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With inflation standing at 8.3% year-over-year in April, everyday items are becoming pricier for U.S. consumers. Food prices in particular took some significant steps up, as seen in the example of shopping for hamburger ingredients.

Meats experienced some of the highest price increases among food items: Ground beef now costs almost 15 percent more than in April 2021 and bacon is 17.7 percent more expensive than one year ago. On the other hand, the price of tomatoes was up just 0.4 percent over the course of one year, showing that some item suffered less inflation than others. At a 6.2 percent price increase, fresh vegetables as a whole saw the lowest rate of inflation of any food category.

Energy – the most volatile item in the Consumer Price Index together with foods - drove overall price increases even more. In short supply following the Russian invasion of Ukraine and ensuing sanctions, energy costs rose by 30.3 percent since April 2021. This increase is independent of the base effect as energy prices had already reached pre-pandemic levels again one year ago.

Inflation had already started to rise in 2021 in the aftermath of COVID-19 lockdowns that continue to affect global supply chains. It was further pushed up by the Russian invasion of Ukraine that saw energy supply disrupted by sanctions and Ukrainian products missing from world markets. As a result, inflation is reaching an increasingly broad range of products. For example, while the price of used cars and trucks had already skyrocketed in 2021, new vehicles have now also become 13 percent more expensive than they had been a year ago.

Given the high price of gas and cars, inflation is indirectly encouraging another sustainable behavior - using public transportation. The category became 2.7 percent more expensive over the past year – a way smaller increase than most other spending categories.

By Katharina Buchholz, Statista

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New Hires/Promotions in the Leasing Business
and Related Industries

Bobbie Barton was hired as Account Manager, Blue Street Capital, Orange County, California. He previously was Financial Services Representative, Q6 Advisors, Inc. (July, 2020 - May, 2021). https://www.linkedin.com/in/brodie-barton/

Don Bulge was hired as Senior Vice President, CORE Capital Group, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. He previously was Account Manager, CWB National Leasing (November, 2015 - May, 2022); Account executive, CIT (May, 1997 - October, 2015).
https://www.linkedin.com/in/don-bulger-08911aa9/

Ken Elliott was hired as Vice President, specializing in Healthcare, Wintrust Specialty Finance, Irvine, California, a division of Beverly Bank & Trust Company. He is located in Palm Harbor, Florida. Previously, he was Senior Sales Development Executive, Meridian Equipment Finance (June, 2021 - April, 2022). https://www.linkedin.com/in/ken-elliott-26342524/

Kate (Barnts) Lyon was promoted to Vice President of Operations, OEG, GreatAmerica Financial Services, Cedar Rapids, Iowa. She joined the firm May, 2003, Sales Support Specialist and Team Leader, promoted June, 2013, Sales and Operations Support Leader, promoted December, 2017, Director of Operations, OEG. https://www.linkedin.com/in/kate-lyon-51828ba/

T. Max Hall was hired as Senior Vice President of Enterprise Sales at Summit Funding Group, Mason, Ohio." He is responsible for relationship development within the Mid-Atlantic Region for numerous industries including transportation/logistics, construction, heavy manufacturing and warehousing. Most recently, he spent 21 years at PNC Equipment Finance where he served as SVP for Middle Market and Large Corporate customers throughout most of the Mid-Atlantic region. During his career, Hall has been responsible for generating over $2.0 billion of equipment financing, impressively spanning across almost every industry."

Michelle “Mikki”  Henkelman, CLFP, was promoted to Vice President, Credit and Risk, Oakmont Capital Services, West Chester, Pennsylvania. She is located in Greater Minneapolis, St. Paul Area.  She joined the firm June, 2018, as Credit Manager. Previously, she was at Stearns Bank, N.A., starting July, 2007, Senior Credit Analyst/Credit Analyst, promoted 2015, Syndication Specialist, promoted February, 2018, Credit Supervisor. Certification: Certified Lease & Finance Professional.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikki-henkelman-clfp-a33b49163/

Christopher Silker was promoted to Account Manager, Regents Capital Corporation, Irvine California.  He joined the firm August, 2021, as Account Manager.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopher-silker/

Help Wanted Ads

 

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Leasing Software Companies
LTI Technology Solutions Updated

LTi Technology Solutions 4139 S. 143rd Circle Omaha, NE 68137 Tel: 402 493 3445 Fax: 402 493 3433 General Information info@LTiSolutions.com www.ltisolutions.com/

128

Jeff Van Slyke, President  Bryan Hunt,  Vice President  Sales & Marketing

ASPIRE is an array of full feature-rich functions for any size business that encompass all aspects of originations, CRM to back-end, and portfolio servicing. ASPIRE enables complete transparency, interactions, communication and collaboration from the beginning of a transaction to end of life. Features include: Originations, Contract Structure & Pricing, Tax related, Inventory, Insurance, UCC, Documentation, eSignatures, Accounts Payable, Workflow, Reporting.

We are much more involved today in the Technology and Services side of the business. We are currently the number one cloud- based provider of Equipment Finance solutions and offer Development, Technical and Professional Services, and Web- based application services. So we have a broad offering. Today we have over 130 members of our LTi Team in all parts of the country and internationally. Our Corporate Headquarters is in Omaha, NE with other offices in Overland Park, KS and the UK. We are still privately held, like we always have been and love working with our client partners both in the US, Canada, the UK.

Full List:
https://leasingnews.org/Ag_leasing/software.htm#lease

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ELFF Industry Confidence Drops Again
Five Months, May 49.6% from April 56.1%

(Chart: ELFF)

The Equipment Leasing & Finance Foundation (the Foundation) releases the May 2022 Monthly Confidence Index for the Equipment Finance Industry (MCI-EFI) fell from April 56.1 to 49.6%.

David Normandin, CLFP, President and CEO, Wintrust Specialty Finance, said, “Adapting to change is what the equipment leasing industry is all about. Our current rising rate environment will be good for the overall financial health of equipment finance companies as obligors adapt to the new world rate order and margin is built back into the business. I do think this will create challenges for many who may not have a long-term stable capital structure.”

Full Press Release:
https://www.leasefoundation.org/industry-resources/monthly-confidence-index/

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

AACFB Announces Awards to Gary Greene, CLFP, BPB
and AACFB Executive Director Monica Harper

Each year the American Association of Commercial Finance Brokers presents “President's Award” is presented to an individual or individuals who have gone above and beyond to support the association and assist the president during their term.

Last week, at this year's AACFB Annual Conference in Charlotte, North Carolina, President, Carrie Radloff presented the 2022 AACFB President’s Award to Gary Greene, CLFP, BPB, with Lease$mart and AACFB Executive Director, Monica Harper.


"Gary Greene has been a long-time supporter of the association having been a member for over 25 years. He is a staple at the AACFB conferences where he is a frequent speaker and trainer. He has served on the board of directors in the past, is a great mentor to many members, and does an excellent job serving as our community moderator. Gary serves the industry with the highest ethics and dedication and will help with anything asked of him with passion and a positive attitude.

Monica Harper is highly respected not only in the AACFB but throughout the entire industry, having been named the 2019 Leasing Person of the Year by Leasing News. She is dependable, a team player, passionate, dedicated, reliable, professional, knowledgeable, and has so many other great qualities. She takes care of anything that needs to be done with a smile on her face and always has the best interests of the association at heart."

Please join us in congratulating Gary Greene and Monica Harper and thanking them for their service to the AACFB.

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

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

61st ELFA Annual Convention:
Call for Presentations Due June 10

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Equipment Leasing and Finance Association today announced the Call for Presentations for the 61st ELFA Annual Convention. Proposals to speak at the convention, which is the largest annual gathering of equipment finance professionals, are due Friday, June 10. The convention will take place Oct. 9-11 in Marco Island, Florida.

The convention will focus on the theme “Welcoming Change as Opportunity.” In today’s rapidly evolving marketplace, no one can afford to stand still. The most successful equipment finance organizations are leveraging changes in the marketplace. The 61st ELFA Annual Convention will examine key developments facing the equipment finance industry—business, economic, technological and legislative—and exchange ideas and solutions for positioning your business for success.

We have a lot to talk about: Changing workforce expectations... business model innovations... the growth of digitalization... new regulatory requirements... and more. We’ll also address critical “people power” issues, from sourcing and developing talent, to driving diversity and inclusion in the workplace, to welcoming the next generation of leaders.

ELFA welcomes presentation proposals on topics of interest to a wide range of equipment finance industry members and conversations that spark connection. The association will be looking for intriguing session ideas that capture the climate in today’s business environment and address issues facing the industry. ELFA encourages submissions from speakers and panels representing diverse backgrounds, leadership roles and generations.

To review the Call for Presentations and submit a session proposal by June 10, please visit https://www.elfaonline.org/events/2022/ac/call-for-presentations/.

About ELFA
The Equipment Leasing and Finance Association (ELFA) is the trade association that represents companies in the nearly $1 trillion equipment finance sector, which includes financial services companies and manufacturers engaged in financing capital goods. ELFA members are the driving force behind the growth in the commercial equipment finance market and contribute to capital formation in the U.S. and abroad. Its 575 members include independent and captive leasing and finance companies, banks, financial services corporations, broker/packagers and investment banks, as well as manufacturers and service providers. ELFA has been equipping business for success for more than 60 years. For more information, please visit www.elfaonline.org.

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

 

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

Equipment Finance Cares Announces Panels
 and Foundations for Minnesota Event

This meeting is almost sold out: Equipment Finance Cares Minnesota will be held on Tuesday, June 21st from 1:30pm-7pm at the Midland Hills Country Club in Roseville, MN.

Jesse Johnson, Founder of Equipment Finance Cares, said, “We are excited to go back to where Equipment Finance Cares started in 2021. “We are grateful to Honour Capital for hosting and our sponsors for making these events possible.”

The “Human Side of Innovation” panel, moderated by Deb Reuben, CLFP from TomorrowZone includes Tawnya Stone, CLFP- GreatAmerica Financial Services, Jeffrey Bilbrey- Leasepath, Nancy Robles- Eastern Funding, Daryn Lecy, CLFP  - Oakmont Capital Services.  Deb Reuban will talk about the realities of enabling innovation in a high-performance team. 

The “Emerging Talent Advisory Council” panel, moderated by Sean McKenna - Great American Insurance Group includes Katie Thompson- Siemens, Jacob Fahl, CLFP- Mitsubishi HC Capital America, Kristi Schon- Channel, and Harrison Smith- Stonebriar Commercial Finance.

Topics of discussion include what the younger generation is looking for in an employer, how to engage the younger work force, best ways to recruit and retain young talent, how to incentivize younger talent.

Equipment Finance Cares is a platform that showcases how equipment finance professionals and organizations are giving back to their respective communities.

 Foundations currently showcased for this event includes Love Life Now, Equipment Leasing & Finance Foundation, Chris Walker Educational Fund, Slipka Foundation, Technovation MN, St Theresa’s Orphanage Foundation and Minnesota Good Works.

Ben Utech, Chief Culture Officer at True North Equity Partners will be the events featured speaker.

For additional information on the event and Equipment Finance Cares please go to www.equipmentfinancecares.com

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

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Watch at Home:
by Fernando Croce

The new batch of streaming releases runs the gamut of genres, from muscular action (“Ambulance”), eye-filling animation (“Belle”) and affecting drama (“Jockey”) to sensual romance (“Paris, the 13th District”) and juicy horror (“X”).

Ambulance (Amazon Prime, Vudu): Blockbuster specialist Michael Bay (“Transformers”) delivers a characteristically adrenaline-soaked ride with this unruly thriller, his most enjoyable film since “Pain and Gain.” The plot kicks off when war veteran Will Sharp (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II), in need of money for his wife’s surgery, reaches out to his adoptive brother Danny (Jake Gyllenhaal), a seasoned criminal. Together, they plot to hold up a Los Angeles bank, a plot that inevitably goes wrong. Along with the stolen millions, they find themselves hijacking an ambulance with a wounded police officer (Jackson White) and a medical technician named Cam (Eiza Gonzalez). The situation quickly snowballs into a maelstrom of speeding vehicles and media snoops, breathlessly shot in Bay’s muscular style. The results are fresh, suspenseful, and often potent.

Belle (Vudu): Technology and fairy tales are thrillingly combined in this lush fable from Japanese animator Mamoru Hosoda (“Mirai”). Its heroine is Sozu (voiced by Kaho Nakamura), an orphaned high-schooler who tries to block out the realities of the world by immersing herself in a virtual game, she envisions herself as a pink-haired superstar named Belle. In this alternate world, she embarks on a journey to unmask another fanciful avatar—a Dragon whose creator may be undergoing a coping process of their own. Though the tussle between the two characters may suggest “Beauty and the Beast,” Hosoda’s gorgeous film also contemplates notions of grief and identity in the online arena. Nominated for the Best Animated Feature Oscar, it’s the director’s most ambitious vision yet. With subtitles.

Jockey (iTunes, Vudu): The underrated Clifton Powell Jr. gives a lovingly understated performance in this naturalistic indie drama, which marks the feature debut of director Clint Bentley. He plays Jackson Silva, a veteran Phoenix jockey having to come to terms with both his physical condition and his past. After decades on the racetrack circuit, he must face his failing body while still hoping for one last championship. While getting help from his longtime trainer, Ruth (Molly Parker), he mentors a young rider named Gabriel (Moises Arias), who claims to be his son. The sports-movie structure may be familiar, but the film remains fresh thanks to the gentle approach and realistic details (including turns by real-life jockeys). In its modest way, it’s an affecting portrait of aging and redemption.

Paris, 13th District (Vudu, Amazon Prime): A raw, vivid snapshot of modern life among young Parisians, this drama immerses the audience into its characters’ sensual world. Emilie (Lucie Zhang) is a phone operator who, in order to make ends meet, starts looking for a roommate. Enter Camille (Makita Samba), a university professor who fills the bill and quickly becomes involved with her. Also in their orbit is Nora (Noemie Merlant), a law student who, hoping to start life anew after an abusive relationship, becomes interested in a camgirl called Amber Sweet (Jehnny Beth) after being mistaken for her. Showing a welcome light touch, director Jacques Audiard (“A Prophet”) takes a warm and sympathetic look at alove triangle that becomes a love rectangle, focusing on his intoxicating performers. With subtitles.

X (Vudu): The often-sterile state of current horror movies gets a shot of down and dirty energy with this juicy slasher from director Ti West (“The House of the Devil”). Set in Texas during the late 1970s, the story evokes Tobe Hooper’s great “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” by following a group of young characters into increasingly lethal territory. They’re making an erotic movie with aspiring Maxine (Mia Goth), only instead of a studio they’re using a farm owned by a strange, elderly couple. The director (Owen Campbell) vainly hopes to bring art-house pretension to the project, and grows jealous when his girlfriend (Jenna Ortega) tries to join the cast. All the while, bodies start turning up around the set. Exuberant, twisty, and unashamedly perverse, this is a bloody good time.

Border Collie Mix
Tucson, Arizona  Adopt-a-Dog

"Big boy Bauer, he says he’d like a home with some AC please!"

Bauer
ID #A483076
Male
Black and White
100 lbs.
8 years Old
fee $30.00

I have been at the shelter since May 09, 2022 and am ready to go home today!

I am in Kennel D187.

Pima County
Animal Care Center
4000 N. Silverbell Rd.
Tucson, AZ 85745
(520) 724-5900
FAX: (520) 724-5960
https://webcms.pima.gov/cms/one.aspx?objectId=18469

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Margerum M5 Rhone White Blend 2019
Los Olivos, California
By Kevan R. Wilkinson, Leasing News Wine Reviewer

If you've read any of my other wine reviews, you might have noticed that I like to find hidden gems with reasonable price points. Such is the case with the Margerum M5 Rhone White Blend 2019. Priced at $20 a bottle, this white wine from Los Olivos, California, serves a perfect blend of summer fruit: apricot, melon, and tropical pineapple. But, of course, it would not be an authentic Rhone-style white wine without a hint of apple, which it has on the lasting finish.

My wife, Ana, and I had this wine with toasted flatbread and a broccoli pasta salad topped with pine nuts and sun-dried tomatoes.

The Margerum M5 is perfect for those beautiful, warm evenings when you'd rather be outside than in the kitchen or dining room.

Available online and in select wine stores for $20/bottle.

Kevan R. Wilkinson | Digital Content Manager | BALBOA CAPITAL | kevanrw@balboacapital.com| www.balboacapital.com

Previous Wine Reviews
https://leasingnews.org/Pages/wine_reviews.html

 

News Briefs---

Senate gives final congressional approval to $40 billion
    Ukraine aid package, sending measure to Biden’s desk
https://www.bostonglobe.com/2022/05/19/world/senate-readies-final-congressional-approval-40-billion-ukraine-aid/

California public schools get whopping $128.3 Billion
under Newsom’s budget proposal
https://www.mercurynews.com/2022/05/18/california-public-schools-128-3-billion-under-newsoms-budget-proposal/?

20 U.S. states back restoring California strict emissions rules
https://www.stltoday.com/business/local/20-u-s-states-back-restoring-california-strict-emissions-rules/article_c734be2f-694d-5bcf-af4c-a068b106cd3d.html

Anheuser-Busch hikes beer prices again to deal with inflation
https://www.stltoday.com/business/local/anheuser-busch-hikes-beer-prices-again-to-deal-with-inflation/article_c8368777-2cf1-59b8-ad19-e612ba4fc87e.html

More Subprime Borrowers Are Missing Loan Payments
    Borrowers with limited or troubled credit histories are defaulting
https://www.wsj.com/articles/more-subprime-borrowers-are-missing-loan-payments-11652952602?st=30k4vz5sad49inm&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink

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You May Have Missed---

Supply chains are never returning to ‘normal
By Craig Fuller, CFO, Freightwaves
https://www.freightwaves.com/news/supply-chains-are-never-returning-to-normal

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Sports Briefs---

Warriors send clear message with Game 1 rout
     that they’re the better team
https://www.sfchronicle.com/sports/warriors/article/Warriors-send-clear-message-in-Game-1-rout-of-17183382.php

Top coaches Saban, Fisher feud over college football’s
changing landscape
https://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/sports/top-college-football-coaches-nick-saban-jimbo-fisher-in-war-of-words-over/

The Best MLB Pitcher You've (Probably) Never Heard Of
https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10036080-the-best-mlb-pitcher-youve-probably-never-heard-of

A’s routed 14-4 by Twins
https://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/sports/as-routed-14-4-by-twins/

US Soccer equalizes pay in milestone with women, men
https://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/sports/us-soccer-equalizes-pay-in-milestone-with-women-men/

Warriors’ Stephen Curry says college degree
was ‘long time coming’
https://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/sports/warriors-stephen-curry-says-college-degree-was-long-time-coming/

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California Nuts Briefs---

California public schools get whopping $128.3 Billion
    under Newsom’s budget proposal
https://www.mercurynews.com/2022/05/18/california-public-schools-128-3-billion-under-newsoms-budget-proposal/?

Secret retreats and a powerful ‘cabal’: Corruption probe
reveals who really runs Anaheim
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2022-05-19/fbi-probe-mayor-unelected-people-run-anaheim-angel-stadium?utm_id=55913&sfmc_id=1646692

'It has been very difficult to find the help':
San Francisco's 24th Street Cheese Company closing
https://www.sfgate.com/food/article/Noe-Valley-cheese-shop-closing-17184618.php?IPID=SFGate-HP-CP-Spotlight

Outlook improving for gravely injured Northern California
dog who saved owner from mountain lion attack
https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Mountain-lion-attacks-woman-and-dog-17180032.php

Photos of the best costumes at San Francisco's
Bay to Breakers race
https://www.sfgate.com/local/article/the-best-costumes-at-Bay-to-Breakers-17171746.php

In a dramatic change, whales are now
hanging around in San Francisco Bay
https://www.sfchronicle.com/climate/article/Here-s-why-whales-have-started-hanging-around-17172353.php

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"Gimme that wine"

Wine festival returns to Paso Robles this weekend.
    Here’s what’s new
https://www.sanluisobispo.com/living/food-drink/wine-beer/article261568472.html

Winery buys 73-acre Sacramento Delta vineyard
as North Coast vintners seek lower-cost grapes
https://www.northbaybusinessjournal.com/article/industrynews/winery-buys-73-acre-sacramento-delta-vineyard-as-north-coast-vintners-seek/

This winemaker is turning to a crop that has yet to take off
in California — and can go for $1,000 a pound
https://www.sfchronicle.com/food/wine/article/Truffle-farming-in-California-hasn-t-been-17182178.php

Boutique Sonoma County Winery Vaughn Duffy Wines
Unveils New Tasting Room
https://www.winebusiness.com/news/article/258896

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

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

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

This Day in History

     1638 – Dorchester, MA voted to establish a property tax to support public schools: “It is ordered the 20th of May, 1639, that there shall be a rent of twenty pounds a year for ever imposed upon Tomsons Island to be paid by every person that hath property in the said island according to the proportion that any such person shall from time to time enjoy and possess there.”
    1704 – Elias Neau founds school for slaves in New York.  His real name was Elias Naud. He was from France, a seaman who sailed to Haiti before arriving in New York.
    1759 - William Thornton (1759-1828) architect, who designed the United States Capitol, was born in the British Virgin Islands.
    1768 – Dolley Madison, a widow, married James Madison.  During the British invasion of Washington, D.C., in the War of 1812, she escaped with valuable state papers from the White House before it was burned by the British.  Strong-willed, she hung her wash in the East Room of the White House to show her disdain for those who thought the presidency was royalty. She was a noted and charming hostess in the complex game of Washington society.   She acted as hostess for George Washington and reportedly her charm and social grace were great aids in Madison being nominated for President.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/firstladies/dm4.html
http://www.vcdh.virginia.edu/madison/exhibit/index.html
    1775 – The Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence is claimed by some to be the first such declaration made in the Colonies during the Revolutionary War. It was supposedly signed on May 20, 1775, at Charlotte, NC, by a committee of citizens of Mecklenburg County, who declared independence from Great Britain after hearing of the Battle of Lexington. If true, the Mecklenburg Declaration preceded the US Declaration of Independence by more than a year. The authenticity of the Mecklenburg Declaration has been disputed since it was first published in 1819, forty-four years after it was reputedly written. There is no conclusive evidence to confirm the original document's existence and no reference to it has been found in extant newspapers from 1775.  The Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence was first published on April 30, 1819, in an article written by Dr. Joseph McKnitt Alexander in the “Raleigh Register and North Carolina Gazette” newspaper.  "It is not probably known to many of our readers," wrote the editor of the “Raleigh Register” in an introduction to the article, "that the citizens of Mecklenburg County, in this State, made a Declaration of Independence more than a year before Congress made theirs.  According to Dr. Alexander, his father, John McKnitt Alexander, had been the clerk at a meeting convened in Charlotte on May 19, 1775. Each militia company in the county had sent two delegates to the meeting, where measures were to be discussed regarding the ongoing dispute between the British Empire and the Colonies. Relations between the colonies and the mother country had reached a crisis in Boston following the 1774 passage of the Coercive Acts by the British Parliament. During the meeting in Mecklenburg County, the delegates received official news that the Battle of Lexington had been fought in Massachusetts one month earlier. Outraged by this turn of events, wrote Dr. Alexander, the delegates unanimously passed the resolutions at about 2:00 a.m. on May 20.  North Carolinian James Street insisted that this “was the first explicit declaration by any Colony in favor of complete separation from Britain.”  (Street,”The Revolutionary War” (1954), pg. 79).
    1777 - The first treaty between states after the Declaration of Independence was concluded between Georgia and South Carolina at DeWitt's Corner, SC.  Under its provisions, the Cherokees were forced to retire behind a line running southwest through Georgia from the straight part of Pickens County on the North to a point just below the mouth of the Tallulah at the western tip of the state. Since settlers began landing on the continent, the natives were moved further and further from their original “homeland.” From an estimated population, some say well into the millions, the population shrank to several hundred thousand, due primarily to disease brought from the old world to humans and animals.  http://www.theatlantic.com/issues/2002/03/mann.html
    1818 – William Fargo (1818-1881) was born in Pompey, NY.  In 1844, he organized, with Henry Wells (1805–1878) and Daniel Dunning, the first express company, Wells & Co, to engage in the carrying business west of Buffalo. The lines of this company (which first operated only to Detroit via Cleveland) were rapidly extended to Chicago, St. Louis, and other western points.  In March 1850, through a consolidation of competing lines, the American Express Company was organized; Wells became president and Fargo secretary. In 1851, with Wells and others, he organized the firm of Wells Fargo & Company to conduct an express business between New York and San Francisco by way of the Isthmus of Panama and on the Pacific coast, where it long had a virtual monopoly.  In 1861, Wells Fargo bought and reorganized the Overland Mail Co., which had been formed in 1857 to carry the United States mails, and of which Fargo had been one of the original promoters.  The litany of M&A involving Wells Fargo is lengthy and included expansion into traditional banking services as well in the late nineteenth century.  Today, Wells Fargo Bank is the nation’s fourth largest by capitalization and total assets, and is headquartered in San Francisco.
    1825 - Birthday of Antoinette Brown (1825-1921), the first woman minister in U.S. History, in Henrietta, NY. A graduate in theology from Oberlin College in 1850, she was refused ordination by a number of churches, but finally was accepted by the Congregational Church in South Butler, New York (1852-54.) She married into the renowned Blackwell family (Elizabeth was the first woman physician in U.S. history and her sister Emily, also a physician, was one of the organizers of the first woman's hospital). Antoinette had six children and abandoned her battles for women's rights. Later, she resumed her women's rights activities to become one of the most sought-after speakers in the nation. She also published a number of well received books; her last book, “The Social Side of Mind and Action” (1915), was written when she was 90. She lived to 96, long enough to see women get the vote.
http://www.oberlin.edu/external/EOG/OYTT-images/NettyBlackwell.html
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0935312048/avsearch-bkasin-20/002-0667839-4443242
    1851 - Birthday of Emil Berliner (1851-1929), Jewish immigrant, who came to the United States in 1870 from Germany and later worked for Alexander Graham Bell's telephone company. In 1877, the year after Graham invented the telephone, Berliner developed an improved telephone receiver. Ten years later, Berliner dramatically improved the phonograph when he developed the flat gramophone record, which quickly replaced Thomas Edison's recording cylinder. He also developed a method for mass-producing records. He also invented the microphone among other achievements.
http://memory.loc.gov/mmem/berlhtml/ http://www.hebrewhistory.org/factpapers/berliner27-II.html
    1856 - Revolutionizing communication, David Edward Hughes of Louisville, KY, received a patent on a telegraph ticker that successfully printed type.  He then sold his rights to the Commercial Company for $100,000 on November 1, 1855, a huge sum of money for the day, perhaps the first “dot commer” of the “communication revolution” to follow. The modern teleprinter, telex system and computer keyboards are all direct descendants of this invention.  http://www.acmi.net.au/AIC/HUGHES_BIO.html
    1861 - Kentucky proclaimed its neutrality, which lasted until September 3 when Confederate forces entered the state. Meanwhile, North Carolina seceded from the Union.
    1862 - President Lincoln signed the Homestead Act opening millions of acres of government-owned land in the West to settlers or “homesteaders,” who had to reside on the land and cultivate it for five years. http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/may20.html
    1872 - Madeline McDowell Breckinridge’s (1872-1920) birthday in Woodlake, KY.  U.S. social activist who began by organizing and taking part in grassroots movements in her native Kentucky battling for educational and health facilities.   She campaigned for juvenile courts, branched out into fighting political corruption while heading charity organizations and was even instrumental in building a tuberculosis hospital (a disease she suffered from most of her life).   She headed the Kentucky Equal Rights organization which not only successfully passed suffrage in a southern state, but also obtained rights for married women that "allowed" them to keep their own earnings, have joint custody of their own children, etc.
http://www.womeninkentucky.com/site/reform/m_breckinridge.html
http://www.womeninkentucky.com/site/reform/motherssphere.html
    1873 - Levi Strauss secures the necessary patents for canvas pants with copper rivets to reinforce the stress points. Born in Buttenheim, Bavaria, in 1829, the young Levi Strauss immigrated to the United States in 1847. He arrived in San Francisco in 1853 with a load of merchandise that he hoped to sell in the California mining camps. Unable to sell a large supply of canvas, Strauss hit on the idea of using the durable material to make work pants for miners. Strauss' canvas pants were an immediate success among hardworking miners who had long complained that conventional pants wore out too quickly. In 1872, Strauss received a letter from Jacob Davis, a customer and tailor who worked in the mining town of Reno, Nevada. Davis reported that he had discovered canvas pants could be improved if the pocket seams and other weak points that tended to tear were strengthened by copper rivets. Davis' riveted pants had proven popular in Reno, but he needed a patent to protect his invention. Intrigued by the copper-riveted pants, Strauss and his partners agreed to undertake the necessary legal work for the patent and begin large-scale production of the pants. Davis' invention was patented on this day in 1873. In exchange for his idea, Strauss made the Reno tailor his production manager. Eventually, Strauss switched from using canvas to heavyweight blue denim, and the modern "blue jeans" were born. Since then, Levi Strauss & Company has sold more than 200 million pairs of copper-riveted jeans. By the turn of the century, people outside of the mining and ranching communities had discovered that "Levi's" were both comfortable and durable. Eventually, the jeans lost most of their association with the West and came to be simply a standard element of the casual American wardrobe.  Currently, Levi Strauss employs over 15,000 worldwide.  In 2018, it generated nearly $6 billion in revenues that produced net income of over $280 million.
    1891 - The first public display of Edison’s prototype Kinetoscope.
    1899 - The first traffic ticket in the US…and wouldn’t you know, it was in NYC.  New York City taxi driver Jacob German was arrested for speeding while driving 12 miles per hour on Lexington Street.
    1901 - Pianist Jimmy Blythe (1901-31) was born in Louisville, KY. http://www.allmusic.com/cg/x.dll?UID=8:52:12|PM&p=amg&sql=B10175
    1902 – Cuba gained independence from the US.  After the Spanish–American War, Spain and the United States signed the 1898 Treaty of Paris, by which Spain ceded Puerto Rico, the Philippines, and Guam to the United States for the sum of $20 million.  Under Cuba's new constitution, the U.S. retained the right to intervene in Cuban affairs and to supervise its finances and foreign relations. Under the Platt Amendment, the U.S. leased the Guantanamo Bay naval base from Cuba.
    1907 - Forty-one Igorrote, head-hunters and dog-eaters from the wild districts of Bontac providence in the northern part of Luzon, were brought to this country by the steamer Nippon Maru, arriving Friday. Despite the cold air the Igorrotes, almost naked, stood about the steerage deck of the liner and gazed with awe upon the surrounding evidence of civilization. The rumor spread on board that the head-hunters had been imported by Patrick Calhoun for the purpose of breaking the car strike, but this was denied by R. Schneidewind, who is bringing the Igorrotes to this country.
    1908 – James Stewart (1908-97) was born in Indiana, PA.  Stewart was nominated for five Academy Awards, winning one in competition and receiving one Lifetime Achievement award. Stewart was named the third greatest male screen legend in cinema history by the AFI.  He was a major MGM star. He also had a noted military career and was a World War II and Vietnam War veteran, who rose to the rank of Brigadier General in the Air Force Reserve.
    1913 – William R. Hewlett (1913-2001) was born in Ann Arbor, MI.  Co-founder, with David Packard, of the Hewlett-Packard Company.
    1916 - Norman Rockwell's first cover for The Saturday Evening Post appeared on the May 20 edition.  It depicted a boy having to care for his infant sibling, pushing the baby carriage while his buddies set off to play ball.  His last Post cover appeared in 1963.
    1919 – Comedian George Gobel (1919-1991) was born in Chicago.   
    1920 - The Chicago police, dressed as soldiers and farmers, raid the Wrigley Field bleachers arresting two dozen Cub fans for gambling as Grover Cleveland Alexander blanks the Phillies, 6-0.
    1921 – Hal Newhouser (1921-98) was born in Detroit.  Newhouser was considered to be the most dominating pitcher of the World War II era of baseball, winning a pitcher’s Triple Crown for the Tigers in 1944. He posted a 29–9 record, leading the league in wins and strikeouts (187). His 2.22 ERA was second in the league, as were his 25 complete games and six shutouts. Newhouser was named MVP and won the first Sporting News Pitcher of the Year Award (The Cy Young Award was not created until 1956). In 1945, he became the first and only pitcher to repeat as MVP and helped the team win the World Series. He won the pitcher's Triple Crown, leading the AL in wins (25-9), ERA (1.81) and strikeouts (212). He also led the league in innings pitched, games started, complete games and shutouts. Newhouser pitched four innings of relief on the season's final day as Detroit rallied for the pennant. He won the second Sporting News Pitcher of the Year Award.  In 1946, he went 26–9 with a 1.94 ERA, again leading the league in wins and ERA. His 275 strikeouts were second in the league. Newhouser continued to rate among the game's best pitchers for the next five years. He won 17 games in 1947, led the AL with 21 wins in 1948 and rang up an 18–11 mark in 1949. He ended his career with a record of 207–150 and a 3.06 ERA. While scouting for the Houston Astros, he was angered when the team did not listen to his recommendation to draft Derek Jeter and instead picked Phil Nevin. Newhouser was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1992.
    1927 – Bud Grant was born in Superior, WI.  Grant served as the head coach of the Minnesota Vikings for eighteen seasons; he was the team's second (1967–83) and fourth (1985) head coach. Before coaching the Vikings, he was a head coach in the CFL for ten seasons, winning the Grey Cup four times. Grant is the most successful coach in Vikings history, and the third most successful professional football coach overall (behind Don Shula and George Halas), with a combined 290 wins in the NFL and CFL.  Grant was elected to the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 1983 and to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1994. He was the first coach in the history of professional football to guide teams to the Grey Cup finals and the Super Bowl.
    May 20-21, 1927 - Captain Charles Lindbergh, 25-year old aviator, departed from rainy, muddy Roosevelt Field, Long Island, NY, alone at 7:52am in a Ryan monoplane named Spirit of St. Louis.  He landed at Le Bourget airfield, Paris, at 10:24pm Paris time (5:54pm NY time), May 21, winning a $25,000 prize offered by Raymond Orteig for the first nonstop flight between New York City and Paris, France (3,600 miles).  The "flying fool," as he had been dubbed by some doubters, became "Lucky Lindy," an instant world hero.  Very few in history drew the universal acclaim of this man.
    1931 - Kenton Lloyd “Ken” Boyer (1931-82), baseball player and manager, born at Liberty, MO. Boyer was an exceptional third baseman for the St. Louis Cardinals, winning the National League MVP award in 1964, and he was an 11-time All-Star.  He managed the Cards from 1978 through June 8, 1980. Boyer was one of three brothers who played MLB, including Cloyd and Cletis, with whom he has the fourth-most combined HRs in MLB history.
    1932 - Amelia Earhart took off from Newfoundland on the way to becoming the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic.  Because of weather and equipment problems. She landed in Londonderry, Northern Ireland instead of the intended arrival in France
    1939 – Actor Sal Mineo (1939-76) was born in The Bronx.  He was twice nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, for his roles in “Rebel Without a Cause” and “Exodus.”  On February 12, 1976, when he was stabbed to death in the alley behind his apartment building near The Sunset Strip in West Hollywood.
    1941 - Harry James records “You Made Me Love You,” putting the band on top!
    1942 - Glenn Miller Band records “I've Got a Gal in Kalamazoo.” Victor.
    1942 – Jill Jackson was born in McCamey, TX.  With Ray Hildebrand, they were Paul and Paula whose hit record, “Hey, Paula” rose to #1 in 1963.
    1944 - The Stan Kenton Band with Anita O'Day records “And Her Tears Flowed Like Wine.”
    1944 - Singer Joe Cocker (1944-2014) was born in Sheffield, England.
 http://www.cocker.com/
    1945 – Cher was born Cherilyn Sarkasian LaPier in El Centro, California. She and husband Sonny Bono enjoyed great success beginning in 1965 with the chart- topping "I Got You Babe." Sonny and Cher became household names with their TV series which ran from 1971 to '75. But a marriage breakup also ended their professional career together. Cher went on to a successful career as a singer and an actress, hitting number one with three singles in the early '70s, "Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves," "Half-Breed" and "Dark Lady." She revived her singing career in 1988 with two top-20 singles, "I Found Someone" and "We All Sleep Alone." Later, she scored a hit with the resurrected 'I Got You Babe' performed with MTV's Beavis and Butthead.
http://www.cher.com/
http://www.cherworld.com/
    1946 – “The next Mickey Mantle,” Bobby Murcer (d. 2008) was born in Oklahoma City.
    1948 - In front of only 5,001 fans in Chicago, Joe DiMaggio strokes four extra base hits for the fourth time in his career as he hits for the cycle for a second time in a 13-2 rout of the White Sox. The 'Yankee Clipper' paces the Bombers' 22-hit attack with a two home runs, a triple, a double and a single and drives in 6 runs.
    1949 – The Armed Forces Security Agency, the predecessor to the NSA was established.
    1951 - The first “Ace” to fly a jet was Captain James Jabara of Wichita, KS, a member of the fourth Fighter Interceptor Wing, who shot down his first and sixth enemy Mig jet airplanes over Sinjuiju, northwest Korea.  He eventually defeated 15 Migs over Korea and became the second triple jet Ace.  The first Triple jet Ace was Captain Joseph Christopher McConnell, Jr, who shot down 16 MiG-15s.  He shot down three in one day, May 18. He completed 106 missions in Korea.  His neighbors built him a house in Apple Valley, CA, known as Appreciation House.   He was killed August 24, 1954 at Edwards Air Force base, CA, while testing a new plane, an F-86H.
    1953 - In just their 13th game of the season, the Braves, in their first year in Milwaukee, surpassed their total of 1952 attendance of 28,127, their last year in Boston.
    1954 - Bill Haley's "Rock Around the Clock" was released on Decca. The record was not a hit until after it was included in the soundtrack of "Blackboard Jungle" the following year.  Written by Max Freedman and James Myers (the latter being under the pseudonym "Jimmy De Knight") in 1952. It was a number one single on both the United States and United Kingdom charts and also reentered the UK Singles Chart in the 1960s and 1970s.  Haley's recording became an anthem for rebellious 1950s youth and is widely considered to be the song that, more than any other, brought rock and roll into mainstream culture around the world. The song is ranked No. 158 on the Rolling Stones magazine's list of The Greatest Songs of All Time. In 2018, it was selected for preservation in the National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or artistically significant." http://www.history-of-rock.com/haley.htm
    1956 - In Operation Redwing, the first United States airborne hydrogen bomb was dropped over Bikini Atoll in the Pacific Ocean.
    1956 - Top Hits
“Heartbreak Hotel/I Was the One” - Elvis Presley
“The Wayward Wind” - Gogi Grant
“I'm in Love Again” - Fats Domino
“Blue Suede Shoes” - Carl Perkins
    1957 - Frank Sinatra recorded "Witchcraft"
    1957 - A tornado touched down to the southwest of Kansas City and traveled a distance of seventy-one miles cutting a swath of near total destruction through the southeastern suburbs of Ruskin Heights and Hickman Mills. The tornado claimed the lives of forty-five persons, and left hundreds homeless. It was the worst weather disaster of record for Kansas City. About all that remained of one house was a small table and a fish bowl atop, with the fish still swimming about inside the bowl, rather unconcerned.       
    1960 – Congress’ committee on "payola" indicts eight men accused of receiving $116,580 in illegal payoffs for promoting records. The indictments will lead, two years later, to highly influential DJ Alan Freed's eventual indictment for tax-evasion.
    1960 - A Liverpool band called Johnny and the Moondogs changes their name to the Silver Beetles and embarks on a Scottish tour, backing singer Johnny Gentle. The band members, except for leader John Lennon, take pseudonyms: Paul McCartney becomes Paul Ramon, George Harrison becomes Carl Harrison, and Stu Sutcliffe becomes Stuart de Stael. A punk band called the Ramones would later take their name from McCartney's fake one.
    1961- A white mob attacked a busload of Freedom Riders in Montgomery, Ala., prompting the federal government to send in United States marshals to restore order.
http://www.nytimes.com/learning/general/onthisday/big/0520.html
    1964 - Top Hits
“My Guy” - Mary Wells
“Love Me Do” - The Beatles
“Ronnie” - The 4 Seasons
My Heart Skips a Beat - Buck Owens
    1966 - In Windsor, England, Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey performed with the rhythm section of the opening act when John Entwistle and Keith Moon were late for the show. When the duo finally arrived, with the show half over, Townshend hit Moon over the head with his guitar.  Keith and John quit the band, but were convinced to return within the week.
    1967 - Only a week after surrendering the top of the R&B chart to Martha & the Vandellas, Aretha Franklin retakes the top spot with "Respect," a tune that will also be Number One on the pop chart. It was originally recorded and written by Otis Redding who would say he prefers Franklin's version to his own.
    1967 - The Beatles premiere their new album, “Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band,” on Kenny Everett's BBC radio program “Where It's At.” All the tracks are played save "A Day in the Life," which the "Beeb" has banned the day before for its seemingly positive attitude towards drug use. Paul and John give live interviews about the making of the album.
    1971 – Sprint Cup Series champ Tony Stewart was born in Columbus, IN.
    1972 - Top Hits
“The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” - Roberta Flack
“Oh Girl” - Chi-Lites
“I'll Take You There” - The Staple Singers
“Grandma Harp” - Merle Haggard
    1973 - Ken Moore beat 4,030 competitors to win the 63rd Bay-to-Breakers footrace in San Francisco, CA. Moore stepped his way to the finish line in 37 minutes, 15 seconds over a course measured at 7.8 miles.
    1978 - Mavis Hutchinson, 53, made it to New York City to become the first woman to run across America. The 3,000-mile trek took her 69 days. She ran an average of 45 miles each day. Now that's what we call a daily workout.
    1980 - Top Hits
“Call Me” – Blondie
“Ride like the Wind” - Christopher Cross
Lost in Love - Air Supply
“Gone Too Far” - Eddie Rabbitt
    1980 - 710 families in the Love Canal area of Niagara Falls, NY, are evacuated.  In 1890, Love Canal was created as a model planned community but was only partially developed. In the 1920s, the canal became a dump site for municipal refuse for the city of Niagara Falls. During the 1940s, the canal was purchased by Hooker Chemical Company which used the site to dump 21,800 short tons of chemical byproducts from the manufacturing of dyes, perfumes, and solvents for rubber and synthetic resins.  Love Canal was sold to the local school district in 1953, after the threat of eminent domain. Over the next three decades, it attracted national attention for the public health problem originating from the former dumping of toxic waste on the grounds. This event displaced numerous families, leaving them with longstanding health issues, high incidents of birth defects, and symptoms of high white blood cell counts and leukemia. Subsequently, the federal government passed the Superfund Law. The resulting Superfund cleanup operation demolished the neighborhood, ending during 2004.
   1982 - TV's "Barney Miller" was seen for the last time in its original network run on ABC-TV. Hal Linden as Barney, Abe Vigoda as Fish and a talented cast continue to bring the fictional 12th Precinct to TV screens through syndication.  http://timstvshowcase.com/bmiller.html
http://www.zxcproductions.com/web/Abe/abe.html
    1983 – The first publication of the discovery of the HIV virus that causes AIDS in the journal “Science” was written by Luc Montagnier.
    1985 - The Dow Jones industrial average broke the 1300 mark for the first time. The Dow gained 19.54 points to close at 1304.88.
    1985 - The game between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Cleveland Indians in Cleveland was rained out. Remarkably, this was the first rainout of the season in either league, after a Major League record 485 games had been played without a postponement.
    1985 - Larry Holmes retained the heavyweight boxing title of the International Boxing Federation at Reno, NV by defeating Carl Wilson in 15 rounds. The fight marked the first, heavyweight title fight in Reno since Jack Johnson and Jim Jeffries duked it out in 1910.
    1985 - Daryl Hall and John Oates headlined a concert for the grand re-opening of the legendary Apollo Theatre in Harlem. The show benefited the United Negro College Fund and featured two of the original Temptations, David Ruffin and Eddie Kendrick.
    1987 - The Milwaukee Brewers ended a 12-game losing streak by beating the Chicago White Sox by a 5-1 score. The Brew Crew had opened the season winning 13 games in a row.
    1988 - Frank Sinatra's funeral was held at Beverly Hills' Church of the Good Shepherd, with attendees including Tony Bennett, Bob Dylan, Liza Minnelli, Jack Nicholson, Tony Curtis, Kirk Douglas, Sophia Loren, Bob Newhart, Faye Dunaway, Angie Dickinson, and ex Mia Farrow. Dylan's statement reads, in part, "Right from the beginning, he was there with the truth of things in his voice... He was one of the very few singers who sang without a mask." Ten years later to the day, May 13th was declared Frank Sinatra Day by the Congress of the United States.
    1988 - Thunderstorms in the south central U.S. produced wind gusts to 70 mph at Omaha, NE, and wind gusts to 80 mph at Midland and Dallas, TX. Temperatures in California soared into the 90s and above 100 degrees. San Jose CA reported a record high of 97 degrees.
    1988 - Top Hits
“Anything for You” - Gloria Estefan & Miami Sound Machine
“Shattered Dreams” - Johnny Hates Jazz
“One More Try” - George Michael
“I'm Gonna Get You” - Eddy Raven
    1990 - Thunderstorms produced severe weather across the southeastern quarter of the nation through the day and night. Severe thunderstorms spawned six tornadoes, including one which injured two persons at Algoma, MS, and another which injured nine persons at Rogersville, MO. There were 119 reports of large hail or damaging winds. Thunderstorms produced baseball size hail at Houston, MO and damaging winds which killed one person at Toccoa, GA.
    1993 – The final episode of “Cheers” aired after 275 episodes.  During its run, “Cheers” became one of the most popular series of all time and has received critical acclaim from its start to its end. In 1997, the episodes, “Thanksgiving Orphans” and “Home Is the Sailor,” aired originally in 1987, were respectively ranked No. 7 and No. 45 on TV Guide’s 100 Greatest Episodes of All Time.  In 2002, “Cheers” was ranked No. 18 on TV Guide’s 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time.  In 2013, the Writers Guild of America ranked it as the eighth-best-written TV series and TV Guide ranked it No. 11 on their list of the 60 Greatest Shows of All Time. 
    1995 - Don Henley of The Eagles marries Sharon Summerall in Malibu. Among those present and who performed were Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel, Sting and Tony Bennett.  They are still married.
    1996 - The Supreme Court ruled, in Romer v. Evans, against a law that would have prevented any city, town or county in the state of Colorado from taking any legislative, executive, or judicial action to protect the rights of gays and lesbians.
    2001 - Barry Bonds becomes 13th player in Major League history to hit home runs in four consecutive at-bats. The Giant outfielder went yard in his final two at-bats yesterday and homers in his first two official turns at the plate today.
    2003 - South Carolina's parole board pardons James Brown of all past offenses committed in the state, even the felonies, spurring James to spontaneously sing "God Bless America" at the conclusion of the hearing.
    2006 - Their hometown of Hawthorne, CA dedicates a monument to the three Wilson brothers in the Beach Boys.
    2013 – An F5 tornado struck the Oklahoma City suburb of Moore, killing 24 people and injuring 377 others.