ACTIVE NONVIOLENCE AND PEACEMAKING |
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Biden Administration Authorizes $2.5 Billion In Arms Sales to Egypt Despite Human Rights Concerns
The Biden administration has authorized more than $2 billion in arms sales to Egypt despite ongoing concerns about Cairo's human rights record. The approval of the sale of military aircraft and air defense radar systems comes days before Secretary of State Antony Blinken must determine whether to release a tranche of military aid that was put on hold in September over human rights concerns. MORE
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32 States Let People Carry Guns Without Learning How to Shoot One
Only 18 states require people to demonstrate that they can fire a gun in order to get a concealed handgun permit. In the last decade, lawmakers have eliminated permit and training requirements in more than a dozen states, potentially leaving millions of inexperienced gun owners armed in public spaces. “The worst person that you can be around is a person who has a firearm and no training,” said a firearms trainer in Philadelphia. MORE
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How Many Nuclear Weapons Does Israel Have In 2022?
Conducting research on Israeli nuclear weapons has historically been very challenging, not least because Israel purposely does not acknowledge its own possession of nuclear weapons. Estimates are therefore largely based on calculations of Israel’s stockpile of weapons-grade plutonium and its inventory of operational nuclear-capable delivery systems. MORE
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Giving An AI Control of Nuclear Weapons: What Could Possibly Go Wrong?
Militaries are increasingly incorporating autonomous functions into weapons systems, though as far as is publicly known, they haven’t yet turned the nuclear launch codes over to an AI (artificial intelligence) system. Russia has developed a nuclear-armed, nuclear-powered torpedo that is autonomous in some not publicly known manner, and defense thinkers in the United States have proposed automating the launch decision for nuclear weapons. MORE
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TAKE ACTION: Tell Secretary Mayorkas to End Remain in Mexico
One person has a critical role in ending the Remain in Mexico policy. Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas has a track record of leading with compassion, implementing DACA, and even receiving an award from immigrant groups for his work on refugee rights. On the third anniversary of the implementation of the program, Families Belong Together urges us to call on him to do all he can to end this cruel policy. TAKE ACTION
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U.S. Citizenship Applicants Are in Limbo Because Their Immigration Files Are Locked in Caves Underground
Thousands of applicants for U.S. citizenship have been waiting for well over a year for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to process their applications. But the problem isn’t the usual bureaucratic red tape. In this case, thousands of paper-based immigration records are locked in man-made caves that USCIS says it can’t access. MORE
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U.S. Denies Hundreds of Afghan Refugee Applications After Flooded with Over 35K Requests
Thousands of Afghan refugees looking to enter the United States have been filing applications for humanitarian parole, although, so far, immigration officials have denied far more applications than they have accepted. Since August's U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, over 35,000 humanitarian parole applications have been filed. Usually, there are only about 2,000 applications a year. MORE
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TAKE ACTION: Tell the Iowa Utilities Board to Hold MidAmerican Accountable
A recent analysis showed MidAmerican could save Iowa customers a minimum of $1.2 billion by retiring its coal fleet by 2030 and replacing it with renewables. MidAmerican needs to commit to retiring its coal plants by 2030 and the Iowa Utilities Board (IUB) can make that happen. The Iowa Environmental Council encourages us to share our thoughts by submitting comments to the IUB. TAKE ACTION
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'Huge Victory' as Judge Blocks Biden's Oil Lease Sale in the Gulf of Mexico
A federal judge has blocked the Biden administration's massive oil and gas lease sale in the Gulf of Mexico, a significant win for environmentalists as they work to prevent the Interior Department from handing public lands and waters over to the fossil fuel industry. The judge stated that the Biden administration did not adequately account for the emissions impact of the sale. MORE
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Interest In Civil Disobedience Has Reached a Mini Climate Tipping Point
More than 7 million citizens (4.8 percent) say they’re ready to take serious action for climate justice. Those figures might not sound all that inspiring at first glance. However, history shows that if at least 3.5 percent of a nation’s population actively participates in nonviolent protest, they are likely to achieve serious political change. MORE
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U.S. Prison Slavery: A Moment of Reckoning
Today, an estimated 2.2 million people are incarcerated in the U.S., making it the largest prison population of any country in the world. For many of these people, forced labor remains a reality, with the exception clause still figuring in over 20 state constitutions. Inmates across the country are expected to carry out all sorts of work, from manufacturing products to picking cotton. MORE
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DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND SEXUAL ASSAULT |
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University of Utah Suspends All Fraternity and Sorority Social Activities Following Second Sexual Assault Report
The University of Utah has suspended all social activities at fraternities and sororities after two reports of sexual assault that allegedly occurred at two different fraternity houses. The action against fraternities and sororities came after the university announced that the Office of Equal Opportunity & Affirmative Action was notified of a sexual assault that allegedly occurred at the Kappa Sigma fraternity house on September 22. MORE
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Iowa Lawmakers Consider Changes to Sexual Assault Statute of Limitations, Court Proceedings
Survivors of childhood sexual assault would have more time to pursue civil action against their abusers under one of several proposed changes to Iowa’s sexual assault laws. If passed, the new law would allow survivors to bring a civil case against their abuser after the abuser is convicted on criminal charges. Iowans who experienced sexual abuse as a minor currently have one year after they turn 18 to make a civil claim. MORE
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HUMAN RIGHTS AND INCOME INEQUALITY |
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‘Trying To Disappear the Poor’: California Clears Homeless Camp Near Super Bowl
Officials in Los Angeles have cleared a homeless encampment near SoFi stadium, where the Super Bowl will take place in three weeks, drawing backlash from human rights groups. The state transit agency shut down the tent community, which visitors would probably have passed on their way to the big game, calling it a “safety issue”. But some have accused authorities of forcing people out of sight without providing housing or services. MORE
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How the U.S. Transportation System Fuels Inequality
For decades, the federal government has allocated about four times as much funding to roadways as it has to public transit systems. U.S. transportation policies privileging personal vehicles over all other modes of travel have not served the economic and transportation needs of all. They are a public subsidy for disproportionately white, wealthier households, at the expense of the rest of the population, leaving those in poverty and people of color behind. MORE
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Gilbert Postelle is scheduled to be executed on February 17 by the state of Oklahoma for the murders of James “Donnie” Swindle Jr., Amy Wright, Terry Smith, and James Alderson. Please hold Gilbert, James, Amy, Terry, James, their families, and the people of Oklahoma in prayer. TAKE ACTION
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