Pride Month: A Sad look at New restrictions on LGBTQ+ people in the U.S.

June is LGBTQ Pride month, but you'd never know it in the Republican States. Instead of being welcoming and ensuring everyone is treated equally (which includes health care), the Red States have issued all kinds of bans. Since when does removing rights and opening people up to harm make these states a good place to live?  These politicians seem to be heartless and cruel monsters.  Here's a rundown from the Associated Press about all of their awful laws: 

(photo: Annapolis, Maryland Pride parade of June 2019. Credit: R.G.)

A look at restrictions on LGBTQ+ people in the US, and the pushback

Associated Press June 7, 2023

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — A Florida law banning transgender youth from getting medical treatment is temporarily on hold after a surprise decision Tuesday by a federal judge.

The ruling comes amid a bevy of legislation sweeping state houses this year restricting gender-affirming care for transgender minors.

Meanwhile LGBTQ+ communities and their allies are organizing Pride events and calling for pushback against what they say are discriminatory laws.

Here’s a look at the latest developments:

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WHAT’S HAPPENING IN FLORIDA?

A federal judge on Tuesday temporarily blocked portions of a new Florida law that bans transgender minors from receiving puberty blockers.

“Gender identity is real,” Judge Robert Hinkle said, ruling that the state has no rational basis for denying patients treatment.

Hinkle issued a preliminary injunction saying three transgender children can continue receiving treatment. The lawsuit brought by the three children’s parents challenges the law Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis signed shortly before he announced a run for president.

The judge’s decision focuses on the use of GnRH agonists, known as puberty blockers, and cross-sex hormones. The litigation focuses on language involving minors and doesn’t address other wording that makes it difficult to nearly impossible for adults to receive or continue gender-affirming care.

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LOUISIANA’S RESTRICTIONS

A bill banning gender-affirming medical care for transgender youths in Louisiana has passed in the Senate and is heading to the governor’s desk. The measure would prohibit hormone treatments, gender-affirming surgery and puberty-blocking drugs for minors.

The House, which has already passed it, is expected to approve some amendments before the bill goes before Gov. John Bel Edwards, a Democrat who opposes it. Edwards has not said whether he would veto the legislation. If he does, lawmakers could convene a veto session to try to override his decision.

Last session, the governor chose not to block a law banning transgender athletes from participating in women and girls sports competitions in Louisiana, although he successfully vetoed a similar measure the year before.

Louisiana legislators are also expected to give final passage to two other anti-LGTBQ+ measures — a “Don’t Say Gay” bill and one restricting pronoun usage.

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AN LGTBQ+ ‘EMERGENCY’

The Human Rights Campaign has declared a “ state of emergency ” for LGBTQ+ people in the U.S., calling on people in government and the business community to fight for equal rights. “We need champions right now,” HRC President Kelley Robinson said.

The campaign released a guidebook for LGBTQ+ Americans to help them navigate laws it deems discriminatory in certain states. It includes a “know your rights” information section and resources to help people relocate to states with stronger LGBTQ+ protections.

The nation’s largest organization devoted to LGBTQ+ rights said travel advisories aren’t enough to help people already living in states where lawmakers have targeted LGBTQ+ people.

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(photo: Annapolis, Maryland Pride parade of June 2019. Credit: R.G.)

FLAG FLAP IN MISSISSIPPI

Some residents are protesting after the Veterans Administration flew an LGBTQ+ pride flag at Mississippi’s Biloxi National Cemetery.

All the Republicans in the state’s congressional delegation have signed a letter demanding the VA remove the flag. The delegation’s only Democrat, Rep. Bennie Thompson, did not sign it.

The rainbow flag was added to a lineup of several U.S. flags last week to mark June as Pride Month.

Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough McDonough has authorized flying the pride flag at all VA facilities throughout June, as he has done in previous years. The VA said in a statement that it’s flying the flag to show its commitment “to inclusion and as a tribute to the service and sacrifice of LGBTQ+ Veterans, their families, caregivers, and survivors.”

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(photo: Annapolis, Maryland Pride parade of June 2019. Credit: R.G.)

WHERE TRANSGENDER BANS STAND NATIONALLY

Hundreds of bills have been proposed restricting the rights of transgender people, and LGBTQ+ advocates say they’ve seen a record number of such measures in statehouses.

In addition to Florida, at least 18 states have enacted laws restricting or banning gender-affirming medical care for transgender minors: Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, South Dakota and West Virginia.

Federal judges have blocked enforcement of laws in Alabama and Arkansas, and Oklahoma has agreed to not enforce its ban while opponents seek a temporary court order blocking it.

Every major doctors’ group, including the American Medical Association, has opposed the bans and supported the care for youth when administered appropriately. Lawsuits have been filed in several states where bans have been enacted this year.

Purple LED streetlights- Not a dumb Conspiracy Theory

 I have seen several purple lights on streets and highways and wondered if there was significance. There isn't.  The bulb is wearing Out and it's not a government takeover like idiot Conspiracy theorists have been spreading.  Today's blog explains what's happening to the lights and tells you about the paranoid Conspiracy theory (those people need serious medication).

The Dumb Conspiracy Theory: Faulty LED street lights have become so pervasive nationwide that they’ve even fueled conspiracy theories online that they’re part of a series of nefarious government plots.

What Causes the Purple: According to the Massachusetts Dept of Transportation or MassDOT, the defective lights came from an Atlanta-based company called Acuity Brands, whose street lights have been linked to “purpling” incidents in other cities across the country.

The issue, the company said, is the result of a defective phosphor coating in the street light fixtures, which was designed to make the bluish color of the LEDs appear white. Over time, the coating wore off, causing the lights to shine purple instead.

Full article at Boston dot com

https://www.boston.com/news/the-boston-globe/2023/06/02/why-street-lights-purple/

Idiot of the Week: Another White guy with a gun, shoots Kids Playing Hide and Seek

 This week's Idiot is another white, straight, conservative, and so-called religious man in Louisiana with a GUN, who shot at Children playing hide and seek. 

(Photo of David Doyle in jail with the county disclaimer. Credit: Calcasieu Parish Correctional Center)

LOUISIANA MAN IS ACCUSED OF SHOOTING A GIRL PLAYING HIDE AND SEEK ON HIS PROPERTY  

(Another uneducated, white, male, fat, straight idiot with a gun)

STARKS, La. (AP) — A Louisiana man faces aggravated assault and battery charges after firing a gun at children who were playing hide and seek outside his home, wounding a 14-year-old girl, according to the local sheriff’s office.

The girl suffered a gunshot wound to the back of the head early Sunday, and was taken to a hospital with injuries that were not considered life-threatening, the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office said in a statement posted on social media Monday.

David Doyle, 58, remained in the Calcasieu Parish Correctional Center on Tuesday morning. Jail records show Doyle’s bond was set at $300,000 and that he has been assigned a public defender, according to a jail staffer.

Neither an attorney at the public defender’s office in Calcasieu Parish, nor the local district attorney immediately returned phone calls seeking more information.

Investigators learned that several children were playing hide and seek in the Starks community and were hiding on the neighbor’s property.

Heroes of the Week: Rescue Team Saves 9 Dolphins Near Massachusetts Coast

It takes a special kind of rescuer to help 1 dolphin let alone 9, and a team of rescuers helped 9 dolphins back into the deep ocean when they neared too close to the Massachusetts coast. Today's blog is about those heroes. 

PHOTO:   The International Fund for Animal Welfare's Cape Cod rescue team saved trapped dolphins. Credit: IFAW

9 dolphins saved off Massachusetts coast after swimming close to shore

By Nadine El-Bawab , May 4, 2023, 1:45 PM ABC News

At least nine dolphins were rescued and returned to the ocean after they were found swimming in shallow waters off the coast of Massachusetts this week, according to the International Fund for Animal Welfare.

Shortly after the rescue team's arrival, one dolphin swam off, while the remaining eight needed to be rescued from the shallow shores.

After receiving a health assessment and treatment, the mammals were released into deeper waters. Of the eight stranded dolphins, two were likely adults and the rest were likely sub-adults -- one a female and the rest were male.

Due to high winds, the dolphins were released at Duck Harbor in Wellfleet, Massachusetts -- the only area with safe conditions, according to the IFAW.

One of the eight dolphins rescued then returned to shore once again on Tuesday in Provincetown. The animal was assessed, treated and affixed with a temporary satellite tag. Rescue teams used kayaks to herd the animal before transporting it to deep waters. Wednesday transmissions from the satellite tag showed it swimming well north of Cape Cod.

Two other dolphins were then spotted in shallow waters Wednesday -- one in Barnstable Harbor and a second in Wellfleet, according to the IFAW. The two dolphins were taken together in a rescue vehicle to Herring Cove Beach in Provincetown. The IFAW said it affixed temporary satellite tags to three dolphins that appear to be swimming off-shore. 

A second dolphin also stranded on Tuesday and was reported swimming in Barnstable Harbor, between the boat slips. Rescuers used kayaks and vessel support from Milway Marina to herd the dolphin into an area where they could assess and treat it. The dolphin was affixed with a temporary satellite tag on its dorsal fin.

A third sub-adult female dolphin -- presumed to be the dolphin that swam away Monday -- without a tag was reported swimming close to shore near Wellfleet Pier, Massachusetts. Rescue teams used kayaks to herd the animal closer to shore so staff could remove it from the water for assessment and treatment before transporting it to a release site.

Georgia officials ask people to wear clothes in digital driver’s license photos

Some people in Georgia are apparently taking at home driver’s license photos in little clothing... that would.make for an interesting traffic stop!

(If the guys all looked like this in their license selfie, I would be all for it).

Please wear clothes in your digital driver’s license photo, Georgia officials urge

By Zoe Sottile, CNN

Published 2:28 PM EDT, Sat May 27, 2023

The Georgia Department of Drivers' Services is asking drivers to keep their clothes on for their digital driver's licenses and IDs.

Your driver’s license is not the right place for a spicy selfie, according to Georgia officials.

The Georgia Department of Drivers’ Services took to Facebook Tuesday to remind drivers to keep their clothes on while taking photos for a digital driver’s license or ID.

“Please take pictures with your clothes on when submitting them for your Digital Driver’s License and IDs,” wrote the department.

“Cheers to technology and keeping things classy,” they added.

Georgia residents can use a digital driver’s license or ID in their Apple Wallet on an iPhone or Apple Watch, according to the department’s website. The digital IDs can “speed up the process at select TSA checkpoints.” The digital document does not serve as a replacement for a physical ID, the website advised

Several people responded to the Facebook post, asking if it was a joke or if it was really happening. The department responded with memes suggesting it was a real issue.

The department did not immediately respond to a request for comment from CNN

Librarians under attack amid record number of national complaints and challenges

 Books are published to educate the public, and promote understanding. Conservatives across the U.S. are encouraging their followers to get books banned on LGBTQ topics meant to educate. Some conservative people are also threatening physical harm to librarians. Today's blog is about that- and is an article from the Boston Globe.

MY TAKE:  If a parent doesn't want a child to have a book, they should simply not let the child check it out of a  library.  They should not propose banning a book because it goes against their religion or belief. If that was the case, every book would be banned for one reason or another.  We learn from books. We progress from learning. To ban a book is to go backward and to incite intolerance.   Here's the article:

Mass. librarians under attack amid record number of national complaints and challenges 

“It's this national agenda that is now coming into Massachusetts and has been for the past year and a half or so."  

By Melissa Ellin May 23, 2023, Boston.com

Jocelyn Tavares, the director of Dighton Public Library, says “it’s been stressful” to be a librarian as of late. Her library recently came under attack for its recommended reading choices, which she says have bled into local politics.

What started as a conversation in December about a book’s suitability for a young audience spiraled into a drawn-out feud over whether to use the town’s Community Preservation Act funds to restore the historic Smith Memorial Hall for library use. Meetings are upcoming for people to weigh in on the building’s future, but some funding has already been granted and construction is well underway.

Still, Tavares said she feels like the frustrations from some members of the community about book offerings are now “latched” to this issue of finding a suitable library space.

“You never want to harm your coworkers or your community,” she said, adding that, “that’s not why we get into being a librarian.”

She got into library work because she “thought it was the best way to help people,” Tavares said. In her role, she helps people find the information they seek, gives direction, assists with technology, and provides a social hub to others.

A national problem

But the job has become more difficult – for librarians everywhere. The number of book challenges – or attempts to remove or restrict library materials – for libraries in Massachusetts quadrupled between 2021 and 2022, according to data from the American Libraries Association. This comes from self-reported data at school and public libraries.

In 2021, there were 10 challenges reported to ALA by member libraries in Massachusetts, and in 2022, there were 45 challenges on more than 30 books in the commonwealth, according to the ALA. The books that were challenged largely dealt with LGBT issues and BIPOC or other minority groups.

The ALA added that most libraries do not report, so there were likely even more challenges last year.

Celeste Bruno, a spokesperson for the Massachusetts Library Association, said the local increase in challenges reflect attitudes nationwide. Across the country there were 1,858 unique challenges to books in 2021, and 2,571 in 2022, according to the ALA.

Some of the most challenged books nationwide last year were “Gender Queer: A Memoir,” “All Boys Aren’t Blue: A Memoir-Manifesto,” and “The Bluest Eye,” the ALA says. All of these books were also challenged in Massachusetts.

(My insert: WHO IS THE RIGHT-WING GROUP IN MASS. BEHIND THIS (Nazi-style Book banning)?)   Unlike in previous years, Bruno said she has seen efforts from organized groups, including Massachusetts Informed Parents, to challenge books at libraries.

In a May Newsletter, the group urged parents to find out if “Let’s Talk About It: The Teen’s Guide to Sex, Relationships, and Being a Human” was in their child’s school library, and if so to make noise about it. They also provide a “Parental Advisory Book List.”

“Many MA school districts are adding books containing pornographic descriptions of sex acts, violence, drugs, drinking, transgenderism, and more to school library collections,” the group claims on its website.

“It’s this national agenda that is now coming into Massachusetts, and has been for the past year and a half or so,” Bruno said. ‘Where does the end come?’ At this point, Tavares said she can’t help but feel like everyone is just “waiting for their turn to be challenged.”

“We know that there are people in our communities that need the material that others don’t find suitable, and, I mean, once we draw that line of what’s suitable for one person … where does the end come?” she said.

Tavares said her library’s complaints never turned into formal challenges and were not included in the 45 reported by the ALA. However, even informal complaints require serious attention.

Clayton Cheever, director of Morril Memorial Library in Norwood, said librarians are well trained to both select books for library circulation, and handle complaints or challenges.

“We have to make sure that we’re being very deliberate in following our practices and finding materials that are authoritative,” he said, adding that libraries should avoid “practicing some kind of self-censorship because we’re afraid of what somebody’s going to think.”

Massachusetts libraries are required by state law to have collection policy guidelines, according to the Massachusetts Libraries Board of Library Commissioners.

Parental rights Bruno said many of the challenges and complaints libraries are facing — as with Dighton — revolve around parental rights.

“There’s a concern that the ‘wrong books’ are going to end up in the hands of children,” she said, adding that librarians are trained for their roles and go through a careful selection process when introducing new literature to their libraries.

Cheever said it’s important to remember that librarians make themselves “experts” in the materials they offer, and they provide content they think is appropriate for consumption.

Jennifer Varney, president of the Massachusetts School Library Association, said the issue of parental control of reading materials is playing out at school libraries in particular. She said “things really kind of blew up” last year.

Given the subjective nature of many of the complaints, Varney said books may be reclassified for an older age group, but are rarely taken out of circulation.

“It’s not that we don’t want to respect parents’ wishes for their own children,” she said. “It’s just that we don’t think parents should be making those decisions for other people’s children.”

She said there are avenues parents can take — including restricting their students from viewing certain or all library materials — before issuing a challenge that will affect the entire library. Parents can also request to see the materials their child is getting from the library.

“We’re not hiding things from parents. We just want to make sure all of our students are seen in our collections,” she said, adding that the goal is not to remove materials from the collection that were specifically chosen and that may represent a student’s identity. “These are not off-the-cuff purchases.”

Under attack

Merril Memorial Library in Norwood in December 2016. – George Rizer/The Boston Globe Despite this, Varney said some librarians — in schools or otherwise — have been attacked “viciously.” She said aggressive behavior toward librarians could result in a “silencing effect,” where a librarian might stop themselves from ordering a book out of fear of backlash.

Schools, she added, have less security than public libraries because they have different oversight. At a school, depending on how it operates, an administrator might be able to control the books in circulation. She said each school functions differently.

The books being challenged and the conversations happening, though, are similar throughout the libraries. Cheever, also a member of the a member of the State Library Association’s Intellectual Freedom and Social Responsibility Committee, said rather than doing away with books that incorporate marginalized communities, including LGBT individuals, libraries need to be doing more to include these groups.

“We’re always working and helping people respond to those challenges,” he said. “But also, how do we make sure that we are not in any way doing something that takes away agency or that disempowers members of the communities?”

In addition to books, programs are also being brought into question. At Norwood, Cheever said there have been public protests about LGBT programming. He cited a 2021 drag queen story hour for kids, to which some community members voiced opposition.

‘Outpouring of support’

A number of community members counter protested, Cheever said, resulting in an annual pride picnic.

“We have seen such a great outpouring of support,” he said.

Tavares said in Dighton she’s seeing similar behavior, with some people becoming more active in their support of the library.

After all that’s happened, she said her skin is thicker. The events have also caused Tavares to make people more aware of library workers and what they do.

For National Library Week, which was April 23 through April 29 this year, Tavares said Dighton library put in extra effort to inform the community about all that they do. They made social media posts for each day.

Bruno said the local community can make “such a huge difference.”

“It’s important for people to know what’s happening and it’s happening in their community, and that libraries need their support,” she said.

What is a "Pneumonia Front" in Weather?

My friend and meteorologist colleague, Dr. Marshall Shepherd recently published an article in FORBES that explains just what is meant by a "Pneumonia Front." Up until now, I've not actually heard of it, and you may not have either... it's about quick drops in temperature. Here's the story. 

(Image: When a cold front moves quickly southward and is enhanced by chilly water temperatures of Lake Michigan, temperatures can rapidly drop near the shoreline.  Credit: National Weather Service))

 

Is Pneumonia Front The New ‘It’ Weather Term? 

Marshall Shepherd, FORBES, May 18, 2023,02:50pm EDT

  I want to preface this discussion with a few points. I have three degrees in meteorology and was the 2013 President of the American Meteorological Society (AMS). I am the director of an atmospheric sciences program at a major university. Yet, before this week, I never heard of the term “pneumonia front.” If the term was unfamiliar to me, there is a good chance it is unfamiliar to you too. Let’s explore whether it is the new “it” term in weather jargon or has more of a legacy than you may think.

I felt compelled to write this short piece because there is already a perception that our weather profession is making up new terms. In March of this year, Grace Toohey tackled the topic for the Los Angeles Times. In her piece, many of us pointed out that terms like Polar Vortex, bomb cyclone, derecho, and atmospheric rivers have been around the field of meteorology for decades. However, social and broader media outlets are using such terms more frequently.

A pneumonia front is a more recently-described phenomenon, but it still dates back further than the media fascination this week. Corey Behnke’s Master’s Thesis (2005) was entitled, “Synoptic and Local Controls of the Lake Michigan Pneumonia Front.” That study was conducted at the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee. 

(Image: Satellite-indicated stratus clouds associated with a pneumonia front on May 27th, 2008. CIMSS AND SCOTT BACHMEIER) 

In a synopsis of the work found on the University’s website, Behnke notes that pneumonia fronts are defined as, “lake modified synoptic scale cold fronts that result in one-hour temperature drops of 16 degrees F or greater.” 

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SATELLITE ANIMATION VIDEO: The inconvenient convergence of 3 cooling mechanisms across southern Wisconsin: a dense pall of smoke from Canadian wildfires, a southward moving cold front & the inland surge of a lake breeze (aka Pneumonia Front) from Lake Michigan:  https://twitter.com/CIMSS_Satellite/status/1658586614698745856?s=20

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Earlier this week, the National Weather Service - Milwaukee office tweeted the following message about the attention grabbing event:

They offered a more public-facing definition of a “pneumonia front” - a cold front accelerating down Lake Michigan that rapidly drops temperatures as it moves inland. The data below illustrates just how dramatic these events can be. There was a 20 degree temperature drop in 20 minutes. Where I am from, that is an abrupt temperature drop. From poking around, it seems that this is the time of year that such relatively rare event happen.

Scott Bachmeier has an outstanding discussion of these events in a 2008 CIMSS Satellite Blog. He wrote, “Examining surface temperature data from Milwaukee and Madison in Wisconsin, Behnke (2005) documented 25 cases of pneumonia fronts during the period 1948-2003....reduced roughness over the north-south oriented Lake Michigan allowed for stronger impact of the pneumonia fronts over the southern portions of the lake and shoreline, and colder lake temperatures in the north helped to increase the nearshore temperature gradient and frontal propagation.” 

Here’s the bottom line. The term may be new to you and me, but it has been in the meteorological literature for almost two decades.

Note: An embedded hyperlink function was disabled but the link to theMaster’s Thesis work by Corey Behnke can be accessed below:

****************************** Dr. J. Marshall Shepherd, a leading international expert in weather and climate, was the 2013 President of American Meteorological Society (AMS) and is Director of the University of Georgia’s (UGA) Atmospheric Sciences Program.

Colorado DUI suspect tried to switch seats with his dog during traffic stop

 Today's Blog is about a guy who thought it would look to police like his dog was perfectly fine at driving his car when he was drunk. Here's the story.

(Photo: A dog driving a car. (Not the dog in the story. Credit: YouTube) 

Colorado DUI suspect tried to switch seats with his dog during traffic stop 

Natalie Neysa AlundUSA TODAY, May 15, 2023

In an effort to avoid arrest during a traffic stop over the weekend, a Colorado man behind the wheel swapped places with a dog in his passenger seat, police said. It did not work.

Police in Springfield, a town of about 1,300 people in the southeastern part of the state, said an officer pulled the man over for speeding Saturday night and watched him maneuvering inside the car before eventually getting out on the passenger side.

"The male party showed clear signs of intoxication," an officer with Springfield Police Department wrote in a Facebook post about the incident.

Police said the man claimed he was not driving, and when asked about his alcohol consumption, he ran.

The man made it 20 yards before he was taken into custody, according to police. Police said they also learned the man, a local resident, was driving from Las Animas to Pueblo and got lost in Springfield.

The driver was taken to a hospital to be checked out, then arrested on suspicion of charges including speeding, driving under the influence of alcohol as well as on additional warrants.

"The dog was given to an acquaintance of the driver to take care of while the party was in jail," police wrote in the post. "The dog does not face any charges and was let go with just a warning."

History: Building the Transcontinental Railroad: How 20,000 Chinese Immigrants Made It Happen

 I'm always surprised (sadly) how many people do not know history. If more people knew history we wouldn't repeat mistakes. In college I did a report about the construction of railroads. The history is eye-opening. Most people don't know that Chinese immigrants were hired to construct our rail system in the west. First, you need to know what the Transcontinental Railroad is: By connecting the existing eastern U.S. rail networks to the west coast, the Transcontinental Railroad (known originally as the "Pacific Railroad") became the first continuous railroad line across the United States. It was constructed between 1863 and 1869. Now, here's the story from National Geographic.

(Image: Building the Transcontinental Railroad, the moonshot of the 19th century - CBS News)

Building the Transcontinental Railroad: How 20,000 Chinese Immigrants Made It Happen

National Geographic, May 2023 

At first railroad companies were reluctant to hire Chinese workers, but the immigrants soon proved to be vital.They toiled through back-breaking labor during both frigid winters and blazing summers. Hundreds died from explosions, landslides, accidents and disease. And even though they made major contributions to the construction of the Transcontinental Railroad, these 15,000 to 20,000 Chinese immigrants have been largely ignored by history.

Hilton Obenzinger, associate director of the Chinese Railroad Workers in North America Project at Stanford University, says that Central Pacific Railroad director Charles Crocker recommended hiring Chinese workers after a job ad resulted in only a few hundred responses from white laborers.

Central Pacific Railroad was desperate, says Gordon Chang, Stanford professor of American history and author of the book, Ghosts of Gold Mountain. “White workers, whom the company wanted, did not sign on in numbers anything close to what was needed,” he says. “Crocker’s colleagues objected at first because of prejudice but then relented as they had few other options. The idea of hiring Chinese, it appears, might have been raised first by Crocker’s Chinese manservant.”

According to the Chinese Railroad Workers Project, Central Pacific started with a crew of 21 Chinese workers in January 1864. In 1865, that the majority of the railroad labor force were Chinese. More Chinese immigrants began arriving in California, and two years later, about 90 percent of the workers were Chinese.

“The Irish (who made up the majority of the Union Pacific workforce which was laying tracks westward from Omaha, Neb.) did not come out to California in large numbers until after the completion of the Transcontinental.”

Their job duties included everything from unskilled labor to blacksmithing, tunneling and carpentry, according to the Project, with most work done with hand tools.

Of course the large number of immigrants working for Central Pacific and their hard work didn’t mean they were well-treated or well-compensated for their efforts. According to the Project, Chinese workers hired in 1864 were paid $26 a month, working six days a week.

They eventually held an eight-day strike in June of 1867. 

 For the FULL ARTICLE: https://www.history.com/news/transcontinental-railroad-chinese-immigrants?cmpid=email-hist-inside-history-2023-0510-05102023&om_rid=&~campaign=hist-inside-history-2023-0510

Idiot of the Week: Robber Identified by his Neck Tattoo of his own name

 If you're going to do something criminal, it's probably not a good idea to tattoo your name on your neck. That's what this week's idiot did, and of course, he was caught. Here's the story.

 

Police arrest 'Most Wanted' fugitive after spotting tattoo of his own name on his neck

Francisco Mahon is facing charges in connection to a Jan. 2 robbery at 531 Columbia Road in Dorchester, Boston police said.

By Heather Alterisio, Boston.com, May 5, 2023

Boston police identified and arrested a suspect on the department’s Most Wanted List on Wednesday, thanks to a neck tattoo.

Francisco Mahon, 40, of Boston was taken into custody at 109 Main St. in Cambridge around 4:30 p.m. on an outstanding warrant out of Dorchester District Court for armed robbery, Boston police noted in a release.

Authorities said they were positive they had the right suspect due to a visible tattoo of his name “Francisco” on his neck.

Cambridge police assisted at the scene. Mahon is facing charges in connection to a Jan. 2 robbery at 531 Columbia Road in Dorchester, Boston police said.

The suspect is accused of holding a victim at knifepoint and attempting to physically assault him. The victim was not injured, but Mahon allegedly stole his wallet and gold jewelry before fleeing the scene. Police had searched the area at the time, but could not locate the perpetrator.

Hero of the week: Woman Catches 2yr old Boy Who Fell from Window

 Today's hero is a pregnant woman who caught a 2-year-old who fell out of a 2nd story window! Here's the story.

Pregnant Woman Catches 2-Year-Old Boy Who Fell from Second-Story Window While Walking Her Dog

By Abigail Adams People.com May 11, 2023 12:24 PM

A pregnant Iowa woman jumped into action earlier this week to help a toddler who fell from a second-story window.

Kyrie Jones, 35, was walking her dog outside her Des Moines home on Monday when she spotted a 2-year-old boy throwing items from a second-story window of a nearby residence, according to CBS affiliate KCCI and The Washington Post.

At one point, Jones said the boy began leaning over the edge of the window, the outlets reported. The pregnant woman tried to alert someone at the home on Merle Hay Road, but to no avail. Concerned, Jones called the police for help. When she returned, she realized he had fallen out the window and was hanging onto a ledge. Jones, who is 33 weeks pregnant, said she started screaming for help as the boy began to cry, according to The Washington Post.

"I stood right underneath him just in case," Jones told KCCI. "And I was screaming … The window was open, so I was hoping that someone might hear me."

However, there was no response. Then, the toddler lost his grip and plummeted toward the ground — but Jones grabbed him just before he hit the concrete.

Police arrived at the scene a short time later, per the outlets. The boy's mom eventually came outside, as well. Des Moines Police Department spokesperson Sergeant Paul Parizek told The Washington Post that the child's mother had left him unattended for a "short period" while inside their townhouse.

No charges have been filed, though the matter has been referred to the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services, Parizek told the newspaper.

Jones is simply happy to have been in the right place at the right time. Had she come out any later, she fears she might have seen the toddler on the ground. "As long as the baby is safe, I am good," Jones told KCCI.

Good Trade Paperback: Justice League of America Hereby Elects

As a comics fan, I grew up reading the Justice League of America in the 1970s and 1980s, when the team was at it's peak (in my opinion). I always enjoyed reading the stories where the team elected a new hero, and the graphic novel "Justice League of America Hereby Elects" trade paperback includes most of them. Today's blog is my review of the collection.

    Here are my thoughts:   It was a pretty good collection of classic stories, but I was really disappointed that 4 Elected heroes were not featured. Oddly, there was one hero included who refused membership included in a 2-part story. The stories feature Green Arrow, Black Canary, Elongated Man, Red Tornado, Hawkgirl, Zatanna, and Black Lightning. 

    I couldn't figure out why the Black Lightning 2-part story was included, because he rejected membership. 

    DC Comics should have included the stories of Hawkman, the Atom, the Phantom Stranger and Firestorm! 

     The Atom joined in JLA #14, Hawkman in #31, Phantom Stranger in #103, and Firestorm in #179. Including those 4 stories instead of the rejection by Black Lightning would have made the collection much better. Regardless, it was good to read them again.