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Physicians for Human Rights: Deaths in ICE Custody Surge Under Trump
NEW YORK, June 26 [Category: Political] (TNSrpt) -- Physicians for Human Rights issued the following news release:
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US: Deaths in ICE Custody Surge Under Trump
(Washington, DC) - The rate of people dying in US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody has soared, with at least 52 deaths reported since the start of President Donald Trump's current administration, Human Rights Watch and Physicians for Human Rights said in a report released today.
The 72-page report, "Dying in Detention: Rising Deaths in an Expanding US Immigration Detention System," documents the increasing number
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NEW YORK, June 26 [Category: Political] (TNSrpt) -- Physicians for Human Rights issued the following news release:
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US: Deaths in ICE Custody Surge Under Trump
(Washington, DC) - The rate of people dying in US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody has soared, with at least 52 deaths reported since the start of President Donald Trump's current administration, Human Rights Watch and Physicians for Human Rights said in a report released today.
The 72-page report, "Dying in Detention: Rising Deaths in an Expanding US Immigration Detention System," documents the increasing numberof deaths in ICE custody through expert statistical and medical analysis, exposing a rising mortality rate and raising serious questions about the adequacy of the health care provided by ICE and its contracted personnel. The increase in the mortality rate comes as the Trump administration is subjecting record numbers of immigrants to mandatory detention, including in inhuman and degrading conditions, while gutting internal oversight mechanisms.
"People are dying in ICE custody at the highest rate in many years, even after accounting for the surge in detention," said Brian Root, senior technology and human rights advisor at Human Rights Watch. "DHS and Congress should act immediately to reduce the number of people in detention and to overhaul conditions, including by ensuring access to adequate health care in line with the United States' human rights obligations."
Human Rights Watch conducted quantitative analysis of deaths in ICE custody from October 1, 2015, through June 4, 2026, analyzing trends in the rate of deaths over time. Physicians for Human Rights conducted medical analysis of the 39 deaths in ICE custody during the first year of the current Trump administration, largely based on limited public information.
The organizations examined several cases in greater depth than previously reported, drawing on interviews with family members, attorneys, and former cellmates of the deceased and, in two cases, reviewing supplementary medical records.
In one case, Maksym Chernyak, a 44-year-old man from Ukraine, suffered a stroke after showing unmistakable signs of a medical emergency, which detention staff witnessed but failed to act on. The resulting delays in transferring him to higher-level care almost certainly contributed to his death, the groups found.
In another case, Lorenzo Antonio Batrez Vargas, 32, died in ICE custody in 2025, following a Covid-19 diagnosis and 12 days in isolation. To access records related to his detention, treatment, and death, Vargas's family filed a Freedom of Information Act request in October 2025, followed by a lawsuit in December. As of early May 2026, they had not received any additional information.
"Only a mother who has lost her child knows what I am feeling," his mother said. "I want my child, and I can't do anything."
During the first year of the second Trump administration, the number of people in ICE detention increased 77 percent, from about 40,000 to over 71,000. At the same time, the rate of deaths in ICE custody rose 140 percent. Human Rights Watch and Physicians for Human Rights have documented abusive conditions in US immigration detention facilities since the 1990s.
The current Trump administration has dismantled the already limited internal oversight mechanisms within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)-ICE's parent agency-making it harder to obtain information, pursue recourse for abuse, or hold the agency and its contractors accountable.
Human Rights Watch and Physicians for Human Rights found that ICE fails to disclose adequate information about the circumstances surrounding deaths in its custody, leaving critical questions unanswered about the care detained people received and whether its provision met international human rights standards. In addition, the agency's reporting is often delayed, in apparent violation of its own reporting requirements, which include public disclosure of a death within 48 hours, and more detailed public reporting within 30 days. The limited information currently made available raises serious concerns about the nature of many of these deaths and the adequacy of people's care in custody.
"ICE so severely limits the information it provides to Congress, families, and the public that oversight is nearly impossible," said Dr. Katherine Peeler, the report's co-author, assistant professor of pediatrics at Harvard Medical School, and medical adviser at Physicians for Human Rights. "In the cases where we do have access to ICE and outside hospital records, we are seeing a breathtaking breach of the duty of care."
The deaths of people in US immigration detention point to potential violations of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which protects the right to life and obligates states to take steps to safeguard the lives of those in its custody. Poor detention conditions and failure to provide adequate medical care, can also amount to violations of the prohibition against cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment in the ICCPR and the Convention Against Torture (CAT).
DHS and its contractors should fully and publicly account in a timely fashion for every death in their custody. Congress should reduce the number of people subject to detention, prioritize alternatives, and withhold funding for any further detention expansion. It should robustly address the rising death toll, inadequate medical care, and chronic failures of transparency and reporting by DHS. Congress should also establish new, independent oversight mechanisms with real enforcement authority, including mandatory independent investigations of every in-custody death and public disclosure of all death reviews and autopsy reports, and impose penalties on ICE for failure to comply.
DHS funding has substantially increased with the recent appropriation of $70 billion through 2029. Congress should legislate standalone oversight mechanisms to ensure that the money does not expand an abusive system that has failed to protect lives.
"Families have a right to know what happened to their loved ones in ICE detention," Peeler said. "As long as people are held in US immigration custody, the government has a legal and moral obligation to protect their lives, and when it fails, a public obligation to account for what happened. Right now, it is failing on all counts."
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For more about Human Rights Watch reporting on US immigration visit: https://www.hrw.org/united-states/immigration
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Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) is a New York-based advocacy organization that uses science and medicine to prevent mass atrocities and severe human rights violations.
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REPORT: https://phr.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/PHR-HRW-Report-US-Deaths-ICE-detention-2026.pdf
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Original text here: https://phr.org/news/us-deaths-in-ice-custody-surge-under-trump/
OSHA Funding Cuts Would Endanger Workers
WASHINGTON, June 26 [Category: Political] -- Public Citizen issued the following news release:
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OSHA Funding Cuts Would Endanger Workers
Congress should reject the Trump administration's proposed cuts to the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) for FY 27, Public Citizen said in a letter sent to Senate appropriators. The Senate should maintain OSHA funding at no less than the FY 26 enacted level of $629.3 million, because anything less would compromise the agency's ability to fulfill its mission, Public Citizen said. Republicans are proposing to slash $47 million from
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WASHINGTON, June 26 [Category: Political] -- Public Citizen issued the following news release:
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OSHA Funding Cuts Would Endanger Workers
Congress should reject the Trump administration's proposed cuts to the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) for FY 27, Public Citizen said in a letter sent to Senate appropriators. The Senate should maintain OSHA funding at no less than the FY 26 enacted level of $629.3 million, because anything less would compromise the agency's ability to fulfill its mission, Public Citizen said. Republicans are proposing to slash $47 million fromthe agency.
"The workers OSHA protects are the constituents of every member of this Subcommittee. They are miners in West Virginia and Kentucky, construction workers in Texas and Ohio, farmworkers in Florida and California, and poultry and warehouse workers across the rural South. Their safety is not a partisan issue, and the decision before this Committee and Subcommittee should not be treated as one," the letter reads.
The proposed cuts arrive at a moment when American workers are dying at rates that demand greater federal investment, not less. In 2024, more than 5,000 workers were killed on the job, one death every 104 minutes. An estimated 135,000 additional workers die each year from occupational injury, placing the true annual toll at approximately 140,000 lives, more than 380 workers every single day. In addition, American private-industry employers reported 2.5 million nonfatal injury and illness cases in that same year.
The enforcement infrastructure meant to prevent these deaths is already dangerously thin. OSHA currently has one compliance officer for approximately every 93,877 workers. At current inspection rates, OSHA would take 191 years to inspect every covered workplace once, compared to every 84 years in 1991. The FY 27 budget projects just over 22,000 inspections, one of the lowest annual totals in OSHA's 55-year history.
"American workers cannot protect themselves from hazards they cannot see, control, or refuse without legal consequence," said Aishah Johnson, worker health and safety advocate for Public Citizen and author of the letter. "The federal worker-safety system exists because the labor market, without government oversight, has never adequately priced the risk of death or serious injury at work."
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INFODOC: https://www.citizen.org/article/senate-should-not-slash-funding-for-osha/
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Original text here: https://www.citizen.org/news/osha-funding-cuts-would-endanger-workers/
Nurses announce 9 new endorsements in 2026 Minnesota House, Senate and Secretary of State Races
ST. PAUL, Minnesota, June 26 [Category: Nursing] -- The Minnesota Nurses Association issued the following news release:
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Nurses announce 9 new endorsements in 2026 Minnesota House, Senate and Secretary of State Races
Nurses with the Minnesota Nurses Association have announced the endorsement of 9 candidates for the Minnesota House, Senate and the Minnesota Secretary of State. These candidates are recognized for their collaboration with nurses and are expected to make continued progress on key issues in labor, nursing, and healthcare.
To be endorsed by nurses, candidates must demonstrate
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ST. PAUL, Minnesota, June 26 [Category: Nursing] -- The Minnesota Nurses Association issued the following news release:
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Nurses announce 9 new endorsements in 2026 Minnesota House, Senate and Secretary of State Races
Nurses with the Minnesota Nurses Association have announced the endorsement of 9 candidates for the Minnesota House, Senate and the Minnesota Secretary of State. These candidates are recognized for their collaboration with nurses and are expected to make continued progress on key issues in labor, nursing, and healthcare.
To be endorsed by nurses, candidates must demonstratecommitment to MNA's goals, which include supporting safe staffing levels in hospitals, the Minnesota Health Plan, and strengthening labor rights in addition to opposing further corporatization in healthcare, which include threats of Artificial Intelligence (AI), mergers and consolidations plus the Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC).
MNA Endorsed Champion Candidates
This year three incumbent members of the Minnesota Legislature have been endorsed as "MNA Champions" for their continuous support of MNA issues and partnership with nurses. To be endorsed as an MNA Champion, candidates are recognized for past co-governance with nurses and remain dedicated to pursuing MNA's goals in labor, nursing and healthcare. The candidates endorsed as MNA Champions are: Zach Stephenson (HD 35A); Jim Abeler (SD 35); and Erin Murphy (SD 64).
* Zack Stephenson, HD 35A: Stephenson is running for a fifth term to represent House District 35A. He was first elected to the Minnesota House in 2019 and is being endorsed as an MNA Champion for his continuous support and partnership with nurses. In 2019, Stephenson authored MNA's workplace violence prevention legislation and in 2023, he continued advancing MNA priorities with the authorship of the hospital merger legislation to address nurses ' concerns about corporate consolidation in healthcare. Stephenson strongly supports safe staffing and an equitable health system such as the Minnesota Health Plan.
* Jim Abeler, SD 35: Abeler is running for a fifth term to represent Senate District 35. Abeler was first elected to the Minnesota House in 1998 and then went on to serve the Minnesota Senate starting in 2016. Abeler is endorsed as an MNA Champion for his consistent support for MNA's priorities. He is an advocate and author on MNA's staffing legislation. He has voiced opposition to both the Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) and Right-to-Work. Abeler is also vocal about the impact of hospital acquisitions and the need for greater oversight. Abeler has pushed back against federal Medicaid cuts, worked to stabilize safety-net hospitals in the region and continues to prioritize patients, communities and nurses.
* Erin Murphy, SD 64: Murphy is running for a third term to represent Senate District 64. Murphy, who is endorsed as an MNA Champion, is a registered nurse and former executive director of the Minnesota Nurses Association who has served in the legislature since 2006. As Majority Leader of the Minnesota Senate, Murphy deeply supports MNA's priorities and has led efforts for safe staffing legislation. In 2023, she fought for the Keeping Nurses at the Bedside Act as Mayo Clinic threatened to pull a $4 billion investment from the state if it passed. Previously, Murphy served as Majority Leader of the Minnesota House and continues to be a crucial partner to advance the priorities of MNA and healthcare workers.
Additional MNA Endorsed Candidates
* Jason Heaser, HD 34A: Heaser is running to represent House District 34A. He has worked as a prosecutor and is a retired military officer. Heaser supports public funding for healthcare and safe staffing in the workplace. Heaser deeply understands the impacts of the corporatization of healthcare and how consolidation eliminates competition and jobs for healthcare workers. Heaser stands with MNA on opposing the Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) and the need for more guardrails against Artificial Intelligence (AI) in healthcare settings. Additionally, Heaser supports the Minnesota Health Plan, unemployment insurance for striking workers and strengthening labor laws with additional protections locally.
* Jim DeMay, HD 36A: DeMay is running for a first term to represent House District 36A. He has previous experience as a Mounds View Public Schools Board member. DeMay strongly supports safe staffing standards across Minnesota to improve healthcare and looks forward to learning more about nurses ' experiences inside hospitals. DeMay expressed concerns for the corporatization of healthcare and believes care and business should stay local. Protecting healthcare with guardrails for Artificial Intelligence (AI) is something DeMay says is needed in addition to defending against the Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) and strengthening state labor laws.
* Nat Smith, SD 33: Smith is running for a first term to represent Senate District 33. He is an attorney who has spent much of his career focused on combatting fraud. Smith expressed his support for MNA's safe staffing legislation and is committed to learning more about the harmful Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC). Smith supports the Minnesota Health Plan and understands the importance of strengthening labor laws and unemployment insurance for striking workers. Smith expressed concerns for the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in hospitals, which could impact patient privacy and skilled healthcare workers' jobs.
* Heather Gustafson, SD 36: Gustafson is running for a second term to represent Senate District 36. Gustafson supports the Minnesota Health Plan and expressed the need for support from the federal government. She believes elected officials should be proactive to implement legislation that would increase the guardrails against Artificial Intelligence (AI) in healthcare settings-expressing concern over AI being used to solve staffing issues instead of properly staffing working nurses. Gustafson firmly believes in the need to strengthen Minnesota labor laws and stands with MNA in opposition to the Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC).
* Robyn Gulley, SD 65: Gulley is running for a first term to represent Senate District 65. Gulley has a long history of working in healthcare unions and says that has helped her understand the need for safe staffing and better working conditions. She supports safe staffing, the Minnesota Health Plan, and unemployment insurance for striking workers. She expressed strong willingness to support nurses impacted by the current hospital acquisitions.
* Steve Simon, MN Secretary of State: Simon is running for his fourth term to serve as Minnesota 's Secretary of State. Simon was first elected in 2014, and supports protecting voting rights throughout the state. He is committed to making voting accessible and equitable to ensure all Minnesota voters can participate. Simon shows strong solidarity with MNA nurses -joining them on picket lines and identifying future opportunities to stand with nurses. Simon is recognized for his work in the Minnesota House where he authored the no-excuse absentee voting law and legislation that created online voter registration in Minnesota. Simon continues to implement safeguards for Minnesota elections to protect democracy.
Nurses Care, Nurses Vote
MNA endorsements follow screening sessions where nurses pressed the candidates for their commitment to key issues for nurses and patients. Following screening sessions with candidates, recommendations for endorsement were approved by the MNA Political Committee and Board of Directors, both comprised of elected nurse members.
MNA nurses will encourage fellow nurses and the public to elect endorsed candidates in 2026 through phone and text-banking, door knocking, as well as digital advertisements.
More information on the MNA endorsement process can be found at nurses care nurses vote.com.
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Original text here: https://mnnurses.org/nurses-announce-9-new-endorsements-in-2026-minnesota-house-senate-and-secretary-of-state-races/
NATIONAL ACTION NETWORK CONDEMNS SUPREME COURT RULING STRIPPING TEMPORARY PROTECTED STATUS FOR HAITIAN NATIONALS
HARLEM, New York, June 26 -- The National Action Network issued the following news release on June 25, 2026:
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NATIONAL ACTION NETWORK CONDEMNS SUPREME COURT RULING STRIPPING TEMPORARY PROTECTED STATUS FOR HAITIAN NATIONALS
Today, the National Action Network (NAN) strongly condemned the U.S. Supreme Court's 6-3 decision in Mullin v. Doe, which allows the administration to terminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for over 350,000 Haitian nationals and rules that federal courts lack the authority to review executive branch TPS designations. This ruling strips work authorization from hundreds
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HARLEM, New York, June 26 -- The National Action Network issued the following news release on June 25, 2026:
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NATIONAL ACTION NETWORK CONDEMNS SUPREME COURT RULING STRIPPING TEMPORARY PROTECTED STATUS FOR HAITIAN NATIONALS
Today, the National Action Network (NAN) strongly condemned the U.S. Supreme Court's 6-3 decision in Mullin v. Doe, which allows the administration to terminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for over 350,000 Haitian nationals and rules that federal courts lack the authority to review executive branch TPS designations. This ruling strips work authorization from hundredsof thousands of Black immigrants and leaves established families vulnerable to detention and forced removal to a nation currently experiencing severe humanitarian instability.
Rev. Al Sharpton, President and Founder of NAN, issued the following statement:
"This ruling represents a profound and devastating setback for immigrant families and the wider civil rights community. Stripping legal status from 350,000 Haitian nationals fundamentally disrupts families who have lived, worked, and safely contributed to American communities for over a decade. By removing judicial oversight, the Court has granted the executive branch unchecked authority over humanitarian protections, leaving vulnerable people exposed to shifting political directives. Temporary, short-term programs are no longer sufficient to guarantee family stability. We need Congress to step up, provide stable leadership, and pass permanent legislative solutions immediately."
This ruling underscores the broader systemic challenges facing Black and Afro-descendant migrants within the current immigration system, where individuals frequently experience higher detention rates and accelerated removal procedures. By eliminating judicial recourse, the decision places hundreds of thousands of people from Haiti, alongside other designated nations, at risk of rapid family separation and economic displacement.
In response to this crisis, the National Action Network is demanding immediate structural action from both Congress and federal authorities to manage this humanitarian situation responsibly. First, Congress must act immediately to pass a legislative roadmap to permanent residency for all long-term TPS, DED, and undocumented community members to provide lasting stability. Second, the administration must implement an immediate moratorium on all deportation flights and expulsions to Haiti while the humanitarian crisis on the island continues. Finally, federal oversight bodies must conduct a thorough review of Department of Homeland Security resource allocation to ensure enforcement practices do not disproportionately target Black migrants for fast-tracked removal.
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ABOUT NAN
National Action Network is a leading national civil rights organization founded in 1991 by Reverend Al Sharpton. Operating within the spirit and tradition of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., NAN promotes a modern civil rights agenda that fights for one standard of justice, decency, and equal opportunities for all people regardless of race, religion, nationality, or citizenship status.
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Original text here: https://nationalactionnetwork.net/newnews/national-action-network-condemns-supreme-court-ruling-stripping-temporary-protected-status-for-haitian-nationals/
[Category: Political]
JBS Slaughterhouse Closures Brings PETA Offer to Convert Buildings Into Empathy Museums
NORFOLK, Virginia, June 26 -- People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals issued the following news release:
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JBS Slaughterhouse Closures Brings PETA Offer to Convert Buildings Into Empathy Museums
Greeley, Colo. - Following Greeley, Colorado-based JBS Foods USA's June 12 announcement that it will close a slaughterhouse in Pennsylvania and a packing facility in Tennessee, laying off nearly 1,700 employees, PETA today sent a letter to JBS CEO Wesley Batista Filho with an interesting offer: Let PETA lease the two facilities and convert them into empathy museums where visitors can learn fascinating
... Show Full Article
NORFOLK, Virginia, June 26 -- People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals issued the following news release:
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JBS Slaughterhouse Closures Brings PETA Offer to Convert Buildings Into Empathy Museums
Greeley, Colo. - Following Greeley, Colorado-based JBS Foods USA's June 12 announcement that it will close a slaughterhouse in Pennsylvania and a packing facility in Tennessee, laying off nearly 1,700 employees, PETA today sent a letter to JBS CEO Wesley Batista Filho with an interesting offer: Let PETA lease the two facilities and convert them into empathy museums where visitors can learn fascinatingfacts about the emotional lives of cows, pigs, and chickens who are treated as having no thoughts or feelings, killed for a fleeting taste. PETA points out its operation could create jobs for some of the displaced workers, give visitors an up-close look at the meat industry's tools, such as bone saws, shackles, and captive bolt guns, and encourage them to choose a clean, cruelty-free vegan diet.
"Since these facilities opened, society has changed and we have learned who animals are and what they experience, including fear and pain, so the time to convert these awful places into educational exhibits is ripe," says PETA Founder Ingrid Newkirk. "Any day is a good day to learn to be kind and put bloodshed, violence, and cruelty to animals out to pasture."
JBS has a long and disturbing history of violating both federal slaughter regulations and workers' rights, including numerous instances of workers shooting cows and pigs in the head multiple times with captive bolt guns before they were effectively stunned; a worker sawing into a cow's neck while she was still conscious; and cows confined on transport trucks for up to 10 hours in all weather extremes before being unloaded, killing some of them. In 2023, after a Green Bay, Wisconsin slaughterhouse employee's fingers were crushed on the job, a federal investigation found that JBS failed to protect workers from amputations by ignoring required safety standards. A 2022 federal investigation found that a cleaning company contracted by JBS illegally employed children as young as 13 to perform hazardous overnight tasks, such as operating skull splitters and meat-cutting saws. And in 2021, the U.S. Department of Labor cited JBS for repeated safety failures after an employee at a Greeley, Colorado facility was killed on the job.
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PETA--whose motto reads, in part, that "animals are not ours to eat"--points out that when it comes to the ability to feel pain, hunger, and fear, a cow is a dog is a boy. PETA's free vegan starter kits can help anyone thinking of making the switch. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow PETA on X, Facebook, or Instagram.
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PETA's letter to Batista Filho follows.
June 24, 2026
Wesley Batista Filho, CEO
JBS Foods USA
Dear Mr. Batista Filho:
I'm writing on behalf of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals--PETA entities have more than 10.4 million members and supporters globally, including more than 109,000 in Colorado--in response to news that JBS will be shutting down a slaughterhouse in Souderton, Pennsylvania, and a packing facility in Memphis, Tennessee, and to express our interest in leasing these facilities to convert them into empathy museums. These new structures would not only boost tourism and create jobs for workers you have displaced but also remind visitors that cows should not be seen as burgers or steaks but as individuals deserving of respect. Please, allow me to elaborate.
Several investigations into JBS facilities have shown that animals endure horrific abuse at the hands of low-paid, overburdened workers who are subject to dangerous working conditions and serious labor violations, including child labor. In fact, most of the more than 29 million cows, nearly 130 million pigs, and more than 9 billion chickens killed in the U.S. annually for food spend their short lives crammed together on filthy factory farms, where they endure deeply stressful confinement and routine mutilations, all without any pain relief, before being sent on a terrifying journey to a slaughterhouse.
It's easy to forget where meat comes from when you see it in packages at a supermarket, but as you well know, these animals don't go peacefully. Our empathy museum would include displays highlighting fascinating, often conveniently overlooked facts about animals, such as that cows have best friends and like to play, pigs can master video games and are intelligent problem solvers, and chickens can do basic math and have a complex language system. Of course, all of them think, feel, and fear. To ensure that visitors can ponder the violence in the farmed-animal and slaughter industry, we'd also be interested in acquiring bone saws, meat grinders, captive-bolt guns, slicers, shackles, and other equipment used in it.
Our empathy museum would also include a cafe featuring vegan foods. At a time when the food industry is producing superior vegan options that are delicious and healthy and the demand for vegan meats is ever rising, there is no justification for continuing to reduce living beings to pieces of meat. Thank you for your consideration. Please get in touch about this idea.
Very truly yours,
Ingrid Newkirk
Founder
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Original text here: https://www.peta.org/media/news-releases/jbs-slaughterhouse-closures-brings-peta-offer-to-convert-buildings-into-empathy-museums/
[Category: Animals]
Human Rights Watch: Democracy at Risk - On 250th Anniversary, Grave Cause for Concern
NEW YORK, June 26 [Category: International] -- Human Rights Watch posted the following news:
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US: Democracy at Risk
On 250th Anniversary, Grave Cause for Concern
(Washington) - Trump administration policies threaten the exercise of human rights that are essential to democracy, Human Rights Watch said today as the country prepares to celebrate the 250th anniversary of its Declaration of Independence. Human Rights Watch released a web feature that illustrates the breadth of new threats in 2026 alone.
"Respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms is an essential element of democracy,"
... Show Full Article
NEW YORK, June 26 [Category: International] -- Human Rights Watch posted the following news:
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US: Democracy at Risk
On 250th Anniversary, Grave Cause for Concern
(Washington) - Trump administration policies threaten the exercise of human rights that are essential to democracy, Human Rights Watch said today as the country prepares to celebrate the 250th anniversary of its Declaration of Independence. Human Rights Watch released a web feature that illustrates the breadth of new threats in 2026 alone.
"Respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms is an essential element of democracy,"said Tanya Greene, US director at Human Rights Watch. "The Trump administration has been violating human rights across the board, including many that are intrinsically bound up with the meaningful exercise of democracy."
The administration has substantively undermined or threatened the rule of law, free speech and expression, the right to vote, and key oversight, accountability, and transparency mechanisms, Human Rights Watch said.
Human Rights Watch has investigated and documented myriad ways human rights in the United States are menaced by the current administration, including the elimination of federal civil rights remedies for discrimination, abusive, racist, and violent immigration enforcement, efforts to impose unwarranted restrictions on voter registration, and moves to impede the exercise of reproductive rights.
"The US should celebrate the nation's founding principles and promise," Greene said. "That includes acknowledging and challenging its failings and working to guarantee human rights and democracy for all."
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Original text here: https://www.hrw.org/news/2026/06/25/us-democracy-at-risk
Agudath Israel Brings Chullin to Life With Nationwide Tour Featuring Rav Amitai Ben-David's Live Shechitah Demonstrations
NEW YORK, June 26 -- Agudath Israel of America, an arm and voice of American Orthodox Jewry, issued the following news:
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Agudath Israel Brings Chullin to Life with Nationwide Tour Featuring Rav Amitai Ben-David's Live Shechitah Demonstrations
Thousands of lomdei Torah across the United States were afforded a rare opportunity to experience the practical application of the sugyos of Maseches Chullin as Agudath Israel of America's Torah Projects Commission hosted an extensive nationwide speaking tour featuring Rav Amitai Ben-David, renowned author of Sichas Chulin and a leading expert in the
... Show Full Article
NEW YORK, June 26 -- Agudath Israel of America, an arm and voice of American Orthodox Jewry, issued the following news:
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Agudath Israel Brings Chullin to Life with Nationwide Tour Featuring Rav Amitai Ben-David's Live Shechitah Demonstrations
Thousands of lomdei Torah across the United States were afforded a rare opportunity to experience the practical application of the sugyos of Maseches Chullin as Agudath Israel of America's Torah Projects Commission hosted an extensive nationwide speaking tour featuring Rav Amitai Ben-David, renowned author of Sichas Chulin and a leading expert in thehalachos and realities of shechitah and treifos.
Over the course of several weeks, Rav Ben-David visited communities throughout Monsey, Brooklyn, Passaic, Far Rockaway, Baltimore, Waterbury, Toms River, Airmont, Lakewood, and Queens, presenting engaging and highly informative programs to audiences numbering in the thousands. The events drew rabbonim, Daf Yomi participants, bnei Torah, and community members eager to deepen their understanding of one of the most fascinating and practical areas of Torah study.
What made these presentations particularly unique was the combination of rigorous Torah scholarship with live demonstrations. At each stop, Rav Ben-David presented a live shechitah and treifos demonstration, bringing to life the intricate halachos governing kosher slaughter and the examination of animals. Through practical examples, visual illustrations, and clear explanations, participants gained a unique appreciation for the precision, expertise, and Torah knowledge required in the world of kashrus.
"For many participants, this was their first opportunity to see the practical realities behind the sugyos they have learned in Maseches Chullin," said Rabbi Yitzchok Hisiger, Director of Torah Projects at Agudath Israel of America. "Rav Ben-David possesses a unique ability to bridge the gap between the beis medrash and practical halachic application. The tremendous enthusiasm and attendance we witnessed in community after community reflected a genuine thirst for this type of Torah programming."
Rabbi Hisiger added, "These presentations enabled participants to gain a deeper appreciation for the beauty, precision, and complexity of these halachos. We are grateful to the many local rabbonim, shuls, sponsors, and organizers whose efforts made the tour possible, and to Rav Ben-David for sharing his vast knowledge and expertise with Torah communities throughout the country."
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Original text here: https://agudah.org/agudath-israel-brings-chullin-to-life-with-nationwide-tour-featuring-rav-amitai-ben-davids-live-shechitah-demonstrations
[Category: Religion]
