TAKE ACTION: Pass An Assault Weapons Ban Now

There's often a common thread in mass shootings: the use of an assault weapon—a weapon invented for use on the battlefield, designed to kill as many people as possible as quickly as possible. Researchers estimate that if the federal law prohibiting assault weapons and high-capacity magazines had been in effect from 2005 through 2019, it would have prevented 30 mass shootings that resulted in 1,478 people being shot and killed or wounded. Everytown for Gun Safety urges us to tell our lawmakers to pass an Assault Weapons Ban now. TAKE ACTION

Non-Police Crisis Response Programs Have Been Working. Here’s How.

More than 40 percent of the people incarcerated in state prisons nationwide had a history of mental health problems. In the absence of better healthcare, municipalities often turn to police and jails to house and “care” for people in crisis. Experts say criminalizing people for their health problems only makes things worse. To break that cycle, dozens of cities nationwide have launched alternative crisis response programs.  MORE

The Greater Goal in Gaza

Many have proposals about who should rule Gaza when the war is over. Some have suggested an Arab force, a notion already rejected by other Arab states. Others have proposed a reconstructed Palestinian Authority, ignoring the fact that less than ten percent of Palestinians would support such an outcome. Yet a third idea is to put Gaza under international control. But all these solutions are doomed to fail because they all treat Gaza in isolation as if it can be addressed without regard to the broader issue of Palestinian statehood and self-determination. MORE

Underlying Challenges and Near-Term Opportunities for Engaging China

Last fall, China and the U.S. held talks on arms control and nonproliferation amid strained relations. The consultation marked a positive step but its impact hinges on future institutionalized meetings. Beijing attributes escalating rivalry to perceived hostility from Washington, leading it to prioritize expanding nuclear capabilities. As China aims to gain international support, analysts say there's an opportunity for collaborative management of security challenges rather than focusing solely on arms control proposals.  MORE

The Fallout Never Ended

Decades of nuclear weapons tests and other radioactive experiments injured or killed scientists, soldiers, and innocent bystanders. Many of them have never been compensated, but new efforts may change that. An expert on the U.S. nuclear program looks back at its harmful effects, and how the government addressed them—or didn't. MORE

TAKE ACTION: Say "No" to Anti-Immigrant Bills in Iowa

Iowa legislators are considering a package of anti-immigrant bills that would harm workers, students, refugees, and victims’ advocates.  SF 108 would mandate the use of E-Verify by Iowa businesses, undermining the contributions of essential workers to our economy. Meanwhile, HF 2128 and HF 2112 restrict access to education and benefits, perpetuating marginalization and hindering the development of promising young people. Iowa Migrant Movement for Justice urges us to tell our state lawmakers to vote no on all three of these bills.  TAKE ACTION

Federal Records Show Increasing Use of Solitary Confinement for Immigrants

The United States government has placed detained immigrants in solitary confinement more than 14,000 times in the last five years, and the average duration is almost twice the 15-day threshold that the United Nations has said may constitute torture. Overall, the U.S. is detaining more than 38,000 people — up from about 15,000 at the start of the Biden administration in January 2021. A growing proportion of detainees are being held in private prison facilities with little means of accountability. MORE

New York Gov. Hochul Wants to Fast-Track Migrants for State Jobs 

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul is trying to fast-track the process for employing migrants for state job positions. Proposals include easing requirements for English proficiency and education verification. State agencies need to fill about 4,000 jobs in clerical and engineering support, human services, equipment repair, and food services. MORE

TAKE ACTION: Urge Congress to Pass the REDUCE Act

Over 95% of plastics manufactured in America are never recycled. The REDUCE Act seeks to reduce the growing presence of wasteful materials by putting a fee on the sale of new, virgin plastic resin used to make single-use products. This incentivizes a greener approach to manufactured products while strengthening waste reduction and recycling efforts. Creation Justice Ministries urges us to tell Congress to pass the REDUCE Act now. TAKE ACTION

The U.S. Government Opens 22 Million Acres of Federal Lands to Solar

The Biden administration has updated the roadmap for solar development to 22 million acres of federal lands in the U.S. West. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory have determined that 700,000 acres of federal lands will be needed for solar farms over the next 20 years, so BLM recommended 22 million acres to give “maximum flexibility” to help the U.S. reach its net zero by 2035 power sector goal. MORE

A Louisiana Court Just Revived Plans for the Country’s Biggest Plastics Plant

When a judge in Louisiana struck down the permits that Formosa Plastics needed for its new project in St. James Parish in 2022, it seemed like the long battle to protect local residents was finally over. But recently, a state appeals court reversed that decision, clearing the way for the Taiwanese chemical giant to start building its $9.4 billion Sunshine Project along a stretch of land on the lower Mississippi River known as Cancer Alley, where hundreds of chemical plants spew toxic pollution into the air of predominantly Black communities. MORE

Debt, Wage Theft, and Coercion Drive the Global Garment Industry – The Only Answer Is Collective Action

Major fashion brands including the owners of Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger have agreed to pay over $500,000 in compensation to migrant workers in Mauritius. These workers from across Asia had been forced to pay illegal recruitment fees and, alongside other indicators of forced labor, were allegedly subject to deception and intimidation. Exploitative practices like this are actually quite common. All garment workers can experience unacceptable forms of exploitation that can only be countered through sustained labor organization. MORE  

Tesla and Toyota Still Among Car Manufacturing Brands Tarnished by Uyghur Forced Labor

A recent report by Human Rights Watch found aluminum made by Uyghur forced labor may be in the supply chains of many global car manufacturers including Toyota, Volkswagen, Tesla, General Motors, and BYD. Currently, more than 9% of the global supply of aluminum comes from the Uyghur Region in the form of ingots that get melted down elsewhere in China and then mixed with other materials to make auto parts exported to car manufacturers, tainting the whole product. MORE

Addressing the Lethal Intersection of Teen Dating Violence and Firearms  

Too commonly, teen relationships are passed off as inconsequential and that abuse in teen relationships is seen as less serious. While dating during teenage years might look different than dating as an adult, abuse by teen partners is just as dangerous. Each year in the U.S. nearly 1.5 million high school students are subjected to violence by an intimate partner. In the teen dating violence context, more than 60% of adolescents killed by an intimate partner are killed with a gun. MORE

Local Librarian Hides Cell Phones in Books to Help Domestic Violence Victims

A librarian in a Boston suburb decided to take unwanted and heavily used books to turn a page for others. She made what she calls a “book safe” that hides an inexpensive “burner” phone inside the book’s pages. On the burner phones, she saves important contacts to help a domestic violence victim. A survivor of stalking herself, she warns, “Technology safety is a huge thing. You have to be on top of your privacy. Spyware is so prevalent these days.” Through word of mouth, she has helped at least two other people in domestic violence situations.  MORE

Inequality Is a Climate Problem

There is a broad consensus that the impacts of climate change are not experienced equally. The poorest and most vulnerable people bear the brunt of climate change impacts yet contribute the least to the crisis. Moreover, there is a growing body of evidence that climate change is increasing inequality, within and between countries. In spite of this, there is still a disconnect in government policies aimed at addressing inequality or carbon emissions. One is rarely taken into consideration when enacting policies to address the other. MORE

Local Governments Are Pledging to Cancel Medical Debt for Residents

New York City is the latest to join the growing initiative to address the burden of overwhelming medical debt, pledging to pay down $2 billion in debt for area residents. They are partnering with RIP Medical Debt, a nonprofit group that uses private donor funds to buy up and forgive patient debt. An estimated 100 million people in the U.S. carry some form of healthcare debt. MORE

Meet the Communities Trying to Take Over Their Local Electric Utility

Around a dozen communities across the country have launched campaigns to get rid of their investor-owned electric utilities — the for-profit companies that distribute electricity to three-quarters of U.S. households — and replace them with publicly owned ones. Calling their goal “public power,” advocates argue that existing utilities have saddled customers with high rates and frequent outages while lobbying to delay rooftop solar and other climate policies. MORE

Ivan Cantu is scheduled to be executed on February 28 by the state of Texas for the murders of James Mosqueda and Amy Kitchen. Please hold Ivan, James, Amy, their families, and the people of Texas in prayer. TAKE ACTION

Thomas Creech is scheduled to be executed on February 28 by the state of Idaho for the murder of David Jensen. Please hold Thomas, David, their families, and the people of Idaho in prayer. TAKE ACTION