Action Alert Digest - November 3, 2021

November 3, 2021

Action Alert Digest

TAKE ACTION: Support Resolution Opposing Designation of Palestinian Human Rights Groups as “Terrorist” Organizations

Last week, Benny Gantz, the Israeli Defense Minister, signed an executive order designating 6 prominent Palestinian human rights groups as “terrorist” organizations. This action undermines the credibility of these groups within the international community and is an assault on the basic human rights of Palestinians. Churches for Middle East Peace urges us to tell our Representatives to co-sponsor H.R. 751 opposing the recent designation. TAKE ACTION

Can We Make Overspending on the Military Politically Costly?

The United States spends too much on the militaries and too little on climate change, pandemic protection, and other emerging security threats of the 21st century. Current US defense outlays are roughly the size of the defense spending of China, India, Russia, United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, Germany, France, Japan, South Korea, Italy, and Australia—combined. Five experts offer their views on bringing a measure of sanity to the ever-growing US defense budgets. MORE

The Double Threat of Nuclear Weapons and Climate Change

Nuclear weapons and climate change are two of the greatest threats facing our world. With nearly 14,000 nuclear weapons, nine nuclear-armed states possess the capacity to destroy humanity and devastate the environment through war. To coincide with COP26 in Glasgow, Pax Christi International has released a series of infographics and short videos highlighting the relationship between the threat of nuclear weapons and the threat of climate change. MORE

Iran: Nuclear Talks Doomed Without Biden Guarantee

Iran’s top national security official said that talks to rejoin the 2015 nuclear deal are doomed without “guarantees” from President Biden. As part of the Obama-era deal, Iran agreed to dismantle much of its nuclear program and open its facilities to inspections in exchange for sanctions relief – a deal that fell apart during the Trump administration. Iran wants the U.S. to guarantee that it will not backtrack on the agreement again. MORE

Norway Breaks With NATO, Attending Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons Meeting

Norway last week became the first NATO state -- and first nuclear weapon complicit state-- to commit to participating at the First Meeting of States Parties of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. The move by Norway breaks the hard line against the TPNW that NATO had sought to impose on its member states and opens the doors for others in the alliance to follow suit. MORE

Biden Administration Issues New Memo Ending Trump 'Remain in Mexico' Policy

Last week, the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a new memo terminating the Migration Protection Protocols (MPP) put in place by the former Trump administration. MPP – commonly referred to as the “Remain in Mexico” policy – forces asylum seekers to wait in Mexico for their US court hearings. The Biden administration tried to rescind the policy in June, but a federal court said the administration failed to follow proper procedures to terminate the program. MORE

DHS To Bolster Monitoring of Migrant Groups

A new Department of Homeland Security program intends to better track and predict movements of migrant groups headed to the U.S. southern border. The program will establish aerial surveillance of truck traffic and migrant camps along the border, monitor social media, and increase communications with other intelligence agencies. MORE

The Border Isn’t Open. Just 1 in 3 People at the Border Last Year Could Access the Asylum Process.

The Border Patrol has carried out a record 1.7 million apprehensions at the southern border in the last year. But that does not mean that 1.7 million individual people were detained while trying to enter the U.S. Over 1,000,000 of those arrests led to an immediate expulsion under “Title 42,” the pandemic expulsion policy to rapidly expel the majority of people crossing the border back to Mexico or their home country without a deportation order. MORE

TAKE ACTION: Tell Congress to Keep Climate in the Reconciliation Bill

The "Build Back Better" plan will go a long way toward protecting our climate and rebuilding our crumbling infrastructure to meet the demands of a 21st-century economy. Interfaith Power and Light urges us to tell Congress to support the important climate elements of the budget reconciliation bill that will protect our world – God’s Creation -- and secure a more just and prosperous future for all people. TAKE ACTION

COP26 Climate Summit in Glasgow: What to Expect

Some twenty thousand diplomats, business executives, and activists from around the world are gathering in Glasgow, Scotland, for the latest round of climate talks—the twenty-sixth Conference of the Parties (COP26)—during the first two weeks of November. Dozens of world leaders are also planning to attend, including U.S. President Joe Biden. Debate will likely focus on climate finance, carbon markets, coal, and methane. MORE

Climate Pledges Don't Stop Countries from Exporting Huge Amounts of Fossil Fuels

The U.S. may be on the verge of passing the most consequential climate change legislation ever. But that won't change one of the country's major sources of greenhouse gas emissions: fossil fuel exports. The U.S. is among countries that plan to keep exporting oil, natural gas, and coal for decades to come even as they work to zero out climate-warming fossil fuel emissions at home. In a controversial quirk, this is perfectly acceptable under the Paris climate agreement. MORE

Facebook Knew It Had a Human Trafficking Problem. Can It Fix It?

For years Facebook has known that it has had human trafficking occurring on its platform. According to internal company documents, Facebook notes that it knew of trafficking of domestic workers since 2018 and has struggled to tackle the problem, with employees rushing “to take down problematic content and make emergency policy changes to avoid what they described as a ‘potentially severe’ consequence for the business.” MORE

102 Suspects Arrested in Central Florida Human Trafficking Probe

Investigators in Polk County, Florida said a six-day long undercover investigation focused on human trafficking resulted more than 100 arrests and the rescue of a 17-year-old girl. Two are suspected child predators that were accused of either traveling to meet a minor for sex, or transmitting materials harmful to a minor, and soliciting a minor online. MORE

US Records Show Physical, Sexual Abuse at Border

According to internal government reports, between 2016 and 2021, US Customs and Border Protection officers, US Border Patrol agents, and US Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials engaged in misconduct and abuse of asylum seekers. The asylum officers alleged “physical, sexual, and verbal abuse, due process violations, harsh detention conditions, denial of medical care, and discriminatory treatment at or near the border.” MORE

Leading Track and Field Coach to Be Investigated Over Sexual Misconduct Claims

Rana Reider has earned a glittering reputation after guiding several Olympic and world champions to glory, including the Tokyo 2020 Olympic 200m gold medalist Andre de Grasse and the world triple jump champion Christian Taylor. However, the 51-year-old American’s behavior off the track is to be scrutinized by the US Center for SafeSport organization, a powerful body that handles investigations into abuse and misconduct in Olympic sports. MORE

TAKE ACTION: Tell Congress to Pass the Build Back Better Plan

After months of advocacy, negotiations, and horse-trading, Congress has finally unveiled the Build Back Better plan. This bill invests significant resources in programs that are proven successful at lifting people out of poverty. This bill is not perfect, but it is historic. And by putting these changes in place now, it lays the foundation for us to expand them in the future. The RESULTS organization urges us to tell Congress to pass the Build Back Better Plan. TAKE ACTION

Restaurant Workers Organize for Fair Wages

The federal minimum wage is $7.25 an hour, but federal law allows an employer to pay well below this hourly rate as long as an employee makes at least $30 in tips per month. The subminimum wage is just one manifestation of the systemic racism that has been entrenched in the United States’ identity since its founding. The founders of One Fair Wage say the struggle for restaurant workers is ongoing. MORE

New Report Reveals Severity of Coronavirus Outbreaks in Iowa’s Meatpacking Plants

A new congressional report details just how bad coronavirus outbreaks were at meatpacking plants in Iowa and across the country. The National Beef plant in Tama, for example, had a 44% infection rate. Across the river from Sioux City in Dakota City, Nebraska, the Tyson plan saw 18 deaths and nearly 2,000 infections amongst its 4,300 employees. The report also cited a CDC study showing that workers of color bore the brunt of those infections. MORE

David Cox is scheduled to be executed on November 17 by the state of Mississippi for the murder of Kim Cox. Please hold David, Kim, their families, and the people of Mississippi in prayer. TAKE ACTION

Julius Jones is scheduled to be executed on November 18 by the state of Oklahoma for the murder of Paul Howell. Please hold Julius, Paul, their families, and the people of Oklahoma in prayer. TAKE ACTION