ACTIVE NONVIOLENCE & PEACEMAKING

TAKE ACTION: Oppose Efforts to Weaken Gun Safety

Gun safety advocates have worked to pass state laws enforcing stronger rules for concealed carry permits. Congress is currently considering legislation to establish national concealed carry reciprocity, which would force states with strong concealed carry laws to recognize permits issued by states with more lax permit requirements. The Justice and Peace Action Network urges us to tell Congress to oppose federally-mandated concealed carry legislation.TAKE ACTION

Since Trump's Election, 20 States Have Moved to Criminalize Dissent

In what is being called the "biggest protest crackdown since the Civil Rights Era," Republicans in at least 20 states have put forward or passed laws with the intention of making protest more difficult and the punishment for expressing dissent more draconian since President Donald Trump's inauguration in January. MORE

 Violence Should Be Treated as a Health Issue

Rather than viewing violence as tragic, yet inevitable, proposed legislation aims to bolster existing efforts to understand it as a preventable health crisis. Congressman Mike Quigley, (D-Ill.), has introduced the Public Health Violence Prevention Act (H.R. 2757). This bill would allocate $1 billion towards violence prevention within the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and provide funding for scaling up prevention efforts across the country. MORE

NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT

Anti-Nuclear Bomb Activists Arrested at U.S. Mission to U.N.

More than a dozen activists were arrested for disorderly conduct after they blocked the entrances to the United States mission to the United Nations on Monday to protest Washington's decision to boycott negotiations on a nuclear weapons ban treaty. Chanting "U.S. join the talks, ban the bomb," the protesters sat in front of the doors for about 10 minutes before New York police moved in. MORE

Will Missile Defense Keep America Safe?

If World War 3 were to break out between the United States and North Korea, there is good reason to believe that the highly-touted missile defense system, the very same system hailed as a success last week by the Pentagon, might not be able to protect the U.S. from North Korea’s ballistic missiles (nuclear-tipped or otherwise). MORE

IMMIGRATION

Violence and Persecution Uprooted Record 65.6 Million People in 2016

Nearly 66 million people were forcibly displaced from their homes last year, the United Nation refugee agency reports, stressing the "very high” pace at which conflict and persecution are forcing people to flee their homes. The figure equates to "one person displaced every three seconds– less than the time it takes to read this sentence.” The report marks a jump of 300,000 since the end of 2015. MORE

Sisters Express Cautious Hope As Trump Continues 'Dreamers' Program

President Donald Trump's administration has rolled back one of his campaign promises by continuing the 2012 Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, ensuring that so-called "Dreamers" are safe from deportation for the duration of their work permits. The program granted work authorization for certain undocumented immigrants who arrived in the U.S. as children, lifting their fears of deportation. MORE

Refugees Contribute More in Taxes Than They Ever Receive in Benefits

Within the first weeks of the Trump administration, the president attempted to suspend America’s decades-long refugee program in favor of a more isolationist approach. One reason the president gave for wanting to temporarily bar the world’s refugees was their supposed financial burden—but a new study suggests that refugees ultimately pay far more in taxes than they receive in welfare benefits. MORE

ENVIRONMENT

TAKE ACTION: Take the Laudato Si Pledge

Laudato Si’ is Pope Francis’ historic encyclical on care for creation and our common home. Released one year ago, it challenges us to "hear the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor”. The Laudato Si’ Pledge is a worldwide campaign by the Global Catholic Climate Movement to raise awareness of the Laudato Si’ message and to encourage action on the climate crisis. TAKE ACTION

Iowa’s Biggest Solar Power Operation Is Under Construction

Construction of the biggest solar power operation in the state of Iowa is underway. Alliant Energy is building 15,600 solar panels on 21 acres near Dubuque to produce enough energy to power 727 Iowa homes every year. The $10 million project should be up and running by August. MORE

Exxon Mobil Lends Its Support to a Carbon Tax Proposal

Exxon Mobil, other oil companies and a number of other corporate giants have announced that they are supporting a plan to tax carbon emissions that was put forth this year by a group of Republican elder statesmen. The underlying idea is that, by making energy derived from fossil fuels more expensive, the free market will move more quickly and effectively toward renewable energy and other low-carbon solutions. MORE

HUMAN TRAFFICKING

Group Unveils $1M Campaign to Fight Super Bowl Sex Trafficking

A group of community leaders in Minneapolis has unveiled plans to discourage sex trafficking at next year's Super Bowl. From billboards spreading educational campaigns to enhanced statewide law enforcement stings, the anti-trafficking committee outlined new efforts to take place before, during and after the Feb. 4 game. MORE

Banning Women from Domestic Work Abroad Raises Trafficking Risks

Southeast Asian countries that seek to bar women from traveling abroad as domestic workers are actually increasing the risk of trafficking and exploitation, according to the International Labor Organization and UN Women. "Irregular migrants have fewer protections in destination countries, which means they are more vulnerable to forced labor, exploitation and human trafficking," warned an ILO representative. MORE

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE & SEXUAL ASSAULT

Rhode Island Lawmakers Consider Domestic Violence Gun Bill

A proposal to take guns away from domestic abusers and people under domestic restraining orders is moving forward in the state House. The legislation would require people convicted of a crime of domestic violence, including misdemeanors, and anyone subject to a domestic abuse protective order to surrender any firearms they have and prohibit them from acquiring more. MORE

Iraqi Child Marriage Proposal Reflects Worrying Trend

A bill in Iraq’s parliament to permit the marriage of girls as young as nine is drawing stiff opposition from a coalition of civil society groups. The bill is unlikely to pass, but women say it underscores a rising tide of extremist sentiment in Iraq and threatens constitutional guarantees on gender equality and other freedoms. MORE

POVERTY & SOCIAL JUSTICE

TAKE ACTION: Stop Dodd-Frank Repeals

Last week, the House of Representatives voted to repeal responsible lending and transparency measures from the 2010 Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. Now that the Financial Choice Act passed the House, it is up for a vote in the Senate.Jubilee USA urges us to tell our Senators to protect critical oversight of big banks and payday lending and not to repeal anti-corruption measures. TAKE ACTION

After Weeks of Secrecy, US Senate to Unveil Health-Care Bill

U.S. Senate Republicans plan to unveil the text of their draft health-care bill on Thursday as senators struggle over issues such as the future of the Medicaid program for the poor and bringing down insurance costs. Republicans in the chamber have been working for weeks behind closed doors on legislation aimed at repealing and replacing major portions of the Affordable Care Act. MORE

DEATH PENALTY

Scheduled Executions

William Charles Morva is scheduled to be executed by the state of Virginia on July 6 for the murders of Eric Sutphin and Derrick McFarland. Please hold William, Eric, Derrick, their families and the people of Virginia in prayer.