The Michigan State University Killer Was Previously Charged with a Felony but Was Still Able to Buy Guns

Years before Anthony Dwayne McRae killed three Michigan State University students and critically wounded five others, he was charged with carrying a concealed weapon – a felony that would have prevented him from being able to buy a gun if he were convicted. That felony case never went to trial. Instead, a 2019 deal allowed McRae to plead guilty to a misdemeanor – possession of a loaded firearm in or upon a vehicle. McRae spent a year and a half on probation. MORE

Documents Show How a Pipeline Company Paid Minnesota Millions to Police Protests

For over six months, Indigenous-led opponents of the Line 3 project had been participating in acts of civil disobedience to disrupt construction of the tar sands oil pipeline. In June of 2021, officers from 14 different police and sheriff’s departments confronted around 500 protesters and detained 186 people in the largest mass arrest of the opposition movement.  Turns out that all expenses for the mass arrest were paid for by the fossil fuel company building the pipeline, which spent more than $79,000 on policing that day alone. MORE

TAKE ACTION: Urge Congress to Support Nuclear Disarmament

The policy proposals outlined in H. Res 77 would move us back from the brink of nuclear destruction. The Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns invites us to tell our elected officials to co-sponsor H.Res. 77, embracing the goals and provisions of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), and calling on the United States to pursue five important policies to reduce the risk of nuclear annihilation. TAKE ACTION

U.S. Cites Russian Noncompliance with New START Inspections

Russia has failed to fully comply with the 2010 New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) because of its refusal to allow on-site inspections and to reschedule a meeting to discuss treaty concerns, according to a U.S. assessment released in January. In August, Moscow prohibited U.S. on-site inspections of its nuclear weapons-related facilities subject to the treaty over complaints about reciprocal access. MORE

U.S. Officials Prepping Legislation to Revamp Asylum System

President Biden's administration is developing a sweeping bill that would revamp the country's asylum system to speed up the resolution of claims in large-scale processing centers at the border with Mexico. The effort emerged from ongoing Biden administration discussions to reimagine asylum as border crossings have reached record highs and immigration courts face steep backlogs. U.S. officials traveled to Europe last month, including a stop in the Netherlands, to examine systems there. MORE

Solutions for a Humane Border Policy

Political and social oppression is forcing more and more people to flee their homes. Despite campaign commitments to restore humanity to immigration policy, the Biden administration has largely continued Trump-era policies at the U.S.-Mexico border.  The National Immigrant Justice Center outlines what is needed to address the situation at the U.S. border to respect both domestic and international law and the dignity of people seeking protection. MORE

Still Awaiting Court Dates, Migrants Suffer the Effects of ‘Band-Aid’ Fixes to Our Broken Immigration System

When asylum seekers arrive in the United States, so long as they are not rapidly deported or expelled, the government is generally supposed to issue them a “Notice to Appear” (NTA). This charging document formally begins the immigration court process. But nearly 600,000 migrants who crossed into the United States and were released at the border since March 2021 were not given an NTA when they entered. This has left them without court dates, which could make it harder for them to navigate the complicated asylum process. MORE

TAKE ACTION: Ask Your Member of Congress to Co-Sponsor the Earth Bill

The urgent need to protect and care for God's creation has never been more evident than in recent years. The Earth Act to Stop Climate Pollution by 2030, also referred to as The Earth Bill, is slated to be introduced in this Congress. The bill aims to get us on track to mitigate the impacts of climate change by focusing on three main areas of importance: Electricity, Zero-Emission Vehicles, and Regenerative Agriculture Production. Franciscan Action Network urges us to ask our representatives to co-sponsor this bill. TAKE ACTION

Big Oil’s Trade Group Allies Outspent Clean Energy Groups by a Whopping 27x, With Billions in Ads and Lobbying to Keep Fossil Fuels Flowing

Trade associations historically opposed to climate policies spent $2 billion in the decade from 2008 to 2018 on political activities, such as advertising, lobbying, and political contributions. Together, they outspent climate-supporting industry groups 27 to 1. The oil and gas sector was the largest, spending $1.3 billion. These practices have been going on for decades, and evidence shows that industry groups have played key roles in blocking state and federal climate policies. MORE

Navigator’s Proposed Carbon Pipeline Struggles to Gain Support in Illinois

A farming county in Western Illinois doesn’t usually get many attendees at its board meetings. However, audiences—and their complaints—have grown over the last few months since Texas-based Navigator CO2 Ventures proposed running part of a 1,300-mile carbon dioxide pipeline through a chunk of farmland and residential areas. McDonough County residents are asking officials to stand their ground as Navigator offers payments totaling up to $18.9 million to the county in exchange for its support. MORE

Foreign Diplomats Trap and Abuse Domestic Workers in Private Households Across London

Domestic workers are being held as modern slaves in diplomatic households across London, where they are forced to work up to 18 hours a day, wash themselves with buckets of cold water, and eat leftover food scraps from their employers. The workers, largely women from the Philippines and Indonesia, are hired by foreign diplomats via international recruitment agencies and provided with visas to live and work in the UK. MORE

Could Survivors Help ‘Fix’ Anti-Trafficking?

Human trafficking survivors are no longer being treated as mere targets of interventions. Instead, anti-trafficking organizations are working to involve them in policy and program design and implementation and support them to become effective advocates in their own right. After all, survivors know best what happened to them. They will have valuable insights into what could prevent others from falling into similar traps. MORE

Embracing Financial Protections for Abuse Survivors

Financial abuse in intimate partner relationships is often accompanied by other forms of violence, such as physical or psychological mistreatment. More than half of domestic violence survivors experience coerced or fraudulent debt of more than $10,000 a year.  In California, a new bill will compel creditors to recognize coerced debt if a survivor can provide proof, such as a police report, a court order specifying financial abuse, an identity theft report, or a letter from a professional, such as a domestic violence advocate or clinical social worker.   MORE

Only 38 Percent of Prison Staff-On-Inmate Sexual Misconduct Results in Legal Action

Only 38 percent of incidents of a prison staff member engaging in sexual misconduct against an inmate resulted in legal action over a three-year study period, according to a new Department of Justice (DOJ) report. Authorities reported 2,229 such incidents conducted by staff members and 2,666 conducted by inmates during that period. MORE

Surging Number of US Teen Girls Face Sexual Violence and Extreme Sadness

Child development experts and other advocates say that new federal data regarding the struggles of adolescents in the United States should serve as an urgent call to action, as teenage girls reported facing rising levels of sexual violence as well as suicidal thoughts and depression in a survey taken by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The survey found that 14% of girls reported that they had been forced to have sex—an increase of 27% since the last time the survey was taken in 2019.  MORE

TAKE ACTION: Demand Congress Act to Pass the Billionaire Minimum Income Tax 

In his State of the Union address, President Biden called on Congress to pass the Billionaire Minimum Income Tax, to ensure households worth over $100 million are paying a fairer share in taxes. The Billionaire Minimum Income Tax would ensure the very wealthiest Americans are paying an effective tax rate of at least 20% on their full income each year. Americans for Tax Fairness urges us to tell Congress: Pass President Biden’s Billionaire Minimum Income Tax. TAKE ACTION

Over 30 Million in U.S. Face 'Hunger Cliff' as Food Benefit Cuts Loom

Hunger is expected to soar across the United States next month when more than 30 million people enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) see their food benefits slashed significantly.  A family of four could see their monthly benefit cut by about $328 a month. The worst hit could be elderly Americans who receive the minimum monthly benefit. They could see their SNAP payments tumble from $281 to as little as $23 per month. MORE

As Lawmakers Spar Over Social Security, Its Costs Are Rising Fast

President Biden scored an early political point this month in his dispute with congressional Republicans over taxes, spending, and raising the federal debt limit: He forced Republican leaders to profess, repeatedly, that they will not seek cuts to Social Security and Medicare. New forecasts from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office show Medicare and Social Security spending growth rapidly outpacing the growth in federal tax revenues over the next 10 years.  MORE

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