TAKE ACTION: Support Ceasefire, Restraint, De-Escalation of Violence, and Protection of Civilian Life in Israel/Palestine

Right now, it is critical that members of Congress hear from their constituents who support a de-escalation of violence and stand for peace and justice for all in Israel and Palestine. It is incumbent that Congress not support measures that will only intensify the violence.  Churches for Middle East Peace urges us to contact Congress and implore them to help bring about a peaceful and just resolution to this conflict that has already ravaged Israel and Palestine. TAKE ACTION

Russia’s 2024 Budget Shows It’s Planning for a Long War in Ukraine

The Russian government has announced its proposed budget for 2024. For the first time in modern history, the country is set to spend 6 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) on the military, and defense spending will exceed social spending. The war against Ukraine and the West is not only the Kremlin’s biggest priority; it is now also the main driver of Russia’s economic growth. MORE

The U.S. Nuclear Arsenal Can Deter Both China and Russia

In a speech this June, U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan drew attention to China’s nuclear buildup, Russia’s development of new nuclear capabilities, and the United States’ planned response. However, he promised President Joe Biden would not launch a countervailing U.S. nuclear buildup. Sullivan was emphatic: “I want to be clear here—the United States does not need to increase our nuclear forces to outnumber the combined total of our competitors in order to successfully deter them.” MORE

Is There Any Chance North Korea Will Ever Give Up Its Nuclear Weapons?

No analyst can say with 100 percent certainty that North Korea will never give up its nuclear weapons. However, a combination of historical hostilities, security concerns, cost-effectiveness, prestige, perceived deterrence value, and a generally paranoid leadership under the Kim regime, suggest that North Korea will not disarm in the short, medium, and probably long term.   The more important question is, what can the United States do to help reduce tensions, decrease misperceptions and miscommunication, and lower the risk of a nuclear war? MORE

Russian Diplomat Says Nuclear Tests Will Resume Only If U.S. Conducts One First

Russia will revoke its ratification of an international nuclear testing ban, but it would only start tests if the U.S. did first, a senior Russian official told state media this week. Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said Russia will “mirror” the U.S. position on the treaty by rescinding its ratification. The U.S. signed the 1996 Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, but it was never ratified in Congress. MORE

TAKE ACTION: Tell Congress to Ensure the Administration Protects Refugees and Sets a Bold Refugee Admissions Goal for FY 2024

Each September, the President, with input from Congress, sets a new admissions goal for the number of refugees to be resettled in the upcoming fiscal year.  As we face the greatest displacement crisis in history with more than 110 million people forced from their homes, it is critical to address this global need.  Church World Service urges us to call on Congress to support our nation’s refugee resettlement program and to hold the administration accountable for setting a robust admissions goal for fiscal year 2024. TAKE ACTION

U.S. to Restart Deportations to Venezuela in Effort to Reduce Record Border Arrivals

U.S. immigration officials are restarting efforts to deport Venezuelan migrants as a measure to curb migration to the southern border. Venezuelan migrants have journeyed to the United States in record numbers over the last few weeks. For years, the United States did not regularly carry out deportations to Venezuela due to a strained diplomatic relationship. MORE

Biden to Build More U.S. Border Wall Using Trump-Era Funds

President Joe Biden's administration said last week it will add sections to a border wall to prevent migrant crossings from Mexico, a signature policy of former President Donald Trump. One of Biden's first actions after taking office in January 2021 was to issue a proclamation pledging that "no more American taxpayer dollars be diverted to construct a border wall". The administration said last week’s action did not deviate from Biden's proclamation because money that was allocated during Trump's term in 2019 had to be spent now.   MORE

New Papal Document and the Spirit of Nonviolence

Pope Francis has released an Apostolic Exhortation entitled Laudate Deum. It is a follow-up to Laudato Si’, his 2015 landmark encyclical on the environment. Pope Francis says he was compelled to publish because the worldwide environmental crisis continues to deepen and a much more robust effort by all of us is required to address this global catastrophe. Ken Butigan, a longtime peace and nonviolence organizer and member of the Catholic Nonviolence Initiative executive committee reflects on the significance of this release. MORE

Catholics Ask Biden to Deliver Debt Relief to Countries Most at Risk from Climate Change

A coalition of U.S. Catholic organizations is calling on the Biden administration to use debt relief to "unlock critical funding" for countries most vulnerable to the impacts of a rapidly heating world. The letter campaign asks that the United States forgive or significantly restructure debts it holds with other nations as a central piece of its international climate policy. They argue that such a move "can unlock critical funding to help developing nations meet their goals under the Paris Agreement, adapt to climate change, and address loss and damage." MORE

Plastics, Clothing, and Climate Injustice

The causes and effects of climate change are not equally distributed across the planet. Post-industrial or developed countries are more responsible for emissions and pollution. However, the effects of the consumption of plastics, clothing, and other lifestyle choices in industrialized nations are felt more directly by developing countries which often lack the funding or infrastructure to adequately handle environmental or human health problems.  MORE

TAKE ACTION: Increase Funding for Worker Protection Agencies

In 1978, the U.S. government employed one labor inspector for every 69,000 workers. By 2018, the responsibility for each investigator had more than doubled to one inspector for every 175,000 workers. This is the result of chronic underfunding of the agency charged with protecting workers and it means labor traffickers are able to operate with impunity because they are pretty sure no one is watching. The Polaris Project urges us to tell Congress to fund the enforcement of existing labor laws and prevent labor trafficking. TAKE ACTION

Amazon Linked to Trafficking of Workers in Saudi Arabia

Dozens of current and former workers claim they were tricked and exploited by recruiting agencies in Nepal and labor supply firms in Saudi Arabia and then suffered under harsh conditions at Amazon’s warehouses. Their accounts provide insight into how major American corporations profit, directly or indirectly, from employment practices that may amount to labor trafficking, which is defined as using force, coercion, or fraud to induce someone to work or provide service. MORE

Air Force Announces More Oversight, Training to Curb Domestic Violence

The Department of the Air Force plans to expand oversight and add new training in a push to strengthen its domestic violence prevention efforts, following a monthslong review of its support services for abuse survivors. The announcement, set to coincide with Domestic Violence Awareness Month in October, is the Air Force’s latest attempt to reform how reports of abuse are handled in a system that critics say has much to do to adequately address the problem. MORE

Talking With the U.S. Representatives Behind a Bill to Address the Rape Kit Backlog

DNA evidence can be the reason a victim of sexual violence gets justice, if that evidence is actually processed. More than a hundred thousand kits of sexual assault evidence, known as rape kits, sit untested across the country. Representative Nancy Mace (R-SC) has spoken out about being a survivor of rape. She and her colleague Representative Barbara Lee (D-CA) introduced legislation last week focused on lowering the estimated number of untested 100,000 DNA rape kits across the United States. MORE

Nearly 1,000 Millionaires Have Not Filed Returns and Owe Estimated $34 Billion In Taxes; Few Wealthy Non-Filers Are Prosecuted

New IRS data shows a brazen disregard for federal tax laws by hundreds of wealthy families. The data also reveals that thousands of wealthy Americans are actively committing tax evasion yet few have been held accountable.  The top 500 high-income individuals who still have not filed returns for each year from 2017 to 2020 owed $923 million and yet were unlikely to face serious consequences. Only 2 of those 2,000 individuals were in active criminal investigation and only 58 have been subjected to financial penalties such as liens or levies. MORE

Auto Giants Refusing Union Demands Paid Just 1% in Federal Taxes on $42 Billion in Profits

A new report from Americans for Tax Fairness reveals that GM and Ford made $34 billion and $8 billion respectively in profit over the past five years, with GM paying a 1.3% federal tax rate and Ford actually receiving a -0.2% rate. Meanwhile, the auto giants claim they cannot afford striking workers' demands for better pay. The analysis underscores that while executives' pay increased by 32%, median autoworker wages only rose by 8.8%. MORE

Bangladesh: Shipping Firms Profit from Labor Abuse

European shipping companies are knowingly dumping their old ships for scrap on Bangladesh’s beaches, where workers dismantle them under dangerous and polluting conditions. Since 2020, approximately 20,000 Bangladeshi workers have ripped apart more than 520 ships on the country’s beaches. A new report reveals an entire network used by shipowners to circumvent international regulations prohibiting the scrapping of ships in places without adequate environmental or labor protection. MORE

Will Speer is scheduled to be executed on October 26 by the state of Texas for the murder of Gary Dickerson. Please hold Will, Gary, their families, and the people of Texas in prayer. TAKE ACTION

Brent Brewer is scheduled to be executed on November 9 by the state of Texas for the murder of Robert Laminack. Please hold Brent, Robert, their families, and the people of Texas in prayer. TAKE ACTION