COVID-19 USED AS EXCUSE

Federal judge allows clearing of St. Louis homeless encampment

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A couple stand by their belongings after taking their tent down in a homeless encampment in St. Louis on Friday. Photo by Bill Greenblatt/UPI | License Photo

May 2 (UPI) -- A federal judge in Missouri ruled Saturday that St. Louis officials can clear a homeless encampment downtown to limit the spread of coronavirus.

The ArchCity Defenders, a legal advocacy organization against criminalizing poverty, filed a lawsuit against the city on behalf of homeless people who reside in the encampment. Ranata Frank, who resides there, was named in the suit, as one representative of the approximately 50 residents of the tent encampment.

The filing of the suit Friday blocked a deadline that same day for the encampment occupants to leave.

City officials said that the tents' crowded and unsanitary conditions risked coronavirus spread. But the suit said clearing the encampment could increase the public health threat.

RELATED New Mexico closes roads into Gallup to halt COVID-19

Clearing the camp would conflict with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance that says "clearing encampments can cause people to disperse throughout the community and break connections with service providers. This increases the potential for infectious disease spread."

U.S. copes with COVID-19 pandemic

A man barbaques in a tent camp that has been set up for the homeless in downtown St. Louis on April 30. The tent camp has been in place for several weeks prompting St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson to order the homeless be moved on May 1, due to unhealthy conditions and the danger of coronavirus spreading among the 50-plus tent sites. Photo by Bill Greenblatt/UPI | License Photo

The suit also called for a temporary restraining order, arguing that eviction from encampment under threat of arrest violated the Eighth Amendment's prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment.

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Frank said in the lawsuit that she has been seeking a home in St. Louis since November without success.

She added that three week ago she signed up for a bed in a hotel, but hasn't gotten one yet.

"For weeks, the City of St. Louis has stated that they have enough shelter for the people who want it. This is patently false," ArchCity Defenders attorney John Bonacorsi said in a statement. "As unhoused individuals, outreach workers and service providers know firsthand, there is a severe shortage of adequate shelter space for our local unhoused community, which means that there are hundreds of people who are forced to risk punishment and sleep outside."

RELATED 2019 saw record number of internally displaced persons, report shows

City officials said they arranged space in hotels for everyone residing in the encampments. They also denied that they were planning criminal charges or arrests and said the homeless residents have been offered testing for the virus.

U.S. District Judge Sarah Pitlyk denied plaintiff's request for a temporary restraining order in her ruling.

"The court cannot say that a temporary restraining order prohibiting the city from taking the steps it reasonably deems necessary to slow the spread of COVID-19 serves the public interest," Pitlyk said.

RELATED Homeless shelters are 'tinderboxes' for coronavirus, studies show

Pitlyk set a preliminary injunction hearing for May 12.

TODAY IN HISTORY  MAY 4
In 1494, on his second expedition to the New World, Columbus discovered (RAN INTO) Jamaica.
In 1904, construction began on the Panama Canal.
In 1942, the Battle of the Coral Sea began. It was a turning point for the Allies in World War II.
In 1945, French author Marcel Conversy wrote of the 15 months he spent as a prisoner at Buchenwald concentration camp, describing it as a "living hell."
In 1953, The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for fiction.
In 1980, President Joseph Broz Tito of Yugoslavia died at age 87.
In 1982, an Argentine jet fighter sank the British destroyer HMS Sheffield during the Falkland Islands war.
In 1990, a faulty electric chair shot flames around convicted killer Jesse Tafero's head as he was executed in Florida, prompting several states to abandon the method of execution and switch to lethal injection.
In 2000, the "I Love You" virus crashed computers around the world. 
<3 br="" u="">In 2002, more than 100 people died when an EAS Airlines jet crashed in the northern Nigerian city of Kano.
<3 br="" u="">In 2006, confessed terrorist Zacarias Moussaoui was sentenced to life in prison without parole. The 37-year-old Moroccan implicated himself in the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States.
In 2009, fighting between feuding families broke out at a wedding in southeast Turkey, with combatants using guns and grenades, leading to the deaths of 44 people, including the bride and groom.
In 2011, rival Palestinian political factions Hamas and Fatah signed a reconciliation accord, citing as common causes opposition to the Israeli occupation and disillusionment with U.S. peace efforts.
In 2014, Juan Carlos Varela was elected president of Panama.
In 2019, first-case Maximum Security was disqualified at the Kentucky Derby for interference. It was the first disqualification in the race's storied history. Country House was ultimately declared the winner.

TODAY IN HISTORY MAY 4
In 1959, the first Grammy Awards were presented. "Nel Blu Dipinto di Blu (Volare)" by Domenico Modugno won the awards for Record and Song of the Year.

VOLARE WAS A POPULAR HIT THROUGH OUT THE SIXTIES, I KNOW I LIKED IT
AND IT WAS ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF WORLD MUSIC MAKING IT ONTO AM RADIO
VOLARE AND THE GIRL FROM IPANEMA WERE FAVES.

Domenico Modugno sings Nel blu dipinto di blu also known as Volare on Ed Sullivan's show in 1958. Music by Domenico Modugno, lyrics by Domenico Modugno and Franco Migliacci.

MAY 4 TODAY IN HISTORY UK GENERAL STRIKE
In 1926, the Trade Union Congress called a general strike in response to government plans to change the working conditions for coal miners. More than 2 million workers across Britain went on strike.

1926: The social general strike - why 1926 failed - Tom Brown
https://libcom.org › library › social-general-strike-1926-failed-brown
Nov 30, 2005 - Why did the British General Strike of 1926 fail? Not because the workers failed to strike. The number of blacklegs was insignificant. The attempt ...


The 1926 General Strike and the Defeat of the Miners ...
https://spartacus-educational.com › Trade Unions › Classroom Activities
The General Strike began on 3rd May, 1926. Arthur Pugh, the chairman of the Trade Union Congress, was put in charge of the strike. The TUC adopted the ...

Britain 1926 General Strike: On the Verge of Revolution
https://www.marxist.com › britain-1926-general-strike-revolution
May 4, 2006 - 75 years ago an earthquake shook the very foundations of British capitalism. In the greatest display of militant power in its history the British ...

General Strike of 1926 | General strikes - WCML
https://www.wcml.org.uk › protest-politics-and-campaigning-for-change
Apr 9, 2020 - Negotiations between the miners and mine-owners failed and with 800,000 coal miners locked out, the General Strike began on 3 May 1926. The ...

May 4 (UPI) -- On this date in history: HAYMARKET RIOT AND BOMBING 
In 1886, four police officers were killed when a bomb was thrown during a meeting of anarchists in Chicago's Haymarket Square protesting labor unrest. Four leaders of the demonstration, which became known as the Haymarket Square Riot, were convicted and hanged.
https://plawiuk.blogspot.com/search?q=HAYMARKET

On This Day: Kent State shootings leave 4 students dead
On May 4, 1970, National Guardsmen killed four students at Kent State University in Ohio during a demonstration against the Vietnam War. The shootings set off a nationwide student strike that forced hundreds of schools to temporarily close.

I REMEMBER THIS AS A RADICALIZING MOMENT ACROSS NORTH AMERICA
I WENT TO MY FIRST DEMO AN ANTI WAR DEMO IN SOLIDARITY



Students dive to the ground as the National Guard fires on faculty and students May 4, 1970, to protest the war in Vietnam. File Photo courtesy of Kent State University Archives | License Photo 

In 1970, National Guardsmen killed four students at Kent State University in Ohio during a demonstration against the Vietnam War. The shootings set off a nationwide student strike that forced hundreds of schools to temporarily close.

Read More

UPI Archives: Students remember 1970 Kent State shooting

UPI Archives: Memorial dedicated at scene of Kent State

Intense actual footage from The Kent State protest as it decays into chaos and murder. Including the fall of Saigon video images and the final days of that US occupation. Set to CSNY "Ohio" and "Find The Cost of Freedom" non-commercial music versions. Powerful footage here.

Halley's Comet will spark Eta Aquarids meteor shower late Tonight Monday May 4

May 4 -- The second meteor shower in as many weeks will dazzle stargazers around the globe, but the light show late Monday will battle against the glow of a nearly full moon when it reaches its peak.

The Eta Aquarids is an annual meteor shower in early May, and this year reaches its climax on Monday night and the predawn hours Tuesday.

"This shower happens to be one of if not the best in the Southern Hemisphere," AccuWeather astronomy blogger Dave Samuhel said. "It is a moderate shower for the Northern Hemisphere."

People living south of the equator may count as many as 40 shooting stars per hour at the height of the celestial light show, the American Meteor Society said. This includes Australia, New Zealand, Africa and South America.

"From the equator northward, they usually only produce medium rates of 10-30 per hour just before dawn," the AMS added.

This year, the meteor shower will be peaking just two nights before the final supermoon of 2020. The bright moon may make it difficult to see some of the fainter meteors, but it should not completely wash out the shower.

A view of a shooting star during the Perseid meteor shower.

 Photo by AccuWeather astronomy blogger Dave Samuhel

Of course, weather and cloud cover will significantly factor into how well sky gazers in different parts of the country are able to witness the meteor shower.

Onlookers across the southern United States and the interior West are forecast to have the best viewing contains for 2020's iteration of the Eta Aquarids. Mainly clear conditions are also on tap for parts of New England and into Quebec.

A storm gathering over the central United States will spread disruptive clouds over much of the Midwest and into parts of Appalachia, obscuring the night sky.

Clouds could also spoil the meteor shower over the Pacific Northwest as a storm moves into the region.


The Eta Aquarids will be active on the nights leading up to and immediately following the peak, so people that have cloudy weather on Monday night may be able to spot some shooting stars later in the week when the clouds clear.

No special equipment is needed to watch a meteor shower, although people should pack some patience when heading out to spend some time under the stars.

"Give yourself a solid hour to look for meteors. Get comfortable. Lay down on a blanket, or a reclining chair," Samuhel said.

People should also avoid looking toward the moon, which will be above the horizon for most of the night. Looking at the moon can make it harder to see meteors, so try to focus in the darkest part of the sky.


The best time to watch the meteor shower will be after midnight once the shower's radiant point climbs above the horizon.

The radiant point is simply the part of the sky where the meteors originate, but you do not need to look in this direction so spot meteors. However, as the radiant point climbs higher in the sky, more and more meteors will able to be seen.

Many of the meteor showers throughout the year are caused by debris left behind by comets when they visit the inner solar system. When this debris enters the Earth's atmosphere, it burns incredibly bright for a few brief seconds.

"The majority of visible meteors are caused by particles ranging in size from about that of a small pebble down to a grain of sand, and generally weigh less than 1-2 grams," the AMS said.

The debris that causes the Eta Aquarids is actually dust left behind by one of the most famous comets -- Halley's Comet.

Halley's Comet only orbits the sun once every 75 years, but each year in early May, the Earth passes through some of the debris that it left behind.

"The Eta Aquarids are one of two meteor showers sparked by Halley's comet. The other being the Orionids in October. "


People who miss out on the Eta Aquarids will need to wait a few months before the next opportunity to catch a meteor shower.

According to the AMS, the next major meteor shower will not peak until late July

SENIOR YOGI
After 150 years, rare brown bear captured on video in Spain

A rare brown bear was captured on video by filmmakers in northwestern Spain, after the species had not been seen in the area for about 150 years. File photo courtesy of the Ministry for Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge, Spain

May 4 (UPI) -- A film crew in Spain announced Monday the release of video of a rare brown bear filmed in a national park -- the first time the species has been seen in the area for more than a century, wildlife officials said.

"The bear, a male aged between 3 and 5, is the first to be filmed in the area and probably the first to have crossed through the region in the past 150 years," Zeitun Films said in a statement.

The bear was filmed by remote cameras during the day and captured by infrared camera at night, eating grubs under a rock in the park, wandering in the rain and scratching its back on a tree.

The bear was spotted in the Invernadeiro national park in northwest Spain in Galicia's Ourense province, where the crew was shooting a film called Montaña ou Morte (Mountain or Death). The bear will make a cameo appearance in the film, the company said.

RELATED Escaped bear captured after 10 months on the loose in Italy

Cantabrian brown bears, native to Europe, have been a protected species in Spain since the 1970s. There might be around 350 brown bears in all of Spain, with about 30 bears living in the Pyrenees mountains of Spain and France, according to the European Wilderness Society.

Filmmakers credited luck and the involvement of two wildlife agents for the chance to capture images of the bear, which likely spent the winter in the national park.

"Years of conservation work in the Invernadeiro national park have allowed it to become a suitable habitat for the brown bear," the film crew said in a statement.

Last year a brown bear was sighted in Portugal, thought to have wandered across the border from northern Spain, the Portuguese Institute for Conservation of Nature and Forests said. The bears had been extinct in Portugal since the end of the 19th Century.

Last Supermoon of 2020 will be this week

A May supermoon occurs this week when the moon's elliptical orbit is closest to the earth, making the moon appear larger and closer. File photo courtesy of the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration

May 4 (UPI) -- The last supermoon of 2020, May's so-called "Flower Moon," will be visible in the night skies this week, and its brightness will likely obscure the yearly Eta Aquarids meteor showers, according to NASA.

The Flower Moon, named after blooming May flowers, reaches its closest point to Earth's orbit at 6:45 a.m. EDT Thursday, but will be best viewed Wednesday evening when it rises at 7:10 p.m. EDT, according to the National Weather Service.

The moon's elliptical orbit is closest to Earth when it reaches perigee, 221,500 miles away. When perigee happens during a full moon phase, a supermoon occurs, called by astrologists "perigee-syzygy," according to the Old Farmer's Almanac.

The supermoon's proximity to the Earth makes it appear 30 percent brighter and about 15 percent larger than a normal full moon.

RELATED Halley's Comet will spark Eta Aquarids meteor shower late Monday

The next supermoon won't take place until May, 2021, astronomers say.Several supermoons usually occur in consecutive months. This year the sky was lit up by March's "Worm Moon," April's "Pink Moon" and now the "Flower Moon," according to Native American names for full moons.

The overlapping Eta Aquarid meteor shower takes place every spring when the Earth passes through the debris trail from Halley's Comet, according to NASA. About 40-60 meteors per hour are visible on a good year.

But full moons usually wash out the view when the two celestial events happen simultaneously.

The Farmer's Almanac also lists other Native American and colonial traditional names for May's full moon, including the Corn Planting Moon, Mother's Moon, Frog Moon and Milk Moon. https://www.almanac.com/content/full-moon-names

Coronavirus sweeping through massive US prison population

AFP/File / KAMIL KRZACZYNSKI"Help we matter 2" written in a window at the Chicago Cook County Department of Corrections, housing one of largest US jails, amid a coronavirus outbreak among inmates and staff

A massive wave of coronavirus infections is blasting through the world's largest prison population in the United States even as officials begin opening up their economies, saying the disease has plateaued.

One prison in Marion, Ohio has become the most intensely infected institution across the country, with more than 80 percent of its nearly 2,500 inmates, and 175 staff on top of that, testing positive for COVID-19.

Coronavirus deaths are on the increase in jails and penitentiaries across the country, with officials having few options -- they are unable to force adequate distancing in crowded cells and facing shortages of medical personnel and personal protective gear everywhere.

The threat to the 2.3 million-strong US prison population was seen last week in the death of Andrea Circle Bear, a 30-year-old native American woman from South Dakota.

Pregnant when she was placed in a Texas federal prison in March on drug charges, she soon became sick with the disease and was placed on a ventilator, and gave birth by C-section.

She remained on the ventilator and died weeks later.

- 'Time bomb' -

AFP/File / KAMIL KRZACZYNSKIProtesters outside of Chicago City Hall calling for the release of prisoners from jails due to coronavirus

Riots over inadequate protection and slow responses by prison authorities have already taken place in prisons in Washington state and Kansas.

COVID-19 outbreaks among prison officers meanwhile have made the institutions even harder to manage.

At the understaffed, undersupplied Lansing Correctional Facility in Kansas on Thursday, 15-year prison guard David Carter resigned, saying it was better to go without pay than risk his health and that of his family.

"I can no longer be associated with a facility that is a ticking time bomb," he said in a resignation letter.

- Low priority -

The Marion prison outbreak is believed only the tip of the iceberg.

GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP/File / Sandy Huffaker

Because of the hodge-podge of prison management -- federal, state, and local authorities have their own, and many are run by for-profit private companies -- testing and reporting has been haphazard.

Covid Prison Data, a group of university criminal justice and data experts, says that based on public reports, 13,436 inmates and 5,312 corrections staff nationwide have tested positive for coronavirus.

But many states, and the federal penitentiary system, have done only a small amount of testing. Five of the 50 states don't even report data.

Prisons occupied eight spaces on The New York Times' compilation of the top 10 infected institutions, with the Marion Correctional Institution at the top.

The reasons are clear: prison populations are more dense and harder to separate than nursing homes and cruise ships, two institutions hit hardest by the disease.

Thay also operate at lower levels of hygiene, and a large number of inmates have preexisting conditions.

And, until now, they have been low priority for officials battling the pandemic.

- 'No option to close prisons' -

AFP / ROBYN BECKThe watchtower of Terminal Island federal prison near Los Angeles, where some 60 percent of the inmate population has tested positive for COVID-19

Numbers released this past week show the depth of the problem.

The federal Bureau of Prisons, which has 152,000 inmates and 36,000 staff, found outbreaks in more than half of its 122 facilities.

Less than 3,000 tests have been administered, however, with 1,842 prisoners and 343 staff testing positive, and 36 inmate deaths.

On Thursday alone the bureau reported three deaths at the low security Terminal Island prison near Los Angeles, where some 60 percent of the roughly 1,050 inmate population has registered positive.

Bureau of Prisons Director Michael Carvajal complained of a shortage of testing supplies, and said that quarantining remains difficult.

"We don't have the option to close our doors, or pick who or when someone is sent to our custody," he said on Wednesday.

- 'It's hell' -

The situation is even less clear in state prisons, which have the bulk of the country's inmate population.

Some states like Ohio are now moving quickly with testing and are releasing data. Others are doing little.

One indicator of the potential extent: CoreCivic, a private company which operates dozens of prisons nationwide, tested all the 2,725 inmates and staff at its Trousdale Turner facility in Tennessee, and found 1,299 inmates and 50 staff positive, nearly all without symptoms.

Prison advocacy groups say that little has been done at the state and federal level to release prisoners who are non-violent or whose terms were near completion, which could lessen their danger of infection and create more space in the facilities.

Out of more than 10,000 in Kansas prisons, "Only six inmates have been released. Six," said public defender Heather Cessna.

Brian Miller, an officer at the Marion prison, warned this week that the situation would only worsen.

Miller -- struggling to speak as he recovers from his own coronavirus bout -- told a conference call that, with so many out sick, they do not have enough staff to clean the facility and manage the inmates.

The prisons are only offering hazard pay of an extra $1.85 an hours -- "less than Starbucks," he noted.

"Things are beyond breaking point at this facility," he said. "Right now it's hell."