sp4c. Santiago-Colon's foxhole. Realizing that there was no time to throw the grenade out of his position, Sp4c. Santiago-Colon retrieved the grenade, tucked it in to his stomach and, turning away from his comrades, absorbed the full impact of the blast. His heroic self-sacrifice saved the lives of those who occupied the foxhole with him, and provided them with the inspiration to continue fighting until they had forced the enemy to retreat from the perimeter. By his gallantry at the cost of his life and in the highest traditions of the military service, Sp4c. Santiago-Colon has reflected great credit upon himself, his unit, and the U.S. Army.
    1971 - The Supreme Court voted 8-0 to overturn the 1967 conviction of Muhammad Ali for draft evasion. The World Champ had has his title stripped for refusing to participate in the View Nam war, declaring himself a conscientious objector.
    1971 - Top Hits
“It's Too Late/I Feel the Earth Move” - Carole King
“Indian Reservation” - Raiders
“Treat Her Like a Lady” - Cornelius Brothers & Sister Rose
“When You're Hot, You're Hot” - Jerry Reed
    1974 - Birthday of Karim Abdul-Jabbar, born Sharman Shah, Los Angeles, CA.  Not to confused with NBA Hall of Famer of the same name who was born Lewis Ferdinand Alcindor.
    1974 - No. 1 Billboard Pop Hit: "Sundown," Gordon Lightfoot.
    1975 - Lee Trevino and two other golfers are struck by lightning at the Western Open golf tournament in Oak Brook, IL.
    1976 - One hundred, fifty-seven women cadets reported for training at U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colorado. 1,200 women applied. In May, 1980, 98 of the original 157 graduated. For the women's personal training, the Air Force only supplemented the male staff with regular Army women officers for the first year and then demanded the women train their lower classmates in protocol, etc., while the male cadets continued to have professional instructors. 
    1978 - The concept of racial quotas came under fire when the Supreme Court ruled, in the case of Bakke v. the University of California, that the university had to admit Allan P. Bakke to its medical school. Bakke, who was white, claimed his civil rights had been violated when he was refused admission because of racial quotas designed to increase the number of minority students in the medical school.
    1979 - Top Hits
“Hot Stuff” - Donna Summer
“Ring My Bell” - Anita Ward
“The Logical Song” - Supertramp
“Nobody Likes Sad Songs” - Ronnie Milsap
    1980 - The temperature at Wichita Falls, TX, soared to 117 degrees, their hottest reading of record. Daily highs were 110 degrees or above between the 24th of June and the 3rd of July.
    1981 - "Variety," the movieland trade paper, reported that the biggest single weekend in box-office history saw American moviegoers spending a blockbusting $56,101,095 at the box office. The popular movies bringing in the bucks were "Superman II" with Christopher Reeve, "Raiders of the Lost Ark" with Harrison Ford and "The Great Muppet Caper" with Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy.
    1985 - Route 66, the 59-year-old highway of 2,200 miles of blacktop, was decertified as a U.S. highway. The highway that was a legendary part of Americana saw highway crews removing the classic roadway shield-markers that designated it as the highway west. Route 66 started in Chicago, Illinois and continued into Santa Monica, California. To travel from one end of Route 66 to the other, one would go through eight states and three time zones. Bobby Troup, writer of the lyrics for the song of the same name, was disappointed. 
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    1986 - Don Sutton of the California Angeles and Phil Niekro of the Cleveland Indians became the first pair of 300-game winners in the 20th century to start against each other. The Angels scored six runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to win the game, 9-3. Neither starter figured in the decision.
    1987 - Top Hits
“I Wanna Dance with Somebody” (“Who Loves Me”) - Whitney Houston
“In Too Deep” - Genesis
“Alone” - Heart
“Forever and Ever, Amen” - Randy Travis
    1988 - Founder Berry Gordy Jr. sold Motown Records to MCA Records and Boston Ventures, an investment firm, for $61 million.
    1992 - A very strong earthquake shook the high desert of Southern California at 4:57 a.m. The M7.3 earthquake was centered on the eastern side of the San Bernardino Mountains near the town of Landers. The quake was the largest to strike California since the Kern County M7.7 earthquake in 1952. Vigorous rocking and rolling were felt 100 miles away in L.A. and the quake was felt as far away as Central California and Las Vegas, Nevada. Property damage: $56 million, including collapsed buildings, ruptured utility lines and widespread nonstructural damage. Human toll: One killed, 25 seriously injured, 372 treated for some sort of earthquake-related injuries, millions awakened with nightmares for weeks.
    1992 - A slow-moving tropical depression produced excessive rains across southwest Florida. Four-day totals, ending on the 28th, ranged up to 25 inches in the Venice area, with a general 8 to 14 inches over Sarasota and Manatee counties. Two deaths resulted from the flooding.
    1994 - The Environmental Protection Agency announced it would begin experimenting with a UV (ultraviolet) Index, “To enhance public awareness of the effects of overexposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays, and to provide the public with actions they can take to reduce harmful effects of overexposure, which may include skin cancer, cataracts and immune suppression.”
    1996 - Darryl Strawberry's 300th career round-tripper is a dramatic ninth inning, two-run dinger which gives the Yankees a come-from-behind 3-2 win over the Royals.
    1997 - In a fight for the WBA heavyweight championship in Las Vegas, challenger Mike Tyson was disqualified in the third round by referee Mills Lane for twice biting the ear of champion Evander Holyfield. After the fight, Tyson claimed the he had been upset that Holyfield head-butted him in the second round. The bites, which precipitated a near-riot in and about the ring, were an attempt at retaliation. On July 9, the Nevada Boxing Commission fined Tyson $3 million and revoked his boxing license.
    2000 - The Rockies draw their 20 millionth fan to one ballpark faster than any other team in Major League history. Taking less than six years, Colorado eclipses the Dodgers' mark of taking nine years in two stadiums to reach the milestone.
    2004 - Sovereign power was handed to the interim government of Iraq by the Coalition Provisional Authority, ending the U.S.-led rule of that nation.
    2014 – President Obama requested $2 billion for emergency measures to address illegal immigration and enhance security at the Mexican border; thousands of children have been caught in the last eight months at the border without adults.
    2015 – A SpaceX cargo rocket exploded shortly after launch; it was carrying over two tons of food, supplies and equipment for the International Space Station.