Why do Americans Own AR-15s?

The AR-15 is the best-selling rifle in the United States, industry figures indicate. Almost every major gunmaker now produces its own version of the weapon, which dominates gun dealers’ walls and websites. Critics claim that the military-style gun has no legitimate civilian use — yet about 1 in 20 Americans own one. So who chooses to buy an AR-15, and why? The Washington Post and Ipsos asked nearly 400 AR-15 owners to explain their reasons for having the weapon, what they use it for, and how often they fire it. MORE

Cardinal McElroy Says Church Must 'Redesign' Just-War Theory, Favor Nonviolent Action

Ongoing wars that have caused widespread death, misery, and destruction are leading to shifts in Catholic thinking, among them being the "need to fundamentally renew and prioritize the claim of nonviolent action as the central tenet" of church teaching on war and peace, says San Diego Cardinal Robert McElroy. Drawing on six decades of papal teaching on peace, the cardinal told an audience at the University of Notre Dame that Catholics are facing a "new moment" in history, one that requires finding nonviolent alternatives to prevent war. MORE

Will We Always Be This Way?

As the world enters the second year of war between Ukraine and Russia, some say it’s unconscionable for peace activists to clamor for a cease-fire and immediate negotiations. In Progressive magazine, peace activist Kathy Kelly revisits the period of the Iraq war and applies the lessons she learned working for peace towards the situation in Ukraine. MORE

Putin to Station Russian Nukes in Belarus

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced plans to station tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus—an escalation anti-war campaigners had been warning about and that alarmed disarmament advocates and experts. The United States, which has the world's second-largest nuclear arsenal after Russia, "long ago deployed their nuclear weapons on the territory of their allies, NATO countries, in Europe," the Russian leader noted. "We are doing the same thing that they have been doing for decades."  MORE

U.S. Suspends Sharing Nuke Information with Russia

The U.S. has stopped sharing information about its strategic nuclear stockpile with Russia in response to Moscow’s decision last month to suspend its participation in a treaty that limits the deployment of atomic warheads. The move comes after Russia said it was suspending participation in the post-Cold War nuclear agreement and throws the future of Washington’s participation in the 2010 New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty into question at a time of heightened tensions with Moscow. MORE

North Korea Tests New Nuclear-Capable Underwater Drone

North Korea has tested a new nuclear-capable underwater attack drone, state media has reported, as leader Kim Jong Un warned joint military drills by South Korea and the U.S. should stop. During the test, the new North Korean drone cruised underwater at a depth of 260-500 feet for over 59 hours and detonated a non-nuclear payload in waters off its east coast, North Korean state news agency KCNA said. MORE

Blaze Kills At Least 38 People at Migrant Detention Center Near Mexico-U.S. Border

At least 38 people died on Monday night when a fire broke out at a government-run migrant detention center in Ciudad Juarez, a city in northern Mexico, on the United States border. The deadly blaze has underlined the urgent situation in Mexican cities along the border, which have been inundated with migrants sent back from the U.S. by a pandemic-era public health restriction that is set to expire in early May. MORE

Biden Immigration Plan Could Force Asylum Officers to Break Law, Union Warns

President Biden's plan to limit access to asylum could force federal asylum officers to break the law. The union that represents asylum officers argues that the proposed policy would violate asylum officers' oath to carry out immigration laws set by Congress. In a comment to the Department of Homeland Security, the union's attorney wrote that the policy “could make them complicit in violations of U.S. and international law." MORE

Dispelling the Myth: How Undocumented Immigrants Pay Taxes and Contribute to the U.S. Tax Base

As Tax Day approaches, it is important to acknowledge the tax contributions made by immigrants—even those who are undocumented. These contributions play a vital role in the funding and sustainability of America’s public services and programs. In 2021 alone, these households contributed $30.8 billion in total taxes, including $18.6 billion in federal income taxes and $12.2 billion in state and local taxes. MORE

TAKE ACTION: Tell Congress to Vote No on H.R.1

The U.S. House of Representatives will vote on a bill this week that would remove environmental protections on our lands and maximize the profits of Big Oil and mining corporations. House Republicans have named it the “Lower Energy Costs Act” and have numbered it H.R. 1 to signify it as their top priority.  What should be called the “Polluters Over People Act,” H.R. 1 is a corporate wish list of deregulation that cuts community input on the decisions that impact our land and water. People’s Action encourages us to tell our Representatives to vote no on H.R.1. TAKE ACTION

Biden Administration Auctions More Than 2,000 Miles of Gulf of Mexico for Oil Leasing

The Biden administration held an auction of new oil leases in the Gulf of Mexico this week. The sales were part of a requirement in the Inflation Reduction Act added to secure the support of Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.V.). In its environmental analysis for the current lease sale, the Biden administration estimated the oil and gas drilling from this sale could emit about 21.2 million metric tons of carbon dioxide. MORE

‘Rewilding’ Parts of the Planet Could Have Big Climate Benefits

Restoring fish, bison, gray wolves, and other animals in key regions is possible without risking food supplies and could remove nearly 500 gigatons of CO2 from the atmosphere by 2100. Experts say that climate and biodiversity are intertwined. Scientists are discovering more and more how different animals are actually modifying their ecosystems and the environment in ways that capture more carbon. MORE 

TAKE ACTION: Support Federal Criminal Records Relief for Survivors

By its very definition, the crime of human trafficking involves being forced, manipulated, or tricked into activities that a person would not otherwise engage in - such as selling sexual services or doing any kind of work without pay. Indeed, the vast majority of trafficking survivors report having a criminal record as a result of having been trafficked. Yet the federal government fails to recognize this. Polaris invites us to tell Congress to reintroduce and support the Trafficking Survivors Relief Act. TAKE ACTION

Canadian Employers Face Fines, Jail Time If They Withhold Workers' Passports

In a move applauded by migrant workers’ rights advocates in Canada, unscrupulous employers who withhold workers’ passports could face steep fines and even jail time under the new Working for Workers Act – legislation aimed at protecting migrant workers who may be vulnerable to human trafficking and exploitative work relationships. MORE

Why Domestic Violence Is a Public Health Problem

The National Domestic Violence hotline states that last year just over 62 percent of survivors surveyed reported health needs related to their experiences of abuse. Often experiences of both physical and mental health trauma can have lifelong health consequences from chronic pain to traumatic brain injury, to barriers to treating chronic health conditions like diabetes. As a result of such information, the Department of Health and Human Services has announced a new office to prevent domestic violence and assist victims. MORE

Dangerous Homes: Guns and Domestic Violence Exact a Deadly Toll on Kids

Most parents worry a shooting could happen at their children's school. But a Trace analysis found that three times as many kids were shot in domestic violence incidents between 2018 and 2022. All told, three times as many children were shot in domestic violence incidents as in school shootings, and eight times as many died. The majority of those children were intentionally shot by a parent, stepparent, or guardian — the very people expected to protect them. MORE

TAKE ACTION: Urge Congress to Reauthorize the Farm Bill

Communities worldwide are experiencing life-threatening levels of hunger and malnutrition on an unprecedented scale. Catholic Relief Services urges us to tell Congress to prioritize timely passage of the 2023 Farm Bill and to reauthorize existing programs that not only protect domestic farmers but address immediate hunger needs internationally and support long-term solutions. TAKE ACTION

Iowa Planning to Leave ERIC Program That States Use to Ensure Election Integrity

Iowa is looking to leave the Electronic Registration Information Center, otherwise known as ERIC. The program is known to assist states in providing voter accuracy. As of now, ERIC is comprised of 32 states and the District of Columbia. However, Iowa and Ohio are the latest to announce they plan on leaving, following other key Republican-led states like Florida and Missouri. MORE  

‘We’re Going Away’: A State’s Choice to Forgo Medicaid Funds Is Killing Hospitals

Rural hospitals are struggling all over the nation because of population declines, soaring labor costs, and a long-term shift toward outpatient care. But those problems have been magnified by a political choice in Mississippi and nine other states, all with Republican-controlled legislatures. They have spurned the federal government’s offer to shoulder almost all the cost of expanding Medicaid coverage for the poor. And that has heaped added costs on hospitals because they cannot legally turn away patients, insured or not. MORE

Aaron Gunches is scheduled to be executed on April 6 by the state of Arizona for the murder of Ted Price. Please hold Aaron, Ted, their families, and the people of Arizona in prayer. TAKE ACTION

Louis Gaskin is scheduled to be executed on April 12 by the state of Florida for the murders of Robert and Georgette Sturmfels.  Please hold Louis, Robert, Georgette, their families, and the people of Florida in prayer. TAKE ACTION