TAKE ACTION: End Solitary Confinement

Prolonged solitary confinement is a form of torture. The End Solitary Confinement Act would establish 4-hour limits on solitary confinement for emergency de-escalation, require people in alternative forms of separation to have access to full days of out-of-cell time and group engagement, guarantee due process rights for individuals facing these alternative forms of separation, and establish robust oversight. The National Religious Campaign Against Torture urges us to tell Congress to co-sponsor this important legislation. TAKE ACTION

‘I Don’t Blame Her’: Meeting of Esther Ghey and Emma Sutton Shows Power of Restorative Justice

Shortly after the sentencing of her daughter’s murderer, Esther Ghey said she was open to meeting the mother of the killer.  “It was a positive and respectful meeting,” Ghey said afterward. She said they discussed “the challenges of parenting” and that she would be willing to campaign with Sutton on the dangers of mobile phones for children. MORE

The Companies Profiting from Israel’s 2023-2024 Attacks on Gaza

Israel’s genocide in Gaza relies on a steady stream of weapons –attack jets, bunker busters, cluster bombs, artillery —from the United States, where Raytheon, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, and other war profiteers count their profits. The American Friends Service Committee has created a report of companies that have provided Israel with weapons and other military equipment used in its attacks on Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon, and Syria between October 2023 and January 2024. MORE

U.S. Prepared ‘Rigorously’ for Potential Russian Nuclear Strike in Ukraine in Late 2022, Officials Say

Recent news reports indicate that the Biden administration planned rigorously for potential Russian nuclear use in Ukraine. While details of what U.S. officials would do are not available, senior U.S. officials including the head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Secretary of State, and the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency were dispatched to engage their Russian counterparts. This outreach was paired with collaboration with allies, and even non-allies like India and China, to discourage Russia from potentially using a nuclear weapon.  MORE

Senate Passes Bill to Expand Compensation for Radiation Victims. Will the House Agree?

On March 7, the Senate approved a significant bill to broaden and prolong the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA). RECA is designed to compensate people in several states who suffered radiation-borne illnesses from aboveground nuclear testing (people known as downwinders) and as a result of uranium mining. It is not yet clear whether House Speaker Mike Johnson will bring the Senate-passed RECA legislation to the House Floor.  President Biden has stated support for the bill ahead of the vote. MORE

Iowa Governor Plans to Sign Controversial Immigration Bill Amid National Debate

The Iowa House passed a bill this week that would allow state law enforcement to arrest and deport undocumented immigrants. Senate File 2430, which was approved by the House in a 64-30 vote -- and by the Senate 34-16 -- now heads to Gov. Kim Reynolds' desk, where she is expected to sign it into law. The extraordinary measures that Iowa Republicans are pursuing come as several other Republican-led states are granting their governments powers to address immigration that have historically been the sole jurisdiction of the federal government.  MORE

Texas Immigration Law Blocked Again, Just Hours After Supreme Court Allowed State to Arrest Migrants

On Tuesday evening, a federal appeals court temporarily blocked the enforcement of a Texas law known as SB 4, which would give police broad powers to arrest migrants suspected of crossing into the United States without authorization. This decision came just hours after the Supreme Court had allowed the controversial immigration law to take effect. The law is now blocked from being enforced pending further legal consideration and challenges. MORE

Thousands of Unaccompanied Children Make a Dangerous Trek to the U.S. Southern Border

Thousands of unaccompanied children have been arriving at the U.S.-Mexico border each year after long, dangerous journeys. Three sisters from Chiapas, Mexico, say they hope to reunite with their mother in the United States. They are part of a growing trend of unaccompanied minors — 150,000 in 2022 — arriving at the southern U.S. border to search for safety and a new start. MORE

TAKE ACTION: Tell EPA to Ban the Toxic Herbicide Paraquat Now

Farmworkers and agricultural communities face an increased risk of developing Parkinson’s disease because of the continued use of a highly toxic herbicide called paraquat. In response to a lawsuit brought by Earthjustice on behalf of farmworker, public health, and environmental organizations, the EPA is currently reevaluating paraquat’s risks to public health and the environment.  EarthJustice urges us to tell EPA to join more than 50 other countries worldwide in banning the use of paraquat.  TAKE ACTION

Coal Power Plunged Again in 2023 and Is Fading Away in the U.S. So What Replaces It?

Coal plants in the U.S. continue to close and the ones that remain are being used less than before. While we’re still a decade—or maybe decades—away from the shutdown of the last U.S. coal plant, the fuel’s role in our energy economy is on the way out. This is good for the climate and human health, considering that coal does grave harm through emissions of planet-warming carbon dioxide. But replacing coal’s contributions to a reliable grid will be a challenge, albeit a challenge policymakers and energy analysts have seen coming. MORE

Iowa DNR Reports E. Coli Leading Cause of Iowa’s Impaired Waters

According to a new report from the Iowa Department of Natural Resource, more than half of Iowa’s assessed waters are impaired. E. coli, found in Iowa factory farms’ 109 billion pounds of waste produced annually, is responsible for the majority of the pollution. Iowa factory farms produce a shocking 109 billion pounds of manure annually, equivalent to 25 times the waste of the state’s human population. MORE

The Dark Side of Cobalt Mining on the Quest for Clean Energy

Cobalt is a critical metal used to produce batteries for electric vehicles and demand is expected to double by 2030. The Democratic Republic of the Congo is the leading source of cobalt, with significant mining operations controlled by foreign entities. The mining process is often dangerous and unregulated. Over 255,000 people, including 40,000 children, engage in these precarious mining activities as a means of survival in a nation marked by extreme poverty despite its vast mineral wealth. MORE

Trapped on Wisconsin Farms: The Hidden Plight of Trafficked Workers

More than 10,000 undocumented immigrant workers perform an estimated 70% of the labor on Wisconsin dairy farms, according to an April 2023 survey by the School for Workers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Despite increasingly hostile national political rhetoric about immigrants, Wisconsin farmers are heavily dependent on this unauthorized workforce. Without them, the whole dairy industry would collapse overnight. MORE

TAKE ACTION: Urge the Senate to Pass the Bipartisan Child Tax Credit and Low-Income Housing Tax Credit

After passing the House, the Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act of 2024 has yet to be taken up by the Senate, where it faces potential amendments that would weaken the legislation and make fewer families eligible for the credit. The Child Tax Credit would benefit 16 million children and Low-Income Housing Tax Credit has the potential to create 200,000 affordable homes. Catholic Charities invites us to tell our Senators to support passage of the tax package. TAKE ACTION

Florida Legislators Ban Local Heat Protections for Millions of Outdoor Workers

Florida’s 2 million outdoor workers are poised to have less access to accommodations like water and shady rest breaks under a bill the Florida Legislature recently approved. The measure prohibits local governments from establishing heat protections for outdoor workers. It comes after Miami-Dade County considered a proposal last year that would have compelled construction and agriculture companies to provide water and rest breaks when the heat index there rises to 95 degrees or higher. MORE

Free School Meals for All May Reduce Childhood Obesity While Easing Financial and Logistical Burdens for Families and Schools

School meals are critical to child health. Research has shown that school meals can be more nutritious than meals from other sources, such as meals brought from home. The Community Eligibility Provision, enacted in 2014, allows schools to provide free meals for all students if at least 40% of their students are directly certified to receive free meals.  Families receiving free breakfast and lunch save approximately $4.70 per day per child or $850 per year.  MORE

Willie Pye is scheduled to be executed on March 20 by the state of Georgia for the murder of Alicia Lynn Yarbrough. Please hold Willie, Alicia, their families, and the people of Georgia in prayer. TAKE ACTION

Michael Smith is scheduled to be executed on April 4 by the state of Oklahoma for the murder of Janet Moore and Sarath “Babu” Pulluru. Please hold Michael, Janet, Sarath, their families, and the people of Oklahoma in prayer. TAKE ACTION

Brian Dorsey is scheduled to be executed on April 9 by the state of  Missouri for the murders of Sarah and Ben Bonnie. Please hold Brian, Sarah, Ben, their families, and the people of Missouri in prayer. TAKE ACTION