ACTIVE NONVIOLENCE & PEACEMAKING

TAKE ACTION: Urge Humanitarian Engagement with North Korea

The world is watching as President Trump and North Korea leader Kim Jong-un prepare for a historic meeting later this month.Addressing humanitarian concerns helps build diplomacy and trust with North Korea in the long road toward working for peace. The American Friends Service Committee invites us to urge President Trump and Congress to pursue humanitarian engagement between North Korea and the United States during the summit. TAKE ACTION

Poor People's Campaign Launches Days of Protests Around US

Activists converged on state capitals around the U.S. on Monday to begin six weeks of non-violent protests calling for new programs to help the millions of Americans who live in poverty, an overhaul of voting rights laws and other social change. Reports by police from seven state capitols and Washington, D.C., showed more than 200 people had been arrested or cited during the first day of the Poor People's Campaign. MORE

US Opens Embassy in Jerusalem, While Israel Kills Dozens of Gaza Protesters

Israeli forces have killed dozens of people and wounded hundreds in Palestinian protests against the new U.S. embassy, which was officially moved to Jerusalem Monday. Human rights groups and a number of European leaders repeated their strong opposition to the moving of the U.S. embassy, which Palestinians view as recognition of Israeli sovereignty over Jerusalem. MORE

NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT

North Korea Threatens To Cancel Trump Summit Over Nuclear Demands

North Korea has abruptly canceled high-level talks with Seoul and threatened to pull out of aplanned summit with Donald Trumpif the US continues to insist on the regime giving up all of its nuclear weapons. A North Korean official said the country had no interest in a summit with the US if it was based on "one-sided” demands to give up nuclear weapons, according to state media. MORE

New Campaign Aims to Generate National Support for UN Treaty to Ban Nuclear Weapons

With a focus on local efforts at the municipal and state level, a coalition of more than fifty anti-nuclear organizations has launched a new campaign designed to pressure the U.S. to end its opposition and sign the UN's global treaty to ban nuclear weapons. The newly-launched 'Treaty Compliance Campaign' is promoting national support for theTreaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. MORE

IMMIGRATION

TAKE ACTION: Stop Separating Children from Their Parentsat the Border

Recently, the New York Times reported that more than 700 children have been taken from parents arriving at our borders since October, including more than 100 children under the age of 4. Separating a child from a mother or father only leads to more trauma for all. MomsRising urges us to tell Congress and D.H.S. Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen to stop separating infants and children from their parents. TAKE ACTION

Flow of Refugees to U.S. Has Slowed to Nearly a Halt

The flow of refugees to the United States has slowed nearly to a halt, demonstrating that what President Trump’s administration could not achieve by executive order, it is accomplishing by bureaucracy. A total of 13,051 refugees of all backgrounds have been admitted, making it unlikely that the administration’s originally planned cap of 45,000 — about half the number that came during the last year of the Obama administration — will be met. MORE

ENVIRONMENT

TAKE ACTION: Prevent Arctic Drilling

The Department of the Interior is preparing to open up the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for oil and gas drilling. The intention is to rush through the environmental review process and attempt to hold a lease sale in just over a year. The National Religious Partnership for the Environment is encouraging the faith community to sign a petition to halt the rush to drill. TAKE ACTION

California Now Requires Solar Panels for New Homes

Rooftop solar, already more common in California than anywhere else in the country, will be required for most new houses and apartments by 2020, part of a landmark policy adopted on Wednesday that supporters hope will inspire other states to follow suit. The California Energy Commission voted unanimously to approve thebuilding standardsin a process that was notable for the lack of high-profile opposition. MORE

UN Votes to Take First Step Toward a Global Environment Pact. The U.S. Opposed It.

The UN General Assembly voted last week to take a first step toward establishing a Global Pact for the Environment. The world body voted 143-5 to approve a resolution asking UN officials toidentify and assess possible gaps in international environmental law and related legal instruments. The U.S. voted against the resolution, along with Russia, Turkey, Syria and the Philippines. MORE

HUMAN TRAFFICKING

Trafficked Boy Sues U.K. Gov’t After Sexual Assault

The UK government is being accused of "catastrophic failure” after admitting that a trafficked Vietnamese boy was sexually assaulted while being illegally detained. The boy, known as "H”, is now suing the government. H was only 16-years-old when another inmate at an immigration detention center attempted to rape him. The government now admits that H should not have been in detention as he had been identified as a victim of human trafficking. MORE

Global Demand for Tobacco Fuels Child Labor in Zimbabwe

Although smoking rates are declining across the West, the demand for tobacco is booming in the Global South, particularly across parts of Asia and Africa. Yet this demand is coming at a cost: the cash crop, seen by some to be Zimbabwe’s ‘golden leaf’ to relieve the country’s economic woes, is being harvested by children. It’s a dangerous task that leaves children poisoned and unable to attend school during harvests. MORE

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE & SEXUAL ASSAULT

Delaware Becomes First US State To Fully Ban Child Marriage

Delaware has made history as the first state in the nation to ban child marriage under all circumstances. Despite most US state laws setting the age of marital consent at 18, every other state and the District of Columbia have loopholes for minors seeking marriage licenses. In some states, children as young as 12 may marry. MORE

Uber Will No Longer Force Victims of Sexual Assault into Arbitration

The rideshare company Uber has said it will no longer force into arbitration passengers who allege that they have been sexually assaulted or harassed by drivers -- something Uber says was previously required under its terms of service. Instead, Uber will allow victims of sexual violence, including riders, drivers and employees, to choose the venue in which they want to pursue redress of their sexual harassment or assault claims. MORE

POVERTY & SOCIAL JUSTICE

TAKE ACTION: Protect SNAP in the Farm Bill

Congress is about to vote on a new Farm Bill that would increase hunger and hardship by taking away—or cutting—food assistance from many struggling families, including children. Their proposal includes sweeping changes to the SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or food stamps). MomsRising urges us to tell Congress to protect SNAP in the Farm Bill. TAKE ACTION

Trump Promises Lower Drug Prices, But Drops Populist Solutions

President Trump vowed last week to "bring soaring drug prices back down to earth” by promoting competition among pharmaceutical companies, and he suggested that the government could require drugmakers to disclose prices in television advertising. But he dropped the popular and populist proposals of his presidential campaign, opting not to have the federal government directly negotiate lower drug prices for Medicare. MORE

DEATH PENALTY

Clifton Williams is scheduled to be executed on June 21 by the state of Texas for the murder of Cecilia Schneider. Please hold Clifton, Cecilia, their families and the people of Texas in prayer.

Danny Bible is scheduled to be executed on June 27 by the state of Texas for the murder of Inez Deaton. Please hold Danny, Inez, their families and the people of Texas in prayer.