U.S. Militarization Continues in Peru, 1200 U.S. Troops Will Arrive This Month

Starting this month, the U.S. military is sending 1,200 troops to Peru, who will be stationed in the country until the end of the year, providing military support and participating in joint training with the Armed Forces of Peru. World Beyond War condemns the move, saying that it deepens the U.S. geopolitical position and military dominance in the region. These actions continue the legacy of the Monroe Doctrine, which was issued by the U.S. government 200 years ago this December. MORE

Private Security Firm G4S to Divest from Israel After Years-Long Campaign by BDS Activists

After a sustained campaign by the Palestinian Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement and other rights organizations, G4S, the world’s biggest private and corporate security company, announced that it will divest completely from Israel. The announcement by Allied Universal, the parent company of G4S, comes after years of campaigns to demand that the company respect international law and the human rights of Palestinians, especially prisoners. MORE

Sudan’s Raging War Forces More Than Two Million from Their Homes

More than two million people in Sudan have been forced from their homes due to two months of fighting between the country’s army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), according to the United Nations. Sudan plunged into chaos on April 15 when months-long tensions between the army chief, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the RSF commander, Mohamed Hamdan “Hemedti” Dagalo, exploded into war. At least 959 civilians have been killed and about 4,750 others were wounded. MORE

Belarus Starts Taking Delivery of Russian Nuclear Weapons

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has said his country has started taking delivery of Russian tactical nuclear weapons, some of which he said were three times more powerful than the atomic bombs the US dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945. Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Russia, which will retain control of the tactical nuclear weapons, would start deploying them in Belarus after special storage facilities to house them were made ready. MORE

Nations Wasted $157,000 Per Minute on Nuclear Weapons in 2022

The U.S. spent $43.7 billion on nuclear weapons last year—more than every other nuclear-armed nation combined, according to a new report from Nobel Peace Prize-winning group International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons. Overall, the report shows global spending on nuclear weapons increased for the third consecutive year in 2022. MORE

TAKE ACTION: Tell Congress to Renew Registry & Support Immigrants in Our Country

The Registry Bill would help permanently protect some of our nation’s immigrants by updating a law already in the books since 1929. The registry bill only applies to individuals who have set down roots here—those who have lived and worked in service to our communities for at least seven years and meet other certain requirements. MomsRising urges us to tell Congress to support the Registry Bill and permanent protections for immigrant families in the workforce. TAKE ACTION

Unlawful Southern Border Entries Down 70% From Record Highs Since End of Title 42

Department of Homeland Security officials released data on June 6 that showed a precipitous drop in border apprehensions since May 11, when Title 42 was lifted. Encounters between ports of entry have averaged 3,400 per day, while about 300 individuals per day have appeared at ports of entry without appointments. Critics of the administration's border policies argue that the denial of asylum under new policies violates both domestic and international law. MORE

To Keep Immigrants from Fleeing, Florida GOP Focus on Immigration Law Loopholes

Florida Republicans who voted to pass the state's imminent anti-immigration law are trying to curb a potentially disastrous mass exodus of undocumented residents by touting the legislation's many "loopholes." GOP Rep. Rick Roth, a third-generation farmer, said that state Senate Bill 1718, which goes into effect on July 1, was designed to "scare migrants." But he admitted that he and his colleagues were unprepared for the destabilization it would cause among the state's more established immigrant communities. MORE

TAKE ACTION: Protect Public Lands

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) recently launched a 75-day comment period, seeking feedback on its "Public Lands Rule" -- a new plan that will shape the future of public lands across the country. These lands are critical to wildlife, water, outdoor recreation, and climate resiliency–but for too long, the agency has prioritized resource drilling and mining, over conservation. The Sierra Club asks us to submit a comment to urge the BLM to prioritize land and water conservation, tribal stewardship, water, and wildlife. TAKE ACTION

The Global Plastics Treaty Can Fight Climate Change — If It Reduces Plastic Production

A new report from Pacific Environment urges world leaders to center the climate connection as they design a legally binding treaty on plastics — by the end of 2024 if everything goes according to schedule. It calls for the diplomats involved in the plastic talks to adopt a Paris Agreement-style target of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) and says that doing so will require a 75 percent cut in global plastic production by 2050. MORE

More Than 800 Million Amazon Trees Felled in Six Years to Meet Beef Demand

More than 800 million trees have been cut down in the Amazon rainforest in just six years to feed the world’s appetite for Brazilian beef, according to a new investigation, despite dire warnings about the forest’s importance in fighting the climate crisis. The data-driven investigation shows systematic and vast forest loss linked to cattle farming. MORE

How Torture, Deception, and Inaction Underpin UAE's Thriving Sex Trafficking Industry

African women trafficked into the UAE are forced into debt and subjected to threats and violence, as they are kept in sexual slavery. Emirati authorities do little to protect these women, according to anti-trafficking activists, Nigerian authorities, and interviews with trafficked women. The case of Christy Gold, who has been charged with sex trafficking in Nigeria, highlights the torment endured by these women in the UAE. MORE

Who Is a Trafficker?

When talking to youth about recognizing a predator or trafficker, it’s essential to focus on behavior and actions, not generalized characteristics. Anti-trafficking advocates warn that the typical trafficker is not a stranger lurking in the airport, waiting to kidnap an unexpected traveler or a “creepy old man in the white van.” Although trafficking by strangers does happen, it’s more likely to be done by someone that a person knows or trusts, such as a romantic partner, person in a position of power, or family member.  MORE

JPMorgan to Pay $290 Million in Settlement with Epstein’s Victims

JPMorgan Chase reached a tentative settlement of $290 million with sexual abuse victims of Jeffrey Epstein, the deceased financier, after weeks of embarrassing disclosures about the bank’s longstanding relationship with him. The proposed deal would settle a lawsuit filed last November by an unidentified woman on behalf of victims who were sexually abused by Mr. Epstein over a roughly 15-year period when they were teenage girls and young women. MORE

Do People Subject to Domestic Abuse Orders Have the Right to Be Armed?

Zackey Rahimi, a drug dealer in Texas, has a history of armed violence. But a Federal appeals court vacated Mr. Rahimi’s conviction under a federal law that makes it a crime for people subject to domestic-violence orders to possess guns, ruling that the law violated the Second Amendment. Now the Supreme Court will consider whether to hear an appeal of that decision, which applied a history-based test to rule that the government was powerless to disarm Mr. Rahimi under the domestic-violence law. Chances are good they will agree to hear the case. MORE

TAKE ACTION: Protect Child Workers from Corporate Exploitation

Recent legislation in Iowa and bills in numerous other states have undercut child labor protections, jeopardizing the safety and well-being of our youth. This regression not only conflicts with federal labor law but also exposes vulnerable children to exploitative corporate practices.  Most of the conflict arises from laws loosening the hours and places 14- and 15- year olds are allowed to work. Patriotic Millionaires invites us to tell the Biden Administration to stand up to corporate greed and protect kids from exploitative business practices. TAKE ACTION

Supreme Court Rejects Voting Map That Diluted Black Voters’ Power

The Supreme Court, in a surprise decision, ruled last week that Alabama had diluted the power of Black voters in drawing a congressional voting map, reaffirming a landmark civil rights law that had been thought to be in peril.  Now Alabama must draw a new map with two majority-Black congressional districts. The decision affirms the right of communities of color to fair representation in government as required by Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act.  States in the Deep South have long failed to provide equal representation for communities of color.  MORE

White House Urges States to Slow Medicaid Cuts

The Biden administration is imploring states to slow down their efforts to cut people from Medicaid after more than a million Americans lost coverage, including many who were still eligible. The median disenrollment rate is 44 percent, but there is wide variation across states ranging from 12 percent in Nebraska to 73 percent in Idaho. In some states, more than 80 percent of people who lost coverage were due to “procedural reasons,” such as the failure to return forms. MORE

Duane Owen is scheduled to be executed on June 15 by the state of Florida for the murder of Georgianna Worden. Please hold Duane, Georgianna, their families, and the people of Florida in prayer. TAKE ACTION

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