ACTIVE NONVIOLENCE & PEACEMAKING

TAKE ACTION: No US Funding for Annexation of West Bank Land

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has proposed annexing a significant portion of the West Bank, a disputed landlocked territory both Israelis and Palestinians assert claims to.  The plan has come under harsh criticism from faith leaders as well as Germany, France, Egypt, and Jordan.   The Sisters of Mercy invite us to tell Congress to be sure that no U.S. funding for Israel is used for any activity associated with Israel's efforts to annex West Bank lands.    TAKE ACTION 

What's Behind A Recent Surge in U.S. Gun Violence - And How to Stop It

In addition to all the upheavals caused by the pandemic, social unrest, and heightened political turbulence, this summer is also shaping up to be a bloody one in America's cities' streets and neighborhoods.  What's behind the recent surge in gun violence?  PBS Newshour talked to violence reduction experts to learn the causes and possible solutions.  MORE

NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT

China Says It Won't Join Nuclear Talks Until the US Reduces Its Arsenal

China would be "happy" to join trilateral nuclear arms control talks with the United States and Russia, on the condition that Washington significantly reduces its arsenal to match China's own level, a senior Chinese diplomat has said.  The Chinese military currently has far fewer nuclear weapons than either the US or Russia, both of which have at least 5,000 nuclear warheads each.  In comparison, it is estimated that China only has about 320.  MORE

U.S., Russia Boost Shows of Force

As tensions between the United States and Russia have intensified, both nations have engaged in airborne "show of force" operations intended to demonstrate their intent to resist intimidation and defend their territories. Such operations can prove hazardous when the aircraft of one antagonist come perilously close to those of another, a phenomenon that has occurred on numerous occasions over the past few years.  MORE

IMMIGRATION

TAKE ACTION: Public Comment Needed on Proposed Asylum Rule

The Trump administration is proposing a rule that would effectively end asylum once and for all. In the proposed rule, judges would be allowed to decide cases before people have had the chance to present their full case in court and deny asylum for reasons that have nothing to do with the need for protection. Franciscan Action Network is urging us to speak up now to stop the administration from ending asylum and other vital protections for people in need. TAKE ACTION

New ICE Guidelines Say International Students Must Leave the U.S. If Classes Go Online

International students will be forced to leave the U.S. or transfer to another college if their schools offer classes entirely online this fall, under new guidelines issued by federal immigration authorities.  The guidelines, issued by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, provide additional pressure for universities to reopen even amid growing concerns about the recent spread of COVID-19 among young adults.  MORE

COVID-19 Forces Cruel Choice on Asylum Seekers
As COVID-19 cases spread in U.S. immigration detention centers, asylum seekers are faced with a cruel choice: risk getting infected while awaiting a hearing, as health conditions are poor; or get deported and face possible dangers in their home countries. ICE data shows 2,742 people in ICE detention centers, and 45 ICE employees, have tested positive for COVID-19. MORE

ENVIRONMENT

Judge Orders Dakota Access Pipeline to Shut Down

Owners of the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) must halt operations while the government conducts a full-fledged analysis examining the risk DAPL poses to the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, a federal judge has ruled. The court decision delivered a hard-fought victory to the Tribe, which has been engaged in a high-profile struggle against the Dakota Access Pipeline since 2016.  MORE

Coronavirus and Climate Change: How to Deal with Converging Crises

Human-driven climate change is causing heatwaves in southern states hard hit by the coronavirus, and the heatwave is expected to last at least two weeks. The pandemic means fewer cooling and hydration stations are open than normal. Many malls, libraries, and pools are also closed. For those who seek shelter in an air-conditioned building, congregating with others may increase the likelihood of contracting the coronavirus.  MORE

House Approves $1.5 Trillion Green Infrastructure Plan

House Democrats last week passed a $1.5 trillion green infrastructure plan that would surge funding to repair the nation's crumbling roads and bridges while setting aside funds for broadband, schools, and hospitals. But the legislation, which ties much of the funding to green measures such as reducing carbon emissions, has little chance of passing the GOP-led Senate. MORE

HUMAN TRAFFICKING

TAKE ACTION: Tell Congress to Support Vulnerable Youth

Already in vulnerable positions, COVID-19 and the subsequent economic upheaval have made runaway and homeless youth even more vulnerable than ever to human traffickers.  But so far, the COVID-19 relief legislation has left them behind.  Congress needs to pass a relief package that will keep these young people safe and prevent longer-term homelessness. The Polaris Project urges us to tell Congress to protect vulnerable youth from human trafficking. TAKE ACTION

The Warning Signs in This Year's Trafficking in Persons Report

In an opinion piece for Thomson Reuters Foundation, a U.S. anti-trafficking expert last week laid out key lessons in this year's edition of the U.S. government's annual Trafficking in Persons report.  Luis C.deBaca, formerly the Ambassador to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons, argued that there has been a weakening in victim protection in favor of anti-immigration policies.  He also notes an over-emphasis on sex trafficking to the exclusion of labor trafficking.  MORE

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE & SEXUAL ASSAULT

Virginia Completes Testing of More Than 2,600 Rape Kits to Eliminate Backlog

The state of Virginia has eliminated its backlog of rape kits, some of which went untested for decades, according to its attorney general.  Attorney General Mark Herring announced that the state's $3.4 million project to eliminate its backlog of 2,665 untested kits has been completed. Virginia becomes the seventh state to clear its rape kit backlog, according to the Joyful Heart Foundation, a nonprofit that runs the End the Backlog campaign.  MORE

How Reporting Domestic Violence Works Against Women in Family Court

Conventional wisdom has it that women automatically have the upper hand in custody fights, and a mother claiming she's been abused has a powerful case to sway the court. But when domestic violence charges are in play, advocates and researchers suggest, mothers are often at a disadvantage. Mothers who charge fathers with domestic violence amid custody battles are often suspected of fabricating the claims as a tactic to win control of their children.  MORE

POVERTY & SOCIAL JUSTICE

TAKE ACTION: Tell Congress to Protect Millions of Renters from Eviction

This COVID-19 pandemic and resulting economic crisis are far from over. Congress must pass more legislation to help millions of renters who have lost work due to the pandemic and are unable to pay the rent. Congress cannot take a "wait and see" attitude when so many Americans are facing potential eviction and homelessness.  RESULTS urges us to tell our senators and representative to protect low-income renters in new COVID-19 legislation.  TAKE ACTION

White House Begins the Process of Withdrawing from the World Health Organization

The Trump administration notified Congress this week that it informed the World Health Organization (WHO) of its intent to withdraw, a process which will be finalized in July 2021.  The U.S. has been the biggest donor to the United Nations-sponsored health agency, contributing $400 million in 2019?about 15% of the WHO budget.  President Trump suspended U.S. funding for the agency in April over its handling of the coronavirus pandemic.  MORE 

'Extreme Inequality Was the Preexisting Condition': How COVID-19 Widened America's Wealth Gap

The coronavirus pandemic has exacerbated income inequality, stretching the racial wealth gap in the United States and making the richest wealthier while leaving many of the poorest without jobs.  At least 45 million people have filed for unemployment since the pandemic began.  Yet as the pandemic raged, the combined wealth of the 614 U.S. billionaires increased by $584 billion.  MORE