Why Peace Games? Insights from East Asia

Peace games are simulations of primarily diplomatic engagement (but also using military and economic tools) that seek to explore and improve statecraft to advance peace and reduce the risks of conflict. Just as war games are valuable for militaries to explore how conflicts might play out under different scenarios and to test the efficacy of operational plans, peace games are valuable for studying how adversarial relations can be improved and to test the efficacy of diplomatic strategies. MORE

Suicides Make Up Majority of Gun Deaths but Remain Overlooked in Gun Violence Debate

When gun violence in America is discussed, people typically think about mass shootings, homicides, or even domestic violence. But, in fact, the majority of gun-related deaths in the United States are suicides. In 2023, more than 42,967 people died from gun-related injuries. Over half of those deaths were suicides. MORE

The Supreme Court Effectively Abolishes the Right to Mass Protest in Three U.S. States

The Supreme Court announced last week that it will not hear Mckesson v. Doe. The decision not to hear Mckesson leaves in place a lower court decision that effectively eliminated the right to organize a mass protest in the states of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas. Under that lower court decision, a protest organizer faces potentially ruinous financial consequences if a single attendee at a mass protest commits an illegal act. MORE

Iranian Commander Says Tehran Could Review 'Nuclear Doctrine' Amid Israeli Threats

Iran could review its "nuclear doctrine" following Israeli threats, a senior Iranian Revolutionary Guards commander said last week, raising concerns about Tehran's nuclear program which it has always said was strictly for peaceful purposes. "The threats of the Zionist regime (Israel) against Iran's nuclear facilities make it possible to review our nuclear doctrine and deviate from our previous considerations," Ahmad Haghtalab, the Guards commander in charge of nuclear security, was quoted as saying. MORE

By Sending Nuclear Weapons to the United Kingdom, Could the United States Be Fueling Nuclear Proliferation?

For the first time in 15 years, the United States is reportedly planning to station nuclear weapons in the United Kingdom, a decision many experts interpret as attempting to counter growing geopolitical instability. The stationing of nuclear weapons is a convenient loophole to the safeguards of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). While certain countries under the NPT are non-nuclear weapons states and cannot develop their own nuclear weapons programs, they can host weapons stationed by nuclear weapons states. MORE

TAKE ACTION: Urge Congress to Support Unaccompanied Children and their Families in FY 2025 and Supplemental Funding Efforts

Congress can ensure unaccompanied children and their caregivers receive the support they need by providing supplemental funding for the federal government this fiscal year and the annual budget for the next fiscal year. Church World Service asks us to tell Congress to robustly fund protections for unaccompanied children by investing in post-release services, home studies, child advocates, legal representation, mental health services, and local services that support them and their families.  TAKE ACTION

USCIS Re-Issues Temporary Rule to Extend Work Permits for 800,000 Immigrant Workers

Thousands of immigrant workers with pending work permit renewals, and their employers, breathed a sigh of relief. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued a temporary rule that automatically extends the validity period of their work permits for up to 540 days, or about a year and a half. MORE

U.S. Resumes Deportation Flights to Haiti Despite Continuing Bloodshed

More than 70 Haitians expelled from the United States have been flown back to Haiti on the first deportation flight since heavily armed gangs launched a bloody insurrection that has paralyzed the capital and forced the prime minister from office. The flight, which landed in the port city of Cap-Haïtien last week, was described as “inhumane” by human rights activists who warned that deportees would likely be targeted by the criminal factions who control most of the country. MORE

TAKE ACTION: Ban Water Futures Trading

No one should be allowed to gamble with water – but that’s exactly what financial speculators are trying to do by trading water futures on the stock market.  Allowing financial speculators to profit off and drive up prices on a resource is dangerous.  Senator Elizabeth Warren and Representative Ro Khanna just re-introduced legislation to ban water futures trading.  Food and Water Watch asks us to tell our members of Congress to co-sponsor the Future of Water Act to ban water futures trading. TAKE ACTION

What Is Curtailment? An Electricity Market Expert Explains Why States Sometimes Have Too Much Wind or Solar Power

Sometimes wind and solar power produce more electricity than the local grid can handle.  Curtailment describes any action that reduces the amount of electricity generated to maintain the balance between supply and demand. So grid managers reduce production to manage that oversupply.   This can be a lost opportunity.  Better energy storage and transmission could move extra energy to where it’s needed instead of shutting it off. MORE

One Problem for Renewables: Not Enough Rare Earths. One Solution: Recycling. But There’s a Hitch.

To build all of the solar panels, wind turbines, electric vehicle batteries, and other technologies necessary to fight climate change, we’re going to need a lot more metals. Mining those metals from the Earth creates damage and pollution that threaten ecosystems and communities. But there’s another potential source of the copper, nickel, aluminum, and rare-earth minerals needed to stabilize the climate: the mountain of electronic waste humanity discards each year. MORE

Modern Slavery Victims at the Heart of U.K.’s Controversial Rwanda Deportation Policy

The United Kingdom recently passed a controversial bill to send asylum seekers to Rwanda. The government’s decision to not exempt victims of modern slavery from the Rwanda deportation scheme has sparked significant criticism. Instead of providing actual protections, the government proposed an amendment to simply produce an annual report on the policy’s impact on these victims. MORE

Thailand on the Verge of Returning Fisheries to Exploitative Conditions, Warn Advocates

Thailand is considering significant amendments to its fisheries laws, raising concerns about the protection of workers and the sustainability of its seafood industry. The proposed changes include reduced penalties for illegal fishing and deregulation of destructive fishing methods, raising fears of a resurgence in unethical and unsustainable practices. Moreover, labor protections, particularly for migrant workers at sea, are also under threat. MORE

TAKE ACTION: End Shameful Felony Disenfranchisement

Every American deserves to be heard in our democracy – and have our voices matter in decisions that affect our family, friends, and community. But right now felony disenfranchisement laws deny 4.6 million Americans this fundamental right. The Coalition on Human Needs urges us to tell Congress to co-sponsor and pass the Inclusive Democracy Act to restore full voting rights for federal elections to all Americans with felony convictions. TAKE ACTION

UN Labor Agency Report Warns of Rising Threat of Excess Heat, Climate Change on World’s Workers

The U.N. labor organization has warned that over 70% of the world’s workforce is likely to be exposed to excessive heat during their careers, citing increased concern about exposure to sunlight. It also warned of air pollution, pesticides, and other hazards that could lead to health problems including cancer. It is estimated that over 2.4 billion workers are likely to face excessive heat as part of their jobs at some point. MORE

3 Cities That Became Better Places for Young Black Men

The killing of Treyvon Martin in 2012 became a catalyst for a national reckoning against structural racism, prompting many cities to respond with efforts to uplift communities of color. Some have shown signs of success; others have fallen short. But ten years after its launch, My Brother’s Keeper, now known as the MBK Alliance, has seen remarkable progress in three cities in particular, helping them prove that the power of collaboration can solve deeply entrenched problems that have plagued America for decades. 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