 Catch up and get ahead with the edge for the week of April 18th. On April 30th, the members of COPS Metro Alliance are celebrating more than 40 years of organizing for change in San Antonio. The group's transformed politics and continued to hold elected leaders accountable. COPS Metro Alliance says it brought $1 billion to the south and west side neighborhoods for drainage systems, street improvements, public libraries, health clinics, housing for seniors and public parks. The result of all of your work, of all of your efforts, of your tireless organizing and the fact that nobody was afraid, we said we're not going to be afraid, we're going to organize and we're going to take care of ourselves and take care of our family and it is because of your work that I am able to be before you today that Latinos can represent communities like this one, that we can have beautiful libraries like this one. Downcast SA has a living history map so you can tour the rich history of change brought about by COPS Metro. You can browse the interactive map for dozens of videos, oral histories, photos and documents. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports a total of 358 confirmed travel-associated Zika virus cases in the U.S. while San Antonio Metropolitan Health District reports four confirmed Zika cases in Bear County. The virus can be spread through sexual contact but its primary source is from mosquito bites. Zika is expected to spread to U.S. mosquitoes as early as this summer and mosquito abatement is the only way to effectively prevent the spread of the untreatable virus known to cause birth defects in babies. It is also suspected of causing Gilean Bar Syndrome, a rare condition in which a person's immune system attacks their peripheral nerves. Jen Jarbo Russell's book, Trained to Crystal City, was just named the best non-fiction book of the year by the Texas Institute of Letters. The San Antonio writer told the story of a secret FDR-approved American internment camp at the southern tip of Texas during World War II. There are thousands of families. Many U.S. citizens were incarcerated from 1942 to 1948. During a recent panel discussion and author reading at the San Antonio Public Library, Jen Jarbo Russell talked about the plight of others in America and why the issues explored in her book are so relevant today. Very tricky how we treat people in times of war. Now we're seeing this in San Antonio as well with all these immigration issues and with the Muslims, you know, of being scapegoated. And I think a lot of the problem is exactly what she said, is that we have these old rules of, especially the enemy alien act of 1798, I knew she'd get it right. I didn't know if it was 88 or 98. Right, until we get rid of that, we're not going to make much progress, you see. And there's no political power for it because it's so much easier for a politician to demonize another than to take responsibility for their own job. Get ready to be a hero and help your favorite nonprofit during the Big Give Essay on Tuesday, May 3rd. This year, 1,054 nonprofits are participating in the 24-hour day of local giving that connects donors to the causes that matter to them most. And yes, Nowcast Essay, a 501C3 nonprofit, is a Big Give Essay participant for the third year. Community one gift at a time during our 24-hour giving day. We need your help to raise $6 million for the nonprofits in our area. Give online at thebiggivesay.org. For more on all of these stories, go to Nowcastessay.com. And as always, thanks for watching The Edge.