TAKE ACTION: End the War on Yemen

Sen. Bernie Sanders this week withdrew a Senate resolution to end U.S. involvement in the Saudi-led war on Yemen but vowed to work with the Biden administration and congressional colleagues to keep trying. "Today, I withdrew from consideration by the U.S. Senate my War Powers Resolution after the Biden administration agreed to continue working with my office on ending the war in Yemen," Sanders said in a statement. Roots Action urges us to continue to pressure Congress and the White House to end war-making in Yemen. TAKE ACTION

Eight Reasons Why Now is a Good Time for a Ukraine Ceasefire and Peace Talks

As the war in Ukraine has dragged on for nine months and a cold winter is setting in, people all over the world are calling for a Christmas truce, harkening back to the inspirational Christmas Truce of 1914. In the midst of World War I, warring soldiers put down their guns and celebrated the holiday together in the no-man’s land between their trenches. Here are eight reasons why this holiday season offers the potential for peace and a chance to move the conflict in Ukraine from the battlefield to the negotiating table. MORE

Putin To Choose Cyber Warfare Before Nuclear Weapons, Former NSA Chief Says

Retired Gen. Keith Alexander, the former National Security Agency director and head of U.S. Cyber Command, has said that Russian President Vladimir Putin is likely to continue using cyberattacks against Ukraine before using nuclear weapons. Alexander explained that although Russia hasn’t done significant damage so far on the cyber front, Putin is not prepared to use nuclear weapons against Ukraine, as he knows doing so could pull the U.S. and other NATO countries into the war. MORE

Saudi Foreign Minister: 'All Bets Off' If Iran Gets Nuclear Weapon

Saudi Arabia's foreign minister has said that Iran's Gulf Arab neighbors would act to shore up their security if Tehran were to obtain nuclear weapons. The U.N. nuclear chief has also voiced concern over a recent announcement by Tehran that it was boosting enrichment capacity. The nuclear talks have stalled with Western powers accusing Iran of raising unreasonable demands, and the focus shifting to the Russia-Ukraine war as well as domestic unrest in Iran over the death in custody of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini. MORE

TAKE ACTION: Pass a Pathway to Citizenship

Denying undocumented communities a pathway to citizenship holds people back from having a thriving society where everyone is valued. There is no doubt the contributions of immigrant youth, farm workers, and TPS holders are essential for our communities and our country.  A pathway to citizenship is both morally and economically prudent. NETWORK Lobby invites us to tell Congress to act now for a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants.  TAKE ACTION

Thousands of Migrants Crossed Into El Paso from Mexico Over the Weekend

Thousands of migrants that recently made their way to northern Mexico crossed into El Paso over the past weekend in one of the largest-ever crossings on that part of the Texas-Mexico border. United States Border Patrol agents in El Paso reported seeing an average of about 2,500 crossings each day. The increase comes about two weeks before the anticipated end to a restrictive border policy that’s been in place since 2020. MORE

Arizona Gov. Ducey Stacks Containers on Border at Term’s End

Work crews have steadily erected hundreds of double-stacked shipping containers topped by razor wire along Arizona’s remote eastern boundary with Mexico in a bold show of border enforcement by Republican Gov. Doug Ducey even as he prepares to leave office. Until protesters slowed, then largely halted the work in recent days, Ducey pressed forward over the objections of the U.S. government, environmentalists, and an incoming governor who has called it a poor use of resources. MORE

Kansas Oil Spill Is Keystone Pipeline's Biggest Ever, According to Federal Data

A ruptured pipe dumped enough oil last week into a northeastern Kansas creek to nearly fill an Olympic-sized swimming pool, becoming the largest onshore crude pipeline spill in nine years and surpassing all the previous ones on the same pipeline system combined, according to federal data. The operator, Canada-based TC Energy, said the pipeline that runs from Canada to Oklahoma lost about 14,000 barrels, or 588,000 gallons. MORE

One of the World’s Biggest Cities Outlawed Single-Use Plastic

Mexico City produces nearly 13,000 tons of garbage every day within city limits, with nearly half coming from household waste. Between 30% and 35% of that daily waste is composed of packaging materials, the vast majority of which is made of plastic. In 2019, the city’s legislature approved reforms to its Solid Waste Law, banning single-use plastics, making it one of the largest jurisdictions in the world to enact such a measure. Yes! magazine explains how residents are adapting. MORE

US Authorities Agree to Rip Up Grass Lawns for Water Conservation

A group of agencies that provide water to millions of customers in the western U.S. has agreed to rip-up grass lawns in public spaces across multiple states as part of an effort to reduce water usage as the Colorado River continues to suffer from a major drought. The pledge promises to remove 30% of grass lawns and replace them with “drought- and climate-resilient landscaping while maintaining vital urban landscapes and tree canopies,” that benefit communities and wildlife. MORE

Global Humanitarian Crises and Conflicts Increase Human Trafficking Concerns 

Recent and ongoing humanitarian crises and conflicts are exacerbating existing vulnerabilities and creating new risks of trafficking in persons. Globally, millions of people have been forced to flee their homes, making them easy targets for human traffickers. As a result, the 31 member organizations of the Inter-Agency Coordination Group Against Trafficking in Persons have issued a 13-point Call to Action urging countries to put in place effective responses and increase cooperation to combat this internationally-recognized crime. MORE

Federal Bill Calls for Human Trafficking Hotline to Be Posted at All US Ports of Entry

A bipartisan bill has been introduced that would require all ports of entry to post the National Human Trafficking Hotline, something that survivors of human trafficking say would be crucial to helping victims and stopping a growing problem.  The national human trafficking hotline says more than 10,000 cases have been reported this year. Now there’s a push in D.C. to get that hotline number in airports, rail and bus stations.  MORE

A Judge in Texas Is Using a Recent Supreme Court Ruling to Say Domestic Abusers Can Keep Their Guns

Research shows that removing guns from violent abusers saves lives. But laws doing just that are at risk of being ruled unconstitutional, following a landmark Supreme Court guns case. Last month, a judge in Texas struck down the federal law that prohibits access to guns for people subject to domestic violence protection orders. He did this based on a 2022 ruling which held that disarming domestic abusers violates the Second Amendment because those types of laws didn’t exist at the founding of the country. MORE  

Report: Many Female Israeli Conscripts Suffer Sexual Abuse

Roughly one in four women performing compulsory national service in Israel’s police force and prison service have suffered sexual abuse on the job, according to a report by Israel’s official government watchdog agency. The findings by the State Comptroller indicate that a problem that has long plagued Israel’s security forces appears to be getting worse, despite numerous campaigns over the years to protect female conscripts from male colleagues, commanders, and even prisoners. MORE

How Cambodian Women Are Using Theatre to Speak Out Against Domestic Abuse

Cambodia’s theatre scene, along with other arts, was destroyed by the Khmer Rouge genocide of the 1970s. Since then, theatre has been largely limited to traditional forms, such as shadow puppetry and apsara dancing, but a new form of theater is being used by domestic violence survivors to bring attention to the crisis. The movement is part of a grassroots effort to spark community discussions about domestic violence. Family violence remains a taboo topic, even as one in five Cambodian women report experiencing abuse from an intimate partner. MORE

TAKE ACTION: Tell Congress That Federal Programs Aren’t Keeping Up with Rising Costs

Rising prices have resulted in the average family’s costs rising approximately $433 per month from the year before. Last year more than 40% of people with household incomes of less than $50,000 were paying half or more of their income on rent. The Coalition on Human Needs asks us to tell Congress to pass a full-year omnibus appropriations bill that includes increases in spending on critically needed programs such as mental health, childcare, and energy assistance. TAKE ACTION

A New, Divided Congress Will Have to Take on a New Farm Bill with Far-Reaching Effects

The upcoming Farm Bill, much of it devoted to funding the federal nutrition programs, will be negotiated by a split Congress. Advocates are particularly focused on the effect a divided Congress will have on SNAP funding, which made up 75 percent of the spending in the 2018 Farm Bill. Food Research & Action Center (FRAC) SNAP Director Ellen Vollinger, says, “There is hunger in every community. It’s not an urban problem. It’s not a rural problem. It’s a problem everywhere.”    MORE

Why This Predominantly White County in Southern California Is Declaring Racism a Public Health Crisis

The Orange County Board of Supervisors in California has officially declared racism "with its resultant social and health inequities" a public health crisis. In the resolution, the board vowed to "work to promote an inclusive, well-informed, and racial equity and justice-oriented governmental organization that is conscious of injustice and unfairness." The county's latest report on hate crimes noted a 165% increase in such incidents in 2021. Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders were the most affected. MORE

Amber McLaughlin is scheduled to be executed on January 3, 2023, by the state of Missouri for the murder of Beverly Guenther.  Please hold Amber, Beverly, their families, and the people of Missouri in prayer. TAKE ACTION

Robert Fratta is scheduled to be executed on January 10, 2023, by the state of Texas for the murder of Farah Fratta. Please hold Robert, Farah, their families, and the people of Texas in prayer. TAKE ACTION

Scott Eizember is scheduled to be executed on January 12, 2023, by the state of Oklahoma for the murders of A.J. Cantrell and Patsy Cantrell. Please hold Scott, A.J., Patsy, their families, and the people of Oklahoma in prayer. TAKE ACTION