Widespread Gang Violence in Haiti Continues, Bolstered by Weapons Trafficked from the U.S.

Months of raging gang violence came to a head this week in Haiti. The prime minister, currently stranded in Puerto Rico, announced he would resign as soon as a transitional government is in place. Meanwhile, the widespread violence has recently been made worse by an influx of powerful weapons which PBS reports are coming mostly from the U.S. MORE

Profound Damage Found in Maine Gunman’s Brain, Possibly from Blasts

A respected laboratory at Boston University found that the Army Reserve member who carried out the deadliest mass shooting in Maine’s history in October had significant brain damage of the kind seen in military veterans who were repeatedly exposed to blasts during their service. The shooter, who never saw combat, was a grenade instructor for many years. MORE

TAKE ACTION: Urge the House to Show Leadership on Nuclear Weapons by Cosponsoring H. Res. 77

The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) bans the threat, possession, and use of nuclear weapons for those countries that have ratified it. So far, 93 countries have signed the treaty and 70 have ratified it. Unfortunately, the U.S. government is standing firm in actively opposing the treaty. Back from the Brink urges us to tell our Representatives to co-sponsor and pass H.Res 77 to embrace the goals and provisions of the TPNW and preserve peace and security for all. TAKE ACTION

Skyrocketing Cost of U.S. Nuclear Missile Program Spurs Reckoning

Facing pressure from lawmakers, then-President Obama in 2016 elected to modernize the entire nuclear triad: land-based ICBMs, submarines, and bomber planes. While the estimated trillion-dollar price tag drew headlines, the actual cost of the unprecedented effort could far exceed that amount, given the ICBM modernization continues driving up costs. The latest alarm rang in January, when the Air Force overshot its projected budget by 37 percent, triggering a critical breach that requires the Pentagon to step in and review the program. MORE

The Danger of the President’s Nuclear Powers

In the United States, it’s up to one person to decide whether the world becomes engulfed in nuclear war. Only the president has the authority to launch any of the roughly 3,700 nuclear weapons in the American stockpile, an arsenal capable of destroying all human life many times over. And that authority is absolute: No other person in the U.S. government serves as a check or balance once he or she decides to go nuclear. Should any one person have that much power? MORE

El Paso Judge Blocks Ken Paxton’s Efforts to Subpoena Annunciation House

A state judge this week blocked Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s attempts to investigate an El Paso migrant shelter and questioned the state's intentions behind demanding documents from the non-governmental organization. In an order essentially blocking Paxton’s subpoena of Annunciation House, state district court Judge Francisco Dominguez suggested the attorney general may want to shut down the network of migrant shelters for political reasons. MORE

Georgia House Passes Immigration Enforcement Bill After Athens Killing

The Georgia House advanced a bill that would allow police to arrest, with probable cause, anyone suspected of being undocumented and deliver them for deportation. The advancement of this bill comes after the recent killing of a 22-year-old nursing student in Athens, Georgia. The suspect charged in her death is an undocumented immigrant. The bill now moves to the state Senate. MORE

Showdown Between Texas Authorities and the Federal Government Headed to the Supreme Court

A Texas law that allows local law enforcement to arrest migrants, state court judges to issue removal orders, and state officials to remove migrants to Mexico, is on its way to the Supreme Court.  Texas Senate Bill 4 (SB4), which was signed into law in November and was set to go into effect on March 5, has become the source of heated litigation.  Two separate lawsuits allege that Texas is unlawfully assuming the role of the federal government with respect to immigration enforcement and removal. MORE

TAKE ACTION: Protect Iowa from Carbon Pipelines

The threat of proposed carbon pipelines continues to loom large for people across Iowa. HF 565 would put an end to the use of eminent domain for carbon pipelines. This bill passed the State House last year with bipartisan support, but the State Senate refused to take it up. But the Senate has another chance to vote and pass it this year if key committee members act to bring it for a vote. Food and Water Watch encourages us to tell our state senators to support HF 565 and protect Iowa from carbon pipelines. TAKE ACTION

'You Are Not Alone': In Community, Young People Find Antidotes to Climate Anxiety

A 2021 survey of young people, ages 16-25, found that more than half (59%) were very or extremely worried about climate change, and 84% were at least moderately worried. Nearly half (45%) said their feelings about climate change negatively affected their daily life and functioning. It can include a range of feelings, from helplessness and sadness, to hopelessness and despair. Action, community, and spirituality all help address the sense of doom that young people feel about the future because of climate change.   MORE

North Korean Forced Labor and Sexual Abuse in Chinese Factories Exposed

Over 100,000 North Koreans are working in China under forced labor conditions. In a seafood processing plant workers told undercover investigators that they were detained against their will and threatened with violent punishment if they tried to escape. Women interviewed also reported sexual abuse and, in some cases, sex trafficking, purportedly to maintain income quotas set by North Korea. MORE

India Says It Uncovers Trafficking Racket Duping People into Fighting for Russia in Ukraine

India said it had uncovered a "major human trafficking network" that lured young men to Russia with the promise of jobs only to force them to fight in the war in Ukraine. About 35 men have been sent to Russia in the scheme so far. At least two men who went to Russia expecting to work as "helpers" in the army have died while fighting at the front, their families have said. MORE

EU Parliament, Council Agree to Ban Products Made with Forced Labor

The European Union Council and the European Parliament recently reached a tentative agreement to prohibit the importation of goods produced using forced labor into the European single market. The regulation proposes a comprehensive enforcement framework, including investigations into companies’ supply chains. If forced labor is detected, implicated products must be removed from the E.U. market and can be confiscated, with options for donation, recycling, or destruction.  MORE

TAKE ACTION: Tell Congress to Pass the Billionaire Minimum Income Tax 

The Billionaire Minimum Income Tax could raise at least $360 billion over the next decade—creating a fairer tax system while lowering costs for working people. It has been introduced in the House by Representatives Steve Cohen (D-TN) and Don Beyer (D-VA). And, in the Senate, Finance Committee Chair Ron Wyden has introduced the legislation, which would also tax the wealth gains of billionaires and ultra-millionaires. Americans for Tax Fairness urges us to tell Congress to pass the Billionaire Minimum Income Tax. TAKE ACTION

Major U.S. Corporations Threaten to Return Labor to ‘Law of the Jungle’

Upset by the surge in union drives, several of the best-known corporations in the U.S. are seeking to cripple the country’s top labor watchdog, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), by having it declared unconstitutional. In recent weeks, Elon Musk’s SpaceX as well as Amazon, Starbucks, and Trader Joe’s have filed legal papers that advance novel arguments aimed at hobbling and perhaps shutting down the NLRB – the federal agency that enforces labor rights and oversees unionization efforts.  MORE

Investing in Women and Girls Makes Economic Sense and Accelerates Progress for Millions of People

In 2022, 388 million women and girls lived in extreme poverty. Investing in gender equality and women’s empowerment is not only more urgent than ever but also a smart investment to generate economic growth, food security, income opportunities, and better lives, particularly in rural areas where most of the world’s poorest live. That was the message on International Women’s Day last week from leaders at the United Nations agriculture and food agencies event, “Invest in Women: Accelerate Progress.” MORE

Willie Pye is scheduled to be executed on March 20 by the state of Georgia for the murder of Alicia Lynn Yarbrough. Please hold Willie, Alicia, their families, and the people of Georgia in prayer. TAKE ACTION

Michael Smith is scheduled to be executed on April 4 by the state of Oklahoma for the murder of Janet Moore and Sarath “Babu” Pulluru. Please hold Michael, Janet, Sarath, their families, and the people of Oklahoma in prayer. TAKE ACTION

Brian Dorsey is scheduled to be executed on April 9 by the state of  Missouri for the murders of Sarah and Ben Bonnie. Please hold Brian, Sarah, Ben, their families, and the people of Missouri in prayer. TAKE ACTION