TAKE ACTION: Tell the International Criminal Court – Israel Is Committing War Crimes

Since the start of its attack on Gaza, Israel has committed war crimes and crimes against humanity, giving the International Criminal Court (ICC) jurisdiction over this case. The people of Gaza cannot bring this issue to the ICC themselves since Israel has repeatedly cut off electricity and telecommunications. CODEPINK urges us to tell the ICC to investigate Israel’s war crimes in Gaza. TAKE ACTION

Inside the Youth-Led Campaign for a Demilitarized Future

In January 2020, Dissenters — a grassroots, youth-led antiwar movement — began with the mission to connect violence against Black and brown communities in the U.S. to the systems of oppression that fund, arm, and enable global militarism. Operating across the country through campus chapters, training fellowships, and a strong social media presence, Dissenters has been organizing for college divestment from weapons manufacturers, ending campus recruitment from military-affiliated companies, and disbanding campus police departments.  MORE

The Pentagon Just Can’t Pass an Audit

The Pentagon just failed its audit — again. For the sixth time in a row, the agency that accounts for half the money Congress approves each year can’t figure out what it did with all that money. For a brief recap, the Pentagon has never passed an audit. Until 2018, it had never even completed one. In its most recent audit, the Pentagon was able to account for just half of its $3.8 trillion in assets (including equipment, facilities, etc). That means $1.9 trillion is unaccounted for — more than the entire budget Congress agreed to for the current fiscal year. MORE

Nuclear Warnings Serve Putin's Purpose as He Bids for New Term

Vladimir Putin's potential six more years in power suggests ongoing nuclear tensions with the U.S. with the last treaty limiting warhead deployment nearing expiration.  Since the 2022 Ukraine invasion, Putin has claimed Russia's superior nuclear capability while denying aggression. Yet, he raised nuclear readiness, deploying tactical missiles in Belarus. MORE

“All is Connected”: Pope Francis, Nuclear Disarmament, and Climate Change

In a recent apostolic exhortation on climate change that CNN called “blistering,” Pope Francis rebukes the West for its “irresponsible lifestyle” and the “ethical decadence” of political leaders who have failed to address the problem. Earlier, Francis became the first pope explicitly to condemn not only the use but even the possession of nuclear weapons. On both issues, the Pope is warning, in apocalyptic terms, that humanity’s technological “progress” risks causing our own demise. MORE

Federal Judge Prohibits Separating Migrant Families at U.S. Border for 8 Years

A federal judge last week prohibited the separation of families at the border for purposes of deterring immigration for eight years, preemptively blocking the resumption of a lightning-rod, Trump-era policy that the former president hasn’t ruled out if voters return him to the White House next year. The judge also ordered that the government reunite children with their parents within 30 days, setting off a mad scramble because government databases weren’t linked. MORE

They Fled Climate Chaos. Asylum Law Made Decades Ago Might Not Help 

First came two devastating storms that left vulnerable people in dire need across Honduras in 2020. Then came violent drug cartels. As a result, many Hondurans fled to the southern U.S. border to claim asylum. Now immigration lawyers are testing a new idea: whether extreme climate change can be a reason to seek asylum. MORE

Backlog for Abused Young Immigrants Waiting for Green Cards Has Doubled

The case backlog for abused or abandoned immigrant youth awaiting green cards for their special status has more than doubled in the past two years, according to an analysis of federal data by advocacy groups. Currently, there is a backlog of more than 100,000 cases — up from 45,000 in 2021. MORE

TAKE ACTION: Support a Global Plastics Treaty

Plastic pollution is a global issue that destroys environments, diminishes biodiversity, increases global warming, and harbors immense potential to impact human health. The Global Plastics Treaty has the potential to end plastic pollution, protect human health, and lead to a waste-free world. EarthDay .org invites us to call on the United Nations and Governmental Organizations to commit to a Global Plastic Treaty that binds all to the same standards.  TAKE ACTION

In a First, Delegates at UN Climate Talks Agree to Transition Away from Planet-Warming Fossil Fuels

Nearly 200 countries agreed this week to move away from planet-warming fossil fuels — the first time they’ve made that crucial pledge in decades of U.N. climate talks though many warned the deal still had significant shortcomings. The agreement was approved without the floor fight many feared — and is stronger than a draft floated earlier in the week that angered several nations. But it didn’t call for an outright phasing out of oil, gas, and coal — and it gives nations significant wiggle room in their “transition” away from those fuels. MORE

Defying Pope's Calls for Climate Action, U.S. Catholic Bishops Cling to Fossil Fuels

Hundreds of Catholic institutions around the globe have announced plans to divest their finances of oil, gas, and coal to help fight climate change since Pope Francis published his landmark encyclical on environmental stewardship in 2015 urging a break with fossil fuels. But in the United States, the world's top oil and gas producer and where about a quarter of the population is Catholic, not a single diocese has announced it has let go of its fossil fuel assets. MORE

Online Scamming Industry Includes More Human Trafficking Victims

Human trafficking-fueled cyber fraud, which lures victims through fake job ads and forces them to work as online scammers, is becoming more prevalent across the world, according to the global crime-fighting organization, Interpol. The France-based group facilitates police coordination among countries. In its first operation dedicated to investigating this abuse, Interpol said it found a majority of cases existed in Southeast Asia, but scam centers using forced labor are also beginning to appear in Latin America. MORE

‘Substantial Volume’ of Clothing Tied to Uyghur Forced Labor Entering EU, Says Study

A “substantial volume” of clothing tainted by the use of Uyghur forced labor is entering the European Union market, according to a report, as campaigners say the EU’s checks are not doing enough to weed out coercive work from large supply chains. Dozens of well-known brands including H&M and Zara are identified as being at high risk of sourcing materials, particularly cotton and PVC, made by Uyghurs forced to participate in state-imposed labor programs. MORE

Police Officers Can Help Prevent Domestic Violence Killings by Asking the Right Questions

More than a third of the 4,970 female murder victims in 2021 were killed by an intimate partner. A new assessment practice, developed by the Maryland Network Against Domestic Violence, starts with an 11-question survey to determine whether a person’s life is at risk. The officer or first responder informs the victim of their score on the assessment and then calls a local domestic violence service hotline, connecting the hotline with the victim, if the victim is willing, to develop an immediate safety plan that might include an emergency shelter. MORE

Japanese Former Soldiers Found Guilty in Landmark Sexual Assault Case

Three former Japanese soldiers were found guilty of sexual assault in a case that has drawn attention to rampant harassment in the country’s military and complicated its efforts to recruit more women. The Fukushima district court sentenced the men to two years in prison, in line with prosecutors’ demands. Rina Gonoi, the 24-year-old victim, took the rare step of going public with her accusations, drawing widespread attention in Japan, where individual victims of such crimes rarely speak out in public against their assailants. MORE

How the Taliban Enables Violence Against Women

In just 28 months, the Taliban have dismantled Afghan women’s and girls’ rights — imposing draconian restrictions regarding their education, employment, and freedom of movement. Any perceived violation of these oppressive policies is often met with harassment, intimidation, and verbal and physical abuse orchestrated by the Taliban’s Ministry of Vice and Virtue. And when women are detained by authorities, they have been subjected to cruel treatment, including torture. MORE

TAKE ACTION: Tell Congress to Agree on Top-Line Numbers That Don’t Cut Critical Programs for Low-Income and Working People

Congress only has until January 19th and February 2nd before the two continuing resolutions passed by Congress expire, which will lead to a federal government shutdown if spending bills aren't passed. Over the next few days, before Congress adjourns for the remainder of 2023, they must agree on top-line spending numbers for 2024.  The Coalition on Human Needs invites us to dissuade those in Congress who are demanding a 9.4% cut to non-defense spending across the board—a cut of more than $70 billion to domestic spending programs. TAKE ACTION

Biden Administration Asserts Power to Seize Drug Patents in Move to Slash High Prices

The Biden administration last week opened the door to seizing the patents of certain costly medications from drugmakers in a new push to control high drug prices and promote more pharmaceutical competition. The administration unveiled a framework outlining the factors federal agencies should consider in deciding whether to use a controversial policy, known as march-in rights, to take patents for drugs developed with taxpayer funds and share them with other pharmaceutical companies if the public cannot “reasonably” access the medications. MORE

Kenneth Smith is scheduled to be executed in Alabama 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