The possibility of war in Ukraine is terrifying. Tens of thousands of deaths estimated in the first few days of fighting. Massive economic warfare with the potential to trigger a global economic meltdown. And, in the worst case scenario: Russia and the United States stumbling into a nuclear war with nearly unimaginable consequences. In moments like this it’s easy to feel helpless, especially when everywhere you turn Washington’s war caucus is seemingly chomping at the bit for war. But that’s where we come in. In the days ahead, as President Biden is debating his next steps, we need to make sure that the loudest voices he hears are a deafening demand for continued diplomacy and de-escalation.

Now that a diplomatic breakthrough with Iran is on the horizon, the war hawks in Washington are working overtime to sabotage this deal before it's even announced. In fact, as soon as word of an imminent deal got around, the powerful chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Senator Bob Menendez, took to the chamber floor to trash the negotiations and call for a continuation of Trump's failed "maximum pressure" policy. Senator Menendez isn't just wrong, he’s dangerous: his words and actions undermine U.S. diplomats who are still in the middle of negotiations and put us on a path to war. But right now, he and other hawks are testing to see how far they can push us away from diplomacy and peace. What happens in the next twenty four hours is CRUCIAL — if we show up, and are loud — we can not only get hawks to step back, but we also strengthen the resolve of members of Congress who are waiting to see what the consensus is. That’s why we’ve got to call on every member of Congress right now to support diplomacy.

The US government supports seven of nine dictatorships across the Middle East. Many of these dictators -- and other brutal governments -- hire lobbyists, public relations experts and advisors to help influence US politicians and shape the American mind. Here are some terrible examples: - House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's former chief of staff Nadeam Elshami is now a lobbyist for Egypt's dictator. - Former Republican US senator Norm Coleman is a lobbyist for Saudi Arabia's dictatorship. His firm, Hogan Lovells, has received almost $14 million from the Saudi monarchy since 2014. - Former Republican Member of Congress Ed Royce is also now a lobbyist for Egypt's dictator. - And former Republican Member of Congress Howard “Buck” McKeon and his firm have made over $2 million from lobbying for Saudi Arabia’s dictatorship since 2016. These former elected officials and congressional staff earn vast amounts of money supporting the very dictators and oil monarchies that make life miserable for people across the planet. US representatives and senators must refuse to meet with lobbyists, advisors, and public relations experts who work for dictators or apartheid governments. SOURCES: 1) Middle East dictatorships backed by the U.S.: Saudi Arabia, Egypt, UAE, Qatar, Jordan, Bahrain, Oman. 2) “Egypt assembles bipartisan lobbying team for post-Trump era,” Julian Pecquet, Middle East Eye, November 11, 2020, https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/egypt-assembles-bipartisan-lobbying-team-post-donald-trump-era 3) “Biden Should Stop Payment on U.S. Funds To Sisi's Egypt,” Medea Benjamin and Ariel Gold, Common Dreams, February 12, 2021, https://www.commondreams.org/views/2021/02/12/biden-should-stop-payment-us-funds-sisis-egypt 4) “Norm Coleman: Former U.S. Senator Now Lobbyist and Agent for the Saudi Government,” Democracy for the Arab World Now, October 22, 2021, https://dawnmena.org/norm-coleman-former-u-s-senator-now-lobbyist-and-agent-for-the-saudi-government/ 5) “Egypt assembles bipartisan lobbying team for post-Trump era,” Julian Pecquet, Middle East Eye, November 11, 2020, https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/egypt-assembles-bipartisan-lobbying-team-post-donald-trump-era 6) “Buck McKeon and Firm Made Over $2 Million Lobbying for Saudi Government,” October 15, 2021, Democracy for the Arab World Now, https://dawnmena.org/buck-mckeon-and-firm-made-over-2-million-lobbying-for-saudi-government/

Rather than taking active steps to close the Guantánamo Bay detention facility, President Biden is actively expanding it. According to The New York Times, the Pentagon has begun building a new $4 million courtroom at Guantánamo where the United States plans to hold secret trials starting in 2023. That means at least another year of this ongoing national shame. It’s not only far from the closure we wanted to see, it’s working backward from it. But before ground breaks we have a moment of opportunity to remind the president of our decades-long demand: CLOSE GUANTÁNAMO. Sign now to send the president a message he can't miss: the time to shut down Guantánamo is now!

Google is aggressively pursuing the Pentagon’s Joint Warfighter Cloud Capability (JWCC) contract, despite turning down a chance at a similar contract a few years ago. At the time, they said the contract would violate their AI principles of not developing technology that causes harm. That’s still true: Developments in military technology have meant ever-more devastating weapons, drone warfare, and unfettered surveillance. Google employees are expressing serious concerns about the ethics of this contract, and we agree. Sign the petition to join us in urging Google not to work with the Pentagon!

Landmines are brutal, horrific, and extremely imprecise. But a Trump-era policy removed prohibitions on these weapons, enabling their use worldwide. It remains the policy to this day, even under President Biden, who promised to "promptly roll back this deeply misguided decision" if elected. We're not afraid to call this what it is: a broken campaign promise. When President Biden reneged on his pledge to raise the refugee admissions cap, we organized at every level and, through the power of collective action, got him to make good on his word. And that's exactly what we must do now. President Biden can undo this disastrous policy with the stroke of a pen — but not unless we build enough momentum to push him to do it.

When President Biden signs the National Defense Authorization Act, he’ll set next year’s Pentagon spending levels at an ASTRONOMICAL $778 BILLION. It’s the LARGEST war budget in recent history. And if you’re outraged at the disconnect between what our communities need and what Congress and the White House sign off to spend, you’re not alone. But here’s the thing: the start to stopping another colossal waste on our watch happens NOW. President Biden’s team is already putting their FY2023 budget request together. That means we need to make sure the White House hears from us — and that we’re loud enough to drown out the weapons lobby, who you better believe are gearing up to get loud too. Sign now to tell President Biden to build a budget that works for the PEOPLE, not defense contractors and war-hawks.

Removing Fox News and it’s affiliates would greatly improve the mental health, slow the spread of misinformation and disinformation and decrease the radicalization of our armed force members and Federal employees.. The disastrous effect this propaganda has on the morale of our men and women must not be minimized

Recent congressional testimony and the Facebook Papers prove the tech giant was aware of its role in fueling sectarian violence in places like the United States, India, Burma, Sri Lanka, Ethiopia, and more — and that its algorithms put hateful and violent content front and center. It’s clear we can’t trust Facebook to hold itself accountable. That’s why Congress needs to step up and regulate big tech companies before they’re able to harm more people and further weaken democracies around the world. Add your name to join us in calling on Congress for oversight and regulation of Facebook’s algorithms and activities.

Not based in the U.S.? Sign the petition here: https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/tell-bravo-cancel-real-housewives-of-dubai/ Andy Cohen announced that the first international city of the Real Housewives franchise will be Dubai, the heart of the United Arab Emirates. The UAE is an oppressive monarchy that criminalizes being gay, requires male guardianship permission to marry, and permits marital rape. Sign our petition today and tell Bravo: Cancel Real Housewives of Dubai and demand that Dubai’s dictators end their violations of women’s rights. This is urgent: filming is expected to start soon. Bravo TV and Andy Cohen are providing cover to a UAE dictatorship that hides its brutal reality behind an international image of luxury and glamour. Cohen and Bravo are packaging a nightmare as a fantasy: Dubai’s ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum repeatedly organized the abduction and holding captivity of his adult daughters. And, he consistently threatens his former wife, Princess Haya, who fled from Dubai and was granted refuge in the UK. Dubai’s rulers need to see accountability for their mistreatment of women and LGBTQI+ persons, not a TV show projecting a fantasized image while vulnerable communities in the United Arab Emirates are living a nightmare.

Saudi Arabia already bought billions of dollars’ worth of US weapons when Trump was President. The bombs hollowing out Yemeni towns and throwing over half the Yemeni population into starvation were manufactured here in the US. The war in Yemen won’t end if we keep fueling the fire with US weapons. Thankfully, Bernie Sanders and other senators are trying to block the weapons sale in the Senate. But they need your help and there’s not a lot of time. If you act now and tell your Senate to block the sale, there’s a chance we can stop this $650 million weapons sale in its tracks!

Yesterday, 11/8, on the PBS Evening Newshour, we saw in Kabul's main children's hospital, 2½-year-old Guldana sitting up in her bed, too exhausted to even open her eyes. Her tiny body wrapped in a blanket, only her emaciated face showing. She is, probably was by the time you read this, just one of many infants in Afghanistan's hospitals, laying, two to four to a bed, starving to death, while helpless mothers watch them die. T he United Nations World Food Program (WFP) has warned that 22.8 million Afghans - that is more than half the country's population - now face hunger – including starvation. On Yesterday's NewsHour the WFP's Executive Director, David Beasley, reported that such suffering is occurring not just because Afghanistan has suffered severe drought for the last four years, but because “more than $9 million of the country's foreign assets have been frozen by the U.S. Government to prevent the Taliban from accessing them.... This is morally wrong, he said. “Don't politicize food....All I am ...saying, is please you must understand that people are dying. More people are going to die. If you don't unfreeze those funds — unfreeze them in such a way they go directly to the people through organizations like us. The Taliban have told us: We will stay out of your way. We will support anything you need to reach the people you need to reach.” PBS NewsHour, 11/8/21 Please sign the petition . And of course, you may go to the WFP and Doctors Without Borders' websites to support their incredible work to alleviate human suffering. …