Action Alert Digest - February 9, 2022

February 9, 2022

Action Alert Digest

TAKE ACTION: Tell Google - No Contracts with the Pentagon

Google is aggressively pursuing the Pentagon’s Joint Warfighter Cloud Capability contract, despite turning down a chance at a similar contract a few years ago. At the time, they said the contract would violate their principles of not developing technology that causes harm. Google employees are expressing serious concerns about the ethics of this contract. Win Without War invites us to urge Google not to work with the Pentagon. TAKE ACTION

US Troops to Deploy to Eastern Europe Amid Ukraine Crisis

President Biden has formally approved the deployment of 3,000 US troops to Poland, Germany, and Romania, in a move to bolster NATO countries in Eastern Europe with tens of thousands of Russian troops massed along Ukraine's border. The deployments to Eastern Europe are a show of support to NATO allies feeling threatened by Russia's military moves near Ukraine and the threat of an invasion. MORE

Iran Unveils New Missile with Reported Region-Wide Range

Iran unveiled a new missile with a reported range that would allow it to reach both U.S. bases in the region as well as targets inside its archfoe Israel. The report comes as negotiations continue in Vienna to revive Tehran’s tattered nuclear deal with world powers. Iran, which has long said it does not seek nuclear weapons, insists its missile program is only a deterrent. MORE

North Korea Stealing Millions in Cyber Attacks to Fund Nuclear Program

North Korea is continuing to steal hundreds of millions of dollars from financial institutions and cryptocurrency firms and exchanges, illicit money that is an important source of funding for its nuclear and missile programs, according to the U.N. A panel of experts said that North Korean “cyber-actors stole more than $50 million between 2020 and mid-2021 from at least three cryptocurrency exchanges in North America, Europe, and Asia.” MORE

TAKE ACTION: Urge Congress to Pass an Afghan Adjustment Act

An Afghan Adjustment Act is legislation that would allow Afghans arriving with humanitarian parole who were evacuated from Afghanistan to have a pathway to permanent status. Creating a pathway to apply to become lawful permanent residents after one year in the U.S. strengthens our communities and supports arrivals’ integration in their new homes. Church World Service asks us to encourage Congress to pass an Afghan Adjustment Act. TAKE ACTION

Georgia Immigration Facility to Become One of Nation’s Largest

A private prison company and a Georgia county have signed an agreement to expand an immigration detention center, making it one of the largest in the country. Capacity would be expanded from 780 beds to 3,018 beds. Immigration advocates oppose the deal, favoring the closure of such detention centers. MORE

Biden Task Force Makes Progress Reuniting Families Separated at the Border

More than 120 migrant families separated at the U.S.-Mexico border have been reunited under President Biden and 400 more are in the pipeline, said Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. Critics say this is too slow as there were more than 1,000 separated families when the Biden administration took office. MORE

TAKE ACTION: Help Stop Carbon Pipelines in Iowa

A new bill has been introduced in Iowa - SF2160 - that would ban the use of eminent domain for private projects on agricultural land. This would apply to projects like the Summit and Navigator carbon pipelines. The legislation also defines "public convenience and necessity" so that the Iowa Utilities Board will be required to find that the pipelines provide a public service. The Sierra Club urges us to tell our Iowa State legislators to support SF 2160. TAKE ACTION

Individuals Are Not to Blame for the Climate Crisis

At the COP26 conference last October, leaders regurgitated talking points about individual responsibility, insisting that the public change its consumption patterns, even as companies urge people to consume at unprecedented rates. This is unsurprising given that there were 503 delegates from fossil fuel companies at COP26—more than the largest country delegation—despite fossil fuel companies being banned from participating directly. MORE

A Satellite Finds Massive Methane Leaks from Gas Pipelines

There's new evidence, collected from orbiting satellites, that oil and gas companies are routinely venting huge amounts of methane into the air. Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas, second only to carbon dioxide in its warming impact. Over the course of two years, the researchers counted more than 1,800 large bursts of methane, often releasing several tons of methane per hour. Most of these incidents were not accidental, but deliberate. MORE

Pope: Human Trafficking An ‘Open Wound’ In the Body of Christ and Humanity

The trafficking of women and girls is “a deep and open wound in the body of Christ and in the body of all humanity, which affects each one of us”, Pope Francis said in a video message this week on the occasion of the 8th World Day of Prayer and Reflection against Human Trafficking. In his message, the Holy Father laments that the organization of societies around the world continues to deny women the same dignity and rights as men. MORE

A Butterfly Conservatory Is Shutting Down Due to Harassment

The National Butterfly Center, a non-profit sanctuary to study and conserve butterflies on the Texas border, announced it was shutting down indefinitely after staff members received credible threats when the center got caught in conspiracy theorists' baseless accusations it was involved in a sex trafficking ring. MORE

Lack of Impact Data Hinders Efforts to Deter Sex Buyers

Decreasing the demand for commercial sex is often considered the most difficult effort to combat sex trafficking. However, no one really knows what can deter sex buyers, as the impact of deterrence tactics are almost never measured. While arrest may be an effective deterrent for some buyers, arrests alone are not a sufficiently scalable approach to curb demand. MORE

Studies Show Domestic Violence Behind Majority of Amber Alerts Issued

Reports of domestic violence have reached startling peaks since the start of the pandemic. Domestic violence counselors say in cases where children are present, that leads to an increase in the number of child custody disputes and Amber Alert cases. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children reported that the number of Amber Alerts jumped in 2020 to 200 cases that year, compared to 145 in 2019. MORE

Why Apple Airtag Trackers Concern Domestic Violence Advocates

Apple AirTags have been reported in stalking cases nationwide where victims say their movements were tracked by the tiny disk-shaped devices placed in their belongings without their knowledge. AirTags are marketed for personal convenience — something users are supposed to slip in their purse or attach to a key ring to track down missing objects. But gender violence advocates say abusers can use the technology to help keep someone under their control. MORE

What Happened After These Unhoused People Got Monthly $500 Checks? Two-Thirds Have Homes

When a San Francisco-based nonprofit started a basic-income pilot last year—giving a small group of people experiencing homelessness $500 per month for six months— the group predicted that the money would help reduce stress and improve food security, and it did. But surprisingly two-thirds of the people who were unhoused when the pilot began also now have permanent housing. MORE

Israel’s Apartheid Against Palestinians: Cruel System of Domination and Crime Against Humanity

Israel’s practices, policies, and state laws against Palestinians amount to apartheid, as reported by human rights organization Amnesty International. Amnesty’s report, “Israel’s Apartheid against Palestinians: Cruel System of Domination and a Crime against Humanity”, investigates how the Jewish state enforces a system of oppression and tyranny to control the Palestinian people. The state’s legal regime refuses Palestinians the right to their former homes. MORE

U.S. Housing Costs Surge, With No End in Sight

In a national phenomenon, the U.S. housing market shifted into overdrive during the pandemic, with more than 6 million homes selling in 2021 despite skyrocketing prices. The median selling price for a home in November, $416,900, was nearly 25% more than it was in February 2020. In the early weeks of 2022, there’s no sign that cutthroat bidding and rising prices won’t continue. MORE

Gilbert Postelle is scheduled to be executed on February 17 by the state of Oklahoma for the murders of James “Donnie” Swindle Jr., Amy Wright, Terry Smith, and James Alderson. Please hold Gilbert, James, Amy, Terry, James, their families, and the people of Oklahoma in prayer. TAKE ACTION

Michael Gonzales is scheduled to be executed on March 8 by the state of Texas for the murders of Manuel and Merced Aguirre. Please hold Michael, Manuel, Merced, their families, and the people of Texas in prayer. TAKE ACTION