Biden Administration Proposes Rule That Would Require More Firearms Dealers to Run Background Checks

The Biden administration is proposing a rule that would require thousands more firearms dealers to run background checks. The proposal comes after a mandate from President Biden to find ways to strengthen background checks following the passage of bipartisan legislation on guns last year. People who sell firearms online or at gun shows would be required to be licensed and run background checks on the buyers before any sale. It is estimated that the rule would affect anywhere from 24,500 to 328,000 sellers. MORE

A Program to Cut School Suspensions in Chicago Worked Very, Very Well. Here’s How.

Researchers have for decades documented how schools treat students of color differently than their White classmates when they misbehave or break the rules — disparities that can often not be chalked up just to differences in behavior. Students with disabilities are also treated differently than those without them. Because of these disparities, the restorative justice movement has been growing in the past few decades in public schools. MORE

From the Partial Test Ban Treaty to a Nuclear Weapons-Free World

This September is the sixtieth anniversary of U.S. and Soviet ratification of the world’s first significant nuclear arms control agreement, the Partial Test Ban Treaty in 1963. From the standpoint of ending the nuclear arms race, the treaty had its limitations but proved a turning point in world history. Most importantly, the treaty demonstrated that nuclear arms control and disarmament were feasible. And subsequently, a host of treaties followed that have substantially reduced nuclear dangers. MORE

Reducing Cyber Risks to Nuclear Weapons: Proposals from a U.S.-Russia Dialogue

A new report from Nuclear Threat Initiative highlights the critical need for a global diplomatic approach to address growing cyber risks, including, where possible, cooperation between the United States and Russia. Despite significant current geopolitical tensions, the United States and Russia have a mutual interest in avoiding the use of nuclear weapons and an obligation to work together to do so based on the understanding that a cyberattack on a nuclear weapons system could trigger catastrophic and unintended conflict and escalation. MORE

DHS Has Lost Track of 177,000 Migrants After Arriving in U.S. 

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's internal watchdog found the agency has limited ability to track migrants after they enter the United States. It said that during a 17-month period, 177,000 addresses for new migrants were blank or contained nonexistent or nonresidential locations.  Without a real address, DHS had no way to track the whereabouts of migrants or to send them notifications about their pending asylum claims and court dates, potentially missing the opportunity to seek legal residency and work authorization.  MORE

U.S.-Mexico Border Is Deadliest Land Migration Route, Says U.N. Agency 

The U.S.-Mexico border area is the world's deadliest land migration route, as hundreds lose their lives while attempting to make perilous desert crossings, reported the United Nations migration agency. It documented 686 migrant deaths or disappearances last year, but the number is likely higher because of missing data. MORE

New Poll Shows Positive Support for Migrants

According to a new Siena poll, 56% of participants support using federal land and buildings as temporary shelters for the current migrants in New York. 59% of participants believe in work authorizations for migrants regardless of legal status. 60% of participants support a comprehensive immigration reform bill that provides a pathway to citizenship for all undocumented immigrants in the United States.  MORE

TAKE ACTION: Tell Congress to Support a Just Farm Bill in 2023

A strong and resilient farm and food system benefits our local and global communities including family farmers, ranchers, and consumers. Representing nearly $1 trillion in spending, the Farm Bill covers program areas including Nutrition, Commodities, Conservation, Trade, and more. Nutrition programs comprise 76% of the Farm Bill’s total spending. The Midwest Franciscan Justice Promoters invite us to tell Congress to support a farm bill that supports the dignity of all people, especially those in poverty, and offers safeguards for preserving creation. TAKE ACTION

Biden Bars Oil Drilling Across a Wide Swath of Alaska’s Arctic

The Biden administration took steps to set aside millions of acres of undeveloped land and vital habitat for migratory birds, grizzly and polar bears, and caribou in the Arctic last week, announcing plans to prevent drilling in some areas and cancel all remaining oil and gas leases in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge — a vast, federally protected area in northeastern Alaska that has long been at the center of fierce debate over fossil fuel development.  MORE

Reasons to March to End Fossil Fuels

Reading about climate change may make people feel angry, frustrated, and even hopeless. Action is the best antidote to despair. That’s why on September 17, thousands of activists are gathering in New York for the March to End Fossil Fuels. The demonstration is being held days before a major United Nations Climate Summit calling on world leaders to show their work toward a fossil-free future. MORE

TAKE ACTION: Support Federal Criminal Records Relief for Survivors

By its very definition, the crime of human trafficking involves being forced, manipulated, or tricked into activities that a person would not otherwise engage in - such as selling sexual services or doing any kind of work without pay. Indeed, the vast majority of trafficking survivors report having a criminal record as a result of having been trafficked. Yet the federal government fails to recognize this. Polaris invites us to tell Congress to reintroduce and support the Trafficking Survivors Relief Act. TAKE ACTION

Cuba Arrests 17 For Trafficking Young Men to Fight for Russia in Ukraine

Cuban authorities said they had arrested 17 people on charges related to a ring of human traffickers that allegedly lured young Cuban men to serve in the Russian military amid the Ukraine conflict. Cuba earlier this week revealed authorities were working to "neutralize and dismantle" the network, which it said operated both on Cuban soil and in Russia.  Russia, which has strong political ties with communist-run Cuba, has long been an important destination for Cuban migrants seeking to escape economic stagnation at home. MORE

Greenpeace USA Tells Bumble Bee to End Modern Slavery in Its Supply Chain

Greenpeace USA delivered a petition with over 51,000 signatures calling on Bumble Bee seafood company and its owner, Fong Chun Formosa, to stop sourcing from ships that exploit workers and our oceans. Activists hoisted banners in front of the company’s headquarters that read “End Modern Slavery” after marching to Bumble Bee from the Greenpeace Ship Arctic Sunrise, docked at the pier in San Diego. MORE

How to Get Accused Domestic Abusers to Turn Over Their Guns

A specialized enforcement unit in King County, Washington, has made a big difference in getting people accused of domestic violence to surrender their guns. After the special unit was created in 2018, people under domestic violence protection orders were 3.3 times more likely to surrender a firearm. By conducting detailed research on what firearms might be in a suspected domestic abuser's possession, the team can check whether people have actually complied with their obligation to turn those guns over, as opposed to relying "on an honor system." MORE

Report: Black Iowa Women Are Being Killed by Gun Violence at Higher Rates

More than six times the number of Black women were killed in Iowa in 2020 than in 2019. The U.S. experienced an unprecedented rise in homicides in 2020 and 2021, but the violent racial disparity stands out in this majority-white, rural state. The majority of the homicides of Black women involve someone they knew, including a partner, family member, or friend, according to the Violence Policy Center. Advocates from around the state blame the crisis on how easy it is to illegally acquire a gun, as well as inadequate support for local social services.  MORE

TAKE ACTION: Pass the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act

Across the country, partisan lawmakers are pushing discriminatory laws meant to silence our voices -- and trying to seize control over how our elections are run. The John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act is a lasting solution to this problem. This bill would restore the review process set forth in the Voting Rights Act that was gutted by the Supreme Court in 2013 and would protect every American’s right to be heard, free from racial discrimination. Common Cause urges us to tell our lawmakers to pass the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. TAKE ACTION

What's Behind the Spike in Child Poverty in the U.S.

The number of children living in poverty in the United States more than doubled in 2022, according to new figures released by the U.S. Census Bureau, the biggest increase since it began using its current method to count them. In 2021, 5.2% of children were living in poverty. In 2022 that figure was 12.4%, or about 9 million children. An uptick in the number of children living in poverty had been widely expected, because of the expiration of the enhanced version of the Child Tax Credit program. MORE

The IRS Plans to Crack Down on 1,600 Millionaires to Collect Millions of Dollars in Back Taxes

The IRS announced last week it is launching an effort to aggressively pursue 1,600 millionaires and 75 large business partnerships that owe hundreds of millions of dollars in past-due taxes. With a boost in federal funding, the agency has new means of targeting wealthy people who have “cut corners” on their taxes.  1,600 millionaires who owe at least $250,000 each in back taxes and 75 large business partnerships that have assets of roughly $10 billion on average are sought out for the new “compliance efforts. MORE

Anthony Sanchez is scheduled to be executed on September 21 by the state of Oklahoma for the murder of Juli Busken. Please hold Anthony, Juli, their families, and the people of Oklahoma in prayer. TAKE ACTION

Michael Zack is scheduled to be executed on October 3 by the state of Florida for the murders of Laurie Russillo and Ravonne Smith. Please hold Michael, Laurie, Ravonne, their families, and the people of Florida in prayer. TAKE ACTION