TAKE ACTION: Stop Weapon Sales to Israel and Ceasefire Now

Since October 7th, the United States has sent billions of dollars of military aid to Israel, including emergency sales of weapons bypassing Congress. The United States has continued providing tank shells, bullets, and missiles without any kind of condition whatsoever. The United States plays a critical role in fueling this genocidal violence. Global Exchange asks us to tell the Biden Administration and Congress to halt any and all weapons sales to Israel. TAKE ACTION

The Biden Administration Announces Rule That Will Require More Background Checks on Gun Buyers

Thousands more firearms dealers across the United States will have to run background checks on buyers when selling at gun shows or other places outside brick-and-mortar stores, according to a Biden administration rule that will soon go into effect. The rule aims to close a loophole that has allowed tens of thousands of guns to be sold every year by unlicensed dealers who don’t perform background checks to ensure the potential buyer is not legally prohibited from having a firearm. MORE

Last Year, Americans Spent More Than a Month’s Rent on Pentagon Contractors

Ever wonder where your taxes go? Each year, the Institute for Policy Studies releases a tax receipt so you can find out. One item always stands out: the Pentagon — and the contractors who profit off it. In 2023, the average taxpayer spent $2,974 on the Pentagon. Of that, just $705 went to salaries for the troops, who often have to rely on programs like food stamps. A much larger sum — $1,748 — went to corporate Pentagon contractors. That’s more than the average American’s monthly rent, $1,372. MORE

With Nuclear Deal Dead, Containing Iran Grows More Fraught

When Iran agreed to a deal in 2015 that would require it to surrender 97 percent of the uranium it could use to make nuclear bombs, Russia and China worked alongside the United States and Europe to get the pact done. The Russians even took Iran’s nuclear fuel, for a hefty fee, prompting celebratory declarations that President Vladimir V. Putin could cooperate with the West on critical security issues and help constrain a disruptive regime in a volatile region. A lot has changed in the subsequent nine years. MORE

Environmental Impacts of Underground Nuclear Weapons Testing

Up until 1996, more than 2,000 nuclear tests were conducted, three-quarters of which were underground. What is their environmental legacy? In the early days of the nuclear age, little was known about the impacts of radioactive “fallout —the residual and activated radioactive material that falls to the ground after a nuclear explosion. Nearly three decades after the nuclear-armed states stopped testing nuclear weapons, the effects of past tests persist in various forms which continue to impact populations at and near closed nuclear test sites. MORE

Migrant Deaths Overwhelm Texas Border County

Record-breaking migration has brought an unprecedented number of deaths to the border community of Maverick County, Texas. However, even though the high number of U.S.-Mexico border crossings draws national attention, the rising number of deaths in the Rio Grande has gone largely unnoticed. MORE

The Federal Government Is Cutting Aid for Migrant Shelters and Services. What Will States Do Now?

Congress has cut $150 million from the Shelter and Services Program (SSP) under the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). This funding allows states, localities, and NGOs to recuperate some of the costs they sustain in providing services, such as shelter and medical care, to migrants. The cuts to SSP funding threaten to undermine the critical infrastructures that states and localities have employed to welcome newly arrived migrants over the past two years. MORE

College Offering Nursing Courses to Migrants and Asylum-Seekers in California

Migrants and asylum seekers can study to become nursing assistants at no cost at the San Diego College of Continuing Education. Courses are open to everyone but may especially help people who have been doctors and nurses in their home countries to learn what California's standards and requirements are for medical workers, said one professor. MORE

TAKE ACTION: Support the Break Free from Plastic Pollution Act

Several states have already passed laws to reduce plastic pollution and ban single-use plastic bags – now, we can do it across the country with the newly reintroduced Break Free from Plastic Pollution Act, which would help reduce plastic pollution and build a more sustainable future. Food and Water Watch asks us to tell our members of Congress to support the Break Free from Plastic Pollution Act. TAKE ACTION

‘Water Is More Valuable Than Oil’: The Corporation Cashing in on America’s Drought

In an unprecedented deal, a private company purchased land in a tiny Arizona town – and sold its water rights to a suburb 200 miles away. Experts expect that such transfers will become more common as thirsty towns across the West seek increasingly scarce water.  Local residents fear the agreement has ‘opened Pandora’s box’. MORE

Majority of Recent CO2 Emissions Linked to Just 57 Producers, Report Says

The vast majority of planet-warming carbon dioxide emissions since 2016 can be traced to a group of 57 fossil fuel and cement producers, according to a new study. The report found most companies had expanded their fossil fuel production since 2015, the year when nearly all countries signed the U.N. Paris Agreement, committing to take action to curb climate change.  MORE

TAKE ACTION: Urge Governors to End the Unjust Incarceration of Trafficking Victims

Across the country and for many years, victims of child sex trafficking have been sentenced to jail for crimes they were caused to commit by the trafficker. Rather than being identified as a victim and given care, they are identified as criminals, adding to their trauma. Governors are in a unique position to remedy this injustice. As leaders in their state, they hold the power to identify and respond to child trafficking victims within the criminal justice system. Shared Hope urges us to tell our Governors to address this issue and support survivors. TAKE ACTION

Fashion Retailer Faces Boycott Amid Allegations of Uyghur Forced Labor in China 

Chicago-based human rights organization Justice for All has called for a boycott of Shein, alleging it is involved in the forced labor of Uyghur Muslims in China. Tests conducted in late 2022 revealed that Shein's clothing contains fibers sourced from Xinjiang cotton, which is prohibited in the U.S. under the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act. Shein's shipments often evade scrutiny through the de minimis rule, which exempts packages under $800 from customs inspections, enabling them to enter the U.S. without thorough examination. MORE

Grants Pass v. Johnson: Here's What Led to Key Homelessness Case Before High Court

Grants Pass, a small town in southern Oregon, is at the center of a U.S. Supreme Court case that is expected to have broad implications for homelessness policy across the entire country. The court is scheduled to hear oral arguments in Grants Pass v. Johnson on April 22 to determine whether, under our Constitution, a local government can make it a crime to involuntarily live outside and unsheltered, when adequate shelter is not available. MORE

Biden’s Latest Plan for Student Loan Cancellation Moves Forward as a Proposed Regulation

The Biden administration has published its new student loan forgiveness proposal, putting it on the path to start clearing debt for millions of borrowers this fall. The president’s new plan would wipe out the entire debt amount held by about 4 million people, give debt relief of at least $5,000 to 10 million borrowers, and reduce the undergraduate and graduate student debt of 23 million people whose interest would be eliminated. MORE

After Rejecting Millions in Federal EBT Aid, Iowa Starts $900,000 Summer Meal Grant

Iowa turned down millions in federal funding for the Summer EBT meal program. The state recently announced a $900,000 competitive grant program to support local groups working to expand summer meal sites and services. Iowa is one of 17 states that declined to participate in the Summer EBT program this year, effectively turning down around $29 million in federal food aid for low-income families in the form of grocery debit cards. MORE

Jamie Mills is scheduled to be executed on May 30 by the state of Alabama for the murders of Vera and Floyd Hill of Guin.  Please hold Jamie, Vera, Floyd, their families, and the people of Alabama in prayer. TAKE ACTION

Wade Greely Lay is scheduled to be executed on June 6 by the state of Oklahoma for the murder of Kenny Anderson. Please hold Wade, Kenny, their families, and the people of Oklahoma in prayer. TAKE ACTION

David Hosier is scheduled to be executed on June 11 by the state of Missouri for the murder of Angela Gilpin. Please hold David, Angela, their families, and the people of Missouri in prayer. TAKE ACTION