TAKE ACTION: Urge President Joe Biden and Congress to Ban Weapons of War

Military-style semi-automatic assault weapons are designed to efficiently kill as many people as possible in the shortest amount of time available. There is absolutely no reason for assault rifles, assault pistols, and assault shotguns to be sold on the civilian market. Americans deserve a strong response from the federal government to keep our families and communities safe. The Newtown Action Alliance asks us to sign their petition to President Biden and Congress to ban assault weapons. TAKE ACTION

Sudan’s Conflict Escalates, Endangering Millions

With war crimes rampant throughout the country and little hope for a resolution in sight, the two warlords that have been fighting for national control of Sudan since April show no signs of stopping. Since the start of the conflict, basic services have become scarce and expensive; more than 3.5 million people have been displaced, 80 percent of the country’s hospitals have shut down, and the International Criminal Court launched an investigation into the violence in Darfur. MORE

Russia to Equip New Nuclear Submarines with Hypersonic Missiles

Russia is in the process of equipping its new nuclear submarines with hypersonic Zircon missiles. The nuclear-powered cruise missile submarines, built to replace Soviet-era nuclear attack submarines, are part of a program to modernize the army and fleet. The sea-based Zircon hypersonic missiles have a range of 560 miles and can travel at several times the speed of sound, making it difficult to defend against them. MORE

US, Japanese Bishops Pledge to Work Toward 'World Without Nuclear Weapons'

On the 78th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki, Archbishop Paul Etienne of Seattle and Archbishop John Wester of Santa Fe, New Mexico, joined three Japanese bishops in a formal pledge to concretely work toward "a world without nuclear weapons." They urged world leaders to take specific steps toward the abolition of nuclear weapons, outlined actions they will take in their own archdioceses and diocese, and said they will work with other dioceses and faith traditions to create an interfaith partnership. MORE

North Korea's Kim Orders Making More Missiles Ahead of South Korea, US Drills

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has called for an increase in missile production to help secure "overwhelming military power" and be ready for war, as South Korea and the United States gear up for annual military drills. South Korea and the United States said on Monday that they would stage the summer exercises on Aug. 21-31 to improve their ability to respond to North Korea's evolving nuclear and missile threats. MORE

NYC Mayor Eric Adams Asks the White House to Declare a State of Emergency Over Asylum Seekers

New York City Mayor Eric Adams called on the federal government to declare a state of emergency to manage the migrant crisis at the southern U.S. border, saying migrant arrivals in the city could cost billions of dollars in the coming years. More than 57,000 migrants are under the city's care on an average night, he said. MORE

Eagle Pass Residents Sour on Texas Border Measures

Magali Urbina of Eagle Pass, Texas, supported Gov. Greg Abbott's initial measures to stop unauthorized border crossings. But as Abbott toughened measures, she said it became too much when she saw a pregnant woman push her way through concertina wire, her arms cut and bloodied. Urbina’s story reflects how many in the region initially supported or tolerated the measures, but have since dropped support. MORE

A Visa Program Created to Help Law Enforcement Solve Crimes Puts Immigrant Victims at Risk Instead

If they are a victim of certain crimes in the U.S., immigrants can apply for the U visa, a type of visa that presents an opportunity for a faster pathway to citizenship. But applicants describe a program whose years-long delays put them in immigration limbo, spending months helping law enforcement catch their perpetrators while trying to survive in the country without the means to work legally.  According to the latest report from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, more than 300,000 U visa applications are pending. MORE

TAKE ACTION: Stop Big Banks from Funding Fossil Fuels

As the world experiences the hottest temperatures in all human history, big banks continue to shovel money into fossil-fuel projects. Since the Paris Agreement, the four largest U.S. banks have invested $1.4 trillion into more fossil fuels.  The Fossil Free Finance Act (FFFA) would require big banks to cut financing of greenhouse gas pollution by 50% by 2030 and stop all financing by 2050.  GreenAmerica urges us to tell our members of Congress to co-sponsor the Fossil Free Finance Act. TAKE ACTION

Research Shows a Decrease of 98% in Single-Use Bags in the UK Since 2014

The UK has reduced single-use plastic bags from major supermarkets by 98% since 2014 when they started charging for them with the average person now taking just two single-use bags a year, compared to 140 before the charge was introduced. MORE

Biden Creates New National Monument Near Grand Canyon, Citing Tribal Heritage, Climate Concerns

President Joe Biden last week signed a national monument designation for the greater Grand Canyon, turning the decades-long visions of Native American tribes and environmentalists into reality. The move, which will protect the area from uranium mining, preserves about 1,562 square miles just to the north and south of Grand Canyon National Park. It encompasses canyons, plateaus, and tributaries that feed a range of plants and wildlife, including bison, elk, desert bighorn sheep, and rare species of cactus. MORE

FBI Rescues 200 Human Trafficking Victims in 2-Week Sting

Some 200 men and women are safe after a nationwide FBI sting on human trafficking. Agents found the victims over a two-week period in July in Milwaukee they called "Operation Cross Country XIII." Operation Cross Country XIII arrested or identified 126 human traffickers and identified another 68 traffickers. The biggest net was the victims, 200 of them, including 59 children. MORE

Why Ron DeSantis’s Florida Slavery Curriculum Is Problematic

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is facing mounting criticism for newly approved curriculum guidelines in the state. These guidelines instruct students to learn that enslaved people “developed skills” that could be “applied for personal benefit.”  As critics point out, this narrative belies the harsh realities of chattel slavery—a brutal system that deprived millions of their freedom, autonomy, and lives. This revisionist approach softens the enormity of the injustices suffered by enslaved people and absolves those responsible for these acts. MORE

Protests Erupt in Bulgaria After Attacks on Woman by Ex-Partner Called ‘Mild’

Thousands of Bulgarians have taken to the streets to protest against violence against women after a harrowing case of a teen cut hundreds of times shocked the Balkan nation. Approximately 5,000 people demonstrated in Sofia, while protests also took place in other cities across the country, where rallies over violence against women are rare. MORE

Teaching Parents How to Prevent Teen Relationship Violence

In many societies prevailing attitudes and traditional beliefs that women are subordinate to men serve to justify violence against women, and then blame women for the violence they experience. Children who have experienced abuse or neglect have a higher risk of becoming the victim or perpetrator of intimate partner violence. A new parenting program provides parents and caregivers with the tools to teach their kids about healthy and respectful relationships during their adolescence, to help prevent intimate partner violence before it begins. MORE

TAKE ACTION: Make Voter Registration Automatic in Your State

Every election season, thousands of volunteers toil endless hours on a task that need not exist at all: registering voters. And voters are denied the right to vote when told they are not registered. Twenty-three states have made voter registration automatic (Iowa is not one of them). Roots Action urges us to contact our state legislators and governor letting them know voter registration needs to be automatic. TAKE ACTION

In Pursuit of 'Housing Justice for All,' Cori Bush Reintroduces Unhoused Bill of Rights

Rep. Cori Bush (D-Mo.) has reintroduced the Unhoused Bill of Rights, which would provide universal housing to roughly 1.5 million people living on the streets by 2025. It is the first federal resolution that declares unalienable rights for unhoused persons. Rep. Bush, who has experienced homelessness, wants to find concrete solutions to the criminalization, discrimination, and dehumanization that unhoused people face at the hands of law enforcement, businesses, and society. MORE

Chasing the Dream of Equity: How Policy Has Shaped Racial Economic Disparities

Most American families’ wealth is closely tied to the value of their home, but this tie is even stronger for Black and brown families. However, a legacy of exclusionary zoning and other forms of explicit housing discrimination has curtailed the accumulation of wealth among Black families. In fact, the typical Black family has just one-eighth the wealth of the typical white family. 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