ACTIVE NONVIOLENCE AND PEACEMAKING |
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TAKE ACTION: Tell Congress to Support Extreme Risk Protection Order Laws
Congress is now considering legislation that would support Extreme Risk Protection Order (ERPO) laws that help reduce gun violence. ERPO laws have a strong record of effectiveness, and are especially promising for reducing suicide rates, which are tragically high in the United States MomsRising urges us to sign their petition and tell Congress to pass federal legislation that would incentivize all states to enact ERPO laws that save lives. TAKE ACTION
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Americans Widely Reject Proposals for More Pentagon Spending
The United States spends, by far, more on its military than other nations. U.S. military spending is more than the next nine countries combined; it is 12 times the amount Russia spends. Military spending concerns a majority of Americans, with 55 percent of voters reporting they are “somewhat concerned” or “very concerned” about current proposals for $813 billion in defense spending next year. MORE
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Facing Activist Pressure, Pillsbury Pulling Out of Israeli-Occupied West Bank
Following years of grassroots pressure, multinational food giant General Mills has announced that after a 20-year partnership, it will sell its majority share of an Israeli company operating a plant where Pillsbury products are made on stolen Palestinian land. Members of the American Friends Service Committee -- which launched the "No Dough for the Occupation" campaign to boycott Pillsbury products two years ago—credited years of activism for the move. MORE
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Why Putin’s Betrayal of Ukraine Could Trigger Nuclear Proliferation
Prior to 1996, Ukraine was home to the world’s third-largest nuclear weapons arsenal—exceeding Britain, France, and China combined. The Ukrainian government surrendered those weapons to Russia in large part because of Russia’s assurances that it would respect Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and refrain from the use of force against Ukraine. Now Putin’s war has dealt a blow to future efforts to arrest nuclear proliferation. MORE
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Deciphering Putin’s Nuclear Doctrine
In the United States, nearly 70% of participants of a recent survey said they “are worried the invasion of Ukraine is going to lead to nuclear war”. In February — for the first time since the Cold War — the Russian president put the country’s nuclear deterrence forces on a special mode of combat duty. The United States and other NATO officials considered the move a “dangerous escalation,” warning that it could have unintended consequences. MORE
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Almost All Asylum-Seekers in L.A. Lack Legal Counsel, Face Deportation, Report Says
Under the Biden administration's program meant to speed up asylum hearings, almost all cases in a Los Angeles immigration court ended in deportation orders. A study by a legal immigration clinic found that families were left without legal representation and that a large number of children received deportation orders in absentia. MORE
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Rich Nations’ Toxic Habits Bring African Refugees to Their Doors
The number of African migrants arriving along the southern U.S. border is increasing at an increasingly alarming rate. Industrial pollution caused by wealthy nations has created inhospitable residential and agricultural environments. It is projected that 86 million African migrants will be displaced because of climate change. MORE
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TAKE ACTION: Ask Congress to Pass Legislation to Meet Emissions Reductions Goals
This is a critical time for investments in climate mitigation, adaptation, and innovation. Immediate deployment of renewable energy technologies is among the most cost-effective and impactful actions we can take. The United State Conference of Catholic Bishops urges us to ask Congress to safeguard all climate and environmental investments. TAKE ACTION
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President Biden Invokes Defense Production Act to Accelerate Domestic Manufacturing of Clean Energy
Environmental groups have welcomed Joe Biden’s invoking of national security powers to rapidly expand the production of clean energy technology as a significant advance in the effort to curb dangerous climate breakdown. Biden has authorized the Defense Production Act, a cold war-era law used to compel businesses to ramp up production of certain materials to boost the output of solar panels, building insulation, transformers for power grids, and heat pumps. MORE
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Members of Canadian Parliament Unanimously Back Bill to Outlaw Modern Slavery
Members of Parliament unanimously voted last week to clamp down on modern slavery by backing a bill requiring Canadian companies to ensure they are not using forced labor or exploiting child workers overseas. Labor Minister Seamus O'Regan ensured government backing for the private member's bill that would make Canadian firms and government departments scrutinize supply chains with the aim of protecting workers. MORE
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Despite Saving Hundreds of Sex Trafficking Victims Yearly, Hawaii Has Few Prosecutions
Experts have a hard time pinpointing the exact number of sex trafficking victims in Hawaii, but they do know it is much higher than the number of arrests and convictions for sex traffickers. Each year in Hawaii, hundreds of adult sex trafficking victims are rescued as well as more than a dozen child victims. Even with all those victims, since 2020, Honolulu police have not made any sex trafficking arrests. MORE
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DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND SEXUAL ASSAULT |
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Domestic Violence Survivors Push to Change Iowa Law to Prevent Deadly Situations
The tragic shooting of Eden Montang and Vivian Flores in Ames is shedding light on domestic violence situations. The Story County Sheriff's Office says Montang's ex-boyfriend, Johnathan Whitlatch, shot and killed the women in the parking lot of Cornerstone Church in Ames on June 2. Court documents reveal Whitlatch had a violent criminal past. MORE
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UN: Ukraine Facing Sexual Violence and Trafficking Crisis
Sexual violence in Ukraine, especially against women and girls, remains prevalent and underreported, and the humanitarian crisis in the war-torn country is turning into “a human trafficking crisis,” the U.N. special envoy for sexual violence in conflict said this week. As of June 3, the U.N. human rights office had received 124 allegations of conflict-related sexual violence. MORE
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The Astounding Costs of Economic Abuse on Families
Virtually all domestic violence survivors report that they've experienced economic abuse: a set of tactics one partner or ex-partner uses to sabotage another person's prospects of a career and education, seize control of their finances, and exploit them. Economic abuse can have wide-ranging effects on a survivor's life, and it often overlaps with other forms of harm like emotional abuse, stalking, and physical violence. MORE
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HUMAN RIGHTS AND INCOME INEQUALITY |
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TAKE ACTION: Support Establishing a Reparations Commission
The legacy of slavery and sanctioned discrimination continues to deeply harm Black communities. It is time to make amends and address inequality, injustice, segregation, and other forms of violence. Before we can even consider such a plan, a study must be done to evaluate the possibilities. NETWORK Lobby urges us to tell President Biden to issue an executive order to create a federal commission to study reparations by Juneteenth (June 19, 2022). TAKE ACTION
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Wage Gap Between CEOs and US Workers Jumped to 670-to-1 Last Year, Study Finds
The wage gap between chief executives and workers at some of the US companies with the lowest-paid staff grew even wider last year, with CEOs making an average of $10.6m, while the median worker received $23,968. A study of 300 top US companies released by the Institute for Policy Studies found the average gap between CEO and median worker pay jumped to 670-to-1 (meaning the average CEO received $670 in compensation for every $1 the worker received). MORE
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‘It's Going to Be Catastrophic’: Schools Brace for Crisis Over Meal Programs
A report published this week shows that among the 62 large school districts surveyed, 95 percent reported that meal waivers helped reduce child hunger in their school district, and upwards of 80 percent also said the waivers made it easier for parents and supported academic achievement. Those waivers are set to expire at the end of June, supercharging an already unpredictable landscape. MORE
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Ramiro Gonzales is scheduled to be executed on July 13 by the state of Texas for the murder of Bridget Townsend. Please hold Ramiro, Bridget, their families, and the people of Texas in prayer. TAKE ACTION
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