Action Alert Digest - March 24, 2021

March 24, 2021

Action Alert Digest

TAKE ACTION: Pass Universal Background Checks

The mass shootings in Atlanta and Boulder again prove that Americans can no longer wait for action against gun violence. The U.S. House recently passed gun legislation to tighten up background checks on gun sales, and now it’s up to the U.S. Senate to turn it into law. MomsRising urges us to tell the U.S. Senate to act against gun violence now and pass universal background checks. TAKE ACTION

A Divided U.S. and the Dangers of Misdirected Anger

Many people in the United States, as in many other places, are getting angrier. This would be a good thing if they all understood whom they should be angry at and the superiority of nonviolent activism to futile violence. World Beyond War suggests this anger should be focused and informed, directed at a system and at the actions of those maintaining it. It should not be hateful or personal or bigoted. MORE

Crowds Protest Violence Against Asian Americans After Atlanta Shootings

Demonstrations protesting violence against Asian Americans erupted in multiple cities last week after a shooting spree in Atlanta left eight people dead, six of whom were Asian women. In Washington, D.C., hundreds gathered in the city’s Chinatown neighborhood. Demonstrators held a vigil, marched, and chanted through the city, carrying signs that said “Asian Lives Matter” and more. Similar events have taken place across the country. MORE

North Korea Conducts First Weapons Test of Biden Presidency

North Korea tested a "short-range system" over the weekend, its first known weapons test during the Biden presidency, senior administration officials have confirmed. While the officials did not elaborate on the types of tests, citing classification issues, they said it was "normal" activity for North Korea and the actions were not covered under United Nations Security Council resolutions that put limits on the country's nuclear program. MORE

U.S., Russia Signal Willingness to Hold Arms Control Talks

Since the extension of the 2010 New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) in February, the United States and Russia have both signaled a willingness to hold a dialogue on arms control, though when exactly such discussions may take place remains unclear. The Biden administration has also said that it wants to hold discussions with China on arms control, though not on a trilateral basis as demanded by its predecessor. MORE

TAKE ACTION: Tell the Senate to Pass the Dream and Promise Act

Last week, in a significant step toward empowering immigrant communities, the House of Representatives passed the 2021 American Dream and Promise Act. If passed in the Senate, the law would provide a pathway to citizenship for an estimated 4.4 million people who have built their lives in this country. The National Immigration Law Center provides an opportunity for us to tell the Senate to pass this important legislation. TAKE ACTION

As U.S., Mexico Are Stretched to Capacity, More Migrant Families 'Released' Inside U.S.

Despite a U.S. policy of returning migrant families to Mexico, Customs and Border Protection are releasing more families into the United States. Neither the United States nor Mexico can process the families in a timely fashion. In February, nearly 60 percent of families arriving at the southern border were allowed to stay in the U.S., compared to 38 percent in January. MORE

Undocumented Immigrants Pay Billions in Taxes Each Year — And Have Been For 25 Years

About 6 million undocumented immigrants pay taxes annually, according to the Congressional Budget Office. It amounts to billions in tax revenue for the United States. When it comes to state and local taxes, undocumented immigrants pay more than $11 billion a year. Yet they do not receive Social Security benefits. Or Medicare. Or Medicaid. MORE

Biden’s Recovery Plan Bets Big on Clean Energy

President Biden’s next big thing would fuse the rebuilding of America’s creaky infrastructure with record spending to fight climate change, which represents a huge political shift, even for Democrats who have been in the climate trenches for decades. A guiding philosophy of the Biden proposal argues that the future of good jobs is the transition to an economy that no longer churns out carbon dioxide through the burning of coal, oil, and gas. MORE

These Groups Want the Government to Crack Down on Greenwashing

Last week, Chevron announced that it was publishing a new climate change report outlining plans to lower the carbon intensity of its products and invest in renewables, carbon offsets, and low-carbon technology. But environmentalists accused Chevron of being dishonest and deceptive. In fact, a group of environmental groups filed a complaint against Chevron with the Federal Trade Commission, or FTC accusing them of greenwashing. MORE

One Billion People Live in Cities Shifting Away from Fossil Fuels

The number of cities working to replace fossil fuels with renewable energy surged in 2020, representing a quarter of the world's urban population, or one billion people. More than 1,300 cities had set targets or introduced policies to boost renewable energy by the end of 2020, while those enforcing complete or partial bans on fossil fuels like diesel and gas increased fivefold to 43. MORE

Harvey Weinstein Accusers Drop Sex Trafficking Lawsuit

Louisette Geiss, Sarah Ann Thomas, and Melissa Thompson have voluntarily dismissed their claims against Harvey Weinstein. The move from the three women who accused the disgraced movie mogul of sexual misconduct comes in the wake of a settlement plan that was approved in January. Under a settlement plan, these women get a larger share of a $17 million fund by releasing their claims against the jailed movie producer. MORE

The Killings Targeted an Industry with a History of Concerns About Sex Trafficking.

The killings of eight people at three massage businesses in Georgia have focused attention on an industry that has long been a target of law enforcement scrutiny. Although many massage parlors are just that — places to get a massage — experts say there are more than 9,000 such businesses in the United States that are fronts for prostitution, and that many of the women working there are being exploited. MORE

Violence Against Women Act’s Reauthorization Addresses Major Gun Loopholes

The House voted this week largely along party lines to renew the Violence Against Women Act, or VAWA, the landmark 1994 legislation that created sweeping protections for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault. The law’s reauthorization has been delayed by Republican opposition to provisions that would close what advocates say are significant gaps in federal gun restrictions for abusers. MORE

Turkey's Erdogan Quits European Treaty on Violence Against Women

President Tayyip Erdogan pulled Turkey out of an international accord designed to protect women, the government said on Saturday, prompting protests and criticism from those who said it was necessary to tackle rising domestic violence. The accord pledged to prevent, prosecute and eliminate domestic violence and promote equality. Turkey signed it in 2011 but femicide has surged in the country in recent years. MORE

TAKE ACTION: Tell the Senate to Pass the For the People Act

The For the People Act of 2021 would protect and expand voting rights, take steps to remove dark money from political campaigns, and limit partisan gerrymandering. It has already passed the House, and now it’s up to the Senate to get the bill to President Biden’s desk and stop voter suppression tactics that predominantly disenfranchise Black and brown voters. Interfaith Power and Light urges us to tell the Senate to pass the For the People Act. TAKE ACTION

How the CEO-Worker Pay Gap Deepens Income and Wealth Inequality

After the 2008 financial crash, big corporations and Wall Street banks beat back bipartisan calls for caps on CEO pay. Then they crafted new compensation packages that allowed top executives to rebound from the crash much more quickly than ordinary Americans. In the current national crisis, we’re seeing a similar pattern. Corporate boards are once again bending rules to safeguard CEO paychecks while working families suffer. MORE

How The American Rescue Plan Will Save the Child Care Industry and Put Women Back To Work

By April of 2020, 330,000 child care jobs had been lost. An estimated 2.2 million women have left the workforce entirely, mainly because of caregiving issues. Now help is on the way, and it is historic. In what is being called “the most significant investment in the sector since World War II,” the recently enacted American Rescue Plan will channel almost $40 billion to rebuilding the child care industry. MORE

Ramiro Gonzales is scheduled to be executed on April 20 by the state of Texas for the murder of Bridget Townsend. Please hold Ramiro, Bridget, their families, and the people of Texas in prayer. TAKE ACTION

Virginia Governor Signs Law Abolishing the Death Penalty, A 1st In the South

Wednesday, Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam signed a bill into law abolishing the death penalty in the state after the Democratically-controlled legislature passed the measure late last month. Virginia is the first state in what was the Confederacy to stop using the punishment. The commonwealth has executed more people than any other state since the first execution took place at Jamestown in 1608. MORE