TAKE ACTION: Urge Peacebuilding in Ukraine

The catastrophic war in Ukraine continues to escalate and help is needed to advocate for diplomatic negotiations and other peacebuilding practices to end the war and lean into a just peace. U.S. Congressional voices continue to have an important impact on U.S. strategy and the war. Franciscan Action Network urges us to tell Congress to speak publicly and to President Biden about promoting diplomatic negotiations and other proven peacebuilding practices. TAKE ACTION

Student Peace Advisory Groups Reimagine School Safety 

In 2021, Nonviolent Peaceforce (NP) and Minneapolis Public Schools announced their first student peace advisory group for the Building Peaceful Schools project. The advisory group works with school staff, administrators, and NP to voice safety concerns and co-create the school safety and security system. This group represents a new vision for school safety that school districts in Minnesota and around the country are working to implement—a vision that is not based on the use or threat of force, but rooted in relationships. MORE

'It Takes a Neighborhood' Community Members Take a Stand Against Gun Violence

Cure Violence in the South Jamaica community in New York City, operated by the King of Kings Foundation, works to prevent violence before it begins. “In our community, it’s normal to hear gunshots every night. It’s normal to come out of your house on any given day and see yellow tape,” said Founder and Executive Director Lance Feurtado. ABC News presents an inside look at the work of interrupting violence and making communities safer. MORE

Hoping to Avert Nuclear Crisis, U.S. Seeks Informal Agreement with Iran

The Biden administration has been negotiating quietly with Iran to limit Tehran’s nuclear program and free imprisoned Americans, according to officials from three countries, in part of a larger U.S. effort to ease tensions and reduce the risk of a military confrontation with the Islamic Republic. The U.S. goal is to reach an informal, unwritten agreement, which some Iranian officials are calling a “political cease-fire.” MORE

U.S. Release of Nuclear Data Promotes New START Transparency Amid Nuclear Tension

In response to the Russian decision to suspend the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START), the Biden administration last month publicly released American nuclear data. President Vladimir Putin previously halted his country’s compliance and data transfers to coerce Washington into stopping aid shipments to Ukraine. Such transparency remains important to demonstrate that the United States remains committed to reducing nuclear risk, even if Russia is willing to threaten New START to obtain leverage for its war of aggression.  MORE

DHS to Distribute Almost $300 Million to Communities That Received Migrants 

The federal government is distributing $290 million in new FEMA funds to nonprofits that help feed and shelter asylum seekers. The Department of Homeland Security announced that funding will be given to 34 non-governmental organizations that offer temporary shelter and other assistance to migrants who have been processed and provisionally released from DHS custody in the United States. MORE

'Limbo of DACA' Weighs Heavy on Hundreds of Thousands of Eligible Youths Left Out of the Program

Hundreds of thousands of DACA-eligible people have been shut out of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which has helped young immigrants access better-paying jobs and educational opportunities and protected them from deportation. Last week, as DACA marked its 11th anniversary, the fate of the program remained up in the air as a six-year court battle plays out following legal challenges from the Trump administration and Republican-led states seeking to fully end it. MORE

Chicago's Hotel Industry Throws Support Behind Bill That Would Fast-Track Work Permits for Migrants 

Since last August, over 10,000 migrants have been transported to Chicago, eagerly awaiting the opportunity to work. At the current moment, they have to be in Chicago for months in order to apply for permits. The city's hotel industry — desperate for workers — is throwing itself behind a bill that would fast-track migrant work permits. MORE

TAKE ACTION: Support the Fossil Free Finance Act

The latest Banking on Climate Chaos report showed that banks poured $673 billion into fossil fuel companies last year. The Fossil Free Finance Act would require big banks to stop financing greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 and reduce their financed emissions by 50% by 2030. Stop the Money Pipeline invites us to tell our Congressional representatives to co-sponsor the Fossil Free Finance Act. TAKE ACTION

The Feds Move to Speed Up Development of Wind and Solar on Public Land

Last week, the federal Bureau of Land Management (BLM) proposed a new rule that would reduce fees for wind and solar development on public lands by 80 percent. Regulators at the BLM say the move could accelerate renewable power production on federal lands and help achieve President Joe Biden’s goal of a carbon-free power sector by 2035. MORE

New York City Residents Will Soon Have to Compost Their Food Scraps

Last week, the New York City Council approved a bill that will require New Yorkers to separate their food waste from regular trash, much as they already do with recyclable items. The residential mandate will roll out borough by borough, starting with Brooklyn and Queens this October, followed by the Bronx and Staten Island in March 2024, and Manhattan that October. The goal is to reduce the amount of organic waste the city sends to landfills, where it produces the potent greenhouse gas methane. MORE

U.S. Trafficking Report Highlights Cybers Scams, Exploited Boys

The U.S. Department of State issued its annual Trafficking in Persons report, which ranks foreign countries on how they are progressing in eliminating human trafficking in their nations. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that the exploitation and trafficking of boys and young men for forced labor has increased over the past few years, as traffickers have taken advantage of the pandemic and lured them with false job offers online. The report criticized the countries which allow human trafficking and encourage it, including China, Russia, and North Korea. MORE

Addicts Went in for Treatment. Instead, They Were Enslaved.

Over a ten-year period, 656 men and boys were checked in for substance abuse rehabilitation at a sprawling estate in Sumatra, Indonesia. But they received no treatment. They were locked in cages and forced to work as slaves at a palm plantation and palm oil factory owned by a powerful local official and his family. The case highlights Indonesia’s dismal human rights record and the rampant corruption that flourishes at the regional level, where governors, regents, and big-city mayors are often called “little kings.” MORE

"Mass Killers Practice at Home": How Domestic Violence and Mass Shootings Are Linked

More than half of mass shootings — those involving four or more victims — are "actually shootings of intimate partners and families," said April Zeoli of the Institute for Firearm Injury Prevention at the University of Michigan. Zeoli studies the intersection of domestic violence, gun violence, and policies aimed at curtailing both. Even in cases where family members and partners are not killed, the perpetrators of mass shootings often have a history of domestic violence, she said. MORE

When Connecticut Police Investigate Sexual Assault, Some Victims Become Suspects

Multiple studies show less than 10 percent of reported sexual assaults are false. But in Connecticut, and across the country, there are numerous examples of people who report these crimes being charged themselves when police doubt their claims. Police sometimes lack adequate training on how to handle these cases and for victims, the effects of a false reporting arrest can be devastating. MORE

TAKE ACTION: Tell State Legislators to Remain Partnered with ERIC and Protect the Accuracy of Voter Rolls 

Eight states have moved to ditch the Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC), the highly regarded, bipartisan center which secures elections by updating voter rolls and helping voters get accurate information. But recently, a smear campaign led by right-wing extremists has moved some states to pull out of the organization completely. Common Cause asks us to sign their petition to condemn these withdrawals and urge state legislatures to continue their participation in this important organization. TAKE ACTION

Trio of Tax Bills Would Expand Corporate Tax Breaks While Doing Little for Americans Who Most Need Help

A trio of tax bills that House Republicans are promoting includes tax cuts that would mostly benefit the richest one percent of Americans and foreign investors. Under the legislation, the richest fifth of Americans would receive $60.8 billion in tax cuts next year while the poorest fifth of Americans would receive $1.4 billion in tax cuts. As a result, the poorest fifth of Americans would receive an average tax cut of just $40 next year while the richest one percent would receive an average $16,550 tax cut next year. MORE

How Some Families Are Banned from Food Stamps for Life Due to Past Drug Convictions

Collateral consequences in the criminal justice system, the concept of penalizing people after their sentences are up, have shaped an estimated 45,000 state and local laws. Some state laws stipulate that a person holding a felony drug conviction is banned for life from receiving SNAP benefits. Advocates say these laws and regulations create obstacles for people trying to rebuild their lives post-incarceration and fuel recidivism. MORE

Jemaine Cannon is scheduled to be executed on July 20 by the state of Oklahoma for the murder of Sharonda Clark. Please hold Jemaine, Sharonda, their families, and the people of Oklahoma in prayer. TAKE ACTION

James Barber is scheduled to be executed on July 20 by the state of Alabama for the murder of Dorothy Epps. Please hold James, Dorothy, their families, and the people of Alabama in prayer. TAKE ACTION