Action Alert Digest - March 10, 2021

March 10, 2021

Action Alert Digest

U.S. Spends 11 Times What China Does on Military Per Capita

What do per capita comparisons tell us about military spending? They tell us that the nations most heavily investing in war (in comparison to the number of people they have) are very different from the list of leading war spenders overall — with the exception that the United States is in first place on both lists. The total U.S. government spending on militarism each year is, according to numerous independent calculations, about $1.25 trillion. MORE

Nonviolence in the Justice System

What is restorative justice? It is a worldview, rooted in indigenous principles, and a theory of justice that emphasizes bringing together everyone affected by wrongdoing to address their needs and responsibilities and to heal the harm as much as possible. Our current justice system is based on a Roman notion of just desserts. If one harms another, retribution is the accepted solution. Restorative justice invites a paradigm shift. MORE

In India, Women Propel World’s Largest Protest Movement

Hundreds of thousands of farmers have been protesting new farm laws on the outskirts of the Indian capital city of New Delhi since September 2020. The prominent presence of women in this ongoing protest movement, and certainly the biggest domestic challenge facing Indian Prime Minister Modi’s government, has put a spotlight on the important role women play in leadership of nonviolent movements. MORE

TAKE ACTION: No Tax Dollars on New Nuclear Weapons

Until President Donald Trump came into office, four previous presidents of both parties agreed that a proposed new nuclear weapon to be deployed on Navy ships was unnecessary. Now, a new bill has been introduced that would prohibit funding for the new weapon, the Nuclear SLCM Ban Act. Council for a Livable World asks us to sign a petition telling Congress we do not want tax dollars to pay to develop and deploy a new nuclear weapon. TAKE ACTION

Budget Office Projects Skyrocketing Missile Defense Costs

A new report from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) indicates that U.S. expenditures on missile defense from 2020 to 2029 may reach $176 billion, a 40 percent increase from an earlier estimate. The CBO warns that, in light of possible future changes to missile defense plans, the new estimate comes with “substantial uncertainty.” MORE

TAKE ACTION: Urge Congress to Vote on the No Ban Act

The No Muslim Ban Ever campaign is urging Congress once again to pass the historic NO BAN Act. The first-ever Muslim Civil Rights Bill, if passed, would limit U.S. immigration law so that no future president can single-handedly issue bans that bar immigrants based on their national origin or religion. Franciscan Action Network urges us to tell Congress to vote on the #NoBanAct with no amendments TAKE ACTION

ICE Says It Is Effectively Ending Use of Family Detention

Immigration and Customs Enforcement said in a court filing that family detention centers are being transformed into short-term facilities that release families within 72 hours. The filing suggests that ICE is ending family detentions, which began in 2014. MORE

Supreme Court Dismisses Case Related to Trump Era 'Public Charge' Rule

The Supreme Court this week dismissed a case concerning a controversial Trump-era rule that makes it more difficult for immigrants to obtain legal status if they use certain public benefits, such as Medicaid, food stamps, and housing vouchers. The Legal Aid Society said that "the Trump rule erected an invisible wall in the form of a wealth test that discriminated against people on the basis of race as a condition for regularizing their immigration status." MORE

Offshore Wind Power: Poised to Take Off on the East Coast?

The fledgling US offshore wind industry is finally poised to become a commercial reality off the northeast and mid-Atlantic coasts within the next five years. New York, New Jersey, Virginia, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Maryland have together committed, through legislation or executive action, to buying about 30,000 megawatts of offshore electricity by 2035 — enough to power roughly 20 million homes. MORE

Mississippi River Cities Join Project to Map Plastic Litter

Cities along the Mississippi River will take part in a global system to determine where plastic pollution comes from and how it ends up in waterways as a first step toward solving the problem. The project enables “citizen scientists” to use a mobile application to log types and locations of litter found along the river. The data will be entered on a virtual map that will provide information about plastic waste concentrations in particular areas and their sources. MORE

‘Climate Neutral’ Products Are Now A Thing. What’s Behind the Label?

Every eco-conscious consumer has felt the frustration of trying to make the least climate-ruining decisions. Nothing we buy is really good for the planet — every new purchase carries a carbon cost. Climate Neutral Certified provides a seal of approval indicating that a product comes from a company taking responsibility for the carbon emissions of its entire supply chain. MORE

Traffickers Targeting More Children As COVID-19 School Closures Fuel Danger

Human traffickers worldwide are increasingly targeting children and will likely exploit school closures during the coronavirus pandemic, according to the United Nations. Children make up a third of trafficking victims who are uncovered with girls mainly exploited for sex and boys forced into work. While worsening poverty and job losses spurred by COVID-19 have left millions of people globally at risk of trafficking, out-of-school children are especially vulnerable. MORE

North Texas Task Force Recovers 30+ Missing Children During Month-Long Operation

Dozens of children previously reported missing have been recovered in an operation led by the North Texas Trafficking Task Force. In all, 31 children were located. In early February, analysts and special agents discovered that six of the missing children were considered high risk of being sex trafficked, five were runaways located away from their primary residence. The remaining 20 children were returned home or address of record. MORE

TAKE ACTION: Save Critical Services for Sexual Assault Survivors

Victims of Crime Act grants are one of the largest funding mechanisms for states and local service providers for victims of sexual violence and other crimes. Funding has decreased by nearly $1 billion and states are receiving up to 25 percent less than they received just a few years ago. The RAINN organization urges us to tell Congress to pass bipartisan legislation to stave off catastrophic cuts to services for sexual assault survivors. TAKE ACTION

Abusive Relationships Are Disturbingly Common. Here's How to Support A Loved One

Abusive relationships are disturbingly common. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in three U.S. women has experience experienced rape, physical violence and/or stalking by a partner, and one in four men has. Chances are we all know someone who has, is, or will experience this form of violence. Here are some ways to help a friend or loved one. MORE

Biden Calls on Congress to Restore Voting Rights Act, Signs Orders to Help Expand Access

President Joe Biden has signed an executive order aimed at helping to ensure all Americans have the right to vote by increasing access to voter registration services and information. Biden also called for Congress to restore the Voting Rights Act, which was signed into law in 1965 following a nonviolent protest in Selma, Alabama in which many participants were injured. MORE

Average Americans Pay Tax on Over Half Their Wealth. Shouldn’t Rich Americans?

Most of us are familiar with the common form of wealth tax that we call the “property tax,” and almost all Americans feel its pinch — with one exception. The rich. Our current tax system has America’s poorer half paying an annual tax on over half its wealth and America’s top 1 percent paying no annual tax on almost 90 percent of its wealth. MORE

Racial Inequality in US Youth Detention Wider Than Ever, Experts Say

White youths were being released from juvenile detention centers at a far higher rate than their Black peers during the early stages of the Covid-19 pandemic in the US, and more people of color are now being detained for longer than they were before the crisis. Now many youth facilities are increasingly holding almost entirely Black and Latino populations of teens. MORE

Ramiro Gonzales is scheduled to be executed on April 20 by the state of Texas for the murder of Bridget Townsend. Please hold Ramiro, Bridget, their families, and the people of Texas in prayer. TAKE ACTION