TAKE ACTION: Support a U.S. Department of Peacebuilding

The Department of Peacebuilding Act of 2023 (H.R. 1111) was just introduced by Congresswoman Barbara Lee (CA-12). This legislation addresses the interconnection of all life and the intersection of peace, justice, equality, human rights, governments based upon rule of law, and planetary survival. The Peace Alliance invites us to tell our representatives to cosponsor H.R. 1111. TAKE ACTION

Why New U.S. Military Bases in the Philippines Are a Bad Idea

On February 1, the governments of the United States and the Philippines announced the U.S. military will have access to four new military bases in the Philippines as part of an “Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement” signed in 2014. The U.S. government could help lower military tensions by reversing a dangerous buildup and using diplomacy with China and others to help resolve regional disputes. World Beyond War suggests that it’s not too late to choose a wiser, more secure, more cost-effective path. MORE

Putin Issues New Nuclear Warnings to West Over Ukraine

President Vladimir Putin this week delivered a warning to the West over Ukraine by suspending a landmark nuclear arms control treaty, announcing that new strategic systems had been put on combat duty, and threatening to resume nuclear tests. Nearly a year after ordering an invasion that has triggered the biggest confrontation with the West in six decades, Putin said Russia would achieve its aims and accused the West of trying to destroy it. MORE

North Korea Fires Long-Range Missile After Warning Over Military Drills

North Korea launched a long-range ballistic missile into the sea off Japan's west coast on Saturday after warning of a strong response to upcoming military drills by South Korea and the United States. Japanese authorities said the missile plunged into waters inside Japan's exclusive economic zone more than an hour after it was launched, suggesting the weapon was one of Pyongyang's largest missiles. MORE

Keeping Humans in the Loop Is Not Enough to Make AI Safe for Nuclear Weapons

Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems suffer from a myriad of unique technical problems that could directly raise the risk of inadvertent nuclear weapons use. To control these issues, the United States and the United Kingdom have committed to keeping humans in the decision-making loop. However, the greatest danger may not lie in the technology itself, but rather in its impact on the humans interacting with it. Keeping humans in the loop is not enough to make AI systems safe. In fact, relying on this safeguard could result in a hidden increase of risk. MORE

Biden Administration to Limit Asylum to Migrants Who Pass Through a Third Nation

The Biden administration said this week that it will generally deny asylum to migrants who show up at the U.S. southern border without first seeking protection in a country they passed through, mirroring an attempt by the Trump administration that never took effect because it was blocked in court. The measure, while stopping short of a total ban, imposes severe limitations on asylum for any nationality except Mexicans, who don’t have to travel through a third country to reach the U.S. MORE  

Afghan Families Split Since the U.S. Withdrawal Face the Unknown as Key Immigration Deadlines Near

Nearly 18 months after the U.S. military withdrawal, thousands of Afghans – after getting out in the chaotic final days before the Taliban reclaimed control – are still trying to reunite in the United States with loved ones stuck back home. Beyond the heartache of separation and the fear over human rights crackdowns, they face a dearth of reliable information about the American immigration process as key deadlines for staying here approach, said Afghan families, advocacy groups, and attorneys. MORE

TAKE ACTION: Tell the Biden Administration to Halt the Willow Project

The Willow Oil Drilling Project is a proposed massive expansion of oil and gas drilling and extraction that would threaten wildlife and ecosystems in Alaska’s pristine Western Arctic. Extracting 600 million barrels of oil would release greenhouse gas pollution equivalent to building 66 new coal-fired power plants. And that's in a place that's already warming almost four times faster than the rest of the world. Environmental Action urges us to tell the Biden Administration to stop the Willow project. TAKE ACTION

Oil and Gas Industry Could Slash Methane Emissions by 75% With Barely a Hit to Income, Says IEA

The energy industry is not making sufficient efforts to reduce its methane emissions, according to a new report from the International Energy Agency. Carbon dioxide is the largest contributor to global warming. But while CO2 is 200 times more present in the atmosphere than methane and lasts a lot longer, methane’s warming effects are around 85 times as strong. But much of the methane emitted by the energy industry could be stopped with existing technologies, and would, according to the report, “be very cheap to address.” MORE  

Why Is the Amazon So Important for Climate Change?

The Amazon’s sheer size—it covers nearly seven million square kilometers, or about the area of Australia—makes it shine on the climate stage. The Amazon’s sheer volume of trees makes it one of the world’s largest carbon sinks. But when humans cut down those trees, that biomass releases its stored carbon back into the atmosphere as CO2, where it has a warming effect. Today some parts of the Amazon forest actually emit more CO2 than they absorb. MORE

Former NFL Player Eric Johnson Charged with Human Trafficking

Former NFL defensive back Eric Johnson was one of eight people indicted on myriad charges—including human trafficking—in relation to a gang investigation. Johnson was a defensive back for Nebraska before starting his NFL career in 2000 with the Raiders. Johnson, 46, is alleged, along with eight other defendants, to have engaged in the trafficking of five female victims, one of whom was a minor. MORE

'I Had Nowhere to Go': Labor Traffickers Are Taking Advantage of the Massachusetts Housing Crisis

The fear of homelessness is often used by traffickers to coerce victims to stay under their control. An attorney in Massachusetts, which has the seventh highest rent in the country, says that he has represented dozens of mainly undocumented immigrants who were provided housing by employers and a pittance of what they should have been paid for their labor. Alleged victims include workers forced to toil long hours in restaurants, cleaning buildings, landscaping, and providing childcare. MORE

Wyoming Bill Limiting Child Marriage Sparks Outrage

Some in Wyoming are seeking to thwart a bill proposing to raise the state's legal marriage age to 16, arguing that putting "arbitrary" limits on child marriage interferes with parental rights and religious liberty. The bill—which already passed the Wyoming House of Representatives on a 36-25 vote late last month—proposes banning state residents from marrying anyone under the age of 16, while requiring anyone under the age of 18 seeking to get married to receive written consent from their parents under the eye of a competent witness. MORE  

94 Women Allege a Utah Doctor Sexually Assaulted Them. Here’s Why a Judge Threw Out Their Case.

Dozens of women in Utah came forward about being sexually assaulted by a local doctor, but a judge threw out the lawsuit, determining that the case must be governed by medical malpractice rules. Under Utah’s rules of medical malpractice, sexual assault claims are worth less than lawsuits brought by someone who was assaulted in other settings. Even if a jury rules in their favor, a judge is required to limit how much money they receive. And they must meet a shorter filing deadline. MORE

Women Who Suffer Domestic Abuse Three Times as Likely to Attempt Suicide

Women who suffer domestic abuse are three times more likely than their peers to try to take their own life, new research reveals. Those who have experienced sexual abuse within a relationship have an even higher risk of suicide and are seven times more likely to have attempted to end their life. Women’s rights advocates say the findings are “shocking and appalling” and should prompt healthcare providers and others who come into contact with vulnerable women to start routinely asking them about their personal safety. MORE  

TAKE ACTION: Tell President Biden and Congress to Address the Hunger Crisis

On March 9th, President Biden will release his budget request to Congress. In advanced economies like the United States, the poorest 20% of the population are forced to spend four times more on food than the wealthiest 20%. Congress must act quickly to end this inequity and take action on the global hunger crisis. Oxfam urges us to tell President Biden and Congress to invest in lifesaving aid to end hunger in the U.S. and around the globe.  TAKE ACTION

Sanders-Warren Plan Would Tax the Rich to Increase Social Security by $2,400 a Year

As some in Congress threaten to cut Social Security and other key federal programs, new legislation has been introduced that would increase Social Security benefits by at least $200 per month and prolong the program's solvency for decades by finally requiring wealthy Americans to pay their fair share. "Right now, a Wall Street CEO who makes $30 million pays the same amount into Social Security as someone who makes $160,000 a year," said Sen. Bernie Sanders. "Our bill puts an end to that absurdity." MORE

In Rural America, Right-To-Repair Laws Are the Leading Edge of a Pushback Against Growing Corporate Power

At first glance, a new deal between the nation’s largest farm equipment maker, John Deere Corp., and the American Farm Bureau Federation looks like a win for farmers. It gives them more access to repair their own tractors and other equipment – something they’ve wanted for years. However, the agreement has a catch, and supporters of right-to-repair laws suspect it has a more sinister goal, writes Leland Glenna, a professor of rural sociology, science, and technology at Penn State. MORE  

TAKE ACTION: Oppose the Reinstatement of the Death Penalty in Iowa

Iowa Senate File 357 is a bill to reinstate the death penalty in a limited number of cases. The bill would make those convicted of kidnapping, raping, and murdering a person under the age of 18 eligible for a death sentence. The bill cleared the Senate Judiciary Committee on a 10-8 vote. Iowa Catholic Conference urges us to tell Iowa lawmakers to say no to Iowa Senate File 357. TAKE ACTION

Donald Dillbeck is scheduled to be executed on February 23 by the state of Florida for the murder of Faye Vann. Please hold Donald, Faye, their families, and the people of Florida in prayer. TAKE ACTION

Gary Green is scheduled to be executed on March 7 by the state of Texas for the murders of Lovetta Armstead and Jazzmen Montgomery. Please hold Gary, Lovetta, Jazzmen, and the people of Texas in prayer. TAKE ACTION

Arthur Brown, Jr. is scheduled to be executed on March 9 by the state of Texas for the murders of Jose Tovar, Jessica Quinones, Audrey Brown, and Frank Farias. Please hold Arthur, Jose, Jessica, Audrey, Frank, their families, and the people of Texas in prayer. TAKE ACTION