TAKE ACTION: No More Weapons Shipments to Ukraine, Israel, or Taiwan

There are already more than enough U.S.-made weapons spread all over the world. The best thing the United States can do for the world, for peace, for the environment, for the rule of law, and for addressing serious national and global crises is to stop selling weapons and stop giving them away -- at least to the very worst of the wars now in progress or being stirred up for the future. World Beyond War asks us to join in telling the U.S. Government to stop the weapons shipments and replace them with diplomacy. TAKE ACTION

King’s Daughter Says Wars, Gun Violence, Racism Have Pushed Humanity to the Brink

Citing gun violence in the U.S., the deaths of families in Ukraine and Gaza from war, and threats from artificial intelligence, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s daughter said last week the world urgently needs to study and adopt her father’s philosophy of nonviolence to avoid self-destruction. The Rev. Bernice King used an address to announce events for the upcoming holiday in honor of her father to warn that humanity was at a critical juncture. MORE

More Policing Won’t Solve Youth Crime

Many recent headlines have stoked fear of a rise in youth crime. Much of this reporting stems from biased conservative media sources and pundits that often call for a return to outdated responses. They often call for more policing of—and stricter penalties for—young people. But without understanding the context behind the fearmongering, we will just keep repeating the same failed solutions. Instead, experts in youth policy say we need to pursue restorative justice and community-based strategies that respect their humanity. MORE

Nuclear Dangers and the 2024 Election

As the new year begins, the existential risks posed by nuclear weapons continue to grow. A crucial factor in whether one or more of today’s nuclear challenges erupt into full-scale crisis, unravel the nonproliferation system, or worse will be the outcome of the U.S. presidential election. How the winner of the 2024 race will handle the evolving array of nuclear weapons-related challenges is difficult to forecast, but the records and policies of the leading contenders, President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump offer clues. MORE

5 Potential Points for Bipartisanship on Nuclear Issues in 2024 

Being an election year in the United States, we will soon be faced with the inevitable portrayals of the other side as dangerous to national security. John Erath, who has served presidents of both parties for three decades, points to several critical nuclear issues on which both parties can and should agree. Traditionally, U.S. foreign policy has been generally bipartisan and, despite the divisive political climate, returning to a situation in which national security interests take precedence over political considerations would make the United States — and the world — safer.  MORE

U.S.-Mexico Border Crossings in December Set Monthly Record High

More than 300,000 people were on track to cross the U.S.-Mexico border in December without authorization and are being processed by American immigration officials, a tally that sets the latest monthly record, according to government figures. The number of crossings, averaging roughly 8,400 apprehensions a day by U.S. border agents, comes amid urgent efforts by the Joe Biden White House to curb migrant flows that have become a domestic political liability for him as he seeks re-election in 2024. MORE

Undocumented Immigrants Make Up Small Share of Florida's Population

Undocumented immigrants represent a small portion of Florida's population but the state has passed laws and spent millions of dollars to make living in the state difficult for them. A Pew Research Center report found that as of 2021, undocumented immigrants actually only accounted for 4.1 percent of the population. MORE

President Biden Fast-Tracks Work Permits for Migrants with Authorized Entry 

As Senate Republicans continue to push for hardline U.S. border measures, the Biden administration has been quietly working to improve access to legal immigration. To ease pressure on cities seeing record migrant arrivals, access to work permits for migrants authorized for U.S. entry is being fast-tracked. MORE

TAKE ACTION: Tell Big Banks to Stop Funding Deadly Coal Power

Despite their climate commitments, major banks — including financial giants JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, Citi, Wells Fargo, Barclays, and Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group — have continued to finance deadly coal power plants across the country. In the last seven years, major banks have poured $166 billion into ten of the most deadly coal utility parent companies in the U.S. The Sierra Club urges us to tell the big banks to stop funding deadly coal power. TAKE ACTION

2023 Surpasses Record for World’s Hottest Year by Huge Margin

2023 surpassed the record for the hottest year by a huge margin, providing “dramatic testimony” of how much warmer and more dangerous today’s climate is than the cooler one in which human civilization developed. The planet was 1.48C hotter in 2023 compared with the period before the mass burning of fossil fuels ignited the climate crisis. Scientists at the EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service (CCCS) said it was likely the 1.5C mark will be passed for the first time in the next 12 months. MORE

Buying an EV Just Got More Affordable

A change to the federal EV incentive that took effect on January 1 could widen access for low and middle-income buyers who want to go electric but have been excluded by high prices. The clean vehicle tax credit, which offers up to $7,500 toward a new electric, hydrogen, or plug-in hybrid vehicle, and up to $4,000 for a used one, is now available as an instant rebate at approved dealers. Until now, buyers could not take advantage of the credit until they filed their taxes. MORE

Forced Labor at Sea “Running Wild” Due to Lax European Laws

A recent report found that European companies, led by Spain, Russia, and the U.K., owned almost 23% of the commercial fishing vessels accused of forced labor. The International Labor Organization (ILO) estimates that on remote fishing vessels, in conditions of extreme isolation, and while performing hazardous work, an estimated 128,000 people on fishing boats suffer horrific forced labor abuses. This figure is widely agreed to be an underestimate of the actual crisis. MORE

Misperceptions Can Make It Harder to Prevent Child Trafficking and Help Survivors

Some may think of child trafficking as situations involving strangers kidnapping children off the street. But trafficking happens in many different places, by many different means. Misperceptions about child trafficking can harm efforts to raise public awareness and support survivors. Some state and local criminal justice systems may not identify child survivors as victims, and instead punish them for their trafficking experiences. When detained, these children may not receive the services they need to address their experience with trafficking. MORE

Meet 5 Changemakers Working Against Gender-Based Violence

One in three women experience physical or sexual violence at least once in their lifetime. This statistic is a grim reminder of the urgent need to address this pervasive issue worldwide. But in a world where gender-based violence remains a deeply entrenched problem, the stories of changemakers and civil society organizations addressing it offer us a glimmer of hope. Here are five of those remarkable changemakers, youth, and civil society organizations at the forefront of progress, making significant strides to end gender-based violence. MORE

Many Survivors Aren't Sure What to Do After a Sexual Assault—Here's What You Need to Know

Millions of people have experienced sexual violence and abuse, but many do not know where to go, or who to turn to afterward. The shame felt by victims and survivors of sexual violence can be reinforced by the responses of family members and others. This means many find it difficult to get help, sometimes carrying the burden of abuse for years. As one survivor put it: "My parents didn't want to know when I spoke to them about it. I grew up in an age where everything was hidden. So, I kept this totally from everybody until 2021." MORE

TAKE ACTION: Tell Congress to Support Bipartisan Expansion of the Child Tax Credit

Congress has set two deadlines - January 19 and February 2, to address the government funding needs for 2024. With these looming deadlines, Congress is discussing a bi-partisan deal to ensure the government does not shut down.  There is bipartisan support for the expansion of the Child Tax Credit (CTC) in the budget which would promote financial stability for low-income families and reduce poverty. RESULTS urges us to tell Congress to expand the CTC. TAKE ACTION

Voters Don’t Always Have Final Say – State Legislatures and Governors Are Increasingly Undermining Ballot Measures That Win

When voters want something done on an issue and their elected officials fail to act, they may turn to citizen initiatives to pursue their goals instead. Nearly half the states, 24 of them, allow citizen initiatives. Yet it is becoming increasingly common for lawmakers across the country to not only ignore the will of the people but also actively work against it. From 2010 to 2015, about 21% of citizen initiatives were altered by lawmakers after they passed. From 2016 to 2018, lawmakers altered nearly 36% of passed citizen initiatives. MORE

Twenty-two states Increased Their Minimum Wages on January 1

On January 1, 22 states increased their minimum wages, raising pay for an estimated 9.9 million workers. In total, workers will receive $6.95 billion in additional wages from state minimum wage increases. In addition, 38 cities and counties increased their minimum wages above their state’s wage floors, adding to the number of workers likely to see increased earnings. In the absence of federal action, states and localities continue to take the lead in advancing fairer wage floors via legislation, ballot measures, and automatic inflation adjustments. MORE

Kenneth Smith is scheduled to be executed on January 25 by the state of Alabama for the murder of Elizabeth Sennett. Please hold Kenneth, Elizabeth, their families, and the people of Alabama in prayer. TAKE ACTION