TAKE ACTION: Support the ARMAS Act to Reduce Gun Violence in Mexico and Central America

The Americas Regional Monitoring of Arms Sales (ARMAS) Act has recently been re-introduced in Congress.  This critical legislation would help provide accountability for the sale of arms from the United States into Mexico and is a big step in the right direction for curbing the flow of weapons. The need could not be more critical, as gun violence in Mexico and Central America has created chaos and heartache on an unimaginable scale. Global Exchange invites us to tell our members of Congress to co-sponsor the ARMAS Act. TAKE ACTION

How Restorative Justice Works at a Milwaukee Public School, a Decade In

Restorative justice is a framework that focuses on repairing the damage from breaking a rule or committing a crime, instead of punishment. Restorative practices have spread through school districts across the country in recent years. In the last school year, the Wisconsin Safe & Healthy Schools Center trained over 300 school staff, from over a quarter of Wisconsin's school districts, in restorative practices. The goal is to help students build positive relationships and learn strategies for resolving conflicts. MORE

The Companies Profiting from Israel’s 2023 Attack on Gaza

Backed by $3.8 billion in annual military aid from the United States, Israeli forces have killed over 20,000 Palestinians in Gaza. Shortly after Oct. 7, the U.S. government started transferring to Israel massive amounts of weapons. These transfers have been deliberately shrouded in secrecy to avoid public scrutiny and prevent Congress from exercising any meaningful oversight. As of last week, the American Friends Service Committee's online database listed over two dozen companies profiting from the bloodshed in the Gaza Strip. MORE

Belarus Leader Says Russian Nuclear Weapons Shipments Are Completed, Raising Concern in the Region

The president of Belarus said this week that Russia has completed its shipments of tactical nuclear weapons to his country, an initiative that raised strong concerns in neighboring Poland and elsewhere in the region. President Alexander Lukashenko did not give details of how many weapons were sent or where they have been deployed. Tactical nuclear weapons, which are intended for use on the battlefield, have a short range and a low yield compared with much more powerful nuclear warheads fitted to long-range missiles. MORE

China Quietly Rebuilds Secretive Base for Nuclear Tests

In the remote desert where China detonated its first atom bomb nearly 60 years ago, a drilling rig recently bored a deep vertical shaft that is estimated to plunge down at least a third of a mile. It is the strongest evidence yet that Beijing is weighing whether to test a new generation of nuclear arms that could increase the lethality of its rapidly expanding missile force. MORE

No Room at the Inn? Migrants Face New York City Evictions  

It could be a cold, grim New Year for thousands of migrant families living in New York City's emergency shelter. Migrants are limited to a 60 day-stay in city housing. Many are being told they have to leave with no guarantee that they will be housed elsewhere. MORE

ACLU Files Lawsuit Challenging New Texas Law That Authorizes Police to Arrest Migrants

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) filed a federal lawsuit challenging the Texas immigration law allowing state law enforcement officers to arrest migrants suspected of crossing the U.S.-Mexico border without authorization. Immigrant advocates claim the law could result in the arrest of migrants authorized to be in the country as they await their asylum processing. MORE

Faith Groups Say More Foster Families Are Needed to Care for the Children Coming to the U.S. Alone

U.S. faith and community groups are seeking foster families to care for unaccompanied migrant children in overwhelmed government facilities. Nearly 140,000 unaccompanied minors were encountered in fiscal year 2023. Almost 10,000 remain in U.S. custody. MORE

TAKE ACTION: Urge Congress to Address the Climate Crisis and Protect Our Youth

Earlier this year, Congress reintroduced vital legislation known as the Children’s Fundamental Rights and Climate Recovery Resolution. This resolution recognizes the disproportionate impact of the climate crisis on the health, economic opportunities, and fundamental rights of children in the US. The League of Women Voters invites us to tell Congress to co-sponsor this important legislation to address climate change and protect our youth’s rights and future. TAKE ACTION

'Huge': 1,600+ Institutions Holding $41 Trillion in Assets Have Now Divested from Fossil Fuels

More than 1,600 institutions like universities, pension funds, and governments that hold more than $40.6 trillion in assets have now divested from fossil fuels, the Global Fossil Fuel Divestment Movement announced last week. Notable victories in 2023 included PMT, the largest private pension in the Netherlands; New York University, the National Academy of Medicine, and the Church of England. MORE

Chicago Archdiocese to Power Parishes, Schools With 100% Renewable Energy

The Chicago Archdiocese has announced that beginning in January its nearly 400 parishes, schools, cemeteries, and offices will switch to 100% renewable energy sources for its electricity needs. Through its energy supplier Direct Energy, the archdiocese has purchased enough renewable energy certificates, or RECs, to cover the electricity consumption for the coming year for the more than 2,000 buildings under its purview. MORE

India Probes Suspected Human Trafficking After 276 Nationals Return Home

India has launched an investigation into how 303 Indians ended up on a chartered flight that was grounded in France last week because of suspected human trafficking. Tipped off by an anonymous informant, French authorities prevented the plane from flying to its listed destination of Nicaragua from a refueling stopover at an airport in northeastern France. It had taken off from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) with 11 unaccompanied minors among the passengers, 276 of whom returned to India this week. MORE

Pornhub's Parent Company to Pay $1.8 Million to Settle Sex Trafficking Charge 

The owner of Pornhub, one of the world's largest adult content websites, has admitted to profiting from sex trafficking and agreed to make payments to women whose videos were posted without their consent. The deal calls for the company to pay more than $1.8 million to the U.S. government, as well as make separate payments to the individual women harmed by the trafficking.   MORE

A New Bill Would Train Hairdressers to Help Clients Experiencing Domestic Violence

Hairdressers, barbers, aestheticians - all can be privy to some of their clients' deepest secrets. And when it comes to domestic violence, they might be helpful. Now there is a bill intended to provide them with training to recognize signs of abuse in their clients. MORE

Shootings Dip in Chicago but Grow in Domestic Violence Cases

Chicago is expected to end 2023 with a double-digit decline in both shootings and homicides, a sign that the pandemic-era rise in gun violence is beginning to recede. But citywide data shows that a small subset of Chicago’s shootings — those involving domestic violence — have accelerated this year, a spike that is prompting new alarm among advocates for victims. MORE

Smart Home Devices: Survivor Privacy and Safety for the “Smart” Home 

Internet-connected "smart" devices can be helpful and convenient, but they can also be misused by abusers in order to harass and control a victim. The Safety Net Project has been written for survivors who want to understand how this technology might be used against them and to explore options for increasing privacy and safety. MORE

TAKE ACTION: Demand Congress Act to Protect the Freedom to Vote

Across the country, state legislatures are moving to restrict voting rights and limit democracy. The Freedom to Vote Act addresses this threat by creating national standards to protect our freedom to vote, getting big money out of politics, combating partisan election subversion, and guaranteeing that congressional districts are drawn to give fair representation to all. People for the American Way invite us to tell Congress to bring this important legislation to a hearing and a vote in both chambers of Congress. TAKE ACTION

Iowa Won’t Participate in U.S. Food Assistance Program for Kids This Summer

Iowa will not participate this summer in a federal program that gives $40 per month to each child in a low-income family to help with food costs while school is out, state officials have announced. “Federal COVID-era cash benefit programs are not sustainable and don’t provide long-term solutions for the issues impacting children and families. An EBT card does nothing to promote nutrition at a time when childhood obesity has become an epidemic,” Iowa Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds said in the news release. MORE

Kenneth Smith is scheduled to be executed on January 25, 2024, by the state of Alabama for the murder of Elizabeth Sennett. Please hold Kenneth, Elizabeth, their families, and the people of Alabama in prayer. TAKE ACTION

James Ryder is scheduled to be executed on February 1 by the state of Oklahoma for the murders of Daisy Hallum and Sam Hallum. Please hold James, Daisy, Sam, their families, and the people of Oklahoma in prayer. TAKE ACTION