Action Alert Digest - July 27, 2022

July 27, 2022

Action Alert Digest

TAKE ACTION: Put the People First. No More Bloated Military Budgets

The House recently passed an $840 billion National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), throwing more money at the Pentagon, the largest institutional consumer of oil and emitter of greenhouse gasses. CodePink asks us to tell our Senators to vote no on the 2023 military budget and to reject an interventionist foreign policy fueled by the drive for full-spectrum dominance of the air, land, and sea. TAKE ACTION

Survey Looks at Acceptance of Political Violence in the U.S.

One in five adults in the United States, equivalent to about 50 million people, believe that political violence is justified at least in some circumstances, a new mega-survey has found. The results revealed that mistrust and alienation from democratic institutions have reached such a peak that substantial minorities of the American people now endorse violence as a means toward political ends. MORE

Nuclear Strategy and Ending the War in Ukraine

It’s an interesting and bold idea: pull all U.S. nuclear warheads from Europe and Turkey as a way to "get Putin’s attention and bring him to the negotiating table" and possibly agree to end the war. The proposal, which found support at the recent Abolition 2000 meeting, could allow Putin a way to end the invasion by claiming domestically (to Russians) that he had scored a victory - the elimination of US nuclear weapons in Europe. MORE

Iran's Nuclear Program 'Galloping Ahead,' IAEA Chief Says

The International Atomic Energy Agency has had limited oversight of Iran's nuclear activities, which are "galloping ahead," says IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi, who warns his agency will struggle to piece together what progress has been made should talks to renew the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action succeed. MORE

What’s Next for the Nuclear Ban Treaty?

Last month, states parties attended the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons meeting in Vienna - five years after 122 nations voted to adopt the first international treaty to comprehensively ban nuclear weapons. But these countries did more than reiterate their opposition to nuclear weapons: They also adopted a concrete action plan for implementing the treaty. MORE

Immigration Agencies Get Hit with Record-High Lawsuits as Delays Worsen

Lawsuits asking courts to order government employees to decide long-pending immigration filings have increased sharply in the past year. According to a recent report, in May 2022 the federal courts recorded 647 immigration-related lawsuits for agency delay. It is the highest number of such cases filed in a single month since at least October 2007. MORE

Government Eyes Plan to Give I.D.s to Undocumented Immigrants

The federal government plans to test giving temporary ID cards to undocumented immigrants awaiting a final decision on their cases, according to two government sources. The ID cards would make it easier for undocumented immigrants to access housing, health care, and other benefits. MORE

TAKE ACTION: Save America’s Climate-Critical Forests from Logging

Forests can help save us from the climate crisis- especially our nation’s mature and old-growth forests. But mature forests on federal lands are under threat by timber companies. These vital forests fight climate change by removing climate pollution and storing carbon naturally. The Natural Resources Defense Council urges us to tell the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management to implement a strong rule that protects mature forests on federal lands. TAKE ACTION

US Power Companies Secretly Spending Millions to Protect Profits and Fight Clean Energy

When a Florida state senator proposed a law to bypass a monopoly on electricity by the biggest power company in the US, the CEO told his staff, “I want you to make his life a living hell … seriously.” Within minutes, one of them forwarded the directive to a powerful but little-known political consulting firm that has operated behind the scenes in at least eight states. The senator was ousted from office in the next election. MORE

The Cold Crunch: How to Cool People Without Overheating the Planet

Heat waves are becoming more frequent and more intense around the world, increasing the global demand for air conditioning. Air conditioning is a highly effective adaptation to climate change, but it’s also hindering efforts to mitigate climate change. More air conditioning means increased energy use, which means increased emissions—causing more global warming and creating the need for even more cooling. MORE

Here’s Why It Is So Difficult for Trafficking Victims to Disclose Their Experiences

Identifying trafficking can be like building a jigsaw – a picture only emerges once the final pieces are added. In many cases, disclosure is the first step to getting protection and support, and for young people having someone to help them navigate the process is important. MORE

Girls Bought and Sold “Like A Chicken” In Niger

Wahaya is one of the common forms of bondage in the country, where girls are bought to perform domestic work and sexual services for as little as $200. Typically it is wealthy men and traditional leaders who buy girls under a local religious law in which men are allowed to have a maximum of four wives and an unofficial “fifth wife” who undertakes the domestic labor. “If I fled or didn’t work, the wives and even the children would beat me,” says a trafficking survivor. MORE

TAKE ACTION: Tell State Officials to Pass Rape Kit Reform

Legislation and policies that require law enforcement agencies to test every rape kit booked into evidence provide a concrete way to ensure greater access to justice for survivors. In addition, state governments must mandate deadlines for the submission and testing of all newly collected rape kits. Joyful Heart urges us to tell our elected state lawmakers to pass comprehensive rape kit reform legislation. TAKE ACTION

Why Victim Compensation Is Vital to Survivors' Healing

Every day, survivors of violent crime suffer not only physical, psychological, and emotional harm, but they often are burdened with financial impacts for years or even decades after the attack. These impacts include costs related to medical care, mental health counseling, lost wages, and funeral and burial costs. Victim Compensation programs are a key mechanism in alleviating these costs. MORE

TAKE ACTION: Tell Congress: Pass the Youth Voting Rights Act

The recently introduced Youth Voting Rights Act would greatly expand ballot access for young people and prevent efforts to suppress the right to vote. Last year alone, 440 bills to restrict access to voting were introduced in state legislatures across the nation — many specifically designed to make it harder for young people to vote. NextGen America invites us to tell Congress to pass the Youth Voting Rights Act. TAKE ACTION

Investors Bought a Quarter of Homes Sold Last Year, Driving Up Rents

Investors bought nearly a quarter of U.S. single-family homes that sold last year, often driving up rents for suburban families in the process. Investors often can outbid other buyers, keeping starter homes out of the hands of would-be owners, especially suburban Black and Hispanic families. Some local officials in those states are pushing for increased regulation of investor purchases, but many Republican lawmakers oppose such controls. MORE

Big Pharma Has Raised Drug Prices 1,186 Times This Year, Analysis Shows

The U.S. pharmaceutical industry exercised its virtually unlimited pricing power to hike costs for patients again this month. Out-of-control prescription drug prices are forcing millions of people to ration their medication or go without it entirely. Recent estimates indicate that pharmaceutical companies in the U.S. have raised drug prices 1,186 times so far this year, intensifying the already overwhelming cost burden for patients. MORE

Joe Nathan James is scheduled to be executed on July 28 by the state of Alabama for the murder of Faith Hall. Please hold Joe, Faith, their families, and the people of Alabama in prayer. TAKE ACTION

Kosoul Chanthakoummane is scheduled to be executed on August 17 by the state of Texas for the murder of Sarah Walker. Please hold Kosoul, Sarah, their families, and the people of Texas in prayer. TAKE ACTION

James Coddington is scheduled to be executed on August 25 by the state of Oklahoma for the murder of Albert Troy Hale. Please hold James, Albert, their families, and the people of Oklahoma in prayer. TAKE ACTION