"Your Leasing Association" is not "Leasing Solutions, LLC"
Steve Geller, CLFP, 20 Years in Business

Leasing News is updating its lists due to the rapid changes happening in the industry. There are companies no longer in business, those who are existing by furlough and other cuts, several who have stopped funding, which Leasing News is aware.

In asking readers for information, it should be noted the "Your Leasing Association" is located in Las Vegas, Nevada, not Palisades, New York, which is the address for "Leasing Solutions. “The names of the officers Your Leasing Association were noted (none were Steve Geller.) (1)

Steve is one of the original Leasing News Advisors, a longtime friend, and is still very active working with brokers. He continues to successfully place "broker on broker" deals with the full knowledge of the lenders with whom he works.

An update of the list continues, and there will be more to be added.
  Kit Menkin

(1) Looking for Information on
    Your Leasing Association
http://leasingnews.org/archives/May2020/05_011.htm#looking

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Rapid Finance. Bethesda, Maryland
Fora Financial Asset, NY, NY
Rating Changes by Kross Bond Rating Agency

KBRA Comments on Rapid Finance Asset Securitization LLC, Series 2018-1 Rapid Amortization Event

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

Rapid Finance (formerly Rapid Advance) Bethesda, Maryland

NEW YORK (– Kroll Bond Rating Agency (KBRA) has been notified of a Rapid Amortization Event for Rapid Finance Asset Securitization LLC, Series 2018-1 (“RFS 2018-1”), a small business ABS transaction.

The Rapid Amortization Event will terminate the revolving period and result in sequential principal payments to the notes. The Rapid Amortization Event was caused by an asset deficiency. This occurs when the sum of the collateral pool balance, after removing excess concentrations above the concentration limits
 and the additional cash accounts, fall below a required amount. The transaction contains a number specific of concentration limits by industry, geography, delinquency status, material modifications, and credit grade during the revolving period.

 KBRA placed all of its outstanding small business ABS transaction ratings on Watch Downgrade on March 30, 2020 owing to the economic effects of the COVID-19. As a result of the crisis, Rapid Finance has reduced originations of new small business loans and merchant cash advances. The reduction in newly originated receivables directly impacts the ability of RFS 2018-1 to purchase collateral.

This event will not prompt immediate rating actions; however, the Watch Downgrade Placements on the transaction’s Class A (A (sf)), Class B (BBB (sf)), and Class C (BB (sf)) Notes remain in effect. The Watch Placements will be resolved pending further evaluation of the transaction’s performance data, along with the potential credit impact of the Rapid Amortization Event.

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Coda:  Founded in 2005 and acquired by Dan Gilbert in 2013. Reportedly he also owns Rocket Mortgage, the Cleveland Cavs, Amrock, Quicken Loans, and, reportedly half of downtown Detroit.
Leasing News was informed in March 20, 2020, that Rapid Finance would not be funding any more transactions and they required the withdrawal of their ad from Leasing News for that reason.

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Fora Financial, New York, New York

KBRA Comments on Fora Financial Asset Securitization LLC, Series 2019-1 Rapid Amortization Event

NEW YORK (May 11, 2020) – Kroll Bond Rating Agency (KBRA)) has been notified of a Rapid Amortization Event for Fora Financial Asset Securitization LLC, Series 2019-1 (“Fora 2019-1”), a small business ABS transaction.

The Rapid Amortization Event will terminate the revolving period and result in sequential principal payments to the notes. The Rapid Amortization Event was caused by an asset deficiency. This occurs when the sum of the collateral pool balance, after removing excess concentrations above the concentration limits and the additional cash accounts fall below a required amount. The transaction contains a number of specific concentration limits by industry, geography, delinquency status, material modifications, and credit grade during the revolving period.

KBRA placed all of its outstanding small business ABS transaction ratings on Watch Downgrade on March 30, 2020 owing to the economic effects of the COVID-19. As a result of the crisis, Fora has reduced originations of new small business loans and merchant cash advances. The reduction in newly originated receivables directly impacts the ability of Fora 2019-1 to purchase collateral.

This event will not prompt immediate rating actions; however, the Watch Downgrade Placements on the transaction’s Class A (A (sf)), Class B (BBB- (sf)), and Class C (BB- (sf)) Notes remain in effect. The Watch Placements will be resolved pending further evaluation of the transaction’s performance data, along with the potential credit impact of the Rapid Amortization Event.

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No Longer taking Broker/Discounting Business
plus Leasing Companies Out of Business

Companies with an * are no longer in business. The others are companies that were taking broker business, but announced that they no longer are accepting broker business. Many have also down-sized or are managing an existing portfolio.

More details are available in this list by company name:

http://www.leasingnews.org/list_alpha_new.htm

*ABCO Leasing Inc., Bothell, WA
*ACC Capital, Midvale, Utah
Advantage Business Capital, Lake Oswego, Oregon
AEL Financial, Buffalo Grove, Illinois
(No longer taking new broker business)
Agility Solutions Corp., Prescott, Arizona
Allegiant Partners, Bend, Oregon 
Alliance Financial, Syracuse, New York
Allstate Leasing, Towson, Maryland
*Alternative Capital, Apollo Beach, Florida
*AMC Funding, Charlotte, North Carolina
*American Bank Leasing, Alpharetta, Georgia
*American Equipment Finance, Warren, New Jersey
American Leasefund, Tigard, OR (no longer a funder)
Bank of Ozark Leasing/Finance, Little Rock, Arkansas
*Bank of West Indirect Leasing, Dublin, California
*Bank of the West Leasing Indirect, San Ramon, California
*Bank Midwest Leasing, Overland Park, KS
Bankers Healthcare Group, Weston, FL
*BBVA Compass Equipment Leasing, Houston, Texas
*Blackstone Equipment Financing, Orange, California
*BusinessFinance.com (on line aggregate funder)
*Business Leasing NorthWest, Seattle, WA
*Capital One Equipment Finance, Towson, Maryland
*CapitalSource Healthcare Finance, Chevy Chase, Maryland
*CapNet, Los Angeles, California
*C and J Leasing Corp, Des Moines, Iowa
*Carlton Financial Corporation, Wayzata, Minnesota
*Chase Industries, Inc., Grand Rapids, Michigan
*Chesterfield Financial, Chesterfield, Missouri
CHG-MERIDIAN U.S. Finance, Ltd, Woodland Hills, CA
(Sales Management focuses very selectively on certain brokers.)
*Churchill Group/Churchill Leasing, Jericho, NY
CIT Group (limited)
Citizens Business Bank, Ontario, CA
Columbia Bank Leasing, Tacoma, WA
*Columbia Equipment Finance, Danville, California
Commercial Equipment Lease, Eugene, Oregon 
Concord Financial Services, Long Beach, California
*Court Square, Malvern, Pennsylvania
*Creative Capital Leasing Group, LLC, San Diego, CA
Crossroads Equipment Lease & Finance, Rancho Cucamonga, Ca
Diversified Financial Service, Omaha, NE
*Dolsen Leasing, Bellevue/Yakima, Washington
Equipment Finance Partners, a division of Altec, Birmingham, Alabama 
Evans National Leasing, Inc., Hamburg, NY
*Enterprise Capital Partners dba Enterprise Leasing, Spokane, WA
Enterprise Funding, Grand Rapids, Michigan
Enverto Investment Group, LLC, West Los Angeles, California
*Evergreen Leasing, South Elgin, Illinois
*Excel Financial Leasing, Lubbock Texas
*First Corp.(IFC subsidiary), Morton Grove, Illinois
First Federal Financial Services, Inc., Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin
First Republic Bank, San Francisco, CA
Fora Financial, New York, New York
Frontier Capital, Teaneck New Jersey 
*GCR Capital, Safety Harbor, Florida 
GE Capital, Conn (limited)
Global Funding LLC., Clearwater, FL
*Greystone, Burlington, MA
*Heritage Pacific Leasing, Fresno, CA
*Hillcrest Bank Leasing, Overland Park, KS (Parent bank sold)
Huntington Equipment Finance, Vendor Finance Group, Bellevue, Washington
*IFC Credit Corp., Morton Grove, Illinois
Irwin Financial (Irwin Union Bank), Columbus, Indiana 
Irwin Union Bank, F.S.B. (Louisville, Kentucky)
Lakeland Bank, Montville, NJ
LaSalle Systems Leasing
*Latitude Equipment Leasing, Marlton, New Jersey
*Leaf Specialty Finance, Columbia, South Carolina
*LEAF Third Party Funding, Santa Barbara, Ca.
Lease Corporation of America, Troy, Michigan
Lombard, part of Royal Bank of Scotland, worldwide
M&T Credit (Bank)
Manufacturer's Lease Plans, Inc., Phoenix, Arizona
*MarVista Financial, Villa Park, California
*MericapCredit, Lisle, Illinois
*Meridian Healthcare Finance, San Diego, California
Merrill Lynch Financial
Midwest Leasing Group, Livonia, Minnesota
*Mount Pleasant Capital, Wexford, PA
National City, Cleveland, Ohio
*Navigator (Pentech subsidiary) San Diego, California
*Northwest Leasing Company, Clyde Hill, WA
OFC Capital, Roswell, Georgia
Old National Bank, Evansville, Illinois
Pawnee Leasing, Fort Collins, Colorado 
*Pentech Financial, Campbell, CA
*PFF Bancorp, Inc, Pomona, CA
Pinnacle Business Finance, Fife, Washington
*Pioneer Capital Corporation, Addison, Texas
PredictiFund, a subsidiary of Capital Access Network, Inc
*Podium Financial Group, Inc.,Costa Mesa, CA
Popular Finance, St. Louis, Missouri
Puget Sound Leasing, Seattle, Washington
Radiance-Capital, Tacoma, WA
Rapid Finance. Bethesda, Maryland
Rational Technology Solutions, Rolling Meadows, IL
*Reliant National Finance, Jacksonville, Florida
Sandy Springs, Olney, MD
*Securities Equipment Lsg. (SEL, Inc.), Glendora, CA
*Select Equipment Leasing Co., Concord, CA
* Sharpe Financial Network, Phoenix, Arizona
Sovereign Bank, Melville, New York
Specialty Funding, Albuquerque, NM
Sterling National Bank, Montebello, New York
*Studebaker-Worthington Leasing, Corp., Jerico, NY
(part of sale from Main Street Bank to Ascentium Capital)
*Summitt Leasing, Yakima, Washington
Sun Trust Equipment Finance & Leasing, Baltimore, Maryland 
*SunBridge Capital, Mission, Kansas
Suncoast Equipment Funding Corp., Tampa, Florida
TCF Equipment Finance, Minnetonka, Minnesota 
TechLease, Morgan Hill, California
*Tennessee Commerce Bank, Franklin, Tennessee
Textron Financial
*Triad Leasing & Financial, Inc., Boise, Idaho
*TriStar Capital, Santa Ana, California
*Union Capital Partners, Midvale, Utah
US Bank, Manifest Funding, Marshall, Minnesota
(new requirement: large yearly funding) 
US Bank, Middle-Market, Portland, Oregon 
Velocity Financial Group, Rosemont, Illinois
VenCore, Portland, Oregon (former company Len Ludwig)
*Vision Capital, San Diego, California
Vision Financial Group, Inc. (VFG Leasing & Finance), Pittsburg, PA
Wachovia Bank Leasing
*Warren Capital, Novato, California
*Washington Mutual Financial
Western Bank, Devils Lake, ND
*Westover Financial, Inc., Santa Ana, California
*Your Leasing Solution, Las Vegas, Nevada

(Note: Should a company policy have changed, please contact kitmenkin@leasingnews.org)

Funders looking for new Brokers:
http://www.leasingnews.org/Funders_Only/New_Broker.htm

When It's Time to Move On

The Ultimate Hire by Ken Lubin, ZRG Partners

Know when to cut the cord.  It happens in business, sports, parenting, and anything else that involves leadership. Once you start going down the road of hope versus certainty, you must be willing to get out.

I see it with deals that I work on and I see it with relationships that people are in. They start hoping that that person will come back to them or that deal may close if we do this. At that point, it's too late. You have to be proactive versus reacting about it after the fact; it should have been done six months ago.

The most important decisions a leader can make involve timing and the understanding when to get out; you don't want to be the person who always "buys high, sells low," You want to be the person who "buys low and sells high.. You don't want to be on the downward trajectory. You want to be on the upward trajectory.

Ken Lubin
Managing Director
ZRG Partners, LLC
Americas I EMEA I Asia Pacific
C: 508-733-4789

https://www.linkedin.com/in/klubin/
Ken Lubin is a Managing Director with ZRG Partners, Founder of Executive Athletes, Founder of the Ultimate Hire, US Olympic Committee Career Advisor, and Death Race Winner. Ken is a master in getting people out of their comfort zone.  He helps people achieve their dreams and companies achieve their goals by helping them realize the high performance life.

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Candid Comments by Industry Originators

Sales Makes it Happen by Scott Wheeler, CLFP

• Activity is down significantly. I am working longer and harder than ever to generate 50% of my past activity. However, I know that my efforts today will pay dividends when the economy starts to recover.

• Vendors are extremely slow. They appreciate my calls but I was concerned that touching base was getting old fast. Therefore, I had to provide more than, "What is new? How is business?" I started to share information from our discussions with our customer base. I am sharing the optimistic comments along with the concerns. I am explaining my company's strategy to participate in the recovery. I am suggesting new ways that I can help my vendors navigate now and in the future. I am brainstorming with my vendors - building relationships for the future.

• The process of getting any transaction approved and funded is harder than ever. Credit requirements are tighter, more due diligence is being requested at every stage, and all participants (end-users, vendors, funders) are apprehensive. As an originator, I have had to better understand the new processes, be the peacekeeper, set expectations upfront, and fully understand the wants and needs of all of the stakeholders at each stage of the process. Mitigating risk is a priority for me and my company. I have taken the time to better understand the credit process. I am explaining the risk in more detail and suggesting solutions with more determination. My responsibilities have increased. I am more than a sales representative; I am a financial advisor and consultant to my clients.

The current economic situation will create better originators for those who choose to embrace success. No one ever suggested that origination is easy. It takes determination, lots of hard work, and the ability to work smart. Top originators have altered their plans to align with the new economy, and are working their plans harder than ever.

Order via Amazon: https://www.createspace.com/5355516  

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.html

 

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As the unemployment rate climbed to a historic high of 14.7 percent in April, not all industries were equally affected by the worst job crisis in post-war America. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number of unemployed persons climbed to 22.5 million in April (not seasonally adjusted) as the measures taken to contain the coronavirus have wreaked havoc on the U.S. economy.

Unsurprisingly, given that restaurants, bars and the like remained closed amid the lockdown, the leisure and hospitality sector has been hit hardest by the COVID-19 crisis with more than 4.8 million industry workers unemployed at the end of April. The following chart shows which industries were also heavily affected and which ones were spared by the crisis.

By Felix Richter, Statista

https://www.statista.com/chart/21669/unemployed-persons-in-the-us-by-industry/

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April Money Anxiety Index Jumped 30.2 Points
Growing Concern Duration and Severity Economic Crisis

SAN FRANCISCO  The Money Anxiety Index skyrocket 30.2 points in April. This is the highest one-month jump ever since the index started tracking money anxiety in January of 1959. The acceleration in the level of money anxiety is even greater than it was during the financial crisis of 2007/09, when the largest increase in the Money Anxiety Index, month over month, was 9.4 index points.

The record jump in the April Money Anxiety Index is also on indication that the damage to the economy is much greater than we think. The Theory of Money Anxiety states that for every increase in the level of financial anxiety there is a decrease in the amount of personal consumption. This means that personal consumption is going to decrease even further, pushing the U.S. economy deeper into a recession.

Dr. Dan Geller, behavioral economist and the developer of the Money Anxiety Index, "We are now in a money anxiety catch 22," says." The higher the money anxiety gets, the lower the level of personal consumption, and since 70% of the U.S. economy is made up of consumption, the U.S. economy will not recover until the level of money anxiety goes down."

The Money Anxiety Index is a validated behavioral economics predictor. It measures actual financial behavior of consumers rather than subjective responses to surveys used by all other consumer confidence indices. The Money Anxiety Index has been peer reviewed and published in the Journal of Applied Business and Economics. The Index is highly predictive. It predicted the arrival of the Great Recession 14 months prior to the official declaration of the recession in December of 2007.

About Analyticom LLC
Dr. Dan Geller, the founder of Analyticom LLC, is a pioneer in the field of behavioral economics in financial decisions, and is the co-author of the study Dynamics of Yield Gravity and the Money Anxiety Index published in the Journal of Applied Business and Economics.  Dr. Geller is a frequent speaker and media guest. He appeared on national TV and radio, such as CNBC and Fox, and delivered the keynote address at the American Banker's Symposium.  He is the author of the groundbreaking book on the impact of Money Anxiety on the economy.

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5 Takeaways: e-Signatures
and e-Leasing in Equipment Finance
Highlights from the May 6 ELFA Webinar

WASHINGTON, D.C. - In the face of COVID-19, a growing number of equipment finance businesses are finding that being able to contract electronically is essential. For equipment finance companies looking to ramp up their e-signing and e-leasing capabilities in the current environment, the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association’s May 6 webinar, “e-Signatures and e-Leases in the COVID-19 World,” outlined a number of factors to consider. 

A total of 424 industry executives participated in the online event moderated by Dominic Liberatore, Deputy General Counsel of DLL, with panelists Stephen Bisbee, President of eOriginal, and Bob Cohen, Partner of Moritt Hock & Hamroff LLP. All three speakers have participated in ELFA’s multi-year initiative to expand the use of electronic documents and e-chattel paper in equipment finance. The association has promoted adoption of these technologies via a variety of educational offerings and an ELFA Board of Directors Task Force on e-Leasing, and the Equipment Leasing & Finance Foundation has released a number of articles and studies on the topic.

Bisbee kicked off the webinar noting that an increasing number of equipment finance companies have been “jumping into the electronic world” in the last few months due to the challenges of remote execution of lease transactions in the COVID-19 environment.  He reported that between Feb. 6 and March 10 alone his company eOriginal saw a 230% increase in digital utilization for equipment finance transactions.

As more equipment finance companies consider how to advance their digital offerings, below are five highlights from the webinar.

1) The implementation timeline is shorter than you may expect.

It doesn’t take long to implement an e-signature platform. Implementing e-signatures—where a customer electronically signs a paper-based lease—can happen immediately. “You could begin today with a computer and a browser,” said Bisbee. Implementing full-blown e-leasing—where all parties sign a document electronically and it is sent to an electronic vault, typically by a third party—will take longer, but can be accomplished in weeks, not months.

2) Your company doesn’t need to invest in new IT infrastructure.

Implementing e-signatures and e-leasing doesn’t require heavy lifting on the equipment finance company’s part from an IT perspective. The good news is there are plenty of tools out there to enable you to move forward. While there are a lot of e-sign providers out there, make sure to choose yours carefully. Consider factors such as the provider’s name recognition and standing in the industry, size and overall viability, platform and security protections, signer authentication process and audit trail. If you plan to offer full-blown e-leases (with e-vault) later down the road, select a provider that offers that functionality. Again, name recognition and standing in the industry are very important when securitizing or syndicating.

3) Digital documents are legally enforceable.

The enabling laws and practices for e-signatures and e-leasing are established and proven. A number of laws support these practices, including:

• The Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act (E-Sign Act) is a federal law enacted in 2000. It covers UCC Article 2a leases but excludes UCC Article 3 (which includes promissory notes) and Article 9 (secured transactions)—however other provisions provide for those transactions.
• The Uniform Electronic Transactions Act (UETA) has been adopted in 47 states and does apply to promissory notes.  New York and Illinois have their own version of a similar law and Washington appears to be relying upon E-Sign.
• UCC Article 9 (covers secured transactions). Of special import is UCC 9-105 (Control of Electronic Chattel Paper) and UCC 9-330 (Priority of Purchaser of Chattel Paper or Instrument)

Current COVID-19 funding and other new legislation have not altered the enabling laws. There is a new proposed federal law that would enable remote notarization, and 42 state laws, declarations or orders have permanently or temporarily enabled remote notarization.

4) It’s critical that documents are managed properly.

There are a number of important rules regarding enforceability, transferability, authentication and execution of electronic documents. Make sure your e-sign provider uses industry standard technology to accomplish all of these. For example, the technology should:  

• Make sure you capture authentication so you have evidence of who created the instrument being signed and who signed it when, and make sure they have the rights and permission to sign. It’s common today to use multiple layers of authentication for extra security.
• Make sure the document cannot be altered.
• Make sure you have an audit trail or audit log of all the events that occur around that asset.

The enabling laws and practices for e-signatures and e-leasing outline what an authoritative copy is and where the digital original is. For example, it’s essential to have a single authoritative copy that is unique, identifiable and unalterable; have evidence of who is the secured party and who is the assignee; make sure any copies are distinguished from the authoritative copy or original; and be able to demonstrate any revisions were authorized. These are just some of the factors to consider.

Liberatore added a word of caution: In the COVID-19 world, you’ll need to determine which e-sign providers you will accept from your customers if they insist on using their own e-sign accounts. “It’s a good idea to do this upfront so you can be market responsive,” he advised.   “Further, if you’re using an e-signature arising from someone else’s e-sign account, whether it’s a customer’s or originating vendor’s account, even if it’s the same company you’re using, it might not have the same signer authentication level you would have selected,” he warned. Additionally, if you have not been provided the audit trail, the e-sign provider may not be willing to provide same to you at a later point given that you are not the account owner for such e-signature. Last, if you accept an e-signature arising from someone else’s e-sign account, this generally cannot be combined with your own full-blown e-lease process to create a single authoritative copy.

5) The tide is shifting

Cohen noted that e-leasing did not really catch on in the equipment finance industry until the last six or seven years. Originally, companies were skittish about getting started. Now, there is greater recognition that there are many reasons to consider electronic signatures—from ease and convenience to a desire to enhance the customer experience and maintain a competitive position—especially during the current pandemic.

“Virtually every one of my clients has either done e-leasing or was considering it pre-COVID,” said Cohen. “Now obviously with COVID, for a lot of people who always said, ‘Yes I have to get to it, it’s on my list,’ suddenly it’s a critical priority.

Learn More
A recording of the webinar and the webinar slides are available at www.elfaonline.org/events/2020/WW050620

For more information on this topic, visit ELFA’s Electronic Documents webpage at www.elfaonline.org/edocs.

More Webinars to Come
The May 6 webinar was part of ELFA’s “Wednesday Webinar” series designed to help equipment finance professionals navigate the current market and regulatory landscape and anticipate the changing environment in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. The free webinars include live Q&A sessions so participants can connect with experts and colleagues on the issues they are grappling with. To register for upcoming webinars or view recordings of past events, go to www.elfaonline.org/events/elearning/web-seminars. 

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Labrador Retriever
Bethesda, Maryland  Adopt a Dog

Cowboy

Male
9 Years Old
Good with kids 10+. Dogs
Needs:  A forever home with a physical or underground fence

Likes to say Howdy to everyone he meets!

Cowboy is a handsome, easy going pup whose favorite activity is lounging indoors with his family. But don't let that fool you - he's also a social butterfly who loves everyone he meets, people or dogs! He loves any and all attention, which he will reward with plenty of kisses. This pup is ready to find his forever home and have an amazing family to dote on him!

LAB RESCUE OF THE LRCP, INC
E-mail us: info@lab-rescue.org
Lab Line: (301) 299-6756
We are a virtual organization & do not have a physical location.

Applicaton Notice:
https://www.cognitoforms.com/LabRescue1/ApplicationNotification

News Briefs----

Alameda County orders Tesla’s Fremont plant
     to stop production
https://www.sfchronicle.com/business/article/Alameda-County-orders-Tesla-s-Fremont-plant-to-15264761.php

Los Angeles County likely to extend lockdown
  through July
https://www.sacbee.com/news/coronavirus/article242680771.html

California malls, offices get Newsom’s OK to reopen,
   but San Francisco Bay Area’s closures can stay in place
https://www.sfchronicle.com/politics/article/California-malls-offices-get-Newsom-s-OK-to-15265235.php

Five takeaways from Anthony Fauci’s
   and health officials’ testimony
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/05/12/3-early-takeaways-anthony-faucis-health-officials-testimony/

Pork exports to China soar
   even as coronavirus shuts meat plants
https://nypost.com/2020/05/11/pork-exports-to-china-soar-as-coronavirus-shuts-meat-plants/

Hyatt Hotels announces 1,300 layoffs worldwide
  Plus cut corporate pay, employees, board members
https://nypost.com/2020/05/12/hyatt-hotels-announces-1300-layoffs-worldwide/

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You May Have Missed---

Editorial: Musk, Trump COVID-19 responses
    put money above health
https://www.mercurynews.com/2020/05/12/editorial-musk-trump-covid-19-responses-put-money-above-health/

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Sports Briefs---

Charity golf match with Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson
   and NFL QBs to give $10 million for coronavirus relief
https://www.pressdemocrat.com/sports/10948970-181/charity-golf-match-with-tiger

Leadership void: How 49ers can pick up
    slack following trio of departures
https://www.sacbee.com/sports/nfl/san-francisco-49ers/article242613361.html#storylink=hpdigest_sports

49ers set for 5 prime-time games in 2020
https://www.pressdemocrat.com/sports/10950152-181/49ers-set-for-5-prime-time

Sports is plotting a return. The stakes are huge
https://www.sfchronicle.com/sports/annkillion/article/Sports-can-help-lead-societal-recovery-from-15259341.php

Raiders fans are unhappy with timing
   of Chiefs’ bye in the 2020 season
https://www.kansascity.com/sports/spt-columns-blogs/for-petes-sake/article242650871.html

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California Nuts Briefs---

You can go back to the office if you can’t telework,
   California Gov. Gavin Newsom says
https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article242679906.html

Riverside County approves alternative reopening guidelines, calling governor's plan 'unrealistic'
https://www.desertsun.com/story/news/politics/2020/05/12/coronavirus-california-riverside-county-oks-reopening-guidelines/3116737001/

Who owns 6 California luxury resorts?
   Judge grants Chinese seller a trial date
https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2020/05/11/who-owns-6-california-luxury-resorts-judge-grants-chinese-seller-a-trial-date/

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“Gimme that Wine”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJnQoi8DSE8

Tracking the Great Lockdown Wine Boom
https://www.wine-searcher.com/m/2020/05/tracking-the-great-lockdown-wine-boom

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

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

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

Leasing News Wine & Spirits Page
http://two.leasingnews.org/Recommendations/wnensprts.htm

This Day in History

     1607 - The first permanent English settlement was established in Jamestown, VA with one hundred and five from Blackwell, England who traveled on three ships: Susan Constant, Goodspeed and Discovery. Most of them were 'gentlemen adventurers,’ gentlemen who did not work and brought servants…quite British, you know. Captains John Smith and Christopher Newport were among the leaders of the group of royally chartered Virginia Company settlers.  The colony was named after England's King James I.
    1612 - Tobacco cultivation was undertaken at Jamestown by John Rolfe, who had arrived with the Jamestown settlers. Rolfe was the first settler to come up with a method of curing tobacco, which made it possible grow tobacco drops for export to England. The smoking, chewing, and snuff became very popular and soon were the most important export to Europe. Nicotine made this not only popular but a daily necessity. It was definitely a "cash crop" for the New World.
    1637 - Cardinal Richelieu of France created the table knife 
    1780 - The Cumberland Compact was signed by leaders of the settlers in early Tennessee. This forerunner of the Tennessee Constitution was signed by these 256 settlers when they settled Fort Nashborough, which would become Nashville.  It called for a governing council of twelve judges who would be elected by the vote of free men 21 years of age or older. Unique to the times, the Compact included a clause that these judges could be removed from office by the people. Government salaries were to be paid in goods. Governor was worth 1,000 deer skins. Secretary was to be paid 450 otter skins, and county clerk was valued at 500 raccoon skins. The constable received one mink skin for every warrant served. All males sixteen or older were subject to militia duty. 
    1846 - Although fighting had begun days earlier, Congress officially declared war on Mexico. It followed in the wake of the 1845 U.S. annexation of Texas, which Mexico still considered Mexican territory since the government did not recognize the treaty signed by Mexican General Santa Anna when he was a prisoner of the Texian Army during the 1836 Texas Revolution that included the Battle of the Alamo. The Republic of Texas was de facto an independent country, but most of its citizens wished to be annexed by the United States.  The struggle cost the lives of 11,300 American soldiers and resulted in the annexation by the US of land that became parts of Oklahoma, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, California, Utah and Colorado. The war ended in 1848.
    1861 – Queen Victoria of England issued a "proclamation of neutrality" which recognized the breakaway Confederate states as having belligerent rights. 
    1862 – The USS Planter, a steamer and gunship, stole through Confederate lines and passed to the Union by a southern slave, Robert Smalls, who later was officially appointed as captain, becoming the first black man to command a United States ship. 
    1864 - The first soldier buried at Arlington National Cemetery was a Confederate soldier, William Henry Christman, close to what is now the northeast gate in Section 27.  George Washington Parke Custis, Martha Washington’s grandson, acquired the land that now is Arlington National Cemetery in 1802 and began construction of Arlington House. The estate passed to Custis' daughter, Mary Ana, who had married then US Army Officer Robert E. Lee.   When Virginia seceded from the Union, Lee resigned his commission and took command of the armed forces of the Commonwealth of Virginia, later becoming commander of the Army of Northern Virginia. The Virginia militia occupied Arlington and Arlington House.  With Confederate forces occupying Arlington's high ground, the capital of the Union was left in an untenable military position.  Although unwilling to leave Arlington House, Mary Lee believed her estate would soon be infested with federal soldiers. So, she buried many of her family treasures on the grounds and left for her sister's estate in Fairfax County, Virginia.  On May 3, General Winfield Scott ordered Brigadier Gen. Irvin McDowell to clear Arlington of all troops not loyal to the United States.  McDowell occupied Arlington without opposition on May 24.  By late 1863, existing cemeteries in the area were nearly full.  On July 16, 1862, Congress passed legislation authorizing the U.S. federal government to purchase land for national cemeteries for military dead and put the U.S. Army Quartermaster General in charge of this program.  In May 1864, Union forces suffered large numbers of dead in the Battle of the Wilderness. The Quartermaster ordered that an examination of eligible sites be made for the establishment for a large new national military cemetery. Within weeks, his staff reported that Arlington Estate was the most suitable property in the area.  The property was high and free from floods (which might unearth graves), it had a view of the District of Columbia, and it was aesthetically pleasing. It was also the home of the leader of the armed forces of the Confederate States of America, and denying Robert E. Lee use of his home after the war was a valuable political consideration.
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/may13.html 
    1865 – The Battle of Palmito Ranch, near Brownsville, Texas, more than a month after the Confederate surrender, is the last land battle of the Civil War and ends with a Confederate victory.   PVT. John J Williams of the 34th Indiana is last man killed.
    1880 – Thomas Edison performed the first test of his electric railway, in Menlo Park, NJ.  On a track about a third of a mile in length, made up of light weight rails spiked to ties laid on the ground, a locomotive pulled three cars: a flat freight-car, an open awning-car, and a box-car called the “Pullman,” with which Edison illustrated a system of electromagnetic braking.
    1908 - President Theodore Roosevelt declares "Conservation is a national duty." 
(Lower half of http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/may13.html)
    1911 - Birthday of pianist Maxine Sullivan (d. 1987), Homestead, PA. 
http://www.harlem.org/people/sullivan.html 
http://www.ddg.com/LIS/InfoDesignF96/Ismael/jazz/1940/sullivan.html 
    1911 – Fred Merkle of the New York Giants, of Merkle’s Boner fame in 1908, became the first Major Leaguer to get 6 RBIs in an inning.  The Giants scored a Major League record 10 runs before the St. Louis Cardinals retired the first batter in the 1st inning. 
    1912 - Jazz arranger and composer Gil Evans (d. 1988) was born in Toronto. Evans, whose career was almost entirely in the US, first became known for his innovative writing for the Claude Thornhill orchestra in the 1940's. In the following decade, Evans collaborated with trumpeter Miles Davis for such classic jazz LPs as "Miles Ahead," "Porgy and Bess" and "Sketches of Spain." He is my favorite jazz composer/arranger. I have all his records; every one.
http://www.artistdirect.com/music/artist/bio/0,,428387,00.html
?artist=Gil+Evans 
http://www.miles-davis.com/GilEvans/ 
http://gilevans.free.fr/biographie_us/biographie.htm 
http://www.nprjazz.org/feature/gevans.html 
http://www.chass.utoronto.ca/~chambers/miles.html 
http://www.culturekiosque.com/jazz/miles/rhemiles4.htm 
http://www.pbs.org/jazz/biography/artist_id_evans_gil.htm 
http://www.melmartin.com/html_pages/Articles/miles.html 
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.gsp?product_id=1540795&
sourceid=0100000010991440602498 
http://www.edkeane.com/About
%20the%20Artists/Miles%20Evans/Mile-Evans.htm 
http://www.cd-music.org/music/51379Helen-Merrill-w-Gil-Evans.html 
    1914 - Birthday of one of boxing’s great heavyweight champions, Joe Louis was born Joseph Louis Barrow (d. 1981) near Lafayette, AL.   He held the title 1937-49.  Nicknamed the "Brown Bomber,” Louis helped elevate boxing from a decline in popularity in the post-Jack Dempsey era by establishing a reputation as an honest, hardworking fighter at a time when the sport was dominated by gambling interests.  Louis' championship reign lasted 140 consecutive months, during which he participated in 26 championship fights. Louis was victorious in 25 title defenses, a record for any division. In 2005, Louis was ranked as the #1 heavyweight of all-time by the International Boxing Research Organization and was ranked #1 on “The Ring’s” list of the 100 Greatest Punchers of All-Time.  He is widely regarded as the first African-American to achieve the status of a nationwide hero within the US, and was also a focal point of anti-Nazi sentiment leading up to and during World War II.  He was instrumental in integrating the game of golf, breaking the sport's color barrier in America by appearing under a sponsor's exemption in a PGA event in 1952.  In 1943, he enlisted as an Army private and was stationed at Ft. Riley, KS.  There he helped the cause of various black soldiers with whom he came into contact. In one noted episode, Louis contacted his lawyer in order to facilitate the Officer Candidate School applications of a group of African Americans at Fort Riley, which had been inexplicably delayed for several months.  Among the OCS applications Louis facilitated was that of a young Jackie Robinson.  The episode would spawn a personal friendship between the two men.  His burial at Arlington National Cemetery, by presidential waiver, was the 39th exception ever to the eligibility rules for burial in Arlington National Cemetery.
http://www.cmgww.com/sports/louis/louis.html 
    1923 - Birthday of Pianist Red Garland (d. 1984), Dallas, TX.
http://www.allaboutjazz.com/bios/rxgbio.htm 
http://rollingstone.com/artists/default.asp?oid=7408
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/stores/artist/glance/-
/41495/103-9368180-9796616 
    1926 - Birthday of Beatrice Arthur, born Beatrice Frankel (d. 2009) in NYC.  Actor and singer who won the Tony Award for Best Supporting Actress in “Mame” (1966). Her TV series “Maude,” a spin-off of “All in the Family,” was a hit during the 1970s and she was one of the “Golden Girls,” another long running TV hit series.  During World War II, she worked as a truck driver and typist in the Marine Corps, receiving an Honorable Discharge in September 1944 with the rank of Staff Sergeant.   
    1927 – Baseball lore is replete with players who generally played in relative obscurity only to rise to the occasion in the World Series.  One of them was James Lamar “Dusty” Rhodes (d. 2009), born in Mathews, AL.  One of the best-known pinch hitters of the 1950s, famed for his performance in the 1954 World Series for the New York Giants, Rhodes is the first player to hit a walk-off home run in extra innings of a World Series game. Against Bob Lemon of the Cleveland Indians in Game 1, the game was tied, with runners on first and second. His crucial pinch hits in that series were key to the Giants' unexpected sweep of the Indians. He slugged 1.667 in that Series.  Rhodes was also the last player to bat in the Polo Grounds for the Giants, on September 29, 1957.
    1929 - At Cleveland's League Park, the Indians defeated the Yankees, 4-3, in the first game in Major League history in which players from both teams wore numbers on the back of their jerseys.
    1930 - A man was killed when caught in an open field during a hailstorm northwest of Lubbock TX. It was the first, and perhaps the only, authenticated death by hail in U.S. weather records. 
    1931 – Cult Leader Jim Jones (d. 1978) was born in Randolph County, IN.  Jones is notorious as founder and the leader of the Peoples Temple, best known for the mass murder-suicide in November, 1978 of 909 of its members in Jonestown, Guyana, the murder of five people at a nearby airstrip, including California Congressman Leo Ryan. Nearly three-hundred children were murdered at Jonestown, almost all of them by cyanide poisoning.  Jones died from a gunshot wound to the head; it is suspected his death was a suicide. 
    1933 - Birthday of saxophonist Buddy Catlett (d. 2014), Long Beach, CA
http://www.ponyboyrecords.com/files/nova/trio/nova_trio.html 
http://members.aon.at/jazzclub-life-salzburg/images/Musiker/ 
http://www.oldpop.net/musics/Donna.htm catlett.htm 
    1938 - Louis Armstrong records "When the Saints Go Marching In." 
    1939 - The first commercial FM radio station in the United States launched in Bloomfield, CT. The station later became WDRC-FM. 
    1941 - 50s rock 'n' roll singer Ritchie Valens was born Richard Steven Valenzuela (d. 1959) in Pacoima, California. He was signed by Del-Fi Records in 1958 and had three big hits that year with "Come On, Let's Go," "Donna" and "La Bamba." Valens was killed in the plane crash in Iowa with Buddy Holly and the Big Bopper in February 3, 1959…"...the day the music died."  There was a resurgence of interest in Valens' music in 1987 with the release of the movie biography "La Bamba."   
http://www.fiftiesweb.com/crash.htm 
http://www.oldpop.net/musics/Donna-RichieVallens(LosLobos).htm 
http://www.geocities.com/roger-brasil/rock/la_bamba.mid 
    1943 - General Sir Harold Alexander telegraphed Winston Churchill, who was in Washington attending a conference, "It is my duty to report that the Tunis campaign is over. All enemy resistance has ceased. We are masters of the North African shores." About 250,000 Germans and Italians surrendered in the last few days of the campaign. This Allied victory in North Africa helped open Mediterranean shipping lines.
    1943 - Birthday of singer Mary Wells (d. 1992) in Detroit.  Probably best known for her song, "My Guy," she was one of the groups of black artists of the 60's who helped end musical segregation by being played on white radio stations.  
http://www.cmgww.com/music/wells/  
    1947 – The Senate approved the Taft-Hartley Act limiting the power of unions.
    1948 – On the day before the signing of its declaration of independence, Israel suffers a tragic loss at the hands of Arab irregulars at the Kfar Etzion Massacre.
    1949 - Top Hits
“Cruising Down the River” - The Russ Morgan Orchestra
   (vocal: The Skyliners)
“Forever and Ever” - Perry Como
“Careless Hands” - Mel Torme
“Lovesick Blues” - Hank Williams
    1950 - Stevie Wonder was born Steveland Morris Hardaway in Saginaw, Michigan. He sang and played the harmonica so well that Ronnie White of the Miracles brought him to Motown records, where Berry Gordy signed him on the spot. Wonder's third single, "Fingertips-Part Two," shot to the top of the Billboard Hot 100 in the summer of 1963. Since then, Stevie Wonder has developed into one of the greatest pop composers and vocalists of our time. His songs, such as "For Once in My Life," "Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I'm Yours" and "You Are the Sunshine of My Life," appeal to a wide range of the public taste. Almost all of his albums have sold enough to qualify for gold records. The one notable exception was 1977's "Journey Through the Secret Life of Plants," a mostly instrumental album which failed to catch on with the public.
http://www.motowndiscography.com/pages/Artists/Stevie.html 
http://www.stevie-wonder.com/ 
    1951 – E Street drummer Max Weinberg was born in Newark, NJ.
    1952 – Ron Necciai of the Bristol Twins struck out 27 batters while throwing a 7-0 no-hitter against the Welch Miners in the Class D Appalachian League. He is the only pitcher ever to do so in a nine-inning, professional baseball game.  Four hitters did reach base, a walk, error, hit batter, and a third-strike passed ball. Only two batters put the ball in play.  In his next start, Necciai threw a 24-strikeout two-hitter. In that season, he struck out 109 hitters in 43 innings with Bristol.  He was called up to the Major Leagues amid heavy publicity in August 1952, the single season composing his Major League career. Necciai served a brief stint in the US Army in 1953 before being released on a medical discharge.   He returned to baseball thereafter but was plagued by injuries that he was ultimately unable to overcome. 
    1954 - President Dwight Eisenhower signed legislation authorizing US-Canadian construction of a waterway that would make it possible for oceangoing ships to reach the Great Lakes.  The construction of the St. Lawrence Seaway was underway.
    1954 - "The Pajama Game" made its debut on Broadway in New York City at the St. James Theatre, the first Broadway endeavor of producer Harold Prince. The show ran for 1,063 performances. John Raitt and Janis Paige starred in the leading roles. Carol Haney came to national fame for her rendition of the song, "Steam Heat." The movie version also starred Raitt along with Doris Day.
    1954 – Robin Roberts of the Philadelphia Phillies gave up a HR to the first batter, then retired 27 in a row.  The lead-off home run was hit by Bobby Adams of the Cincinnati Reds, who lost the one-hitter, 8-1.
    1955 - At tonight's show in Jacksonville, FL, Elvis Presley tells the girls who make up the majority of the 14,000-plus crowd that he'll "see (them) backstage." The crowd proceeds to do just that, ripping the King's clothes, causing Elvis' first-ever riot and, reportedly, convincing Tom Parker about Elvis' popularity once and for all. 
    1955 – Mickey Mantle hit 3 consecutive home runs of at least 463'.  This is the first game in his career in which Mantle homered from each side of the plate. 
    1957 - Top Hits
“School Day” - Chuck Berry
“A White Sport Coat (And a Pink Carnation)” - Marty Robbins
“So Rare” - Jimmy Dorsey
“All Shook Up” - Elvis Presley
    1957 - Elvis begins filming his third movie, “Jailhouse Rock”, in Hollywood.
    1958 - During a visit to Caracas, Venezuela, Vice President Nixon’s car was attacked by anti-American demonstrators. 
    1958 - Stan Musial of the St. Louis Cardinals got the 3,000th hit of his career, a pinch-hit double off Moe Drabowsky of the Chicago Cubs. “The Man” finished his career in 1963 with 3,630 hits, 1,815 at home and an equal number on the road.
http://www.stan-musial.com/ 
    1958 – Velcro was first registered as a trademark.
    1958 – Australian Ben Carlin becomes the first (and only) person to circumnavigate the world by amphibious vehicle, having travelled over 11,000 miles by sea and 39,000 miles by land during a ten-year journey. Beginning their trip in Montreal, Canada, the Carlins finally completed the transatlantic crossing in 1951, after unsuccessful attempts. From there, they travelled to Europe, temporarily settling in Birmingham, England to raise more money. They resumed their journey in 1954, travelling overland through the Middle East before arriving in Calcutta. After a short fundraising trip to Australia, Carlin's wife left to return to the United States. He resumed the journey with new partners, travelling through South-East Asia and the Far East to the northern tip of Japan, and then to Alaska. After an extended tour through the United States and Canada, he and Half-Safe finally returned to Montreal.
    1960 - The juvenile delinquent movie “Platinum High School,” starring Conway Twitty, opens in New York. 
    1960 – The Free Speech Movement was born when hundreds of University of California students congregated in Berkeley for the first day of protest against a visit by the House Committee on Un-American Activities. Thirty-one students were arrested.
    1962 - The Beatles began their legendary stint at the new Star-Club in Hamburg, Germany. Performing three to four hours a night for 48 days, with only one day off, the group logged a total of 172 hours of performance. When they return to England, they were already stars with a recording contract.    
    1964 – Stephen Colbert was born in DC.  After years on the hit Comedy Channel’s “The Colbert Report”, he has been chosen to take over from David Letterman as host of CBS’ “The Late Show”, premiering on September 8, 2015.
    1965 - Elvis Presley's sixteenth movie, “Tickle Me,” premieres in Hollywood. 
    1965 - Top Hits
“Mrs. Brown You've Got a Lovely Daughter” - Herman's Hermits
“Count Me In” - Gary Lewis & The Playboys
“Ticket to Ride” - The Beatles
“Girl on the Billboard” - Del Reeves
    1966 – Federal education funding was withheld from 12 school districts in the South because of violations of the 1964 Civil Rights Act 
    1967 - Slugging outfielder Mickey Mantle of the New York Yankees hit the 500th home run of his career against Stu Miller of the Baltimore Orioles. The homer propelled the Yankees to a 6-5 victory. Mantle finished his career in 1968 with 536 home runs, third on the all-time list at the time of his retirement after the next season.
http://www.mickeymantle.org/ 
    1967 - The Rolling Stones played their first-ever gig behind the "Iron Curtain" with a performance in Warsaw. When the club became overrun by kids without tickets, the local police reacted by dispersing the crowd with tear gas. 
    1969 - DUNAGAN, KERN W., Medal of Honor
Rank and organization: Major, U.S. Army, Company A, 1st Battalion, 46th Infantry, Americal Division. Place and date: Quang Tin Province, Republic of Vietnam, 13 May 1969. Entered service at: Los Angeles, Calif. Born: 20 February 1934, Superior, Ariz. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Maj. (then Capt.) Dunagan distinguished himself during the period May 13 and 14, 1969, while serving as commanding officer, Company A. On May 13, 1969, Maj. Dunagan was leading an attack to relieve pressure on the battalion's forward support base when his company came under intense fire from a well-entrenched enemy battalion. Despite continuous hostile fire from a numerically superior force, Maj. Dunagan repeatedly and fearlessly exposed himself in order to locate enemy positions, direct friendly supporting artillery, and position the men of his company. In the early evening, while directing an element of his unit into perimeter guard, he was seriously wounded during an enemy mortar attack, but he refused to leave the battlefield and continued to supervise the evacuation of dead and wounded and to lead his command in the difficult task of disengaging from an aggressive enemy. In spite of painful wounds and extreme fatigue, Maj. Dunagan risked heavy fire on 2 occasions to rescue critically wounded men. He was again seriously wounded. Undaunted, he continued to display outstanding courage, professional competence, and leadership and successfully extricated his command from its untenable position on the evening of May 14. Having maneuvered his command into contact with an adjacent friendly unit, he learned that a 6-man party from his company was under fire and had not reached the new perimeter. Maj. Dunagan unhesitatingly went back and searched for his men. Finding 1 soldier critically wounded, Maj. Dunagan, ignoring his wounds, lifted the man to his shoulders and carried him to the comparative safety of the friendly perimeter. Before permitting himself to be evacuated, he insured all of his wounded received emergency treatment and was removed from the area. Throughout the engagement, Maj. Dunagan's actions gave great inspiration to his men and were directly responsible for saving the lives of many of his fellow soldiers. Maj. Dunagan's extraordinary heroism above and beyond the call of duty, are in the highest traditions of the U.S. Army and reflect great credit on him, his unit, and the U.S. Army.
    1969 – Singer Diana Ross, having left The Supremes, made her first television appearance as a solo act, performing on Dinah Shore's NBC special “Like Hep.” 
    1970 - WINDER, DAVID F., Medal of Honor
Rank and organization: Private First Class, U.S. Army, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3d Battalion, 1st Infantry, 11th Infantry Brigade, Americal Division. Place and date: Republic of Vietnam, 13 May 1970. Entered service at: Columbus, Ohio. Born: 10 August 1946, Edinboro, Pa. Citation: Pfc. Winder distinguished himself while serving in the Republic of Vietnam as a senior medical aid man with Company A. After moving through freshly cut rice paddies in search of a suspected company-size enemy force, the unit started a thorough search of the area. Suddenly they were engaged with intense automatic weapons and rocket propelled grenade fire by a well-entrenched enemy force. Several friendly soldiers fell wounded in the initial contact and the unit was pinned down. Responding instantly to the cries of his wounded comrades, Pfc. Winder began maneuvering across approximately 100 meters of open, bullet-swept terrain toward the nearest casualty. Unarmed and crawling most of the distance, he was wounded by enemy fire before reaching his comrades. Despite his wounds and with great effort, Pfc. Winder reached the first casualty and administered medical aid. As he continued to crawl across the open terrain toward a second wounded soldier he was forced to stop when wounded a second time. Aroused by the cries of an injured comrade for aid, Pfc. Winder's great determination and sense of duty impelled him to move forward once again, despite his wounds, in a courageous attempt to reach and assist the injured man. After struggling to within 10 meters of the man, Pfc. Winder was mortally wounded. His dedication and sacrifice inspired his unit to initiate an aggressive counterassault which led to the defeat of the enemy. Pfc. Winder's conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the cost of his life were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit on him, his unit and the U.S. Army 
    1971 - Aretha Franklin, the 'Queen of Soul,' received a gold record for her version of "Bridge over Troubled Water," originally a Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel tune. 
http://webhome.globalserve.net/ebutler/ 
http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/default.asp?oid=457 
    1973 - Top Hits
“Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree” - Dawn featuring Tony Orlando
“You are the Sunshine of My Life” - Stevie Wonder
“Little Willy” - The Sweet
“Come Live with Me” - Roy Clark
    1973 - Tennis star Bobby Riggs defeated Margaret Court in a televised tennis match that was seen worldwide. He went on to face Billy Jean King, in a typical "Don King" hype, after appearing on many radio and television shows saying a man tennis player can always beat a woman tennis player. At that time Billy Jean King, his opponent, was still in the closet and she whipped his butt at the Houston Astrodome. The event allegedly brought women's tennis to the forefront as a competitive sport with a growing legion of fans. It certainly made Riggs a lot of money, plus put him on a circuit for more as the man for women to beat. Died Oct. 27, 1995.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/sports/longterm/
memories/1995/95pass5.htm 
    1978 - Paul Anka opened a disco in Las Vegas named after his early gospel-disco number "Jubilation." 
    1978 – Former A’s and Giants’ lefty, Barry Zito, was born in Las Vegas.  He won the 2002 Cy Young Award in the American League with a 23-5 record for the Oakland A’s.  He never approached that level of excellence again and retired after the 2015 season.
    1980 - After $8 million in ticket sales and 3,883 performances, a record run for the time (not to mention one major motion picture), the Fifties musical “Grease” closed on Broadway. 
    1981 - Top Hits
“Morning Train (Nine to Five)” - Sheena Easton 
“Just the Two of Us” - Grover Washington, Jr./Bill Withers
“Bette Davis Eyes” - Kim Carnes
“Am I Losing You” - Ronnie Milsap
    1981 - A tornado 450 yards in width destroyed ninety percent of Emberson, TX. People did not see a tornado, but rather a wall of debris. Homes were leveled, a man in a bathtub was hurled a quarter of a mile, and a 1500-pound recreational vehicle was hurled 500 yards. Miraculously no deaths occurred in the tornado. 
    1981 - Pope John Paul II was shot and seriously wounded in St. Peter's Square by Turkish assailant Mehmet Ali Agca.
    1982 - The Chicago Cubs, charter members of the National League, won the 8,000th game in their history, beating the Houston Astros in the Astrodome, 5-0.  The Cubs began their existence as the Chicago White Stockings in the National Association (1871, 1874-75) and moved to the National League in 1876. The team changed its name to the Colts in 1890, to the Orphans in 1898, and the Cubs in 1902.
    1983 – Reggie Jackson became the first Major Leaguer to strike out 2000 times.
    1984 - "The Fantasticks," playing at the Sullivan Theatre in Greenwich Village in New York City, became the longest-running musical in theatre history with performance number 10,000 on this night. "The Fantasticks" opened on May 3, 1960.
    1985 - During the siege of the radical group MOVE at Philadelphia, PA, police in a helicopter reportedly dropped a bomb containing the powerful military plastic explosive C-4 on the building in which the group was housed.  The bomb and the resulting fire left 11 persons dead (including four children) and destroyed 61 homes.
    1985 - Tony Perez became the oldest Major League baseball player to hit a grand slam home run. Perez hit the grand slam for the Cincinnati Reds, helping the Reds to a 7-3 win over the Houston Astros. Perez was just a month shy of his 43rd birthday when he connected for the big dinger.
    1985 - 'The Boss,' Bruce Springsteen, married actress/model Julianne Phillips in ceremonies in Lake Oswego, OR. The couple went their separate ways in 1989. Springsteen's hit, "I'm on Fire," was in the top ten when the couple tied the wedding knot. Springsteen remarried in June of 1991, this time to a member of his E Street Band, Patti Scialfa, a true Jersey Girl, with whom he remains married. Despite his popularity, Springsteen has never had a number one song. His closest to the top of the pop music charts was a four-week stay at number two with "Dancing in the Dark" (June/July, 1984). Springsteen has had 11 hits in the top ten. 
http://www.brucespringsteen.net/ 
http://www.springstomania.com/content.html 
http://www.nj.com/springsteen/ 
    1989 - Top Hits
“I'll Be There for You” - Bon Jovi
“Real Love” - Jody Watley
“Forever Your Girl” - Paula Abdul
“Is It Still Over?” - Randy Travis
    1989 - Thunderstorms developing along a warm front produced severe weather in the Southern Plains Region during the afternoon and night. A thunderstorm at Killeen, TX produced wind gusts to 95 mph damaging 200 helicopters at Fort Hood causing nearly $500 million damage. Another thunderstorm produced softball size hail at Hodges, TX.
    1990 - Thunderstorms developing ahead of a cold front spawned ten tornadoes from eastern Wyoming to northern Kansas, including seven in western Nebraska. Thunderstorms forming ahead of a cold front in the eastern U.S. spawned five tornadoes from northeastern North Carolina to southern Pennsylvania. Thunderstorms over southeast Louisiana deluged the New Orleans area with four to eight inches of rain between 7 AM and Noon.
    1991 - A way ahead of its time, Apple introduced an improved version of its Macintosh system software, called System 7.0. The new system let all Macintoshes share files in a network without the intervention of a server, and it also introduced "balloon help" - pop-up text windows offering helpful hints.
    1994 - After nine years of a very public marriage, Billy Joel and Christie Brinkley announced they have separated. They divorced later in the year. 
    1994 – Johnny Carson made his last television appearance on “The Late Show with David Letterman.”  He died in 2005.
    1997 – Eddie Murray became the sixth player in MLB history to play in 3000 games.
    2003 - The government unveiled a new version of the $20 bill - the first to be colorized in an effort to thwart counterfeiters.
    2014 - A shipwreck off Haiti may be that of the Santa Maria, one of the three ships led by Christopher Columbus.  The wreck was discovered in 1994 by underwater archaeological explorer Barry Clifford but was only now tentatively identified in light of Columbus' writings and other evidence.  The details of the Santa Maria's end were given in Columbus' journal and his son Ferdinand's “Life of Columbus.” The two often differ but the overall location is certain. In the following October, UNESCO’s expert team published their final report, concluding that the wreck could not be Columbus's vessel. Fastenings used in the hull and possible copper sheathing dated it to the 17th or 18th century.